#summerkng

[theprincepromised]

let it be known that @summerkng is truly one of the best writing partners.

[west1rosi]

@summerkng asked: my brother is more civilized. he plays by the rules. ( for robb !) REIGN (2013-2017) SENTENCES QUOTES .

the king in the north contains the need to laugh at that. there is a snern by the side of his mouth though, hidden by the beard that now grows in still young features. "perhaps, m'lord. but it seems to me those rules are ones only your brother knows. perhaps he made new ones I am not aware of." the young wolf allows to tease the other in the matter, the curve of his lips becoming a smile, despite the mockery he is making of the subject at hand.

grey wind seems to agree from his palce on the floor, once he realized that renly meant no harm at the moment. the direwolf barks in agreement, and robb allows himself to relax for the time being. "what i'm hearing then, is that you play by no rules. that is a dangerous statement to make."

[merelaes]

@summerkng asked: “are they dead ? did you kill them ?” 

Nimble fingers greeted small flames as Aemond stared into the fire. His eye searching for messages that could reveal themselves if he was patient enough. The flames merely warmed his fingers, and he had the blood of the dragon to thank for that. The Prince had heard the other approach before he even spoke, but the smirk still formed on his lips. ❝ They certainly weren’t expecting Vhagar or I… ❞ Chuckling, he fully turned to face Renly. They were dead and what happened to their bodies, well, Aemond couldn’t say for certain.

Many claimed that Aemond’s heart was black. It was the opposite of him. Aemond was doing everything he could to ensure that Aegon wasn’t questioned. Aemond would make sure that everyone in the realm supported his older brother.

The rightful King.

The Baratheons had known that and made their choice to support Aegon and sided with the Greens. A wise decision.

❝ Should others whisper such venomous words, let me know. I’ll have a meeting with them. I don’t wish for anyone to speak ill about my house or yours.. ❞

[solarwarmed]

@summerkng didn't ask for this but im back and here to annoy them <3

if he was being honest with himself the life-altering fear that had rushed through him as THE MOUNTAIN'S broadsword came hurtling towards him was still there . lingering in his bones , smouldering being the cage of his ribs , glowing dangerously from deep within him . if he was being honest with himself .

except loras was not being honest with himself .

instead he fed himself lies about needing to be the best , needing to continue to hone a skill that will leave songs in his wake . that was why he had left behind a routine of a lifetime and instead of lazing around for seven or so days ( one for each of the gods , they often joked ) he was throwing himself right back into it .

ignoring the way that everything hurt right down to his bones , how his muscles cried and protested , the bruises that were not given time to go down . the knight of the flowers pushed on . it's been four days since the joust , and loras was meant to be heading for his NINTH session since then . except his squire explained , stumbling over his words in an effort to get them out , why he could not .

the door to renly chambers closed behind him with a thud - it had been a long time since he had knocked before entering . " why have i heard that you've hidden my training leathers ? "

[rcsegildedarchive]

[ BIRCH ] sender finally ends a tense argument by reaching out to apologize. ( from @summerkng ! )

a short novella for @summerkng

it was her third attempt at this particular letter, the first two having been relegated to the brazier in a bout of frustration.

There was too much she wished to say and altogether too many hands that would touch the letter before it reached her brother's desk at Highgarden. She'd been forced to reasses, determining which bits of information to prioritize and what should be left unsaid and unimplied. In the end, she would be left with a short piece of correspondence that read as little more than empty courtesies to those without a knowing eye. All of the loneliness and rapidly-growing homesickness were to be excluded, forcing Margaery to swallow them down once more.

She'd almost finished the final draft when the opening of a tent flap broke the relative silence. Her eyes darted up briefly, only long enough to confirm it was indeed the king himself. With her maids dismissed for the evening and Loras stationed elsewhere in the camp, she wasn't expecting to receive anyone else. Satisfied that he was in fact not some sort of intruder, Margaery returned to her task without a word.

Nearly a week past, the tentative alliance within the bounds of their marriage had fractured. It wasn't clear what or who had pushed them over the edge: Renly with his delections and frank dismissals or Margaery with her wounded pride and too-sharp tongue. It matter little enough. The dam had broken and they'd been at each other's throat with teeth bared. Once all was said and done--and every cruel thought had been uttered aloud--they were left staring at each other from either side of an impassible chasm.

The tent was quiet at present, save for the scratch of her quill on parchtment and the minute sounds of Renly settling in. It had been that way every night of late. Within the canvas walls of their sleeping quarters, they did not speak or otherwise acknowledge one another--like two ghosts haunting different halls in the same home.

