Oct. 19th, 2019 01:40 pm
(no subject)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
roseofthetyrellsMargaery was on yet another errand of mercy, ministering to the poor of King's Landing. The stink of Flea Bottom made her want to wrinkle her nose in distaste, but she knew better than to let her true emotions show in that way. Instead, she put on her brightest, most charming smile and entered the orphanage.
She'd been here before, not long after the Battle of Blackwater, passing out toys and treats to the confusion of Joffrey and the barely disguised disdain from Cersei. She had a new husband now. Tommen was far more understanding of her desire to meet the needs of the poorest and most downtrodden.
It was good publicity for the throne which sorely needed the help. People on the streets still cursed Joffrey's name, not that she could blame them. He seemed completely tone-deaf when it came to the needs of the people. Margaery would've been able to pick up his slack, but she hadn't looked forward to what would have been a truly thankless task.
Joffrey wouldn't have known to thank her for keeping his royal behind on the Iron Throne with the good-will she earned and Cersei would've just given her that smug smile of hers and uttered some lofty phrase about the lions not paying attention to the opinions of sheep. That was all well and good, but the sheep outnumbered them and were capable of revolt should the lions not see to their needs.
Well, where the Lannisters failed, the Tyrells would succeed. Margaery would see to that. Unlike her late second husband, she knew her duties to the people. She'd brought food and toys and sweets to the orphanage carried in by Tyrell servants. She would make them love her and doing so, make herself invaluable to the masses.
She had been to this orphanage many times since her first visit and the children knew to expect her. They rushed toward her, chattering at her, telling her what she had missed since her last time there. To be honest, none of it interested her much and following so many voices would give her a terrible headache later. It was worth it. She was here because she knew her duty was to be pleasing--both to the masses and to her new husband. Tommen had a soft heart and he liked it when Margaery went on her errands of mercy.
Margaery found a padded chair and settled herself on it, inwardly thanking the Seven that someone had thought to bring her a better seat than the rough-hewn benches she'd had to sit on the last several visits. She'd gotten splinters in her bottom through her dress the last time she sat on one of those benches. There on that thankfully padded chair she would sit for the next several hours, listening to whatever inane concerns the children and their Septa overseers had.
The children were hard. They wanted more room, a better room, new parents, and they asked her to provide them. As though she could just pull more space and people willing to adopt the urchins of Flea Bottom out of thin air. The overseers were easier. They always asked for more food, more money--easy enough for her to supply with the Tyrells' vast inventories of both and she did so, always with a warm smile and reassurances that no, it was no trouble to her at all, how silly of them to ask! They paid her back in something that was more valuable than coin. Loyalty.
She kept her smile on her face and pulled the cleanest looking child onto her lap. The little girl preened, proud that she had earned the queen's favor and reached up to tangle one of her hands into Margaery's hair. Margaery's smile never faltered, although the child smelled terrible, like feces and curdled milk. Really, with all of the support she had given, was it truly asking too much for the children to be bathed regularly? Apparently it was.
Margaery reclined on her chair as though it was a throne and smiled and exclaimed over and praised child after child. Yes, this one had grown another two inches and wasn't that wonderful. No, the bad men coming from the Blackwater wouldn't be back and if they were, the Tyrells would just push them back into the sea as they had the last time. Yes, another one's sores looked so much better--ugh, though not better enough to be gone completely. She would have to have yet another talk with the Septas overseeing the orphanage about the importance of cleanliness. Perhaps next time, she wouldn't bother with the toys and would bring a crate of soap instead.
Finally after what felt like hours and hours, she felt as though she could get away. The children had been lulled by the gifts of toys and food, just as she had hoped. Margaery on the other hand had a screaming headache and felt as though she'd been rolling in filth.
It was worth it, though. It had to be. The Lannisters' hold on power was tenuous at best and she had no interest in being wed to a king with no throne. She would do whatever she had to do to keep relations between the throne and the people. . . friendly. It was what she'd been raised for and despite the headaches, despite the two hour long bath she'd need to take to feel clean again, it was all worth it to be the queen, the highest lady in all of Westeros, even higher than her ambitious mother-in-law, no matter what the lady in question thought.
