Chapter 17. Decisions, Holy Sin & Journey To The East
"Valar Morghulis? I know that phrase."
"You do? What does it mean?" Robert sat in his solar while Melisandre and Stannis stood before his table. He had sought her opinion as the coin's engravings suggested an Eastern origin.
"'Valar Morghulis' means 'all men must die'. It's a customary saying in Essos. It's answered with the saying, 'Valar Dohaeris', meaning 'all men must serve'. It's used by Faceless Men." Melisandre explained briefly, bravely taking a step closer despite Robert's public disdain for her. "They follow the Many-Faced God, a god of death. House of Black and White in Braavos is from where they operate."
"God of death?" Robert's attention focused on that small part of her explanation. "What type of god of death? We have the Stranger."
"It is all one, in their eyes. Qohor, the Black Goat, the Lion of Night, the Stranger. They believe they all serve the same god of death, just in different incarnations. The Faceless Men are the elite of the religion, assassins who bring the gift of death to anyone for a price. They have seemingly magical abilities to change their appearance at will. If that coin has found its way to you, know this: it is no accident. A Faceless Man walks among us, and his purpose remains hidden." Melisandre finished with an eerie warning.
Robert frowned and looked at his brother. "Tywin? If he hadn't colluded with the Ironborn, I wouldn't have considered this possibility. But now... it's possible he's hired those bloody Faceless Men to do the deed."
"No, Your Grace," Melisandre interjected. "Had it been their will, the Faceless Men would have taken your life long before we knew of their shadow. That coin carries meaning. It seems those Faceless Men wanted to make their presence known."
God of death, ha?Robert silently pondered.Did it bring me back to this body?
Knock! Knock!
The door opened and Ser Barristan reported. "Your Grace, Lady Olenna seeks you."
Robert nodded, pocketed the coin, and dismissed Stannis with his red whore. "Keep this matter to yourself. Barristan, send her in."
Moments later, Olenna Tyrell walked in, her presence blooming the room in a thick scent of whatever perfumes they used in Highgarden. Dressed in light blue with headwear, she took a seat before Robert could offer her one.
"My, what a brutal campaign you waged in the North, your Grace. I must say, it warms my old heart to see you wed to my sweet Margaery. Fame, might, and beauty bound together—surely a union the bards will still croon about when we're all dust. Wouldn't you agree?" Olenna inquired, seizing control of the conversation as deftly as plucking a rose.
Robert silently nodded and offered her a cup of water. In his heart, he was battling himself to make a decision. He had already plucked the little rose, not once but almost every night for more than a week.
Marrying her makes complete sense.Robert told himself, a fact as clear as the day.But I hold no love for her.
He didn't want to marry anyone in this second life. He didn't want to sire any children. But he also knew that it was his duty. Furthermore, he didn't want to repeat the mistakes old Robert made with Cersei. He didn't want to turn Margaery into a bitter mess.
"Ironborn and Lannisters, thick as thieves now. The Vale's ours for the moment, but how long before that changes? And Dorne—ha! They've got eyes for the Targaryen wench across the Narrow Sea. So tell me, Lady Olenna, is it Margaery's happiness you're after, or is this all about putting a Tyrell on the throne and inching your house closer to the Crown?" Robert asked her directly as that was Robert's personality.
"Hah, oh, my dear," Olenna chuckled, plucking a cake from the table with a delicate hand. "Must everything in life be sweet or sour? Sometimes, the clever balance of both is the real delight. Speaking of balance, I've had a word with Margaery. She tells me all about your nightly rendezvous—says you treat her well."
She was no virgin.Robert wanted to refute, but he held back. As a man with his reputation, he was the last to demand a virgin. But he understood the meaning behind Olenna's words. He had done the deed with Margaery and there was no going back now without making an enemy out of them. That was the last thing he needed.
"Do you know what I worry about the most, Lady Olenna? Harboring another Cersei in my bedchamber."
