'THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR’ MEMES | @kinginthcsouth
“You don’t have to lose yourself to find happiness, you know.”
She’s of a mind to ignore him, to seethe in silence and let the chasm between them grow ever wider. After all, he had no qualms about doing the same when he tired of brushing off her comments like so many irksome flies. Yet, the hint of genuine concern in his voice sparks a response from her--though perhaps not quite the one he’d likely anticipated.
“Lose myself?” she queries, only just managing to hold back a biting tone. “Do you believe I am afforded such a luxury, Your Grace?” A pause follows, longer than she would have normally allowed but she wants him to languish in the quiet discomfort. Margaery closes the book she’d been perusing to focus fully on the king, a clear sign that he had no hope of escaping the very conversation he incited.
“Though the war is won and the Iron Throne in your capable hands, I cannot give in to any sort of oblivion. This is no soldier’s camp, my darling. The eyes and ears may be fewer but they are sharper by far. Every interaction, every faltering smile, every extraneous glass of wine is noticed and noted. How then could I lose myself in anything, be it drink or food or company? A king may partake in those things as he pleases but a queen cannot--must not.”
She feels a jab of guilt from her own words--for the petty reference to his extramarital activities--but no true regret. Though she would never chastise or shame her brother for his love, she has no desire to spare Renly’s feelings. “Do not assume to to assuage your guilt by means of false concern--and for vices I do not possess.” Margaery rose from her seated position before he could muster an answer, her expression intimating that their discussion was at its end. “By your leave, Your Grace.” She did not wait for his dismissal or any further acknowledgement but rather dipped into an elegant curtsy and strode from his chambers.
