A/N: Hello folks! I'm a little late I know, you can blame the coming of Christmas for that one! Here I am anyway, and a brand new sparkling chapter for you before the big day! Hope you all enjoy!
unnamed visitor: Thank you very much, it was rather an emotional one but it couldn't be helped. Amy will indeed be off to the Rock soon, glad you liked the Jaime and Lanette scene. I keep all couples in mind, sometimes a storyline will just creep up on me. Robb/Myrcella is not something I ever planned on doing until it was suggested and I thought on it and thought of a scenario where it could work. Speaking of that story, I may post the first chapter up in the next few days so keep an eye out if you fancy it. Thanks again, and have a very merry Christmas.
Boramir: Thank you! You can be sure Amy will have the heaviest guard she could be given, with the rest of the Northmen and as many of Tywin's as he feels is necessary. I don't think Tywin could have stopped Steffon sending Ser Barristan, he could have advised against it, but I think Steffon would have sent him anyway, for his own peace of mind and for Cersei's. Plus, he is married to a Stark, so there is always a direwolf roaming the Capitol hallways. Indeed, a siege would be bad for Robb, but as you said, he can call on additional men should need be. There is progress with the Renly problem in this chapter, so you should soon see how they are planning to resolve it, and quickly, as they should. Thanks again, and I hope you have a great Christmas.
Right-ho folks, on we go!
:)
Kneel
Tywin glanced at Steffon as the doors to the throne room were thrown open, the court announcer voicing the arrival of Renly. He was worried, as were the rest of the council, that Steffon would show undeserved leniency to his uncle. So far he was sat easily in the iron throne with an almost bored expression on his face as Renly walked the length of the hall, two men flanking him. One Tywin recognised as Loras Tyrell, the other he didn't know, but he could only assume it was one of the Storm lords who was misguidedly loyal to Renly. Steffon didn't speak as his uncle walked all the way to the foot of the iron throne, he merely stared at him for a long moment before raising one brow pointedly. At the gesture Renly fell down to one knee and bowed his head, his two companions hesitantly doing the same behind him.
"Your Grace," Renly said, rising back to his feet and look up at his nephew, "you summoned me to court." Steffon drummed his fingers on the arm of the throne, looking down at his uncle coldly. "I did," Steffon said, "over two moons ago, I did not realise that the journey from Storm's End was so arduous." Renly shifted uncomfortably at the words, his eyes darting about before he fixed them on Steffon again. "I had to make sure that the Stormlands would be governed properly in my absence before I left them," Renly said, and Tywin couldn't help but roll his eyes, sharing a sceptical look with Cersei. "That's very astute of you uncle," Steffon said, smiling slightly, "but you ought not to have bothered. The governing of the Stormlands is no longer your concern."
"Your Grace?" Renly looked confused, a frown creasing his brow as Steffon sat up straighter on the throne and glared at him. "Did you really think you could attempt to usurp me and still keep your seat?" Steffon asked him mockingly, and Renly's eyes darted towards where Tywin and the rest of the council were stood, as though looking for guidance. "Your Grace, I do not know what you have heard," Renly was almost stammering now, "but I would seek to do no such thing. Aside from anything else we are kin. I would never commit treason against you…please…you cannot believe such lies and slander."
"So you have not been entertaining the Storm lords with the intention of gathering your armies to march upon the Capitol?" Steffon demanded, his fists clenched white around the arms of the throne. "Of course not, your Grace…the very idea is absurd!" Renly protested, shaking his head. "And you did not deliberately scupper the betrothal of my sister, your niece, to garner the support of Highgarden to bolster your own armies?" Steffon continued, and Tywin raised a brow, impressed so far with Steffon's handling of the situation. "No, your Grace, this is preposterous!" Renly denied, still shaking his head.
