9

Arc 1: Clash of Kings

299 AC

oOo

Storm's End, with Percy…

As the sun slowly peeked over the horizon, Percy roused from his slumber. For whatever reason he always seemed to wake up at sunrise, regardless if he wanted to continue sleeping or not, which he most certainly did. Unfortunately he knew that he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep no matter how long he laid in bed.

Light snoring caught his attention and he glanced down to see a sleeping Daenerys who was currently using his chest as a pillow. His heart warmed at how peaceful she looked. Her expression was in sharp contrast to her previous mood the night before.

While Percy had expected Daenerys to react to the letter badly, he didn't think that she would automatically seek him out for comfort. A part of him hated himself for bringing her to tears but the colder part of him revelled at how well his plan had gone.

Although now that his mind was no longer fogged by jealousy he realized that his plan had been very brazen, almost to the point of it being plain stupid. But now wasn't the time to think back on what he should have done. The past was the past and it all worked in the end anyway so he would take his victory and move forward.

Careful not to wake his slumbering aunt, Percy slowly inched his way from out under Daenerys, replacing himself with a large pillow along the way. He then got up to begin putting on some clothes.

"You're leaving." Percy froze midway through putting on his shirt.

He turned to see a dreary eyed but awake Daenerys staring at him with a forlorn look. "We're going to Highgarden soon. I have to make sure everyone knows what they're doing while we're gone." He told her.

"Oh… alright." Daenerys said quietly, her gaze lowering.

Now Percy was never the sharpest tool in the shed when it came to interpreting the feelings of a girl, but even he could tell that Daenerys obviously wanted him to stay with her. It seemed she wouldn't be getting over Tristan as quickly as he had hoped.

Percy began shedding his clothes back down to his trousers. "I thought you were leaving?" Daenerys looked at him in surprise.

"I changed my mind. I'm sure everyone would rather sleep in for once anyway." While they didn't outright say anything about it, he was positive Jon and the others were annoyed at him for always waking them up at the crack of dawn.

"Now are you gonna make room or would your highness prefer I lay on the floor?" Percy said sarcastically.

Quickly getting over her shock, a mischievous smile formed on Daenerys's lips. "I don't know. Do you believe yourself worthy enough to lay on the same bed as a princess?" She joked.

Percy raised an amused eyebrow. "Considering the fact that this is my bed, I think I have the right to lay on it." He said dryly.

"Then consider yourself conquered. I now claim this bed as my own." Daenerys said, feigning haughtiness.

"Oh? Someone sure is brave this morning. Her highness must have developed an immunity to tickling." A wicked smile twisted Percy's lips.

Daenerys turned paler than a ghost. "Perseus, don't you dare-!" She didn't have the luxury of finishing her sentence as Percy had already pounced on top of her to begin ruthlessly tickling her.

"Okay, I'm sorry! You can lay down. Just stop, please!" Daenerys pleaded through pained laughter as she was forced to squirm and writhe around.

After a few more moments of torturous tickling, Percy decided to show mercy. He grabbed a hold of her wrists and pinned them above her head. "Does this mean her highness surrenders?" Percy grinned down at the out of breath girl.

Daenerys's face went deep red from embarrassment, but she didn't give up yet. She squirmed underneath him but with her arms firmly pinned and her legs restrained all of her efforts were in vain.

After awhile, she finally gave up. "...I surrender." Percy felt oddly aroused by the shy look Daenerys made when she said those words.

And her attire didn't make him desire her any less. The clothing Daenerys wore was something straight out of Aphrodite's collection. It was too short to be considered a nightgown yet too long to be considered a proper shirt. He would have to speak with Harry about any future clothes the man might purchase for Daenerys. While he definitely didn't mind the view, she might be mistaken for a worker at a Lyseni pillow house at this rate.

As he laid back down, Daenerys reclaimed his chest for her pillow. They laid in silence for a long time, but Percy could tell that something was troubling her.

"We can talk about it if you want." Percy offered.

They hadn't gotten the chance to talk about what happened the night before since Daenerys had cried herself to sleep.

"Talking about it won't change anything." Daenerys muttered a reply.

"That's true, but it might make you feel better." Percy said.

"There's nothing to talk about. Everything Tristan said about me is right." Daenerys says glumly.

"You shouldn't let words get to you." Percy tells her.

"But it's the truth! All I've done since we came to Westeros is cause trouble. You were better off leaving me in Essos." Daenerys's words were starting to make him regret ever writing that letter. He had meant to make her a stronger person, not cripple her self-esteem.

"You and Viserys are the reason I'm even in Westeros." Percy reminds her.

"And you and Viserys are the only ones who have actually done anything worth mentioning." Daenerys grumbled back.

"Why do you care so much about what other people think about you?" Percy sighed.

"Because I'm not my father!" Daenerys sat up angrily, "Everyone whispered behind his back about how poor of a king he was, but he either ignored them or executed them. I don't want to be like him."

There it was, the crux of the matter. Before she had been told the truth, Daenerys had idolized Aerys and considered him to have been a worthy king who was simply betrayed by the usurper, Robert Baratheon. The tales of Aerys the Mad evidently affected her more than Percy had first thought.

Sniffling caught Percy's attention and he noticed that Daenerys had begun crying. He quickly sat up to bring her into a warm embrace.

As Daenerys sobbed into his chest, he simply held her in his arms. No words were said from Percy, partially because of guilt but mainly because he didn't know what to say. The number of times he had been used as a shoulder to cry on wasn't very numerous. So he had no choice but to wait for Daenerys to calm down.

Eventually Daenerys's soft cries ceased, but she remained in his arms. "He said I was different, that I was special." She murmured.

He didn't have to ask to know who she was talking about. "People say a lot of things, Dany. You can never really know if they mean it or not." Percy says.

"Well now I know that he only thought of me as another one of his conquests. Is sex all men think about?" Daenerys said, exasperated.

"Not everyone is like Tristan. There are a few who understand what it means to love someone unconditionally." Percy tells her.

Daenerys scoffed but didn't rebuke his point. "Perseus, can you promise me something?" She suddenly asked him.

"What is it?" Percy inquired.

"I know we're in desperate need of allies right now." Daenerys looked up at him with a pleading look, "But please don't marry me off to some lord who couldn't give a shit about me. I don't want to marry a stranger."

Where was this coming from? The prospect of marrying Daenerys off had not crossed Percy's mind even once. Just the mere thought of him giving her away to some beady eyed old man almost made him laugh. And if anyone had proposed such an idea to him he would have called them out on their apparent stupidity and quickly sent them on their way.

Daenerys must have been under the notion that if Percy could marry off Viserys, then she too could be married off. But the two situations were like night and day to him. Viserys was a grown man who knew what he wanted. And if Margaery was truly as beautiful as people say then he would have found a way to get her into his bed, with or without a betrothal. At least now with Percy's plan they would be able to get an ally out of it.

"Don't worry, you're not going anywhere." Percy promised her.

"Thank you. I know I'll have to marry eventually, but I at least want to be the one to decide." Daenerys says.

"I have no problem with that. But let's try and stay away from boys with sweet tongues shall we?" Percy said humorously.

Daenerys hit his chest. "Asshole." She grumbled halfheartedly.

