A single letter from Crakehall brought an unexpected disturbance to the otherwise peaceful atmosphere of Highgarden.
"Your Majesty, you must not believe a word Karl wrote in that letter! It is nothing more than a deliberate attempt to drive a wedge between us!"
"That damned bastard not only seduced my daughter, but now he dares to slander House Tyrell with such despicable lies!"
"Your Majesty, House Tyrell has always been loyal to you. We have never harbored any disloyal intentions!"
Lord Mace Tyrell stood before Renly Baratheon in the gardens of Highgarden, anxiously explaining himself while cursing Karl with clenched teeth.
To this day, he still couldn't understand how everything had spiraled so far out of control.
His beloved daughter, Margaery Tyrell, who was supposed to marry Renly Baratheon, had suddenly disappeared without warning.
By the time he learned of her disappearance, she had already been gone for several days.
The maid who had helped Margaery escape had been imprisoned and severely punished, while Mace had immediately dispatched men to track his daughter down.
Unfortunately, before the matter could be resolved, even worse news arrived.
Renly's expression was equally uncomfortable.
After all, Margaery was his fiancée.
No matter how anyone looked at it, he was the one who had lost the most face in this situation.
What made it even worse was that he had learned of the incident later than everyone else.
As Margaery's intended husband, he should have been among the first to know.
Instead, he had been the last.
His fiancée had run away with another man, and he remained completely unaware until it was too late.
The humiliation was difficult to ignore.
Because he was a guest in Highgarden, he couldn't openly interfere in House Tyrell's affairs or demand that troops be sent after her.
The best solution had been to quietly suppress the matter and allow House Tyrell to handle it discreetly.
If everything remained hidden, everyone could simply pretend nothing had happened.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
Instead of the scandal fading away, Renly received a letter from Crakehall.
The sender was none other than Karl Baratheon—his ambitious nephew and rival claimant to the throne.
The contents of the letter left Renly seething.
Karl casually informed him that Margaery was now his prisoner.
He also made it very clear that he had already taken her for himself.
The moment Renly finished reading, it felt as though Karl himself were standing before him, repeatedly slapping him across the face.
The humiliation was immense.
Margaery had followed him from King's Landing after Robert's death. She was supposed to become his queen.
Instead, she had run away with Robert's bastard son—the very man competing with him for the Iron Throne.
In Renly's eyes, it was the ultimate insult.
Granted, he wasn't truly in love with Margaery.
Their marriage had always been political.
And despite his preference for men, particularly Loras Tyrell, appearances still mattered.
Public perception mattered even more.
If this story spread throughout the Seven Kingdoms, the damage to his reputation would be severe.
What angered him most wasn't merely Margaery's betrayal.
It was Karl's behavior afterward.
Karl hadn't simply taken Margaery.
He had used her arrival as an excuse to destroy House Crakehall and seize control of Crakehall itself.
Then he had written this infuriating letter, mocking Renly while attempting to sow distrust between him and House Tyrell.
The letter accused House Tyrell of secretly plotting against him.
It claimed their conspiracy had been exposed.
Karl even warned Renly not to trust those around him, implying that House Tyrell would eventually betray him.
The final insult came at the end.
Karl urged Renly to surrender.
If he submitted now and stopped causing unnecessary losses, Karl promised to graciously pardon him.
He would still be treated as a beloved uncle.
Renly nearly crushed the letter in his hand.
The bastard had stolen his fiancée, insulted his honor, challenged his claim to the throne, and now demanded his surrender.
The arrogance was unbelievable.
Had House Tyrell not repeatedly urged restraint, Renly might have marched on Crakehall himself.
Still, despite the accusations in the letter, he couldn't allow himself to show suspicion toward House Tyrell.
Doing so would only play directly into Karl's hands.
If Karl's goal was to create distrust between Renly and his most important ally, then responding emotionally would be foolish.
More importantly, House Tyrell had given him no reason to doubt them.
Margaery's disappearance had clearly caught them off guard.
Their reaction afterward had been one of outrage rather than complicity.
