79 That depends on you

"My child..." Lady Dustin's hands reached for Brendan's face, he felt his mother's fingers gently brushing the remnants of the biggest battle in his life up till now that were left on his face, the scar over his eye left by Drogo and the one on his forehead.

"What did you have to go through to end up like this..." the boy's hands that were on his mother's lap were now moistened with her warm tears.

"It's alright mother... I'm back..." for the first time Brendan lifted his head and confidently smiled with the sole purpose of lifting his mother's spirit.

*Cough* *cough*

They both heard and awkward sound from behind Lady Dustin.

Looking back Brendan saw another one of his favourite characters in the TV series, The Queen of Thorns.

He almost felt himself blacking out for a moment when his fanboy mode kicked in, all would be good, if he forgot about the threat that made him and his men rush to the meeting place like they were running for their lives, yet forget he did not.

"Lady Olenna..." he stood up, some of his anger that came back just a second ago sipped out from his gestures as he stood in front of her.

It did have some effect on the older Lady, not as much as he wanted to tho, so he did the second best thing that he knew would get the old rose attention. "and Lady Margaery." he looked at the 8 name days child next to her with an evil smile and finally the old Lady twitched tightening her grip on the child's hand.

"Lord Brendan, pleasure to finally meet you, we've heard a lot about you." she said keeping her noble bearing as graceful as it could be.

"I actually doubt you did Lady Olenna." Brendan said as he took a seat next to his mother, grabbed the water with honey and poured everyone a glass including himself.

"You're right I didn't. It's hard to get any information about a ghost. Tell me child are you a ghost?" after hearing her Brendan laughed remembering the good old Olenna that he saw on the TV screen while interacting with the old Lion, now behaving the same in front of him.

"I can be that as well my Lady. Guardian ghost or a nightmare ghost, it all depends on your actions and it doesn't look like you are to a good start." even Lady Barbrey was surprised at the not so subtle threat.

Looking at her son as he wiped the blood from his hands with a wet cloth she was even amused a bit, at the same time she felt happy that the time they moved around watching out not to step on anyone feet passed.

They were the strongest House in Westeros since last year, but officially after the issue with Tywin they were declining.

"You're a brave one child, but it will take more then threats to scare me." Lady Olenna still felt she had the advantage.

"Lady Olenna... I do admire you and respect you as my elder and idol, but please don't take my easygoing attitude as weakness. Call me "child" again and I will have to prove my point, then you will be angered after I do, and that will be the end of our negotiations and beginning of war..." Brendan smiled gently. "Or you can start behaving with respect that I... we are showing." he looked at his smiling mother. Since she allowed him to talk representing their House he would do just that.

Lady Olenna was a bit surprised, she really didn't feel any ill will from his words.

Disregarding the obvious threat she still decided to test him, he was a child not much older then her granddaughter for Gods sake.

"Words can be treated as gold boy." she really shouldn't test Brendan after he showed her good will. Lady Dustin looked at her pitifully.

"Great! haha!" the young Lord stopped his men by raising his hand after they grabbed their swords for the clear disrespect. "You really want to test me, I understand... Still... It wasn't the smartest thing to do... Oro, Amo, please take five Tyrell men and bring me their tongues." Brendan eyes never left the Queen of Thorns when he gave the order.

The blood drained from her and little Margaery faces.

"You see Lady Olenna, I was even wilder in my younger years, but not from choice but necessity." he stood up and walked around the table and sat on the corner of it just next to Margaery, grabbing some grapes from the plate he continued. "I left my Lady mother alone and trained myself on every battlefield I could find. Selling my sword, killing for various reasons for one side, then for the other..."

Brendan's hand reached for the long curly string of hair of the little girl.

To his surprise Margaery didn't avoid his eyes, the child meet his gaze defiantly.

She was almost looking for confrontation with a burning flame inside of her clear and intelligent look, surprising Brendan with every passing second as they looked at each other.

The interaction would probably continue if not for muffled screams that came from the outside.

Lady Olenna looked furious, but this time she stayed silent. He had his hands in her granddaughter for Gods sake!

"What happened next?" a melodious voice brought everyone back as they turned back in the direction of the voice.

"Hahaha, that, my naughty and beautiful young Lady is a story for another day..." Brendan bowed, grabbed her hand and kissed it before smiling and turning back to his seat.

At the same time he was back in his place Oro and Amo came back with five tongues still dripping blood and threw them on the table before bowing and moving back to their original place.

"Now... did I pass the test to speak to you as equal or will there be war? I would prefer to avoid the bloodshed if possible..." he looked at Margaery and smiled.

His handsome face and bright smile made the young, inexperienced maiden blush for a moment.

"You proved your point Lord Dustin, but do you think there is anything to salvage after what you did now?" Lady Olenna glances with distaste at the bloody table, what was surprising though, was that Margaery didn't even flinch at the sight in front of her.

"Why not? You send hundreds of men to their death in the dark. Trust me, I know. Killed few myself." he pointed at the table. "You didn't think that we would let your transgressions go unpunished right? I mean, you did surround my Lady mother and threatened her right? You do know the words The North remembers..." he looked unfazed, but from the looks of it, it still wasn't enough to placate Lady Olenna. "If it makes you feel better I will allow you to ask one question to which I will truthfully reply."

The young boy gesture surprised her again. She thought that she was getting old since the child always did something she couldn't foresee.

"Is Dorne a threat to the Reach." she leaned forward with her hands interlocked and looked for any signs of falsehood.

"No." one word from the boy and she unknowingly released a quiet sight of relief.

She didn't know why, but she trusted his words, he had this unseen before charisma that even the fat King couldn't match and his clear eyes could be sometimes as gentle as the Mother or as ferocious as the Stranger itself.

"So what happens now?" she relaxed her grip after feeling Margaery's hand loosen from hers.

"Now my Lady we would like to invite you to a feast..." Brendan smiled and pointed at the table "This food looks a bit... raw..." he smiled like it was nothing and got up offering his hand to his mother.

To Lady Olenna's surprise she heard Margaery giggle at his antics and saw her getting up just as fast like, she owned the place.

Don't you see that we are still hostages child?! The Queen of Thorns wanted to roar out.