Center of Attention

Robert Baratheon POV:

Robert scowled as he read the letter detailing Highgarden's fall. The deaths of so many valuable Reach bannermen was a waste, though Robert had little love for the Tyrells. Still, a power vacuum in the Reach could threaten stability.

Robert dispatched Varys to investigate while instructing his bannermen to closely monitor the Reach for instability. After the loss of so many knights, young Willas Tyrell would need to act swiftly to secure Highgarden.

Robert entered the small council in an irritable mood. "Tell me what happened at Highgarden!"

His councilors exchanged uneasy glances. "Reports are unclear, Your Grace," Varys began. "Many say dark magic was used, but there were no survivors."

"Superstitious nonsense," Robert huffed. "No magic needed for cutthroats to overwhelm complacent warriors."

Robert sent support to Willas, not wanting a power struggle that could destabilize the realm. Yet he doubted the cripple's ability to command the fractious Reach.

If the Tyrells failed to reassert control quickly, civil war in their lands could not be ruled out - a grim prospect that risked destabilizing the Seven Kingdoms.

Ned stark POV:

Eddard Stark read the news of Highgarden's fall with a heavy heart. Many noble knights and friends had perished, leaving House Tyrell severely weakened.

Ned sent a letter conveying his sympathies for the terrible tragedy, pledging the North's support if Willas required aid.

The maester delivering Ned's message said Highgarden's ancient gardens were now littered with funeral pyres as Willas desperately tried to assert his claim.

Ned prayed Willas would prove up to the task of healing his fractured lands, lest unrest spread from the Reach into other regions.

Doran's POV:

Prince Doran read the letter with furrowed brow. The deaths of so many Reach knights was a tragedy, yet succession in the Reach had never been simple.

Doran composed an ambiguous response conveying Dorne's sympathies while hinting that a "restructuring of power" may now be necessary.

Privately, Doran worried about the implications of Highgarden's weakness. The Tyrell alliance had maintained a tenuous peace for years.

Yet opportunity existed. With a Tyrell cripple now in command, Dorne could possibly exert new influence in the Reach - perhaps placing a Martell on the Highgarden throne.

Doran ordered his little birds to watch the Reach closely, sending only words of caution to the new Lord Paramount...while carefully considering how Dorne might shape the days to come.

Cersei Lannister POV:

Cersei read the letter with a calculating gaze. The deaths weakened the Tyrell alliance, though the Lannisters needed their gold and armies.

Cersei composed a formal response, noting the Lannisters stood ready to support House Tyrell. Privately, she saw an opportunity.

With the crippled Willas now in command, the Tyrells were vulnerable. If manipulated, the Tyrell alliance could be controlled by the Lannisters, with Willas as a figurehead.

Cersei sent word to Tywin, suggesting he offer "sage counsel" to Willas. Tywin agreed, departing for Highgarden to "steady" young Willas Tyrell - while quietly exerting Lannister authority.

Balon GreyjoyPOV:

Balon Greyjoy sat in silence after reading the letter. Though the Tyrell alliance remained intact, their armies had been weakened.

Balon thought of his failed rebellion, crushed by the Reach and Lannisters. But now, with Highgarden in turmoil...

Balon composed a cool, formal response to Willas, hinting that the ironborn stood "ready to offer friendship."

Privately, Balon licked his lips at the thought of reaving the bountiful Reach coasts while House Tyrell struggled. Yet the iron fleet lacked strength for invasion.

For now, Balon would build his strength, watching and waiting. Should chaos emerge in the Reach, the ironborn would "offer friendship" - and claim riches amidst Highgarden's fall.

Azazel pov :

As Azazel surveyed the battlefield from his tent flap, a cold satisfaction filled him. but no sense of triumph The field outside was littered with bodies - Reach knights and horses alongside Azazel's band of outlaws

With a cruel laugh .He stepped over the dead Reach knights and his own outlaws, smiling as he imagined adding them to his growing horde of souls under his control. riding them from the grave to heed his dark commands.

The cost to his men had been sizable, but their victory sent a message that would echo across the realm - Azazel was a man to be feared.

He cared little for the lives lost. To him, his followers were but tools for his ambitions. He saw death in battle as a "warrior's glory", knowing more cutthroats would flock to his banner after such a victory.

Azazel saw the chaos and carnage he sowed as a means to an end. The more death, the more terror and turmoil he could unleash, breaking the old order. And broken people are easily controlled.

He surveyed the grim scene from his tent flap, he felt grim satisfaction. His victory over this portion of Tyrell's forces proved his reputation for brutality. And fear would bring him the "undying loyalty" he demanded.

Azazel entered his tent with a blood-stained smile, With a cruel smile and boots stained red, Azazel sat alone in his tent. No true sense of triumph filled him - only a fierce desire to unleash more carnage and sow further chaos, until all bowed before his darkness.

Though Highgarden still stood, He had tasted blood and triumph this day. Boots stained red, he returned to his tent, eager to plan his next move against the mighty House Tyrell.