Renly was in high spirits recently.
His wife, the little rose, Margaery, had been feeling unwell, and after the Maester' diagnosis, it was concluded that she was pregnant. Once the nobles of the Stormlands heard the news, a flood of disorganized gifts arrived at the Red Keep, congratulating them for finally having an heir.
On top of that, he had hatched a little dragon. Previously, he smiled wherever he went, but lately, his face was so stretched from smiling that it nearly hurt.
With his wife pregnant, and at the suggestion of his lover, Loras Tyrell, Brienne of Tarth, who had made a spectacular performance at the recent jousting tournament in King's Landing, defeating several opponents, was officially made part of his personal guard, all under Loras's command as the captain of the guard.
Margaery had a group of young girls around her, and it wasn't very convenient to have male personal guards close by. So, with a powerful female knight now available, Renly took the opportunity to approve it.
Brienne of Tarth was taller than most men, about the same height as Renly, who stood almost 1.9 meters. Her martial skills were also outstanding. In the joust, after Loras and she faced off, Loras's technique was better, but Brienne's strength was enormous. After a few rounds of combat, the renowned knight of Highgarden, the Knight of Flowers, was defeated by an unknown female knight from the Stormlands, making it one of the hottest topics in King's Landing for some time.
At Stannis's place, the Knight of Flowers, Loras, was betting on himself to win, while Renly was betting on Brienne's victory. When the other nobles made bets, they even mocked Renly for misjudging the fight.
Usually, Renly had a pleasant smile on his face and conducted business dealings like a merchant. He frequently used magic, which led many to forget that Renly was also a skilled warrior, trained from a young age by Wright, and his martial skills were no less than Loras's. He had his own analysis of their victory and defeat.
As for the upset victory, Renly often won, and he didn't care much about the money. He treated a group of nobles to a large feast to smooth over any resentment.
Brienne of Tarth not only had a towering figure but was also considered unattractive by Westerosi standards. Her father, Lord Tarth, had never found a good suitor for her. Most of Lord Tarth's children had died young, and now Brienne was the official heir to Tarth Island in the Stormlands. Many had sought her hand in marriage for her wealth, making it even harder for her to find a suitable husband.
It wasn't until she joined her father in the battles on the Stepstones that she met Renly and was captivated by his gentle and charismatic demeanor. She hid her feelings for him, quietly working to get closer to him.
When she swore loyalty to Renly, she thought she would be by his side forever. But after staying in Renly's home in King's Landing for a few days, the family's behavior shattered her views of the world.
Renly never spent the night with his wife. Instead, he slept every night with his defeated rival, the Knight of Flowers, Loras Tyrell. Margaery, too, was always with her group of young girls. The three of them would joke and laugh together during the day, but where did their children come from?
Another one of Renly's personal guards, Robar Royce, suggested that Brienne get used to it. After some time, she would grow accustomed to it. The child was certainly Renly's. Who would dare meddle in a mage's family? Margaery was always at home, and the knights never saw another man sneak into the room at night.
Today, Margaery, with her arm linked with Renly's, led three of her personal guards to the Red Keep to visit Robert. Robert's daughter had been born a few weeks early, and the baby had been weak. It was only last week that she started recovering. Today was the first time the baby would meet her relatives.
Renly's wife was beside him, and a small dragon with a white body and red and yellow spots was crawling on his shoulder. The dragon was about the size of a dog when measured from head to tail, and due to its unique body structure, without wings, it appeared weak and long.
It was full of energy during the day, and when perched on Renly's shoulder, it couldn't stay still, crawling over his clothes. From time to time, it would use its tiny claws to grab Margaery's hair, which hurt a little. Renly didn't mind at all. He smiled warmly and protected the little dragon with his hand to make sure it didn't fall.
"Hey, aren't you going to stop it?" The dragon had crawled up to Margaery's head, and she winced from the pain as her hair was pulled.