Margaery was prepared for much of the same, so resigned that she did not at once react to the sound of his throat clearing. She continued on with her writing for another few moments and...paused. Something --a shift in the air or the sensation of eyes upon her back--prompted her to set down the quill and turn in her chair.

Renly was sat on the edge of the bed, still half dressed from the day and looking as though he would rather be anywhere else in the known world. And he was looking at her for the first time in days. His expression was mixed; determined but with the wariness of a man considering how to approach a coiled snake.

Well. She could hardly begrudge him that.

He said nothing at first, as though struggling to find the words. Having never known Renly to fail at speaking, it made her exceedingly uncomfortable and left her dreading whatever he meant to say. The words were clipped when they came and spoken in a strained voice but he did not look away from her. Were she any less angry with him, she might have thought him brave for it.

"I'm sorry."

Margaery could only stare at him, surprise and no small amount of confusion rendering her speechless.

Some part of her had been resigned to the fact that she would eventually be forced to bridge the gap between them, just as she'd always done. Perhaps not soon but eventually. Not once had she considered that Renly would take the initiative. A soft "Oh" was all she could manage.

It was a response too long in coming and not reassuring enough, if the disappointment that flashed in his eyes was any indication. She was resolved, at first, to dismiss it all--him, the apology, and the hurt he meant to hide--and cling to the grudge she'd been nurturing for days. It was a short a short-lived thing.

Margaery rose from the desk and sat next to him on the bed. She stared ahead for a few moments, her eyes following the flicker of shadows thrown onto the tent walls by the brazier's fire. Gods, she was so tired. Steeling herself, she breathed deeply and finally turned her head to look at him.

She tried to see the king of whom her brother spoke with such reverence. She wanted to see the man Loras loved and whom she had once been so determined to love for his sake. But his features were so tangled in her anger and hurt and loneliness, it was difficult look at him without resentment.

Maybe he meant it. Maybe he was truly sorry for all that had occurred between them. But what did it really matter? This gesture, however genuine, was an offering. A way forward. All she needed to do was accept it.

It could be a gift to them both.

"I know you're sorry," she murmured gently. "So am I." The admission sounded insincere to her ears but it wasn't a lie. Though she'd meant the horrible things she'd said, she deeply regretted ever saying them aloud. Of course, it had been foolish to anger the upon which the whole of her reputation depended. And she'd hurt him. The two facts weighed upon her equally.

"We've made such a mess of this, Renly. I don't--" She shook her head, as if the gesture alone would further clear her mind. "But it has to work. There's not another option, not for me. And I can't make it work like this."

[lstmorality]

@summerkng

he could swear that his breath was taken away every time he set eyes on renly; it was though someone had punched him in the gut and all the air had escaped him. loras knew that there were walls up still, they would always be up, but his love was more himself with his rainbow knight than he had ever seen him be with anyone else. a pang of jealousy flickered through his body at the mere thought of someone else being enough to see that side of renly, but it was fleeting and quickly batted away.  "my king," loras greeted formally, a small bow as those who knew his entrance was a cue for them to leave made their exit. when they were alone, he closed the gap between them quickly, his hand coming up to brush midnight locks out of renly's face. "they never get your hair right." the knight humphed, reaching for the brush from the drawer behind the other. it wasn't wild, far from it, but you had to brush it just right so it didn't cloud his features; so it framed his face, instead of obscuring his beauty.  "i heard the first birdsong today, and i've been aching to get back to you ever since." 

[soulatsiege]

@summerkng | x cont'd

"Godforsaken... Are you out of your mind?!? Are you daft? Insane? Have you suffered a stroke, you dumb, ungrateful child!" Strangely, seeing Renly's true face was a bit of a comfort. He could feel crazy sometimes, with everybody else fooled by his cheerful demeanor.

"All your aunts and uncles and cousins, the people that saw our mother grow, all our father's living friends! Every worthy person that I knew! That's what I left you with! Safe in your own home! That you were the Lord of!" Estermont was only days away! It was hard to feel anything other than hate for Renly before the parley itself and the feeling grew larger. They forgot me! They abandoned me! Them and our horrid elder brother who only called me to add more to my load without a single acknowledgement! You were suppossed to be different! It hurt that he wasn't. It was embarrassing to admit that. Well, no words would betray him if he didn't say them.

