The Prince of Thorns

🩸Never Leave You🩸

REAT SEPT OF BAELOR - PRAYER ROOM

Margaery is reading from the Book of the Seven with a crown upon her head. The High Sparrow enters.

HIGH SPARROW: "Your Grace. What are we reading today?"

MARGAERY: "The Book of the Mother, Your Holiness. Chapter three, verse 12."

HIGH SPARROW: "Ah, "As water rounds the stones, smoothing- -"

MARGAERY: "Smoothing what was jagged, so does a woman's love calm a man's brute nature. A wife salves her husband's wounds, a mother sings her son to sleep."

HIGH SPARROW: "You learn quickly. There are some who know every verse of the sacred text, but don't have a drop of the Mother's mercy in their blood and savages who can't read at all who understand the Father's wisdom."

MARGAERY: "For a year I pretended to love the poor, the afflicted. I had pity for them, but I never loved them. They disgusted me."

HIGH SPARROW: "They are hard to love."

He sits down on a bench.

HIGH SPARROW: "The poor disgust us because they are us, shorn of our illusions. They show us what we'd look like without our fine clothes. How'd we smell without perfume."

He sighs.

HIGH SPARROW: "Can I ask you about a personal matter?"

MARGAERY: "Of course."

She sits on the bench beside the High Sparrow.

HIGH SPARROW: "The king mentioned that since your reunion, you haven't joined him in the marriage bed."

MARGAERY: "No."

HIGH SPARROW: "You have a duty, Your Grace. To your husband, your king, your country, to the gods themselves."

MARGAERY: "It's just...the desires that once drove me no longer do."

HIGH SPARROW: "Congress does not require desire on the woman's part, only patience. The king must have an heir if we are to continue our good work."

MARGAERY: "Forgive me. Sometimes the truth path is hard to find."

HIGH SPARROW: "Hard to find and harder still to walk upon. But you've made great progress. I only pray your grandmother follows your lead."

The old man stands.

MARGAERY: "My grandmother?"

HIGH SPARROW: "Yes. The Queen of Thorns is a remarkable woman, a strong woman, and an unrepentant sinner. You must teach her the new way as she taught you the old. Or I fear for her safety, body and soul."

RED KEEP - OLENNA'S CHAMBER

Margaery and Olenna are sitting at a table. Septa Unella stands several feet away, watching them.

OLENNA: "Does it move or talk? I want to speak with you alone."

MARGAERY: "Septa Unella has been my true friend and counselor."

The Queen of thorns stands.

OLENNA: "Oh, this is madness!"

Olenna takes Margaery's hand and leads her out onto the balcony to a different table. Septa Unella follows them out. Margaery sits at the table.

OLENNA: "(to Septa Unella) You're not in your sanctuary now, my dear. All I have to do is whistle and my men will stroll in here and bash you about..."

MARGAERY: "Grandmother."

OLENNA: "...until I tell them to stop. If I tell them to stop. You could use a good bashing."

MARGAERY: "Grandmother, please."

Olenna sits across from Margaery.

OLENNA: "What have they done to you?"

MARGAERY: "You marched against the High Sparrow, against the Faith."

OLENNA: "We marched for you."

MARGAERY: "The gods could have punished you, but they didn't. They showed mercy."

OLENNA: "And what about your brother? What mercy did they show him?"

MARGAERY: "Loras's only hope is to confess his crimes and repent. If he does, the Faith will allow him to return to Highgarden. "

OLENNA: "And what of Alester?"

MARGAERY: "Alester isn't as perfect as what I use to believe. Hes a sinner and when he returns, he'll have to renounce his name and title..."

OLENNA: "Have you lost your mind?"

MARGAERY: "...and live his life as a penitent."

OLENNA: "He is the heir to Highgarden, the future of House Tyrell."

MARGAERY: "He can begin again."

OLENNA: "As a mindless fanatic."

MARGAERY: "As a good man."

OLENNA: "You will leave for Highgarden today. There is no law that says you must stay here."

Margaery stands.

MARGAERY: "I am the queen. It is my duty to serve my husband the king."

She walks around the table and kneels before Olenna. Her back is to Septa Unella.

MARGAERY: "But you should leave, Grandmother. Your place is at home."

OLENNA: "I will never leave you. Never."

MARGAERY: "You must."

Margaery slips a piece of paper into her grandmother's hand. Margaery's eyes widen.

MARGAERY: "Go home. Find comfort in prayer and good works."

She stands.

MARGAERY: "The Mother watches over us all."

Olenna stands.

OLENNA: "I'll see you soon, my dear."

Margaery and her embrace.