The letters were on his desk, ready to send. He had inked them all himself, careful to personalise each one to the intended recipient, crediting their successes and assuaging the concerns they had expressed to him by raven and messenger. They would go by raven down to occupied castles in the stormlands, and from there be taken to his frontline commands by trusted messengers. By the time the messengers made it to front line castles and camps, he would be on the move, a thousand knights at his back, riding hard to join them and lead them to Storm's End and a final end of the war. He hoped the word of his coming alone might restore any flagging confidence among his men.
But they remained here, sealed and unsent and gathering dust.
He gathered them up and placed them in a small box and put on the mantle before making for Maegor's Holdfast and a meeting with his sister. The chainmail won't protect me here. Still he wore it, heavy under his shirt, his eyes glancing at every shadow and kink in the walls. Try me assassin, let us end this spree of yours.
But no one came as he walked through the Red Keep or crossed the drawbridge into Maegor's Holdfast or climbed the stairs to Cersei's chambers.
His sister was looking out over the city when he was admitted by the guards. Goldcloaks. No longer Lannister guardsmen. She doesn't trust my men, but this Rennifer Darke she allows to guard her person. She turned to him.
"You have news of Joffrey's killer?" She asked him.
Loren had been expecting the question, it was always the first thing she asked. "No, your grace."
Three words alone wrote such displeasure across Cersei's face. Her son was murdered, how would you react to finding Tion like that. "Then why are you here, wasting my time?"
"I do not seek to waste your time, Cersei-"
"And yet you and the council send messages all hours of the day, I cannot leave this holdfast without being swarmed by bees seeking honey." She sat down in front of a sheaf of papers.
Loren kept his voice level and cool. "We do not seek honey, Cersei, but we need you to authorise the orders of the council, or else they are little more than scraps of paper."
"I will authorise what I need to authorise, and command what must be done," she fixed him with a glare, like a lioness cub trying to imitate it's mother. "The regicide is the top priority."
"There is still a kingdom out there, Cersei, it has not stopped and needs leading. It cannot wait for you."
"It will, while I focus on finding my son's killer."
He wanted to smack some sense into her. "Cersei, if you do not want to rule on these matters, then share the load. Name me Hand of the King to deal with those concerns."
Cersei's grin was wicked. "Lord Tyrell offered me the same thing the last time I spoke with him. 'What better way to show the unity of our houses,' he said."
"Lord Tyrell is a dolt," although the idea was not without merit. "But Cersei, we have worked together before. In the leadup to Stannis Baratheon's attack on the city, you and I were able to run things together. Why not do so again. Let me handle the matters beneath you and keep this ship going forward, while you stand at the tiller and guide it's direction."
"Guide it's direction… you think me a fool?"
"Cersei-"
She got to her feet, all fierceness and fury. "You think I don't know what you have planned? Do you believe me a fool or a child, to be so easily misled? Do you think I have no agents in this keep, that I am a blind mouse? I know what you want?"
"So do I. I want victory, peace and stability."
"Liar, you want power!" The accusation was spoken with such force that Loren even took a step back. "You think I don't know what you and the little monster spoke of? You wanted to usurp Joffrey! You sought to have him stripped of power and locked away while you ruled in his stead, and now you speak with the Tyrells, do you conspire with them as well?"
How did she know? That was one conversation. "It was a musing, nothing more, there was no conspiring. And yes, I speak with the Tyrells, they provide over half our army and most of our food. We need them Cersei, that does not make me a conspiriator."
"To speak of removing a king is treason. Perhaps Tyrion did exactly that? Perhaps he decided that Joff had to die so that he could get more power."
"Tyrion was with half a hundred other witnesses that night Cersei, you know this. And what of the coins? You can't truly think that Tyrion is so penniless that he is able to be bribed by the Tyrells over us?"
"I discount no suspects in Joff's death, unlike you who would dismiss them all."
"What are you talking about?"
"The Tyrells!" Cersei shrieked. "You say we need them, but what if they were behind Joffrey's murder, would you still side with them then?"