"Ah ah ah. I want to hear you say it." Percy said, gaining a glare in response.

"Cmon, say it." Percy grinned deviously, "I won't marry you off if you do."

Daenerys sighed but relented. "I promise to stay away from 'boys with sweet tongues'." She drawled.

"That's the spirit!" Percy beamed.

"Besides, dealing with one idiot is enough for me." Daenerys adds.

"Yeah, Viserys is a lot to handle." Percy nodded in agreement.

"I'm talking about you, flame brain." Daenerys shot dryly.

Percy clutched his chest tightly and fell to his back. "Agh!" He grunted in pain.

Daenerys looked at him in panic. "What's wrong!" She exclaimed, her face twisted in concern.

"Your words were like poison! I don't think I have much time left. You'll have to conquer Westeros without me!" Percy croaked out before fainting dramatically.

"You're such an idiot." Daenerys sighed in exasperation even as her lips quirked upward.

Percy opened his eyes with a grin. "Admit it, I almost had you there." He chuckled.

Daenerys rolled her eyes, choosing not to reply before laying down on his chest. Percy responded by wrapping an arm around her. Time passed in content as they laid next to each other.

"Thank you, Perseus." Daenerys said suddenly.

"For what?" Percy asks.

"For always being there for me." She looked at him with a gentle smile.

"I'd be a pretty shitty nephew if I didn't care about my own aunt. I'm just glad you came to me instead of Viserys." Percy said blandly, drawing out a laugh from Daenerys.

Viserys wasn't usually one for comforting words. His idea of showing comfort was gifting the best quality whores and lots of wine.

"So have you figured out what you'll do about the other houses after the war is over?" Daenerys asks him.

"We have to win the war first." Percy pointed out.

"We will. With you leading us, there's no doubt it in my mind." Percy fought back the urge to flush at Daenerys's apparent faith in him, and by the knowing smile on her face, he failed miserably.

She posed a fair question, one he had thought about in length. Even if-no, when Percy claimed the Iron Throne, the wheel that symbolized the noble houses of Westeros would continue to turn.

For now, the Baratheon's (if the whispers about the illegitimacy of King Robert's children were true then House Lannister was the true ruling house) claimed the top position in Westeros's feudalistic system. Even if Percy deposed them, it wouldn't be long before some other house rose to challenge him. He needed to find a way to strip away the power the other houses had over Westeros without just slaughtering all of them and starting from scratch.

Obviously such a task was easier said than done. Percy didn't currently have a solution but he would eventually come up with one. He always did.

"I'll think of something after the war is over." Percy finally replied, "But I can't promise that none of them won't die. The houses will fight back against anything that threatens their power. That's just the truth."

"Then can I ask you a favor?" Daenerys sat up with an excited look.

"Uh, sure?" Percy said unsurely, her newfound enthusiasm was instinctively making him nervous.

"Teach me how to fight." Daenerys stated.

…

…

…

"Heh?" Percy was beyond baffled.

"I'm tired of hiding behind you and Viserys. I want to be helpful for once. I want to learn how to fight." Daenerys said firmly.

"You don't need to know how to fight to be helpful. Just let me and Viserys do the fighting." Percy says.

Daenerys shook her head. "I haven't done a single thing but worry. If I learn how to fight then I'll be able to stay by your side." She expressed.

"Dany, I'll be fine. There's no one in Westeros that can touch me, let alone kill me. I even survived being poisoned for gods sake!" He didn't mention that if R'hllor hadn't stopped him from digesting more of the poisonous wine then he would have died.

"I don't care! I want to learn how to fight. And if you won't teach me, then...then I'll just ask Viserys." Daenerys nodded to herself.

"Viserys wouldn't teach you, even if I wanted him to." Percy tells her.

"Then I'll ask Jon or Grey Worm. Hells, I'll even ask Ser Harry if I have to!" Daenerys crossed her arms stubbornly.

This girl was making his hair turn white quicker than holding up the sky did. Why couldn't she just take up a hobby that most girls her age liked to do? Like sewing or gossiping about boys. Well, maybe not the latter.

"Look, now isn't the best time. I can't properly teach you right now. We should talk about this after the war." Percy stressed.

Daenerys looked at him with narrowed eyes before she held her small finger out to him. "Then pinky promise." She smirked.

Damn, she was getting smarter.

"Aren't you getting too old for stuff like that!" Percy ran an irritated hand through his hair.

"Says the one who tried to tickle me to death." Daenerys shot back.

Percy growled in frustration but nonetheless connected fingers with her. "Pinky promised." He grumbled.

Daenerys beamed in triumph. "Yes! I can't wait to tell Missandei." She said excitedly.

"I didn't agree to teach you yet." Percy reminded her.

Daenerys put on a smug smile. "Meh, you will. You can't say no to me." She boasted before she crawled off the bed.

He tried his best not to ogle her as she walked away, but nearly half of her pert ass was exposed. A challenge that would make even a eunuch fold. "I definitely have to have a talk with Harry." Percy muttered.

Percy quickly averted his eyes when Daenerys looked back over her shoulder. "Stop talking to yourself and come put those powers of yours to good use." She said imperiously before walking into the connecting bathing room.

"What am I, a water heater?" He grumbled as he got out of bed.

At least it looked like Daenerys was getting over Tristan. Unfortunately for Percy, he couldn't tell if her new focus was better or worse.

oOo

Flashback to the Battle of Storm's End, with Brienne of Tarth…

Even before the earth began to tremor, Brienne knew something was amiss. Then the war horns sounded, cementing her suspicions.

"We're under attack!"

"Enemy forces coming from the rear!"

"How the hells did they get behind us!"

Nothing was more sobering than the sounds of an upcoming battle. And usually she would be filled with anticipation at the sight of an opposing force. But when Brienne shot to her feet and looked southward, a sense of dread overwhelmed her. Because all she saw was death, swathed in gold plated armor, carrying red on black banners of a three-headed dragon and riding monstrous behemoths that towered over everything.

Needless to say, the situation didn't look very good for them. Most of their men were either asleep or drunk. But it wasn't completely hopeless. If the rear of the camp could hold off the enemy long enough for everyone to rally they might have a better chance at winning.

"For fucks sake, enemy forces approaching from the front!"

And just like that, the final strand of hope snapped. Even if Brienne fought with all of her heart and soul there would be no victory. She only had two options. Go to her king and die at his side or escape the battle before it could truly begin. Many of the men around her had chosen to do the latter, but Brienne was no coward. She would fight until her last breath.

"Are we under attack!" Brienne turned to see the hastily dressed Lady Catelyn Stark looking around with wild eyes.

Brienne nodded. "The Targaryens have flanked us. I know not how." She said grimly.

Catelyn absorbed that information with a look of shock. "Can we win?" A deep scowl marred Brienne's face but she truthfully shook her head.

"Then you must help me escape!" Catelyn says frantically.

"I can't do that. I swore an oath that I would protect King Renly with my life." Brienne says sternly, "I wouldn't worry too much, Lady Stark. You're a highborn, they won't harm you."

"You saw what those Targaryens are capable of. They don't care about lowborn or highborn. To them, we're all just tinder for their flames!" Lady Stark's eyes shined with blatant fear.