"And you did not plan on murdering my wife and unborn child?" Steffon asked so quietly that Tywin wasn't entirely certain that he had heard him correctly. Scandalised whispers ran through the assembled court and Tywin held his breath, hoping that Steffon had not just gone too far. "This is outrageous, your Grace," Renly shook his head. "I confess that I have hosted several of my lords recently, but there is no crime in that. Neither did Ser Loras commit a crime by marrying elsewhere, he was foolish yes, but it was an act of love and not one I knew about until it was done. If I had known, of course I would have advised him against it, but I could not undo it once the act was done. But this, accusing me of such a hideous thing, how can you say it? Where is your proof?!" Renly demanded.
Tywin grit his teeth, hearing the murmurings of the crowd increasing. What in the name of the Gods was Steffon thinking? If he began tossing out unfounded accusations then the people would begin to question him, and that would only play into Renly's hands. Part of him wanted to approach the throne and talk some sense into his grandson, but he held his ground, praying that Steffon knew what he was doing. "I have proof," Steffon said, a half smile twitching his lips, "I have a witness who has sworn a testament before the High Septon. I also have letters, stamped with your seal. They were coded, very clever of you, uncle, but they were not unbreakable. I also, have this," Steffon concluded, his hand slipping into his doublet and bringing out a tiny sealed bottle.
"I have yet to have the Maester examine it," Steffon said as Renly's eyes bulged, "but I would imagine it contains poison, as my witness swore that it did." Steffon was rolling the bottle around in his fingers, clearly enjoying his uncle's discomfort. "Who is this witness?!" Renly demanded, clear panic in his voice. "I will not have my good name tarnished by these false claims! It is my right to know exactly who is speaking so slanderously against me!"
"As you wish, uncle," Steffon enclosed his fist around the bottle and nodded towards the doors of the throne room. Tywin's own eyes went to the door, waiting for this witness of Steffon's to make their appearance. He hadn't the faintest idea who it was, Steffon had made no mention of this to him, either in council or in private. A quick glance at Cersei saw a confused frown creasing her brow, and he concluded that she couldn't have known either. His eyes went back to the door then, and they widened when he saw who walked through them, steps slow but purposeful as they made their way towards the iron throne.
"Lady Margaery," Steffon spoke softly to her, gesturing her out of her curtsey and toward the other side of the throne to that which Renly stood before. "Would you please repeat the testimony you swore before the High Septon to the court?" Steffon asked her, and she bowed her head meekly. "Yes, your Grace," she said, clearly avoiding the gaze of her brother who looked thunderstruck. "Please, go on," Steffon invited, waving his hand for her to speak.
"My father made a deal with Lord Baratheon shortly before I came to court at the behest of the queen," Margaery began, her voice strong despite the slight tremble. "Could you tell us the detail?" Steffon asked, and she inclined her head. "My father promised Lord Baratheon the might of Highgarden to aid him in rebelling against the crown," Margaery went on, and Tywin's brows shot up. "And?" Steffon prompted.
"Lord Baratheon wanted more, he wanted me to spy on the queen in the hopes that I could discredit her and see her fall. Only, it was too late as she was already with child. When Lord Baratheon became aware of the queen's condition he sent the poison, he told me to make sure the queen took it when she went to her childbed. I was told that it would kill her, and the child, though it would not be clear that she had been poisoned, just unfortunate," Margaery said, and Tywin heard Cersei audibly gasp. She wasn't the only one, murmurings were rising about the hall again, and this time he could tell that the anger and the accusation was directed towards Renly. "I couldn't do it," Margaery's voice broke, and she put her head in her hands to stifle her tears. Tywin didn't know whether she was acting or not, but he admired her performance nonetheless. "So I went to the High Septon and confessed it all," she choked out.
"You lying bitch!" Renly snarled, making to move towards her but Gold Cloaks moved in at once to restrain him. Tywin saw Loras Tyrell move his hand to his sword belt and was about to shout a warning, but one of the Kingsguard had clearly seen him too, moving swiftly and twisting Loras' wrist away from the sword until he yelped in pain. "And why would your father have put you in such a dangerous position?" Steffon asked Margaery calmly, "Knowing that if discovered you would be arrested for treason?"
"He said it would be worth it," Margaery's voice trembled, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Once the queen and her child were taken care of the Capitol would be stormed in the midst of its mourning. He was certain you would be slain, and once you were dead and Lord Baratheon crowned King, he would take me as his queen in return for my service and the arms of Highgarden."
