The halls of Storm's End were bathed in sunlight.
Joffrey sat at the highest point, on the Throne passed down through generations of the Baratheon Lords.
Below him, there was only one person.
"Lord Mace." He nodded and smiled down below, "Things have been busy these past two days, and I haven't hosted you properly. Please don't take offense if I've been neglectful."
"Your Majesty is too kind, how could you be?"
The portly Lord Mace Tyrell was all smiles.
He sat in a wide chair, completely unrestrained, yet his hands were pressed tightly against his legs, as stiff as a prisoner awaiting trial.
Perhaps he was.
Since being captured the day before yesterday, the "Inflatable Fish" Lord Mace had completely deflated, no longer possessing his previous high spirits and complacency.
The punctured "Inflatable Fish" had lost its nerve.
The outcome of failure was so blindingly obvious.
With almost no bloodshed, the massive army was lost in a single day!
The backbone, Renly Baratheon, had become the King's prisoner, and forty to fifty thousand soldiers had knelt and surrendered! The nobles and Ser had either died, surrendered, or been captured, none spared!
It was all the fault of that Shadow monster from Hell!
No! And the strange power of Storm's End! The cannons that fired Thunder and Flame!
How could a Mortal possibly contend with that!?
Renly was finished, Highgarden was finished. Even if they could assemble a hundred thousand more troops, the failure was irreversible.
Lord Mace Tyrell could at least recognize this.
He could only accept the judgment of Destiny.
Fortunately, after being captured, he hadn't been abused or insulted. Not only was he given a very comfortable room, but he was even told he could move around the Castle.
It seemed the King still had some regard for Highgarden. At that time, Lord Mace couldn't help but secretly rejoice.
Indeed, no matter what, the Reach was the most fertile kingdom in the Seven Kingdoms. Could the King really wipe them all out?
After all, the main instigator was Renly; Highgarden was merely one of many supporters.
Surely, kneeling to him would suffice.
Feeling his life was safe, Lord Mace finally felt much more at ease and had a reasonably sound sleep. Early the next morning, upon waking, he decided to go for a walk. Sure enough, no one stopped him.
Just one night.
Yet he saw an unfamiliar Storm's End.
More solid and imposing than before, and also more strangely magnificent than in the past.
The gray and monotonous giant walls and stone surfaces were newly adorned with countless Gold patterns and bright red markings. The square battlements had transformed into thousands of proud Knights, each with detailed and refined features, their postures imposing and lifelike.
At first glance, they were remarkably similar to the gargoyles on the walls of Dragonstone.
But these statues were Human. Lord Mace even saw with his own eyes the Knights in the army whose faces were identical to the statues; they wore cloaks bearing the symbols of the Stag, the Golden Lion, and the Six-Pointed Star.
So they were modeled after real people. What profound honor! What could possibly make these people choose to betray Joffrey?
Lord Mace immediately grasped the crucial point.
As he walked on the City Walls at this time, although there weren't many Soldier nearby, he felt countless sharp gazes, as if surrounded by a thousand troops and ten thousand horses.
Looking out, the statues were countless.
Lord Mace then looked towards the city within. He had been to Storm's End several times, but never had he seen such a sight as he did now.
The central Tower seemed to have become much shorter, allowing him to see the figures walking on the rooftop terrace. It also seemed to have moved much further away, and the various rooms and windows within his sight were all smaller.
The disorienting sensations left Mace stunned for a while.
Then he carefully examined everything around him and finally understood: it wasn't that the Tower had become shorter, but that the City Walls had risen, reaching towards the towering Tower! Nor had the Tower moved away, but the City Walls had shifted, expanding the Castle by more than double!
And within the Castle, countless buildings and Halls had appeared out of thin air, each over a hundred feet tall, spacious and sturdy, and the captured soldiers were being moved into them.
This was Joffrey's Sorcery?!
Mace couldn't help but be surprised and astonished. Done last night? Why didn't I feel anything and slept so soundly?
Sorcery.
Lord Mace placed a hand on the City Walls and gently stroked them; the texture was no different from ordinary Rock.
Where was the Sorcery? Were there Incantations hidden inside?
He couldn't get an answer.
So he let go of the Rock and turned to look outside the city.
Figures were repairing the broken land. The large pits of earth and rock and the scorched black colors were gradually disappearing, finally merging into the original appearance of the land.
There were also many carriages and horses on the connecting Kingsroad.
But the Kingsroad at this time was several times wider, enough for dozens of carriages to travel side-by-side. The Roads stretched all the way to the north, out of sight, towards King's Landing.
Lord Mace circled the city walls.
To the west, the roads leading to Felwood were also being repaired and expanded.
Oh, right, Felwood still has several thousand troops and a large amount of supplies, Lord Mace remembered. But they were meaningless now, except as a gift to King Joffrey.
To the south, even the rugged paths were being widened. Leading to Crow's Nest? Was that necessary?
To the east was the blue ocean.
Traveling by sea along the coast of Cape Wrath was undoubtedly the most convenient method. Crow's Nest, Amberly, Rain House – a sailboat could reach them in just one day.
Mace looked down.
A fleet had already gathered at sea, numbering around one to two hundred ships. Undoubtedly, it was the Royal Fleet.
Too fast. Mace realized the problem.
There were only a few ships when the war started yesterday. How did a complete fleet appear so promptly after just one night?
Could it be that Storm's End had planned everything long ago and timed it so precisely?
His doubts were quickly resolved.
Following the core implantation for the soldiers yesterday, the captured nobles were also uniformly granted "Divine Grace" today.
So that's why. Lord Mace couldn't help but let his true feelings show on his face.
Divine Grace!
There was actually such a miraculous creation! No wonder King Joffrey was victorious in every battle!
People could actually communicate like this! Just like talking face-to-face, without any restrictions or delays. How could ravens compare to this?!
Why did the Gods favor Joffrey so much!?
Lord Mace couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if Divine Grace had first favored Highgarden.
It would definitely be much, much better than it was now.
Thinking of his current predicament, Mace Tyrell couldn't help but sigh repeatedly and feel disheartened.
It was rare for all the captured nobles to be gathered together.
Randyll Tarly came over and reported his observations to Lord Mace.
The Tarlys were always most concerned with and skilled in military matters.
Lord Mace then learned:
King Joffrey's army was still undergoing rigorous training, without interruption daily, as if they were still preparing for war.
Storm's End had deployed over six hundred cannons. And according to the soldiers' chatter, the "Ship Cannons" of the fleet at sea were even more powerful and numerous.
The King's Royal Guard all shared the "Divine Grace Power" and each possessed unique abilities.
Based on their performance during mutual training, it was common for one to fight ten, and not impossible for one to fight a hundred.
The King was still selecting more people who were qualified to earn the "Divine Grace Power".
In short, they were invincible.
Randyll Tarly's words were unpleasant to hear. But Lord Mace knew that they were likely all true.
Highgarden absolutely could not be buried with Renly!
Lord Mace made up his mind. He had finally found an opportunity to pledge allegiance today.
He had to consider it carefully.
He raised his head and squeezed out what he believed was his most sincere smile towards the King.
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