32 -Chapter 28-
-2 months later-
-298 AC-
-21st day of the 9th moon-
"So, Valeria?" I said to the woman massaging my shoulders.
"Renly has proclaimed himself King of the Seven Kingdoms and has rallied his banners in the Stormlands with the help of the Tyrells," she said softly.
"Hahahaha, I knew it."
I burst out laughing because an incredible pressure had just been lifted from my shoulders. I had intentionally let Renly escape with the Tyrells because I remembered that in the original, even with the Starks, the Lannisters, and even Balon Greyjoy who had proclaimed himself King of the Iron Islands, the two brothers decided to fight each other to settle their old quarrels and win the other's supporters to besiege the capital.
I had recreated roughly the same conditions, the armies of the West and the North were marching to attack the Riverlands and the Vale while I let the two brothers kill each other. I knew Melisandre was still by Stannis's side, which meant he would surely kill his brother with shadow magic as in the original, and I would be able to recover the Tyrells who could not bend the knee to Stannis, whom Loras dreamed of tearing apart.
I could then extort more troops, more food, and MUCH more gold from them. I wouldn't even need to marry Margaery to have all this, and Stannis would find himself locked in the Stormlands by the Crownlands and the Reach.
Valeria brought me out of my train of thought by saying, "I don't understand why you let them all act without intervention, the more you bury yourself in this city, the more you lose the grip you have on your throne."
I shook my head because she was wrong; she didn't see the whole picture. I had to prepare to face Stannis or Renly or both if the story deviated. Then I had to defeat the Tully Vale-Riverlands alliance. I had to be careful not to lose too many soldiers or to get bogged down in a years-long war.
There was also Balon Greyjoy, Euron, Aegon my possible half-brother, the 100,000 Wildlings, Daenerys and her three dragons, Dorne which could join either Daenerys or Aegon at any time, and even after all that, there was the enemy of all living beings…The White Walkers.
"I know it must be hard for you not to understand, but that's not what I'm asking of you. I don't ask you to understand, I just want you to keep me informed of any information that might interest me, Valeria," I said, frowning at my lover.
I couldn't explain to her, and I didn't want to explain to her how I knew all this information and how I managed to predict the reactions of certain people.
"You don't trust me," she said, pouting discontentedly.
"Valeria, a secret is no longer a secret when two people know it," I said, lifting her chin with my finger.
She continued, and I kissed her; we stayed like that for a few seconds, before she rested her head against my shoulder and said:
"Pfft. You're no longer funny; before you put on that stupid crown, you were so much funnier."
"I'm a King; I rarely have the opportunity to be funny, and besides, I don't have a crown," I said, pointing out that I had remained the same person she had always known despite now being the most powerful man on this continent.
"Explain to me at least why you insist on having him watched?" Valeria asked, diving her beautiful blue eyes into mine, still as grey.
"Listen, I can't reveal everything to you, but as you know, Stannis fled Dragonstone, where do you think he went?" I asked her.
"To the Stormlands?" she said confidently because the only power base he could have outside his former fief was his ancestral land.
"And why to the Stormlands?" I asked with a small smile.
"Because it's his territory," she replied again.
"Yes, it's his birthright, but who is the true Lord of the Stormlands?" I asked this time with a triumphant smile.
"Renly Baratheon... but they won't fight each other," she said quickly because she had already understood where I was going and still wasn't convinced.
"And why is that?" I said, waiting for her to argue against my plan.
"Because they are brothers..." she said as if it were natural, then hastily added, seeing a small mocking smile cross my lips thinking about the brotherhood that bound the three sons of Steffon Baratheon, "...And you will be the biggest beneficiary of this fratricidal battle."
"Yes, but you see, the problem is that when you reach the summit of a mountain, it's hard to remember what the base was like."
"I still don't understand," she said, furrowing her brows.
"What you don't understand is that Stannis and Renly Baratheon are both proud, arrogant men dissatisfied with their previous positions.
Robert's reign was a shameful reign that could be compared to that of my ancestor Aegon IV, commonly nicknamed Aegon 'The Unworthy'. They both made their mark and both feel they have been demoted, so both have something to prove.
They both are convinced that they are the predestined kings this kingdom so desperately needs, the king who can rise and repair all the harm the Targaryens and Baratheons have done over the past 200 years.
Unfortunately, neither of them is really that king. Renly is not worthy and cannot even produce an heir; a king without an heir cannot leave a dynasty to prosper after his death, and Stannis sees nothing but a legitimate right that exists only in his head and that no one recognizes except his witch.
So, they will inevitably have to confront each other sooner or later, neither will lower their head to the other, and even if that were the case, I would always be certain of my victory.
Whatever happens, I will be the final victor of this rebellion led by the Tyrells; I did well to release the Tyrells and thus give them the opportunity to betray me."
"They betrayed you," Valeria interrupted my long diatribe.
"No, I let them betray me, difference," I said, turning to look at her.
She rolled her eyes, muttering it was the same thing, and then a thought lit up her eyes:
"Is that why you decided to attack Dragonstone Island to force them to fight each other for control of their vassals?"
"No, that has nothing to do with it, even if you're right. I took back Dragonstone because it's the ancestral seat of my family, a symbol of power, and leaving it to Stannis Baratheon and his witch and all his fanatics would be a mistake," I said.
Valeria seemed disappointed before saying, "You're going to have to go to war soon."
I shook my head, but before I could object, she added, "It's good to build an army, but if it serves no purpose, then it's better not to have it at all. It's ready for war, and so are you; why not end this war now before it starts? You could quell this rebellion before it even begins, you could prevent more blood from being shed."
I shook my head again and said, "No, my army is not ready, but you're right, I have to start the war, I've waited long enough, and now I have 30,000 soldiers of the Royal Army in the capital with proper discipline and training."
"Not to mention the 10,000 soldiers of the Shadow Guard and 5,000 soldiers of the Dragon Guard."
"I won't take the Dragon Guard, but even if I did, 45,000 soldiers is far from enough to take full control of the Riverlands but more than enough to take a significant part of Tully lands."
I felt a hand run through my hair, and then Valeria said in a soft voice, "You don't have to fight alone, rally the Lords of the Crownlands who are loyal to you, and with them, you could add 10,000 soldiers, maybe more."
I nodded and then said, "It's true I could do that, and in fact, I will, but I have to prove that I am an excellent commander and a great warrior, but to be completely honest with you, I'm having trouble attacking, I don't know if I can do it?"
"Do what? Win?" she said.
I shook my head, and she looked at me confused.
"Send men to the slaughter," I said, diving my eyes into hers, her eyes so blue one might think she was a White Walker.
She positioned herself in front of me and cupped my cheeks before saying:
"I know you can do it, I trust you, and you should too, fight to bring them back alive, you can't bring them all back, but try as hard as you can."
I smiled softly and said:
"I'll try."
