Seeing Margaery's reaction, Samwell felt a bit of relief—at least the Tyrells had someone sensible in the room.
Margaery had kept quiet, likely to avoid openly refusing Lord Renly. Behind the scenes, she would probably dissuade her brothers, the gullible Loras and Garlan, from blindly following him.
With her influence, the Reach nobles wouldn't likely follow Renly down his reckless path.
With that reassurance, Samwell prepared to move forward with his own plan. In fact, now that Renly had revealed his ambitions, Samwell's plans were becoming easier to execute.
"Lord Renly, I have a suggestion," Samwell began.
"Go ahead, Sam," Renly turned to him, listening with interest.
"I think it would be wise for you to go ahead and initiate the trial for Lord Jon Arryn's death."
Hearing this topic raised again, Renly, remarkably, didn't seem impatient but instead tried to reassure him, saying, "Sam, I understand you're anxious. But this matter must remain on hold for the time being. I promise, once things have settled, I will hold the trial at the first opportunity."
Samwell shook his head with a smile. "Actually, my suggestion to hold the trial was meant to help you stabilize things."
"Oh?" Renly perked up, clearly intrigued. "How would that work?"
Samwell hinted, "Think about it, my lord. If you initiate the trial now, Oberyn's life will essentially be in your hands. As long as the verdict isn't given, the Dornishmen in King's Landing will be bound to follow your lead."
"Of course!" Renly said, jumping to his feet with excitement.
He had understood Samwell's point: by delaying a verdict, Oberyn's life would rest largely on his judgment as Master of Laws. Whether out of gratitude or out of fear, the Dornishmen would obey his orders, and he'd gain their allegiance without shedding blood.
"Excellent! I'll issue the order right away. The trial for the 'Red Viper' will take place tomorrow!" Renly was practically gleeful as he walked over, grabbing Samwell's hand. "Thank you, Sam! Truly, a brilliant idea!"
Considering Renly's personal preferences, Samwell tried to discreetly pull his hand back but managed only an awkward smile.
"My lord, wouldn't this risk offending Lord Eddard Stark, the Hand?" Loras chimed in.
"We needn't worry about him," Renly said, finally letting go of Samwell's hand. "This falls squarely within my authority as Master of Laws."
Samwell mentally gave Renly a silent thumbs-up.
Perfect, he thought. Just charge ahead, full steam!
Once news spread about tomorrow's trial, Samwell was confident that "the Red Viper" would abandon any plans to lie low.
Renly, now caught up in his own grandeur, launched into a lengthy speech about the grand ambitions he would pursue as Regent. He was practically bursting at the seams with enthusiasm.
Samwell politely listened, chiming in with praise where needed, applauding Renly's grand plans.
Finally, when Renly's zeal subsided, everyone excused themselves and took their leave.
After taking only a few steps, Samwell heard Margaery call from behind him. "Samwell, wait for me!"
"Yes, Lady Margaery," he said, stopping to let her catch up so they could walk together.
They spoke only of trivial matters like the weather and cuisine, avoiding anything serious until they reached Margaery's quarters. Once inside with the door shut, Margaery changed her tone.
"Samwell, back there with Lord Renly—you seemed like you had something to say but held back. Am I right?"
Samwell smiled slightly and replied, "Well, you were silent too, weren't you?"
"Yes." Margaery nodded honestly. "Loras is adamant about supporting Lord Renly, but I have my doubts."
Samwell was dumbfounded at Loras's rashness, the poor fool throwing his family's future into the fire for the sake of a friend. Was this what they meant by "blinded by love"?
"Did Lady Olenna give you any instructions before coming to King's Landing?" Samwell asked. He was hesitant to directly question the Tyrells' decisions, so he mentioned the wise "Queen of Thorns."
Margaery thought back, "Grandmother told us to come here and watch a 'show.'"
"There you have it." Samwell shrugged. "She told you to watch, not to leap headfirst onto the stage."
"You're right. If Grandmother knew we'd openly sided with Lord Renly, she'd likely be furious." Margaery sounded resigned, then added, "But… Loras and Garlan have already declared their support. To back out now would harm House Tyrell's reputation, wouldn't it?"
