Chapitre 20: -Chapter 19-

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'You're the real heroes'.

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-Chapter 19-

-POV MC-

-12 hours later-

Hearing the cries in the camp, I finally smiled.

I had finally succeeded; Renly was dead, Robert was dead, and Penrose was probably dead too. Jaime had been captured and would soon lose his hand, and Cersei was surrounded by enemies.

I had 'accomplished' all this without ever intervening, letting them kill each other.

Now it was the moment I had been waiting for.

I controlled my facial expression, then I came out of my tent and asked Victor:

"What is happening, Victor?"

"Renly Baratheon is dead."

"WHAT?!" I said in shock.

"WHO DARED TO KILL OUR KING?" I yelled, furious.

'I should have been an actor in a past life,' I thought, seeing Victor shocked by my sudden anger.

I ran to Renly's tent holding Heart of Griffon by the scabbard, and then I stopped dead at the sight of Renly's body resting on a table and the Tyrells gathered around him.

"DAMN IT."

They all turned to me, and then I asked coldly: "Who did this?"

"Apparently, it was Brienne of Tarth," said Margaery.

"No, that's impossible," I said directly.

Loras Tyrell looked up as if I were a beacon in a storm, and then I said, gritting my teeth and clenching my sword in fury:

"It was that bastard STANNIS. No one had more to gain from our king's death than him. By killing his brother, he has not only become a kinslayer but also a regicide. We must retaliate. You are the queen, give us the order to attack."

The Tyrells frowned, and then Margaery said: "Without Renly, I have no claim to the throne, and as you must know, we don't have..."

"It can't end like this. I've seen many traitors fleeing to serve Stannis," I said, interrupting her. I just needed an excuse to destroy Stannis with the Tyrell armies.

"It's over, he has won," said Garlan Tyrell, trying to stop us, for House Tyrell had nothing to gain from this war now that the king they intended to control was dead.

We looked at each other for a few seconds, and then I said: "It's over when I decide it's over. I will avenge our king with or without you."

I turned around and then said:

"In less than 5 hours, all the available men from my house will be here. I dispatched them as soon as I arrived here in case we couldn't defeat Stannis."

"How many?" asked Loras with a bit of hope.

"At least 10,000 soldiers will come. All those who side with Stannis will know why they call me the Bloody Griffon. VICTOR, PREPARE ALL OUR MEN. I WANT THEM READY IN HALF AN HOUR."

---

-POV Loras Tyrell-

I watched Ronnet Connington. I had only one desire: to follow him and fight Stannis, but most of the Stormlands lords were going to serve Stannis and even some of our father's bannerets, such as the Florents, who were supposed to be loyal to our family.

"Don't do this," said Garlan.

"I have to," I said without thinking. Unintentionally, Garlan had just helped me make my decision.

Garlan said: "He only cares about his own interests; don't be fooled by his little act. He didn't like Renly."

I said: "But at least he is going to fight while you flee like cowards."

His words brought me back to reality, but I didn't care. All I wanted was for Stannis to die. Whether he liked it or not, whether he used his death or not, as long as he could avenge Renly, I had no problem putting my sword in his hands.

"You are coming back with us, this is non-negotiable," said Garlan.

"I'm sorry, but that's not possible," I said, standing up and taking my weapons.

"You know very well that I won't abandon you here, but our bannerets won't all support us. You're asking me to choose between my brother or a civil war among the soldiers of the Reach," said Garlan.

"No, I'm not asking you for anything, but if you prefer to abandon your brother because you're afraid of those traitors, that's your choice," I said, grabbing my helmet and quickly going out to saddle my horse and find Lord Connington.

---

-POV MC-

The sun was rising, and Stannis's and my armies were facing each other at the foot of Storm's End. My plan was in place. Now, whatever the outcome, I had to move forward and try to kill Stannis.

Almost all the Stormlands houses had joined Stannis: 5,000 cavalry and 25,000 infantry. However, the only houses from the Reach that had joined them were:

House Meadows: 3,000, 2,000 cavalry

House Crane: 4,000, 1,000 cavalry

House Florent: 7,000, 2,000 cavalry

House Fossoway of Cider Hall: 4,000, 500 cavalry

House Fossoway of New Barrel: 3,000, 1,000 cavalry

House Mullendore: 4,500, 500 cavalry

House Varner: 4,000, 700 cavalry

House Willum: 2,000, 1,500 cavalry

"Victor, I want you to follow me, and if I die, bring Heart of Griffon to Ronald. Also, send the letter that recognizes my son as my heir to Cersei. That woman might keep him alive to raise him as her son's pet, but it's always better than being dead. I also count on you to do what needs to be done," I said.

"You are not going to die."

"I hope you're right, but I'm not invincible. I'm still a man after all," I said.

Looking at the 70,000 men gathered in front of our army, barely 50,000 strong, I felt like swearing loudly.

With much persuasion, I managed to get Randyll Tarly to agree to fight for us.

My standing army arrived in well-ordered and well-prepared formation.

It includes 10,000 infantry, 1,000 additional cavalry, and 5,000 archers, a practice I had encouraged by organizing archery tournaments all over my territory. So even without knowing how to fight, many knew how to shoot a bow.

I threw all my forces into the battle.

Seeing my confidence and involvement, I managed to convince the lord of House Penrose that his son had been assassinated and that it was his duty to ensure he was avenged, which was true since Melisandre had not made just one shadow assassin but two: one for the castellan and another for Renly, hoping that once the head of the serpent was cut off, everyone would bend the knee to the one true king Azor Ahai and all that nonsense.

Loras Tyrell and Garlan Tyrell, who had finally not abandoned their little brother, contributed with 15,000 men.

House Connington: 17,000 soldiers

House Tyrell: 15,000 soldiers

House Tarly: 10,000 soldiers

House Tarth: 2,000 soldiers

House Penrose: 1,000 soldiers

And various other small loyal houses, each bringing a few hundred soldiers, totaling 5,000 additional men.

I sighed and then moved forward to the middle of the battlefield to find Stannis.

---

-POV Stannis-

"Kneel and then I will..." I began.

But I would never have thought that Lord Connington would cut me off and say: "Go fuck yourself, you fucking fanatic. You lost the right to be king and to be a man the moment you consorted with dark wizards to assassinate your brother."

"He was no longer my brother," he said, disgusted by the mere mention of his brother.

"But he was my king," I said, pretending to hate him for it when all I wanted to do was thank him with all my heart.

"And our friend," said Loras.

"A little more than that, if I understand correctly," said Stannis, mocking Loras Tyrell.

"You understand nothing. I would rather kneel before the bastard Joffrey than before a monstrosity like you," said Loras, increasingly angry.

"Be careful, Lord Connington. The night is dark and full of terrors."

I said, looking at Melisandre: "The night may be dark and full of terrors, but only for those who do not know the true enemy. And today, I know who I must kill."