"An issue? Hardly. My sweet granddaughter is clever, not reckless. She knows her place, and her duties, and will give you children willingly—and with love, no less. House Tyrell stands with you, Your Grace, against that decrepit old lion. As for Dorne? Useless, as always, clinging to the scraps of a pretender who can barely keep herself breathing." Olenna fixed Robert with a sharp gaze. "I have no regrets, Your Grace. By actions you have made it clear you're a changed man. Your might has surpassed your prime and might I say, you look much healthier."
Creak!
Robert stood up, on the verge of making a decision. He walked towards a large window and looked outside at the view of the sea before him. In silence, he thought about a great many things. About his two lives, about Catelyn, his future, and his duties.
"My lady, it's a marriage of politics, there is no denying. I know not if I'll come to love her. Margaery is a fine flower, and I… Well, I am no more than a withered old tree. But I swear this—I will do right by her. She'll have the love a wife deserves, the care and respect she seeks. She will bear no tears, but only laughter in this keep. That is all I can give, for that is my duty and I will honor it."
This is my duty to the realm.
With that, he gave his verbal agreement to the marriage.
"Hah, for a moment, you sounded like Eddard Stark. But it gives me much assurance, Your grace." Olenna stood up weakly, using her cane. "Very well, let us have you both exchange your vows in two months."
"Let's do that." Robert agreed and watched the woman leave.
I hope I made the right decision.
Once Olenna was gone, Robert finished up his work and stepped out of his solar. He looked at Ser Barristan, following him. "Where's Jon? I'll share a cup of wine with that lad today."
"He's with Tommen, Your Grace. They're sparring."
"Sparring, eh? Well, let's see what they've got." Robert's mood lifted as he quickened his pace. "And make ready, Barristan. We're off to Braavos in two days."
A little surprised by the abruptness, Ser Barristan silently noted the order.
"No, no, no! What are we to do now, Myrcella? He's marrying Margaery!" Sansa's voice trembled with panic as the word of the King's decision spread.
Myrcella stared at her, momentarily lost for words. Then, with a firm grasp on Sansa's slender shoulders, she shook her roughly. "We don't have much time, Sansa. Only two months left. Remember the training. We must act swiftly."
"But what can we do? He's already made the promise, hasn't he? And it's House Tyrell—surely that's what he needs right now," Sansa asked, having started to understand politics to a degree. "I think we should…"
"Quit? No, never! We've worked too hard for this, Sansa. Don't forget the long nights and all the reprimands. Don't you want to be queen, to stay here forever? With me? We can do this, I'm sure of it." Myrcella's words were meant to be reassuring, though her own heart trembled beneath them. "I'll think of something, I will."
"What?"
"I don't know yet, but I'll find a way. You just be ready, Sansa."
With the marriage with Margaery in order, Robert had to fulfill his duties, even if he had no desire to. The very next day, once the hangover faded, he woke up, dressed up, and arrived at the Sept of Baelor to discuss the marriage ceremony.
"I'll have no wasteful spending—no gaudy decorations, no damned pomp and pageantry," Robert barked at the High Septon. "Keep the ceremony short and simple. That's what the realm needs, not your endless chants. Stannis will see to the celebrations afterward. Invitations go only to the names I give you. No more, no less."
This was the third High Septon of his reign. He had beheaded the last one himself on the charges of immorality and misusing his authority. Clearly, this new High Septon was on the edge, not wanting to offend the King.
"I shall be mindful of that, Your Grace."
"As you should." Robert assertively looked around at the main chamber. In one corner, he noticed Septa Unella standing alone, staring at him as if trying to grab his attention.
What does she want now?
"See to it then. I shall have a word with Septa Unella. I've tasked her with teaching Sansa and Myrcella, it's time I receive a progress summary." Robert dismissed the High Septon with a wave of his hand and strode towards the tall Septa.
