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[KING'S LANDING - GARDEN]
"Rumors and gossip, that's all they got. It's theatre, nothing more. If they arrested all the pillow biters in King's Landing there'd be no room left in the dungeons for anyone else."
"You're there" Margaery sighed in relief.
"Of course I am. I was not going to leave you alone to fend them all off" Olenna said with a small smile.
Margaery smiled back and squeezed her grandmother's hand.
"Everyone knew about him and Renly."
"Renly Baratheon shagged half the stable boys in the Seven Kingdoms."
"I did not!" Renly exclaimed in outrage.
"My apologies, Lord Renly" Olenna dipped her head. "A quarter of the stable boys."
Renly's face grew red from outrage, while Olenna smiled at him. Robert beside him snorted.
"But he was the king's brother."
"And Loras is the queen's brother. No, no, no, no, this is unacceptable."
"Cersei is behind this."
"Of course she is. She wants to drag our names through the dirt. Put us in our place. Get some rest, dear, you look appalling. Let me deal with Cersei Lannister."
[CERSEI'S ROOM]
[CERSEI writes at her desk without acknowledging OLENNA.]
"Your Grace, I have travelled a long way."
"You must be exhausted."
"Put the pen down, dear, we all know you aren't writing anything."
Margaery snorted.
"Like father like daughter in that regard" the Queen of Thorns hummed. The illusion of being too busy to give a shit about anyone in the room.
"Ah, yes, the famously tart-tongued queen of thorns."
"And the famous tart Queen Cersei."
"Beg your pardon."
"Get on our knees and do it" Arya muttered with a scowl.
"I know you're behind this absurd incarceration of my grandson."
"If you apologize for that comment perhaps-"
"She thinks she's still the one in control" Gendry muttered. Even he could see the shift, and he wasn't too well-versed in politics.
"You'll get your apology when I get Loras."
"I was as shocked as anyone when The Faith arrested Ser Loras. I have no love for these fanatics. But what can the queen mother do?"
"Has the crown suddenly stopped needing the troops, gold, and wheat my house supplies?"
"I assure you our alliance with House Tyrell remains-"
"Not something in your hands now is it, that one" Olenna mused.
"Do you expect the alliance to continue after you've thrown our future into prison?"
"As I said, I didn't imprison anyone. As for your veiled threats-"
"What veil?"
"The Lannister-Tyrell alliance brought peace to a war-torn country. Do you really want to see the Seven Kingdoms slide back into warfare?"
"She underestimates how less of a shit you give about that" Margaery muttered.
"I care about the Seven Kingdoms" Olenna said with mock affront. "I just care more about what my family goes through."
The girl shook her head.
"I didn't trust your father. I didn't particularly like him. But I respected him. He was no fool. He understood that sometimes we must work with our rivals rather than destroy them."
"House Lannister has no rival."
Olenna snorted.
"The High Septon has called for an inquest, not a trial. Just a small hearing to determine whether the charges against Loras have merit, which I'm sure they don't. Loras will be freed, our happy alliance will continue, and we'll forget this unfortunate conversation ever happened. Good day, Lady Olenna."
"I detest that tone" Margaery muttered darkly.
"As do I" Olenna rolled her eyes.
[SEPT OF BAELOR; HIGH SEPTON'S ROOM]
"You are aware of the rumours concerning you and Renly?"
"I don't pay attention to rumours."
"You were said to be despondent when he died. Witnesses said that you refused to leave his bedside, even as Stannis' army closed in"
"He was my friend. He was my king."
"Wasn't Joffrey your king? He was anointed by the 7, not Renly."
"By a Septon that none of you accept" Brandon muttered. "So why consider it at all?"
"He was still anointed, by a corrupt man or otherwise. That still holds value" Catelyn explained.
"I was wrong to support Renly's claim. I know that. But I was forgiven by Joffrey. I fought for him at the Battle of the Blackwater."
"Wearing Renly's armor."
"Why does it matter what I wore?"
"Do you deny all of the charges against you? Fornication, buggery, blasphemy."
"Of course I deny them."
"You never lay with Renly Baratheon."
"Never."
"Nor any other man."
"Never."
"Oh..."
"What?" Margaery turned to Renly.
"That man from the brothels who was beaten up by the Faith Militant."
"He will be a problem" Olenna admitted with a click of her tongue. "I should talk to Loras about who he sleeps around with once we return."
"He won't even know this man" Margaery pointed out.
"He won't be the only brothel man he'd slept with" Olenna explained smoothly.
"That will be all Ser Loras."
[LORAS walks back to his seat.]
"Well, I think that's quite enough of that."
"The Faith calls Queen Margaery forward."
"Me?" Margaery asked in surprise.
"You walked in on Loras and that man once. That old man knows it I'm certain" Olenna frowned.
"I am the queen."