"Liar! Your Grace, she is lying, can you not see it?!" Renly screamed, fighting against his restraint. "I see a woman who was bullied and forced into participating in your treason," Steffon snarled, rising up from the throne. "I see you, uncle, not satisfied with the kingdom that my father was gracious enough to make you Lord Paramount of. You have been allowed to get away with your plotting and your scheming for long enough. I was prepared to forgive you for your planned treachery, allow you to enter exile, but that was until I discovered this!" he snapped, again holding up the bottle of poison. "Trying to usurp my throne is one thing, uncle, but plotting to take the lives of my innocent wife and child is something I can never forgive," Steffon was shaking his head, advancing on his uncle with a murderous look in his eyes.
"Your Grace, please, you cannot possibly believe this of me, we are kin!" Renly was desperate and pleading now but Steffon's expression did not soften. If anything, the resolve in his eyes seemed to strengthen, the coldness in them painfully evident. "Take him to the cells," Steffon said icily, no remorse in his tone. "Them too," he jerked his head towards Loras Tyrell and the other man who had accompanied Renly into the throne room. Both began to protest but Steffon turned away, walking purposely back towards the throne. He sat himself back down calmly, staring straight ahead as his uncle and his two men were dragged out still screaming denials and protests. Tywin let out a long breath when their voices could no longer be heard, glancing uneasily between Cersei and his grandson. By the Gods, he had not been expecting that.
Cersei practically ran up the steps to Sansa's room, some of the guards she passed along the hallway spoke up to ask if something was wrong. She ignored them, intent on reaching her good-daughter. Her father had bundled Steffon and Margaery Tyrell away to the council chambers as soon as the court was dismissed but she had declined to go with them. She reached Sansa's door and knocked firmly, hearing a call to come in after a moment. Sansa smiled at her from her place on the sofa, and Cersei faltered slightly as she noted that Amy and Aedan were present. The two young women appeared to be fussing and clucking over him as he played with his toys on the floor between them. "Is something wrong?" it was Amy who asked, a slight frown creasing her brow.
"I've just come from court, you missed quite the event," Cersei told her, her eyes moving to Sansa's and seeing the uneasy look in hers. "What happened?" Amy asked curiously. "Renly has been arrested," Cersei informed them, seeing Amy's eyes widen. Sansa however, did not look surprised at all. "I assume Steffon told you of his plan?" Cersei asked her good-daughter pointedly, and Sansa sighed. "Please, come and sit down," she invited, and Cersei did as she was told, taking the place next to Sansa. "What is the truth of it?" Cersei asked, "I know there must be more to it than Margaery Tyrell discovering a conscience."
"She didn't discover a conscience," Sansa smiled wryly, "I discovered her letters. Steffon urged her to develop a conscience, lest she end up in the cells as well. She spoke against Renly and her father in return for a pardon, and she will still become Lady of Storm's End."
"The poison?" Cersei asked, this time seeing the trace of fear in Sansa's eyes, and the way her hands came to protectively cradle her stomach. "It was real enough, Steffon had her chambers thoroughly searched. When she revealed the code for the letters it all became painfully clear," Sansa told her, and her irritation with her son and her good-daughter ebbed away. "Why didn't you say anything?" Cersei asked her incredulously. "Margaery was going to poison someone? Who?" Amy asked just as incredulously, her eyes wide. "Me," Sansa confirmed with a wry smile, "me and the baby. And I said nothing because Steffon told me not to speak of it. He said he knew what he had to do, and that he couldn't risk any whisper reaching Renly before he arrived."
"That is so awful," Amy was shaking her head, "how could kin do such a thing?" Sansa shrugged her shoulders in response, her hand rubbing against her rounded stomach. "Is Steffon certain that Margaery was the only conspirator at court?" Cersei asked, and again Sansa shook her head. "He's increased my guard, but he still isn't happy," Sansa said miserably, "if I weren't so near to term I think he would send me away from court."
