The first clash between the Reach and Harrenhal ended swiftly. Through a well-timed surprise attack, Roman had wiped out at least eight thousand Reach soldiers while suffering almost no casualties of his own.
Such losses would have been a crippling blow for any of the Seven Kingdoms, yet the Reach continued pouring reinforcements into King's Landing as if nothing had happened. Even Roman found it puzzling.
Fili explained, "Lord Roman, aside from the cavalry unit you destroyed, most of that vanguard consisted of mercenaries and conscripts. Those kinds of losses won't shake the foundations of the Reach."
"Oh? Is the Reach so wealthy they can throw money away like this?"
Fili nodded. "Lord Tarly has already begun pulling back his lines and implementing countermeasures against our ravens. It's becoming much harder for us to scout their camps directly."
She quickly added, seeing Roman deep in thought, "But please don't worry. Our agents have infiltrated Rosby. New intelligence should arrive soon. We'll find their weaknesses."
Roman paused, then smiled and gently stroked her hair.
"The battlefield is never smooth. Just do your job well. I won't blame you for things like this."
He pointed toward the Blackwater Rush. "Since the Reach has gone on the defensive, we should apply some pressure of our own. We won't attack near King's Landing—containment is enough. Stannis already controls the bay and is harassing their grain convoys in the Kingswood. We'll cross the Rush and raid the Reach nobles directly. Force them to come out and fight in the open."
Fili tilted her head. "What if they simply ignore us?"
"Then Mace can watch his precious children starve."
Roman now controlled the grain-producing heart of the Crownlands. Stannis had cut off sea trade to King's Landing and was ambushing Reach supply lines in the Kingswood. The Westerlands, crippled by Roman and Robb, could offer no help. The Reach had no choice but to open new overland routes.
Attacking Rosby directly was not cost-effective right now. Better to keep raiding the supply lines.
Roman moved quickly. Soon after, his western cavalry began striking every Reach grain convoy they could find.
The Reach soldiers suffered terribly. They had thought marching with the Duke of Highgarden to King's Landing would bring glory and easy victories. Instead they faced one beating after another.
First slashed by Stannis, then burned during the battle on the Blackwater, and now repeatedly hammered by Harrenhal's cavalry and Roman himself. Their vanguard units were being wiped out in batches.
Those who survived and retreated to the logistics lines found themselves caught between Stannis and Roman once again.
Stannis still had a solid core of Stormlands troops. Having suffered in the Kingswood, they now plunged back in to strike at both Lannister and Tyrell supply columns.
The Reach logistics troops could not handle the endless traps and ambushes in the Kingswood. That was why they had laboriously tried to use the Blackwater-Goldroad route—only to find Roman taking his cut of everything that passed through.
Worse, the Reach soldiers no longer dared gather in large groups to resist Harrenhal's cavalry. The moment their numbers grew large enough for Roman to consider it worth his personal attention, he would appear overhead within an hour or two.
Seeing that he could not easily deal with Roman in the north, Duke Mace decided to follow Tywin's suggestion and attack Storm's End in the south to reopen the Roseroad.
Before departing, Mace looked at Tywin with proud satisfaction and said, "Oh, my Lord Hand, just stay here and watch. I will take Storm's End. It will be a fine wedding gift for my daughter and His Majesty Joffrey!"
Tywin stared at the fool in front of him. For a moment he had countless cutting replies ready, but he held his tongue.
The Westerlands were still recovering. Everything in King's Landing currently depended on House Tyrell. Without real power, the Old Lion had no choice but to endure.
In the end, he offered only a dry reminder: "Lord Mace, Storm's End has stood impregnable for many years. I hope you achieve victory this time and do not let Stannis win again as he did before."
Mace's proud, fleshy face instantly fell. He glared at Tywin angrily, but all he saw on the Old Lion's face was calm sincerity.
The Inflated Fish, who had been ready to argue, deflated at once. He snorted coldly and slammed the door on his way out.
After Mace left, Tywin immediately wrote to Olenna Tyrell, the Queen of Thorns. He proposed marrying Cersei to Willas Tyrell, heir to Highgarden, to further bind the two houses and silence the ugly rumors of incest.
Lannister had been badly wounded. Tywin needed to buy time for his house to recover.
He thought grimly: One year. It will take at least a year for the Westerlands to regain its strength. During that time I can only rely on the Reach. Mace is a fool who can be manipulated, but the Queen of Thorns will not sit idle. That old woman is shrewd.
The news of the proposed marriage spread quickly. Tywin deliberately let it leak while secretly hinting to Olenna that any children of Cersei and Willas might have a chance to inherit Casterly Rock.
Whether the Old Rose received the message was unknown, but Cersei was furious. She stormed into Tywin's chambers.
"Father! You cannot do this. I am the Queen Mother, not some broodmare for anyone to ride! I refuse this marriage!"
Tywin replied coldly, "You are my daughter and a Lannister. You will make whatever sacrifices the house requires. Besides, this is no loss. Ser Willas is heir to the Reach—handsome, intelligent, and kind. It is far better than listening to those vile rumors in the Red Keep."
Cersei snapped, "That still won't do! Willas is Margaery's brother. Joffrey is marrying Margaery. If I marry Willas, how will I ever hold my head up in front of them?"
Tywin's patience finally snapped. He hated when his children talked back, especially when they opposed him on matters of house interest.
"Shut up! Look at what you've become. What use have you been lately except bringing shame to our house? Being a wife suits you far better than playing at being Queen Mother. At least then you won't delusionally try to control power that does not belong to you!"
With that, Tywin turned and left, refusing to hear another word from her.
On his way back to his own chambers he passed Kevan and Tyrion, both looking drained.
To his brother he gave a calm nod, acknowledging Kevan's steady work during the crisis.
But when his eyes fell on Tyrion, his expression twisted with open disgust. The disappointment was carved into every line of his face.
The Imp opened his mouth as if to speak, but in the end said nothing. He truly had no face left to face his father.
Even if the defeat at Blackwater had not been entirely his fault, even if he had defended the city as well as anyone could, it made no difference.
Kevan could only sigh. After Tywin left, he patted Tyrion's shoulder.
"Come, nephew. Your uncle will buy you a drink and a proper meal. Set everything else aside for now and recover your strength first."
A few days later, Tywin sat at the Hand's table as usual, waiting for a reply from the Queen of Thorns. The silence from Highgarden left him frustrated. He understood that House Tyrell was simply holding out for a better price.
"Things are not going well…"
Before he could finish the thought, a panicked attendant burst in.
"My lord! Queen Mother Cersei has released news that she intends to marry Princess Myrcella to the heir of the Vale!"
Tywin: "??!!"
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