Sticks & Stones.

-9-

Bedevere had been right when he imagined that Renly had a giant chessboard in her head.

Renly was so focused on her own planning she had not noticed how Arthur had stayed behind, watching her think with a fascinated expression.

When her mind finally started to go numb, and she was satisfied that the plan was sufficiently corrected Renly brought her gaze back down from the ceiling immediately meeting Arthur's amused eyes.

"You truly need to get a hobby, your grace, the whole watching me thing is getting concerning."

"It is fascinating, watching your mind work, are you painting the ceiling in your mind or something?"

He asked raising his gaze to look up at the rocky ceiling finding nothing of note.

"I just work out problems in my head."

Renly said with an amused smile.

Arthur shook his head laughing lightly.

"Yeah, well whatever it is, it sure is fascinating to look at."

Renly just shook her head and laughed.

"Whatever you say, your grace."

She said with a teasing smile.

Arthur sighed, running his hand over his face.

"Why do you keep calling me that?"

He asked tiredly.

Renly grinned.

"Maybe I'm just trying to help you get used to it?"

She answered teasingly.

He shot her an unimpressed look, urging her for a real answer.

Renly sighed.

Her gaze went back up to the ceiling and she shrugged.

"I don't know."

She admitted.

"I said it that first time we met and it sort of just stuck. It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

She asked glancing back at him a genuine grin on her face.

Only when you say it.

Arthur kept himself from speaking the words out loud.

The following days were spent preparing for the 'big boat bash' as Renly had begun calling it, she spent most of her time in what they now called the war room with Goosefat, Bedivere, and Arthur planning out the mission to every minuscule detail.

In the evenings she would stay behind to stare up at the ceiling and Arthur would always join her, sometimes they talked out the problems, but Arthur sat mostly silent, content to watch Renly work out the problems she'd found in her head.

Despite the fact that everything was falling into place with Arthur finally stepping up and taking charge of the rebels, Renly's nightmares kept getting worse.

She couldn't understand it, wasn't she doing exactly what she was supposed to?

Wasn't she helping Arthur on his journey to finally take back the throne that was rightfully his?

Apparently, she was missing something because despite her very best efforts she could not make the memories go away.

Renly was in the water again, she'd fallen into the river that ran beneath Londinium.

Her mind and body giving up welcoming death but her soul fighting against the water desperate to stay alive.

She fought her way to the surface, gasping for breath as she finally reached it, now she needed to get to shore.