As he got closer to her, he noticed her current state. Her eyes looked tired, with faint dark circles underneath. The way she stood there looked less confident, something Unella was never known for in the past. She used to be firm, tall, and honest in her duty to faith.
"Septa."
"Your Grace, please come with me."
Septa Unella didn't even wait for his response and walked away, her steps rushed as the dark gray gown struggled to match her pace around her ankles.
Robert followed her along, unbothered and unafraid as he held a blade with him too. He expected her to lead him to a storage room like the last time, but instead, he soon found himself standing in a bedchamber, so small that it was even smaller than the storage room. A single bed by the wall, a table beside the bed, and a chair, that was it. Not even a window was there, just a small hole in the wall to rid the room of candle fumes.
Clack!
Septa Unella locked the door and nervously looked up at Robert.
"What is the meaning of this?" Robert asked her sternly, tracing her facial features that hid fear amidst her beauty.
Her voice suppressed, Septa Unella stepped closer to Robert and suddenly fell to her knees. She still glanced up at him from her vulnerable position. "Your Grace, I have sinned. I have failed devastatingly."
What did the two girls do to her?
"Speak, what happened in my absence? Leave no detail unspoken."
Septa Unella gulped and nodded firmly. Shame could be felt in her voice itself. She was broken, or rather her belief system was broken. "I… I tried to teach the girls as I have done in the past for other noble girls. Sansa and Myrcella were supportive and understanding, they followed all my commands. But then, they requested me to stay with them one night. I saw that as a chance to teach them about their duties as ladies. But they…
"I–I woke up from slumber late at night, my clothes discarded and Myrcella's hand between my… my legs. She had a vile contraption, long and girthy, oiled, plunged inside me. I revolted, but Sansa held my torso on the bed and pinched my teats, pinching and twisting… Rendering me defenseless… Your Grace…"
Unella froze for a moment, utter shame flashing across her expression. She looked down at Robert's feet. "T-The thing is that… I enjoyed it! Oh, Seven, I have sinned, I'm no better than those Silk Street whores! I relished the way Myrcella used that evil thing on me, and I surrendered to Sansa's pinches. That entire night I writhed on that bed and… and I let nature take its due course."
She grabbed Robert's legs, hugging them tightly against her large, shapely mounds. "Please, Your Grace, behead me. Please behead me privately for this sin. I can't face the shame… I am…"
A little taken aback, Robert watched her in silence.Is she serious? Asking to be executed for mere… bodily pleasure?
Surprisingly, at that moment, he realized that his Robert side suggested executing her as per her wishes. But his Ned side suggested that if he could somehow elevate her worries and give her the answers she desired, she'd become a useful, loyal servant.
She needs assurances more than anything else.
"Stand up, woman." Robert gripped her by her soft, trembling shoulders and made her stand. She was one of the few women he'd seen who retained beauty with her unconventional height, without looking like a strange curiosity. Her head reached till his chin, an achievement in itself. "Tell me, have you ever been with a man, Septa?"
"I wouldn't dare, Your Grace."
"Then why do you fear what you have never experienced? It's not a sin but a god's taught act of breeding. It's a blessing that helps mankind flourish. Your womb's a gift, woman, and the pleasure you felt? Just nature's way, nothing more. Even if it came unbidden, it's still part of the order of things." Robert preached sex education to her, still his hands gripping her shoulders. "You've done nothing wrong, nothing sinful."
"You are right." Septa Unella blurted and stepped away from Robert. She walked left and right in the room, hands rubbing, her eyes occasionally glancing at Robert.
"You should return to your duties, Sep—"
"That's it!" Unella breathed, her voice trembling with fervor as her eyes locked on Robert's. She came rushing towards him and clasped one of Robert's large hands and she pressed it against her heart. "I must ask this of you, Your Grace. Who else but you, the highest in the realm, could grant me such clarity? Show me what I have never known, so my mind may be freed from doubt. Have I sinned? Have I not?"
What? Does she mean…?
