4

Chapter Text

He woke up the next morning, his head hurting like someone had hit him with a mace. He tried to remember what had happened during the feast. First Arya left, then Renly came, drank, laughed, then Margaery went and soon so did her parents and grandmother leave him, Loras and Garlan with Renly. "Gods, my head hurts," he thought. It seems that Robert was not the only Baratheon who liked to drink, but it appeared that Renly could hold himself better. He also remembered the King shouting something about his father and Arthur Dayne. Jon moved to the edge of the bed and put his feet on the floor. He got up and stared shakily, walking towards a small table with a water jug and some glasses on it. He poured himself a glass and drank it quickly and immediately after a second one. After a moment, which he used to collect himself, Jon went to the chest and pulled out some fresh clothes, put them on, and left his room, heading for the small dining room in between the rooms. There he found Garlan with a glass of water in his hand; he looked to be in the same condition as Jon was.

"Garlan," said Jon as he sat at the table.

"Jon," replied Garlan.

"When did we return?" asked Jon.

"I don't know," Garlan hiccoughed. "All I remember was coming here with you."

"Loras?"

"Must have stayed with lord Renly," Garlan grabbed his head. "Gods, I knew I should have stopped after father left." Jon chuckled at his friend's words, Loras not being in much better condition. As the two of them tried to piece together what happened last night, lady Alerie entered the room.

"Good morning, boys; it good to see you awake."

"Morning lady Alerie," said Jon.

"Morning, mother."

"Have you seen Loras anywhere?" asked Alerie?

"No, we haven't; Jon and I are just trying to figure out where he could be ourselves."

Jon got up from the chair. "I'm going to try and find Loras. You stay here and try not to fall over."

"Very funny," Garlan said sarcastically.

"Thank you, Jon." said lady Alerie. Jon left the dining room and went to the first place he thought Loras could be, his room. Once there he opened the door and went inside to his surprise, he found the room empty. It seemed that Loras had not been here since they left for the feast. He gave another good look around to make sure Loras is not sleeping behind the bed or something, but he found nothing.

"I hope you are not sleeping in the garden again." During Margaery's name day two years ago, Loras got so drunk that he somehow ended up sleeping in the castle garden, only to be discovered by Lady Olenna, saying that she was displeased by her grandson would be putting it lightly. He exited the room and started walking towards the garden, passing servants and guards in the process. It seemed that many of the guards were Lannister soldiers because of the queen, no doubt. While walking through the hallway that leads to the gardens, he came across another member of the Kingsguard. He was fatter than a knight should be, especially one who is tasked with protecting the King. The knight was bold and had a flat nose. By his appearance, Jon deduced his to be Boros Blount or Boros the Belly, how some people called him.

Jon, like many other people, wondered how a man like this could become a Kingsguard. He understood why a man like the Bold was in the Kingsguard, and even the Kingslayer was well known for his skill, but Blount was not. As the men passed each other, the Kingsguard did not even pay attention to who was passing next to him; Jon only smirked because he knew if they met on the joust, the Belly would fall. As he finally reached the gardens, he looked around to find Loras put. Instead, he found Margaery there will some of her ladies like Elinor Tyrell and Mira Forrester. Jon was always good friends with Mira; it brought them both comfort, knowing that there was another northerner in Highgarden. As he approached the group, they turned to look at him and smiled, and he smiled back.

"Lady Margaery, lady Mira, lady Elinor," Jon said with a slight bow.

"Ser Jon," said Margaery with a smile. "What brings you here?"

"I'm looking for your brother, my lady, but it seems I found something else," Jon said with a smile.

"You and my brothers stayed at the feast for quite a while. By how Garlan looked this morning, I would say you had fun."

"Indeed, it seems like that. Although it looks like we lost Loras somewhere."

"Don't worry about my brother Jon; he must be somewhere around here."

"Oh, I'm not worried about him; I'm worried about other people here," Jon said with a smirk, and the ladies chuckled.

