Chapter 24 (Revamped)

(Battle of Cider Hall)

House Fossoways desertion would become a key factor in the defeat of House Tyrell.

It is well known that both Fossoway branches decided to abandon the Tyrell cause after Mace Tyrell refused to come to the aid of the marcher lords. Such an action would've set a grievous precedent that they claimed would prove disastrous had the marcher lords failed to repel them.

It also brought to light the resentment and dissatisfaction with House Tyrell held by its vassals, with many a proud lord regarding themselves superiors to 'up jumped stewards'. It is believed that had it not been for the Hightowers, Redwyne, and Bulwer's support and marital ties with the Tyrells, the lords present during the refusal would have rebelled then and there.

The hatred between the Reachmen and Dornish was very well known, only surpassed by that of Stormlords who arguably suffered worse considering House Wyl's penchant for torturing captured nobles and the horrible fate that awaited the noblewoman.

Lord Mace Tyrell reportedly did not take their desertion well, having spilled his much-beloved arbor gold to the ground in fury when he found out. Cider Hall was to be the first of the two branches to face his 'ire'.

With their villages sacked and their vassals imprisoned, Lord Tyrell declared he would see the ruin of House Fossoway. Many would come to regard his statements on the matter as an attempt to emulate his much-feared counterpart the deceased Lord Tywin Lannister.

Unfortunately for House Tyrell's forces, their Lord's insistence on besieging Cider Hall as swiftly as possible left many of them tired and exhausted upon reaching the Apple's seat. This combined with his orders to immediately start to build siege weapons once Cider Hall was surrounded would come to haunt the flower sooner rather than later.

For approaching them was the vanguard of House Mudd.

…

When the Banners reached Cider Hall, they caught the unaware Tyrell by surprise. By then the siege weapons had been completed, yet the men were tired and exhausted and thus were unable to react properly to their foe's sudden appearance.

Despite their exhaustion, the Tyrell forces bravely advanced towards the Banner vanguard, leading to a skirmish between the two sides.

Ser Baelor Hightower, realizing the terrible state of their forces was able to convince his brother-in-law Lord Tyrell to call for a parlay in an attempt to give the men time to recuperate and reposition themselves.

As for the leader of the Banner vanguard, Lt. General Duncan Strong, he would agree to the parlay, wanting to give time for the rest of the Banners to appear, as he was heavily outnumbered by the Tyrell forces.

It is unknown what exactly occurred in the parlay, but it did not end in a peaceful conciliation between the two sides, both sides merely intending to use it as a front to better prepare to take on their opponent.

The senior branch of House Fossoway did not remain on the sidelines, managing to sneak through one of their men to Banner lines, who stipulated that they and their junior branch would submit themselves to Lord Erlend should the Tyrells be defeated.

Strong agreed to these terms on behalf of his liege, setting the stage for the coming battle.

To gain better information on the current situation of the Banners, Lord Paxter Redwyne with the agreement of Lord Mace sent several spies into the Banners camp.

The spies would be discovered swiftly by the alleged shadows that were placed under Lt. General Strong. Instead of just capturing and executing them, the hardened commander employed a trick where he allowed one of the spies to overhear a conversation that made it clear that the vanguard would have to retreat to link up back with the rest of the Banners who were seemingly hours away from Cider Hall. 

The spy as expected quickly made his escape to report the news to Lord Redwyne. To make the mummer's farce seem true, Strong and his men quickly abandoned the temporary camp.

As expected the Tyrell forces quickly made chase in pursuit of the 'fleeing' vanguard, wanting to cut them off before they could link up with the rest of the Banners.

Unknown to the Tyrells, the location to which the vanguard had fled was where the rest of the Banners were in fact located at the time. 

They had arrived in the area shortly after the parlay had ended and had more than enough time to prepare suitable entrapment for the Tyrells.

The battle between the two would last hours with the weary Tyrells only being able to keep up for so long thanks to sheer numbers. This advantage would not last, however, in turn, the Fossoways as per the agreement with Duncan would end up advancing toward Tyrell's rear.

Caught unaware by this action, the Tyrells quickly found themselves in quite a predicament. Which would see a third of their forces annihilated, it was only thanks to Ser Baelor Hightower that a breakthrough could be made through Banner lines where a third of the Tyrell forces were able to escape.

This did not mean that all the High Command of the faction would escape unscathed. Lord Paxter Redwyne, Lord Warryn Beesbury, and Lord Jon Bulwer were captured in the aftermath of the battle, with Lord Jon being grievously injured and only surviving thanks to the healers that were permanently assigned to the Banners.