Brienne couldn't help but agree with the woman. If their leader, Perseus, was anything to go by then the Targaryens would be more likely to kill her just to spite her eldest son, Robb, the self proclaimed King of the North. But regardless, she swore an oath and she would never go back on her word.

"Did Renly not order you to protect me? If I die here, you would be going against his orders." Catelyn's words made Brienne scowl because there was truth to them.

Would Renly really expect her to follow his previous orders in the current situation they were in? What was she saying, of course he would. Renly wasn't as cold hearted as his older brother, Stannis. If he wanted someone to be protected then he would make sure they remained so, even if it meant exposing himself.

After another long moment, Brienne finally decided what she would do. "I'll give you safe passage to the nearest town. But after that, you'll be on your own." She told Catelyn.

"Thank you, I-" Lady Stark suddenly paused, her eyes flickered behind Brienne before widening in alarm.

Brienne drew her sword and whipped around just in time to see three nearly identical looking men approaching them. Their golden armor was already stained with blood and wicked smiles adorned their scarred faces.

Lady Stark's tent was located on the outskirts of the camp so there weren't many allies around. And the ones that were, had battles of their own to worry about. This was a fight Brienne would need to do alone. Her skills were proven in her duel with Ser Loras, she had no doubt that she could defeat any normal man in battle. But going up against three men at the same time would be difficult even for someone as skilled as Ser Loras.

The men approached with predatory looks. "It must be our lucky day. Two women, all by their lonesome." The first man smiled.

"Perhaps they could give us some fun later." The second grinned.

"The ugly bitch can die. But the other one, oh yes. She looks delicious." The third one leered at Lady Stark.

"You will find nothing but death here." Brienne promised them.

They began laughing. "You hear that, brother's! Apparently there's nothing but death over here." The second brother cackled.

"I don't see no death. I just see our next fuck and a soon to be dead bitch!" The third brother said wickedly.

Brienne took a stance and brandished her sword, "Please stay behind me, Lady Stark." She told the woman who nodded in understanding.

The sellswords blinked at her words. "This bitch is a Stark? Ha! Looks like we've hit gold boys!" The first brother laughed maniacally.

"I've never fucked a highborn before." The third brother practically drooled.

"Hey, wait a minute. If she's a highborn then we can't touch her. She'll be used for ransom." The second brother pointed out.

The third brother clicked his tongue. "I doubt King Perseus would care if we had a little fun with her before that." He said.

"Do you want your eyes burnt from your fucking skull? We're taking her to the king." The first brother said with finality making the third brother smack his teeth in annoyance.

Brienne brandished her sword as the brother's began to carefully approach. "All three of you wish to fight a single woman. Can you even call yourselves a man?" Lady Stark commented angrily.

The first brother scoffed. "Do you take us for fools? By the looks of her armor, this one is a member of Renly's guard. She's definitely more skilled than us." He admitted.

"But skill won't matter if we fight you at the same time." The second brother grinned as he readied his sword.

"Enough talk!" Suddenly, the third brother sprung forth and swiped at Brienne with his sword.

With ease, Brienne batted away the man's sword and retaliated with a quick slash. The third brother quickly jumped away from the blade. A glint of metal made Brienne bring her sword up, just in time to block a slash from the first brother. Brienne pushed back against the first brother and charged forward to deliver an overhead strike, only for her move to be cut short due to the second brother coming at her from her side.

Brienne clicked her teeth in annoyance as she was forced to give up her strike in order to avoid the second brother's sword. "Do any of you have honor?" She sneered at the advancing trio.

"Honor won't stop a blade, you dumb bitch!" The third brother laughed madly before charging forward.

Their fight quickly recommenced but it didn't take long for Brienne to realize that her fears had been correct. She had ruthlessly trained her entire life to be better than the men around her. Her swordsmanship was far better than any third-rate sellsword. But all of this meant nothing when she was up against multiple people who had no doubt gone through countless life or death battles side by side.

Every time she regained her footing and started to push one brother back, another would strike at her from her side. But while she was unable to wound any of her opponents they hadn't landed a significant blow on her either. The victor of this fight would be decided by endurance. And unfortunately for Brienne, she was tiring far quicker than the three brother's. She needed to find a way to break the brother's synergy, only then would she be able to turn the tide of the fight.

Her strategy made, Breinne clashed blades with the second brother before spinning around to engage the first. The plan was simple, all she needed to do was seriously wound or kill one of the brother's before the others could react. But in order for her to do that, one of the brother's had to let their guard down.

Brienne traded slashes with the first brother meanwhile making sure the other two brother's stayed in her view. Time seemed to gradually slow down as she waited for one of the brother's to blindside her. This would be her only chance to gain the upper hand and she needed to make it count.

A glint of steel from the corner of her eye alerted her to danger and without looking away from the first brother, she stepped back to avoid a vicious stab. By the time the sword she had avoided was in front of her, Brienne's sword arm was already set in the motion of an upward slash.

"Argh!" The third brother's pained screams could be heard clearly even over the sounds of the surrounding battle.

A freshly cut arm fell to the ground with a thud, it's hand still clutching a sword. Shock was evident on the other brother's faces as they gaped at their brother's dismembered arm. Even Lady Stark looked surprised at what just occurred. The only one who wasn't either screaming in pain or frozen in shock was Breinne. And she took full advantage of this.

Before anyone could react, Breinne thrusted her sword forward with all her strength. Targeting the weak point in the third brother's chestplate, her blade easily pierced through the man's midsection, effectively silencing his screams.

"You bitch!" The first brother howled in fury at the death of his brother.

The first and second brother both charged forward like raging bulls. Brienne was barely able to match their enraged strikes. Even though one of her opponents was now dead, she still had to deal with two more. And they were not allowing her to have even a moment of rest.

Brienne quickly jerked her head to the side, and the sword that was meant to remove her head from her shoulders was just narrowly avoided. The shallow cut on her cheek served as a reminder of how close she had been to death.

With a roar, Brienne bashed her fist into the first brother's face. A satisfying crunch noise came from the collision and the brother was sent scrambling back. In order to allow his brother time to regain his bearings, the second brother stepped forward to attack her. But this was exactly what Brienne had been hoping for.

Spinning around to block the strike, Brienne twisted her blade, swiftly disarming the second brother of his sword. He only had the time to gasp in surprise before he was decapitated. The second brother's head rolled onto the ground, his eyes forever frozen in shock.

A sharp pain suddenly erupted in Brienne's back and she looked over her shoulder to see the bloodied face of the first brother as he dug his blade further into her back.

Brienne delivered a hard elbow to the man's face that made him stumble back once again. She grunted as the man's blade slid out of her, leaving behind a very deep and bloody wound.

She tried to raise her sword and advance but there was simply no energy left in her. The battle around her was still raging, and by the looks of it, Renly's forces were not on the winning side. She wouldn't be receiving any help.

"I'm gonna enjoy killing you." The last surviving brother sneered as he stalked forward.

The possibilities of her winning were at zero. With every slight movement her wound opened up even more and brought her closer to death. It seemed this would be the end for Brienne. But even so, she would die a death worthy of that of a knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

Brienne used up the remainder of her strength to bring up her sword as she readied herself for her final fight. She would die on her feet with her sword in hand.

