Chapter 4: The Gods Are Not Merciful

Catelyn was riding at the head of the column, along with Renly and his closest advisors (all from House Tyrell), including his father-in-law Mace, his Captain of the Guard, Loras, to whom he seemed very attached, and Loras's older brother Garlan, who was said to be an even better swordsman and appeared to be more sensible as well.

He would make a fine match for Sansa, if he weren't already married. To a Fossoway, they said. And then there's the older brother, Willas, crippled in a tournament and fond of books, who stayed behind at Highgarden to govern while his father and brothers went to war.

Margaery, on the other hand, had remained at the new camp at the Bronze Gate. However, Catelyn had noticed that behind that pleasant and coquettish demeanor lay a sharp and ambitious mind, as Dacey Mormont had confirmed to her.

"It's incredible, My Lady," she had said. "After five minutes with her, I would have told her things that not even my sisters know."

Catelyn could at least take some comfort, as Renly, after consulting his bannermen, had decided to follow her advice: bring the infantry to the Bronze Gate, then move down with the cavalry to negotiate with Stannis, and was already planning to split his forces, sending half to support Robb. Catelyn prayed they would make it in time—the negotiations could drag on, and the infantry moved at a painfully slow pace—to the point where she hoped one of the two brothers would surrender to the other, or that, if the younger had to destroy the elder, at least they would do so quickly.

Gods, what am I becoming? This cursed war...
At least, as long as Renly accepted the alliance, I wouldn't be tempted to follow Petyr's advice...that snake...he knows how to exploit my weaknesses, but I must remember not to trust him.

Baelish had not spoken to her since that day, but he had not abandoned Renly's camp, remaining as an ambassador of the Iron Throne. It did not reassure her that he had stayed behind with the bulk of the expedition, next to Margaery (the young queen had certainly been made aware of her brothers' plans), and as a precaution, Catelyn had wanted to leave Dacey with her, to keep the situation under control, but the warrior women was more concerned about her Lady's safety, in case a fight broke between the Baratheons brothers broke out.

I could never face Robb again-she had said-if i returned to him, failing to protect his mother.

Catelyn had been grateful to her and kept her company for the trip.

I must hope the negotiations between the two brothers end quickly and in a specific way, Lady Stark prayed—they are children. Spoiled children playing with the realms as if they were toys. But when the Lords throw tantrums, it's everyone else who weeps.

Robb was advancing with his troops toward Ashemark, seat of the great House Marbrand, one of the largest and most loyal to the Lannisters of Casterly Rock, whose symbol was a burning tree.
The castle was large but not huge, perched on a low hill, in a pleasant but barren area. A large village stood at the foot of the mountain.

The plan was to take the fortress—they had moved north from where they had annihilated Stafford's forces, near the Golden Tooth—loot it thoroughly, then continue northwest, attacking the Crag, and then descend rapidly south along the coast—with a bit of luck, they would manage to leave their pursuers in the dust—threatening Casterly Rock directly and plundering Lannisport, while the troops defending these cities had gone north to look for them. At that point, even Tywin Lannister could no longer ignore them.

The siege lasted only a few days. It was said that the heir to House Marbrand, Addam, was a noble and proud warrior with a thick tuft of red hair, and a close friend of Jaime Lannister, but his father, the old Damon, had long since seen his red hair turn to white, and perhaps along with it had lost the will to fight, or perhaps he wanted to spare his people unnecessary suffering.
He surrendered, handed over all the weapons of his fiefdom, his wealth, left hostages, and swore not to take arms against the Wolves, disbanding his remaining armies and sending his men back to the fields.

After a brief stay in his castle, Robb and the others set off for the Crag, burning every lesser fortress they encountered along the way to make it difficult for their pursuers to resupply.

Renly wanted Catelyn Stark at the side of his bannermen on the day of the meeting with Stannis. The woman couldn't say why: perhaps because he had come to trust her, having received good advice from her, or perhaps to impress Stannis, showing him that even the relatives of other claimants turned to him.