"Well then, you better get going, noble Sir; people need rescuing from my brother."

"As you wish, my lady. My ladies." Jon bowed and continued his search. He could hear them laughing as quietly as they could, but he still heard them, and he smiled. He spent another hour looking around the keep; as he was about to give up, he remembered Lord Renly. If he was the last with Loras, he must have an idea where he went. Jon asked one of the servants where Lord Renly's room was, and she told him where to go. He got to the door which was supposed to be the lord's room, and he knocked, but no one answered; he knocked again and again, no one answered. He could hear some noise coming from inside, so he decided to test his luck and go inside. He opened the door quietly and entered inside. He saw nothing until he saw some clothes on the floor, he recognized the shirt that lay on the floor. Walking where the trail of clothes lead, he found himself in the bedroom, and there he saw him.

Jon stood at the door and sighed, "Truly, Loras." Jon said, his voice a bit louder than usual. Loras immediately opened his eyes and looked around to see Jon at the door, Renly following seconds later.

"Snow? What are you doing here?" asked Renly, surprised to see Jon here.

Loras sighed and put his head back on the pillow. "It's alright, it's just Jon."

Renly looked at Loras. "You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

Jon snickered. "You seriously could not wait one day. We just got here, and you already found someone new to sleep with."

"Only the gods can judge me," Loras said as he then felt the headache. "My head."

Jon laughed, "I know how it feels."

"What do you want?" asked Loras.

"Your mother is looking for you," replied Jon and tossed him the green trousers he found on the floor.

Loras groaned. "Fine, I'll be there. Just give me a minute."

"Take your time, pretty boy," Jon said and left the room. Sometime later, Loras came to him fully dressed. "Shall we?"

"Yes." The two men started making their way back to the guest wing.

Ned

For him, the feast was unnecessary, not all of the lords have come yet, and the tourney starts in a few days, so that's when all will be present. He was glad to see his daughters having fun; seeing Jon being greeted warmly by the Stormlanders brought a smile on his face, and it seemed that the Reach lords were especially fond of him, the Tyrells particularly. He was fostered and knew well what bond that could make, and it appears that Jon had built that bond with the Tyrells; Ser Loras and lady Margaery seemed to get along with Jon splendidly, and he was glad for that. A few years ago, when a raven came to Winterfell carrying news about Jon being knighted was one of the proudest moments of his life; he was proud of Jon and the man he had become. His mother would have been proud of him. When he decided to have Jon sent to be fostered in the Reach was one of the hardest decisions he had ever made, but he knew that was the best option for him. Catelyn brought constant misery to the boy and whatever he told her fell to deaf ears. For a time, he thought where to send the boy; the North seemed to be the best option, the Vale might have been an option, but he found few houses that wished to foster a bastard, the Riverlands were not much better, the Stormlands were too dangerous, and the West was out of the question. During the Greyjoy rebellion, and he even spoke to Jorah Mormont about it, the once noble lord now traitor happy to accept Jon. Then when the rebellion ended one night, Robert brought it up while Lord Mace Tyrell was with them in the officer's tent, the lord being instantly interested when he heard that one of the sons of the Warden of the North needed to be fostered. Robert jokingly offered lord Mace to foster the boy who took it seriously.

"Lord Stark, I would be honored if you would let me foster one of your sons." said lord Mace.

"I'm not sure, my lord; I'm still considering who to send him to. I would honestly wish for the boy to stay in the North."

"With all due respect, my lord, you would not find a better place for your son than Highgarden. I have three sons and a daughter, so he would not be alone."

"I don't know, lord Tyrell; I would have to think about it."

"As you wish, but when you reach a decision, please tell me."

"I will, my lord."

