Game Of Thrones... With A Twist

A Clash of Kings - Chapter 9

<Minutes later, Renly Baratheon's Tent, Baratheon-Tyrell War Camp, Storm's End, The Stormlands...>

The winds were blowing especially hard on that night as Renly's soldiers began preparing for the imminent conflict between the King They Chose and the Rightful King.

And through all this chaos, King Renly himself with his stalwart Kingsguard, Brienne of Tarth, standing at his side... was currently trying to come to terms with the Stark emissary that was Lady Catelyn Stark.

"Swear it?" Renly requested of the widowed woman.

"By the Mother. My son has no interest in the Iron Throne." Catelyn swore, knowing full well that Robb didn't want the Iron Throne. 

She also knew that the Iron Throne wasn't what the Northern Lords wanted either... it was the restoration of the Winter Throne that they were after.

Renly took a drink from his wine goblet as he schemed on how best to chain the Starks to his campaign before he spoke, "Then I see no reason for hostility between us. Your son can go on calling himself King in the North. The Starks will have dominion over all lands north of Moat Cailin, provided he swears an oath of fealty." Renly gave his terms.

"And the wording of this oath?" Catelyn asked, some outrage in her eyes at what she was being forced to bring back to her son in exchange for the safety of her family.

"The same Ned Stark swore to Robert 18 years ago." Renly spoke firmly as Catelyn turned away, knowing that even if Robb continued being called the King in the North, he would be a puppet king under the Iron Throne... and that was something the Northern Lords would rather die than accept, something the flowery Renly didn't understand. 

In a way, she was glad that she had forced her husband's bastard to send the rest of his men back towards the Northern War Camp with her beloved Ned's bones, leaving only the bastard and his wife to pack up the camp.

There would have been strong words coming from her husband's bastard, who believed in the independence of the North as a top priority.

"Cat, their friendship held the kingdoms together." Renly tried to sweeten it for her, and whilst Cat knew these were terms that Robb would not accept unless she forced him to... negotiations had to start from somewhere.

"And in return for my son's loyalty?" The Lady Stark asked.

"In the morning, I'll destroy my brother's army. When that's done, Baratheon and Stark will fight their common enemy together, as they have done many times before." Renly spoke his pretty words, regardless of the fact that he wanted to make the ancient title of 'King in the North' an empty one.

The King in Highgarden went to stand in front of his mirror as Brienne of Tarth moved to help him out of his armor for the night, even as Lady Catelyn rose with concern in her eyes as she spoke, "Our two houses have always been close, which is why I'm begging you to reconsider this battle. Negotiate a peace with your brother." She pleaded.

"Negotiate with Stannis? You heard him out there. I'd have better luck debating the wind." Renly scoffed at the very notion of negotiating with his stalwart brother before he turned to face Lady Catelyn.

"Please bring my terms to your son. I believe we are natural allies. I hope he feels the same. Together we could end this war in a fortnight." Renly boasted, seemingly pleased that the oath of fealty he had wanted from Ned Stark was going to come from the dead Stark's own son.

The King in Highgarden turned to the mirror just as a mysterious wind whipped across the tent and sigh of something terrifying was heard whispering in the air.