The Long Winter | Jaime Lannister X Stark OC | GOT/ASOIAF

Vows To A Dead Man

"They're fools," Loreon Storm was stood in her tent, and clearly would have been pacing, had there been the room for it. "Complete and utter fools, stubborn and too proud for their own good, the both of them," As it was, his presence filled the small space, blue eyes dark and angry as he loomed over her. 

In what had been nearly six weeks since Ross had arrived at Renly's camp in Bitterbridge, Loreon had been playing the game constantly, and so well that it wasn't obvious he was even doing it at all. There was always an assured, warm smile on his face, and he treated all men with friendliness and respect regardless of whether they were a common soldier or a lord, playing the charming but humble everyman, never acting above his station or scorning those below it. This strategy had won the friendship of what seemed like most everyone in the camp, of importance or otherwise. 

Loreon also had their respect as a truly formidable fighter - demonstrated not only when he won the tourney, but also whenever he sparred with other knights to train, which he did regularly - and had proved his insight and intelligence in the war councils, without presuming to challenge any of the lords directly. In all the time she had been in the camp, Ross had not found anyone who did not praise the young knight for being brave, honest and unambitious. Perhaps one of those is true. 

It wasn't even so much an act, though, more like he was only displaying one side of himself, which could be why it worked so well. Loreon had displayed another side of himself entirely on the occasions he had spoken to Ross alone, letting himself slip into a sharper, clearly ambitious and surprisingly pragmatic persona. Whether this was a conscious decision or not, she didn't know, but in the same way that his joviality and apparent humbleness endeared him to most of the knights and lords, this side of him made her regard for him grow. If this was a conscious effort to earn her respect, it had worked well. The young man was certainly one to watch. 

Ross herself had set aside the thin smiles and half-answers she gave to humour Renly, unwilling at this point to commit Robb's allegiances one way or another, and spoke plainly to the so-called king's bastard nephew. She knew already that Loreon's loyalties lay with Stannis - in truth, she was somewhat surprised he hadn't defected to Renly entirely by now, given that ambition of his - but she previously suspected he had still been holding onto the naive hope that he might somehow be able to make the Baratheon brothers allies again. He was young, after all. 

Now, it was clear that he was under no such delusions. Now, Ross was seeing Loreon Storm live up to his Baratheon temper for the first time. Ours is the fury indeed.

She didn't blame him. The parlay that day had been a resounding failure. Renly and Stannis seemed to prefer the idea of war with each other than war with the Lannisters, no matter the best efforts of people around them. Ross had been present herself, and along with Loreon, had tried to make the brothers see that by fighting together they had a chance, whilst even the winner of a fight between them both would be weakened and likely suffer defeat overall. Their efforts had been in vain; Stannis knew all this already, but was too stubborn and proud to bow to his younger brother, whilst Renly seemed to think he could win against Stannis and the Lannisters both with ease and still be hailed a hero. 

Loreon was still ranting. 

"And the red woman, Melisandre, she's likely been filling his head with all kinds of horseshit, prophecies and magic. We're likely lucky she hasn't managed to get him to replace the stags on his banners with her god's fiery heart! Her influence was growing when I left, but it was always Selyse who listened to her, not Stannis. That's clearly changed - maybe he fucked her, gods only know - and now he's even harder to reach than before. Would it been any different had I been a trueborn son and you a lord rather than a lady? Would they have listened to us then?" He finished, breathing heavily.