He spent the next two days thinking about it. The North was Jon's home, that is where he should stay, but the more he thought about the Tyrells offer, the more it seemed like a good opportunity; even if he remained in the North the shadow of him being a bastard of their lord would always loom over him primarily because of Cat. If he went to the Reach, he would have an opportunity to be his own man, to make a name for himself. Lord Mace might not be the smartest man, but he is a good man, and he will honor his word; he will keep Jon safe. Mace can maybe offer Jon a better life than he can. The next day he finally decided to talk to Lord Mace and give him his answer.

Lord Tyrell entered Ned's tent, "My lord," said Ned.

"Lord Stark," replied Mace.

"Take a seat; I wish to speak with you." Mace did as ask and looked at him.

"This is about the fostering, isn't it?"

"Aye, it is. I have given your offer some thought and came to a decision."

"And what would that be?"

"I will accept your offer of my son being fostered by you, but there is something you should know first." Mace looked at him inquisitively. "It is not my firstborn son I wish to foster. It's my second son Jon."

"No matter, I would still be honored."

"My lord, my second son is Jon Snow." Mace looked at him, a bit disappointed. "I would understand if you refuse."

"Snow or not, he is still your son, and I would like to bring him to Highgarden." Lord Maces' words surprised Ned, he doubted that Mace would accept it, but he did.

"Thank you, Lord Mace," said Ned happily.

"Don't mention it, my lord."

After he returned to Winterfell, he summed Jon to his solar. As he sat there going over some letters from his bannermen, the door opened, and in came Jon; the boy seemed slightly frightened, probably because he thought he did something wrong and was about to be punished.

"Father," Jon said in an almost whispering tone.

"Jon, sit." The boy walked to one of the chairs and sat in it, looking at his father.

"Have I done something wrong?"

He was surprised by Jon's words, "No, why would you think that?"

The boy shrugged, "I don't know."

Ned looked at Jon intensely. "Is there something I should know?" Jon looked at him and then lowered his head. "Jon?"

"L-Lady Catelyn, she said..." Ned sighed; he loved Cat, she was the mother of his children, but he hated her behavior towards Jon. He might not have been her son, but she could at least not have made the boy's life hell with every opportunity she got. Now he was glad he will be sending Jon to the Tyrells, as far away from her as possible.

"Jon, I call you here because I have something to tell you."

Jon lifted his head and looked at him. "What is it?"

"I have arranged to have you fostered. "Jon's eyes went wide open in disbelief; for a moment, he just stared at Ned.

"Where will I go, the Glovers, the Mormont's, the Umbers?" Jon asked excitedly.

Ned shооk his head, "You will not be fostered in the North."

Jon's excited expression was replaced by a frown. "Then, where?"

"Highgarden with Lord Mace Tyrell."

"But that means… that I won't be able to see you or Robb or Sansa."

"I know Jon, but I have already spoken to lord Mace, and he agreed."

"But..."

"Jon, you will like Highgarden; lord Mace even has three sons and a daughter, so you won't be alone." Jon looked at him, his eyes tearing up.

"D-Do you really wish me gone that bad?" For a moment, Ned was taken back by the boy's words. He would never do something that would harm him in any way physically or emotionally.

"Jon, why would you think that?"

"B-because I'm not like Robb, I'm a Snow," Jon said through his tears. Ned got up, walked up to Jon, and knelt beside him.

"I'm not doing this because of that; I'm doing this because I want you to have a better life than I can give you because you are my son, you might not have my name, but you have my blood." He said in a calming tone. "Lord Mace will make you have everything you need."

"Will I ever be able to see you again?"

"Of course, fostering does not last forever. Who knows, you might even be taken as his squire and one day knighted."

"But I'm of the North; how can I be a knight?"

"You heard that lord Jorah was knighted by the king." The boy nodded. "I don't know what will happen there; your fate is yours to choose. The only thing I know that there you will have a better life than here." Ned and Jon starred at each other for a moment before Jon jumped up from his chair and embraced Ned, still crying, but when he hugged back, the tears became slower until they stopped.

"Thank you, father."

