The soft light of dawn filtered through the garden, illuminating golden roses adorned with dew, each droplet sparkling like a crystal, making the garden appear like a paradise. A few beautiful larks flitted between the trees, chirping joyfully as they flitted through the vibrant flower beds.
However, the peace of this lovely morning was suddenly shattered by a loud, disgruntled voice:
"Damn Samwell! That boy just can't stay out of trouble; he's a constant headache for me!"
Mace Tyrell, Governor of the Reach, Warden of the South, and Lord of Highgarden, stomped through the garden, waving a letter in his large hand, his face red with anger.
"First, he took hundreds of laborers from my docks without a word, and I let it slide. Then, he asked for some of Highgarden's refugees, out of consideration for my precious daughter, I didn't make things difficult for him. Now, he's stirred up trouble with Starfall! And he's asking me to send troops to support him? Does he take me for…"
"Father, here, have some tea." Margaery Tyrell gently raised a silver teacup to her father's lips, cutting off his tirade.
Taking the cup from her, Mace took a long sip. Looking at his daughter's gentle smile, his anger seemed to soften. He allowed her to guide him to a seat.
After a few moments, Mace turned to Lady Olenna, seated nearby, and continued, "Mother, you read the letter as well, didn't you? Don't you think this Samwell fellow is nothing but trouble?"
Olenna Tyrell, hands resting in her lap, had been watching the larks flit about the garden. She replied coolly without looking at her son, "Yes, Samwell is certainly a restless boy. But this time, he's not to blame."
"Not his fault?"
The old lady nodded. "I recently received news from Blackmont. It seems Edric Dayne and Allyria Dayne died in a hunting accident."
Mace frowned, trying to connect the dots. "Mother, what does that have to do with that troublemaker Samwell?"
At this, Margaery interjected softly, "Those two were the last heirs of the main Dayne line. No wonder Starfall's gone mad."
Finally catching on, Mace exclaimed, "You don't think that boy Samwell had anything to do with it, do you?"
Olenna merely rolled her eyes, not bothering to respond to her son's foolish question.
Margaery poured her father more tea and said, "Someone must be stirring up trouble, trying to provoke a conflict."
Lady Olenna looked approvingly at her granddaughter, clearly finding some comfort in her words. She then turned to Mace with a hint of impatience.
"Lord Pufffish, you've received a request for aid from one of your vassals. Do you think you should send troops to help him?"
Mace was used to his mother's barbs by now and didn't even flinch. Thinking back to the trouble Samwell had caused, he replied in exasperation, "His castle isn't even complete, so according to our laws, Eagle's Nest isn't technically part of the Reach. Why would I start a war over a disputed territory? Which of my vassals would risk their lives to defend it?"
Olenna dropped a name casually: "Randyll Tarly."
"Randyll?" Mace paused, frowning. "Sure, Samwell is his son, but he's a son he disowned and sent away. You think he'd really intervene?"
"I don't know." Olenna smiled faintly. "But I'd very much like to find out."
"Huh?" Mace looked puzzled again.
Once more, Margaery stepped in to explain, "Father, Grandmother has always suspected that Lord Tarly hasn't fully abandoned his son. This might be a chance to find out."
"Oh, alright then." Mace shrugged. "I'll send word to Randyll. I won't give him any orders, though; whether he sends troops or not is up to him."
With that, he gave his mother and daughter a quick kiss on the forehead before striding out.
Though he loved them both, Mace always felt a little uncomfortable around them, especially around his mother, who had an uncanny way of making him feel foolish.
After seeing her father out of the garden, Margaery returned to Olenna, pouring her a fresh cup of tea. "Grandmother, what if Lord Tarly doesn't send any soldiers?"
Lady Olenna took a sip of tea, her tone even. "Then Samwell will just have to rely on himself."
She set the teacup down and, with a smile, adjusted the blue gemstone necklace on her granddaughter's chest. "What's wrong, dear? Do you feel sorry for the first knight you ever knighted?"
"Just a little." Margaery pressed her smooth cheek against her grandmother's wrinkled hand, gently nuzzling it. "Samwell's quite talented as a pioneer knight, and we've invested so much already. We provided Ser Todd Flower, a hundred elite soldiers, and spent thousands of gold dragons. Now that Eagle's Nest is finally becoming a real part of the Reach, producing brandy and silver, it just seems lik a shame if we are to give it all up."
Olenna lovingly stroked her granddaughter's face but spoke in a tone as cold as ice. "If a rose in your garden is diseased, no matter how beautiful it is, and no matter how much time and effort you've spent nurturing it, it must be cut out before it infects the whole garden."
"But shouldn't we at least try to treat it first?" Margaery argued gently, still reluctant.
"This isn't just a simple infestation." Olenna sighed. "You know that the last two heirs of House Dayne have died, the timing is too perfect. It's clear that someone has noticed our plans in Eagle's Point and is trying to force us into conflict."
She continued, "We always intended for Eagle's Point to be a defense against Dorne, but we cannot let others dictate the timing of our wars. Otherwise, we'll constantly be at a disadvantage, and even the roses we've planted elsewhere will suffer."
Pausing, Olenna watched Margaery's expression. "Eagle Point is a festering sore exposed to the vultures. Let the Dornish remove it for us. Brandy can be made elsewhere, and as for the silver, well, we hardly need the money."
Seeing that her grandmother was resolute, Margaery reluctantly nodded, though she couldn't help but ask, "Grandmother, have you figured out who's behind all this?"
"There are a few possibilities, but they're being very careful. I can't say for certain." Olenna's hand gently brushed the furrow from Margaery's brow, as if to smooth it out. "You don't need to worry. The bastard from Starfall likely saw this as a chance for glory. He won't go out of his way to offend us, so even if Samwell loses, his life should be safe."
"When that happens, we can always pay to ransom him, appease him a bit, and then put him to use somewhere else. And frankly, it's time that boy was brought down a notch; he's been getting far too bold lately."
She gave a small, amused huff. "Did you know thay Paxter tried to arrange a marriage between him and Desmera, and the boy actually refused?"
Margaery's eyes widened. "He rejected the eldest daughter of the Arbor? Who does he think he is?"
"Who knows," Olenna muttered, clearly unimpressed.
Margaery thought for a moment. "Grandmother, what if Lord Tarly does send troops and helps Samwell hold Eagle's Nest?"
"Then we'll know for sure that Randyll Tarly hasn't truly abandoned his son and likely has other plans. Until we're clear on his real intentions, we won't interfere any further. Let the Tarlys handle the mess at Eagle's Nest, and withdraw all our support for Samwell."
Margaery nodded, understanding her grandmother's meaning, but she couldn't help but wonder about one last scenario—that Samwell might hold Eagle's Nest on his own without anyone's help.
But that possibility seemed so far-fetched. House Dayne's soldiers weren't wildlings; they were trained and disciplined. No matter how capable Samwell was, he couldn't realistically be expected to stand up against them.
Margaery quickly dismissed the thought as absurd and silently prayed to the Seven, asking them to protect her knight in this upcoming battle.
(End of Chapter)