She thought she'd left them all behind. The kings and queens, lords and ladies and the knights. She'd thought she'd taken her daughter and whisked her away from all the false smiles, mock affection and convenient distractions of the joust. She would have been right for not the shadow of shining steel, touched with the kiss of enameled roses. Even in his armor Ser Loras Edwards was surprisingly stealthy. Keeping several paces away, matching the queens movements with her daughter as she made her way towards the gardens. Several times he had to dip behind barrels or circle faire tents to avoid being seen by her or anyone watching her. The castle had many eyes, and many little birds all eager to sing their songs for the right price. Best not give them too much to sing about unless necessary. The pause she took with her daughter nearly made Loras lose her entirely. He had been gauging her speed and where she would end up. When he came out onto the walkway he'd expected to near walk right into her, a clever ruse to disguise the fact that he'd been following her and give him an excuse to walk with her.
Instead she was several paces down the path behind him. Her daughter was just catching up after lagging behind, full of boundless energy and countless questions. He was a short distance away and close enough to hear pieces of their conversation. The daughter had asked about the father, and the father pained the mother. Loras expected amusement, or even indifference to touch him now at the sight of her hurt. Yet all he felt was sadness for her and anger towards he who wounded her so. Alistair Lannister did not deserve her. So much he had been given, so much was his and her he took from him only to abuse and ignore her. She deserved more, she deserved better, she deserved him. Rosalie was the most delicate flower yet He had cast that rose aside and left her out in the cold to shiver and wilt. Watching her speak with her daughter touched something in Loras Edwards he was not familiar with. He wanted to comfort her, to bring her in out of the cold and keep her warm in his arms. Two roses, intertwined, growing strong together. He hadn't even realized his feet were moving until he was standing nearly directly behind her.
"Did someone say Otter pops?"
He said charmingly with a soft smile and a look that drank in Rosalie's beauty.