The One True Baratheon

Monsters

"I still don't believe you." I say annoyed Sansa wont tell me what Littlefinger wanted.

"He didn't want anything." She answers, "He just takes an interest because he loved my mother."

"Men only want one thing from a pretty girl."

"Littlefinger's not in love with me." She sounds surprised I said that.

"Love is not the thing he wants." I raise my eyebrows.

"He's too old." She says awkwardly.

"They never see it that way." I tell her, "He didn't ask you to do something for him? Spy on someone or?"

"No."

"If he does ask you for anything or try anything or touch you, I want you to tell me." I state sternly and I grab her wrists.

"Why? What will you do?"

"I will make him stop." I state.

"Ser Loras Tyrell, my lady." My guard calls from outside my door.

"Send him in." I call back.

"You're so lucky you get to marry him" Sansa whispers.

"Lady Sansa. Lady Lyanna." Loras bows his head at us.

"Ser Loras." I smile back at him.

"My sister Margaery invites you to take the air with her and our grandmother the Lady Olenna in the gardens. May I escort you to them?" he holds out his arm for me and I take it.

"I believe you grow more beautiful every day, Lady Lyanna."

"You are too kind, Ser Loras." I smile.

We are walking through the gardens but Loras has hardly said a word to me.

"You probably don't remember the first time we met."

He shakes his head.

"At the Hand's tourney, you gave me your favor." I try to remind him of what happened but he just looks at me confused.

"A rose, a red rose."

"Of course I did." He tries to play it off as if he remembers. He picks a pink flower from a bush and hands it to me.

"It's more your color." He says as he walks ahead of me.

I don't know what he's talking about, I never wear pink.

******************************************

"Lady Lyanna."

"Thank you, Ser Loras."

"Come." Margery takes my hand, "Lyanna, it is my honor to present my grandmother the Lady Olenna of House Tyrell."

"Kiss me, child." She tilts her cheek up and I lean down and kiss it. "It's so good of you to visit me and my foolish flock of hens. We're very sorry for your loss."

"And I was sorry when I heard of Lord Renly's death, Lady Margaery."

"He was very gallant." She smiles

"Gallant, yes. And charming and very clean. He knew how to dress and smile and somehow this gave him the notion he was fit to be king." Lady Olenna blatantly states.

"Renly was brave and gentle, Grandmother." Margery tries to say" Father liked him and so did Loras."

"Loras is young and very good at knocking men off horses with a stick." She chuckles "That does not make him wise. As to your fathead father

"Grandmother!" Margery exclaims clearly embaressed "What will Lyanna think of us?"

"She might think we have some wits about us. One of us, at any rate."

They both say nothing for a minute.

"It was treason." Lady Olenna says through her teeth.

"I warned them." Margery sounds annoyed, clearly they have ha this discussion before.

"Robert has two sons and Renly has an older brother. How could he possibly have any claim to that ugly iron chair? We should have stayed well out of all this if you ask me."

"So here we are to see things through." Margery added.

"What do you say to that, Lyanna? Shall we have some lemon cakes?"

"Lemon cake's my favorite." I say with a big grin.

"So we've been told." She winks at me.

"Are you going to bring the food or do you mean to starve us to death?" Olenna calls to the handmaids. "Here, Lyanna, come sit with me. I'm much less boring than these others." I pull my chair closer to her.

"Do you know my son?" she asks me.

"The Lord of Highgarden? I haven't had the pleasure."

"No great pleasure, believe me. A ponderous oaf." She says with a straight face but I choke on my wine and try not to spit it out.

"His father was an oaf as well. My husband, the late Lord Luthor. He managed to ride off a cliff whilst hawking. They say he was looking up at the sky and paying no mind to where his horse was taking him. And now my son is doing the same, only this time he's riding a lion instead of a horse."

I look down embarrassed of my family.

"Now I want you to tell me the truth about this royal boy, this Joffrey."

"I...I" I cant even manage to get anything out.

"You, you." Olenna mocks my stuttering "Who else would know better? We've heard some troubling tales."

"Is there any truth to them? Has your brother ever mistreated you?" Margery looks at me concerned.

"My brother , His Grace is very fair and handsome and as brave as a lion."

"Yes, all Lannisters are lions." Lady Olenna says "And when a Tyrell farts, it smells like a rose."

"But how kind is he? How clever? Has he a good heart, a gentle hand? I'm to be his wife. I only want to know what that means." Its so hard because I don't want Margery to marry Joffrey and I want to warn them but I have no idea who could be listening.

"Bring me some cheese." Olenna asks the men who have been serving us.

"The cheese will be served after the cakes, my lady." He tells her.

"The cheese will be served when I want it served. And I want it served now." He nods and walks away, "Are you frightened, child? No need for that. We're only women here."

"Tell us the truth." Margery says.

"No harm will come to you." Her grandmother holds my hand.

"Ned Stark always told the truth."

"Yes, he had that reputation." She agrees.

"And they named him traitor and took his head." I tell them.

"Joffrey."

"Joffrey did that." I nod, "He promised he would be merciful and he cut his head off. And he said that was mercy. Then he took Sansa up on the walls and made her look at it."

"Go on."

"He threatened to rape me, multiple times. Please don't make me say anymore." I start to shake just think about it.

"She's terrified, Grandmother." Margery looks genuinely concerned, "Just look at her."

"Speak freely, child. We would never betray your confidence, I swear it." Her grandmother squeezes my hand.

"He's a monster." I state.

"Ah. That's a pity."

Margery just sits quietly eating grapes.

"Please, don't stop the wedding."

"Have no fear. The Lord Oaf of Highgarden is determined that Margaery shall be queen. Even so, we thank you for the truth." She tells me, "Ah, here comes my cheese."