Now almost ten years after those events, while he sat in his solar in the Redkeep, he could not help but think that it was the right decision to make. He heard tales of Jon's exploits, but when he saw how people reacted to him during the feast, how they greeted him and laughed with him, he knew his mother would be proud of her son as much as he is.

Loras

He and Jon walked to the guest wing. Once there, they found all of his family awake sitting at the table.

"Morning to you all," said Loras.

Morning son." said Mace and Alerie.

"Where have you been?" asked Margaery. Loras gave Jon a quick look; he cursed himself for not coming up with an excuse. It was one thing to sleep with someone but to drunkenly spend a night with the King's brother.

"I found him with some of the Stormlanders from last night; it seems they continued the feast long after we left," said Jon with a smile.

"Well, it's good that you are here with us again," said Alerie.

"Jon said you asked for me," said Loras.

"I did. I need you to go to the city and get some gifts for the royal family, I sent a servant yesterday to order them for me, and I now need to pick them up."

"Why do I need to go? Why not Margaery or Garlan?" Loras asked, annoyed.

"Because we are to have a meal with the queen and the prince, which only leaves you," said Olenna. "You also said yesterday that you would need to go get some armor, so while you are there, might as well do this."

"Fine, let's go, Jon."

"Why me?"

"Do you have anything better to do?"

Jon smirked, "Calm yourself, of course, I will go."

"Come on then," said Loras, and the two exited the dining room.

Loras and Jon were walking along the city streets, their guards and some servants behind them. Harlan, the man who initially ordered the gifts, told the two where they could find the shops. So far, they have gotten several delicate fabrics for the princess, a golden necklace with emeralds and rubies in it, and now all that was left was to get a sword for the crown prince and a dagger for his younger brother. As luck would have it, Harlan went to Tobho Mott for the Sword and dagger; he did not need to order one to be made because last time Mace was in the capital, he ordered a new sword forged for himself, but due to being called back to Highgarden he had to leave before it was finished but told Motto to keep it with him and over time he just forgot about it until Alerie remembered and thought it would be a good gift for the prince. As the two friends and they retinue arrived at the shop, they were warmly greeted by the smith.

"My lords, it is an honor to have you in my shop. What can I do for you."

"We came to pick up a sword for lord Mace, and we need a dagger, something a bit nicer to look at," said Loras.

"Of course, my lord. The Sword has been sitting in my shop for quite some time. I honestly did not think that lord Mace would come back for it," Motto turned around to look at his apprentice. "Gendry, go get lord Mace's sword and get one of our best daggers too."

"We will also need two pairs of gauntlets, and I will also need a thin sword for someone of smaller size," said Jon

"The gauntlets for the tourney?"

"Aye."

"I can have them done by the melee day."

"Good, thank you, master Motto," said Loras. Soon the apprentice returned with the Sword and a dagger. The Sword was a work of art, the blade perfect. When Harlan went to pick it up, it still had a rose on its hilt, so it had to be removed and replaced with a stags head. The dagger was excellent, the scabbard made from ironwood and ivory, and the handle plated with gold. "Fine gifts both." he thought. Loras asked how much they own the smith, Motto told the price, and Loras and Jon paid for the Sword and the dagger and the gauntlets upfront.

"The sword I can have done maybe after the tourney is over," said Motto.

"Thank you again, master Motto," said Jon. As they were about to leave, a man approached the shop, seemingly having some trouble walking; when he came closer to Loras, he realized why; he reeked of ale.

"Motto!" the man shouted.

"Thoros." said the smith.

"I come for my swords." the man muttered.

"I have them here," Motto went to the wall, where several swords were stacked and picked up four; he put each in its own scabbard and handed them to Thoros. "I swear I can run my shop solely by making swords for you."

"Using flaming swords is good when fighting opponents but bad for my purse," the priest laughed. "But I don't care, here is your gold Motto." the smith took the gold and gave the swords over to the man who, after few more words with the forger, left. Loras and Jon looked at him as he walked away.