The brother stepped forward cautiously, he obviously believed she still had something up her sleeve. Such wariness was unnecessary though since Brienne could barely keep herself conscious at the moment.

Eventually the brother realized this and finally approached her. "When you get to the afterlife, let my brother's know who sent you." He growled before bringing up his sword in preparation for the final blow.

But just when the brother was about to bring down his blade, a sword suddenly pierced through the back of his chest. "Go to hell and tell them yourself." Lady Stark said coldly before ripping the blade out of him. He was dead before he hit the ground.

Her opponents all dead, Brienne's body finally collapsed onto the floor. She was able to faintly hear the concerned voice of Lady Stark but it was getting more and more distant. She could feel the warmth leaving her body. It seemed she really was going to die.

But there was nothing wrong with that, she had fulfilled her oath to her king. As someone who spent her entire life training relentlessly to be the knight her father had hoped for, this was the best ending she could have dreamed of. She only wished that she could have led Lady Stark to safety.

And with that, Brienne of Tarth closed her eyes.

oOo

Roughly a week later, The Reach, along the Roseroad with Daenerys…

Of all the regions of Westeros, the Reach was said to be the most beautiful. As Daenerys sat at the window of her carriage, in awe at the greenery around her, she couldn't help but agree.

They had been traveling to Highgarden for a week or so now. The trip would usually have been quicker seeing as how Storm's End wasn't that far from Highgarden but Perseus decided to bring along a few dozen Unsullied as a deterrent to any of the many bandit groups that currently plagued the Seven Kingdoms. Or at least that was his excuse. Daenerys knew that he just wanted to make sure that she would be better protected.

Her nephew's overprotective nature was as annoying as it was endearing. It comforted her to know that someone cared so much about her, but it also made her feel like a delicate trophy. This was one of the main reasons why she had asked Perseus to teach her how to fight.

"Is something wrong, my lady?" Missandei asked from her seat on the other side of the carriage.

Daenerys shook her head. "I'm fine." She gave the girl a small reassuring smile.

"Are you still upset about what happened? I wanted to comfort you, but I couldn't find you after you ran away." Missandei apologized.

"I needed to clear my mind, so I slept with Perseus. Don't worry, Missandei. I'm feeling better now." Daenerys told her before the sight of a pair of foxes playing in the distance drew her attention.

The Reach was a lot more lively than the Stormlands. Daenerys truly hoped they would be able to form an alliance with House Tyrell. She would much rather stay in these lands than the dreary lands of the Storm Lord's.

"Did it hurt?" Missandei suddenly asked her.

Daenerys blinked at the question that failed to register in her head. "Did what hurt?" She gave the girl a confused look.

"I read in a book that Targaryens were more… blessed than other men. So I assume his majesty must be quite big." Missandei said bluntly.

…

"Did it feel good at least? Did it feel like you were mating with a dragon? Hmm, now that I think about it, you did seem to walk weirdly that morning." Missandei continued, "Is it really that big? I bet you felt it all the way in your stomach!"

As the girl's words became more and more obscene, Daenerys's face became redder and redder. She hadn't been thinking about what may be implied when she said that she had slept with Perseus. But any sane person would know that they hadn't done anything. And just what kind of scandalous books had Missandei been reading that spoke about the sizes of her house!

A snicker brought Daenerys out of her wild thoughts and she looked to see Missandei stifling her laughs with a hand. "You did that on purpose!" Daenerys accused.

"I've never seen you so red before, my lady. You looked like a tomato." Missandei giggled at Daenerys's embarrassment.

"...d-did you really read that from somewhere?" Daenerys quietly asked.

Missandei blinked at her. "Of course not. Why, is it true?" She asked excitedly.

"How would I know?" Daenerys says awkwardly.

"Haven't you taken baths with his majesty before?" Missandei inquired.

"It's not like I paid any attention to Perseus's…thing whenever we did." Daenerys tells her.

"Well I don't not know about a Targaryens size but I did read that the average size is around six inches. So maybe… this big." Missandei demonstrated by holding up her hands and separating her palms until it represented the right length.

Daenerys's eyes widened. "That's average!" She hadn't lost her virginity nor had she done any exploring, but the length Missandei was showcasing was surely too much for any lady to handle.

"I think so. I don't have any way to confirm it." Missandei says before her eyes lit up, "Next time you're with his majesty, you should measure his!"

Daenerys balked at that suggestion. "Are you mad! How would I even begin to explain myself in a situation like that?" She exclaimed.

Missandei shrugged. "Just tell him you're curious." An image of her holding a measuring stick in front of a confused and naked Perseus flashed through her mind.

"Let's just stop talking about this." Daenerys said quickly.

While she was glad at Missandei for lightening her mood. She would rather not spend the end of their long journey talking about her nephew's genitals.

"Convoy ahead!" Someone yelled.

Daenerys peered out of the window and immediately noted a small group of soldiers on horseback making their way toward them. After the incoming riders got within a few feet of their convoy, three of them dismounted and walked to meet Perseus, Viserys and Jon who rode at the front.

"Let's see what they want." Daenerys said to Missandei.

"But what if they're enemies, my lady?" Missandei said nervously.

"They won't be able to harm us." Daenerys says uncaringly before leaving the carriage.

The newcomers didn't seem to bear any ill intention toward them as they had yet to draw their swords and didn't look like they intended to do so anytime soon. Besides, Perseus, Viserys and Jon would be with her. She couldn't say much in regards to the aging knight, but a group of three wouldn't be able to best Perseus or Viserys, let alone both of them.

As Daenerys, followed closely by Missandei, neared the conversing group of men she noted the middle-aged man who seemed to be the leader of the group. He sported bronze thorn-themed armor and had long wavy brown hair paired with a neatly combed beard.

The man reminded her of an older version of Ser Loras. But something instinctively told her that this man was much more dangerous than the Flower Knight. He had the same kind of oppressive aura as Perseus. An aura that made her feel as if a life could easily be ended within a few short seconds of him drawing his sword.

Perseus turned and greeted her with an easygoing smile that made her relax. It seemed that the man in front of them wasn't an enemy. She silently joined her nephew's side and began listening to the current exchange between the man and Viserys.

"Ser Garlan, was it? It seems House Tyrell has plenty of spare heirs to go around. No wonder they allowed Ser Loras to play knight with Renly." Viserys said with his usual flare of confidence.

"I am not a spare." Ser Garlan said calmly, though Daenerys could tell the man was already getting annoyed with Viserys, "I had hoped to see my brother arrive with you all."

"It would be pretty stupid to bring our bargaining chip with us." Perseus said simply.

"And yet all Targaryens are accounted for, even the young princess." Ser Garlan's gaze momentarily flickered to Daenerys, "My family may have invited you into our home but do you really not fear for your safety?"

The air grew tense. An idle threat was still a threat after all. "You were the ones who invited us and I believe the Reach values honor above all else. Or are we wrong in our assumption?" Daenerys questioned archly.

Ser Garlan frowned but didn't rebuke her statement. "I hope the deal you mentioned in your letter is worthwhile." He said to Perseus.

"I guess we'll find out." Perseus replied easily.

"Then let's not waste anymore time. I'll lead you to Highgarden." Ser Garlan said gruffly before turning to go back to join his men.

