A Lions Flower |J.Lannister|

• Chapter 4 •

Margaery hadn't seen her sister for the remainder of that day. She assumed it was because of their conversation and she needed to blow off steam but Margaery rarely went a day without speaking to her sister and it was eating her alive when she couldn't be located when Renly was found dead in his tent. Margaery could do nothing but stand around lost with tears streaming down her face without her sister there to comfort her.

Word of Renly's death travelled quickly throughout the Seven Kingdoms. Rose, Catelyn, and the knight that was chosen to accompany them on their journey, Brienne, recieved the news of Renly's murder when they stopped at a small keep halfway to Robb's camp. Brienne knocked on the room that Rose was staying in fairly frantically before she was able to control her emotions.

"Brienne, what is it?" Rose answered the door and notice that the woman, who she had grown to know and be friendly with, was distressed and looked broken.

"My Lady, there is news from Renly Baratheon's camp."

"What is it?" Rose was almost deadpan in her comment but it was clear it was something far more serious than she imagined.

"Renly was killed. They say it was a shadow that stabbed him in his tent and it had the face of Stannis Baratheon."

"A shadow killed Renly? A shadow?" Rose asked with more confusion than she intended but she had never heard such a thing.

"Yes, a shadow. Lady Margaery is said to be doing fine-"

"Thank you, Brienne. Please." Rose held up her hand to signal for Brienne to stop talking and she shut the door in her face. Rose put a hand on her forehead in stress and couldn't comprehend that Renly was killed by something other than human, which indicated that the shadow could come and kill her to, depending on who sent it. She also couldn't believe she left Margaery alone and now she had to deal with it.

Rose barely said another word the rest of the trip because her mind was swimming with emotions. She felt horrible for Margaery, for Loras, and that she left them alone. But she also knew that Olenna would take them in right away and they had a home and food on the table if they wanted it. Margaery would only grow from this and in some part of her conscious, Rose knew Margaery would use it to her advantage. Rose was also increasingly nervous about seeing Jaime again and as the days continued to pass and the camp was suddenly in sight, she felt her stomach drop in anticipation. She had no idea how he would react to seeing her, or if he would care at all. She left him and has never tried to contact him again in fear of what Cersei or Tywin would do to her, but she still cared as much as she did then, no matter their problems. When they arrived at the camp it had been early morning, a little over one week after they left and Renly had died. The sun was shielded by the looming clouds and the dirt ground was covered with fog. Rose thought that if the scenery wasn't fitting for her impending conflict, she didn't know what was. As they filed into the camp, soldiers and nurses alike were sorting through bodies and bloody armor on the field, a battle had just taken place. Brienne, Catelyn, and Rose dismounted their horses and walked the soldiers. Some of the men lowered their heads in respect toward Lady Stark but many stared at the large armored woman standing next to her. Rose couldn't help but feel some eyes were lingering and whispering about her, she heard one mention the golden rose and she wrapped her cloak around her just a little tighter than before.