"He would be a fool to do so," Cersei shook her head, "especially with half the Storm lords still roaming free and unchecked, and my father would tell him so, should he even think of mentioning such a thing." Sansa looked placated it that, thanking her gratefully. "When word reaches the Stormlands that Renly has been arrested, what do you think those holding Storm's End will do?" Amy asked fearfully. "Would they surrender? Or start a war?" she continued, and Cersei shook her head slightly. "I don't know Amy," Cersei said honestly, "I wish I did, I wish I could tell you that all of this would be peacefully resolved."
"Robb would be a valuable hostage," Cersei could hear the panic in Amy's voice now, could almost imagine what was going on in her niece's head. "If they are still loyal to Renly then they could take him, offer him up as an exchange," Amy was bordering on tears now, she could hear it in her voice. "Steffon would agree, wouldn't he?!"
"Amy, calm yourself," Cersei advised, meeting her eyes and holding them fast. "Those left in charge at Storm's End cannot possibly know that it is Robb leading the men. How could they? Steffon has not graciously informed them who will be coming to take over," she soothed, "if they have any sense they will give up this ridiculously ill thought out plot and surrender meekly, it is the only hope they have of being pardoned."
"You really think so?" Amy still sounded fearful, but no longer on the verge of tears. "Of course," Cersei assured her, "and Stannis is close by, as soon as Selyse is laid to rest I imagine that he will be sailing there himself. With a bit of luck Robb will only be there a few days before Stannis arrives to relieve him. Don't trouble yourself with this, Amy, please. You ought to be preparing to leave for the Rock, you are going to have to pull yourself together if you are going to be any comfort at all to your mother." Thankfully Amy nodded determinedly at that and Cersei was instantly relieved, glad that she had not said the wrong thing. "You're right," her niece said, "I'm sorry Sansa, I'll have to leave you. I need to write to Robb and start gathering our things. If grandfather is agreeable then I think Aedan and I will leave at the end of the week."
"Of course, there is no need to be sorry," Sansa waved her hand, shaking her head, and Amy sent her a slightly strained looking smile. She rose up then, bending down to scoop a protesting Aedan into her arms, shifting him onto one hip before she gathered up his toys in her other hand. "I'll open the door for you," Cersei said, moving to hold it open for her. "I will see you later," Amy directed towards Sansa, "thank you," she smiled at Cersei as she moved passed her and out the door. Cersei closed it firmly behind her before moving back to sit with Cersei. "As much as I love her being around, I think she will be better off at the Rock until Robb returns," Cersei said, and Sansa nodded her agreement. "I think so too," she voiced, "being with her mother at such a time will be a needed distraction for her."
"I just hope everything goes well," Cersei said seriously, biting down on her lip. "Indeed," Sansa agreed, the door opening before either of them could say anything else. "Mother," Steffon greeted, looking slightly surprised and also a little sheepish. "I take it she's told you?" he directed towards Sansa, and she nodded her head. He crossed to her, leaning down against the back of the sofa so he could press a firm kiss to her cheek before he moved to settle himself next to her. His hand came to her stomach at once, his other arm wrapping tightly around her shoulders. "My grandfather has agreed with me increasing your guard," Steffon murmured to his wife, "in fact, he thinks more could be added."
"Whatever you think's best," Sansa replied, and Cersei watched Steffon press a fierce kiss to her temple in response. "I won't let anyone threaten you, either of you," Steffon said insistently, and in that moment Cersei could not doubt his words. "I know you won't," Sansa said, turning her head so their foreheads could press together. Cersei couldn't help but feel as though she was intruding as she looked at them, and so she rose up from her seat. "I will leave you now, I'm sure you both want to savour the limited time you have left where it is just the two of you," she smiled as they turned their heads to look at her. "Thank you, mother," Steffon said gratefully, and she nodded her head, thinking that she would go and spend some time with Eleanor. "Yes, thank you," Sansa added, and she smiled before making her way to the door.
