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Chapter 24 Decisions must be made.

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Olenna walked with the usual frown on her face. Margaery Tyrell, or rather Baratheon, came forward with her grandmother.

The door banged open as they brought forth Mace Tyrell being gagged and chained up along with Loras being filthy and chains as well.

Finally, Renly Baratheon had come forward as well.

"Mace," Alerie whispers as she sees her husband being chained up. Willas calmed his mother down as they watched from the sidelines.

They all were pushed in front of their King as he sat on their seat.

Now all it awaits on the decisions of what to do with them.

Will they be merciful?

Or….

"What will you say about your reason to go against me?" The King's words echoed in the halls.

Their lives will be forfeit in a gamble they would not get out alive.

The Reach, Highgarden

"No answers?" The King questioned them.

The whole Tyrells and Renly are quiet.

They knew that their game was up.

"I am giving you a chance to say your reasons. Or did you not plan this at all?"

He looked to his queen, and Elysabeth shook her head. It is her way of saying it's best to decide by themselves.

The Tyrells and Renly are not saying a word.

Lord Stannis orders their guards, "Lock up my brother, Lord Tyrell, and his son to the tower. Also, send the rest to their rooms. They are not to leave without any of our guards understood?"

"Yes, Lord Hand." The guards did as they bid.

Three days later…

The Targaryen banner is hung over the House of Tyrells.

King Jaehaerys meets with his wife Elysabeth and Lord Stannis, Ser Davos, Prince Oberyn, Axell Florent Stannis's brother-in-law, and Melisandre.

Lady Selyse is tending with the children, and the rest of the ladies are in waiting, and Lady Stark is with them since she is the daughter of Tully and mother to his cousin Robb to join their meeting.

"What is your council for the fate of Tyrells and Renly?" Jaehaerys announced.

"They rebelled against your grace," Stannis told him. "They are punishment according to by law."

"But they bowed before Renly and never the king, so what punishment should we give them?" Prince Oberyn questioned the Lord's Hand.

"Perhaps, demand an army or least hostages from them." Ser Axell said to them.

"Then we nothing but Lannister's to them." Elysabeth counter against his beliefs. "We need to show them that we are better than the Lannister's. Though it is the Queen of Thorns, I am most concerned about."

"Your concerns are noted, my queen." Melisandre smoothly said. "But if we make one false move, it will give others to follow their examples to rebel against your family again."

Jaehaerys raised his hand to seize their arguments.

"Prince Oberyn, how well is your niece, princess Arianne Martell?" The red Viper is confused with his question but answers either way.

"She is well and charming if by asking such a thing."

"What about her future? Does she have any ideas besides ruling or giving up being your brother's heir?" He heard from Prince Oberyn, his wife, and the sand snakes that Doran doesn't seem to want his firstborn and eldest daughter as his heir. It puzzled everyone.

He turned to Melisandre to look for a reason. She bid as she was told.

Her vision was that he was planning to make his daughter Arianne wife to his uncle, Viserys, the Beggar King. However, that contract was null and void because of his uncle's unexpected death with Drago.

"My brother always plans something. Though, it does give my niece stress and fears that she will be an old maid if she doesn't find a husband." Prince Oberyn lightly laughed.

Jon is silent.

Maybe he could use this if he brings the Reach to the fold.

"Bring in the heir Willas Tyrell and Lady Olenna here."

The guard bowed and went to get their newly hostage.

"My love…" Elysabeth looked at him, but Jon assured her that he had a plan.

Will Tyrell and Lady Olenna came to their meeting.

"Ser Willas Tyrell and Lady Olenna." The King greeted them.

"Oh, you grace us the honor as your prized hostage." Olenna retorted, which stunned Jon but blinked away so no one would notice.

"Grandmother." Willas hissed at her, which Olenna shrugged off.

"You are quite bold saying it to our faces." Queen Elysabeth spoke out as both sides watched if they would have a tongue-lashing battle. "Most prisoners and hostages would stay silent in fear of retaliation."

Lady Olenna looked amused. "Ah, but you see, I am not like most people, and I am old and know when it is the right time to die."

"Despite a better proposal." King Jaehaerys retorted.

"Well, I did try to tell Mace that no, we should not support Renly Baratheon. He is fifth in line." Stannis interrupted, "You mean he is only third of Baratheon's if claimed to the Throne, but king Jaehaerys is first in line to the throne after Rhaegar's death and with my daughter, as his wife made his claim very secured."

"Unless others unseat them." Lady Olenna smugly said.

"And who would unseat them?" Stannis retorted.

"You see, I had my spies, and they told me Daenerys your aunt shall we call her that. She is moving towards Qarth with her dragons." Olenna told them.