"So that's the great Thoros of Myr, the red priest," said Jon.

"Doesn't look like much, looks like a drunk to me," said Loras.

"Don't be fooled, my lords, Thoros might be a drunk, but he is good with a sword, especially with a flaming sword."

"I'm not worried about him; once the melee begins, he will be the first one I throw out," said Loras, and Jon chuckled. Loras turned his gaze from Motto to Jon, "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing."

"You think I can't beat him."

"I never said that," Jon said with a smirk.

"But you are thinking about it."

"Maybe."

"I will beat both you and that priest."

"Only in your dreams." Loras glared at Jon. "Come on now, we have everything we need. Let's get back to the keep."

"Fine, but I will prove you wrong," Loras said determinately.

"Sure, you will," Jon replied with a smirk still on his face.

Margaery

The last night's feast was more fun than she initially expected. Garlan, Loras, Jon, Mira, Elinor were all having a good time, and so did she, although her grandmother seemed less than pleased. She looked at the high table to see the King and queen and their children. The queen was beautiful, and her children inherited her looks. The crown prince was tall, handsome, with the typical golden hair and green eyes of house Lannister. Comparing him to his uncle, who was guarding the King and queen that night, they looked very similar. By the looks that both the queen and the prince bore on their faces, they did not have much fun during the celebration, unlike the King and the two younger children. Meeting Jon's sister was probably the best part of the night; she had she had gray eyes and brown hair like a true Stark, she was also a little rebel by its looks. She did and said whatever she wanted, not afraid of what might happen.

On the other hand, Jon's other sister looked like any other southern lady, well-mannered and sticking close to her father for most of the night. Both she and Sansa danced with the prince, the prince might have been a good dancer, but he was not the one she truly wished to dance with. It was Jon who she wanted to be with but knew that they could not do something like that publicly even if they grew up together, particularly not in front of her grandmother. The prince seemed charming and gallant, but she had overheard from some servant girls that he had quite a temper. Now, as she and her family went to have a meal with the queen and the prince, she wondered what she will see, will she see the courteous prince of something else. Once they reached a door where two Kingsguard stood, they opened the door and were allowed into a small private dining room. There she saw the prince sitting next to his mother and sister. Walking in, she greeted them and gave a warm smile, which they all returned. The meal was pleasant enough, the queen and her parents talked, she spoke with the prince whose behavior had not changed from the night before. He was pleasant and his little sister even more so. While they all seemed to be having a good time, she noticed how her grandmother was looking at the queen and the prince; she was sizing them up. Her grandmother was a seasoned player of the game, and she took every opportunity to see what the potential competition was made off. The queen's father, Lord Tywin, was well known throughout the land for the way he raised his family back up and made it one of if not the most powerful in all the Westeros. The man was ruthless and efficient, had an excellent mind for warfare, and plotting something his firstborn son did not inherit by the looks of it. He also was not afraid to break an oath to get what he wants, which he proved during the sack of King's landing. Both Olenna and Margaery knew that Cersei fancied herself as a female version of her father but how much of that was true were yet to be seen, and by the looks of it, her grandmother was doing it right now.

"Your dress is so pretty, lady Margaery," said Myrcella.

"Thank you, princess, your dress is beautiful as well." the little princess smiled, and she smiled back.

"I hope your journey here was not too hard for you, lady Olenna." said the queen.

"At my old age, your grace, many things aren't easy, but I must bear it. Something you are will find out one day." The queen's smile disappeared.

"Will, your father, be attending, your grace?" asked Alerie.

"Unfortunately, not, he is too busy with his obligations in the west."

"Shame, I sure he would have loved to be here with you and his grandchildren." her mother said with a smile.

"That I'm certain of." the queen said, and a smile returned.

"Will you be participating in the tourney, my prince?" asked Margaery. The queen immediately turned her gaze from her mother to her.

