A warm wind blew through the gardens of Highgarden and the sun shone brightly, as Willas Tyrell, first born son of the Lord Paramount Mace Tyrell, sat on his favorite terrace. He enjoyed the moment of peace that he had been given, for it was the first during the madness his father had started by hosting such an ostentatious tournament.
The entire event was just too much to bear for him. Even without his crippled leg it would have been tiring. His father wanted to host the greatest event since Harrenhal, a task that was both costly, difficult and dangerous at the same time. He had warned his father, told him about his reservations. Events of this size, where the lords from all corners of the realm would come together, would inevitably invite trouble. But Mace Tyrell wouldn't listen. He had hoped that his grandmother would put her foot down and stop this madness, but for some reason she was insisting on this tournament as well.
Oh how he hated that in the end his fears had come true. Just like the last great tournament, this one would also be remembered as the prelude to a great war. And his family was once more involved in the entire mess. He played his own part till now, as his family negotiated with the caretakers of the last Targaryen in Westeros. Even now they were about to finalize his engagement to Rhaenys Targaryen. All for the sake of the realm, they claimed. But he had seen an entirely different side to it.
The young girl he had met years ago had grown up. The innocent child with a tragic past, had turned into a beautiful young woman, whose pride in her family was only surpassed by her wish to avenge her murdered mother and brother. He had seen it during the melee, when all hell broke loose due to a decision she had made. He had seen the shock on her face, as she realized what consequences her actions could have. She was truly dangerous. Not just because of all the men who would willingly fight and die for her, but also because she had completely closed her eyes to possible consequences for the realm, should she press on with her plans.
He was not sure whether this was the path his family should take. He liked the young Rhaenys Targaryen, the girl who had smiled so brightly when he gifted her one of the horses he had bred. But that girl was gone or at least hidden underneath the guise of the royal princess.
"So here you have ended up. I was wondering why you had not joined your sister's little feast." He turned his head, to see the entrance to the canopy. There he saw his grandmother, the lady Olenna. "You have been missed."
Willas sighed, as his gaze wandered once more. He could see most of the gardens from here, as well as a greater part of the castle and the city of tents, outside of the walls. "I needed time to collect my thoughts. Such festivities tire me out far too quickly and I have much to consider."
"That you have indeed." Olenna said in concurrence, as she sat down next to her grandson. "So, what is troubling you?"
"My planned betrothal, among other things."
"Ah. Not happy with what they have offered you? You get a girl from one of the oldest and most distinguished bloodlines. Dorne's bronze dragon. A great honor. Your father would say yes without hesitation, it is after all the greatest honor this realm has to offer. The Targaryens are very peculiar when it comes to their daughters... but alas, Mace also believes that it would be an honor, would you make up a new title and give it to him, just so he has something that no else has." Olenna said dryly.
"A dangerous honor for House Tyrell. We are powerful at the moment. Not the most powerful, but we are rich, our people fed and our lands secure. The marriage with the princess would earn us many enemies." Willas said thoughtfully, as he watched his sister's feast in the garden beneath them. They couldn't see him from down there, but he had seen her. Rhaenys. As she talked to his sister and as she left with Allyria Lannister not long ago.
"Not everything that seems golden is actually worth that much. Your father sees a golden opportunity with this marriage. Not to mention that it would also ease the tensions between the Reach and Dorne. But the chance is not golden, it is red. Red like the blood of the countless men that will bleed and die in the next war. Everything comes at a price, Willas."
"I know, grandmother. And the price for Rhaenys could be too high for us to pay." He shook his head wearily. "What do you think of the princess?"
"A foolish child, that has yet much to learn. Growing up in Dorne was not good for her, as the women from Dorne have a tendency to be more troublesome for the rest of the realm. They are more licentious, more headstrong. The other lords of the realm do not appreciate that. But with the right guidance, she could become greater than her family's last few leaders." She paused for a moment, looking thoughtful, before she continued, "The Targaryens have always been a dangerous group of inbred fools with delusions of grandeur. But despite that, they still command the loyalty of many men. Even this bronze dragon. But the girl has no aspiration to rule and by marrying her, we would have to place our trust in a king we have not met yet."
"Viserys..." To him this was just a name. Willas had not met the exiled prince before. He had never conversed with this heir to the crown. No letters, no messenger, nothing. The loyalists had always used Rhaenys as their figurehead, with great success. But why? The fact that Prince Viserys is still in Essos is not a sufficient enough reason to never present him or to keep everyone from contacting him personally.
"But the question is, what do you think about her and her proposal?" Olenna asked Willas, her keen eyes watching him for any sign of weakness. He knew what she expected of him, but meeting her expectations was seldom easy.
And what did he think? Yes or no, two simple answers, but both with vastly different and very dangerous consequences. "The offer is tempting and I have to admit that Rhaenys is a charming girl. But this isn't just about me and what I want."
