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Clang, clang!
Renly's brightly lit camp was filled with the clamor of armor and the neighing of horses.
The sky was faintly whitening, and dawn was not far away. Noble houses from the Reach and the Stormlands were fighting endlessly over the camp's weapons, equipment, and large stores of military provisions.
Most of these supplies had been provided by wealthy Highgarden, so Tyrell cavalry and the soldiers of other houses kept clashing. Later, small-scale fighting even broke out.
Outside the camp, many stormlords were craning their necks, waiting for the next object of their allegiance, His Grace Stannis, to arrive.
Inside the bloodstained royal tent, Renly's corpse had been placed on a long table. His splendid crown rested on his chest.
Margaery wore an elegant rose gown, frowning as she paced back and forth inside the tent.
Loras, his face full of grief and his eyes wet with tears, looked at Renly's body, which had been arranged to appear peaceful.
"Loras, we must leave here quickly.
"The more than eighty thousand soldiers outside have already begun fighting over supplies, and many men of House Florent are going everywhere to persuade them to join Stannis."
Behind Margaery's beauty was an equally sharp mind. She assessed the situation correctly and tried to persuade her brother.
"Leave? No. Impossible. I will avenge Renly.
"I will gather the more than fifty thousand men of the Reach and chop Stannis into mincemeat."
Hearing this, Loras immediately drew his longsword and pointed it in the direction of Stannis, viciously declaring his vengeance.
"The guards all say Brienne of Tarth killed Renly. And Father and Lord Randyll Tarly are still gathering men at Highgarden. You have never commanded soldiers in war. Even if you can gather the Reach's men, can you defeat Stannis, who has fought a hundred battles?
"If we do not leave, forget gathering troops. The vassals outside who want to join Stannis will seize us and present us to him.
"Loras, wake up."
Hearing Loras speak so unrealistically, Margaery seized her brother's shoulders and shook him hard.
"I do not believe Brienne killed him. I once saw the way Brienne looked at him. It was the same as me.
"And with Renly dead, who gains the greatest benefit?
"Stannis."
As Loras spoke the thoughts in his mind, he walked to Renly's body, set down his longsword, knelt on one knee, and stroked Renly's face.
"He could have become the only king of the Seven Kingdoms, a wise and merciful king."
"Loras, he truly was a wise and merciful king. If you truly want to avenge him, then we must immediately gather the Reachmen and return to Highgarden.
"Otherwise, before Stannis even arrives, those rebels will carve you into a corpse.
"Then you will lie in a cold grave, while Stannis still smiles on the throne.
"Is that the result you want?"
Margaery came to Loras's side, reached out to stroke her brother's soft brown hair, and spoke gently to comfort him.
As expected, Margaery's carefully considered words moved Loras.
Before standing, he lightly kissed Renly on the forehead. Then he said to his sister, "I will gather the men now and prepare to leave. But... I am taking him with us."
"Of course. His body must be taken with us.
"And Loras, leave the weapons, equipment, and grain. Highgarden does not lack such things."
Margaery nodded and answered her brother.
Loras nodded, looked at Renly one more time with lingering reluctance, then turned and left the royal tent to gather the troops loyal to Highgarden.
Seeing him leave, Margaery slowly walked to Renly's body.
She looked at this king, her husband in name, and a slight contemptuous smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. She murmured to herself, "Heh. You were a handsome husband, and you were a king with noble blood in your veins. Truly the perfect choice from my dreams.
"Even if the one you loved was my brother, I did not mind, because all I wanted was to become a true queen.
"But now you have died so humbly. What does that make me?
"Renly, watch me. I will certainly become the only queen of the Seven Kingdoms."
As Lord Commander of Renly's Rainbow Guard, Loras had never commanded an army in battle, but he handled other matters with perfect order.
Before long, he had gathered the more than fifty thousand Reachmen loyal to Highgarden.
Most of the stormlords were still fighting over the supplies Loras did not want. A smaller number, especially members of House Florent, kept their eyes fixed on Loras's actions, seemingly understanding that he intended to flee with his army.
However, they were too few in number, and Stannis had not yet arrived. No one dared be the first to step out and stop Loras's fifty thousand men.
Loras and Margaery took Renly's body and more than fifty thousand soldiers of the Reach and rode along the Roseroad toward Highgarden.
More than an hour later, when the morning sun first appeared, Stannis rode leisurely to the front of this chaotic camp with Davos and Melisandre.
Outside the camp, most stormlords and a small portion of Reach nobles had gathered to welcome his arrival.
When Stannis rode closer, nobles great and small knelt on one knee in unison and swore extremely "sincere" oaths of fealty to him.
Stannis naturally did not believe in the sincerity of these nobles who submitted to him immediately after Renly's death.
Although his heart wanted to hang every vassal who had stood on Renly's side from the beginning, for the sake of those twenty-odd thousand soldiers, he could only nod expressionlessly and accept their allegiance.
Renly's army had claimed to number one hundred thousand, but in reality it held only around eighty thousand. More than fifty thousand Reachmen had been taken back to Highgarden by Loras and Margaery.