Joining them to meet the elder brother were the same ones who rode at the head of the troops—Loras, Garlan, Mace—while Stannis Baratheon, whom Catelyn barely remembered, though the years hadn't changed him much aside from his receding hairline, traveled with only two companions: a middle-aged man with a gray beard and a woman of indeterminate age but striking beauty, with hair of an incredible scarlet color and robes of the same hue.

In the distance, they could see the tents of his men—few—besieging the immense bulk of Storm's End, one of the greatest castles of the Seven Kingdoms, from land, and then the ships—many—that blockaded it from the sea. And they could see something else. Smoke was rising from inside the castle.

"Greetings to you, brother," began Renly with his typical smug smile. "I see that months of separation haven't made you any cheerier."

In truth, Catelyn thought she saw the shadow of a smile appear on Stannis Baratheon's face; an extremely rare and worrying sight.

"Only fools laugh all the time, brother," replied the elder of the two, "but today I have good reason to rejoice. Just yesterday, Storm's End, our ancestral seat, surrendered to me. I now control the castle where we were born."

A look of shock spread through Renly's retinue.
"But...how is that possible? Courtney Penrose, the castellan..."

"...is dead, having fallen from a tower, it seems. Afterward, his men saw no reason to continue their treachery and surrendered."

Catelyn noticed that the red woman seemed very pleased, while the bearded man averted his gaze.

Was that...shame he felt?

"Fallen from a tower? That's impossible!"

"Or perhaps he threw himself off in remorse, who can say?" added Stannis with a sarcastic look. "The fact is that the castle is now mine, as it always should have been."

Renly darkened. The two brothers had exchanged positions.

"It's not yours by right, brother. Robert granted Storm's End to me. The king's word is law, whether you like it or not."

"Are you talking to me about law?" Stannis's face darkened. "By law, the Iron Throne is rightfully mine...yet here you are, gathering an army to usurp your own brother's rights. I am the heir to the Iron Throne, since Robert had no legitimate heirs...that whore Cersei Lannister made sure of that...and now that I've taken the castle, I can prove it, as Edric Storm, the bastard our brother fathered with Delena Florent...on my wedding night, in my own bed," he added with disgust, "is now in my power."

"The boy, as you know, looks like us: black hair and blue eyes. There can be no doubt about Cersei's betrayal.

Just as there can be no doubt about yours. Since the beginning of time, the younger brother cannot come before the elder.
But I can still be generous: kneel to me, beg for forgiveness, and you will face no further consequences.
I will name you my heir; Dragonstone will be yours, and you will sit on my Small Council at the end of this war.
Refuse, and I will destroy you."

Renly stared at him as if he were mad for a long moment, then burst out laughing.

"Brother, for someone who doesn't appreciate humor, you do tell some very funny jokes.
YOU want to destroy ME? I mean, maybe with age, you're starting to have some sight issues.
Back there," he pointed behind him, "are twenty thousand knights who are the vanguard of one hundred thousand soldiers in total, stationed at the Gates of Bronze... the entire strength of the Stormlands and the Reach... and they're all here for me.
You... how do you hope to defeat them? With your... less than five thousand men? This is madness."

The red woman spoke for the first time: "Lord Stannis is the chosen son of the Lord of Light. The Red God will grant his chosen victory over his enemies."

"And who would this be, brother? I thought you didn't enjoy female company, but perhaps with age, your tastes have improved."

"While yours have stayed the same, I suppose."

"You do not have the right to..."

"ENOUGH!"

Catelyn could no longer stay silent.

"I mean, do you hear yourselves? You are here arguing, not like Kings, but like children. CHILDREN! If you were my sons, I would lock you in a room until you made peace. You're waging war for the right to sit on an iron chair, while the realm burns."

