"Then I won't trouble you to worry about it."
Daeron was quite speechless.
Lady Olenna shook her head and laughed: "Don't blame an old woman for being talkative at her age. When I was young, I was also betrothed to a Daeron Targaryen, but that one—"
"Tsk tsk, he spent much more time with boys than with girls."
Because of their different tastes, the engagement between the two was canceled.
Daeron glanced at her and said nothing.
With the way you Highgardeners teach, it's no wonder people like boys.
In the future, your grandson will like boys too.
The Riverlands.
Riverrun, the Lord's bedchamber.
Lord Hoster tossed and turned, unable to close his eyes no matter what.
Ever since the news of the deaths of The Stark father and son arrived, he had been filled with fear and shock, unable to eat or sleep for days on end.
He knew exactly what kind of thing The Alliance of the Four Regions was.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have betrothed his most beloved eldest daughter, Catelyn, to the "Wild Wolf" Brandon.
But now the wolf had died by the dragon's kiss.
"Old Arryn started a rebellion for his foster sons; it was simply too impulsive."
The more Lord Hoster thought about it, the more afraid he became. He sat up and took out a wine cup, attempting to use alcohol to calm himself.
He only wanted to use The Alliance of the Four Regions to enhance his prestige in the hearts of his vassals.
He never intended to join a rebellion if things were exposed.
Especially since the price of rebellion was incredibly heavy.
Lord Hoster pulled back the curtains. Through the narrow window, he could see a Lannister army stationed five miles outside Riverrun.
Looking out, thick cooking smoke was rising.
It was an army of at least five thousand men.
"Damn it, it feels like everyone is forcing me to choose!"
Lord Hoster let go of the curtain and couldn't help but curse.
Since Old Arryn started the rebellion in the Vale, the vassals of the Riverlands have been like sharks smelling blood, each baring their fangs and eyeing their liege lord, the Tully family.
Specifically, the Blackwood, Haran, and Frey families were mentioned here.
These three families were like hungry wolves with green eyes, sending scouts to spy on Riverrun 24 hours a day, always ready to overthrow their superior.
The reason they hadn't acted was that Lord Hoster had not yet declared whether he would support the royal family or the rebels.
But Lord Hoster was certain.
The moment he publicly announced his support for the rebels, these three families and The great Lannister army outside the city would immediately swarm forward and devour the Tully family.
As for supporting the royal family—?
Thinking of Lord Rickard's fate, Lord Hoster shook his head repeatedly: "Confession leads to severity, resistance leads to leniency. I don't want to follow in the footsteps of The Stark father and son."
He had a guilty conscience, knowing that what he had done would lead to exile to the Wall at the very least.
He didn't dare have the face to support the royal family.
Knock, knock, knock!
While he was agonized, there was a gentle knock on the door.
"Come in!"
Lord Hoster was upset and shouted irritably.
The door pushed open, and his ward Petyr Baelish walked in.
"My Lord, I hope I am not disturbing you."
Baelish was dressed meticulously. He took a letter from his robe and said, "A letter from Lord Jon Arryn of The Eyrie."
"Old Arryn?"
Hoster was startled and quickly took the letter.
This was the first time Lord Arryn had written to him since the rebellion began.
After reading the letter, his expression became complicated.
Lord Arryn was concise, pointing out that the reality of The Alliance of the Four Regions could not be changed. For the Tully family, it was a blade whether they stuck their necks out or pulled them back.
He invited him to participate in the rebellion.
He also proposed that he marry his eldest daughter, Catelyn, to Eddard Stark, and his second daughter, Lysa, to Lord Arryn's chosen heir—Albert Arryn.
The condition for the alliance was that when Eddard returned to the North and reorganized the army to head south, they would relieve the predicament of Riverrun and together overthrow the Targaryen dynasty.
Lord Hoster let out a long sigh, his heart filled with worry.
He suddenly realized that his brother, "Blackfish" Brynden, was right.
He should have canceled the engagement between his eldest daughter and Stark after the Tourney at Harrenhal and sent both daughters to King's Landing, firmly taking the position of a Royalists to the royal family.
Unlike now, being completely overwhelmed.
"My Lord, are you alright?"
Baelish asked caringly.
"I'm fine, child."
Lord Hoster shook his head: "I have things to consider. You may leave now."
The risk of rebellion was too great; he didn't dare act rashly.
"I have something to report."
Baelish walked to the door, his eyes flickering slightly as he turned back around.
Lord Hoster had a headache and said casually, "What is it?"
"It's like this—"
Baelish organized his words and explained the matter from beginning to end.
He said that while the Lannister army was stationed outside, Riverrun was one of the few strong fortresses in the Seven Kingdoms, surrounded by river water on three sides. With the drawbridge raised and the sluice gates opened to release water, it could form an absolute defense surrounded by water on all four sides.
And the food stored in Riverrun was enough for two hundred people in the city for two years.