"Great uncles, uncles, aunts, grandparents, aunts, cousins, mothers, my own damn former guardian! They did not only prioritize you, which I would have understood... some haven't even met my daughter of ten years!" That had hurt worse. He'd made excuses with the Greyjoy Rebellion and then he had had to understand that Shireen was too sick to be seen and then Tommen had been born and then his baby had turned four. Four years of understanding. Six years since. He remembered the girl being old enough to learn her nameday would not be the joyful feast her cousins got... It had been sad.

With the way House Estermont supported Renly without complaint, Stannis felt stupid for still thinking some would come to his own call. They would probably even be glad to see him go... Well, the Red God had not failed him so far. He had his own vassalage, small as it was. Those that once thought themselves relatives could chose a hell to rot in. Stannis did not want to give Renly that much of an upper hand by mentioning that, but no doubt could Renly assume it. Both that he was unloved and how much he resented it. He shuttered his mouth and made a fist. His voice had turned thick. He was Steffon Baratheon's second child, no matter how disliked, and Robert's actual heir, despite how people felt about him. You knew you had a niece, too. You're such a stranger she will not even miss you.

"You see yourself as a child still. The child I actually brought into this world, who you expect me to prioritize over you, is older than you were back then! Why do you get to be an eternal child? How am I to take you seriously if you do? Do you know the hell that was Dragonstone when our elder oh-so-lovingly bestowed it into me? The things I saw in their dungeons?" The things Aerys had left... The resentment of the people there who could not distinguish a Lord from another... It had taken him years to sincerely want a child. What if they were killed during the night? It was hard to protect Selyse as it was... 'Abandoned' was almost funny. He was the one abandoned, with everyone laughing at it! Renly included, it seemed. Even when no matter how bad things were between them, he always thought there would be some trust there... At some point he started grinding his mouth. He stopped himself.

"I am not self-righteous, but simply right. You're a child with a temperament that I will easily squash. You are not so great at fighting to boast in such a manner." The latter words came out strangely calm. As if he had not been yelling seconds ago. He could almost feel a cooling breeze chilling his neck... Stannis was awkward with relationships, Renly's betrayal made that plain enough as if the rest of his years alive had not been a clue. Emotions were odd mistresses. But anger was easy, and for once he did not keep everything inside. The Red God had not abandoned him. The few that believed in him believed in him fiercely. It all filled him with resolve... It would only take a single fight. When he next spoke, he sounded almost amused.

"A lesser man would have mistaken the latter for a call to the sword. Good thing I know you better. You would never choose a duel. You would not have won and you know it." The ruby at his sword's hilt damn near called him. He wanted to show him its glittery blade badly, but through it all he was a just man and a just man does not let steel lose unprovoked. He still rested his hand on its hilt. "Surround yourself with opportunists all you like. Fool yourself over your non-existant claim all you desire. It will last less than a whisper, and your army will scatter itself into pieces like ants during the rain." Perhaps the latter was a phrase he stole from the Red Lady. So what? Renly had never met her. "I am the better soldier. This is not something you can argue yourself out of with anything other than a surrender. So surrender." I will not mourn you if you don't. You may not even live long if you do.

[soulatsiege]

@summerkng | starter.

If Stannis Baratheon shows up unanounced it's because the world is ending, or he has another grievance. The latter was more common than the former. It was not hard for him to corner Renly, either, though he rarely tried. It was always such a lost cause with that man who thought himself a boy still. But every so often he felt like trying. "You!" He yelled, in Renly's direction, and the serving boys scurried away to avoid the at worst terrifying and at best incredibly awkward scene of Lord Stannis yelling at one of his brothers. Only Renly and he remained, and when they were as alone as King's Landing allowed, he kept on talking.

"I heard about you showing that damned portrait around! What is wrong with you?!" It was common that Stannis was angry. Not so much that he yelled in this way. "You turn more disgusting every passing day." He continued. As if explaining himself. In his own way, he was explaining his tone.

When he heard Renly sing Margaery Tyrell's praises he grumbled, but let it go. There was no need for him to marry, and Robert would never force it, but he knew what Loras meant and perhaps he wanted children. The way he sang her praises, to who, and how he compared her to Lyanna where Robert's friends may hear, however... It was wrong and sinister.

And there was the much more troubling scenario of how much did he know. About Cersei and her illborn children. Had Jon Arryn told? Did he have proof otherwise? Best to let that sleeping dog lie and focus on his terrible attitude. Tyrell or no, this was so close to pimping a girl out that it plainly grossed him out. And to Robert, who could behave like a rabid animal... How could they be brothers? Or did Renly have some reason to hate this girl?