Renly: "By next year, it'll be as big as a horse. Enjoy the chance while you can."
Margaery found that being pulled wasn't so painful after all. The little dragon had also softened its grip and extended its hand to touch the dragon's tail. She then asked Renly, "Do we need to make a cage for it?"
Renly replied, "According to Wright, dragons belong to the sky. A dragon's growth is severely limited if it's kept in a cage or chained. The most important point is that if it sees another dragon locked up or chained, Odahviing will bite."
During this time, the little dragon had been wreaking havoc in the house, causing chaos and breaking numerous pieces of furniture and precious items. The three personal guards had also thought about locking it in a cage or chaining it, but when they heard about Odahviing biting, they immediately gave up on the idea! After the capture of Tyrosh, Odahviing had eaten a large number of bodies, and the three of them together wouldn't be enough to satisfy its hunger.
Renly spoke to the little dragon in High Valyrian: "Come back!"
Upon hearing this, the little dragon turned around and flapped its wings, leaping onto Renly's head to rest there.
Margaery also teased the dragon's chin with her hand. "Can it really understand? How many words can it understand now?"
Renly answered, "It's only just hatched, and it can barely understand two words—'meat' and 'come back'. For it to speak fluently like Odahviing will take at least three years. Using dragon magic will be even harder. I can't teach it myself. I'll need Wright or Odahviing to teach it."
Sssss~~
The little dragon on Renly's head spread its wings and let out a growl, looking quite menacing. The sound it made was about the same volume as a cat's meow.
Everyone's attention was on the little dragon on Renly's head, so they didn't notice the situation in front of the Red Keep's gates. When they looked over, they saw an elderly man dressed in luxurious clothes, with white hair and a face full of wrinkles. His arms and face were so thin they looked like skin stretched over bone, and he was kneeling on the small square in front of the Red Keep's gates.
The gold-robed guards had cleared a large space for him and were keeping the crowd at a distance.
The eldest among their group, Robar Royce, was only one year older than Renly, and none of them had seen this elderly man before. The old man also didn't have any family insignia on him.
Renly grabbed one of the gold-robed guards. "Who is he? What's going on here?"
The guard, noticing the little dragon, replied, "Ah, it's Lord Renly! We don't know who he is, but the Kingsguard has told us not to interfere with him, only to ensure his safety. He must be an important figure."
"Thank you!"
Not wanting to dwell on it, Renly figured if the Kingsguard was involved, Robert would certainly know what was going on. He decided to ask him directly.
Renly led Margaery into the Red Keep. After announcing their arrival, they were guided into the Maegor's Holdfast meeting room. Robert and the queen, Doris Rowan, were already seated on golden sofas waiting for them, with the baby in a nearby cradle and two maidservants standing guard.
After Margaery greeted them, she walked over to Queen Doris and took her hand, discussing pregnancy precautions.
Renly smiled. "Robert, is Princess Jocelyn feeling better?"
Robert's daughter was named Jocelyn Baratheon, after a well-known female ancestor of their family.
Today, Robert wasn't drinking and seemed in good spirits. "Hahaha, the Maester said, aside from being born a few weeks early, she was strong enough to make it through, and now she's doing well."
Renly said, "That's good. Who is the one kneeling at the Red Keep gates? A large crowd is gathered around him. Why did he choose this moment to appear?"
A helpless expression appeared on Robert's face. "Hoster Tully. He shouldn't be here at the Red Keep; he should be at the Eyrie."
"Ah~~" Renly sighed. When he saw Lady Tully's elderly father coming to plead, it was hard for anyone to turn him away. "He going to the Eyrie won't help. The death sentence was issued by you."
Robert covered his face with his hand, looking exhausted. "I passed judgment according to the laws of the kingdom. I didn't make a mistake. Are we supposed to pardon someone just because they beg for mercy? What do we need the kingdom's laws and your position as legal advisor for, then?"