"What are you saying, Septa? Are you suggesting we share a bond like a man and his wife?" Robert barked, seeking clarity.
"Please! Help me, Your Grace." Unella pressed his hand harder against the middle of her cloud-like chest.
Robert shook his head and yanked his hand back. "While I respect your desire to seek clarity, it's better you find another man. I can name a few honorable ones if y—"
"No, it must be you. You are the Protector of the Realm and, thus, the keeper of the faith. It is your sacred duty to correct me, to guide me back when I stray from the path of the Seven," Septa Unella resolutely replied, her eyes revealing a lack of doubt. The woman truly believed what she said.
Robert fell into a long silence.
Fulfilling her request is easy. She may become my fervent follower and my ear inside the faith.Robert reasoned with himself.What's there to lose?
"Right now?"
"Please, I beg you in the name of the Seven."
"Very well." Robert moved towards her, his hands loosening his breeches from the waist. "If this is merely guidance, I hope you accept it wholeheartedly."
"I am blessed–ah!"
Robert pushed her by her large breasts, his hands clenching her gray robes, cupping onto her magnificent, virgin bosom. He pressed her against the wall and then kissed her like a lover, starving for her body. He used his tongue to part her hesitant lips, sweeping against her awkwardly struggling tongue and pearly teeth.
For that instance, Robert allowed some of that savage, lustful beast to spill out, excited by the subtle thought that this pure but mature woman was begging him. It wanted to brand her very being, beguile her so deeply she would never ask another man, ever. The beast wanted to give Unella what she needed—a good, hard, fucking.
Unella's eyes widened, confused about what to do with her mouth. But his rough hands gripping onto her flesh caused her to squirm, subconsciously moaning into the kiss and feeling weak from the ticklish feeling. With a soft whimper, Unella struggled against Robert's tongue with her own, her hips instinctively rocking, pressing herself ever so slightly against Robert's crotch.
He bit her lower lip, suckled on her tongue, and slathered his boneless flesh all over her mouth; his hands kept moving wildly, kneading and molding her sizable swells until he could feel her hardening tips through the fabric of her clothes. He could feel her quivering in his hands, a mix of arousal and confusion, thirst and hesitation. The woman was still trying to clamp her lips from time to time, teasing his desire to make her submit more and more.
"Open your mouth," Robert ordered her between breaths, and stroked her protruding nipples with his thumb.
"B–but, I… Your G–Grace…" Unella panted between words, her face flushed from the lack of oxygen before. The teasing on her nipples were too ticklish, too wonderful, coursing throughout her body. However, she was confused as to why his commanding tone struck something deep within her core.
Tsssrk!
Robert's hand suddenly grabbed the loose fabric between her bosom, and with a hard tug, ripped apart the chest area of her gown. From her breasts to the upper part of her undulating upper belly tore off, revealing those sweaty, voluptuous melons, pale and honey-soft.
"This is what you asked for. I shall indulge…" he licked one of her shivering nipples as she looked away, "every bit of your body."
Unella closed her eyes and bit her lips from the inside, trying hard not to make the unholy, lewd noises she detested. Her chest couldn't help moving back, still uncertain of the heat gathering in her belly. Something about it felt raw, dirty, a sin; but all so thrilling.
Robert's other hand went under her armpit, reaching around to her head and pulling back. As the headdress around her head fell back and around her neck, he discarded it without a care, reaching back once more to pull on her tightly braided blonde locks. He forced her to tilt her head back, her chest arched forward, presenting him with her brazenly exposed lushness. He slid his wide tongue over her sensitive pink nipples, tasting the sweetness of her untainted flesh.
Indulging in her squirms, he looked up towards her face, blushing and trembling with her eyes closed. She seemed to enjoy every lick and nibble, struggling hard against her sinful desire to ask for more. Strands of her blond hair started to unravel, sticking to her pale skin.
This woman… Truly a sight to behold, a waste to leave unexplored.