Robb took the letter with thanks, forcing a smile for the squire before he turned and walked back towards his tent where he could read it in private. He had tried to think on the letters from Amy as a good thing, he tried to be excited and happy to receive them as he had been all those years ago when they had exchanged letters before meeting. It was different now though, back then he hadn't known what it was like to be in her presence. Back then he didn't know how she felt in his arms and how lost he felt without her sleeping by his side night after night. Back then they didn't share a son. He closed his eyes and tried to convince himself for the thousandth time that everything would be alright on his return, that his son would remember his face.
When he opened them again he snapped the seal of the letter and unravelled it, seeing Amy's familiar neat script. He forced himself not to read the end first, even though he wanted to see her usual parting words of love more than anything. Instead he began at the beginning, a slight frown setting in almost at once and only growing deeper the more he read. He wasn't comforted as much as he usually was by the assurance that both Amy and Aedan were perfectly well. Her words on a page were not enough now, not now that he knew this. He had to make a conscious effort not to enclose his fist around the letter and crush it in his palm. Instead he put it down and began pacing up and down the tent, thinking on what he had just read.
Renly had been plotting to kill his sister, his gentle, innocent sister and her unborn child. He put his hands up to his face and rubbed them against his skin, trying to calm himself down. Gods. What repercussions would Renly's arrest have within the Stormlands? Would it make it easier or harder for them to secure the take-over of Storm's End? Robb had received a letter from Stannis the day before, and he seemed to think he would arrive a week after him at the latest, though if the winds were favourable he would perhaps be quicker. He prayed he would be quicker, he did not want to do this all alone for long, not when he hadn't the faintest idea what kind of reception he would be receiving. After hearing of Renly's plans, Robb would not be surprised if those in command at Storm's End meekly surrendered to him and his forces, only to have them murdered in their beds.
He shuddered. It did not good to think of such things, and besides, he had bigger things to worry about with Amy's news that she and Aedan would be leaving for the Rock soon. He tried not to feel panic, knowing that she would have been going there soon enough anyway. It meant trusting her to be well protected by men that weren't him though, her safety and the safety of their son was entirely out of his hands. If anything were to happen he would be entirely powerless to stop it. He was weeks away from them, and thinking of what could befall them in these uncertain times was starting to make his hands shake and his stomach churn. It had been true what he had said before, Aedan and Amy would make incredibly valuable hostages, and he was certain that not all of Renly's men could have been rounded up.
He took a deep breath, trying to remember that Tywin wouldn't allow Amy to go anywhere if he didn't believe it to be safe. If anyone so much as touched a hair on her head without her consent he imagined that her grandfather would destroy them. He had to believe that. It was the only thing that was stopping him from deserting the men and riding back towards the Capitol at once. Not that he would make it in time, but he would still be moving closer to her instead of further away. She and Aedan would have a three week journey to the Rock, no doubt both travelling in a carriage. He imagined Theon would accompany them, and the remainder of the Northmen he had left behind to ensure their safety. Doubtless Tywin would add men. Robb bit his lip, trying to weigh in his mind whether or not he would prefer them to rest at inns along the way or out in the open.
If they were out in the open then it would be easier to set up a perimeter of guards, easier to spot any incoming attack. It was getting colder now though, especially at night, and Aedan was still so young. He knew that Amy wouldn't put him at any risk, but sometimes babies just got sick. He couldn't bear the thought of his son falling ill, unable to imagine Amy's distress if such a thing were to happen. He closed his eyes and shook his head, determined not to follow that train of though. He would drive himself mad if he carried on, he knew that well enough. The pair of them staying at inns would be warmer for them, and more comfortable. There was no guarantee that there would be enough room for the men though, and she and Aedan would be in a room alone. He shuddered. Damn it. He just did not know what the best thing was, he would just have to trust that Tywin and Amy would make the decision without him. Gods, he hoped that they would make the right one.
A/N: Well there we have it, another one down! Hope you guys enjoyed, I will try and get another one to you before the new year. I may also post up the prologue for a new story I'll be writing in the new year. It will be called 'Wolf Pact', and feature a Robb/Myrcella pairing. Anyhoo, that may or may not be up in the next few days. If not it will definitely make an appearance in the new year.
For now I will just wish you all a very merry Christmas, and a happy new year if I don't catch you before then!
:)