"How long was I tossing about?" Margaery asked as her maids dressed her.
"Most of the night, my lady, but at least you slept through it all," she smiled.
"The small blessings," Margaery replied with a sigh. But it was the first time since her husband had been murdered that Margaery had gotten through an entire night. She had struggled alone at first until her lack of sleep led her to the point of collapse, then Leonette had insisted that one of her cousins slept with her every night. Margaery had protested. "The last person to sleep beside me was murdered." But there was no stopping her good-sister with this, and so Elinor, Megga and Alla had taken turns spending the night with Margaery to try and help her to sleep. "Is there a mess?" She didn't want to look, she didn't want to see more blood.
"No, Margaery." She nodded, then it was over. "Will you inform the council?"
"I must." As queen, her fertility was a matter of the realm's future. But they con't care for my ability to sleep or my ability to think or whether I am recovered from my husband being murdered beside me and me falling asleep in his blood. She broke her fast with a light breakfast of oats before making her way to the Tower of the Hand. But the Hand's brother informed her that he was not there, having been summoned to Cersei's chambers that morning.
Margaery didn't want to see Cersei or the looks of hatred or disgust that were sure to come her way. And certain as the dawn, they were there when Margaery entered Cersei's chambers. "What do you want?" Cersei asked, coldly, working her face back into regal stone. From her hair, Margaery wondered which of the pair of them had had a calmer night.
"I must needs inform you, your grace, I had my moonblood last night," better to get it over with.
"So you are not with child?" Sebaston asked.
"So soon after the wedding night, it is possible that Joff's seed simply did not take yet." Cersei insisted.
Margaery had heard maesters give answers either way in that regard, but certainly couldn't contest Cersei. And I wouldn't, even if I could. The Hand of the King agreed with his queen, saying that another bleeding would make the matter certain, so she could be safely wedded to Tommen without risking a pregnancy.
"Lady Margaery, have you received any messages from the Reach lately?" Sebaston asked.
Cersei fashed him a look that made it clear she didn't want him speaking with Margaery, so she answered quickly. "What news in particular?"
"This is not a matter that concerns Lady Margaery," Cersei said. "She has of course been mourning her husband, my son."
"I have no doubt, your grace. But if lady Margaery has heard anything, it would be best to know, so that you might make the best informed decision."
"Lord Varys is the Master of Whispers, I will speak with him on this matter, and I will inform you what what I want you to do afterwards."
Sebaston bowed. "As you command, your grace."
Cersei dismissed her and she left. Why had he asked her if she had received news from the Reach? Instead of returning to her rooms, she waited just down the corridor from Cersei's rooms with her guards around her, hands on sword hilts. Sebaston emerged with a stack of papers under his arm.
"Lord Sebaston," he looked up at her and bowed.
"Your grace."
He's happy to call me that outside Cersei's hearing. "You were asking about news from the Reach?"
He glanced over his shoulder and nodded when he saw the door was shut, then gestured for her to follow him. "We have received worrying reports from the roads." He said. "I summoned some of my household, now it seems I will be here for longer than I thought to be. They encountered several mobs of holy men making their way along the roads, preaching and clamouring."
"Are they coming for the capital?"
"Along the roseroad at least, but also from the south and the northern coast roads."
"Are they a threat?"
"We don't know, I was hoping you might have heard something of those coming from the Reach."
"What will Cersei's response be?"
"The queen-regent has yet to make a decision, as you heard."
Margaery didn't press him. "I will ask my fellow reachmen."
"Please do. And your grace." She looked at him as he glanced around. "I will advise you as I advised Lord Loren this morning. It would be of great help if we could get a new High Septon before these holy men arrive."
"I will do what I can."
He nodded, relieved. "May I escort you back to your rooms?" He held out his free arm and she took it modestly.
They passed by the courtyard on their way and looked down into it. "Is that Ser Balon?" She asked.
A knight in white armour with a morning star was sparring with a warrior in dark plate in the colours of House Prestor. Several other knights waited their turn, she saw Jonothor Bulwer, Tarquin Flowers and Lothor Brune waiting to fight next, and Olisand Mallery and Garth Crane nursing wounds to one side. Normally the sight of a Knight of the Kingsguard fighting would draw a crown, but today there were no crowds, and like as not there wouldn't be for some time.
"Yes, I believe it is."
"What is he doing?"
"Testing the worth of these knights. The Kingsguard must needs be filled if King Tommen and the royal family are to be safe."
Margaery nodded. But who were they to be. Would Cersei fill it with more of her lackeys, could they get more knights in to help keep her safe along with Loras? She frowned. Loras was with the King now, together with Arys Oakheart. Ser Mandon was with Princess Myrcella and ser Balon was below. The Hound had been guarding Tommen the night before. "Where is the Lord Commander?"
"Ser Jaime? The White Sword Tower, if I were to wager. There are many demands on the Lord Commander."
