When they returned home, the news spread fast. Not even a month after Renly returned to storm's end, the news of his exploits had reached as far as kings landing. The new master of whispers stood before the small council. The king had chosen to attend this one, so, the master of whispers, still new was nervous.
"I have already heard rumours of my brothers spoils, the whores won't shut up about it, but what is the truth, Harry? I have heard a dozen different stories, some say my brother returned with a live dragon, others that he learned how to forge Valyrian steel from the texts of the old dragonlords… what is the truth?", Robert, first of his name, asked the master of whispers, Harry. Harry was of noble birth but when he took on the position, he resigned his rights to his families name.
Harry shifted awkwardly in his seat, "my little listeners have also come with many tales but those closest to your brother- well there is this woman, a maid in lord Renly's castle, Matilda, who has-"
"I don't need to know her life's story, I just need the truth", Robert snapped. Harry was prone to over explain the most irrelevant facts of his intel but his network was vast, so they just dealt with it.
"Yes your grace… Matilda told me Renly returned from Valyria with multiple crates, she couldn't tell me how many but at least 3 from what she saw. Inside the crates were books and metal objects, necklaces, swords, daggers and many more. Renly has stored the books in his solar and the metal objects in a vault, which he has reinforced with magic and-"
"He took the books to his solar, not the maester's library?" Jon Arryn asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Fuck the books, I'm more interested in what those metal objects were that he had them locked into a special, separate vault", Robert mused, nursing his cup of wine.
"I would suspect they are enchanted objects, some may even be Valyrian steel", grand maester Pycelle interjected, "the Valyrians were known for enchanting just about everything, from their tea kettles to their jewellery. Tell us Harry, could your wench spy any Valyrian steel?"
"Well, she wasn't close enough to inspect them for the rippling pattern identifying something as Valyrian steel but she did note one Valyrian steel object, a shortsword hung on Renly's hip, she saw it with her very own eyes when she was serving him wine. He has named this blade stormbringer", Harry explained.
"A short sword, eh? Not a bad weapon, though I would've preferred a Warhammer, imagine it, me swinging a Valyrian steel warhammer!" Robert's gaze went into the far distance. Of course, Valyrian steel would be wholly unsuited a material for a warhammer of mace, those weapons relied on their weight to deal damage, the heavier the head, the more bludgeoning it could do. Valyrian steel was lighter than normal steel. It was way more suited for slashing weapons, as due to iits enchantments, a Valyrian steel weapon never went blunt. No one was brave enough to tell this to the day dreaming king though.
"Any idea what the books he has taken to his solar were about?"
"No, Matilda can't read high Valyrian but there were a lot of them, 20 at least, maybe 40"
Back in storm's end, Renly was reading through a book about the hatching and binding of dragons, 'the delicate rituals needed for the hatching of a dragon can only be performed during a blue moon, at exactly dawn or dusk. The dragon eggs need to be burned in a pyre with two adults. One of which has to be a man, the other can either be a man or a woman. The victims must've consumed meat within 24 hours of the burning. As the fire consumes the sacrifices, animal blood must be spilled upon the eggs. Given this set up, the chance of the eggs hatching is at 75%. Should the eggs not be coated in animal blood, that chance drops to 50%. If a egg doesn't hatch during this process, it is near impossible to hatch anymore, as this awakens the magic within. If it does not hatch, the awakened magic will consume the life inside the egg and turn it to nothing more than a pretty stone. One can identify if an egg has lost its life by throwing it onto burning coals. Should the egg still have life inside it, the coals will burn ever so slightly more blue. To bind a dragon-'
Renly was interrupted when maester Jurne came into his solar, "milord, a message arrived, lord Selwyn Tarth has requested you attend a feast at Evenfall hall which is held in his daughter's honor, Brienne. I know you do not plan to marry her or anyone else just yet but it would be a great dishonour to refuse and-"
"I'll go"
"Wha-?"
"I said I'll go", Renly repeated.
"Very well- I, I'll send a raven to him in post haste"
Brienne of Tarth, a loyal woman and one he wanted in his service. If he remembered correctly, the other suitors would make fun of her for her looks and Renly would dance with her, without any disdain, winning her loyalty, it was easy enough to replicate.
First though, he would continue reading his book.
A few weeks later, Renly was on Tarth, sitting in Evenfall hall's main hall, drinking and eating, chatting with the other suitors. He could hear them whisper about how ugly Brienne was and by looking at her face, she heard it too. The lordlings snickered behind her back. Even if he didn't have a plan in mind, she probably still would have danced with her, she looked so shattered, like a kicked puppy.
"A dance, my lady?"
Brienne looked up at him, tears forming in her eyes. She searched his face for dishonesty but when she found none, she hesitantly took his hand and they danced to the tunes of their hearts. All Renly looked at was her face, her eyes were full of wonder and childish excitement. She was in bliss, it was adorable. Like a kitten was adorable. They danced for ten minutes and then sat down together, sharing stories.
"Is it true what they say? Did you really go to Old Valyria?"
"Yes, I did and see what I brought with me? I call it stormbringer, it is Valyrian steel, ever sharp, hard enough to carve through castle forged steel and only half the weight of a normal sword its size"