The Crossed Rose - GoT - R.S.

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Arriving at Renly's camp, Dahlia and Catelyn could hear fighting and cheering. Dahlia frowned quietly, having half a moment to worry about what was happening until their small party got near enough to the sounds for her to understand. She clearly needn't worry, considering the cries and sword clashing weren't for a battle. Well, not really.

"This looks less like a war camp and more like a tournament." Dahlia commented, her horse stopping just beside Catelyn's as the woman nodded and twisted her nose just slightly.

"No surprise." She said. "Renly has always been one for the beauties of life and marrying one of the Tyrells surely wouldn't help in that regard."

Dahlia giggled quietly under her breath and Catelyn gasped a bit when she realized exactly to whom she had been talking to.

"Forgive me, your Grace." She said, the formality slipping through her lips in fear of her son's Queen reaction. "I meant no disrespect."

"You have given none." Dahlia shook her head. "I have spent most of my life at Highgarden. I know all about the beauties of life, believe me, Lady Catelyn. The Tyrells were never short in tournaments for namedays or balls just for the fun of it. And, please... No need to call me your Grace. Not you too."

Catelyn had smiled then, nodding her head once and following Dahlia closely when the girl started to ride again, heading closer to the duel happening. Stopping their horses a few meters away from the comotion, both Dahlia and Catelyn were helped down from their mountings as Perwyn was quick to move to stand in front of them both, making way for them through the crowd as some of Renly's men watched the three of them in curiosity.

Dahlia paid them no mind and, instead, kept her eyes on the duel in front of her. Two people, in full armor, going head to head in what seemed to be a very hard fight. One of them, Dahlia noticed... There was something familiar in the way that he moved, but he couldn't quite place it. Not truly.

"Loras!" She heard Margaery's voice from her place at the big chair jest beside Renly's. Dahlia could tell she was somewhere off to her right, but she couldn't bring herself to look at her. Not yet. "Highgarden!"

Margaery clapped and Dahlia bit her lip as discreetly as possible. Of course. That was how she knew the knight - it was Loras. He moved as smoothly as the last time she had seen him fight, a little over three years before, but his opponent was big and strong and clearly skilled and, soon enough, Loras Tyrell, the Knight of Flowers, had been knocked to the ground, his helmet falling off as he dropped his sword and raised his hands in surrender.

"Yield!" He said. "I yield."

There was a moment of stunned silence. Apparently, it hadn't been expected for the Knight of Flowers to be defeated in such a manner. Dahlia could almost imagine the small pouted formed in Margaery's lips but her eyes were fixed on Renly instead, who seemed very much displeased by the situation for a split of a second, before flashing his people a small smile as he turned to the victorious soldier.

"Well fought." He congratulated. "Approach."

Wordlessly, the soldier did so, falling to their knees as soon as they were in front of their King and Queen. Renly had smiled, pleased.

"Rise." He said, and the soldier did. "Remove your helm."

And, once again, the soldier obeyed. There was a collective gasp all through the audience when, underneath the armor, was revealed to be a woman. Tall, broad and with sharp lines of expression, but a woman nonetheless. Renly seemed to be less than surprised, however, only smiling at the woman in front of him, almost as if he knew her.

"You are all your father promised and more, my lady." He said, a small smirk playing on his lips as he looked at her. "I've seen Ser Loras bested once or twice, but never quite in that fashion."