"I originally intended to compete, but I pulled out in the last minute, my uncles will be participating, and it would look bad if I unseated them in the first round." the prince said smugly.

"How noble of you," said Margaery.

"I would like to face off against Uncle Jaime, but it seems that will have to wait."

"I'm certain if you faced him, you would win."

"I would." the prince said, a smug smile on his lips.

The rest of the meal went well, the parents talking, she trying to leave a good impression on the prince, and her grandmother doing what she does best, making sure the Tyrells are on the winning side of things, although she had kept her tongue on a short leash almost the whole time. When it was finally over, she and her family parted with the prince, prince, and the princess. Everything going as she had expected; the prince seemed pleased with her and even the queen.

It was past noon now, and Jon and Loras had returned from the city, the gifts her mother asked for in their hands. The fabrics they bought and the jewelry they brought will make a perfect gift for the young princess; prince Tommen might be little, but he will surely appreciate a fine dagger and for the crown prince a sword that looked more like a work of art. When her father took the blade in his hands, he remembered that it was the one he ordered from Motto.

"Wait, this is mine?"

"Aye, father, that is the one you left here in Motto shop when you were last here," answered Loras.

"Then why is it a gift for the prince?" Mace asked, confused.

"Because you have no use for a sword, and it will look better around the prince's belt than yours," said Olenna. Her father looked at her only to lower his head in submission when she gave him a scolding look.

"As you wish, mother."

"So, how was the city?" asked Margaery.

"Good, there are so many shops and some many items that someone could buy," said Jon.

"You will have to show me around."

"We won't worry. As Loras and Jon told Margaery and Alerie about the sights in the city, a Stark guard arrived.

"My lords, my ladies, forgive the intrusion, but lord Stark has sent me to bring his son." Jon looked at the guard.

"Did he say why?"

"Forgive me, but no."

"Tell him I will be there in a moment," said Jon, and the guard nodded and left.

"Is everything alright, Jon?" asked Margaery with a worried tone.

"I think so; he must just want to talk with me now while he has time."

"Can I come with you?" asked Loras.

"Leave him be, little brother," said Margaery.,

"Oh, come on, he said that he will take me to meet his father when he could; I don't see why he can't do it now." Margaery glared at her brother and he at her.

"Alright, you can come with me, just don't do something to embarrass me in front of my father."

"Why would I do that?" Loras asked with a smirk.

"Come on, pretty boy." Margaery and her family watched as the two exited the room and went to meet with Jon's father.

Loras

As they walked through the corridors towards the tower of the hand, she could not help but feel excited by the fact that she was about to meet Eddard Stark, The Silent wolf, in person. The tales he heard about him from other people and Jon all painted him as this honorable man, a skilled commander and a master of the blade, which was supported by the fact that he defeated Arthur Dayne in single combat. Once, he asked Jon why his father refuses to participate in tourneys, to which he replied by saying that when his father fights, he fights for real and that there is no telling what he would do to someone if they faced off against him. Now, as they reached the door of the hands solar, he could not help but feel a bit nervous. Two guards stood in front of the door, one opened the door, and they went inside.

"Father, you wished to see me," said Jon while lord Stark was going through some papers on his desk.

"Aye, I did," said Lord Eddard as he lifted his gaze from the papers to his son and then to Loras.

"Father, this is Loras, lord Maces son," said Jon.

"Lord hand, it is an honor to meet you," said Loras and bowed.

"The honor is mine Ser Loras. Come, sit." They did as they were told and watched for a few more moments as lord Stark went through the papers. Loras looked at the brown-haired man; the first thing he noticed about him was the dark gray eyes, like pools of beaten steel. Eddard was much shorter than Loras thought he would be, but then Jon was not really tall either, so that was another thing he got from his father.

Lord Eddard sighed, "I'm going to need to call Baelish for this."

"Is everything alright, father?" asked Jon.