On her way back toward the carriage, Daenerys was suddenly swooped off of her feet. She furiously searched to reprimand the person who was brave enough to touch her, only to see the grinning face of Perseus.

"What do you think you're doing?" Daenerys huffed halfheartedly.

Perseus walked over to his horse and easily lifted her up to sit sideways on the beast. "You're riding with me the rest of the way." He mounted the horse, his arms going around her as he took control of the reins.

This wasn't the first time Daenerys had rode with Perseus but this was definitely the first time she sat at the front while her nephew took the rear. It was an odd situation for her, and the fact that she was wearing a dress made it worse since she had to lean onto Perseus for support.

"Missandei will be lonely if I don't ride with her." Daenerys protested weakly.

"She doesn't look very lonely to me." Perseus gestured to where Missandei sat in the carriage, happily conversing with Viserys from the side window.

"That traitor!" Daenerys gasped, eliciting a chuckle from Perseus.

"Am I really that bad to ride with? You never had a problem with it before." Perseus says.

"It's not that. It's just… I was always behind you when we rode together." Daenerys mumbled.

What would people think if they saw them riding together like this? The only reason for a lady to ride in front of a man was if they were betrothed or already married. And she and Perseus were neither.

Perseus was silent for a moment, obviously registering her words. "What difference does it make?" She didn't know if he was playing dumb or if he was truly that clueless.

Daenerys looked at Perseus with narrowed eyes prompting him to meet her scrutinizing gaze. There was not a hint of mischief in his eyes. Was she really the only one who noticed the predicament they were in?

Although now that she was looking at him so closely, she couldn't help but take note of Perseus's looks. A mane of silver streaked with black flowed in the wind, showing off his strong and sharp features. Shs could also make out the flecks of sea-green in his dark purple eyes that glittered like gemstones in a cave.

Unlike Ser Loras who looked like a charming knight in a fairy tale, Perseus's roguish looks were more akin to a mysterious outlaw. If Daenerys were being honest, she was more captivated by the latter.

It was shocking to realize just how handsome her nephew had gotten. Or perhaps he had always been good looking and she just never cared to notice before. But if that was the case, then why was she noticing his looks now?

"Is there something on my face?" Perseus's voice brought her out of her trancelike state and she noticed that he was looking at her with a raised brow.

Daenerys desperately fought off a blush. "No, I was just thinking about something!" She quickly looked ahead.

She was overthinking everything today. It should be obvious that Perseus wouldn't sit behind her on purpose. And for whatever reason, she didn't mind it so much anymore.

They eventually reached their destination and when they did there was only one word to describe the view in front of them. "Damn." Perseus stated.

Damn indeed. Perched on a broad and lush hill, was a towering white castle surrounded by three rings of curtain walls with each wall, starting from the outermost wall, being bigger than the last. Tall and slender towers equipped with armaments fortified each of the walls. And everywhere Daenerys looked, she could see gardens with a wide variety of flowers from roses to peonies. Highgarden was by far the most beautiful and grand castle she had ever seen.

"This place is alright, I guess." Viserys commented nonchalantly but Daenerys knew even her brother was impressed.

"You have a beautiful home, Ser Garlan." Daenerys told the knight, who rode beside them.

"Thank you, princess. I haven't been home in quite some time, so it's nice to see everything looking the same." Ser Garlan said, seemingly reminiscing about the castle, "I must inform you that only a few of your men may enter through the inner gates. The rest will have to stay in the outer sections of the castle. I'll give them food and housing or whatever else they may require."

"Jon, I'll leave the men to you. You can join us after they're taken care of." Perseus told the old knight who looked reluctant to leave his king's side but nodded and dutifully set about with Ser Garlan's men after leaving half a dozen or so Unsullied with them.

They immediately drew the attention of many as they rode through the streets of Highgarden. Men, women and children all stopped to stare at Daenerys and her family. The youths looked intrigued as this was most likely their first time ever seeing a Targaryen, while the older folk looked at them with a surprising amount of reverence.

"These people don't seem to hate us. Why is that, Ser Garlan?" Daenerys asks curiously.

"The Reach was one of the kingdoms that truly flourished under the reign of your father, King Aerys. So you will find that many Reachmen view your family as the rightful monarchs." Ser Garlan explained.

This was certainly surprising to Daenerys. She had heard of the Targaryen loyalists that supposedly lingered in the Seven Kingdoms but thought little of them since they hadn't lifted a finger to help her or her family.

"You said before that you don't live in Highgarden. Is there a reason you chose to stay away from a place like this?" Perseus asked the man.

"I reside at Cider Hall. It allows me to tend to my wife's needs while focusing on my swordsmanship." Ser Garlan replied.

"The brother of the Knight of Flowers must be quite skilled. Care for a spar, Ser Garlan?" Viserys grinned in challenge.

"Perhaps another time. My family is waiting on your arrival." Ser Garlan told him.

Once they passed the innermost gate and reached the end of the road that acted as the path to the forefront of the castle, they were greeted by a group of richly dressed people.

As they dismounted and approached, Daenerys absently noted a sly looking dark haired man leaving through the entrance of the castle. The man seemed to be someone important, based on his noble attire and the fact that he had access to the home of the Tyrell's.

When the man saw them his eyes widened before he quickly hurried past them. It was an odd reaction but there was little reason to think about it any further.

A short and stout man alongside a tall, white haired woman stepped forward with a goofy but welcoming smile. "This humble lord welcomes House Targaryen to Highgarden, the magnificent abode of House Tyrell. May the dragon and the rose yet again reside and feast together in the same hall!" He proclaimed loudly.

Silence stretched on for a moment after that dramatic introduction. Daenerys shared an awkward look with Perseus while Viserys looked at the man as if he had grown an extra head.

"Mace, stop talking. You're embarrassing the family." An old lady said bluntly.

"Yes, mother." The oafish man instantly wilted.

The old lady approached them with the help of a very beautiful brown haired girl, who was most likely the famous daughter of House Tyrell. "You look like you want to drown yourself in ale. You must be Rhaegar's son." The old woman gave Perseus a once over.

Perseus blinked, looking entirely unsure how to respond to her comment. "That makes you two the children of Aerys." The old lady continued on to Daenerys and Viserys.

Since Perseus still seemed to be shocked at the woman's words and Viserys seemed to be unable to take his eyes off of the Tyrell daughter, Daenerys took the initiative. "I'm Daenerys Targaryen. It's nice to meet you..." She trailed off.

The old woman's apathetic eyes flickered over to Daenerys. "Just call me Olenna. I'm too old to care for titles." She said.

Her family finally recovered their wits. "I'm Perseus Targaryen." Perseus greeted casually.

Viserys stepped toward the girl with a welcoming smile. "Forgive me for my staring. I can't help but be entranced by you. Do you happen to have a twin sister?" He asked the youngest Tyrell.

The young woman blinked at the question but shook her head. "I am my parents only daughter." She responded politely.

"Then that makes you the most beautiful girl in the world. I'm Viserys, Prince Viserys." Viserys said smoothly, held out his hand.

"I'm Lady Margaery. It's nice to meet you, my prince." A somewhat amused smile could be seen on Margaery's lips as she offered him her hand.

"Margaery. A lovely name, one I shall remember." Viserys said before elegantly brushing his lips against her knuckles, all the while keeping eye contact with the girl.

