5 Uncles II

I turned my attention to the door and waited as I heard the door being opened. The door widened fully and a young man with a confident gait sauntered into the room like it was his.

He was tall and lithe of frame with a clean-shaven handsome face, thick and neatly combed straight hair as black as coal that fell easily on his broad shoulders, and a pair of laughing blue eyes that had a green tint on them.

He was donned in a tight-fitting doublet made of rich green velvet embroidered with small stags of a golden color with a golden brocade pattern that seems to capture the sunlight.

Below his torso were dark brown breeches made of silk that were bound by a leather belt on his waist and a pair of black leather boots that had low heels.

A gold chain that reflected the rays of the sun hung neatly below his neck and his overall attire that cried of extravagance and opulence gave him an elitist and sophisticated look. He looked very similar to my father but some differences prevented them from looking like twins.

Whereas my father was towering with a height likely greater than six feet five inches, with a thick neck, broad shoulders, a chest that looked like a barrel, and thick veiny arms that seemed capable of strangling a boar whole, Renly looked smaller in comparison with an athletic and well-toned build and also he was better looking.

The moment he walked in, his strong lavender fragrance filled the room and washed over me, helping to clear the odor of the outside air. The funny smile on his face and the playfulness his eyes showed made him look very friendly and easygoing.

He had the whole vibe of a politician and I couldn't help but smile since they were my favorite prey... I was starting to like him...

" Cersei and oh...Jaime? It seems I was rather late to be the first relative my dear nephew would meet. What a shame." He sighed and shook his head as he came forward with a charming smile on his face, his voice refined and complemented with a polished accent. His tone had a hint of playfulness.

"What do you want here Renly? Last I recall, Robert was having a meeting with his small council." My mother leaned on the table with her hand and questioned Renly with a raised eyebrow that showcased her annoyance, her tone and voice plain and blunt.

He smiled and turned his eyes in my direction as Jaime stood up with a soft clank of his armor, holding me firmly in his strong arms.

"Oh, that? The meeting was adjourned a few minutes ago. We are done discussing the finances and manpower that'll go into my nephew's tourney," He stated casually and took a few steps toward Jaime. "And because I wanted to meet my beloved nephew so badly, I hastily took off from the council chambers to this place. It's just as I've heard, he's such a gem. How did you and my brother ever make someone like this?"

He stopped right in front of my frowning uncle and finished in a nonchalant and harmless tone as he stretched two of his fingers to caress my smooth face, a genuine smile plastered on his face. His fingers were clean and warm to the touch.

"What are you trying to imply, my sweet brother-in-law?" My mother's eyes narrowed dangerously and she asked softly, in a harmless way, but one could sense the dark cutting edge of her voice. She felt insulted and I could see it from her body language.

Seemingly ignoring her, Renly took me out of Jaime's reluctant arms with a little forcefulness and particularly entertained by his attitude, I looked into his blue-green affectionate eyes as he turned to my mother with his lips curled up into a playful smile.

"I'm sorry if I offended you, my lovely sister-in-law, I forgot humor is a reserved taste." He responded apologetically but his smile and voice laced with wit said otherwise.

My mother's face immediately fell and with her narrowed eyes, she stared at him with a fiery intensity that seemed to heat up the room. Silent but with cold eyes.

As if thrilled by my mother's annoyance, Renly's smile widened and so he removed his attention from my mother who Jaime moved closer to, and fixed it on me.

"I thought they were lying when I heard from the maids that my nephew was the quiet type, never crying or screaming or trying to make anyone's life a living hell," With his soft hands on my bottom and neck, he started moving me slowly and gently from side to side.

"Baratheons aren't known for this so I guess I have you to thank for this. Good job Cersei." He added and nodded his head with a smile as if acknowledging her noble achievement.

Due to the way, he positioned my body, I couldn't see my mother's face but judging by the silence and what I had seen in these last few minutes, I could deduce she was vexed.

Just by observing their interaction, I learned new things about my new family, especially my mother and uncle Renly. For one, my mother was a very proud woman with an ego, and two, my uncle Renly was a sharp-witted and frivolous fellow who was also good at getting under people's skin.

In my mother's case, it was to be expected and quite normal given the position and power she held but it was to a higher degree than I expected.

She held herself to a very high degree, in literary terms, she had the pride of a lion and this was done on a subconscious level. Like her pride was ingrained in her from birth.

This showed that she was on a higher spectrum in terms of the nobility hierarchy, no less than my father's royal family. This was a flaw, something she'd have to fix if she wanted to be an effective Queen.

My uncle Renly on the other hand had the charm of a ruler and the cleverness of a political powerhouse. From the way he spoke, his appearance, the subtle shifts in his body language, and his casualness, he had all the things needed to charm people.

But he had two major flaws. He was for one frivolous, meaning he didn't take things too seriously and he was too bold or impulsive. It was easy for him to make friends and subsequently, it was also that much easy for him to make enemies.

He had the attitude of someone who always got what he wanted with no repercussions and likely, unlimited freedom thus, he built himself an extremely bold and confident persona. He was likely the youngest among my father's siblings.

People like him were very easy to break. All one had to do was to methodically break down all his walls and bring him to the lowest he had ever seen or imagined and he'll be like a trained puppy.

I had little information about him but he was interesting enough for me to make a mental note of him. In due time, maybe he would be of use to me...

"I think you should go." My uncle Jaime stepped forward to him and voiced coldly, his tone a little threatening while my mother just remained silent and watched from the sidelines.

Renly looked up at him and after seeing the look in his eyes, he smiled and after caressing my hair one more time, he stretched his hands that were holding me to him.

"Alright, alright, I'll go. I've seen enough. Maybe, I'll try to convince Stannis to tag along the next time I come around. That would be a sight for the gods." He quipped as Jaime took me and turned around to walk to the door.

We watched as he flashed us a friendly wave and then calmly exited the room, leaving us alone in a silence that brought a smile to my face.

My new family had proven itself to be interesting and I planned to learn how much...