Another five or six thousand soldiers returned to their own lands under their lords.
The remaining force of about twenty-five thousand was made up of most of the stormlords and the men belonging to House Florent of the Reach.
With the fall of the "giant" Renly, Stannis instantly went from a small man to a large one.
His total strength expanded to roughly thirty-three thousand, and the weapons, equipment, and military provisions supplied by Highgarden were fully sufficient for the war ahead.
Stannis's army now had cavalry, infantry, and fleet alike. Combined with his own excellent command ability and Melisandre's magical aid, his overall strength was now the greatest among the kings, apart from the combined northern and Iron Islands armies.
After arriving in the camp, perhaps because she had used magic, Melisandre said she needed quiet prayer and had Stannis arrange a rather remote tent for her.
After Melisandre left, Davos walked silently beside Stannis, his expression one of someone who wanted to speak but hesitated.
He could clearly see that compared with the day before, Stannis had aged noticeably. Not only had his beard turned whiter, but streaks of white had appeared at his temples.
At last, after entering Renly's former luxurious royal tent, Davos said, "Your Grace, I believe I must speak with you about what I saw in the cave last night."
"I believe I already made myself clear. You only needed to take Lady Melisandre there. Nothing else was to be asked about."
Hearing Davos, Stannis answered with a gloomy face.
"But what price did you pay? Was it worth it, Your Grace?"
"Now, most of Renly's vassals have come under my command, except the Tyrells who fled like cowards.
"And Mace Tyrell is no real threat.
"Soon, I will take King's Landing and sit the Iron Throne.
"Do you think that is worth it?"
Stannis stared at Davos with a sharp gaze. His tone was full of certainty that the Iron Throne would soon be his.
"Your Grace, even for the Iron Throne, I do not think it was worth..."
"Enough. I do not wish to speak of this anymore."
Davos, who held firmly to his beliefs, still wanted to continue. But Stannis cut him off in a harsh tone.
"Your Grace, then when do we set out for King's Landing?"
Seeing that Stannis was truly angry, Davos could only press down his emotions and change the topic.
"Once we have integrated this twenty-five-thousand-man army.
"When the time comes, first deal with King's Landing's pitifully small defensive fleet on the Blackwater Rush. Then send all thirty thousand soldiers beneath King's Landing and take the city in one stroke."
Stannis looked at the map in the royal tent and explained his battle plan.
"An excellent plan, Your Grace. However, I beg you not to bring Lady Melisandre.
"There are already rumors in the army that so long as she whispers in your ear, you obey her instructions.
"You paid a price to win these vassals from Renly. Please do not lose them because of her."
As Davos spoke, his eyes remained fixed on Stannis. His tone was sincere and earnest.
"I will arrange for someone to send Lady Melisandre back to Dragonstone. In the wars afterward, I will not let her follow.
"I will divide the fleet into two parts and appoint you and my good-brother, Ser Imry Florent, as commanders of the fleet. You will command it together."
Stannis looked into his eyes, considered briefly, then nodded and answered.
"This... Your Grace, I was once only a smuggler. I have never commanded a fleet in battle.
"And the noble lords will not be satisfied."
Seeing that Stannis had accepted his advice and not only did not punish him, but appointed him deputy commander of the fleet, Davos answered in some panic.
"This is my army, not theirs. Davos, do not disappoint me."
"I will not, Your Grace."
Highgarden was built of white marble and protected by three ring walls, also of white stone. Each ring was higher and thicker than the one before it, watched over by slender, elegant towers on all sides.
Overall, Highgarden was a near-perfect castle, both beautiful and strongly defended.
At the highest point of Highgarden's inner castle, inside an unusually broad but plainly decorated room, Loras and Margaery stood in the center, explaining the events in Renly's army. Beside them, the plump Lord Mace, with his triangular beard, listened with an unhappy face.
Facing them was a thin old woman of about sixty, her hair silver, her face lined with wrinkles. She listened while rubbing her soft hands together.
Behind her stood a pair of twin brothers seven feet tall, packed with muscle, with deep blue eyes and thick red beards.
"...and so my brother and I brought more than fifty thousand Reach riders back to Highgarden.
"Grandmother, do you think I am unlucky? I had only just gained a queen's crown, and then I immediately lost it."
After finishing her account, Margaery asked the old woman in a coaxing tone.
This woman was Olenna Tyrell, the Queen of Thorns, mother of Lord Mace and grandmother to Loras and Margaery.
"Heh. It seems my dear granddaughter, like me, will have to bear the name of husband-killer."
Olenna's thin face showed a smile. She did not avoid her own history as she used it to tease Margaery.
"Grandmother!"
Hearing Olenna speak this way, Margaery's pretty face fell, and she called out in complaint.
"Good, good. It may be just as well that you are not tied to that short-lived Renly. Compared with you, I imagine your brother is the one more wounded."
Olenna reached out to soothe Margaery, then changed direction and pulled Loras into it.
But Loras was long used to his grandmother's sharp tongue. He only lowered his head and remained silent.