"Lady Stark, I apologize for not recognizing you right away," said Stannis, "but on the other hand, I did not expect to see you standing beside my brother, the traitor... when your late husband had declared for me."

"And he was murdered by the Lannisters because you weren't there with him, Lord Stannis," replied Catelyn sharply, "because they are the real enemy: the Lannisters. They are the ones who have the realm in a stranglehold, who have usurped the Throne, who murdered Jon Arryn and my Ned for discovering the truth... perhaps even Robert himself.
And it was Jaime Lannister personally who pushed my son Brandon from a tower... almost certainly because he had caught him committing incest with the queen. He is our prisoner at Riverrun, and he has confessed everything. And it was my homeland that burned first, to protect that secret. So yes, I am the most involved person in all of this, and I will do everything in my power to end it."

For a moment, both kings were silent, contemplating her words.

"I BEG you," she continued in a different tone, "set aside this foolish dispute. I offer you a proposal: join my son and the Riverlands to defeat Tywin Lannister. Let us take King's Landing together.
Then call a Great Council, like the one King Jaehaerys called two hundred years ago, and let the Lords of the Seven Kingdoms decide whom they want to be ruled by. With peace, not war. Think of your subjects, not yourselves, for once. That is what it means to be a King."

Both would-be kings remained silent for a long moment.
Then Stannis broke the silence first.

"NO. I will not allow it. The throne is mine by right, and I will not let anyone try to buy it with gold and flattery."

"The true king is the only one who can protect the realm," the Red Woman emphasized. "R'hllor has chosen him. It can be no one but him."

"You are both mad, brother. The true King must be loved by the people and be a good ruler. Someone the people would want to follow. You cannot be that person. Surrender to me, Stannis. Despite everything, I still feel some affection for you, and I do not wish to face you in battle."

"NEVER. You surrender, or by tomorrow, you will be a dead man."
Renly looked at him with pity, then turned his horse and spurred it forward without another word.

When Tywin Lannister received the latest report from the Westerlands, he was not very pleased. After delaying for far too long, he gave the order to his generals to ready the men and leave as soon as possible to abandon Harrenhal and chase the Young Wolf.

He would leave command of the fortress to the foreign mercenaries of Vargo Hoat and the pack of beasts led by the Mountain, Gregor Clegane.

Arya, having received the news, cursed herself a hundred times for being stupid. The mysterious Jaqen, now enlisted by the Lannisters, had promised her he would take three lives to repay her for the three lives she had saved in the fire: his, Rorge's, and Biter's. Reluctantly, Arya had accepted, asking him to kill Ser Amory Lorch, the torturer, first, and then Amory Lorch... and both times, the man had incredibly succeeded without being caught.
But just when she realized she should have aimed higher and asked him to kill Tywin himself to end the war, Jaqen had been out scouting with other soldiers and only returned after Tywin had left.

Knowing well that staying as servants at Harrenhal with Vargo Hoat meant great risks for her and her companions, Arya made a gamble: she asked Jaqen to free them.
The man refused at first, but the girl had an idea: she told him his own name.
To avoid being bound by the agreement and forced to kill himself, Jaqen agreed.

One night, all the guards at one of the exits were found dead, and Arya, Gendry, and Hot Pie managed to escape.

Later, Jaqen bid Arya farewell, asking her if she wanted to train to become one of the Faceless Men. Arya refused, as she first wanted to find her family. Jaqen then gave Arya a coin: an iron coin from Braavos, instructing her how to use it if she ever wanted to find him, either because she needed him or because she had changed her mind.

But after their parting, as Arya and her companions began a difficult journey through the Riverlands, devastated by war, they did not yet know one important thing.

Had they stayed at Harrenhal for another week, they would have been safe.

A few days later, Greatjon Umber defeated Vargo Hoat's mercenaries, and the few remaining guards of the fortress surrendered. The men of the North stormed the largest castle in the Seven Kingdoms, and Arya missed her chance to return to her brother.