But blessings do not come in pairs, and misfortunes never come alone.
The male donkey of a blacksmith in the city fell ill, foaming at the mouth and twitching all over, and died shortly after.
The Maester diagnosed it as a livestock plague that could be contagious.
The blacksmith had more than one donkey; there was also a blue mule and a female donkey.
Coincidentally, the dead male donkey had just mated with the female donkey not long ago.
Baelish sighed and said regretfully, "To prevent the plague from spreading, the blacksmith had no choice but to kill the female donkey as well."
"You know how valuable a donkey is to a commoner's family."
The speaker intended nothing, but the listener took it to heart.
Lord Hoster hadn't been paying attention, but when he heard 'male donkey' and 'female donkey', his pupils suddenly trembled.
The Iron Throne's attitude toward the Tully family was unclear.
But the Tully family and the House Stark had a solid marriage alliance.
If that fool Brandon hadn't ignored the wedding and gone to King's Landing to die, his eldest daughter Catelyn would already be married.
"The Mad King killed both The Stark father and son. Will he really let the Tully family off for past deeds?"
Lord Hoster muttered to himself.
Even if they let the Tully family go on this matter, with three of the four regions in the alliance already in rebellion, could the Tully family really stay out of it?
Baelish observed his expression and skillfully suggested: "My Lord, then I shall take my leave."
"Wait!"
Lord Hoster hurriedly called him back and threw off the blankets.
He couldn't sit and wait for death.
"Prepare paper and pen for me, then go inform Lysa to pack her things. We will send her to The Eyrie under the cover of darkness tonight."
Baelish said innocently, "Tonight?"
"That's right. While the Lannister army hasn't been stationed for long and their guard isn't strict yet, send Lysa away early."
Lord Hoster finally regained his vigor for swift action, pulling out paper and pen and writing rapidly.
He had agreed to Lord Arryn's marriage conditions.
If the rebel army succeeded, his eldest daughter would be the Duchess of the North and his second daughter would be the Lady of The Eyrie. It wouldn't be mistreating his two daughters.
It was better than being trapped in Riverrun and letting others decide their fates.
"Good, I'll go inform Lysa now."
Baelish felt his foster father's trust. The corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up, but he quickly suppressed it and ran out the door.
Lord Hoster had no time to notice his foster son's expression; all his thoughts were immersed in joining the rebellion.
He regretted not listening to his brother Brynden's advice, and he regretted joining The Alliance of the Four Regions.
But it was too late for regret.
He could only stake everything on one throw.
The Eyrie.
It was late at night. Lord Arryn sat at his desk, still not asleep.
He was trying every possible way to increase the success rate of the rebellion.
Pulling Lord Hoster into the fray through multiple marriage alliances was one of many methods being implemented.
"If we have the support of the Tully family, it will be much easier for Robert and the others to face the Royalists army."
Lord Arryn's brow was furrowed.
He wasn't without backing when he dared to start the rebellion.
First was the superior geographical location of the Vale.
The Mountains of the Moon spanned north to south, isolating the Vale from the world, making it unafraid of invasion by any regional army.
Even if they broke into the Mountains of the Moon, there was still the The Bloody Gate guarding it, capable of stopping thousands of troops.
In terms of supplies and grain.
Internally, there was the vast fertile soil (black soil) of the The Vale of Arryn, and externally, one of the five major ports of Westeros—
Gulltown.
In the short term, there would be no shortage of logistical supplies.
Meanwhile, the North would head south, and Stormlands would gather an allied force.
Add to that the Riverlands led by the Tully family, which could help the Vale and Northern armies cross the Trident River at a critical time, and the situation for the rebel army would become clear.
As for the enemy—
Lord Arryn circled and marked, muttering: "Tywin is an excellent politician, but not a good general."
Based on his understanding of Tywin, the man would not fully support the royal family either.
Then the main force of the royal family would likely be the Crownlands, half of the Riverlands, The Reach, and Dorne.
Among them, Dorne had significant internal conflicts, and Dornish soldiers were good at guerrilla warfare but their combat capability was always poor once they left Dorne.
Even if Prince Doran wanted to help the Iron Throne, he couldn't send many troops.
In a comprehensive comparison, the military strength of both sides was a 40/60 split.
4 for the rebels, 6 for the Royalistss.
That was because the land in the Riverlands and The Reach was fertile, and the noble lords there each had strong armies.
In contrast, the people of the North and the Vale were fierce, but their army numbers were small, unable to match the Trident River basin (Riverlands) and the Mander River basin (The Reach).
"House Grafton of Gulltown cannot be dealt with harshly; they must be handled with care."
Lord Arryn thought of another headache.
House Grafton was Royalists, gathering other royalist Royalistss in the Vale to resist the rebels, which led to the Battle of Gulltown.
Gulltown was the most important port in the Vale.
Both foster sons wanted to go home, and they both had to pass through Gulltown.