Margaery nodded. She would have expected him to be with Cersei, but perhaps they were no longer intimate. Perhaps Cersei was no longer attracted to a one handed knight.
"So has anyone excelled themselves at arms?"
"I will ask ser Balon when he has tested them all. We need the best two."
"Two? There is only one opening in the Kingsguard."
"There might be two before long." He noticed her look and smiled to reassure her. "Nothing untoward, your grace. King Tommen has expressed discomfort with the Hound."
"You would strip him of his white cloak?"
"The man refuses to be dubbed a knight, I offered to do it myself and he threatened to cut me in half if I repeated myself. But restoring the order of the White Cloaks to an order of honour would go some way to restoring the tarnished image of the crown." He took a breath. "But like as not, nothing will come of it. Her grace wants the Hound to remain, and he has no apparent inclination to claim his brother's inheritance."
Perhaps she could persuade Tommen to… what? The Hound had been a loyal defender of Joffrey, he had served ably against the armies of Stannis Baratheon. But did that make him a Lannister dog, could he be relied upon to defend her as well as any member of the royal family. Or should she push for him to be removed and try to replace him with another.
No, she couldn't think of that right now.
"Are you unwell, your grace?"
"I… slept poorly last night."
Sebaston sympathised and guided her back to her chambers, leaving her cousins with instructions to help her rest before leaving, fishing one of his papers out and reading it closely.
()()()
"I would be honoured to write to my brother for you in this regard," Margaery said, standing up from her prayers at the altar of the Maiden and making the star on her breast.
"That would be… most wonderful. My nephew would be most appreciative."
"As would my cousin," she smiled. She leant down to kiss his ring, curtsied and moved over to the altar of the mother, where Elinor was already on her knees. "Does all proceed well?" She whispered, and with the prayers coming from the altars and the singing of a choir of boys along the nave, her words were masked.
"We do what we can, my queen," Elinor said. "It would seem Lord Loren has secured the loyalty of Ollitor, and he will vote for our candidate." Ollitor was a stubborn ox, how had Lord Loren been able to secure his vote. "He leant on the city watch to cease their investigations into the brothels he frequents," Elinor explained. "He will vote for Luceon at the end of the week."
"As will Franklyn," Margaery added. "His nephew will be taken in at Highgarden and betrothed to Leona. As soon as the ink is dried, his vote will be for Luceon."
All seemed to be going well. Septon Luceon was gaining votes daily, with fortune on their side, soon he would become the High Septon and would be able to grant them an exemption to wed Tommen. "Shall we continue?" Elinor asked.
"No, we've done enough for today, and night has fallen." And I want the Red Keep's walls around me. She would not find herself on the streets again with the smallfolk who had already kidnapped her once with darkness around her. They could plan anything in the darkness.
Two dozen armed men waited by her carriage, horses mounted and swords loose in the scabbards. Four of them held torches to keep the dark of night Margaery thanked them before clambering in with Alla, Megga and Elinor. They each settled back and Megga pulled out furs for them to wrap themselves in. At Margaery's word the carriage rattled down the street.
She closed her eyes and tried to let the motions lull her into sleep, even if she could get a few minutes…
But soon the carriage came to a halt. "We can't be there already." Elinor said, banishing Margaery's lethargy. She pulled the fur close as Elinor pulled back a curtain and poked her head out. "What's that light?"
Margaery joined her cousin. The sky was starry and dark, but to the south a faint orange glow shimmered. "Fire." She breathed. "Back to the Red Keep, now!"
The carriage set off again as fast as the teamsters dare drive it, the guardsmen around them keeping up with a trott. Bells began to toll and Margaery covered her ears and closed her eyes. "It's just bells, my love, why do you worry?" Joffrey asked in her ear. She saw him standing before her, his throat opened, blood streaming from his limbs, his voice a wet rattle. The bells tolled and tolled and tolled. Joffrey laughed at her. "Why do you think the bells are ringing now. Is it my sweet brother who you are so eager to wed. Is it yours?"
It was a fire, just a fire, a fire!
"Just a fire y'grace." One of her captors this time, head hidden behind a roughspun sack, a cleaver in his hand as he leant through the carriage window.
Someone called her by her name but she sank back into the carriage.
Then a snap and a flash of pain. "Margaery!" She blinked, her dead husband and lost tormentors fading like smoke. Her cheek stung and Leonette was knelt before her.
"Is she alright?" Alla asked timidly.
"Margaery?" Leonette raised her hand to slap her again.
"I'm here, I'm here!" She said quickly, sitting up and letting the fur slip from her collar.
"Good, very good," Leonette said, squeezing her legs softly. "Now come on, let's get you into the castle."
"The bells… the fire…"
"Leave it to the men, come with me."