"I have told you that I will suspect the Tyrells as long as there is evidence. But when the evidence speaks against them-"
"One tunnel, brother. One tunnel at the site of one murder does not exonerate Lord Tyrell just because he's too fat to fit down it. You don't even know that the killer used that tunnel, and yet you seek to use it to ignore the very idea that they might have murdered your king!"
"My loyalty is to the crown, it always has been."
"You defied the council before."
"And you imprisoned me for it."
"Before your errant lap dog led a rebellion to free you."
Loren's anger flashed. "You retract that insult! Gerold was a great man, and he gave his life for your son's crown, speak against him again and I will never forget or forgive!" The men who had died in Joffreys name deserved more honour than Cersei would ever know or he could ever give. THe least he could do was defend them against slander.
Cersei resumed her seat, but her eyes were still defiant. "All the proof I need." Her tone was quiet, the rage hidden. She sounded like father.
He cocked his head. "What are you saying now?"
"I need a Hand of the King who can follow my commands. You clearly cannot." She picked up a document and started reading it. "You will not be my Hand of the King, and since you have no update for me on my son's killer, this meeting is at an end."
He didn't want it to end. He wanted to chastise, to criticise, to insult and batter Cersei, all at once. But he bowed, called her 'your grace' and left, the kingdoms no better off now than they had been when he had woken that morning.
He sat down and pulled off his doublet, chainmail and hair shirt, dropping each one on the bed and sighing as the air hit his naked torso. It was all going wrong. Cersei, the Tyrells, the city… only the war still went in his favour, and that was in his absence. Not for the first time, Loren wondered if he had erred in killing his father. Tywin would not have let it all go to shit so quickly. He would have kept Cersei on a leash. He wouldn't have sought to undermine the alliance with the Tyrells. He was going to restart the war. But he was still at war.
"Something is troubling you, father."
He looked up and saw Lelia standing in the doorway. Hurriedly, he picked up his doublet and pulled it on. "Only matters of politics, nothing more," he said quietly. "You have a flower in your hair."
Lelia reached up and touched the bright rose. "Yes, Ser Addam gave it to me."
"Ser Addam?"
Lelia nodded with a smile. "He said it went well with my dress."
Loren nodded but said nothing more. Ser Addam was a good man, and a good match for Lelia as the heir to Ashemark. But he was older than Loren. Would Lelia be happy with such a difference in years? Of course, Addam was not the only one courting Lelia. Despite being born into the richest family in the Seven Kingdoms, Lelia was being showered with gifts. Cloaks, jewels, flowers and even a falcon of her own. Not one of her suitors had asked Loren for her hand as yet, and he would be very careful before offering it.
"And do you like your gift?"
"Of course." She plucked the flower out placed it gently down on the table beside her. "It was sweet of him."
"What did you speak of?"
"Nothing much. He was on his way back to the war front. I felt he didn't want to talk of anything serious, so we discussed his time at Casterly Rock as a page. I didn't know that you were so close."
"Ser Addam and I knew each other growing up, but he was always closer to Jaime than I." And that, like so much, had left Loren bitter. "Who else has been courting you lately?"
"Oh, a few people," Lelia giggled, sitting down beside him. "Fewer since Lord Sebaston… I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry," he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I'm the one who should be sorry. You shouldn't be here."
"Are you sending me back?"
"I will, as soon as possible, and your mother too."
"But you'll stay."
"Until Storm's End has fallen and the war is won."
Lelia nodded. "You will come back, won't you?"
"I will do everything that is within my power to come back, as soon as we have peace."
She was about to reply when there was a hammering on the door and one of his guardsmen came in, out of breath. "My lord, ser Kevan sent me. It's the queen." Loren was on his feet as the guard finished giving his message, "she has summoned the court to the throne room."
For a heartbeat he'd thought he was about to hear another story of bloody tears and murder. "What for?"
"No one knows, my lord."
Curse it all. He stripped off his doublet and pulled on his hair shirt, chainmail and gorget again, before putting the doublet back on. "Lelia, stay here."
He marched out of the room.