Due to House Grafton's resistance, his foster son Eddard didn't have time to participate in the Battle of Gulltown and set sail from The Fingers to return to the North.
Robert fought bravely and captured Gulltown.
But Lord Grafton surrendered quickly and did not offer stubborn resistance.
Robert had a generous nature; not only did he not harm House Grafton, but he also drank and enjoyed himself with Lord Grafton.
Lord Arryn rubbed his temples, pondering: "Robert is sailing south; he should be back at Storms End soon."
Robert could return to Storms End and gather Stormlands vassals.
But the Vale army couldn't go to Stormlands by ship together.
The Vale army could only join up with the Tully family's army and head south to support together after Robert gathered Stormlands vassals.
The sooner for Robert, the better.
Lord Arryn said solemnly: "People's hearts in the Vale are wavering. Besides House Grafton opposing me as their liege lord, many large and small lords are taking a wait-and-see attitude."
Once the war starts, internal friction will be enough to deal with.
Besides, the Targaryens have dragons now!
Highgarden.
Duke Mace was known as "Lord Puff Fish." Although he was not known for his wisdom, he had the merit of being willing to listen to advice.
After Daeron finished his consultation with Lady Olenna.
Duke Mace publicly announced his firm support for the Iron Throne and the House Targaryen.
A large number of ravens flew out from Highgarden, summoning the vassals of the House Tyrell.
In just half a month, followers gathered from all over The Reach.
It was another small council meeting.
Lady Olenna attended in full dress. Upon meeting, she took Daeron's hand and promoted: "Listen to me, Prince. The Lord of Horn Hill—Randyll Tarly is coming."
Daeron raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.
He had certainly heard of Randyll Tarly's great fame.
In the original story, he was the only man to defeat Robert in a head-on confrontation between two armies.
More accurately, if it weren't for that fool Duke Mace holding him back, Randyll Tarly could have crushed Robert.
This was a genuine star general.
Barristan, Arthur Dayne, and "Blackfish" Brynden were all known for their individual martial prowess and could lead troops, but they had no impressive battle records.
In this era, Randyll Tarly was the best general in the Seven Kingdoms.
Fearing he wouldn't believe her, Lady Olenna boasted: "Randyll is not an easy person to get along with; his temper is as foul and stubborn as a rock in a latrine, but he has true talent."
Horn Hill was located in the Dornish Marches, the front line facing the Dornishmen.
Just as Stormlands had a feud with Dorne, The Reach also had a generational blood feud with Dorne.
Lords of the Dornish Marches like the Tarly family of Horn Hill did not have the comfortable lives of the lords in the Mander River basin, who could live comfortably off fertile land.
The Tarly family were born warriors.
Whenever the Dornishmen raided the borders, the Tarly family would take the lead in the charge to drive the invaders away.
Randyll Tarly was the best among them.
After he inherited Horn Hill, he reorganized the army, strengthened border patrols, and frequently fought with the Dornishmen.
His martial virtue was quite abundant.
Daeron understood and asked, "How much longer until Lord Randyll arrives?"
"There is some distance between Horn Hill and Highgarden, and he has to leave soldiers to guard the Marches to prevent Dornish retaliation."
Lady Olenna calculated and said, "It will take at least ten days or so."
Daeron nodded slightly.
Ten days or so was not long.
Real war was not fighting on paper, where you raise the flag of rebellion one moment and gather all your vassals to besiege the Iron Throne in King's Landing the next.
The War of the Usurper lasted more than two years, and the actual battles that broke out could be counted on one's fingers.
Most of the time, both sides' armies were on the road gathering vassals and traveling.
Daeron estimated that Robert was still at sea, waiting to return to Storms End.
"Prince, the lords of The Reach have all responded. Let me explain the strategic deployment to you."
Once in the meeting room, Ser Vortimer Crakehall, the master-at-arms of Highgarden, spoke.
Ser Vortimer was tall and lanky with a long face. Standing there, he looked like a lean red-crowned crane, exuding a dense aura of Life Force.
Daeron nodded in acknowledgment.
The man came from the Crakehall family of Red Lake, considered a very prestigious noble family in The Reach.
He had a deep impression of the Crakehall family.
After the Dance of the Dragons ended, one of the four surviving dragons of the House Targaryen—Silverwing—had briefly nested on an island in the middle of Red Lake within the Crakehall family's territory.
Daeron had once thought of visiting the Crakehall family to search the island for any Dragon Eggs left by Silverwing.
It was just that the possibility was not high, and he never had the chance, so he canceled the trip.
Ser Vortimer spread out a map of The Reach, pointed to a section of the sea, and said solemnly: "Prince, all the armies of The Reach can be mobilized, except for the fleet of the Shield Islands, which must remain in place."
He also gave the reason.
Pointing to a group of islands offshore, he said: "When the armies of The Reach move out, the Ironborn of the Iron Islands are very likely to take the opportunity to come ashore and plunder. We must guard against them."
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