Trials and Tribulations of the Oathkeeper

Chapter 20: Preparations for War

―At King's Landing―

Red Keep ― War room...

Daveth and his two Kingsguard knights had returned to the capital and had summoned his military advisors to meet him at the White Sword Tower to discuss tactics; regardless of the attempt at parley, he knew that war was inevitable and the Oathkeeper had to muster enough of his forces to be ready to hold the capital long enough for reinforcements to arrive should Renly's massive army close in. Yet despite knowing the odds, Daveth couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction following his meeting with his uncle Lord Stannis on the island of Dragonstone, a small satisfying grin crept upon his face. He extended Stannis an offer: pledge fealty and rule both the Stormlands and Dragonstone once Renly was struck down. Stannis had apparently given his nephew the answer he had been waiting for.

"You'll get half of my fleet. 150 warships and a few auxiliary vessels," he remembered Stannis telling him. "And when the fighting's done, you'll have the rest."

Daveth knew something was better than nothing, and having a large portion of the Royal Fleet at his disposal should be more than sufficient enough to harass the rebel army by sea but also deal with the Redwyne Fleet as well. He leans over a table detailing a map of Westeros, flanked by those he assembled: Ser Lucius Blackmyre, Ser Meryn Trant, Ser Jaime Lannister, Ser Barristan Selmy, and the Hand of the King Lord Eddard Stark. "The rebel armies are beginning to mobilize," he informed his generals, "though at least some of the storm lords have started to question the meaning of Renly's actions. Our men stationed in King's Landing are seeing to the city's defenses should the fighting ever comes here."

"Our scouts report that Lord Randyll Tarly and his men are moving north to root out those loyal to the King, some around 7,000. Infantry and some light cavalry," Eddard added. "We should dispatch troops to break the siege and get them to our side."

"And what if it's a trap, my Lord Hand?" Lucius questioned. "In a real war, the side with the greater number wins nine times out of ten. Meet Renly's soldiers out in the open field, it'll only end in a massacre. We need to divide Renly's army into separate cells, draw them out towards us into a rather enclosed area where they won't have enough room to move independently and we can surround them."

Jaime chimed in. "Pick them off one at a time, and their numbers should gradually start to drop; harass them with guerilla-style hit-and-runs long enough until an opportunity shows itself and we should mount a counterattack. Thanks to my nephew's... uh, 'compromise' with Stannis, we've managed to acquire enough ships from Dragonstone to launch a naval siege to Storm's End."

"Storm's End is a well-defended fortress and is guarded by the storms, jagged rocks and wild waters of Shipbreaker Bay," Barristan argued. "Try to lay anchor and not only could we end up losing most of our fleet but we'd lose the only advantage we have."

Daveth sighed shaking his head. "But to do either we will need to acquire more men; the garrison here in King's Landing doesn't have enough and the City Watch patrolling the city is stretched thin."

"And what of the Reach, Your Grace?" Eddard ponders. "The Reach is the most fertile land in all the Seven Kingdoms. With access to food cut off, many in the city including our own men will starve. Even the crops we receive from the Riverlands could only last for so long."

"Renly could feed his troops and continue to march on the capital almost unopposed," finished Barristan.

"I say we burn them," Jaime suggested. "Raid their camps, break their supply lines and take whatever they've got from Highgarden and provide it to the soldiers."