A/N: Soo...hey. Sorry if you don't like the way the plot's going, thanks if you do! Plus have you worked out who the other heads of the dragon are?
Clemaria
She had very little on her side, but she knew she would win. She had to win. She could not let Rhaegar down. She had Garlan, and Loras, but she needed the rest of her family. She needed Mace and Willas, she needed Olenna, Alerie and Margaery. If she had House Tyrell, she would have House Vyrwel, House Oakheart, House Hightower, House Crane, House Tarly, House Redwyne, House Rowan, House Fossoway and House Mullendore. Maybe even House Florent, too, although the fact that Stannis Baratheon's wife, Selyse, was a Florent meant that their loyalty was dubious. Although maybe, if she got Florent, she would manage to coax in Baratheon and their sworn houses.
She looked around at her army, and felt ashamed. Most of them were young boys from the Reach who wanted a brawl, or who wanted a monarch from their own Kingdom. There were some mercenaries too. She had been reluctant to hire sellswords, as she felt that it was dishonourable, but Loras had persuaded her that it was necessary.
They had set up a war camp in the grounds of Highgarden. The more experienced fighters were training those who were new to war, and she saw Garlan and Loras doing their bit to train the soldiers. They really believed in this war of hers. Their unquestioning loyalty made her feel desperate to deserve them. She vowed to herself that if she became Queen - no, when, not if, it was her future, not merely some possibility - she would be peaceful, forge new alliances, and bring the Kingdom to prosperity.
One thing though, was preying on her mind. It was said that the Prince That Was Promised would be born the blood of the dragon, amidst salt and smoke. And then Clemaria remembered the story of her birth - how the salt bags had split and it had covered her and her mother. She smiled.
But the smoke, and the implication that she had to be Targaryen! Rhaegar had said something about a dragon having three heads. Perhaps two other people existed in the world, one born amidst smoke, one the blood of the dragon. And even if there were not, she had been given the dream. The vision. She would obey the slaughtered prince.
She wrote passionate letters to her family members in King's Landing, begging them to return home and pledge themselves to her cause, and sent riders with them. They returned still carrying the letters, and with the news that her entire family in King's Landing had been imprisoned because of her rebellion.
That was when she knew what to do. She wrote other letters, to her kin in their strongholds across the Reach, inviting them to come and raise the banner of their house beside her, to free their captive relatives.
Bring yourselves, your brothers and your sons, your ageing uncles and your sworn swords. Bring your nephews and your wards, your bannermen and your servants, from your squires to your untested apprentice blacksmiths. Let us build a great host, that shall strike fear into Lannister hearts!
She told Garlan to "empty out" Highgarden, to train and give weapons to every able bodied man.
"We will have no need for assistant bakers in our war, nor for boot polishers, tailors, and scribes," she told him.
She soon received responses from the other free Tyrells. She had expected a few pledges of allegiance with most ignoring her, but not a single letter was sent but got a reply, and a favourable one at that!
She told her older cousin to stay behind to welcome the arriving Lords and train the men. She and Loras had a very important journey to undertake. They were heading to the Stormlands, to seek out Nina Flowers.
Clemaria did not know why, but she felt it was important to have Nina fighting for her. Perhaps later it would become clear what her purpose was.
