WILOW-Ch.317: For the Greater Good
Red Keep, King's Landing
POV of Ser Loras Tyrell
"Are you sure it is wise to let Sansa Stark go back to Winterfell?" Loras asked as he readied his horse.
"No," Renly replied as he saddled his own horse.
He was trying to put up a strong front, but he could tell that Renly was nervous. He could understand. He was anxious as well. What they were doing was treason, and there was no going back from this.
"But either that or fight against the Stark men and kidnap those two as hostages. That not only increases our chance of getting caught by the Red Cloaks, but it will also make the Starks our enemy. I don't want that to happen if possible." Renly said.
"So, you're just going to allow Sansa Stark to go back North?" he asked. "You know very well that Lady Catelyn might be Lord Stark's wife, but she's not as useful as a hostage as her young, unwed daughter."
"I know," Renly said and let out a sigh before he turned to one of his men.
"Stephen."
"My lord?" the man said.
"I have a task for you. A very important one." Renly said, "Go to the mud gate and inform the Commander of the Gold Cloaks there that Starks are trying to leave King's Landing from the port. Tell him that Starks must not leave the city, no matter what. Tell him to capture but not harm Sansa Stark."
"What about the Stark guards, my lord?" Stephen asked.
Renly looked conflicted for a moment, but he answered nonetheless, "They can do whatever they want with them."
Stephen nodded and quickly left the stable on his horse.
"What was that, Renly?" he asked his lover, who looked even more stressed and guilty about what he had just done.
"I… I cannot allow the Starks to side with my brother. But I know Lord Stark, and I know that he'll choose my brother over me because by law my brother should be the next king."
He stayed silent, and Renly continued, "If the Lannisters have his daughter, then Lord Stark would definitely wage war against the Lannisters. While he's busy with the Lannisters, we'll deal with my brother. And once… Stannis is dead, we'll help the Starks against the Lannisters, and return Lady Catelyn Stark to him. Lord Stark will have no choice but to support us after that."
"That… there's so much in that plan that could go wrong." He said.
Renly nodded, "Perhaps. But it's better if Sansa is a Lannister hostage than if she's safe in Winterfell. It is for the Greater Good."
He nodded and finished saddling his horse.
"Let's pray to the gods that your plan works, Renly." Renly nodded and climbed on his horse as well. Then he continued.
"Don't worry, Loras, if things go differently, we'll adjust our plans accordingly. If there's one thing I've learned from all these years at the Small Council meetings, it's that nothing in Westeros ever goes as planned. And in the end, those who adapt best to change are always the winners."
A moment later, Lady Stark entered the stables with two Stark men who had her belongings.
She nodded, and the Stark men quickly saddled her own horse for her.
Within an hour, they had left King's Landing from Dragon Gate and were riding hard for Highgarden, where they would gather their army and start their campaign to seat Renly on the Iron Throne with his sister at Renly Baratheon's side as his Queen.
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King's Landing
POV of Mannequin Sansa Stark
"Where's mother?" Sansa asked Ser Rodrik, who helped her walk through the dirty alleyways along with the Stark guards and their household servants.
"She's not coming with us." Ser Rodrik said.
Her eyes widened, and her stomach dropped. "W… what? We… we cannot leave her behind."
"We're not leaving her behind, my lady." Ser Rodrik explained. "She has already left with Lord Renly. And while the Queen focuses on Lord Renly, we'll sneak off from King's Landing on a ship."
"Mother's using herself as bait?" she asked, feeling useless in this whole situation.
"Something like…" Her words were cut off as an arrow flew over her head and struck one of the guards behind her.
She turned to see that the arrow had pierced his neck.
The guard, whose name she had not even remembered, gurgled in blood, his eyes wide in shock, before he fell down and stopped moving.
Then, as if a dam had been broken, arrow after arrow started flying toward them.
"Shields." Ser Rodrick shouted, "Protect Lady Sansa."
The next few minutes were filled with chaos as the Stark men tried to lead her away from the alley while protecting her and leaving the servants who died to the barrage of arrows, one by one. But once they were out of the alley, they found themselves surrounded by more Gold Cloaks.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" A man wearing the Gold Cloak's commander uniform said as the Gold Cloaks pointed their spears at them, "Why would a beautiful girl try to sneak away through back alleys like a cheap whore?"
Other Gold Cloaks laughed, and she felt her heart pound in fear at the mere sight of the man.
"Mind your language." Ser Rodrik said as he put her behind him, "That's the daughter of Lord Stark you're talking with."
"Or what?" the Gold Cloak Commander said with a cruel smile. "You think you can stop me from putting her in the dirt and pounding my cock in her red little pussy like the whore she is?"
"How dare you!" Ser Rodrik shouted and charged. The other Stark guards followed his lead.
But they were outnumbered and were quickly cut down.
Then there was only her and the Gold Cloak Commander, who smirked as he walked toward her with casual strides.
"Well, well, well. It looks like the pretty little lady has pissed herself in fear." He said, and the other gold cloaks laughed at her.
She looked down and noticed a thin trail of wetness going down her skirt.
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Next Chapters' Name:
Ch.318: Facing the Realities of Life
Ch.319: Lyra Learns the Latest News
Ch.320: Domeric's Ambition