Trueborn

"My Queen!" Came the familiar agitated cry of the serving boy who had been charging backwards and forth the past few days without end as he brought her news of the Eddard Stark and the reactions of all of King's Landing to her. She had grown to resent his boyish, round and pink face and at the present moment, she had far too much on her mind to be able to deal with him.

"Shut up." She snapped at the panting child in the doorway. "I'm not interested." She offered as an explanation and as a justification for the boy to shut his mouth before he was to place more weight upon her shoulders, waving her hand to dismiss him. She knew what he would say anyway, the peasants and filth that inhabited the city would be rioting, the fools in the court would be singing songs of her children and of her and her brother, the city would be in chaos.

"But-- Your Grace, this is of the utmost import--" He stammered on stubbornly.

"What part of shut up don't you understand?!" She shouted at him now, sending him a vicious glare that sent the scumbag scurrying back out the door. Cersei poured herself another glass of wine, sighing as she took a sip of the liquid in a futile attempt to silence the fear that grew inside her every day.

How had it come to this? She thought, slamming the glass hard against the table in frustration. Not only was King's Landing torn in two, but her own family. Her own children. What was she to do? That damned Eddard Stark had ruined her. She had lost everything to men, her freedom, her birthright, her claim, everything except her children and now the northern prick of a Lord had torn that away from her too! What in Seven hells was she meant to do?! She had no desire to see any one of her children hurt. Even Loreena. She may be Robert's, as Jaime had never failed to point out a thousand times, but she was also hers and Cersei could not bare to slay her own child. But neither could she admit to incest and put the lives of her other children in great peril.

She sat silently in her room, looking out over the red sun setting far over the horizon. Wishing she was elsewhere, wishing that things were like they were before all of this happened. But those were days far in the past and Cersei doubted that she ever see such days again.



Joffrey sat in the dining hall with his entourage and some of his family. He had a smirk plastered on his face as he proudly wore the crown that signified his power over the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. All his life he had been told he was destined to do great things yet had been ridiculed, brought down and held back by his father. But now, he held absolute power and to all those who had mocked him or harmed him in previous years, he would give them the justice that they deserved. There was no one to order him now, not even his own mother had control over him.

He was King of the Seven Kingdoms, ruler over the greatest Kingdom known to man, and the single-most powerful man in all of Westeros. There was nothing he couldn't do. And the first person on his list of people he had to repay was Eddard Stark for his treasonous outburst. He currently rotted within the prison cells, though he would soon meet his end by Joffrey's hand.



Renly walked quickly through the crowded halls of King's Landing, offering smiles where he could and still keeping up his positive façade. But the truth of the matter of the fact was that he was not at all glad to be here, in fact if he had it his way then he wouldn't even be here at the moment. If it hadn't been for Loreena, he most certainly wouldn't have stayed. But now he found himself in the one place where it would be most dangerous to stay. However, he had a duty to his family and he had not one ticket, but two to get out of this bloody city and reach Storm's End.

He approached a young guard that stood outside Loreena's door. "Excuse me, Ser." Renly smiled as he approached. "Have you seen my eldest niece by any chance? I have much desire to speak with her." Renly asked innocently, as though he was oblivious to Ned's words and actions.

"I appreciate your concerns gentlemen," Renly nodded to each of the guards with a very genuine tone and took on an uncharacteristically sober face, why one could actually confuse him for Stannis if he was older, balder and no feelings. But, getting back to the point of the visit, Renly cleared his throat and continued: "And I assure you that my brother's death has hit me just as hard good Sers. Though I do not come for idle chatter, nor do I come to disturb my niece for no good reason. Of course, I would much rather prefer to leave the young princess be, but having read Robert's will he seemed to have left this for his eldest daughter. And in her hour of need, I'm sure she would much appreciate this last gift from her father." Renly said taking out a small object wrapped in fine cloth. Beneath the wrappings was just an old hunting horn of Robert's that Renly had found lying around a while back but he could use it as an excuse and who knows, perhaps Loreena might like it after all?

"Surely, Queen Cersei has nothing against me executing her husband's and my brothers last wish." Renly said innocently. Of course that wasn't his true intention but with acting skills like his own they wouldn't guess. Besides, who would want to go against the King's last words? It'd be bloody rude if they still denied him access.

