(Talrit POV)
We spent a couple of weeks in Dorne before marching North to Highgarden as we needed the time to rest and plan for the future. Just before we began marching, I received word a messenger from King's Landing arrived. The young man was extremely nervous as he walked through my men and saw everything that we had under our control. Seeing me he instinctually bowed to me while handing me a wax-sealed letter.
"From, Lord Tywin your…. Grace," the young man said as he was unsure how to address me. Though I just ignored him taking the letter and opening it.
"Interesting…," I say seeing that Tywin is asking for a meeting to surrender to me and bend the knee. In return, I would pardon his remaining family allowing them to return to Casterly Rock.
"My love?" Daenerys says to me as I hand her the letter making her raise her eyebrows intrigued now too after reading it and passing it over to Oberyn.
"Seems Tywin Lannister is surrendering to us. He is willing to give up the throne if it means his family gets pardoned," I say to my inner circle as they are curious about the letter too.
"Fucking Tywin… Out of all the Lannisters, he is the least trustworthy. I'd be careful my Emperor," Doran says to me with some disgust in his voice as his family hates the Lannisters having learned about the attempt on their sister's life. Though they know not all the Lannisters are like that as they are friendly with the three Lannisters in my company.
"I hate to agree with Prince Doran, but he is right my brother is extremely cunning. Willing to do anything if it means the betterment of the family," Gerion says to me with Tyrion nodding his head agreeing with his Uncle.
"I never said I would fully trust him… But once we arrive at King's Landing, if he surrenders the city, then I will accept his conditions," I say with everyone nodding their heads as they read the letter too since it is being passed around.
"Tell Lord Tywin, that I accept his terms. When we arrive at King's Landing we accept his absolute surrender," I say to the messenger while quickly writing a short letter saying I accept the terms and handing it to him.
"Rest her for a day, then return to King's Landing," I say as the messenger bows once again before quickly taking his leave.
"So, the plan is still in motion?" Oberyn asks once the messenger leaves and I nod my head.
Our march to Highgarden began, though Doran stayed behind to rule Dorne but he did send his son, Trystane Martell with us. The march to Highgarden took about a month due to the size of the army. Upon reaching Highgarden, I could see that it had only a few hundred defenders, maybe a thousand at best. As it seems most of their men were sent with Renly who they pledged their allegiance.
"Send in the wyvern riders, see if they surrender before we begin the bloodshed," I say to one of my commanders who relays my order.
The several hundred wyvern riders flew over the city and Keep as I could smell the panic and fear inside it. Shortly after the gates opened with a dozen men riding to us. I rode with Oberyn to meet them.
"Surrendering, I hope?" I say to them as the men reach us with Oberyn eyeing them ready for a fight at a moment's notice.
"Lady Olenna wishes to speak with your leader inside the Keep to discuss the terms," the one man says to me with fear and nervousness reeking off him.
"She can come here to speak with me. Or I can storm the city and Keep killing all the defenders, like yourself, then speak with her. She has one hour," I say turning around and not waiting for a response. As the old woman is just stalling or hoping to use me as leverage, which would have easily backfired on her, but I was not going to deal with her shit right now.
Twenty minutes after I spoke with the messengers a larger group rode out. I could see Lady Olenna was among them. Like the last time, I rode out with just Oberyn.
"Seems to understand your predicament," I say to her as she gives me a once over and then looks to Oberyn.
"We met years ago… Back when the Targaryens were still ruling… You have not aged," Olenna says to me seeming to have recognized me and I just shrug ignoring her statement.
"Are you surrendering or should I give the order to kill the defenders?" I ask her not wanting to waste time due to the dreadful feeling I am having with Tiamat's daughter out there.
"Yes of course, I am surrendering. I am no fool, though I would ask you to spare my granddaughter and grandson. They are currently in Renly Baratheon's care, I can see you will be able to defeat him easily. All I ask is you spare them, I will in turn pledge my house to yours," Olenna says to me not beating around the bush like many other Westeros nobles do, making me respect her more.
"If they surrender and lay down their arms, then I will not kill them. Though that is up to them," I say to her and she sighs nodding her head understanding my reasons.
"Then may I come with you? That way when you meet Renly on the field of battle I can speak with my grandchildren?" Olenna says to me making the guards with her look at her surprised.
"That is acceptable. Though you will be watched closely and only a handful of guards can come with you," I say to her and she nods her head.
"Then Highgarden is yours," Olenna says to me bowing her head slightly while gesturing to send word that the city has surrendered.