The throne room was packed with more people than Loren had seen in a while. Lords, guests, servants and knights, all had been summoned it seemed. He took the hands of his lords and allies, and asked quietly what was happening. No one had any answers.
Cersei's regent-seat was set up before the throne. A carven oaken chair, as regents were not permitted to sit the iron throne itself. The carved back of the chair rose high to obscure as much of the throne as possible. He moved to get to the front with the rest of the council, slipping past other guests. Margaery, Mace and Garlan Tyrell were all there, and all three looked concerned and confused as to why they had been summoned.
Kevan met him with a nod, and even Tyrion looked grim. "Did you receive my message?" Kevan asked.
Loren nodded. "Do you know what's happening?"
"Nothing good," Tyrion muttered, "the summons was urgent and said nothing of the purpose."
And whatever it was, Cersei had not sent one to him. Did she want him to arrive late, not at all, or had the summons simply never found him?
Cersei arrived not long after. To look at her, one would think that she was a regnant, not a regent. She brought Tommen by the hand, Myrcella nowhere to be seen. Flanking her came the Kingsguard and fifty goldcloaks, their black mail chinking as they marched and the spears in their hands were held steady.
She took her time sitting down, rearranging her dress to her comfort, sitting down in the heart of the chair, on plush crimson cushions. Tommen did not go behind her to sit the throne, but sat beside his mother, his eyes downcast. She has him behaving like a trained pup! His fingers curled at his side. He is the King!
At last, Cersei spoke. She did that well enough at least, thanking them for coming, assuring them that she recognises their loyalty and so on, and then got to the substance of it all, making Loren's stomach drop. She isn't…
"We have at last uncovered a lead on the assassin who has been stalking our halls, who murdered our king and our noble Hand Sebaston Farman." She snapped her fingers and one of the goldcloaks stepped forwards, holding up bloody coins. "These coins were found beside Sebaston's body, covered in his blood, no doubt dropped by his killer. We judged them to be those of a foreign operative, as they are no coins of ours, but in truth, they are not foreign, just old." Loren glanced at the Tyrells. Garlan at least, recognised the coins, his hand twitching near his waist, where no sword hung. "These are hands, the coins used in the Reach before the fall of the Gardener Kings." Murmurs spread through the room and all eyes turned to the Tyrells. "It has since been revealed to us, that the House of Tyrell uses such coins."
"You accuse us of regicide?" Margaery asked, aghast. Mace Tyrell seemed lost for words.
"I do not, my dear. I say only that this matter must be investigated fully. Captain Rennifer." The lord commander of the watch stepped forward. "The chambers of the House of Tyrell are to be investigated thoroughly. All members of the House are to be interrogated. My lords and ladies, we will learn how these coins came to be the blood price for the Hand of the King. Captain Rennifer, escort the House of Tyrell back to their chambers. Lord Commander," she turned to Jaime. "Ser Loras Tyrell is to be sequestered in the White Sword tower until this matter is settled."
Mace Tyrell spluttered protestations, but was escorted out, the guards of House Tyrell outnumbered, did not attempt a fight here. Garlan and Margaery left with nobility. Margaery only slipping past the guards to kneel before them and thank king Tommen for his noble commitment to the truth, before allowing herself to be led away. Mandon Moore and Sandor Clegane took Loras' weapon and led him, white plate and all, back to the White Sword tower.
The court descended into mutterings and murmurs. Tyrion and Kevan were asking how this had happened and what was to be done next. And Loren turned to Cersei. Her green eyes met his, they seemed to dance like wildfire, the very wildfire that would burn down her son's entire regime.
A/N:
Emanuele1809: The BWB no longer exists since the war in the riverlands ended. Beric's ultimate fate is unknown.
Haroune601: No cousins according to the wiki at least, so I went by that.
Guest: Aegon is waiting until he is ready, and right now one of his biggest advantages is that no one knows he exists, if he proposed marriage to Shireen, then he would be revealing himself openly. They would have contemplated it, but they may not wish to risk Cersei finding out, or maybe they think Loren wouldn't go for it. Or maybe they think that they can advance their own position better under Cersei than under a regency headed by Loren... a least before this chapter.