Daenerys had half the mind to puke. No matter when or where, her brother would always find the time to flirt with a beautiful girl. At least the Tyrell's didn't seem to take offense. In fact, they seemed surprised and even impressed for some reason.

"Welcome, I am Willas Tyrell, heir of Highgarden." A handsome brown haired man, armed with a cane, introduced himself.

"You must be tired from your journey. Please, allow my siblings to show you to your living quarters so you can all get acquainted." Willas said gently before turning heel to limp inside of the castle followed by his father, mother and Lady Olenna.

"I can show you to your room if you wish. It's closer to mine." Margaery smiled at Daenerys.

Perseus immediately objected. "Daenerys is staying in my room." Both Tyrell's blinked at that and an extremely embarrassed Daenerys felt the strong urge to hit her clueless nephew.

Before they had set out to Highgarden, Perseus had made her promise to stay with him during their stay just in case the Tyrell's tried something. And no matter how much she tried to get him to change his mind he wouldn't fold. So in the end she had to promise to stay with him.

"We've had to share rooms since when we were little due to… safety reasons, so we've gotten used to it." Daenerys quickly explained.

Margaery's expression morphed into pity. "Forgive me, I forgot you went through some trouble in Essos." She apologized.

A frown immediately marred Daenerys's face at Margaery's choice of words. Labeling her family's struggles as 'some trouble' was underselling it by a lot. She doubted the pampered girl in front of her could withstand a week of traveling from city to city to escape assassins.

"It's fine. Missandei can stay in the room you prepared for Daenerys. After you, my lady." Perseus interjected.

As Margaery and Ser Garlan began leading them away, Daenerys noticed Perseus join her side. "I already know what you're going to say. I wasn't going to attack her or anything. I'm not as reckless as you." She grumbled.

Perseus snorted at that. "I know that temper of yours. Sometimes it can be worse than mine." He chuckled.

Daenerys neither confirmed nor denied his statement by quickly switching the subject, "Viserys seems to have found his next victim." A small ways ahead, Viserys continued to flirt with Margaery who responded to his compliments with giggles or blushes.

"I can't really blame him. She's definitely good looking." Perseus admitted.

Daenerys didn't know why but she felt irritated at her nephew's acknowledgement of the Tyrell daughter's beauty. "Lady Rogare and Lora were good looking as well." She reminded him.

"I learned my lesson, just like you did." Perseus sighed, "I guess that means we're in the same boat now."

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll find a partner someday. So keep paddling." Daenerys joked.

Instead of lightening the mood as she had hoped, Perseus's expression seemed to sadden at her words. "Yeah...someday." He said quietly.

Before Daenerys could ask him what was wrong, Perseus joined Ser Garlan and struck up a conversation, leaving her behind with Missandei.

Perseus seemed to be getting more and more gloomy as the days went by. She couldn't help but wonder what exactly was going on with her nephew, but so far she had yet to find out the reason.

"Why is he so interested in her? Her breasts aren't that big." She heard Missandei grumble next to her.

Daenerys looked at the former slave girl who was looking at the conversing Viserys and Margaery with a pout. She honestly couldn't get how Missandei gained a liking for her brother. No matter how many times she tried to scare the girl with tales of Viserys's debauchery, she always looked at him with stars in her eyes.

"Come, Missandei. Let's save Lady Margaery from hearing anymore of my brother's nonsense." Daenerys says before leading the way.

For now she would forget about Perseus's sudden shift in mood. It wasn't as if she could force him to tell her what was wrong. His stubbornness could be even worse than hers at times. But whenever the time came for Perseus to open up, she would be there for him, just as he had always been there for her.

oOo

Stone Mill, with Tywin Lannister…

Never before did Tywin Lannister think he would ever have to invade his own lands. And yet here he was, leading twenty thousand men through one of the key points of the Trident.

An approaching officer caught Tywin's attention and he stopped his horse before motioning for his army to do the same. "Milord, report from the scouts ahead! There's no sign of enemy forces." The officer told him.

"I thought the Stark boy would at least try to stop us from crossing the Trident." Lord Crakehall frowned.

"Ha! I can't say I'm surprised at his blunder. A boy is still a boy after all. I bet he didn't expect us to take the fight to him." Lord Lefford said pompously.

As the surrounding lords each spoke their own mind about the news, Tywin was eerily quiet. He didn't think too highly of the young Robb Stark but he had learned the hard way to not underestimate the boy. And the fact that he was practically being invited into the Westerlands didn't sit well with him.

Did the Young Wolf crave battle so much that he would go out of his way to make it so? No, that couldn't be right. Robb Stark had shown himself to be hot blooded during their past scuffles but he was no Gregor Clegane. The boy only did something when he was positive it would lead to a victory.

So now the question was, what could possibly spell a defeat for Tywin if he crossed the Trident and engaged with the North's army? The answer was obvious, by leaving Harrenhal he had left King's Landing weak against a potential siege.

He could safely rule out an attack from the Targaryens, his most recent reports on the exiled family informed him of their willingness to wait behind the formidable walls of Storm's End. And besides that, the Targaryens didn't have any sort of connection with the North. In fact, the animosity between the North and the Targaryens basically guaranteed that if the two forces were to ever meet it would be on a battlefield.

So now he was left with two options, an attack from Stannis Baratheon or an attack from Balon Greyjoy. Of the two, the most likely to occur was Stannis seeing as only he had the troops to successfully capture and hold King's Landing.

With Stannis's previous army of six thousand being strengthened to over twenty thousand, due to the remnants of Renly's army merging with the older Baratheon's army, he had more than enough men to take King's Landing.

But there was one thing, other than Tywin, that was stopping Stannis from sieging the capital. And that was the fact that the Targaryens had imprisoned many of the Stormlands lords and heirs. This greatly crippled the chain of command in Stannis's army and if not dealt with properly could cause for some disastrous consequences.

This was the sole reason why Tywin decided to risk leaving King's Landing temporarily defenseless. All of the current contenders for the throne were currently incapable of sieging the capital giving him the perfect opportunity to reclaim his lands and honor.

But why did he feel so uneasy? As if he were walking into a trap. Most would have regarded these feelings as paranoia but Tywin was a seasoned war veteran. He knew full well the benefits of following one's own instincts.

"Ser Gregor!" Tywin called out.

The surrounding lords and knights immediately quieted at the appearance of the infamous Mountain That Rides. Standing at a staggering eight feet with arms and shoulders the size of small tree trunks, the mere sight of Ser Gregor could put fear in a man's heart and trigger their primal urge to submit to the stronger man.

But Tywin was not like any other man, he was a Lannister, a lion. And when he roared everyone would hold their breath, including Ser Gregor Clegane.

"My liege." The Mountain's voice rumbled like thunder as he bent the knee.

"Take command of your men and ride to King's Landing. Follow any orders Tyrion may give you." Tywin ordered the Mountain.

In order to ease his worries, Tywin would send Ser Gregor, along with his bannermen, to King's Landing. While they would only number around five hundred strong, their infamous ferocity would ensure that any potential sieging force would have a hard time capturing the capital. It would also give Tywin enough time to defeat the North.