With one-third of the Tyrell forces dead, another third injured or captured, and the rest managing to flee using the breakthrough, it could be argued that the war had already been won by House Mudd. Despite it being the first true battle between the two forces.

Yet in a rare show of backbone, instead of seeking to negotiate as advised by his mother the infamous Lady Olenna. Lord Mace Tyrell sought to assemble a second army to meet the Mudds in battle again, though this time on his terms.

…

(Battle of Highgarden)

The Reach has always been known for its fertile lands and large population, this trait was what allowed it to raise such a large levy, nearly twice the size of its most prominent rivals, the Westerlands.

Using this to his full advantage, Mace Tyrell was able to raise enough men to be able to go head-to-head with the Banners.

For the most part, since hostilities began between the Reach and the Mudds, victory upon victory had been achieved by the Banners. While there were a few losses, they were relatively minor in comparison to the major battles won.

Lord Tyrell questionably tried to make use of these minor defeats to raise morale among the ranks. The results were rather mixed, as the younger generations would be invigorated by it, whereas the older ones would scoff at his words.

Before we continue, it must be pointed out that while Mace Tyrell was a largely ineffective military leader, he, like his ancestors, did hold a rather high affinity towards administration and rulership.

While Lady Olenna could be said to be the true power behind the scenes within the House, Lord Tyrell was far more popular with the smallfolk due to his effective administrative abilities and the positive rapport that had been built over the years.

A trait that many of his ancestors enjoyed, and giving House Tyrell an advantage over its regional rivals.

This would show as it allowed him to quickly rebuild his force which would become equal in size to the Mudd host. Whilst it could be said that Mace Tyrell was a man who made foolish decisions that often alienated his vassals, he did have defining traits.

Another factor that Lord Tyrell relied on was the fact that the Mudd Host was made of differing elements, that is, it was filled with Riverlanders, Valemen, Reachmen, Crownlanders, and Bannermen.

It was assumed that the forces would not be cohesive and would clash with each other, especially within the command structure.

This unfortunately was not the case, as it would later be found out that Lord Erlend had enforced a strict command structure that was expected to be followed at all times by the host. Something that was enforced rather rigorously throughout the war.

Eventually, both armies met for battle, where a parlay was held between the two. It would be the first time Lord Erlend and Lord Mace would meet face-to-face since hostilities had begun.

Lord Tyrell demanded that all traitors to the Reach including the Florent faction be handed over for their crimes, the Tyrell loyalists to be freed, and that Lord Erlend pay proper compensation for his invasion of the Reach. Where Lord Erlend demanded the unconditional surrender of House Tyrell and its remaining vassals.

It was clear to both parties that neither side would comply, ending in the parlay on a sour note.

At the beginning of the battle, instead of the standard lines that were formed as was common during those days, the center of the Mudd host remained slightly exposed and in front of its flanks, leaving it relatively vulnerable. This tactic was used by Lord Erlend to bait the Tyrell forces to surround it.

One must understand that the center of the army was composed primarily of the Banners and Valemen, whilst its flanks were made of men from the rest of the kingdoms under Mudd's Control. It is speculated that this was done due to the fact that Lord Erlend believed that only the Banners would be able to hold in the face of the advancing Tyrell army and maintain ranks.

This was further pushed by the fact that he chose to stay at the head center rather than with either of the Flanks who were commanded by Lord Yohn Royce and Lord Mathis Rowan, nor did he choose to remain at the rear.

The confidence he held in his men was not wasted, for the Tyrell host fell for the trap as they attempted to surround the center. This was where vaunted knights of the Vale and the chivalric knights of the Reach made their clearest impact in the war, as they advanced from the flanks and encircled the Tyrell army, shattering it.

Unlike in the 'Battle of Cider Hall', no breakthrough was made as Mace Tyrell and his remaining Lords were either captured or killed in the battle, marking the end of the war.

Despite this, a few of the keeps under Tyrell banners stubbornly refused to surrender and lay down their arms, choosing to persist just as their Florent counterparts had done after the 'Siege of Longtable'.

Lord Erlend and his commanders showed no mercy to these holdouts, their leaders were executed and those men who survived the sieges were either imprisoned or killed during the Siege.

It is claimed that not since Aegon's Conquest did the Reach lose so many of its nobility, ironically putting it on equal footing with the rest of the kingdoms that suffered grievously from the rebellion.

…

During the aftermath of the War, the Reach would be embroiled in chaos as bandits and deserters sewed devastation on its settlements. 