Yara Greyjoy was definitely not satisfied. Not only was there little to loot in the North, as expected—and she could live with that—but the men of the North had been waiting for them and had given them a harsh reception—and that, she had not anticipated.

Damn the Young Wolf. He's sharper than he seems. Or... has someone else been advising him?

She had to interrupt her thoughts, ducking to dodge an arrow that whizzed right over her head.

It was the third time that, when they attempted to land along one of the rivers in the northwest, between the Ryswell and Dustin lands, they had run into an ambush.

Their enemies seemed to know in advance where they would be—they had certainly lined the banks with sentries—and emerged from the woods like shadows when least expected.
It's not fair, Yara thought as she began fighting. We are the raiders and pirates; we should be the ones catching others by surprise.

They didn't seem like regular soldiers: some were hunters or fishermen with long spears, harpoons, and, in some cases, nets—ironborn "octopi" caught in a net, if only she could appreciate the irony—in other cases, they were woodsmen with hatchets, throwing axes, and small bows. Still others were strange men, even for Northerners: hairy, silent—they didn't shout when they charged into battle like the others—clad in pelts, armed with longer bows that fired poisoned arrows.

Yara had seen a couple of her men hit by those arrows: depending on how deep they penetrated, death could come in minutes or drag out for three days, but always in excruciating pain. And she had no intention of following their example.

Frog-eaters. The Reeds, I've heard of them-she thought as she danced with her two light axes, killing a spearman who charged at her-Seems my father's War of Vengeance will cost us more than we expected…

"Did you HEAR him? It's really incredible. If being stubborn and full of oneself were a contest, my brother would be the champion of all Seven Kingdoms!" Renly Baratheon declared, as two squires helped him remove his armor.

Catelyn had been granted access to his private tent in the camp, and she didn't seem quite as sure.

"I still think this is all madness," she muttered sadly.

"I agree, Lady Stark," the young king said, not fully understanding her words. "But in any case, by tomorrow, it will all be over. My troops will march on him and destroy him if that's what he wants."

"But it's not certain he will accept to fight," Catelyn said, concerned.

"Since he's taken Storm's End, he might simply decide to shut himself in. He has experience holding sieges: during the Rebellion, he kept that castle for a YEAR. Do you really have that much time, Your Grace?"

Brienne, protecting Renly, and Dacey, guarding Catelyn, both nodded silently. Renly glanced at them before stating, "Do you really think he would do that?"

"Perhaps. Or he might flee with his ships, leaving only a small garrison to defend the castle," Brienne suggested. "I realize it wouldn't be like him, but..."

"Sure, it would be more sensible than getting slaughtered," Renly conceded.

"Undoubtedly, Your Grace. May I speak?" It was Dacey who had intervened, and she continued after a nod from the king. "To be honest, there's something else that worries me: from what Lady Stark says, it's a mystery how Stannis took the castle. Those rumors about the castellan falling from the tower..."
"Pff... Surely my brother had spies at Storm's End. A miserable assassin who killed poor Penrose for him."

"It's possible. I just wonder... if that's the case... don't you think you're in danger too, Your Grace? If he used traitors and assassins... maybe professionals... even on Bear Island, we've heard of the Faceless Men of Braavos..."

Renly seemed to pale. Catelyn gasped.

"In fact, he didn't say: Tomorrow you'll be dead... he said: BY tomorrow, you'll be dead..."

The king bellowed orders: "Fetch me Loras and Garlan! At once! And Lord Mace and Randyll Tarly, for a war council!"

"With your permission, Your Grace, I would like to retire. I'm tired," Catelyn said. "I can leave Dacey here with you if you like, until the Tyrell brothers arrive."

"No, Lady Stark, stay just a little longer, until my father-in-law arrives."

And with that, he spread a military map of the Stormlands across the table. "I just want to consider all possibilities, and I trust your judgment."