"Ahem. Let us return to proper business. Since Renly is dead, what do you think House Tyrell should do next?"
Olenna coughed lightly, rubbed the gem rings on her thin fingers, and asked.
"Regather our forces, kill Stannis, and avenge Renly."
Hearing Olenna's question, Loras immediately raised his head and answered viciously.
Olenna rolled her eyes at his words, ignored his opinion entirely, and turned her gaze to Margaery.
"Renly is dead, but Westeros does not lack kings now. We should continue seeking an alliance.
"Stannis is absolutely impossible for us. That leaves House Stark and House Lannister."
Margaery's reasoning was perfectly clear as she stated the choices before House Tyrell.
Olenna nodded without comment, then finally looked to her son, Lord Mace.
"Mother, I believe that at present, it is impossible to say who will win between House Stark and House Lannister.
"But by the end, both sides will certainly have few soldiers left.
"I believe we should wait here in Highgarden and see the situation clearly before deciding.
"As for Stannis, if he dares lead an army to trouble us, I will personally command the army of the Reach and defeat him."
As soon as Lord Mace saw his mother look at him, he immediately spoke at length, as if guiding the realm.
Clap, clap, clap!
As soon as Lord Mace finished, Olenna applauded him, bringing a pleased smile to his face.
But after clapping, Olenna said, "I never expected you, dull-witted Lord of Highgarden, to say something like that. Who taught you? Was it your wife, Alerie?"
Having cheated in advance only to be exposed by his own mother in public, Lord Mace smiled awkwardly.
Fortunately, everyone present belonged to his own family, and there were no outsiders.
"That Stannis boy is a foul, hard stone. House Florent, which has opposed us for years, has always supported Stannis. Do not think of an alliance with him.
"The Stark wolf cub has some ability. He actually played Tywin for a fool and took Casterly Rock, which had never fallen.
"But northerners and southrons are entirely different. They can fight wars, yes, but rule the Seven Kingdoms?
"Too young.
"And Tywin is old. He is no longer the lion who once awed the Seven Kingdoms. Now he cannot even protect his own Westerlands."
Although she had remained at Highgarden, Olenna saw the balance of power clearly.
No one else spoke. They quietly listened to the words of the true master of House Tyrell.
"Margaery, you still wish to be queen, yes?"
"Yes, Grandmother."
Hearing Olenna's sudden question, Margaery smiled sweetly and answered in a clear voice.
"No matter whom you must marry?"
"Mm. So long as you believe he can become king of the Seven Kingdoms, I have no objection."
"Good. Left, bring him in."
Hearing Margaery's answer, Olenna calmly ordered the twin guard behind her.
As soon as she finished speaking, the tall, broad-shouldered guard on the left went to the door. A short while later, he brought an eight- or nine-year-old black-haired boy into the room.
"This is Robert Baratheon's bastard, previously delivered here by Baelish. His name now is Renly Baratheon.
"He is a bastard legitimized by Renly I, and Renly specifically wrote a succession will naming him first in line.
"In other words, he is Renly II, Margaery, your new husband."
What?
Everyone in the room showed an expression of disbelief after hearing Olenna's words.
They understood. Olenna was preparing to support a puppet king and let her own house become the true ruler of the Seven Kingdoms.
As for the so-called legitimization and succession will, if she said they existed, then they would certainly exist.
"The oath Eddard Stark issued in Robert's name and his own... that whoever destroys House Lannister and kills the false king Joffrey can lawfully and reasonably take the Iron Throne.
"How wonderfully suggestive.
"The glory and power House Tyrell has long thirsted for now lie before our eyes.
"I have already contacted Paxter Redwyne. House Redwyne and House Tyrell will advance and retreat together, fighting to the end.
"We will defeat every false king and claim the highest glory together, just as House Stark and House Baratheon once did.
"Now we have ample troops, granaries full of food, gold beyond counting, and this Renly II.
"The old order of Westeros has already been broken. This is House Tyrell's finest opportunity."
Olenna's words seemed filled with magic. Everyone present fell into a vision of the future.
Margaery seemed to see herself as the only queen of the Seven Kingdoms, mothering the realm.
Loras seemed to see himself killing Stannis with his own hands and avenging Renly I.
Lord Mace seemed to see himself leading the army, defeating every false king, and finally taking the Iron Throne.
Under these circumstances, all of House Tyrell approved Olenna's grand strategy of first supporting a puppet king and ultimately taking his place.
Over the next few days, countless ravens flew from Highgarden, spreading news that Renly II had been crowned and would marry Margaery.
Along with the news came copied versions of a legitimization document and succession will personally signed by Renly Baratheon I.
Finally, since House Tyrell wished to stand as kingmakers and rulers in their own right, dissenting voices could not be allowed within their domain.
The next day, Lord Mace ordered Randyll Tarly, who was already at Highgarden, to take twenty thousand Reachmen and destroy House Florent of Brightwater Keep.
That long-time opponent, which had always opposed House Tyrell and questioned its right to rule, was a thorn in their eye and a barb in their flesh.
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