As the armies of the North set out, Highgarden seethed with rage over the annulment of the engagement between Joffrey and the Little Rose.
Originally, Highgarden had hesitated about whether to support Renly. After all, the Little Rose was betrothed to Joffrey I—so even if they backed Renly, the outcome wouldn't be much different from the current situation. Most in Highgarden saw no need to support Renly. In fact, Lord Mace went so far as to place Loras Tyrell, who had been tirelessly lobbying the court in Renly's favor, under house arrest.
But what Highgarden couldn't comprehend was how King's Landing could announce the cancellation of Joffrey and Margaery's engagement—openly breaking off a betrothal set by the late king—especially at a time when King's Landing desperately needed allies. The move defied all logic.
At first, almost everyone assumed it was a false rumor, a ploy meant to sow discord between Highgarden and King's Landing. Though no one said it aloud, many suspected the culprit was Renly.
They double- and triple-checked with their people in King's Landing, and only then confirmed that Queen Dowager Cersei had, in front of the city's nobility, publicly annulled the engagement between Joffrey and Margaery. The rumors were true.
"War! Only war and blood can cleanse this kind of humiliation!" declared Igon Vyrwel, Captain of the Highgarden Guard. A knight with a profound sense of honor, he spoke not only for himself but for the overwhelming majority of Highgarden's knights.
To Highgarden—and to all of the Reach—Little Rose Margaery was a symbol of purity, the dream of countless knights and even lords. They had already been outraged when King Robert had forced her into the engagement. Now, King's Landing had not only broken it off but done so in a humiliating and public manner, dragging the honor of the entire Reach through the mud.
In that moment, not only were Highgarden's knights calling for war, but lords and knights from across the Reach were also petitioning Highgarden for a chance to fight.
"Of course we're going to war. After suffering such disgrace, if House Tyrell does nothing, what right do we have to rule the Reach?" declared the Queen of Thorns, Olenna Redwyne, who had left her garden and personally attended the council in Highgarden—a rare event. Before Mace Tyrell could speak, she made her stance clear: war between the Reach and King's Landing was inevitable.
"I've already sent out summons to the lords of the Reach. Those south of Highgarden will gather here; those to the north will assemble at Bitterbridge," said Lord Mace darkly. He then turned to Garth Tyrell, Highgarden's steward, and asked, "Garth, how many have answered my call?"
"House Hightower of Oldtown, House Rowan of Golden Grove, House Florent of Brightwater Keep..." Garth read aloud the names of each house that had responded, ensuring everyone present could hear.
It was clear that nearly all the noble houses of the Reach had answered Highgarden's call. The cancellation of the engagement had outraged the entire region.
"What about Summerhall? Has Summerhall responded?" someone asked impatiently, before Garth had finished reading the list.
All eyes turned to Garth. Everyone knew that Summerhall's stance could determine the course of the entire war.
"Prince Lynd has publicly stated that he will not intervene in the internal conflicts of the Seven Kingdoms, so he hasn't sent any troops, nor has he expressed support for King's Landing," Garth answered. Seeing the disappointment on the faces around him, he added, "However, the garrison at Tumbleton has pledged to hold the southern bank of the Blackwater Rush and keep any conflict from spilling into the Reach."
At that, the disappointment vanished from the faces of the gathered nobles. Everyone knew that Tumbleton and Summerhall were effectively one and the same. The garrison's promise represented Summerhall's position, and that assurance removed any worries about the rear. Even if they lost the war, as long as they held the coastal road on the western shore, the Reach would not be in danger of falling.
"Once the troops have gathered, I'll personally..." Lord Mace began, glancing around at those present.
But before he could finish, the Queen of Thorns interrupted him. "You'll stay here in Highgarden! The Reach's coalition army will be led by Garlan, with Randyll Tarly as his second-in-command. Once the army is mostly assembled, send Loras ahead with a portion of the force to join Renly at Bitterbridge. And write to Renly—tell him to think more carefully before coming up with a reason next time. No more reckless moves."