This chaos wouldn't last for long as Lord Erlend divided his host and charged them with uprooting these scum, just as he had done within the Riverlands and Crownlands.

Thanks to this war several minor Houses would see their rise. The most prominent being House Osgrey which was granted all the Webber lands and its former ancestral keep of Cold Moat. Adding insult to injury, the now Lord Desmond Osgrey would end up marrying the widow of the late Lord Webber.

To avoid conflict between the House Osgrey and Rowan, Lord Desmond would now be directly sworn to Highgarden, whilst Lord Mathis would be compensated with territories from neighboring lands that had been part of the Florent faction.

Many Tyrell and Florent loyalists would find themselves losing lands to the lords that had sworn allegiance to Lord Erlend at the beginning of his conquest. Though these changes were often minor, as the young Lord sought to avoid weakening either side too much. These changes were primarily used by Lord Mudd's supporters to settle border disputes and land claims in their favor, something their rivals were willing to accept if it meant maintaining their status and minimizing their losses.

This was done as a check to both sides and to reduce any lingering resentment held towards the yet-to-be-established 'Crown'.

Of course, there were some major changes to the borders of the Reach, as House Roxton, Wythers, Bushys, and Shermers were now directly sworn to Lord Erlend. This would later be ratified during the Kingswood Accords.

Alongside financial compensation that was expected to be granted to House Mudd and its Banners, House Tyrell was also required to send Lady Janna Tyrell and the young Lady Margery Tyrell as wards to House Mudd.

House Tyrell and the Major Houses of the Reach were now expected to hold allegiance to the young Lord Mudd. Making him a King in all but name in the eyes of many. Still, despite their conflict, Lord Erlend confirmed Mace Tyrell's position as overlord of the Reach on his behalf, this was done after Lord Erlend had traveled to the Hightower where he met with Leyton Hightower.

No one knows what exactly occurred in the meeting but it can be confirmed that Lady Malora Hightower was present. She would also become a permanent resident in Lord Erlend's court soon after.

A few weeks after the subjugation of the Reach, Lord Erlend would call for a great council, demanding the presence of all the Major Lords and Ladies within Westeros, for it was time to decide the future of the Realm.

…

(Mace Tyrell, Highgarden)

"Surely, Mother, this is an opportunity for Janna." Mace looked excited.

House Tyrells defeat in the war had sprung genuine fears in his heart that they would be unseated from Highgarden. Yet, to his surprise, shortly after Lord Erlend had met with his father-in-law, whatever ill intent he had for their House seemed to vanish with the wind. Instead, all they lost was a bit of gold, some rebellious lords, and a few territorial concessions, nothing much really.

In fact, a lot of his vassals seemed better from Lord Erlends conquest, especially those who supported the young conqueror. Those traitors had finally managed to settle the various territorial disputes that had been plaguing them since the Gardener's reign.

That made him somewhat uneasy, especially that smug look that came from his brother-in-law Baelor after the confirmation of the terms. Though it was quickly washed away by the gratification he felt for retaining his position and status.

"Your sister and daughter are hostages and you call that an opportunity." Alerie looked ready to slap her husband silly for his words.

Before she could make her anger clear, "He's not wrong dear, Janna is now well placed to improve relations with Lord Erlend, not to mention little Margaery is likely to grow up quite close with his future children." Olenna interrupted the fuming mother.

"Then we still have a chance?" Mace asked.

"Of course, as long as your sister does nothing foolish, House Tyrell may still rise."

Mace looked gleeful at the very thought. He could see it now, if his sister managed to gain the attention of Lord Erlends, the glory he'd brought to his House would surely outshine his mother. No longer would they linger in her grasping shadow.

"You're both forgetting the fact that Lord Erlend has made his intent to wed Lady Catelyn quite clear," said Alerie dryly.

"That hasn't stopped me before, why should it stop Janna?" Olenna smirked at her daughter-in-law.

Having given up on the two, Alerie moved to get herself a drink to calm her fatigued mind, the loss of her best friend and daughter had stung her deeply.

"I'll have Uncle Gormon send a raven to Janna, maybe Margaery has a chance too," Mace said dreams of an ever-expanding garden filled his mind.

'If only Lord Erlend already had a son.' Mace thought.

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Note: The reason I've transferred the allegiance of the aforementioned houses to Erlend directly is similar to why Russia was so keen on expansion both in modern times and in previous eras. It's mainly to form a buffer for his personal territories, which mainly consist of the lands surrounding God's Eye and leading all the way to King's Landing. Territories not directly connected to this would be Twilight Isles and Dragonstone.