Ser Gregor looked less than pleased that he wouldn't be participating in fighting against the Northern army but he nonetheless nodded and promptly left to do as commanded, angrily shoving men aside as he did so.

His worries somewhat eased, Tywin turned his attention back to his bannermen. "We march to retake Ashemark." He announced before leading the way forward.

Tywin hoped dearly that his decision was the right one. Because if the fate of his house was in the hands of his whore mongering imp of a son, then House Lannister was indeed in it's darkest hour.

oOo

Nighttime at Highgarden, with Percy…

Percy seriously didn't know what to make of the Tyrell's. Upon their arrival he had been expecting scornful eyes and biting words. But instead, he was met with kind words and smiles.

At least the old woman, Olenna Tyrell, was acting somewhat like what he had expected. But by the way her family ignored most of what she said, the old lady's blunt manner and sharp tongue was apparently the norm.

Percy took a sip of his drink. He didn't bother listening as Viserys told the Tyrell's one of his many stories, he had heard all of them five times over.

In all honesty, Percy had been trying to find an opening to steer the conversation toward the main subject but after their first meeting with Ser Garlan, none of the nobles even mentioned Ser Loras. It was almost as if they didn't care about the knight. But he knew that couldn't be the case, if they didn't care about Ser Loras's well-being they wouldn't have responded to his letter in the first place.

Nonetheless, his patience was greatly dwindling. Percy wasn't as elegant as Daenerys or as sociable as Viserys. And if there was one thing he hated it was politics. The art of negotiation was boring to him. He'd much rather swing his sword and make his problems disappear permanently.

Percy withdrew from his thoughts when he felt a hand gently grasp his own from underneath the dinner table. His gaze turned to Daenerys who was looking at him with a worried expression. When he noticed the uncomfortable motions of the Tyrell's and the slightly sweaty Mace Tyrell, he understood why she looked so nervous. Apparently his irritation had been causing the temperature in the room to steadily climb.

He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before he reigned in his fiery power. Thankfully none of the Tyrell's seemed to notice that the sudden heat had been his doing.

"Would you like some wine, your grace?" Percy looked at the maidservant who had approached him with a pitcher in hand.

He felt an overwhelming amount of deja vu at the woman's words. Memories of Lora poisoning him emerged from the darkest corners of his mind, worsening his already foul mood.

"No." Percy swiftly dismissed the girl. He didn't think the Tyrell's would try to poison them whilst Loras was in their possession but he would stick to his water for the time being.

Percy's attention was garnered yet again by the thundering guffaws of the Tyrell patriarch and the light chuckles from the rest of the Tyrell's. It seemed Viserys had finished his storytelling.

"You are quite the story teller, Prince Viserys! Though it's not very surprising. Most fighting men are." Lord Mace complimented.

Viserys basked in the praise. "Thank you, Lord Mace. You know sometimes I think I should have been a poet instead of a fighter. My words have pierced the hearts of many maidens." He flaunted.

"Yes, I'm sure you've pierced quite a few maidens." Olenna said dryly, gaining a few chuckles from the Tyrell's smart enough to understand the meaning.

A shit-eating grin formed on Viserys's face as he no doubt caught the innuendo. "None as beautiful as Lady Margaery." He smiled at said woman who sat across the table from him.

"You flatter me, my prince." Margaery said with a somewhat promiscuous undertone.

Percy had noted long ago that while Margaery didn't outright accept Viserys's advances she never rebuked them either. The Tyrell girl seemed to always find a way to positively respond to his uncle's flirting without being informal or improper.

If he had to compare it to something it would be the times he had seen Aphrodite frolicking around Olympus neither accepting the advances of minor gods but not dismissing them either. Percy didn't really know how to feel about this situation. Aphrodite wasn't as sweet and innocent as her looks portrayed after all. He could only hope that Viserys didn't find himself in an awkward situation in the future.

"Is something troubling you, Lord Perseus? You've been oddly quiet." Percy looked across to Willas Tyrell who sat near the head of the table.

Of all the Tyrell's Percy had observed, Willas was by far the hardest to evaluate. The cripple man had yet to show a single trace of dislike toward them but he also had yet to show any subservience unlike his father.

Willas hadn't even used Percy's god-given title of king, making it clear that he didn't consider him to be a king, but he still showed him the proper respect befitting of one. After years of encountering deceitful and conniving people, there were few who could escape his 'sleazy meter' and keen eye. But for once, Percy was unable to discern what type of man Willas was.

"I'm fine. But this situation bores me." Percy finally replied.

"'This situation'?" Willas along with the other Tyrell's gained inquiring faces.

"This situation where everyone is smiling and laughing when there is nothing to smile and laugh about. Lord Willas, you're aware that I kidnapped your brother-" Percy turned from Willas to look at Margaery, "And Lady Margaery, even though he didn't die by my blade, I'm the one who brought about your husband's death. So how about we just cut out all of this unnecessary crap and get straight to it. An alliance between our families for the safe return of Ser Loras. That is my demand, it will not change no matter how long you smile at me."

The following silence that followed Percy's monologue was deafening. None of the Tyrell's seemed to know how to respond. And then suddenly, Olenna began bursting with laughter. Percy was aware of the fact that Daenerys was looking at him like he had gone insane but he ignored her and waited for the Tyrell's response.

"Whew! I haven't had a good laugh like that in decades." Olenna dabbed at the corner of her eyes with a napkin, "Finally, someone with some hair on their balls."

"It's as my grandmother says, I was not expecting you to be so… straightforward." Willas smiled in amusement.

"So have we reached an agreement?" Percy asked.

"We already knew what you wanted from the beginning-" Willas informed him, "-and we are willing to accept as long as Loras is returned to us."

"So you'll accept, just like that?" Percy couldn't help but feel surprised. He hadn't expected them to hop on board so quickly.

"Don't get too ahead of yourself." Olenna interjected, "As you stated before, my granddaughter's husband has died a tragic death. So she requires another husband."

Percy nodded, having expected this. "I'm willing to marry Viserys to Lady Margaery." He told her.

His words there was another round of silence, but this time there was no laughter to follow. The Tyrell's all shared varying looks with each other.

"We were under the impression that a marriage between our families would happen between my sister and you." Willas said to Percy, his expression becoming unreadable.

Percy glanced around the table. It seemed that the other Tyrell's had thought the same. "I'm willing to marry Viserys to Lady Margaery." He said again.

Olenna clasped her hands in front of her. "Well that will be a problem. I want my granddaughter to be queen. That's why we allowed her to marry an idiot like Renly Baratheon in the first place." She said.

"The wife of a prince isn't a bad position." Percy reasoned.

"It's not the same as being a queen." Olenna says stubbornly.

Percy let out a sigh. He had predicted that this would happen. The positions of queen and wife of a prince were indeed very different. It wasn't very surprising that the Tyrell's would want the former for their daughter.

"How about a counter offer? Along with the marriage between Viserys and Margaery. You will marry Princess Daenerys to my grandson, Willas." Olenna smiled.

Percy chuckled humorlessly at that. "Sorry, but that's not happening." He smiled, though his words carried the utmost finality.

"Then you'll simply never become king." Olenna said with a smug look.

Percy's smile slipped right off of his face. "Renly said the same thing. He died the next day." The air between Percy and Olenna became dangerously tense.