"Yes, nothing for you to worry about."

"What did you wish to talk about?"

"I called you here to tell you that I had a talk with your sister."

"How did it go?"

"As well as you think, but she did listen to what I had to say," Eddard sighed again. "If you wish to talk with her yourself, she will be with the septa Mordane."

"Thank you, father. Is that all you wished to tell me?"

"I was hoping to be able to talk with you some more actually," Eddard looked at Jon and then at Loras, his cold gray eyes sending a small shiver down Loras's spine. "So you both will be competing in the tourney?"

"Yes, we will," said Loras.

"Aye, father, I know how you feel about the tourneys." Eddard raised his hand, which made Jon stop.

"Yes, I don't like tourneys, but I can't stop you from participating; you are grown enough to make your own decisions."

"Thank you, father."

"Besides, I don't think you would even listen to me if I told you otherwise." lord Eddard said with a small smile.

"Aye, I probably wouldn't; I would never pass a chance to beat this sorry sob right here," Jon said as he pointed at Loras.

"Hey, I'm not the one who is going to lose; you are," Loras said.

"When the wall melts, pretty boy," Jon said with a smug smile. Their bickering was interrupted by a laugh coming from lord Eddard. Jon and Loras turned to look at the hand.

"Father?" asked Jon.

"Sorry, I could not help myself. You two just remind me of Robert and myself when we were young. Robert was always the one who claimed that he can beat anyone, and I was there to keep his head from going to the clouds."

"But he did defeat prince Rhaegar," said Loras, which made the lord more serious.

"Aye, he did."

"I overheard him last night talking about the Trident and your fight against Arthur Dayne," said Loras.

"The king likes to talk about the old days."

"But you fought Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the morning, and you defeated him. If I did so, I would make sure everyone knows it from me."

Eddard looked him straight in the eyes; Lord Starks's eyes seemed to change somehow now; they were even colder and judgmental. "Arthur Dayne was a good man and a loyal one; he deserves better than for someone to be boasting about his death." Eddard's words made Lora's gulp; this was not how he wanted his meeting with Eddard Stark to go.

"I'm sorry, my lord, I did not mean it that way," said Loras, his words a bit unsure as he spoke them.

Lord Stark sighed, "It does not matter what you meant, the past is in the past, and that's where it should stay."

Olenna

She was starting to regret coming to this city, the long road was grueling enough, but the thought of being greeted by the royal family should have made it worth it until it was not. The King and queen did not even bother to show up, leaving it instead of the new hand to it for them. She was glad to meet the man but was annoyed by the audacity of the King and queen. The fat oaf seems to forget who's lands feed the seven kingdoms, all that would take for them to throw the realm into chaos could be to stop exporting their food to the other kingdoms. At least the King's brother had some basic courtesy to show up and formally greet them. Seeing him spin her stupid son around his finger proved that he was not a total idiot like his brother. The rooms they were given were suitable, but she knew that the best ones were given to the Lannisters and their underlings. Then at the feast, they were placed in the middle instead of close to the high table where they belong. At least Margaery had an opportunity to dance with the prince, and she even managed to get them invited to a meal with the queen and prince, proving that her granddaughter takes more after her than her incompetent son. One thing that she despises is the way how her granddaughter looks at the bastard; she had barely taken her eyes off him the whole night. Margaery is supposed to marry the prince and become the future queen, not to be smitten by some bastard boy from the North. She knew that he was popular among the noble ladies even if he was not a true born son, but she could not let Margaery throw everything away for him. Series proposal of getting gifts for the prince and his siblings was a good idea. The meal with the royals went well although she could see through the queen act, it took her almost her whole will not make a comment that could possibly insult the queen, but it was all worth it in the end, Margaery had left, and good impression on the prince and he seemed pleased with her. Now, as she sat in her room drinking tea, she thought that everything was falling into its place. All that remains is to move the bastard out of the way.