We then spent the next few days in Highgarden as I left a few men here and the appointed governor who would ensure the city remains a part of my Empire. If Olenna stays true to her word her family would be the rulers here, but I will have my governor stay here to ensure they understand who really rules the city. As for Dorne, I had no reason to leave a force behind there, except for a few of my people to act as an embassy for my Empire.
I then sent around five thousand men to Casterly Rock along with the clan member who would be the governor there, while doing the same for Storm's End. As the rest of us would be heading to King's Landing to see about Tywin's surrender. Olenna seemed tempted to send word to her grandchildren but appeared to rather speak with them in person.
"Now to King's Landing!" I say as we begin our march there.
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(Renly Baratheon POV)
We finally passed the neck with the Knights of the Vale meeting up with us. Then we reached Casterly Rock, and arriving there we saw that it was basically undefended. With only a hundred men or so holding the keep. I now understood that Tywin has pulled back all his men to King's Landing as the final defense. That would make the battle all that much harder.
"Your grace!" A messenger runs over to me as I was in Casterly Rock's war room planning our march to King's Landing with my top generals.
"Shit," I say reading the message the man handed me and tossing it onto the table while rubbing my forehead.
"Seems the Empire in the east has reached Westeros. Not only that but seems Dorne was a part of them the whole time. Worse of all Highgarden has fallen," I say while Mace, Margaery, and Loras give me concerned looks.
"Lady Olenna still lives," I say to them making them all relax, but Mace has a look of anger at having his ancestral home taken from him.
"That means the Empire will be sending troops here or Storm's End first… Maybe even going straight to King's Landing," Osmond says while he looks at the map in the war room.
"We will leave some men behind here to defend Casterly Rock. But we should go and meet this army on the open field. We have more calvery than footmen making a keep battle to our disadvantage. An open-field battle would benefit us better," one of my other generals says with many others agreeing with him.
"Though it appears the rumors of the Empire having dragons are true. Not only that but more than a few dozen, apparently they have a few hundred," another general of mine says making everyone begin arguing about our next move.
"Enough! We will march to Empire's army! Send scouts out now to find their main force. Osmond and I have a way to deal with the dragons," I say since Osmond gives me a look nodding his head, ready to show his true form to kill the 'dragons' that the empire has. Plus from what he told me they are not even true dragons, but 'wyverns' a species that is weak to magical attacks.
"With Osmond and I dealing with the wyverns, we should be fine," I say since Osmond will be dealing with the brunt of them as I help with magic.
"Very well your grace," Mace says while the generals fall silent.
"We move in the morning, I want a report from the scouts by then," I say since we have scouts across Westeros.
"We will move to King's Landing, assuming they are doing the same," I say and the generals nod their heads before taking their leave.
The next morning my main force begins our march to King's Landing, with a message arriving later that day telling us the Empire's main force is doing the same. From what we can gather we will be arriving at King's Landing at the same time as the Empire. Making this battle to come the largest ever seen in Westeros, as three large forces will be facing off against one another.
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(Tywin Lannister POV)
I received word that Highgarden has surrendered the Empire. Like me, Lady Olenna is an extremely good player in the game, and also like me, she saw the impossibility of defeating an Empire with hundred of Dragons at their beck and call. The Targaryens even didn't have that many when first conquering Westeros, so this war was over the minute that Empire decided to get involved.
"Father, you need to come outside," Jaime says to me with a look of complete distress as I just sigh standing up and taking my cup of wine with me.
As we reach the Keep's wall I can see an army of several hundred thousand marching to the city a few miles out. I can easily see that it is the Empire's army due to the hundred of dragons flying above them, plus the Martell forces are among them. Then at the same time, I see another army of maybe one hundred twenty thousand reaching us at the same time. This one appears to be Renly Baratheon's army, a glint of hope sparked in me that the two would fight.
"We will remain inside the city. Hopefully the two clash, with Renly taking out as many as possible. Then just maybe we can kill the remaining force," I say to Jaime who just stares at this obscene about of men with a pale face.
"The amount of death that will happen today…," I hear Jaime say while muttering something else under his breath before quickly leaving.
"Tell the men to man the walls and not attack anyone until the order is given," I say to one of the men nearby and he nods before running off to complete my order.
'I may never have cared about you before… but if you are all out there. Please help me ensure my family lives on,' I silently pray to the gods inside my head while watching these two huge armies finally notice one another and being to form up for battle to come.