It probably wasn't the best thing to say but at the moment he could care less. He was getting tired of Olenna's holier-than-thou attitude. She may have been used having a tight leash on those around her but Percy was anything but controllable. He would never allow himself to be used by anyone ever again, even if it benefited him.

Willas coughed, bringing the attention to himself. "It seems we've exhausted ourselves trying to do everything at once. Let us all rest our minds for the night and reserve these talks for some other time." As if on cue, servants appeared and began cleaning away the remnants of the meal while politely offering to escort everyone to their rooms.

Meanwhile, as everyone gathered themselves, Percy and Olenna had yet to break eye contact with one another. "Would you like me to show you to your room, your majesty?" A servant asked him.

Finally, Percy broke off his stare down with the old crone. "I remember the way." He said dismissively before standing up.

Viserys seemed content with lingering around the maidservants, no doubt deciding on which one to take to bed, so Percy decided to leave with just Daenerys.

"That definitely could have gone better." Daenerys sighed as she joined his side.

"Did you see that smug look on her face? She thinks we're here to entertain her. I should burn her fucking face off." Percy growled out. Olenna's mannerism reminded him of Hera far too much for his liking.

Daenerys took a hold of his hand. "Calm down, Perseus. We haven't failed yet. We'll just have to think of something else." Her gentle voice, like always, did wonders to smother his anger.

Percy felt a pair of eyes on his back and he looked over his shoulder to meet Olenna's gaze. Her piercing gaze flickered between him and Daenerys. A smile he couldn't quite read adorned the old woman's lips before she turned her attention toward her granddaughter who began helping her walk.

He knew he shouldn't have gotten so angry. But there was something about Olenna that put his senses on high alert. The old woman was definitely not as helpless as she hoped to portray. And she was certainly not lacking in ambition if her insistence on the marriage between him and Margaery was anything to go by.

Percy had a bad feeling that he would butt heads again with the old Tyrell in the future. He could tell just by their previous exchange that Olenna wouldn't allow the Tyrell's to ally with them if he didn't marry Margaery.

A reminder suddenly popped up within his mind. He had done his homework on the Tyrell's the weeks before they came to Highgarden. Olenna was only a Tyrell through marriage and the only power she held was through her son. So in reality, all he had to do was make a deal directly with Mace.

But the problem was that the Lord of House Tyrell wasn't exactly the brightest and he was practically still being breastfed by his mother. So if he wanted to make a deal it would have to be with someone who had the power to make decisions but didn't listen to Olenna.

Percy's eyes flickered to the back of Willas Tyrell who was limping his way down one direction of the castle. A solution immediately presented itself in his mind and he couldn't help but smile.

"Weren't you just angry a moment ago? What could you possibly be smiling about?" Daenerys looked at him oddly.

"Nothing, I just found something ironic." Percy replied before continuing down the hall.

The law of the jungle reflected politics. If Percy couldn't get the cow, he would just go after the calf.

oOo

Meanwhile, with Margaery…

"Well that could have gone better." Margaery commented as she led her grandmother to her chambers.

Olenna hummed uncaringly. "That Targaryen boy arrogant but he isn't like most men who only think with their cocks. He'll be hard to deal with." She admitted.

"I've never met a man who wasn't smitten by me. Even the other one couldn't keep his eyes off of me." Margaery recalled the oldest Targaryen, Viserys, with a strange sense of amusement.

The prince was just like what she envisioned a king to be like: handsome, charismatic and charming. His brazen advances toward her were… amusing to say the least. She hadn't met a man who was confident enough to flirt with her in front of her family before. It was too bad that Viserys wasn't the next in line to the throne. While Perseus was exceptionally handsome, his brooding attitude and lack of grace were bad traits she had been taught to look out for.

"It's not that King Perseus doesn't think you're beautiful." Olenna said the title with utmost sarcasm, "It's just that he already has his eyes set on someone else."

That made Margaery's brow raise. She wasn't vain by any means but she knew of only a few within the Seven Kingdoms who could match her in looks.

"Who could have possibly caught that man's eye?" Margaery asked curiously.

From what she had learned about Perseus so far, she could confidently say that he was someone who didn't enjoy socializing. And based on the fact that he had yet to look at her with lust even once during dinner, he wasn't one to be swayed by beauty alone.

"The Targaryen girl, Daenerys." Olenna revealed, making Margaery's eyes widen.

"I don't think you should joke about these things." Margaery warned.

"I'm not joking." Olenna says simply, "I can tell by the way he refused to marry her to Willas that he desires her. Perhaps he may even love her."

Her grandmother didn't seem to be joking with her. In fact, she looked more serious than ever before. This was shocking to say the least.

"But she's his… aunt." Margaery said awkwardly.

Olenna scoffed. "You know how obsessed Targaryens are with keeping the line pure. Aegon the Conqueror married both of his sister's as did Aerys. Incest runs deep in that family. Always has." She told her.

It was true that Margaery had heard of the many marriages between members of the Targaryen house. It wasn't exactly a secret, everyone in the Seven Kingdoms knew that the family tended to fancy those with the same blood of Old Valyria. And while incest was seen as a big no-no in the eyes of the Faith, the Targaryen bloodline wasn't descended from the Andal's. They had also been the ruling house in Westeros by a long shot so the Faith had little to no choice but to turn a blind eye to their misdeeds.

"If what you say is true, then I don't see how I'll be able to become queen." Margaery says.

Olenna waved off her concerns. "Worry not, you will be queen." She assured her.

"But how?" Margaery asks, "If Perseus only has eyes for those with his blood then my looks will mean nothing to him."

"You still have much to learn." Olenna sighed before looking toward her, "Perseus may not care for your beauty but the other one does."

"You mean, Viserys? But he's not next in line to the Iron Throne." Margaery says.

"Renly wasn't next in line either. That didn't stop him from staking his claim. You must remember, it doesn't matter if they're not next in line. As long as they have the support, anyone can become king." Olenna tells her.

Margaery frowned in deep thought before her grandmother's words finally made sense. "You want me to turn Viserys against Perseus." She realized.

Olenna nodded. "The prince's eyes were practically glued to your tits the entire night. It won't be a hard task." She said dryly.

"I don't think he'll betray his own nephew though." Margaery said, doubtful.

They finally reached Olenna's chambers and her grandmother stepped inside but not before turning around to address her concerns

"A man will kill his own children for a beautiful woman. I'll delay any agreements the boy may put forth in the coming days. You just make sure you have Viserys eating out of your palm. Once he is, then we'll be able to act and you will become queen." Olenna devised before closing the door.

Margaery stood still for a moment as she came to grips with what she had just been told. Ever since she was little, her grandmother had trained her to be her protégée. She had long since mastered the arts of seducing a man enough to make him tend to her every need. The task of doing the same with someone as salacious as Viserys would be like child's play for her. But for whatever reason she felt almost hesitant to do so with the exiled prince.

She shook her head of her foolish thoughts and began making her way to her chambers. The world was cruel and unforgiving, in order for her and her family to survive the coming storm she would do what needed to be done.

Just as her grandmother had suggested, she would display herself as a kindhearted and approachable maiden. But once Viserys wrapped his hands around her, he would realize that every rose has it's thorn.