Weary, Catelyn approached the map.

"First of all, I assure you I intend to honor our pact," Renly declared. "Everyone else is in agreement too, and don't worry: what you said today changes nothing. I understand what you were trying to do."

Catelyn shot him a look of gratitude. For a moment, she feared she had ruined everything with that council proposal.

"However," the young Baratheon continued, "the plan needs to be modified. If Stannis is mad enough to face us in the field, we'll crush him, and that's fine. But I don't think he's suddenly lost his mind; he must have an ace up his sleeve.

Perhaps he really is counting on having me assassinated, but within minutes, two of the best swords in the Seven Kingdoms will be here, so his plan will fail.

If he decides to flee by ship, we can't pursue him: the Redwyne fleet, with three hundred ships, is loyal to House Tyrell, but unfortunately, its lord, Paxter, has his children held hostage in King's Landing by that wretch Joffrey, so he's bound to remain still.

But the most Stannis could do with the fleet is retreat to Dragonstone again: he doesn't have enough troops to attempt an assault on King's Landing, or he would have already done so.

Lastly, he could indeed hole up in the fortress where he stayed during the Rebellion: in that case, we would simply have to divide our forces into THREE parts instead of two. A portion of the troops, let's say ten thousand, all infantry, would lay siege to him, while the rest..."

He didn't have time to finish.

A chill gripped the three women present—the squires had left—realizing that something was wrong.

A... form, made of what looked like black smoke, constantly shifting, rose behind him, coming from the edge of the tent.

It took on a vaguely human shape, and its face—Catelyn could have sworn—looked like Stannis's.

One of the creature's arms turned into a black sword that pierced Renly in the back, emerging from the center of his chest.

The young man stared, shocked, at the blade protruding from his body and the blood that began to pour from it, copiously. He turned his head to the side to see where it was coming from.

The pure terror on the faces of the three women was about to give way to screams.

Brienne reacted first. She drew her sword and tried to strike the creature, but her blade passed right through it, as if it were made of... smoke.

Even the black sword inside Renly vanished, and he fell to the ground, on his back, bleeding profusely, with the same incredulous expression on his face.
The screams had begun to draw in the guards.
Brienne was slashing wildly, maddened by grief, thinking the shadow might reappear.

Dacey immediately understood the situation and shouted to her lady:

"Lady Stark! We must get out of here!"

But Catelyn had to do one more thing. Frantically, seeing the guards rush in and shout accusations, she instinctively turned to Brienne, who was collapsing over Renly's body, screaming in despair.

She said, "Brienne! BRIENNE! You can't stay here! They'll accuse you too! Dacey, help me drag her away!"

Five minutes later, the three women, along with the rest of Lady Stark's retinue, were galloping at breakneck speed westward, while the camp descended into utter chaos.

To the three women, it seemed they could hear Loras's screams the entire way.

Edmure Tully was restless while waiting, and once again, it took his uncle Brynden to calm him down. They were in a trench dug under a reedbed, in a swampy area. Numerous infantry soldiers, archers, and scorpion operators bustled around them. Bundles of wood, piles of arrows, and other materials were neatly stacked around them.

"Stay calm, nephew. I understand how you feel, but stay calm."

"Tsk! It's not that easy, uncle. Tywin Lannister has invaded my lands, massacred my people, burned our crops, and occupied my castles. Letting him go without doing almost anything doesn't sit well with me. I'm not an impulsive man, but I am eager to make him pay."

"And we will, I assure you. Do you think I don't want to? But Robb's plan is brilliant... and it would take very little to ruin it. If Tywin can't get through... or even if he just suspects it's a trap... we'll lose the chance to destroy him once and for all. Be patient today, and you'll see we'll win a greater reward tomorrow."

"Uhm... but for the deception to be credible, our troops will have to put up at least a bit of resistance... and by doing so, weaken their columns..."