"Now is not the time for you to be flaunting your title around, my dear. I'm certain I have taught you better than this."
Margaery lowered her head and sighed.
"You are. And according to Law of the Seven, neither kings nor queens are exempt from testimony at a holy inquest."
[MARGAERY walks to the stand.]
"Queen Margaery, in the presence of the gods, do you swear that your brother is innocent of these charges against him, to the best of your knowledge?"
"Yes, I swear it."
"Thank you, your grace."
[The Faith brings OLYVAR in. LORAS looks shocked. CERSEI gives a thin smile.]
"That damned Littlefinger. I'm certain he put this man forward to Cersei" Margaery muttered darkly.
"No doubt" Olenna hummed. Well, the inquest was lost.
"Do you know this man?"
"Yes, very well. He is Ser Loras Tyrell, heir to Highgarden."
"How did you come to meet?"
"I squired for him. He took a liking to me. He summoned me to his chamber the first day we met."
"And what occurred in his chamber?"
"We engaged in intimate relations."
"You laid with him?"
"That night and many others."
"Is there anyone else who can support your claim?"
"Yes, yes, Queen Margaery. She walked in on us once not long ago. She didn't seem surprised."
"Two birds, one stone" Olenna mused while her Granddaughter fumed. Not a bad ploy, she would give Cersei that. But no doubt the hit back would be devastating for Cersei, Olenna knew herself well enough to know how her future self would react.
[WINTERFELL; SANSA'S CHAMBER]
[SANSA looks at herself in the mirror. She hears a knock and opens the door. It's MYRANDA. Cut to SANSA in the bath. MYRANDA washes the black dye out of SANSA'S hair.]
"The jealous lover" Oberyn smirked. "Wonder what she'll do."
"Nothing bad. She won't get away with that" Elia muttered.
"Not all bad things can be seen" Oberyn added and Elia sighed.
"You're so beautiful. But if you need to keep him happy. Ramsay gets bored easily. You don't want to end up like... Well, like the others."
"That's what she'll do" Oberyn smirked.
"That's nothing to smirk at" Elia muttered heatedly.
Oberyn rolled his eyes.
"What others?"
"I shouldn't gossip. It's good to see the red again. No point in hiding anymore."
"What others?"
"Let's see. There was Kiera. The blacksmith's daughter. She was tall. Like you. Lovely figure. But she talked and talked and talked and... Ramsay got tired of that. Then there was Violet. She had gorgeous blond hair. But she got pregnant and, well, that was boring."
"I don't think he'll mind you getting pregnant. That's probably all he wants" Arya said.
Sansa looked green at the thought.
"Then Tamsay."
"Tamsay... did he really go for a girl with a similar sounding name as his?" Brandon the Elder asked incredulously.
"The name might not be why he went for her" Ned pointed out.
Brandon snorted. "Fair enough."
"Such a sweet girl. Of course, sweet girls get a bit dull after a while, don't they? Ramsay let me come with him on that hunt."
"Hunt?"
"Mm. Have you ever seen a body after the dogs have been at it? Not so pretty. But it's your wedding day, why am I talking about such things?"
"To get in her head" Robb muttered darkly.
"What was your name again?"
"Myranda."
"And how long have you loved him, Myranda? Did you imagine that he would be with you forever, is that it? Then I came along and ruined it. I am Sansa Stark of Winterfell. This is my home and you can't frighten me."
"Good. Tell her!" Arya cheered, ecstatic to see her sister finally fight back for once and not hide behind someone or the other like a coward.
Not that there was anyone to hide behind anymore.
[THE GODSWOOD]
[SANSA walks to the Godswood with THEON. RAMSAY is waiting alongside his father and with the Bolton men forming an aisle. ROOSE walks forward.]
"Who comes before the Old Gods this night?"
"Sansa of the House Stark comes here to be wed. A woman grown, trueborn and noble. She comes to beg the blessings of the gods. Who comes to claim her?"
[RAMSAY steps forward.]
"Ramsay of House Bolton. Heir to the Dreadfort and Winterfell."
Catelyn let out a soft sob. The day of a wedding is a special day for any woman. She wanted it to be a special day for her daughters...
"Who gives her?"
"Theon of House Greyjoy. Who was... who was her father's ward."
Ned's hands fisted in anger. It was he who was supposed to be there, giving his daughter away.
"Lady Sansa, will you take this man?"
[Long pause. SANSA steps forward.]
"I take this man."
Sansa held back her sob. Her wedding... she had so many dreams about the day, the things she'd do leading up to it, the festivities, everything! Her family would be there with her. Her mother would watch with pride, her father would give her away. Her siblings would be in the front, watching happily, even Arya. She was always there in her fantasies no matter how much the two quarrelled.
Even Jon was there, standing just a row or two behind her family.
So many wishes and plans... all for nought.
None of them were there.
Most of them were gone.
Sansa let out a sob at the last thought.