[King's Landing -- Renly Baratheon's Chambers]
Renly is seated in a chair, Ser Loras Tyrell kneeling beside him, preparing to shave his chest.
"Lord Stark's lucky he still has a head."
"Robert will rant for a few days, but he won't do anything. He adores the man."
"You're jealous."
"Are you sure this won't hurt?"
"Only if I slip."
"And you prefer me like this?"
"Hmm - mmm..."
"If you want hairless, maybe you should find a little boy."
"I want you."
"My brother thinks that anyone who hasn't been to war isn't a man. He treats me as if I'm a spoiled child." Loras laughed. "Oh, and you're not? Loras Tyrell, the Knight of the Flowers? How many wars have you fought in? Oh, and how much did your father spend on that armor of yours?"
"Hold still."
"All I ever hear from Robert and Stannis is how I'm not tough enough, how I squirm at the sight of blood."
"You did vomit when that boy's eye was knocked out in the mêlée."
"His eye was dangling out of the damn socket!"
"He shouldn't have entered the mêlée if he didn't know how to fight."
"Easy for you to say. Not everyone is such a gifted swordsman."
"It's not a gift. No one gave it to me. I'm good because I work at it -- evey day of my life since I could hold a stick."
"I could work at fighting all day, evey day, and still nevr be as good as you.
"Yes well, I guess we'll nevr know." Loras wiped Renly's chest off and then raised his arm to shave underneath it.
"Everywhere?"
"Everywhere." Loras confirmed. "So how did it end up? The Targaryen girl will die?"
"It needs to be done, unpleasant as it is. Robert's rather tasteless about it. Every time he talks about killing her, I swear the table rises six inches."
"It's a shame he can't muster the same enthusiasm for his wife."
"He does have a deep, abiding lust for her money. You have to give it to the Lannisters -- they may be the most pompous, ponderous cսոts the gods ever suffered to walk the world, but they do have outrageous amounts of money."
"I have an outrageous amount of money."
"Not as much as the Lannisters."
"But a lot more than you."
"Robert's threatening to take me hunting with him. Last time we were out there for two weeks -- tramping through the trees in the rain, day after day. All so he can stick his spear into something's flesh! Oh. but Robert loves his killing. And he's the King."
"Hmm ... How did that ever happen?"
"Because he loves his killing and he used to be good at it."
"Do you know who should be King?" Both men exchanged a look.
"Be serious."
"I am. My father could be your bank. I've nevr fought in a war before, but I'd fight for you."
"I'm fourth in line."
"And where was Robert in the line of royal succession? Joffrey is a monster. Tommen is eight."
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Silver Stag
FanfictionAelinor Baratheon stands out in her family. She doesn't have the golden hair and green eyes of her mother and younger siblings. Nor does she have black hair and blue eyes of her Baratheon father. Much to her father's disdain, she inherited her grea...