Robert let go of her hair, trailing his hand down her arm and grabbing her idle hands on his lower chest. He guided her hand right down his belly, going further down to his already fully swollen flesh. He pushed her harder onto the wall with his chest, her breasts smothered between them.
He licked her jawline and gruffly whispered into her ear. "Hold it… and stroke it."
Unella's hand twitched when she felt the hardened heat of his loins, so big and long she was almost terrified, bigger than that sinful tool the girls used. But the contrasting heat warmed up her cold hands as if the firm flesh was meant to be there, for her to worship and adore. She wrapped her slender fingers around his shaft, stirred by how forceful he was.
As the tips of her fingers trailed his veins, the feeling of wanting to feel such a giant in her core subtly came to mind. Would it fit? Would it hurt? The arousing thought that it would feel better than that horrid toy caused her lower belly to contract in greed, and the craving intensified.
Her movements gradually quickened, stroking the large, girthy cock with her hand, churning up and down as she relished the soft skin of his flesh sword. The way Robert licked and teased her neck enticed her even more, slowly losing her hesitation with every stroke of his slithering tongue. Her timid approach turned to lustful yearning, wanting to feel the virile, masculinity inside her scorching, sinful body.
To her delight, Robert's hands came down to her bountiful hips, his fingers dancing in place as he pulled up the hem of her gown.
He felt the smooth skin of her thighs and gently reached down to her sweltering core. His thumb brushed up and down against her smallcloth and felt the moistness of her pussy seeping through. It was so hot and scorching that he couldn't wait to dive into her sacred depths, to where no man had gone before. His hand suddenly gripped hard, leaving marks on her the pale flesh of her inner thighs.
"Ah," Unella yelped at the sudden pinch, the pain mixed with a feeling she never felt before, pure lust from the pain. Her hands stopped moving and her eyes widened at the King's beast-like gaze. "Y-your Grace..?"
"That's enough, I know you're ready now. It's time for the main course," Robert said.
He pulled back from Unella's body and grabbed her by the shoulders, turning her against the wall with one swift move. He roughly pulled up the edge of her skirt to her waist and tore off her smallcloth.
Unella was confused by the sudden movement, feeling exposed but somehow excited. She leaned against the wall with both hands, unconsciously exposing more of her moist slit and protruding ass.
Then she felt it, Roberts's wide, rough hands kneading her sensitive, rounded ass with heavy grips. Her pussy twitched from the aggressive massage, opening up and salivating when her ass cheeks were spread.
Suddenly, something hot and dull slid up and down the length of her slit, smooth and largely blunt, parting her wet lower lips and letting it close back up in its wake. Her pussy lips were played with like a toy. She quivered from the touch, her pussy twitching and throbbing, almost wanting to grab the intruder between her dribbling petals.
"This is what you wanted, right?" Robert asked, teasing her gaping pussy with his cock head.
"Ye–yes, Your Grace! Please…."
"Good!"
With one powerful thrust, he entered her, filling her completely in one go. He needed to feed the beast today, and he wasn't going to be miserly about it. He could feel her pussy gripping around him in a struggle, her walls stretching to oblivion. All the bumps and grooves of her muscles stroking long and wide against his skin, the caressing flesh felt divine.
"Ooohhhh!" Unella moaned loudly, throwing her head back in bliss. The pain mixed with her pleasure, the unholy punishment she wanted oh so badly. The stinging trickles of her stretched pussy sent shivers up her spine, stuffed so full that she felt like breaking.
More and more of her juices aided Robert, flushing out the unwanted friction. He planted himself deep, right down to near his base, staying there for a moment to relish the tight, twitching sensations of this unsullied cunt. But that didn't feel enough, he wanted more, the creature inside him craved for more.
He started moving slowly, letting his cock brush against every bit of her sensitive walls. Letting go of her sweetly curved ass, his arms moved. One went under her armpit to reach around for her jiggling mounds, the other roughly lifted one of her legs, slid under her knee, and searched for her sensitive bundle of nerves. He lifted up her body a little from under her left knee, forcing her off the wall with his palm on her breast.
