章節 484: Chapter 484: The Situation in the Stormlands
Dorne's mighty army has made a breakthrough, conquering the frontier and completely encircling Highgarden, the capital of the Reach.
Willas Tyrell, heir to House Tyrell, has succeeded his father as the commander of Highgarden. He personally took to the battlements, fortifying the defenses.
Simultaneously, House Tyrell has sent ravens to their most affluent and influential bannermen, the Hightower family of Oldtown, pleading for assistance. They hope they will lead their bannermen and soldiers to break the siege of Highgarden.
The Hightowers, one of the most ancient and proud noble families in Westeros, trace their lineage back to the First Men, like the Starks, and once ruled as kings in the Age of Dawn.
But since then, the Hightowers did not resist the Andal invasion; instead, they assisted and later submitted to successive River Kings, giving up their crown to retain their ancient privileges and status.
The masters of the Hightower, though powerful and exceedingly wealthy, favor trade over war and rarely engage in Westerosi civil strife.
However, during this siege of Highgarden, the Hightowers, known for their shrewd investment and allegiance, answered the call of their liege.
Seemingly committed to standing with the traditional nobility against the Iron Throne, they dispatched a fresh army to Highgarden upon receiving the raven.
Troops gather in this land, and a thick cloud of war now hangs over the prosperous Reach.
King's Landing has just concluded a grand wedding, while the Reach is in turmoil. The recent victory at Nightsong and the siege of Highgarden by Dorne are still fresh and yet to spread.
Meanwhile, in the neighboring Stormlands, House Baratheon should have been the most active in responding to recapture the capital and release the imprisoned king. However, Storm's End has become eerily quiet, seemingly indifferent to the world's events.
When Renly besieged King's Landing, he promised Jaime he would send troops to aid the city, but no one knows where that aid has gone.
Storm's End is only a short distance from King's Landing, but no Baratheon soldiers were seen when the city fell.
Perhaps they heard the news of King's Landing's fall halfway there and turned back.
The entire Stormlands seem offline since the Targaryen army returned, as if awaiting doom.
Dorne's decision to break through the frontier did catch the Stormlands' attention. Renly sent a relief army with supplies, then went silent once more.
However, it's not that Renly doesn't want to act; the situation within Storm's End is more complex than outsiders can imagine.
Since the defeat and dissolution of the Allied Army at Riverrun, Stannis was captured, but his importance is less than King Robert's or the Warden of the North, Eddard Stark, so he was lightly guarded, slightly neglected.
Stannis's aide, the 'Onion Knight' Davos Seaworth, remained loyal. After escaping the battlefield, he hired mercenaries to plot Stannis's rescue, eventually freeing him from King's Landing's dungeon.
But Stannis had no suitable place to go. Dragonstone had long been occupied by the Targaryens, and he had neither soldiers nor money, so he was forced to return home to Storm's End, seeking refuge with his brother.
The current Duke of Storm's End is Stannis's younger brother, the fifteen-year-old Renly Baratheon, who welcomed his older brother without any suspicion, even hosting a feast in his honor.
But the naive boy who initially had no defenses might now be regretting it entirely.
Stannis is not as just as others say; he is serious and lacks humor, unable to flatter or deceive. Yet, he also has personal desires, hidden under a tough, indifferent exterior, making it hard to see through.
When Renly was made Duke of Storm's End and the Baratheon brothers divided the family, he was only a few years old, so the bond between them could hardly be called deep.
The naive boy warmly welcomed his brother, but Stannis was like a wolf among sheep.
Though his knees were wounded, making it hard to stand for long, he quickly used his influence to carve a place in Storm's End, winning over many old followers.
Ten years ago, during Robert's Rebellion, Stannis held the castle for a year, so his reputation in Storm's End is unparalleled.
And now, even though the brothers are only secretly at odds without an open break, Stannis is also a Baratheon, so many of Renly's followers secretly correspond with Stannis without any burden.
But for Renly, realizing his brother's ambition came too late.
As the nominal ruler of the Stormlands, Duke of Storm's End, he has lost control of nearly half his forces. If he turns against his brother now, he may face immediate fragmentation of the Stormlands.
Renly's advisors offered him two options.
The first was to act first, send assassins to catch Stannis off guard, and end him quickly, or else things would get more complicated. But Renly hesitated at this proposal.
In the Faith of the Seven, kinslaying is a grave sin. Even if Renly could ignore it, he couldn't stop people from talking.
The second option was to submit to the Iron Throne, hand over Storm's End and even the Stormlands without a fight, in exchange for the Iron Throne's mercy towards Renly and House Baratheon.
Considering Viserys's treatment of Cersei, who still resides in the Red Keep, and Tyrion's admission to the Small Council, Renly could probably gain some benefits if he surrendered Storm's End, or at least save his life.
But Renly also hesitated at this option, unsure what to do, as surrendering would be like placing his head under someone else's knife, with life and death at their whim.
So he tentatively leaked some information, hoping to gauge the Iron Throne's reaction.
But to his disappointment, the Iron Throne did not respond at all.
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