"We can worry about reputation later," Samwell replied. "For now, let's talk about power. Honestly, what do you think Renly's odds of success really are?"
"I'd say he stands a fair chance. After all, he has that will in hand, doesn't he?"
Samwell saw that Margaery had fallen into wishful thinking, naively assuming Renly had a realistic shot at winning.
"No, I believe Lord Renly's chances are zero," Samwell said bluntly, hoping to extinguish any of Margaery's lingering optimism.
"Why?"
Looking at the beautiful young woman before him, Samwell sighed. Despite her charm, sharp wit, and talent for winning people's loyalty, she was still a bit naive in matters of politics.
"Because Renly only has a piece of paper, while his opponents hold overwhelming strength."
"By strength, you mean?"
"Armies. More specifically, the armies within the Red Keep. Renly has no allies in the Kingsguard, nor any connections within the City Watch. He thinks he can rely on a handful of Reach nobles, maybe some Dornishmen—but against the forces here, that won't be enough."
Margaery's face fell. "Samwell, do you really think this could come to bloodshed?"
Samwell nodded. "Politics is often the bloodiest game there is. Just think of the fate of Rhaegar Targaryen's wife and children, or of Jon Arryn, or… of King Robert."
"Do you think… King Robert's death was…?"
"This city has never been short on betrayal or murder," Samwell replied grimly. "King's Landing isn't like the gardens of Highgarden, Margaery—it's the bloodiest arena in the Seven Kingdoms."
Margaery's expression turned pale, and she bit her lip, unwilling to let go of hope. "I did consider the City Watch. If Renly could win them over, he'd stand a chance, wouldn't he?"
Samwell shook his head, quickly dispelling her illusions. "Renly has no hope of swaying the City Watch."
"Why not?"
"Do you know the man who commands them?"
"Ser Janos Slynt, isn't it?" Margaery replied. "I've heard whispers about his… habits."
"Exactly. Slynt cares only about gold. Whoever pays him best gets his loyalty. Now, tell me, Lady Margaery, do you think Lord Renly can outbid House Lannister?"
Margaery's face fell once again.
Indeed, who in the realm could outbid House Lannister? Even with House Tyrell's backing, Renly could never outspend the Lannisters and their vast wealth.
After a brief silence, Margaery asked, "So you think Queen Cersei will ultimately prevail?"
"Maybe. At least her odds are better than Renly's," Samwell said, though he left the door open for doubt.
In truth, Cersei was an arrogant fool, and one who'd likely be used by more cunning players. While Petyr Baelish—the "Littlefinger"—was a strong contender to come out on top, Samwell had already unleashed a deadly "Red Viper," making things far less certain.
"Fine. I'll do my best to talk Garlan and Loras out of this. We'll steer clear of the court's schemes."
Finally, Margaery's resolve wavered, and Samwell let out a sigh of relief.
He felt reasonably sure that Garlan would listen, but Loras… persuading him might prove another matter.
"What about you, Samwell?" Margaery's gaze sharpened with curiosity. "What are you planning?"
"What could I possibly plan? I'm a mere baron," Samwell replied coolly.
"I don't believe you." Margaery gave him a sly, teasing look. "You nudged Lord Renly to hold that trial early. What's your real goal, Samwell?"
"I just want to go home," Samwell shrugged. "King's Landing is too dangerous for my liking."
"Is that so?"
"More certain than gold."
She held his gaze for a long moment, then sighed. "Samwell, I never can see what's really in your heart. I don't know what you truly desire."
"Your dreams are my desires," Samwell replied with sincerity.
"My dreams?"
"Yes. You wish to be Queen, don't you?" he said with a smile. "As your knight, my greatest desire is to see that dream fulfilled."
Margaery laughed—a melodic, amused laugh that left her true thoughts as much a mystery as ever.
Extending a hand toward him, she said, "Then kiss me, my knight."
Samwell took her hand and pressed a gentle kiss to her fingertips.
Samwell lowered his head and placed a kiss on the girl's fingers.
(End of Chapter)