THE SHROUDED LORD

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King's Landing 300 AC.

Margaery.

After she had left the Throne Room she'd hurried back to her and Jae's room to see her daughter. To take her in her arms and hold her and though she knew she was and would not be in any danger, the relief she felt when she did so was palpable. She then insisted that Barristan and Loras stay on duty and that Ghost not be allowed outside the room until she'd returned from the tourney grounds. Margaery moving over to speak to the white wolf and tell him herself that she needed him to be by Elia's side.

The ride to the tourney grounds had been one she'd spent in silence and upon her arrival, while she'd waved and heard the cheers, she had simply gone through the motions more than anything. She didn't even truly become aware of her surroundings until the herald called out for the trial by combat to take place. From the moment that Harrold Arryn walked out until the moment that Arthur had struck him down, she'd watched the man's face carefully. There was fear and regret followed by pain and surprise and then there was nothing, the man was no more, his life snuffed out as simply as that. It had relaxed her, calmed her and she was most pleased that Arthur had taken her words to heart and done so quickly and without preamble.

She wished him gone from this world, to cease to exist and for it to be done with as little fanfare and delay as possible. Her grandmother would have seen him suffer more and she feared to think what Jae would have done to him where he here. Though she imagined it would have been either instant in the Throne Room when what he'd done had been spoken of or her husband would have faced him himself and drawn it out for the longest possible time. Margaery though simply wished him gone and once he was she found that small worry that had formed at the pit of her stomach now faded away.

"Who have we put our coin on today, Joy?" she asked as Harrold's body was carried away and they began to make ready for the melee.

"Arryk will win, your grace." Joy answered back more formally than she would normally but there were some seats between them and her voice would carry which meant formality was necessary and Margaery began to see why Jae hated it so.

"We'll see if your right." she said back to the girl with a smirk, knowing that if she said it then she probably was and noticing the pleased look on Brienne's face that Joy had picked her kinsman to win.

It turned out she was right, Arryk fought almost like Ser Walder did and while it pleased her to see the man win, she found herself thinking more on the man who'd saved her husband's life than on the one who'd taken his place in the Kingsguard and on the field. Arryk wasn't the only one to stand out, Cregan, Dacey, Thoros of Myr, all had made it to the last four and she could see that Gerion and Ashara both looked on proudly, as did Jaime.

She was happy enough that the day was done or her part in it at least was. There would be preliminary jousts and she would have no need to be here for those. The actual joust itself was not to begin until the morrow and so as soon as she was able, she nodded to her grandmother and to Arthur and they made their way back to the Red Keep. Again once she reached it, she hurried to her and Jae's rooms and though she was asleep, Margaery spent the next couple of hours just watching her daughter as she lay in her crib.

Eventually, she knew she needed to work and so after leaning down to kiss Elia's cheek, she made her way to her solar and sent for Lord Yohn Royce and Lady Anya Waynwood. The Warden of the East didn't keep her waiting for long and Margaery wondered if the man expected her to call or was he simply that dutiful. Lord Yohn actually arrived before both Jaime and her grandmother and she was pleased when the man accepted tea, and when her grandmother and Jaime then arrived before it did. Both of them took their seats and Margaery readied to tell the Lord what was to happen with the Eyrie.

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