Though Lord Mace was displeased at being denied the chance to command, he didn't dare object once the Queen of Thorns had made her decision. He could only agree.
Thus, citing the shame of the broken engagement, Highgarden began raising an army to march on King's Landing, vowing to seek justice before the Iron Throne.
At the same time, in the Stormlands, Renly too had begun rallying his lords—claiming that King Robert had been poisoned by Queen Cersei, and that the reason was Robert discovering her incestuous affair with Jaime. With that justification, Renly assembled the Stormlands' forces to march on King's Landing.
The lords of the Reach began gathering their forces in Highgarden and Bitterbridge in response to Lord Mace Tyrell's summons. Mace publicly declared an alliance with Renly, Lord of Storm's End, to jointly march against the Iron Throne.
It had to be said—Renly's reasoning was incredibly clever. He never once questioned the legitimacy of Joffrey's claim to the throne, yet still left just enough room for speculation to spark everyone's imagination.
In stark contrast, Stannis's declaration was brutally direct. He outright claimed that Joffrey was the product of incest between Cersei and Jaime, not a true member of House Baratheon, and therefore had no right to inherit the Iron Throne. Stannis declared himself the rightful heir and also laid claim to the Stormlands, stating that by rights of succession, he should be Lord of Storm's End and Warden of the Stormlands. Without hesitation, he declared war on Renly, assembled a fleet, and prepared to attack the Stormlands.
Many were baffled by Stannis's decision. In their eyes, shouldn't the Baratheon brothers join forces to take the Iron Throne first? Why declare war on both the Iron Throne and his own brother, who should have been an ally—and even choose to attack the Stormlands first?
In any case, the Westerlands, Riverlands, North, Reach, and Crownlands were already engulfed in war. The only regions still at peace were the Vale, Dorne, and Summerhall.
Summerhall needed no explanation—Lynd had already publicly declared through the Seven Kingdoms that he would not involve himself in internal conflicts, so his lack of action was entirely expected.
Dorne, locked in a long-standing feud with the Reach, had little ability to send troops north, leaving them unable to participate in the war.
The Vale, however, was behaving strangely.
Rumors had long circulated that Jon Arryn—the former Hand of the King, Lord of the Eyrie, and Warden of the East—had been poisoned by Cersei. It was said he had uncovered the incestuous relationship between the Lannister twins and had been silenced. After his death, Lady Lysa Tully had fled back to the Eyrie.
Now that the North, Riverlands, Reach, and Stormlands were all rebelling against King's Landing and the Westerlands, it stood to reason that the Vale should rise up and join the cause—especially given that Lysa Tully was not only the daughter of the Lord of the Riverlands but also the sister of the Lady of the North, making her a natural ally to both houses.
Yet to everyone's surprise, Lysa Tully declared the Vale would remain neutral and stay out of the war. She ordered the Bloody Gate sealed, refusing passage to anyone. Even envoys sent by Harrenhal were turned away, allowing Lord Tywin to take Harrenhal without a single battle. He then brazenly began constructing fortifications at the entrance to the Bloody Gate, cutting off the Vale's access entirely.
But Lysa didn't stop there—she even released a highly valuable hostage: Tyrion Lannister.
Though calling it a release might not be entirely accurate. When Lady Catelyn Tully, wife of Lord Stark, was forced to take refuge in Gulltown during a storm, she learned of Eddard's troubles in King's Landing and decided to seek help from her sister at the Eyrie. But instead of support, she found herself entangled in Tyrion's trial. The Imp seized the moment to demand trial by combat.
What made the situation even stranger was that one of Lady Catelyn's own guards turned on her at the scene—accepting Tyrion's offer and fighting as his champion. He won, and to many, it seemed as though Lady Catelyn had unwittingly helped Tyrion escape from Lysa, leading people to question the truth of all the rumors that had been circulating.
Across the realm, from south to north, lords were making unexpected moves. The Westerlands—once thought to be at a disadvantage—were now gaining the upper hand. Jaime Lannister had defeated the Riverlands' allied forces at the Golden Tooth and was now leading a siege on Riverrun, while Lord Tywin held Harrenhal. The fall of the Riverlands was only a matter of time.