"Oh oh! Your G-grace… Nu–ohhh!" Unella cried out when she had to lift her left leg, feeling like she was going to fall, balancing on her right toe.
Her ass collided with his pelvic muscles, the cock going deeper into her hot furnace. Her breast spilled and smothered his fingers, feeling the hard grip of his palm, molding her flesh like putty and tugging her down to his penetrating spear. She moaned loudly when his hips started to move faster, shoving into her stretched pussy in rhythm.
She felt like she couldn't take it anymore, but she was wrong… Oh so wrong. When Robert's other hand finally found her swollen little button, she withered uncontrollably, her one hand instinctively reaching down to stop him.
Robert sneered when he felt her hand trying to stop his fingers from toying with her clitoris. But then he gripped her hand, forcing her fingers to touch her own little bundle of nerves. He enjoyed the forbidden feeling, sullying the pure Septa and fulfilling her worldly, sinful desires, tainting her insides with his big fat cock, and he was going to make sure she enjoyed it too. Every time he went in, her wet juices squelched and trickled down her plump thighs. Such a sight to behold.
His other hand kept gripping and squeezing her breast, his cock moving in and out of her glorious hole, going faster and faster with each thrust. He went in hilt deep as her body partially weighed down on him, slamming onto her cervix hard with every plunge. He could feel his cock head going as deep as he could, but he wasn't going to stop there, shoving in his iron-hard cock deeper until he heard whimpers from her throat.
"Unghh! ungh! Seven! Oohhhh—" Unella cried out in delirious ecstasy.
Her fingers fiddled around her clit, obeying her king's wishes somehow gave her uncontrollable lust and joy. Her insides churned by his cock, scraped by his crown, and her cervix pushed to aching ends.
She somehow loved the pain, the merciless punishment from his large cock. And she wanted more, stretched more, deeper, harder, faster. It was all so acheful, but oh so good, as if it purified her from inside. There were no other thoughts in her head but more, more, more.
"Take it like you wanted!" Robert growled, his plowing cock slamming into her mercilessly.
Unella couldn't make up the words in her mind, only moaning loudly in ecstasy. She could feel the pressure building up in her pussy, reaching that inevitable cloud nine. Her walls contracted, tightening around his cock for dear life.
"Ooh! Seven!" With a loud cry for the gods, her essence flowed like a spray of holy water, wetting his cock and trickling down her leg. She shattered in release, finally reaching that pure sense of bliss.
Robert kept thrusting, the squelching sounds making his movements even wilder.
Before Unella's body could even relax, another burst of ecstasy gripped her. In a final glorious moment, she exploded a second time. This rare multiple orgasm burned her with a blood-rushing climax. This time a shameful, sinful squirt.
After a long moment, letting the rush of pleasure wash over her, her body weakened in Robert's hands. Her knees buckled as she gulped for breath, swaying back and forth, almost falling to the floor.
"Let's… finish then."
Robert pulled his cock out of her flushed pussy and pushed her body down to make her kneel in front of him. He stroked his cock vigorously in front of her blushing, messy face.
"When a man… doesn't want his woman to have a babe… he can finish like this. Open your mouth!" Robert ordered in desperate grunts. "Wider!"
She responded and weakly opened her mouth, letting him punish her even more. This was all she desired now.
Robert's swollen cockhead invaded her tight, warm mouth, settling there. He stroked his length with eager intensity. The slippery tight walls of her mouth, the untrained tongue playing around his cockhead, the saliva, and the submissive look on her face; all felt otherworldly. He could feel the strain in his cock, reaching a breaking point.
"Agh!" With a jarring, pulsing explosion of bliss, he allowed his molten juices to fill up her mouth and throat to the brim.
Unella, shocked by the never before felt sudden heat and slimy, salty taste in her mouth, moved back, breaking the seal of her lips around his cock with a pop.