Stannis sat on his chair, brooding as always. His thumb kept rubbing against his lips as his mind worked at it's orderly pace. Absently he thought at how they said he used to suck his thumb like mad as a babe. He frowned at that. It was cute. He didn't do "cute". He didn't like "cute". Well... there was a cute which he could tolerate. He remembered how his heart melted when he first held his niece, Loreena, in his arms. She was the only niece he found himself to love. Why? Because she was Baratheon, through and through. He black hair and blue eyes shouted to the world of her heritage. She was a woman of the Stormlands, tough, noble, and strong. She would make a good Queen, with him as Hand of course. All he needed was his frivolous little brother to deliver the land forces.

His eyes traveled out the large window to overlook the bay on Dragonstone. Already his large fleet was amassed, ready to sail to the aid of her new Queen. And all would go well if Renly could showup the Tyrells enough for them to lend him the armies of the Reach.

Loreena sat by the window, looking out over the lands. There was nothing she wanted more then to be out there again. Laughing. Calling. Riding. With her father there by her side. She could almost see a group of riders out there. All of them male, except for one female. Between her hands, Loreena held a dead flower. It was the last thing her father had given her.
When she hear her name being called she barely looked up. She wanted to greet him. Say something. But that would mean looking away from the window and she couldn't possibly do that. All she could do was sigh a little.

Stannis' stoic face showed merely a small bit of inflection at his daughter's comment. The threat of a smile tugged at his lips but he quickly suppressed it. He turned to his little girl and shook his head.

"No Shireen. Not yet. Not until your Uncle Renly sends word. But yes, then I will lead them to King's Landing. You won't be going until I come back to get you and your mother."

"Is cousin Loreena well? And the others?" She asked as she approached her father. She had heard talk about the castle of Joffrey, Tommen and Myrcella all being 'abominations' and 'bastards'. Whether they were to be literally translated or if her eldest cousin-- if he even was, had done something inexplicably monstrous. She admitted she had never seen much of her cousins, but from her brief encounters with Joffrey, she wouldn't put it past him.

From the sheer number of ships present and men striding around with purpose, the weapons and armour being transported about the port, the resources being stocked and brought in she could only presume that whatever her father had intended for his visit to King's Landing it was not to exchange pleasantries. There was a war brewing.

---

Renly sat down beside Loreena and placed a comforting hand on her back. She really was the only person who had seen past Robert's faults, though towards the end of his days Renly doubted there was actually very much left of Robert that wasn't a fault and he wondered what it was that she saw in him.
"Would you like to open it? Your father would've wanted you to keep it safe." Renly said in a soft voice, placing the wrapped gift in front of her. He smiled at her as he waited for her to open it.

Loreena looked at him for a long time. He didn't look very much like her father. But he did have the same eyes. The same eyes she saw looking back at her when she looked into a mirror.
Slowly she nodded and put the flower down carefully. As if it was a treasure of unthinkable value. Loreena reached out for the small cloth rapped parcel and unpacked it slowly.
A hunting horn. If it had been given to her by anyone else she would have been disappointed. Her father had given her much prettier ones. But this was different. It had been his hunting horn! That alone made it precious to her.
"Thank you uncle. I am so grateful you risked coming her just for this."

Loreena looked at him. Of course there was something else he wanted. In fact, Loreena had thought, maybe even hoped, someone like Renly would come for her. She didn't want to know about it, but she knew she had to hear what he had to say. Loreena loved her sister and brothers. Even Joffrey. She didn't want to believe that Joffrey would hurt her, but somewhere inside she knew he might.
"Talk."

Loreena felt hos hand on hers. The first physical contact anyone had mafe with her since IT. Not even her mother had been very warm. Loreena didn't really blame her though. Lord Stark had put her in a really bad position.
Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen could not be bastads. It simply couldnt be true.
Loreena had been forcing herself not to think about these awful thing. They were her siblings. She felt like she was ruining their good name by giving these foul words any thought at all. Like she was betraying them in some way. All of them. Her mother as well.
Loreena had never really gotten along with her mother as well as she did with HIM. But that was only because Loreenahad had so much more in commen with her father.
But what if it really was true. They would still be her siblings. Even Joffrey. It didn't mean she had to love them any less, did it?
Oh it was so horrible and disgusting to think about. Uncle Jamie. The handsome uncle who had always looked at her like some distasteful little creature. Loreena had always had the feeling that he only treated her with the littls respect he did because of her father.

Loreena took his hand. "Forgive me uncle, it is unbelievable hard for me to speak of these things. From what you are saying, I take it you believe the things lord Stark has said? "