Chapter 306

CATELYN STARK POV

"My lady." King Renly Baratheon said as he sat down in the chair on the other side of the table.

"Your grace." She said, not showing any emotions to the enemy. And that's exactly what King Renly was. And enemy.

Oh, he might have brought her to Highgarden and allowed her to live in a luxurious room with all the services that someone of her station deserved but she knew very well that she was nothing but a tool being used against her husband.

And if her husband chose King Stannis instead of King Renly, then she might find herself sitting inside a prison cell the very next day.

So when King Renly gave her a warm smile, she didn't believe it even once.

"I hope you are being well accommodated here in Highgarden."

"I am." She replied.

He remained silent for a moment, contemplating his words carefully before he spoke.

"Your daughter Sansa…"

"What of her?" she asked, perhaps a bit to eagerly.

"She's not being treated very well in Kings Landing." He said "Joffrey Waters was not happy with her escape attempts and still punishes her by humiliating and beating her in front of the whole court. This whole thing has become a terrible joke. I don't think your daughter is safe in Kings Landing."

She remained silent, not showing how badly this news was affecting her.

"Do not worry my lady. Once my army conquers Kings Landing. I'll free your daughter and correct any grievances that House Stark might have suffered in the Lannister hands."

"I think you for your kind generosity your grace." She said, trying to create a distance between them by being as formal as possible.

King Renly sighed "The Lannisters have crossed the Golden Tooth. Ser Devan Lannister have defeated two smaller armies of the your brothers friends and is now moving toward Riverrun. Lord Tywin has unleashed the Mountain and his fellow riders at Riverlands. He is now burning, raping and pillaging through villages and towns alike. Destroying the kingdom you once called your home. And as if that was not enough, Lord Tywin has brought a another bigger army in order to stop any Northern or Vale Army from crossing the Trident and getting to Crownlands."

She tried not to listen to him but he continued.

"My brother has amassed a small army of some 7,000 men." He said "Good enough to harass the pirates roaming the Narrow Sea but of not much use otherwise. My own army is now standing in front of Highgarden. 70,000 strong. With 30,000 more coming from Stormlands. By the time this army is formed, I'll have the biggest army in the whole Kingdom. An alliance with House Stark will allow me to defeat both my brother and the Lannisters with ease."

She remained silent.

He sighed after a long moment and continued "Loras' brother Willas Tyrell is a good man. You must have met him by now. What are your opinions of him my lady?"

"He has a sharp mind. He'll make a great lord some day." She said. She might have remained silent till now but she couldn't remain silent once he asked her a direct question.

"If he is betrothed to Sansa Stark. The Baratheon-Tyrell-Stark alliance will easily become the strongest faction in the whole of Westeros. Sansa might not get married to a King but she'll live like a queen. I can promise you that."

She remained silent and kept gazing at the wine on the table.

He was losing patience with her, she could see that much.

But she was not going to promise anything that might force her husband's hand in the future.

He sighed and got up from his chair. "I can understand why you would not want to support me." He said "The crown should rightfully go to my brother. And because of that Lord Stark will support him. But you must also understand that my brother is not the kind of man who inspires loyalty. Even if he sits in the Iron Throne no one will support him. The Dorne, The Reach, The Westerlands, The Vale, The Iron Islands and even his own homeland the Stormlands don't support him. Even if he somehow managed to sit on the Iron Throne, no one will bow to him and the King Kingdoms will crumble to dust. An alliance between House Stark and House Tyrell will be beneficial to everyone my lady. Your husband is a hard man and honorable man and he might not see this. His honor would not allow him to support me."

"If he win against the Lannisters then his battered and broken army will still have to fight my own." He said "Is that an outcome you would like Lady Stark."

She shook her head.

"Then persuade him to support me. Ask him to bend the knee to me. No one needs to die unnecessarily. Persuade him to do this and you'll be the maker of the biggest alliance in Westeros." He said and passed a paper, quill and ink to her.

She thought about his words for a while. Technically, he was not wrong.

He did had the largest army in the entire 7 Kingdoms but he didn't understand that in a war, anyone can die and even the man with the larger army might lose.

Still, he was not wrong. Her husband could not fight both the Lannisters and the Baratheon-Tyrell alliance.

If they wanted to emerge a victor in this war then they needed to join the winning side.

And would marrying Sansa to Willas Tyrell really be all that bad?

Having an alliance with the Tyrells would help them now and during the long night.

So after some hesitation, she picked up the quill and started writing to her husband.