A big mistake.
Robert's flexing sprays continued to flow, pump after pump, staining her face and glistening breasts, leaving long strings of his cum on her shimmering, pale skin. Some coated her eyelids, making it hard for her to keep them open.
Truly, her sinful body was thoroughly ravaged, defiled, and tainted by him.
He was her teacher that day. He was her god, and as she swallowed his culmination, it was her holy water.
Robert stepped back, catching his breath. He looked at Septa's utterly spent frame, sitting motionlessly on the floor, her back against the bed's edge. She gulped the musky fluids in her mouth, not bothering to wipe her face or mounds.
Not enough.Robert heard alarm bells in his head.She needs more persuasion.
"Very well, Septa. We'll continue this tomorrow at the Red Keep. If I'm to take up this duty, I'll see it through, no matter the cost."
"M-my… my gratitude… Your Grace."
Halfway there.Robert evaluated her state.A few more thorough sessions and she'll submit. Robert's memories can't be false.
"I shall see you tomorrow."
With that, Robert tied his breeches and left the room discreetly. He heard the door lock again behind him, easing his worries for Unella. The woman still seemed quick-witted.
Such a strange turn of events. What do I do with Sansa and Myrcella now?
Dorne, Sunspear.
"Robert has departed King's Landing, bound for Braavos. The game slips from our grasp, brother. He has solidified his reign, freeing the North and crushing the Lannisters. Now the Tyrells flock to his side. We can't afford to let this go on," Oberyn warned as he sat reclined beside his brother's chair near a small pool.
Doran sighed heavily, his gaze lingering on the sky as if seeking answers in its vastness. "Daenerys has made no meaningful progress, it seems. The whispers of the Young Griff are still nothing but that—whispers. Our plans have stretched far too long. I need you to journey to Essos and meet with Daenerys Targaryen. I must know the true strength of her dragons before we decide whether to move against Robert."
"So we're going with it? Rebelling against the Crown?"
"Why hesitate, when the King himself is nothing but a usurper? With the dragons' return, we may have our chance... Let's confirm the rumors first." Doran cut himself off midspeech. "Head to Braavos at once."
With a groan, Oberyn stood up and stretched his arms. "I hope you know what you're doing."
"All aboard!"
Robert stood at the edge of the ship's deck, looking at the docks where Stannis and Tyrion stood, waving at him. He then looked to his side, at the two girls waving—Myrcella and Sansa.
I'll keep an eye on these two.
At first, he'd planned to take only Myrcella to Braavos, using it as a convenient excuse to separate the girls. But when Sansa learned about it, she pleaded to come along, declaring it her only chance to see any place outside Westeros.
Aye, she was right. Once she was wed, she'd be tied to her husband's hearth, siring children, and no more adventures for her. So, he ended up bringing her too, still holding a soft spot for the Starks.
Soon enough, the royal fleet left the bay and ventured into the Narrow Sea. The high waves thrashed against the ship's hull. Robert had no interest in watching the boring sea and retreated to his private quarters.
As for the two girls, he ordered Ser Barristan to keep an eye on them when he wasn't around.
"Sansa, come here," Myrcella called softly, pulling her close to the edge of the deck. She lowered her voice. "This is our only chance."
Sansa nodded strongly. "What's the plan?"
"The ship has only two large quarters. We'll most likely sleep in the King's quarters, which is the largest. He's probably already prepared three beds for us. All we need to do is make our bedding unusable, leaving only his bed as an option." Myrcella revealed her simple yet effective plan.
"W-who will go?" Sansa stuttered.
"You, silly. Don't you want to be the queen? Just remember to tease him and touch him, as you practiced." Myrcella gave Sansa a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "You can do it, Sansa."
It was hard, but Myrcella hid her desire and jealousy well. A trait perhaps inherited from birth.
Sansa meekly nodded. "Let's do it."
"No, let's get him drunk first."