Renly Baratheon stood outside the main army tent, gazing at the sky in the direction of King's Landing.
He bore a striking resemblance to a young Robert, only leaner and more refined in appearance. He wore a sky-blue doublet embroidered with a golden stag that shimmered in the sunlight.
Beneath a head of short black hair was a face marked by a characteristically noble languor and arrogance, showing not the slightest hint of tension regarding the current situation.
Loras Tyrell stood by his side. The Knight of Flowers was clad in a suit of rose armor, his long brown hair meticulously groomed, possessing a handsome countenance that could make countless noble ladies swoon. However, his green eyes were filled with adoration as he gazed at Renly before him.
"Renly," Loras said softly, handing him a letter he had just received. "More news from King's Landing."
Renly took the letter, scanned it, and then smiled.
"That woman Cersei finally knows what it is to be afraid." He handed the letter back to Loras. "She wants us to send troops to deal with the Targaryens together."
Loras frowned after reading the letter. "Then what do you intend to do?"
Renly didn't answer immediately. He turned around and looked out at the vast camp surrounding them. This was the army he had spent a year gathering—a full fifty thousand men, the most powerful army in the Seven Kingdoms.
Originally, he should have marched north to King's Landing long ago, but Stannis's fleet had been blockading the waters off Storm's End, preventing him from truly feeling at ease. After all, he had to admit that Stannis was far more familiar with Storm's End than he was.
He pondered for a moment before saying to Loras, "Go and summon everyone. I believe this matter still requires a collective discussion."
Half an hour later, the main tent was crowded with people. The lords of the Stormlands sat on the left, while several vassals of House Tyrell brought by Lord Mace sat on the right.
Lord Mace was dressed today in a magnificent green velvet doublet, sporting a meticulously trimmed goatee and wearing the dignified air befitting a Duke. Unfortunately, his belly was so protruding that when he sat there, he looked like a puffed-up pufferfish.
At the moment, he was frowning as he looked at a letter in his hand.
Renly sat in the seat of honor with Loras standing behind him. Loras was now the Lord Commander of Renly's newly established Rainbow Guard. The Rainbow Guard was modeled after the Kingsguard, except their cloaks were the seven colors of the rainbow.
"My lords," Renly began, his tone somewhat flippant. "News has come from King's Landing. Cersei is begging us to send troops to deal with the Targaryens together. What are your thoughts?"
Mace looked over the letter in his hand one last time, his lips twitching before he spoke hesitantly. "As far as I know, the Targaryens have dragons, and two of them are adult Great Dragons. If we face them alone, I fear our chances of victory are slim. Perhaps joining forces with the Lannisters is an option..."
Loras showed no mercy to Mace despite him being his father; before Mace could finish, Loras interrupted him directly. "Join forces? Join forces with the woman who could publicly execute Eddard Stark?"
He paused, casting a subtle glance at the letter Lord Mace was pressing under his hand before stating his own view. "I believe King's Landing is currently in a state of chaos, and we can take this opportunity to seize the iron throne. Once Renly becomes the rightful King of the Seven Kingdoms, we can summon the armies of the realm. It won't be too late to have a final showdown with the Targaryens then."
Renly turned his head, looking at Loras with an intimate gaze, and nodded. "Loras has a point. If we ally with that madwoman Cersei, she'll drag us down with her sooner or later. But if we take King's Landing first and then face the Targaryens—fifty thousand against fifty thousand, plus we'll have the city walls and the advantage of position—we won't necessarily lose."
Count Selwyn of Tarth from Evenfall Hall was the first to nod in agreement. He was the father of Brienne the Beauty, who had also joined Renly's Rainbow Guard.
Consequently, he was very proactive, as Renly did not yet have a queen. "His Majesty Renly is right. No matter how strong the Targaryens are, they were nothing more than homeless dogs before. We have an army of fifty thousand now; if we add King's Landing, why should we fear them?"
Others followed suit, nodding in agreement. After all, the proposal to march on King's Landing and occupy the iron throne was too tempting; they stood to gain significantly from it.
Mace Tyrell's expression remained indecisive. He looked at Loras, then at Renly, and finally spoke. "Marching on King's Landing takes time, and Stannis's fleet is still surrounding Storm's End. If we head north, will he..."
The reason he was so hesitant now was because two days ago, one of the knights who had gone to Valyria had arrived at the camp with a letter from Margaery.
He hadn't thought much of it after reading the letter, as he had already decided to follow Renly. It was only after Loras had also read it that he changed his perspective. Such was his character: when everyone said something was right, he began to doubt if that 'right' was perhaps too right.
If Loras had disagreed with him, he would have stuck to his decision. But since Loras agreed with him, he began to doubt if he had been a bit too decisive before and whether he should wait and see a bit longer.
"Stannis?" Loras snorted disdainfully. "He only has that small force from Dragonstone. What kind of waves can he possibly make?"
"Loras, he is still my brother after all." Renly spoke, his voice uncharacteristically serious for once. "If we are ambushed from behind during our march north..."
Just then, a guard's announcement came from outside the tent. "Your Majesty, a messenger from Lord Stannis has arrived."
Renly raised an eyebrow and exchanged a look with Loras. "Let him in."
The messenger was a young knight in a blue cloak, looking travel-worn. After a brief bow, he presented a letter. "Lord Renly, His Majesty Stannis wishes to meet with you to discuss matters regarding the Targaryens."
"A meeting?" Renly smiled. "My stubborn brother is finally willing to see me?"
The messenger looked directly at Renly and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "His Majesty says he will wait for you in the town near Storm's End."
Renly stopped smiling and looked down at the many Stormlands nobles. "My lords, what do you think?"
Before they could speak, Loras spoke up hurriedly, "You cannot go, Your Majesty. There must be a trap in this."
The messenger gave Loras an unfriendly look and then spoke. "Lord Renly, His Majesty Stannis would not do such a thing. We can guarantee your safety."
Lord Mace also ignored Loras's look of opposition and spoke up. "Perhaps we can talk..."
Loras huffed, wanting to speak, but Renly raised a hand to stop him. After a moment's thought, he said to the messenger, "I believe you. Go back and tell Stannis that I will come."
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