Chapter 140: Brothers Turned Against Each Other
The Stormlands, the Kingswood, near the Rose Road
This was near the Rose Road, a vast stretch of open land. About thirty leagues to the southwest lay Grassy Vale in .
Since it stood at the junction of , , and the Stormlands, few people ever came to develop it. Aside from the occasional shepherd, the area was largely deserted.
Today, however, this nameless patch of land welcomed the arrival of two Baratheon kings. Though House Baratheon was regarded as usurpers by some, their bloodline and status were still significant enough for the maesters to record this historic meeting.
At this moment, the two self-proclaimed Baratheon kings rode toward each other for a face-to-face negotiation. Their respective retinues and soldiers stood roughly two hundred meters behind them.
was accompanied by the "Knight of Flowers" and the "Maid of Tarth" , while was accompanied by Roy and the "Onion Knight" .
Upon meeting, both Baratheons instinctively reined in their horses. As the estranged brothers looked at each other once more, their emotions were complicated.
They stared at one another with eyes full of determination and vigilance, neither showing any intention of backing down. Both believed themselves to be the rightful heir to the Iron Throne.
The handsome Renly still wore his incredibly lavish armor. The gilded stag-antler crown shimmered beneath the sunlight, and his gentle, approachable expression made him appear pleasant at first glance.
Though Renly appeared calm and confident today, a faint trace of worry still lingered between his brows.
As Stannis's younger brother, Renly knew his brother's temperament very well. The rigid and stubborn Stannis would never surrender easily.
Back during the siege of by the armies of , Stannis would rather eat dead rats—and had even considered cannibalism—than contemplate surrender.
Renly understood that the reason his brother had called for negotiations was surely to persuade him to yield. However, Renly did not know what hidden cards or support Stannis possessed.
So throughout the journey, Renly had been thinking about how to convince his brother and avoid a battle that would leave both sides crippled.
Today, Stannis remained as cold and severe as ever. His face was as hard and grim as his temperament itself. As the saying went, a leopard could not change its spots. Although he had learned some restraint, he was still the same Stannis whenever his interests were challenged.
Mounted atop a black warhorse, Stannis wore black armor decorated with jewels. Hanging at his waist was the flaming sword, Lightbringer, gifted to him by .
Unlike Renly, Stannis was a seasoned battlefield commander. He had once led the Royal Fleet to crush the famous Iron Fleet. While he lacked the overwhelming martial prowess of his elder brother , years of military experience gave him absolute confidence in winning this battle.
Especially after receiving Jon's secret weapon, Stannis's confidence had grown even stronger.
As the initiator of the negotiations, Stannis spoke first, his voice firm and commanding:
"Renly, there is no need for war between us. I am the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, and you are merely my younger brother. I have no sons, only Shireen as my heir. Once I ascend the Iron Throne, you will remain my successor."
After hearing his brother's words, Renly fell silent for a moment before replying:
"My dear brother, you cannot possibly have only Shireen forever. Once you become king, countless nobles will seek to marry their fertile daughters to you. I would never truly inherit anything."
To Renly, Stannis's offer sounded like mockery. A meaningless title was nowhere near enough to make him surrender.
"I already possess the Stormlands and . I command an army of a hundred thousand men. I am the one truly fit to sit the Iron Throne. In terms of prestige, you cannot compare to me. In terms of dealing with people, you cannot compare to me. Why should I not be king?"
"This is what our elder brother owed me. I sacrificed everything for House Baratheon. I was the one who should have inherited Storm's End, yet Robert gave it to you instead. You have already gained so much—what more do you want? Why must you fight me for the throne?"
Stannis's voice carried unconcealed anger at his younger brother's ambitions.
Ever since Robert seized the Iron Throne, Stannis had been sacrificing for House Baratheon. Whether it was capturing or suppressing the Iron Islands rebellion later, Stannis had always given everything.
Yet in the end, he received almost nothing. Meanwhile, Renly—still little more than a child back then—became Lord of the Stormlands. This had always been one of the deepest grievances in Stannis's heart.
The issue of heirs was another painful topic for him. In Stannis's eyes, it was because he had been forced to live upon barren that his children failed to survive. Even Shireen had barely escaped death after contracting greyscale.
"Only a man beloved by the people can become king, and you cannot, Stannis. Otherwise, when you declared yourself king, half the realm would already have bent the knee."
Renly spoke proudly. In his view, the reason both the Stormlands and supported him was because of his superior charisma and political skill.
"A man with your temperament is the easiest to manipulate. If you continue like this, you will only end up like our brother. Do you truly believe you can control everything? House Tyrell is not so simple. In the end, you may meet the very same fate Robert did."
Stannis's words were direct and cutting, openly insulting House Tyrell in the process, immediately provoking the displeasure of .
"Insolent Stannis! You will pay for those words today. I shall personally lead my troops to capture you and make you understand the wrath of House Tyrell!"
"Come back, Loras!"
Feeling his beloved insulted, Loras impulsively spurred his horse forward, but before he could do anything further, Renly stopped him.
"Oh, I nearly forgot—you likely will not even leave behind any heirs, Renly. So what exactly is the point of fighting for this throne?"
Seeing the exchanged glances between Renly and Loras, Stannis finally realized the true nature of the relationship between his brother and the heir of House Tyrell.
had once hinted at the relationship between the two men. Although exposing such matters would tarnish House Baratheon's honor, Stannis no longer cared.
"Enough! Since neither of us can persuade the other, then let strength decide everything!"
Renly was now thoroughly enraged. Though only six people stood present, having his secret exposed still made him feel deeply humiliated.
"I hope you do not regret this."
After saying those words, Stannis turned his horse around and rode back toward the Kingswood, while Renly cast one final glance toward the forest before returning to his own army.
The Rose Road connected with the Kingsroad through the Stormlands. Once the decisive battle here concluded, the victor would be able to march north straight toward .
After the negotiations collapsed, Renly remained in a dark mood. A few minutes later, he returned to his royal pavilion. Upon entering, servants hurried forward to remove his breastplate.
After drinking a mouthful of wine, Renly walked toward the high seat, escorted by and , while the beautiful Queen gently wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Your Grace, did you discover any important intelligence from Stannis?"
The speaker was . Although he had been observing the Kingswood with a Myrish lens, he had learned little beyond the general layout of Stannis's forces.
As for the enemy's formation, equipment, or hidden arrangements, Renly's camp remained almost entirely ignorant. They only knew the rough extent of the opposing army, but such information could easily be deceptive. If they failed to locate Stannis's true command position, their troops might charge directly into a trap.
"That despicable Stannis merely wishes to weaken the momentum of our cavalry charge through these tricks. The man truly does not dare face us honorably."
The "Knight of Flowers" spoke with obvious personal emotion, causing several battle-hardened nobles nearby to secretly roll their eyes.
"Ser Loras, war has never been fair. If had relied solely upon his thousand soldiers to conquer the Seven Kingdoms, he would have died long ago."
Although Loras was the heir to House Tyrell, gave him no face whatsoever.
"Ahem, Your Grace Renly! How should we attack the enemy next?"
Seeing the atmosphere becoming awkward, another noble quickly changed the topic.
"We have no need for complicated tactics. We simply divide the infantry into three lines and advance directly."
himself had no particularly good solution for Stannis's deployment either. In the end, he could only choose the most straightforward method—using overwhelming numbers to crush the enemy head-on.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you like the story please give it some power stones and reviews. And if you want to read 40+ advance chapters or just want to support me please join my patreon at [email protected]/Translatingfanfics