Furthermore, Loras Tyrell had privately assured him that there had never been any conspiracy.
According to Loras, Margaery had long admired Karl—even when he was nothing more than a landless knight.
That explanation made the situation easier to accept.
At least somewhat.
Renly chose to view the incident as the reckless decision of a lovestruck young woman.
After all, Margaery knew about his relationship with Loras.
Being forced into a political marriage with a man romantically involved with her own brother could hardly have been appealing.
After speaking with Loras, Renly found himself sympathizing with her.
Love, after all, was difficult to resist.
He understood that better than most.
---
"Mace Tyrell, do not worry," Renly finally said.
"I have no intention of believing Karl's nonsense."
He smiled calmly.
"Although I must admit, the boy is talented. He excels not only at warfare but also at psychological manipulation."
Relief immediately appeared on Mace Tyrell's face.
For a moment, he had truly feared Renly might suspect House Tyrell.
If that happened, their alliance would collapse.
House Tyrell would become the laughingstock of the Seven Kingdoms.
"Your Majesty's wisdom is unmatched!" Mace exclaimed.
"It is only because of your great intelligence that you were able to see through that bastard's scheme."
Renly waved the compliment aside.
"I trust House Tyrell, just as House Tyrell trusts me."
"Our alliance will not be broken by a few lies."
Then his tone became more serious.
"However, this matter still needs to be resolved quickly."
He didn't need to explain why.
Everyone present understood.
The greatest victim of this scandal was not House Tyrell.
It was King Renly Baratheon.
Loras stepped forward.
"The only way to completely silence these rumors is to bring Margaery back."
Mace nodded immediately.
"I have already summoned my banners."
"My mother has also contacted House Redwyne. Their fleet will assist us."
His expression darkened.
"Karl will pay for this insult."
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
This time, even Lady Olenna had been provoked.
In response, Mace had issued summonses throughout the Reach in his capacity as Warden of the South.
He intended to make Karl regret humiliating House Tyrell.
Renly exchanged a glance with Loras before nodding.
"Good."
"Then I have another matter to discuss."
Mace looked up.
"Your Majesty?"
"I intend to leave Highgarden and return to Storm's End."
Mace froze.
For a brief moment, panic returned.
Was Renly secretly suspicious after all?
Fortunately, Loras immediately stepped in.
"No, Father."
"His Majesty's absence has created unrest in the Stormlands."
"Some lords have begun questioning his claim."
"Furthermore, Stannis Baratheon appears to be mobilizing his fleet. Storm's End may be his target."
Mace's expression grew serious.
The situation was indeed troublesome.
At the moment, three members of House Baratheon were claiming the crown.
Stannis.
Renly.
And Karl.
Under such circumstances, uncertainty among the Stormlords was inevitable.
Renly had spent years cultivating support in the Stormlands, yet even there doubts were beginning to appear.
Part of the problem stemmed from the truth revealed after Robert's death.
Eddard Stark had exposed much of what had happened in King's Landing.
Worse still, Renly himself had witnessed Robert legitimizing Karl.
Now he was openly challenging that succession.
To some, that made his position appear hypocritical.
Still, Renly remained confident.
He had another reason for wanting to return.
The dragon.
Karl's dragon.
At first, the news had worried him.
But Lady Olenna had offered a different perspective.
Karl was a bastard.
If a bastard could hatch and ride a dragon, then why couldn't a true-born Baratheon?
The thought had taken root in Renly's mind.
Perhaps the dragon wasn't Karl's greatest advantage.
Perhaps it would eventually become Renly's.
Now, with House Tyrell fully committed to war, his presence in Highgarden was no longer necessary.
It was time to secure the Stormlands, deal with Stannis, and prepare for the next stage of the conflict.
In his mind, the future was becoming clearer.
Karl would be defeated.
Stannis would be defeated.
The Iron Throne would belong to him.
And perhaps...
So would a dragon.
Renly looked up toward the heavens.
The blood-red comet still blazed across the sky.
A smile slowly appeared on his face.
"Ser Loras," he asked quietly.
"What do you think we should call that comet?"
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