"A lesson that your father has never truly learned. I know I have always been too hard on him, but he has no idea how a lord should act. But listen, Willas, this decision is yours now. You decide the fate of House Tyrell and the entire Reach." This was a first time experience, even for him. His grandmother had controlled House Tyrell ever since her marriage to Luthor Tyrell. That she would allow him to make such an important decision was a tremendous sign of trust.
But which side should he choose? The Baratheons or the Targaryens. Dragons or Stags...
Then he saw a lone rider rushing towards the gates of the castle and more men on horses much further behind. Once the rider had gotten closer, he could recognize him as his brother Garlan. But why would he return in such a hurry? The hunt was not supposed to end before the end of this day, but it was barely past noon now.
"It seems that the decision isn't yours after all. A fool has made it for you." Olenna commented, as she saw Garlan. Willas younger brother had reached his sister's feast and could be seen talking to her in hushed voices. The other guests looked worriedly at him, some even left. "One lion has already caught onto it, as I would have expected."
Willas watched in silence, as Margaery pointed towards his terrace. She couldn't know that he was here, but his grandmother might have told her where she would go. Not that it mattered. A cold dread settled in the pit of his stomach, as he saw Garlan rush towards the terrace now. He knew that his grandmother was right, the decision might no longer be his at all.
"Willas! Grandmother! Good, both of you are here. I come bearing bad news from the hunt." Garlan was slightly out of breath, as he reached them, but there was still an urgency in his actions that warranted caution.
"And I see that you have learned. You ignored your father and came to us. Well done for once," Lady Olenna remarked mockingly. "But that you come to tell us that your insane hunt has caused trouble is neither a surprise, nor do I even feel the need to tell you how disappointed I am."
"Aye, the hunt has failed. I wanted them to cool down by spilling the blood of some game, but all these fools can think about is quarreling among each other." Garlan sounded exhausted. Willas could easily see that the recent events had obviously unsettled his younger brother. He could only hope that this was an overreaction, but knowing Garlan, it most likely wasn't.
"Who has died?" Willas finally asked with a wary sigh.
"No one. Not yet at least." Garlan replied, as he started pacing around. "But the Usurper's son, Joffrey, and Ser Jaime's son have started another fight. It ended with the prince in the dirt, the Lannister boy's sword at his throat. When the Usurper saw that... he was mad with rage. Had it not been for Lord Stark's interference, we would have had a fight right then and there."
"Whose side were you on?" Lady Olenna asked, her voice strict and bar any kindness for her grandchild.
"I tried to keep the peace..."
"Whose side, Garlan?" The old lady asked again, her voice even colder now.
"I stood with Ser Jaime and Ser Addam..."
Lady Olenna looked long at Garlan without uttering a word and not even Willas dared to end the silence, that weighed so heavily on his mind. He knew very well what this would mean for them. The decision was truly no longer his to make...
"So it begins. You single-handedly decided the fate of our family and the Reach, Garlan. Now we have little choice, but to join with the Targaryen loyalists." Willas said. Now it was no longer a question of whether he wanted to marry Rhaenys or not, now it would be a necessity to strengthen their alliance against the Usurper and his lords.
"Maybe we can still stay neutral..." Garlan tried, but Olenna wouldn't let him finish.
"Foolish boy, you have seen that Baratheon fool yourself. Robert Baratheon never liked our House, just because we were Targaryen loyalists during the last war. But now that he has seen you join forces with his enemies, he can only assume that we are once more loyal to the dragons." Olenna chided Garlan.
"But what about Margaery? She is married to that fool king's little brother. Should we join the Baratheon's enemies, she would be a hostage." Garlan said, incensed.
"She will be alright. Luckily there is one thing that the Usurper is even worse at than being king. Being a brother." Willas said calmly, as he pushed himself up from his seat and grabbed his walking cane.
"You don't believe that he will betray his own brother to side with us?" Willas smiled weakly when he saw the disbelieving look on his brother's face. He had to admit, he was skeptical at first, too. But his grandmother had hatched this plan long ago, when she sent Loras to Renly Baratheon to serve as his page. The youngest Tyrell son had worked on this for years, to convince the Storm Lord that siding with his warmongering brother was not in his best interest.
"No. He will most likely never join our cause. But that is irrelevant. We simply don't want the Stormlands in this war or at least we want to delay their entrance. Renly dislikes Robert enough, to keep his troops at home and wait for a golden opportunity. Sooner or later he might join the war, on whatever side he sees as the most beneficial for him."
"So you have already made preparations for a war against the Usurper!" Garlan accused, even angrier now. His grandmother had just chided him like a petty child for siding with the Targaryen loyalists and now he has to find out that they had already made plans in advance, for this alliance. Willas could see how this would anger his brother.
"Foolish child, of course we have made preparations for every eventuality. The realm has approached this war for years. We Tyrells will not just survive this new struggle for that damned chair in King's Landing, but we will also come out more powerful than before."
"Garlan, please go and double all the guards in the castle and around. I do not want to be surprised by anything. And make sure that they are subtle about it." Willas said, to quell any further objections from his little brother. He knew that Garlan was angry, but he also knew that he respected him enough to fulfill his orders. "And I... I will have to inform Loras and Lord Renly about this development. They deserve to know."