"Our archers, led by Theon, the scorpions, and everything else will take care of that."

At the fords, defensive positions had been set up, elaborate enough to be believable. Tywin's vanguards had to struggle to push back the men left guarding them, and in some cases, some of the Riverlands divisions had to be sacrificed to make the act convincing.

In several points during their slow march through the swampy area, the Lannister armies were harassed by small, mobile archer units firing from long distances or by large projectiles from scorpions that tore through infantry companies, killing a dozen men at a time.

Even the cavalry was often troubled by fires set in the woods and reedbeds, or by small bundles of wood deliberately placed in strategic spots or pushed against them on carts: the flames spooked and bolted the horses, sometimes turning on their riders, trampling a few unlucky ones, or plunging into the water, drowning the unfortunate knights in armor, though more often, they bolted from the columns, only to be quickly attacked by small groups of spearmen who swiftly killed them before disappearing into the woods again.

Even many of the supply trains left in the rear, and the slow-moving siege weapons the Westerlands men were dragging behind them, fell prey to fire—whether from their enemies or set by themselves to avoid slowing them down, though without gifting them to their foes.

"It's like a fly trying to annoy a dog—it was recalled Tywin Lannister had declared—but no fly can trouble a lion; Edmure is trying to make us pay, but it's an effort beyond his capabilities. He might make us pay dearly to get through, perhaps, but we will get through. And when we're done with his nephew, we'll return here to settle the score."

After three days, what became known as the Battle of the Fords was over. The Lannisters had lost a thousand men compared to three hundred among their enemies, but their entire army had managed to break through the fortifications and pass, on their way home. Nothing could stop them—or so they thought.

The hours immediately following the assassination of Renly Baratheon were frantic. With the "King's" body still warm, chaos erupted in the camp.

The murder was naturally blamed on the three women who were the only ones in the tent with him—Catelyn Stark, Dacey Mormont, and Brienne of Tarth herself, although it was inconceivable for anyone who had ever seen her devotion to Renly—and Ser Loras was so furious he would have killed the guards stationed outside the large tent if his brother Garlan hadn't personally stopped him.

Despite the interest of everyone present—and surely the confusion and shock didn't help—finding out exactly how it had happened proved impossible.

Dealing with the political consequences of Renly's death was even more complex: the Tyrells now had no king to support, no candidate to rally behind.

The claim of legitimacy would require declaring Cersei's children bastards, leaving another Baratheon to succeed Robert on the Iron Throne.

This was also the reasoning of the Stormlords—fewer in number than their Reach allies, but no less determined—who, after the initial shock, realized they had only one choice left: to support the older and last remaining brother, Stannis Baratheon, the very man they had been prepared to fight just hours before.

Sensing this danger, Mace Tyrell ordered his sons to withdraw before a clash with their allies could break out: Loras and Garlan took Renly's body with them—Loras was heard to say that before leaving it to Stannis, he would die too—and commanded their cavalry to gallop northward, toward the Bronze Gates, where the bulk of their troops and Margaery, who had yet to be informed, were waiting.

But the Stormlords had the same idea: while some of them rushed to swear allegiance to Stannis, swift messengers were sent north in an effort to beat the Tyrells in time.

Not only did the two groups arrive almost simultaneously, but an even greater uproar broke out at the main camp.

To Mace's great dismay—and to Loras' fury—not only did the Stormlords, but many of their own Reach bannermen, those who were supposed to be loyal to them, opted to declare for Stannis.

What choice did they have?—they said—the damage was already done, and they had no alternative if they hoped to topple the Lannisters. In essence, they wanted a piece of the pie.

And when the stern commander Randyll Tarly threatened to personally carry out the execution for treason of anyone speaking in such a manner, a brief but bloody clash broke out in the massive and chaotic camp, with a couple hundred deaths, before Mace Tyrell finally played the role of Lord and declared that, to prevent further massacres—in such a large camp, a full-scale battle would be disastrous—it would be best to arrange a truce and disband, moving the Renly loyalists and the "traitors" (as Loras, less diplomatic than his father, called them) to different locations.

