The Bastard Stag

Chapter 3- Lady Olena

Summary:

Aloe decides to look presentable.

I was woken up the next day by my father.

"Aloe, Lady Olena is here." He whispered, "Make yourself presentable."

I shot up like an arrow. Lady Olena was here! Why would she come here at this ungodly hour?

"Father why is she here?" I whispered back.

"I have decided to send you to Highgarden." He said and kept talking," To go to the market you need to look like a Lady. She is to introduce you to high society."

"Father have you ever thought that I might not want to go to Highgarden!" I interrupted him.

"I am sorry my sweet girl, but this is no matter of whether you want to or not." His eyes were sad," I wouldn't have sent you for the world but I must do as m'lady commands. Tis treason if I don't."

"Father please I don't want to go, Please father." I pleaded.

I didn't want to leave Fleabottom as much as other girls did. At the moment I didn't want to be a Lady. I wanted to stay here with my father and Gendry and Tobho. I wanted to stay in Fleabottom; where I knew who my neighbors were, who the thieves were, whom to trust.

"You have to go Aloe." My father said, looking at the ground," I'm sorry."

"Rorick" Lady Olena called from the front of the store," Is she awake?"

"Yes m'lady. She is coming." My father yelled. He looked at me with pleading eyes and left the room.

I jumped out of my bed that very second. I pulled my tunic from out of my trunk and slipped over my small clothes. I pulled out my trousers, pulled them up quickly. I took my pair of leather shoes, and wondered at the size of my feet. My father said they were as tiny as the feet of The Children in the story books he used to read me and Gendry as children. I walked over to my basin. Took some water into my hands, splashed my face and looked into the mirror. My face had lost its baby fat over the last couple moons. My cheeks seemed hollow and my blue eyes huge, I looked like a hungry beggar. I looked down at my body. My knees and elbows were bony. My arms and legs skinny. I picked up my shirt and realized I could see my ribs through my tight small clothes. I would have to eat a lot more then I normally did to not look like a skeleton. I ran a brush threw my hair and ran through the door, to the front of the shop.

Lady Olena was sitting in a chair. Her dress a light blue color, billowy; the sleeves were long, and covered with an intricate design of golden flowers. She looked up when she heard the creek of the door. Once she saw me standing there she looked me up and down. My father was watching Lady Olena, Lady Olena was watching me and under the pressure of her stare I looked down at the floor embarrassed.

"She is very thin and small, Rorick." She said addressing my father.

I looked up from the floor. I had never known a lady to be so blunt. Most Ladies that came into the shop hung on the arms of lords and did everything the men asked them to do.

My father looked slightly pink.

"I feed her well m'lady." He answered," Two meals a day."

Lady Olena nodded and looked at me.

"Do you know what we were doing, little girl?" she asked.

"No m'lady." I said in an unsure voice.

"We are going to the market in Kings Landing." Lady Olena said. She starting getting up from the cushioned chair.

"Why, may I ask m'lady?" I asked.

"To go shopping of course." She stated it as if it were obvious," You need to look like a lady. Do you expect ladies are allowed to run around in trousers around Highgarden? We must buy you dresses and other nick-nacks."

I was surprised, I had never owned a nice dress, much less a nice ladies dress. I had never owned an actual pair of jewelry, even though my father had some in the store, I had never found the need for any of this in Fleabottom.

"Now c'mon child we must get going, if we are to visit all the shops I wish to see." She told me," Help me up, little girl, I'm not as young as I once was."

I walked over to hand and gave her my hand. Her hands were gentle, but withered the veins seen through the pale skin. She put some weight on me and with one last look at my father, we were out the door and into the hot, baking sun of Kings Landing.