Garlan nodded, before he left swiftly. But not without giving his grandmother one last withering glare on the way. Her actions had truly offended the proud man. But Lady Olenna ignored it. Instead she left as well, without further words, leaving Willas to his own devices. He already knew what to do. So he left, as quickly as his crippled leg would carry him.
Finding Loras and Renly was not difficult at all. They had used the absence of most of the other guests... to train jousting. It was oftentimes irritating and though he did not judge them for their preferences, he worried for Margaery's future and her reputation, should it ever become public knowledge, that her husband preferred the presence of her brother more than hers in his bed.
Soon he reached the rooms that Renly was supposed to share with Margaery after their wedding. He knew that his sister had only been here once, after the bedding on her wedding night. She had returned to her own rooms ever since, not that Renly would have objected. And no one else would ever find out. The servants in this part of the castle were carefully selected for their secrecy and even the guards were exceptionally loyal of the young Storm Lord.
Even now the guards were watching him sullenly and blocked his path. "Pardon, milord, but we cannot allow you to pass. Lord Renly asked not to be disturbed." Willas wasn't sure whether he should feel amused or offended by this action. This was his home, his castle. No one but his grandmother would ever dare to give him orders. And this guard... something was off. Only when he looked closer, he realized that under the mask, there was a very ungainly face hidden from view. Something was definitely not right with this one.
"I have urgent business with your lord and my brother. I know that both happen to be in there."
"We cannot let you pass. I am sorry, milord." The woman said again.
"You guard him, to keep him safe from all who would wish him harm?" Willas asked her, slightly miffed the situation. He had no time to spare.
"Aye, milord."
"I commend your loyalty. But why do you believe that an unarmed cripple is a threat to him? Not to mention that he is with the famed Knight of Flowers, who is more than bodily able to defend himself. Not to mention that the knight is my brother?" The woman didn't answer, but he could see that she was taken aback by his questions. "Now, I will go and talk to my brother and your lord. You can answer me later, once you have found an answer." He pushed past her and she did nothing to stop him. Neither did the other guards act.
But the moment he entered the room, he already regretted it. Immediately his senses were assaulted by the actions that happened in the room. The musky smell offended his nose, the sounds he heard were not what he ever wanted to hear from his brother. And the sight his eyes had to see, made him seriously reconsider his decision to inform these two first.
Willas cleared his throat, to get the attention of the two men. Both nearly jumped out the bed in surprise, when they saw him standing near the door, leaning heavily on his cane.
"Willas? Why are you here? This is not what..."
"Peace, brother, I am here on urgent business." Loras looked alarmed and immediately jumped out of his bed. "For the love of the Mother, cover yourself, Loras. This is not what I want to see of my brother. Nor was what I had to see before."
"The question remains, why are you here, Lord Willas?" Renly said, as he stood up as well and picked up his pants from the ground.
"It has begun, Lord Renly. Your brother has finally gotten what he wanted. A dumb excuse to start a war. An attack on the king's son, Prince Joffrey." Willas said grimly. "A farce, no doubt. It is no secret that the prince and his cousin, Arthur Lannister, are itching to fight each other. This is all a matter of childish idiocy, used to start a war that could possible destroy this realm."
"Is it really this bad?" Renly inquired. He looked thoughtful, unsure of what he should think of this situation. And Willas couldn't be sure what Renly would do now. They had prepared for this, but ultimately, no one could say what Renly would really do.
"The war is inevitable now."
"Then I must gather my men and ride for Storm's End immediately. We have no time to waste." Renly said, as he rushed around to dress in a hurry.
"To do what, Lord Renly?" Willas asked pointedly.
"I remember our agreement well enough, Lord Willas. If my brother is the one to shed the first blood in this war, I will not call for my banners, nor will I fight in an unjustly started war. All for honor's sake." Renly declared evenly. But Willas wasn't convinced. This young man was after all a member of the Usurper's Small Council. But Loras had assured him that Renly would see reason. He could only hope for the best now. "Oh the insanity. Dragons and Stags, once more quarreling for that chair. It isn't even comfortable." He muttered the last part, as he finally found a fitting cloak and pulled it on.
"House Tyrell does not want this war, but you know that your brother lusts for another war to destroy House Targaryen. And the Targaryens will not sit by and watch idly while someone else rules the realm that their ancestor have created. Peace was never an option, it was merely a pause to the conflict that has raged fourteen years ago. It will only end when one side ceases to exist. Either House Targaryen will become extinct or all rebels will die a traitor's death." Willas said solemnly. He didn't want the war, he didn't want his family to be drawn into this war. But he had no choice. And Rhaenys, the sweet girl he had once gotten to know, was now a vengeful woman, who lacked the foresight to see how much misery her war will bring to all of her people. Now it would be up to him, to lead her and influence her. As her husband. Yet he had no idea how he was supposed to tame this wild dragon.