Thus, the camp-city split into two halves in less than a day: the new followers of Stannis stayed to await him, while the Tyrells and those still loyal to them quickly marched southwest, back toward Felwood, where they had camped just days before.

To their great dismay, they realized that most of their bannermen had abandoned them: aside from the troops directly under their control, the Tyrells could only count on the Hightowers (naturally, as they were the bannermen of Mace's wife and mother of his children), Fossoway (same story, Garlan's wife's family), Tarly, Redwyne (though most of their men were in the aforementioned fleet held "hostage"), Rowan, and Oakheart.

All the other houses of the Reach, whether large (Merryweather, Roxton, Hewett, Beesbury, Ashton) or small (all the others), had abandoned them to side with Stannis.

Even so, they still had a force of thirty thousand men, and many of them were cavalry.

But they found themselves without a king, without a strategy, and without allies; and to the shock of Renly's death, they had to add the painful sting of betrayal. And when you're in desperate situations, you're willing to listen to anyone's advice...

Margaery Tyrell stood tall in the funeral tent, contemplating the body of her former husband, Renly Baratheon. Her gaze was fixed, arms hanging at her sides, fists clenched.

Slowly, announcing himself, Lord Petyr Baelish entered. He hadn't left Felwood, hoping to gather some information about enemy troop movements, but he hadn't dared to hope for such a development.

"May I…?"

"Come in, Lord Baelish. Don't gloat from back there, take a seat in the front row," replied the widow Queen, with an acidity that did not suit her.

"You're being unfair, Your Grace, but such an attitude is understandable; surely, you are still shaken by this unexpected loss. I offer my deepest condolences for the untimely death of your husband, the King."

The young woman responded only with a scoff, as if she had no desire to keep up the charade.

"Furthermore," continued Littlefinger, "I can assure you that this unexpected turn of events does not please me at all; I imagine we can speak frankly in respect for His Grace: but as pleasant and well-liked as Lord Renly was, he was certainly not a great warrior or commander. As a loyal servant of House Lannister, I would have much preferred him to lead his troops rather than Stannis."

Margaery scoffed again.

"Well, not everyone can be everything they wish to be, I suppose. Renly was born to smile, to please, and to make alliances, not to fight. But he would have been a good king, I believe."

"And… would he have been a good husband, too?"

"Well, that depends. He was kind to me, and in my own way, I was fond of him—things could have been much worse for me in life, but fortunately, my father the Lord has always cared about his children's happiness. But to be a good husband, well… one must also sleep with one's wife; otherwise, one is not truly married, or so says the Seven-Pointed Star."

"So, the rumors were true. You hadn't consummated the marriage."

"Not that we hadn't tried, but my ex-husband, while my charms may be coveted in all Seven Kingdoms, didn't care for them at all. It would have been a problem to deal with in the future. But now…"

Petyr could almost feel the heat of the young widow's gaze. Disappointment, but also determination.

"Tell me, Lady Margaery, do you care so much about being a Queen?"

"No," the young woman replied.

"I want to be the Queen."

Petyr Baelish smiled.

Women. It's so easy to understand what they really want. To most men, they are a mystery, but to me, you're an open book.

"In that case, you'll be interested in the proposal I have for you. With less than half the army, you cannot win, not alone. It is said that Catelyn Stark and those two warrior women assassinated Renly, and Loras has sworn revenge…"

Margaery seemed confused.

"So they say, but… it's all very unclear. Catelyn Stark had proposed an alliance to Renly against the Lannisters, and he had accepted. My brother says it must have been those three who killed him, as there was no one else in the tent… but I don't believe it.

