The Reach, Highgarden.
Olenna Redwyne was sitting in a pavilion in the castle gardens, with a chessboard laid out before her. Today, she wore a luxurious dark green gown, her hair wrapped in a headscarf embroidered with roses.
Although she appeared advanced in years, her eyes still shimmered with a shrewd light.
Willas Tyrell, the newly appointed Lord of Highgarden by Viserys, sat opposite her. Due to his leg disability, Willas rarely left Highgarden, and his mind was far clearer than those of the other men in House Tyrell.
"Grandmother," Willas said in a gentle voice, looking at the pieces on the board. "News has come from Storm's End. Renly's situation seems even more dire than we previously anticipated. Oberyn has already taken Blackwater Bay, and the armies of Lord Tarth and Lord Estermont in the Stormlands have suffered heavy losses."
"Dire? My dear child, Renly isn't just in a dire situation; he's at a dead end." Lady Olenna's tone carried a hint of mockery as she smiled. "Renly Baratheon is a child spoiled by flowers and applause since he was young. Did he really think he could command the Seven Kingdoms just by becoming king? He doesn't even have a fraction of Stannis's stubborn resilience."
She paused, then placed a piece in an inconspicuous corner of the board and continued, "However, this is a good thing for us. The sooner the Baratheon power collapses, the sooner we in The Reach can settle down."
"Then, regarding Storm's End..." Willas pressed. "Do we need to send troops to assist His Majesty Viserys? After all, Father and my brother are still with Renly."
His fingers unconsciously brushed the edge of the chessboard, his gaze filled with prudence and consideration for the current situation in Westeros. Although Highgarden had publicly supported the Targaryens, The Reach still needed time to integrate internally. Therefore, he had not yet decided whether they needed to send troops.
Hearing this, Lady Olenna's lips curled into a smile, as if she had long expected him to ask. She picked up her glass of Arbor Gold, took a sip, then picked up a cherry and slowly peeled it, the red flesh appearing exceptionally vivid between her somewhat withered fingers.
"Assist? Willas, my child, remember, we are Tyrells, the lords of Highgarden. We chose to stand with Viserys because it aligns with House Tyrell's current interests, but that does not mean we are to be Targaryen vassals. In the game of thrones, there is never eternal loyalty, only eternal interests. My foolish son dragged Highgarden into the mire; it is you, me, and Margaery who are pulling it back from the edge of the cliff."
She placed the peeled cherry onto the silver plate in front of Willas and continued, "Viserys has dragons. Margaery and Garlan saw them with their own eyes, and they both said it was a god-like power. No matter how sturdy Storm's End is, it is nothing more than a pile of broken stones before dragonfire. As for Renly? He is but a beautiful butterfly trapped in a storm; he won't last long."
"So now we only need to mind our own business. Ensure we have sufficient provisions, appease the smallfolk, and organize the army. When Viserys has his hands free, he will need a stable and powerful Reach as the foundation of his rule. Only then can House Tyrell truly secure its footing in the new dynasty."
Her finger moved slowly across the board, pointing to a piece in front of her, and she continued, "What we must do is be the most steady piece on the board, not the ones used to charge the front lines that can be sacrificed at any time. Until then, we just need to sit back and watch the tigers fight, ensuring our vineyards and wheat fields are not affected by the flames of war. Don't forget the news Margaery brought about the White Walkers; that is what we should truly care about."
After speaking, Lady Olenna's gaze drifted deep into the garden. She seemed to already see Highgarden's elevated status among the Seven Kingdoms after the Targaryen restoration. Perhaps they could even have a dragon of their own, just like House Velaryon.
Willas was silent for a moment, looking at the light of wisdom shining in his grandmother's eyes, and nodded. He knew his grandmother's judgment was always precise, which cleared his cluttered thoughts and caused his worries to gradually dissipate.
Willas nodded slightly and said, "You're right, Grandmother. I was a bit too hasty. We should focus on internal stability for now."
However, he finally said with hesitation, "Grandmother, do you believe the news about the White Walkers? I mean, those things that only exist in ancient legends and northern songs—will they really crawl out of the Lands of Always Winter and consume the whole world? It's not that I don't believe Margaery, but she is still young after all; perhaps she was deceived by Viserys."
He paused and continued, "I have read some related texts. Most people believe the existence of White Walkers is just a story made up by the First Men to explain extreme cold and death, just like the Children of the Forest and giants, existing only in legend."
"More importantly, what if we judge the direction wrongly and focus our strength on these ethereal matters? House Tyrell and Highgarden would fall behind others in the future, and how would we position ourselves in the new dynasty?"
Lady Olenna's lips curled into a meaningful smile. "Of course, I have considered what you said, and it's not as if we're doing nothing."
She paused and continued, "I have already secretly sent a group of people to Storm's End—not to aid Renly, but to 'persuade a surrender.' Don't forget, there are still ten thousand troops belonging to Highgarden inside Storm's End."
"The families of those soldiers are all in Highgarden, and they swore fealty to Highgarden, not to my foolish son Mace. If we hint to them that continuing to follow Renly is a dead end, how do you think they will choose?"
"Once cracks appear within Storm's End, Renly's downfall will be even swifter, and we will be the great contributors to his defeat. As for the White Walkers..."
A trace of solemnity flashed in her eyes. "It's better to believe they might exist than not. Besides, I believe Margaery wouldn't joke about such a thing. Furthermore, Viserys—a man who can bring back dragons—has his eyes fixed on the problem of the White Walkers even more than on the Iron Throne. I believe a man like him would not speak without purpose if he didn't have certain information."
"Even if the White Walkers are fake, stabilizing The Reach and waiting for the right moment will never be wrong for House Tyrell. So, we just need to ensure that no matter the outcome, Highgarden gains from it and is prepared for any larger storms that may come."
Willas nodded. He found Olenna's words quite agreeable and turned his attention back to the chessboard. Outside the pavilion, Highgarden's gardens remained serene and beautiful, but beneath this tranquility, undercurrents were surging.
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