-Chapter 18-
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-Chapter 18-
-POV MC-
The horizon was tinged with red and orange as I rode up the hill, my heart pounding wildly as I looked at the sea of soldiers bearing banners of a stag in the center of a flaming heart beneath the walls of Storm's End.
I was late, cursed be those arrogant lords who thought everything was won in advance. Stannis's haste had caught me off guard; it had caught all of us off guard.
The campfires of his army stood out clearly in the twilight, surrounding the fortress like menacing fireflies.
I tightened the reins of my horse, feeling the tension of the ten thousand cavalrymen behind me. We were the vanguard, the spearhead of Renly Baratheon's army, but arriving after the siege had already begun put us in a delicate position.
"My lord, what should we do?" asked Victor, one of my most loyal lieutenants.
We had the advantage of numbers, but Stannis had the advantage of terrain and time.
If we launched a frontal attack, it could mean heavy losses but also a great victory thanks to the element of surprise.
'That bastard Renly might even resent me for not waiting for him and for keeping all the glory for myself. Likewise, those little dogs will rush to bark at me,' I thought, tightening my grip on the reins of my horse.
But waiting for Stannis to strengthen his position would also be disastrous, as he could properly prepare to face us.
Breathing deeply, I considered all our options, then finally decided to wait for Renly. After all, I didn't want him to win; I wanted to win, so I still needed Stannis Baratheon:
"We will set up camp here for the night. In the morning, we will assess the situation and decide on our next action after receiving instructions from His Grace, King Renly."
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-POV Renly-
The rays of the sun passed through the tent, gently caressing my face. I woke to the singing of birds, but the noise of the messenger entering hastily quickly pulled me from my morning torpor. I sat up, adjusting my tunic.
"A message from Lord Connington, Your Grace," said the messenger, panting, sweat beading on his forehead.
I seized the letter, breaking the seal of House Connington eagerly. My eyes quickly scanned the words, my heart pounding with intensity.
---
Stannis has already arrived before the gates of Storm's End.
I request the order to attack.
Ronnet Connington
---
I stood up, my decision already made before I finished reading. "No," I murmured more to myself than to the messenger, who awaited my response eagerly.
"Tell Ronnet to hold his position. We are a day's ride away. There is no point in him sacrificing himself; we will fight together to avoid unnecessary losses."
The tension in the tent was palpable. Ronnet, always faithful, always ready to act for the good of the cause, had already cut off Stannis's retreat, but I didn't want him to beat Stannis. I had to defeat him myself once and for all.
Stannis's army, though smaller, was well-positioned; the advantage of the terrain was clearly on their side.
I stepped out of my tent, the morning wind playing with my hair. Around me, my entire army was ready to fight, the steel of their armor shining in the morning light.
I knew I had to lead them into battle, but I couldn't recklessly endanger my men. Stannis was my brother, after all, and I knew his tenacity.
"Prepare to advance!" I shouted, my voice resonating through the camp.
In less than an hour, the army was ready to depart. Loras came to my side, his armor shining as always.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked, concern in his eyes.
I smiled at him, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"It's the only way, Loras. We must join Ronnet and crush my brother. After that, no one will stand between me and my throne."
He nodded, and with that, we spurred our horses forward, a tide of cavalry advancing swiftly towards the impending battle.
Each beat of my heart brought me closer to my brother, to my enemy, and to the destiny that awaited Westeros.
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-POV MC-
The sky had darkened due to the clouds blocking the sun from shining, and rain and thunder threatened to roll at any moment. It was at that moment that a messenger arrived to announce the king's arrival.
I stepped out to the edge of the camp and waited, trying to understand why Renly had prevented me from attacking when I could have neutralized Stannis with a surprise attack.
"Your Majesty, I hope I have met your expectations," I said, kneeling before Renly.
"You have played your role perfectly, Lord Connington, and you were right. Who would have guessed that my abominable brother would try to steal my fief in my absence?" said Renly.
'As if you hadn't stolen his birthright twice already,' I thought, disgusted by this man's hypocrisy. I couldn't wait for him to die to end this farce.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at his self-victimizing speech when a woman said, "Has he sent messengers to engage in talks?"
I recognized the lady as the mother of Robb Stark, the new King in the North, and I said,
"The talks are set for today in two hours."
'I don't want to wait. The sooner Renly dies, the quicker my plan can begin,' I thought, praying that I hadn't created a butterfly effect that would save him.
"Very well, I will be there," said Renly.