Ronnet Connington SI

-Chapter 17-

-POV MC-

After more than 4 moons of talking, feasting, and fighting in worthless tournaments for fun, we finally started our march towards the Stormlands.

Our slow ascent up the golden rose road annoyed me more and more, but every time I wanted to lose my temper, I remembered that soon Renly would be dead and that at that moment, I would have to take power to pretend to avenge him.

Only then will House Connington become the new ruling house of the Stormlands and regain... no, surpass its former glory.

"Lord Connington," said a voice as soft as a breeze brushing my face.

"Da... Queen Margaery," I said, reminding myself that she was no longer a lady but a queen.

"Call me Margaery," she said with a sweet smile.

"Only if you call me Ronnet," I replied with a teasing smile.

She smiled wider, then sat down next to me on the grass. I motioned for her maids to leave us alone, which they didn't like, but seeing their queen turn her head and give them a displeased look, they quickly complied.

I smiled and shook my head, and she said, "I'm sorry for them."

"It's fine, I understand. Did you want to discuss something with me, Your Grace?" I asked, looking her straight in the eyes.

"I simply wanted to know if you had a different opinion from my husband."

"How could I have a different opinion from your husband, the king?" I said, trying to dismiss her accusations casually.

"Your displeasure hasn't escaped anyone," she said, not fooled by my relaxed appearance.

I frowned and said, "The king is the king, no matter what I think. His will is law."

"Your opinion matters greatly to him," she said.

"Honestly, I just think the faster we reach the Stormlands, the faster we will win this war. We don't need to get extravagantly involved in this war. Just declare our independence, fortify strongholds, and send out scouting parties to spy on or sabotage our enemies' war efforts. That's enough," I said, giving my honest opinion on the situation.

"Your plan is to hide," she said, frowning.

I shook my head before explaining my reasoning:

"No, not hide, but block all access to the Reach and the Stormlands. Tywin Lannister might adopt a scorched-earth tactic, but not Stannis. He's too honorable, and above all, he won't burn a house he wants to take for himself."

"But Lord Mathis..."

"...is not a Stormlander."

"Thank you for sharing your opinion, Lord Connington."

"The pleasure is mine," I said, bowing my head slightly.

'I don't know why, but I feel like I'm going to regret this,' I thought as I watched the queen's enchanting figure move further and further away.

-A few hours later-

"My lord, King Renly and Queen Margaery have requested you to present yourself in the command tent."

I sighed deeply, knowing I would not enjoy this discussion.

"Your Grace, you cannot believe the words of this man," said Lord Mathis Rowan just as I entered the command tent.

"And why not?" I said, entering behind him.

He turned around and, to his credit, he did not back down.

He said, "We can never trust Cersei Lannister's pet."

I nodded calmly and said, "Lord Rowan, why are you fighting? Wait, don't answer me. I will try to guess: gold, glory, a favorable position on the council, bla... bla... bla."

He looked offended, and his face turned scarlet. I smiled and said:

"You all think of me as a traitor because I broke my oath to Cersei, but the truth is that the kingslayer pushed my son from the top of the Winterfell tower. If I hadn't caught him, I would have lost my only child. So no, I am not Cersei's pet, and I have a reason stronger than all your pathetic little aspirations... revenge."

The silence in the command tent was broken by Renly, who said, "No one doubts your loyalty, Lord Connington."

I nodded in his direction, and then he added, "Margaery has informed me of your irritation at our slow progress."

"I am not irritated, I am simply worried and impatient," I said, not wanting to upset him.

"Why? We possess the largest army, over 80,000 soldiers and 20,000 knights. Who could stop us?" he said as if he had already won the war.

"Normally no one, but you must also bear in mind that our situation is more precarious than you seem to believe," I said, approaching the table where a map and game pieces lay.

I grabbed two large pieces and said, placing them: "At Riverrun, the young wolf has taken Riverrun. He has freed the Tullys, and this will have a snowball effect on the rest."

"What is a snowball effect?" said a lord with a fox on his chest, probably Alester Florent.

"When you let a snowball roll downhill, it keeps gathering snow all along its descent until it becomes as big as a man," I said, trying to explain what a snowball effect was.

Everyone showed different expressions, but the most common was confusion. I shook my head and pointed to the map, trying to focus them on the plan:

"What I was trying to say is that with this victory, he will free and rally most of the Riverlands lords and knights, and the Tullys will be attached to his ship. He could rally a force of 40,000 men," I said, placing two more large pieces, each representing a unit of 10,000 men.

"And if the Vale gets involved, for let's not forget, the Lady of the Vale acting as regent is a Tully, he will have the support of 30 or even 40,000 knights of the Vale," I said, placing 4 more pieces at Riverrun.

"70 to 80,000 men against the Lannisters who can call on the same number: 30,000 at Harrenhal, 20,000 at the Gold Tooth, and according to my informants, Tywin Lannister has tasked Stafford Lannister with assembling a host of 15,000 men, 6,000 gold cloaks. What they lack, they can recruit from the streets of King's Landing."

I took 8 more pieces and placed them at Harrenhal, saying: "Yes, for now, we could let them tear each other apart and wait for them to exhaust their forces. On this point, I agree with you, but we must also consider that they are not the only players in this war."

I placed 2 pieces on the Iron Islands and added:

"There are the Ironborn who will break the fragile balance of this war and plunge one side into the abyss, either by attacking the Westerlands for its riches or by attacking the North for revenge. And in the worst case, they could even target the rear of our positions by attacking The Arbor, Oldtown, the Shield Islands, and the Mander."

I placed 1 piece on Dragonstone and said: "Our greatest threat is Stannis. He will try to take Storm's End."

"Storm's End is impregnable. No one has ever managed to take Storm's End," said Loras with a chuckle.

"No fortress is impregnable," I said disdainfully.

He frowned, but I ignored his mood and continued, saying:

"Whether Stannis takes Storm's End or not, if we let him act for too long with impunity, some will turn against us to serve him. He will gather men, and we will have to face a Stannis with an army not of 5,000 men but of 10,000 or even 20,000 men."

"And we will crush them," said Loras, still with that superior tone.

"BUT WHEN?!" I shouted, slamming my fist on the table. I had used so much force that my fist went through it.

I glared at that fool and said: "Stannis is not as stupid as you seem to think. He will send men into the woods to ambush us repeatedly, further slowing our advance while losing our men and burning our food supplies. And during this time, he will have free rein to defeat all the Stormlands garrisons one by one. How long will it take before people abandon our king and turn to the stern but legitimate ruler Stannis?"

"That's treason," Loras yelled, placing a hand on his sword.

"But it is nonetheless the truth," said Randyll Tarly, defending me.

Surprised, I turned to the lord of Horn Hill, who said: "If we continue to wait, we will lose the Stormlands, and Stannis will claim his right to the crown with the support of a kingdom."

Renly said nothing but continued to stare at the table, then he stood up and said: "We leave today for Storm's End at the fastest pace. Lord Connington, I entrust you with the vanguard. Take 10,000 cavalry and advance at the fastest speed."

"At once, Your Majesty," I said, relieved that I would finally be able to influence this war in my favor.