...
At that moment, a messenger arrived at Summerhall. He was an envoy from Renly—and someone Lynd knew personally.
Lynd looked at Brienne, who now stood taller than even Nymeria, and said, "I didn't expect you to answer Renly's call. Not only did you join his army, but you even became one of his Rainbow Guards."
"You don't look very surprised," Brienne said with a small smile. "Since Lord Renly is my liege, it's only right that I respond when he calls."
"You're right," Lynd sighed. "When it comes to knightly virtue, I can't compare to you."
Brienne shook her head.
"No, it's just that you have too many responsibilities. I, on the other hand, don't have to think about so much—I just follow what I believe is right."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Lynd got back to the point.
"So, why did Renly send you?"
Brienne said in a low voice, "Lord Renly hopes the Miracle Fleet stationed at Evenfall Hall can blockade Massey's Hook to prevent the Dragonstone fleet from landing there."
Lynd frowned. "Don't bring up these kinds of probing requests again. Renly may not be the wisest man, but he surely knows that once I've made a promise, I won't take part in the war."
Brienne looked slightly embarrassed but straightened her back and said firmly, "Lord Renly hopes to purchase a supply of grain and weapons from Summerhall, offering two years' worth of taxes as collateral."
"That's fine," Lynd nodded. "Talk to Mus about the specific quantities. How much you can negotiate will depend on your own ability."
Brienne's face immediately showed her unease. "Lord Mus is extremely calculating. It's hard for me to get a good price out of him. My lord, could you…"
"No." Lynd shook his head. "I told you back when you returned to Evenfall Hall—you need to learn how to be a lord. Negotiating, haggling for benefit, that's part of the job. Looks like after all these years, you've never taken my words seriously."
Sweat broke out on Brienne's forehead. She wiped it away, her expression growing increasingly awkward.
"Anything else?" Lynd asked.
Brienne took a few deep breaths to steady herself. "Lord Renly is now betrothed to Lady Margaery of Highgarden. They plan to marry before launching the official assault on King's Landing. When the time comes, he hopes you will attend the wedding at Storm's End."
Lynd chuckled. "So it's Lady Margaery? I thought he was going to marry the Knight of the Flowers."
Brienne frowned. "My lord, speaking ill of others behind their backs—especially when it's an unverified rumor—is not the behavior of a knight."
"My apologies. I was wrong," Lynd admitted readily, then asked with curiosity, "Did Renly propose that quickly?"
"Yes. Lord Renly has always been fond of Lady Margaery, but he never showed it because of her prior engagement. The moment he learned that her betrothal was broken off, he proposed, and he already has the Lord of Highgarden's consent." Brienne explained seriously, "I've come to Summerhall not only to procure grain and weapons, but also to escort Lady Margaery to Storm's End for the wedding. Once the armies of the Stormland lords are assembled, Lord Renly will marry Lady Margaery, and together they'll head to Bitterbridge to join the combined forces of the Reach and the Vale, and march north."
Lynd nodded. "I'll order the garrisons and towns along the way to ensure your party is well protected so Lady Margaery can safely reach Storm's End. As for attending the wedding, I'll pass. I'll be staying in Summerhall for quite some time and won't be going anywhere else. Showing up at Storm's End might lead to some... unnecessary speculation."
"Understood, my lord," Brienne nodded, not at all surprised by his response.
After that, she stayed to chat with Lynd for a while, sharing some of her experiences from recent years. When the sky began to darken, she finally rose to leave.
Just as Brienne turned to go, Lynd suddenly called out to her. He looked like he wanted to say something, but hesitated in silence for a long time.
"My lord, is there something you want to tell me?" Brienne asked.
"Be careful of the shadow, Brienne. Be careful of the shadow," Lynd finally warned her.
Brienne looked down at the shadow beneath her feet, unsure what he meant, but she took the warning to heart.