The Long Winter | Jaime Lannister X Stark OC | GOT/ASOIAF

Grey Lady

The news was all around the court almost as soon as it had happened, as most important things tended to be here, although it wasn't like anyone involved had bothered to keep their voices down. As far as Ren had heard it - from, but not limited to, a serving maid, stable boy, several squires and Renly Baratheon himself, who had been laughing loudly about the matter in a courtyard - the Hand had resigned, only slightly before the furious king ordered (yelled) his dismissal, in protest against killing Aerys Targaryen's exiled daughter, pregnant with a Dothraki horselord's child. 

Ren understood where his uncle was coming from, he really did. It wasn't a pleasant subject matter even considering the murder of a young girl, only a year older than his own sister Aileen, particularly one who was with child. Daenerys Targaryen had even not proven to be a threat yet, although by her very existence she was a potential one, and had been her whole life. Ren also understood Lord Stark's distaste at sending a nameless assassin to do his dirty work for him, he'd feel a similar way if it were up to him. He wasn't sure if that was a Northern principle, or just one learned from all the people he'd grown up with. Jaime was another one who would insist on swinging the sword himself, although that was more a matter of pride than one of respect. Both men's motivations - ironically, considering they hated each other - were also a matter of honour. 

Despite all this, however, the girl had to die. It wasn't a nice or easy solution, but it was a practical one. Daenerys might not be a threat yet, but who knew where they'd be in a year, five years, even ten? Ren would willingly go and stab the girl in the heart himself if it eliminated the possibility of forty thousand Dothraki screamers crossing the Narrow Sea and wrecking havoc, destroying the Seven Kingdoms like they had wiped out so many cultures and civilisations in Essos, killing and raping for the sake of killing and raping, blood for the sake of blood. And as his mother would say, the Targaryen's blood itself was tainted with madness and cruelty, fed by power and unfit to rule. His mother was not an unreasonable woman, and had good reasons to hate. No dragon would ever sit the Iron Throne whilst Rosennis Stark lived, that was for sure. If Daenerys ever became queen, Ren wouldn't put it past his mother to kill the girl herself. 

But what was done was done. Robert would send assassins after the Targaryens regardless of his friend's views, as Lord Stark was Hand of the king no longer. Which, in all honesty, was a blessing, given the nature of what the man was investigating. Continuing down that route would end in chaos one way or another. Best that didn't happen whilst Sansa, Arya and Morganna would be caught right in the middle of it all. Initially Ren had enjoyed having his family here, strange as it had been to have his two worlds meet, but now it was increasingly seeming to be too much of a risk. If he was alone, it would be fairly easy for him to slip out of the city unnoticed if it came to it, but it wasn't so easy with an entire household and three young, highborn girls. Allow his family to be shipped off back to Winterfell, far out the way of everything, and then let the whole court implode. 

Ren had learned not to rely completely on court gossip, so had gone to the Tower of the Hand to try to find his uncle, to ask him himself what had happened. It couldn't have just been a simple argument to have the king removing his closest friend from office, the one person save perhaps his brothers and Loreon who Robert actually gave a shit about in this place. 

Upon arriving at the Tower of the Hand, though, Ren was surprised to find that none of the Starks were even there. Arya was probably off having her dancing lessons; he was still surprised not only that she'd agreed to have dancing lessons, but that his tomboyish cousin actually seemed to be enjoying them, going for hours every day and talking excitedly about her dancing master every time he saw her. Sansa would be with the Septa and her friend from Winterfell, the dark haired girl, Jeyne. Morganna was likely with the princess. The two had grown to be even closer friends in the months they had been in the city. Which was unfortunate, given the suspicions Ren was starting to have about the queen's children. Another reason his sister should be far away when things kicked off.