What reason would they have had to do it? For Lady Catelyn, Renly was a valuable ally, and everyone could see how Brienne fawned over him… not that she had any chance with him, of course, regardless of his preferences.

What do you think, Lord Baelish? You say you've known Lady Catelyn since childhood. Would she be capable of something like this?"

"Well, who can truly say they know someone, Lady Margaery? Life's circumstances change each of us in ways even the closest family or friends might find unbelievable.

Catelyn Tully, widow Stark, is a woman of intense passions—good at heart, yes, but also someone who would do anything to protect her family… and generally, like all women, she doesn't take rejection well…"

"Is that what you're suggesting? That Renly had changed his mind about the alliance, and that's why she had him killed? And Brienne? Oh… are you saying… that Brienne killed him as an accomplice because he never would have…with her?"

"Does that seem like a credible theory to you?"

"It will certainly seem so to my brother."

"Yes, I've noticed that young Loras is… impulsive, and that he was… very fond of the late King…"

"But this still gets House Tyrell nowhere. How would turning against the Starks bring us any closer to our goals?"

Petyr moved closer to her and lowered his voice.

"But it's clear… it's a necessary step to make you Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.

You see, today you stand outside the Kingswood, and you cannot return to the Kingsroad without crossing Stannis's troops… his next move is obvious: he'll march up the road to King's Landing to besiege it and claim the Iron Throne…

You, however, must head north, passing through Tumbleton, and make your way to the Riverlands… attack the Young Wolf from behind… help Tywin Lannister defeat him and ally with the Golden Lion…

then, with the help of several barges, swiftly transport your and his troops along the river to King's Landing… catch Stannis by surprise while he's engaged in the siege and destroy him too… and then…"

"So, you want… me to marry Joffrey?"

"Exactly. And at that point, everyone will have what they desire. I will have the Riverlands, Tywin Lannister will have the King's Peace and his heir on the Iron Throne, and you… my dear, you will have a crown."

Author's Note:

Here we are…almost.

Most things happened the same as in the series, and they now will begin to diverge.

The seeds have been planted already:

-Edmure DID LET Tywin pass.

-Greatjon is in the Riverlands, not Roose Bolton.

-The Tyrells have been convinced by Petyr Baelish to ally with the Lannisters, but the Lions are in a different position than they were in the original story, coming back home

-The Ironborn are facing resistance

-Theon is still with Robb and is not threatening Winterfell

-Stannis has used up already BOTH the Shadows (in the book, he completed the Siege of Storm's End AFTER killing Renly), because he was in a hurry by his brother approaching (a bit earlier than expected, since Catelyn arrived to him later) AND he has seized control of Edric Storm (as i mentioned, i'm doing a mix of Books and Series, and every change has a specific reason behind)

-The MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL: Stannis has ALMOST all of the Reach Army.

Now, this needs a bit more explanation.

In the Show, he seized ALMOST all of it, save some under the Tyrells who allied with Tywin. After his defeat at Blackwater, 99% of them abandoned him again.

BUT, in the Books, he ONLY gained the 20k knights and ran to siege KL with them, and everyone else stayed with the Tyrells (with Tarly, like in the fic, threatening to execute traitors).

Now, i believe this makes Stannis both weaker and a dumbass: WHY attack KL with 20k men, when there's a war in the Riverlands, and the Tyrells still have 70k people and wants you dead?

It doesn't make sense, strategically.

BUT, if he has MOST of their Army, and believes them to be hopeless, it makes a bit more sense: he still hurries to take the Throne FIRST and defeat his opponents LATER, but that is a sin of pride and arrogance, not stupidity, since he's objectively at an advantage.

And he's much more of a threat for later.

All the lines about "troop movements", Catelyn's suggestions, the differences between foot soldiers and cavalry and the geographic references were for this.

Small changes will produce HUGE consequences.

From chapter 5 on, there will STILL be things happening similarly to either book or show, but it will become mostly an original story.

Wait and See