The Storm Queen | Game of Thrones

Fifteen

Cassana

I'm feeling rather confident when Renly enters my office.

"I can't lie, it is strange being summoned by my own niece," he comments.

"I've solidified our alliance with the Tyrells."

"How?" he scoffs.

"Margaery and I have reached a mutually beneficial agreement to be legally solidified at a later date," I say not revealing much more. "And at our next small council meeting I will be expressing my desire to marry a Dornish prince."

He actually laughs. "Where in the seven hells has this come from?"

I lean back in my seat. "How would you feel about becoming Hand of the King?"

His humour quickly fades. "You'd ask your father to replace Ned with me?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Perhaps, although I was envisioning you becoming my hand."

He realises how deep I've fallen into this scheme. "Cassana, Joffrey-"

"Is a bastard," I declare, and realise the thought indeed has crossed his mind. "Stannis knows this as well doesn't he?"

"He had his suspicions before he was driven back to Dragonstone," he reveals to me. "About your mother and Jaime but I never knew what to believe."

"Believe it," I say, knowing it in my gut. "I just need proof and I have heard Ned is looking into my fathers bastards. I suspect he is following the same trail as Jon Arryn."

He inhales deeply. "This is dangerous."

"It is," I agree calmly. "Which is why we need to build our case before presenting it to my father, before my mother or Tywin discovers it. I need to ensure Tommen and Myrcella's safety from my father, I'll try to convince my father to send them to Casterly Rock to please my grandfather."

"You'd send them to Tywin while making him your enemy."

I nod, this part the trickiest of all. "They will be safe from my fathers rage with him."

"And what of Tywins rage?" he asks me. "Even if it is true, you know he will go to war for his houses honour."

"I suspect they'll be going to war soon regardless," I tell him. "I know they had something to do with Brandon Stark's fall, and the Stark's blame them for Jon Arryn's death. One more mistep and it will be war."

He seems shaken. "This is getting too dangeous Cassie, even for us."

I tilt my head at him, knowing his stomach is weaker than mine. "Then let me handle it and do what I instruct you, and I will make you my hand and heir. You will marry Margaery Tyrell for politics sake and continue your affair with Renly without disruption."

His eyes widen. "Does Margaery-"

"Yes, and she's agreed to it," I inform him. "I have this handled Renly, I just need you to lay quiet and keep this all to yourself until the right moment. Until I can get Ned onside with this, his and my fathers rift will only last so long and then we have a chance to save this realm from another tyranny."

~

I'm lying beside Margaery, silk bedsheets covering our naked bodies.

"So Renly took it well?"

"He was surprised, afraid of the consequences, but the offer is to great for him to resist," I tell her. "I'm afraid he doesn't have the stomach for this."

"He isn't the one who needs it, you are," she reminds me. "And you indeed have it."

I reach out to touch her brown curls on the pillow. "Have you written to your grandmother yet about it all?"