Falling for the King

The heir

In the South...

Oldtown...

Leyton Hightower POV

From the Hightower, Leyton could see the arrival of the Redwyn fleet in the harbour, surely with the troops that will march towards Highgarden, something that he has yet to decide. But what was certain was that it will not be him who will march towards the capital with the troops of Oldtown.

After some time, while Leyton was in the Great Hall, he saw his second son and captain of his guard, Garth, enter, followed by Ser Desmond Redwyn, the husband of his third daughter.

Apparently, the Master of Ships did not have the stomach to give the command of the troops to one of his twin sons.

"Welcome, Ser Desmond. To what do I owe your visit?" Asked Leyton, signalling the servants to bring bread and salt as for tradition, and then some Arbor wine.

"Thank you, Lord Hightower, but I won't stay long," he said, taking bread and salt, and then the Arbor wine. "The capital is under attack, and Lord Redwyn has entrusted me with his troops to break the siege, while the fleet reconquers the Shield Islands."

Leyton, after taking a sip from his goblet, asked, "And you want to break the siege with 3,000 men, Ser?"

"Actually, I was hoping you'd join me," Desmond said. "Together we can gather a force enough to break the siege."

"Lannister has an army of nearly 50,000 besieging the city. While another 30,000 men are no doubt blocking our path towards it."

"We can win this, Lord Hightower. Together, we can break the siege," placing the goblet on the table.

As Leyton approached one of the windows, mainly the one facing Highgarden, he started to think. If he does not intervene, the Tyrells will be destroyed, opening the way for power to him, but his name will be stained. Too lazy to come to the aid of his daughter, who is Queen of the Kingdom.

"Lord Hightower?" he heard Desmond call him. "Time is against us. Your daughter is in danger. So are your grandchildren."

"It takes time to gather the necessary strength to break the siege," said Leyton, even though the truth was that his troops had already been ready to march under Bealor's command for several days.

"We both know the men are ready, Lord Hightower," said Desmond, approaching him, and looking towards Highgarden as well. "If we win this war, your daughter Lynesse will marry Willas Tyrell, and thus become the future Queen of the Reach."

"Dowager Queen Ollena will not be happy," said Hightower. That old crone and her scheming of power to forge an alliance with the Dornish.

"She will," Desmond said.

"So be it. 20,000 men will leave for Highgarden at my son, Baelor, command," said Leyton. And by the Seven Gods, when this war is over, he'll depose that oaf and fool of a Mace Tyrell, who's been subjugated by his witch mother for so long, that this Kingdom is on the verge of destruction.

"Good. Then we'll leave in two hours from now," said Desmond, smiling, and leaving the great hall, no doubt heading for his army.

*****

Two weeks later...

Jaime Lannister POV

He asked for a meeting with the Tyrells, to draw all the attention on them and give his allies inside the city, to signal the position of the Wildfire, before he attacks the city.