Perhaps she would bed Tommen today after her bath. She'd already seen to one of her duties in visiting the orphanage, taking care of another one of them couldn't hurt.
She'd been here before, not long after the Battle of Blackwater, passing out toys and treats to the confusion of Joffrey and the barely disguised disdain from Cersei. She had a new husband now. Tommen was far more understanding of her desire to meet the needs of the poorest and most downtrodden.
It was good publicity for the throne which sorely needed the help. People on the streets still cursed Joffrey's name, not that she could blame them. He seemed completely tone-deaf when it came to the needs of the people. Margaery would've been able to pick up his slack, but she hadn't looked forward to what would have been a truly thankless task.
Joffrey wouldn't have known to thank her for keeping his royal behind on the Iron Throne with the good-will she earned and Cersei would've just given her that smug smile of hers and uttered some lofty phrase about the lions not paying attention to the opinions of sheep. That was all well and good, but the sheep outnumbered them and were capable of revolt should the lions not see to their needs.
Well, where the Lannisters failed, the Tyrells would succeed. Margaery would see to that. Unlike her late second husband, she knew her duties to the people. She'd brought food and toys and sweets to the orphanage carried in by Tyrell servants. She would make them love her and doing so, make herself invaluable to the masses.
She had been to this orphanage many times since her first visit and the children knew to expect her. They rushed toward her, chattering at her, telling her what she had missed since her last time there. To be honest, none of it interested her much and following so many voices would give her a terrible headache later. It was worth it. She was here because she knew her duty was to be pleasing--both to the masses and to her new husband. Tommen had a soft heart and he liked it when Margaery went on her errands of mercy.
Margaery found a padded chair and settled herself on it, inwardly thanking the Seven that someone had thought to bring her a better seat than the rough-hewn benches she'd had to sit on the last several visits. She'd gotten splinters in her bottom through her dress the last time she sat on one of those benches. There on that thankfully padded chair she would sit for the next several hours, listening to whatever inane concerns the children and their Septa overseers had.
The children were hard. They wanted more room, a better room, new parents, and they asked her to provide them. As though she could just pull more space and people willing to adopt the urchins of Flea Bottom out of thin air. The overseers were easier. They always asked for more food, more money--easy enough for her to supply with the Tyrells' vast inventories of both and she did so, always with a warm smile and reassurances that no, it was no trouble to her at all, how silly of them to ask! They paid her back in something that was more valuable than coin. Loyalty.
She kept her smile on her face and pulled the cleanest looking child onto her lap. The little girl preened, proud that she had earned the queen's favor and reached up to tangle one of her hands into Margaery's hair. Margaery's smile never faltered, although the child smelled terrible, like feces and curdled milk. Really, with all of the support she had given, was it truly asking too much for the children to be bathed regularly? Apparently it was.
Margaery reclined on her chair as though it was a throne and smiled and exclaimed over and praised child after child. Yes, this one had grown another two inches and wasn't that wonderful. No, the bad men coming from the Blackwater wouldn't be back and if they were, the Tyrells would just push them back into the sea as they had the last time. Yes, another one's sores looked so much better--ugh, though not better enough to be gone completely. She would have to have yet another talk with the Septas overseeing the orphanage about the importance of cleanliness. Perhaps next time, she wouldn't bother with the toys and would bring a crate of soap instead.
Finally after what felt like hours and hours, she felt as though she could get away. The children had been lulled by the gifts of toys and food, just as she had hoped. Margaery on the other hand had a screaming headache and felt as though she'd been rolling in filth.
It was worth it, though. It had to be. The Lannisters' hold on power was tenuous at best and she had no interest in being wed to a king with no throne. She would do whatever she had to do to keep relations between the throne and the people. . . friendly. It was what she'd been raised for and despite the headaches, despite the two hour long bath she'd need to take to feel clean again, it was all worth it to be the queen, the highest lady in all of Westeros, even higher than her ambitious mother-in-law, no matter what the lady in question thought.
Perhaps she would bed Tommen today after her bath. She'd already seen to one of her duties in visiting the orphanage, taking care of another one of them couldn't hurt.