The Storm Queen | Game of Thrones

Twenty Four

Robb

Side by side we walk into the tent where Renly is holding his war council, and the tension is unmistakable.

Renly left her to die, and whatever happened between her and his wife is something I'm too afraid to ask. The hate Cassana bears her is truly personal, but she still seems to respect her.

"Here's the handsome couple," Renly comments, looking me up and down. "Take a seat, we have much to discuss."

I pull out a chair for Cassana and we take our seats.

"You look happy," Margaery says to us, and Cassana does not smile as she continues "I pray the Seven bestow many blessings upon your marriage."

"Thank you," I say politely but Cassana simply tilts her head at Margaery.

"You know I don't believe in the Seven."

Margaery inhales deeply. "I still pray for your happiness Cassana, perhaps we may speak in private after this meeting."

"Perhaps," Cassana dismisses and Renly clears his throat to break the tension between the girls and I still find it so strange that they were lovers, that they were sexual together, more specifically how it would work. At first mention I may have been intimidated by the idea, but sitting here now between them I know it is Margaery who is intimidated by her.

"Now, we need to sort out this alliance," Renly says, looking at us, Cassana and I, and then his own party with Loras and Margaery. "Robb, you seem like a good man, very much your fathers son. We both want Joffrey off the throne, we have every reason to be allies except there is one issue, you call yourself king."

"I have no desire to sit on the Iron Throne," I reply in full honestly but then he points to Cassana who sits there proudly beside me. "You may not but she does."

"Renly," she says condescendingly. "Haven't we already discussed this? House Baratheon is one united front."

"Except for Stannis."

"Yes except for Stannis," she sighs in frustration. "We will negotiate with him, surely as a commander he must see that his pride will get him killed, except I fear he knows this fact and does not care. The other fact being we cannot fight amongst ourselves if we wish to win this war."

She's right. They can't fight amongst themselves if they want to win this war, which is why I suspect is the only reason Cassana is sitting at this table with Renly if he betrayed her. She's put her emotion aside for the greater picture, something not even the most experienced commanders can do.

"But we aren't here to only discuss Stannis," she says looking at me. "The North's demands must be met by everyone at this table for their men to fight alongside the Reach."

We had loosely discussed our terms walking into this, but she has taken the ruthless approach knowing we are the ones holding the best cards. She commands the Stormlands, so she knows Renly's stance doesn't matter, but the Reach is a different beast.

"You mean the North becoming it's own kingdom?" Loras scoffs. "We all know that won't happen."

Cassana looks to Margaery. "Your grace, I expect you will honour this?"

A statement, not a question.

"I will speak to my grandmother and make my support known," Margaery carefully replies.

That satisfies her enough as she looks back to Renly and Loras. "Now, I demand everyone at this table recognise Robb as a King before negotiations go any further."

She spent a year acting as king, and now it is certainly showing, I wouldn't have taken this approach but I surely won't argue with her when she is fighting for the Norths independence..