Margaery took Leonette's arm and let herself be guided back inside the castle quickly. Knights were armouring in the courtyard, squires were bringing out horses. Garlan was directing them in the courtyard until Lord Loren emerged in red plate, his wife passing him his helm and his squire his horse. No one paid Margaery any mind as her ladies led her back inside.
Margaery asked what was happening and Leonette explained that the carriage had come back, but Alla, Megga and Elinor were unable to get her to move. Leonette was helping Garlan ready his horse in the square and had hurried to help.
"And the fire?" Margaery asked.
"Something at the docks, there is fire in the Blackwater.
"Wha-" Leonette pressed a finger to Margaery's lip.
"Sleep, your grace, girls, join her grace tonight, the bed is quite big enough for the four of you. I will wait for the men to return and inform if there is any reliable news."
News came and came quickly. An attack on the docks, knights descending on it from inland.
By the time they were in their nightgowns they said that ships had stolen out of the Kingswood and slipped across the bay. When they were under the covers, Margaery holding Alla close, with Elinor behind her and Megga behind Alla, it was traitors within the walls and fire descending from the heavens.
They all slept badly that night, and Leonette returned the next morning to inform them that Shireen Baratheon's navy had launched a night attack on the harbour and that the council had called for her.
"What is she doing here?" Cersei demanded when Margaery was escorted in. She was wrapped in a fur of her own, a glass of wine in front of her. Cersei's eyes looked as tired as Margaery felt.
In truth they all looked exhausted. Loren, Jaime and Garlan were still in their armour of red, white and green. Loren and Garlan were both sat, looking sour. Ser Jaime stood but looked the most tired of them all. Her father was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday and it looked like that hadn't even bothered waking the Grand Maester.
"Cersei, your grace, lord Mace and ser Garlan will inform her what we say anyway," Loren said.
"She is not of this council."
It took the entire council to convince Cersei to let her stay and she took the furthest seat she could and they finally began.
They started with recriminations. Blame flowed in all directions, the City Watch, Loren as Master of Laws, her father as Master of Ships, ser Jaime as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, whom no one could find for several hours after the fires began.
"Stannis Baratheon was known to employ pirates and he was saved at Storm's End by a smuggler," Garlan said. "Like as not this was their work."
"We must prepare to attack immediately. This attack cannot go unpunished. When can we send the fleet out to sea?"
"That depends on how many ships you want in that fleet, your grace." Loren said. "We have a dozen seaworthy warships remaining at the capital. Give me a week to make repairs to the less damaged ships and recall those send up the Rush, and I can have thirty ready to sail."
"That's most of the fleet gone!" Margaery exclaimed.
"They were sitting at anchor and in the darkness we didn't see the enemy until they began their attack." Garlan said. He explained that the enemy had swept ashore with fire, burning the docks and ships resting at the quays and the buildings beyond, while the Baratheon fleet dealt with the ships in the water. All the ones on the Blackwater were destroyed as were many of those at the dock. By some fortune, the two largest ships had been pulled up onto the shore for repairs earlier on in the week and so were spared the fires.
"And this attack was about more than just destroying our ships, this was about sending a message. Some of the enemy reached the walls and daubed black stags on them and any surviving buildings. The people who live at the docks were not butchered, but told that the rightful queen was returning. And then there are these." Loren tossed several sheafs of paper onto the table. The Hand took several and Margaery picked up one. Rejoice, the Queen is coming, justice is coming! It read. "The enemy warships catapulted sacks and bundles of these letters over the walls."
"These were written in different hands," Sebaston said, reading the letters over carefully.
"Thank you lord Hand, that will be key to our response," Cersei said. "Lord Marshall, what is your response, you are the commander of my son's war effort."
Loren blinked tiredness away. "We have no options at sea, and we won't until the fleet is rebuilt and doubled. We will have to retaliate in the Stormlands."
"You should be there already."
"I would have been, had King Joffrey not been murdered." And he wouldn't be returning until some of the chaos had calmed. "But I will send word to my lords to resume the advance toward Storm's End."
"I want ravens flying by the end of the day."
"Of course, your grace."
"Do you think the timing is a coincidence," Littlefinger asked. "Coming so quickly after good king Joffrey's murder."
The Hand nodded slowly. "Yes, that would make sense, murder the king, cast doubt on the succession," my womb again, "then remind the city that Shireen Baratheon is still out there."
"Well if she wants to make a message out of it, so can we." Littlefinger said. "Shireen Baratheon murdered her cousin Joffrey Baratheon in order to claim the throne. That makes her a kinslayer in the eyes of the gods."
It would if she and Joffrey were actually kin. Margaery remembered Shireen Baratheon. If she was a kinslayer than Margaery was a maiden.
"Yes. Yes, I want word of it throughout the city by dusk."
The council agreed, and so did Margaery. But while that might assuage some of the nobles and the people, it wouldn't help Margaery, who knew that Joffrey would be waiting for her that night.