"Ah, you mean the girl who was raised not in Westeros. But if you knew that, why didn't you bring her Westeros? Why not try to make her marry one of your grandsons?" That wipe her smug away.

Elysabeth had to bite her lips so that she couldn't smile. She saw others trying not to laugh or smile unless you caught Stannis eyes that seemed to enjoy this.

Well, well. Looks like the Queen of Thorns is speechless, and the Dragon had burned off her thorns.

"Ah perhaps, that you see her as a not worth of your time." He shrugged her off. "I will wait to see if she becomes a threat since I am looking at one right now."

The growling sound came as Ghost snarls at Olenna and Wales circling them. Out came the queens' pet, Meraxes the Shadowcat, has grown big as he hissed at the roses.

Willas looked tense, and Olenna lost the ability to speak.

"Your grace." Willas pleaded with them. Elysabeth leaned into her husband's ears. "I think they learn their lessons." She whispers.

Jon ordered their pets. "Enough!"

Ghost and Meraxes submit and return to their master's side.

"You are willing to bend the knee as the new ruler of Highgarden?" They gasped for everyone, including Wilas and Olenna.

"You mean to kill my father?"

Jon assured them, "You misunderstand. You will not lose your father unless he surrendered his title as Lord of Highgarden and will be sent out to the wall to take the oath. You will not only bend the knee but will rule until a son is born unto you. That would be that there is to be a marriage between two houses. Princess Arianne shall be the wife of Wilas Tyrell and rule Highgarden along his side."

Wilas looked at him, conflicted about what was being pushed to him.

Olenna looked and tried to think about what to gain from this. They had their dragons and sent them on Highgarden to remind everyone that they would burn them or worse given to the new lords of Highgarden.

"Then, if I accept, I wished to add a new marriage contract." Wilas boldly suggested that.

"Oh?" Jon arched his eyebrow.

"I want a marriage for your daughter to my son someday."

The sound made the pin drop until arguments started it out.

"HOW DARE YOU MAKE SUCH A DEAL!"

"SHOOT HIM WITH ARROWS!"

"CUT OFF HIS TONGUE!"

"NO OF MY DAUGHTER TO BE WILL NOT BE A PAWN FOR THE ROSES!"

"SAY THE WORD, MY KING AND WE SHALL HAVE THEIR HEADS!"

Jon looked at everyone and shouted, "SILENCE!"

The Dragon's roar as they sense his displeasure.

It got quiet and remained so.

"You want hypothetical children as part of loyalty and gaining royal blood." The King questioned him. Wales didn't hesitate, "If you want my full loyalty, then allow the Tyrells to keep ruling Highgarden and the Reach since we need to secure our positions with our Bannermen's."

'Ah, so that is why.' Jon gains a thoughtful look. Elysabeth and Stannis did say because of Lord Mace's blunder and being an oaf as he is. They were suspicious that their Bannermen would take their place and create a civil war.

"Send a raven to Prince Doran as we have plans for the wedding."

"What about Renly?" His wife questioned him. "He is still married to a Tyrell."

"We keep him alive for now." He adds, "We need another Baratheon to be born."

Later the night…

"Another Baratheon?" She hissed at her husband, and her hormones were off the roof.

"My love, please remain calm."

"I. Am. Calm." Elysabeth slowly said it.

"We need to have their loyalties if they wish to survive." Jon wants to pursue the Baratheon names to live.

"And if it's a son?" Jon became quiet. "How would we know if that Tyrell bitch of theirs won't try to raise Renly's boy as the next usurper?" Elysabeth is worried that they have their ambitions and won't stop until they place themselves on their Throne.

"We need them. Riverlands need them, and North needs them."

He took her hand in a kind gesture.

"This is what is best to start my rule."

Elysabeth blurted out what would become regret later. "You mean like how Lord Stark married another woman instead of a Frey."

She widens her eyes shocked.

Jon did not expect this.

"What?"

Elysabeth turned her back and sobbed silently.

She didn't mean to, and she was just angry at his decisions for the Tyrells.

"Elysabeth," His voice turned stern. "What do you mean like how Lord Stark married another woman instead of a Frey?"

She said nothing. Only that made him angrier.

He grabbed hold of her shoulders in a tight grip and yelled, "Tell me!" Elysabeth flinched. And the only thought was to tell him.

"Robb had taken another woman. She is the daughter of lord and bannermen of our enemy." She did not look at him and added, "Her family's loyalty belongs to Tywin Lannister."

She told him the truth, and now there will be consequences.

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Merry Christmas, everyone!

Next Chapter, to gain a victory, but at a lost cause. Marriage in turmoil and loyalties are questioned.

Who will win the Throne?

"When you play the Game of Thrones. You win. You die."