The appearance of the Red Comet, the arrival of the White Raven, and the looming chaos in the North forced Karl to reveal one of his hidden trump cards ahead of schedule.
Even if it was only a precaution, he had no choice.
When it came to the threat beyond the Wall, Karl was unwilling to give the Others even the slightest opportunity.
The future had already changed dramatically. The original story was no longer reliable, and all Karl could do was prepare for every possibility.
With the Vale positioned to block the North, Tywin Lannister's second rebellion brewing, and the growing threat beyond the Wall tying down the forces of both the North and the Vale, Karl faced an important question.
How should he deal with Renly Baratheon and Stannis Baratheon?
The answer was surprisingly simple.
He wouldn't.
At least not for now.
Karl currently commanded ten thousand troops, including the two thousand men Jon Snow had brought with him.
More importantly, every one of those soldiers was battle-ready.
After capturing Crakehall and Old Oak, his army had no shortage of weapons, supplies, food, or morale.
The speed of his rise was astonishing.
In less than a month, he had expanded from a force of barely one thousand men into an army of ten thousand fully equipped soldiers.
It was practically cheating.
Had he followed Tyrion Lannister's cautious strategy of staying home and slowly developing agriculture and infrastructure, it would have taken years to reach his current strength.
As for the Iron Islands, Tywin's recent intelligence had already provided Karl with a general direction for dealing with them.
Casterly Rock and Lannisport no longer needed to remain on high alert.
The two thousand men left behind were sufficient for Tyrion to defend the Westerlands.
Besides, there was Robert.
The giant beast spent most of its days eating and sleeping, consuming enormous quantities of food and countless medicinal supplements. Its strength had grown to a terrifying level.
No one would dare underestimate it.
Now that the timing was right, Karl had only one major objective remaining.
It was time to replace the ruler of the Reach.
Thinking of this, Karl glanced at Jon Snow, the White Wolf, and his direwolf Ghost standing nearby.
An idea had already begun to form in his mind.
For now, however, the affairs of the North had to wait.
Meanwhile, Maester Omell Florent sat quietly at a desk nearby, his head lowered as he worked tirelessly on documents and letters.
Karl gathered his thoughts before looking around the room.
"Next, I intend to continue directly toward Highgarden."
"However, I don't know enough about the current situation in the Reach."
"I'd like to hear everyone's opinions and suggestions."
Old Oak, the ancestral seat of House Oakheart, lay in western Reach territory near the Sunset Sea and directly along the Ocean Road.
From there, Karl needed only a few days of marching to reach Highgarden itself.
In theory, he was already in a position to threaten the heart of the Reach.
But only in theory.
News of Old Oak's fall had undoubtedly reached Highgarden by now.
House Tyrell would not remain unprepared.
The seemingly straightforward road ahead was certain to be filled with obstacles.
Besides, Karl had no desire to advance recklessly.
Sometimes moving slower was actually the fastest path to victory.
A slower advance would allow him to thoroughly cleanse and consolidate the Reach—a fertile and wealthy region he had already decided to bring completely under his control.
Upon hearing Karl openly discuss marching on Highgarden, Maester Omell Florent momentarily paused his writing.
The quill froze in his hand.
A look of surprise flashed across his face.
But only for an instant.
Soon he lowered his head once more and continued writing as though he had heard nothing.
The scratching of quill against parchment filled the room.
Compared to the others' surprise, Jon Snow remained calm.
It was clear he had already anticipated Karl's ambitions.
Arys Oakheart exchanged a glance with his mother, Lady Averon Oakheart.
After a brief moment, the Lady of Old Oak stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, I believe I can serve as your envoy."
"I can go to Highgarden and persuade House Tyrell to surrender."
Arys's eyes widened in shock.
He had never expected such words from his mother.
Nor had he expected her to offer herself so eagerly.
Lady Averon ignored her son's reaction and looked directly at Karl.
Karl himself could only smile helplessly.
"You want to persuade your liege lord to surrender on my behalf?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Her answer was immediate and unwavering.
Karl understood her reasoning.
If successful, she would satisfy both sides.
She would remain loyal to the king she had sworn allegiance to while also sparing her former liege lord from destruction.
Most importantly, she understood House Tyrell's current situation better than anyone present.
Although such an action would inevitably damage her reputation, it was not entirely impossible.
Yet Karl shook his head.
"I appreciate the suggestion."
"But no."
Without another word, he rose from his chair and walked toward the window.
Pushing it open, he gazed into the night sky.
The Red Comet blazed overhead.
After a moment, he pointed toward the western horizon.
"If I remember correctly, the Shield Islands are in that direction."
The sudden change in topic caught everyone off guard.
Lady Averon followed him to the window and looked out.
The crimson light of the comet reflected across the sea like flowing blood.
After a moment, she nodded.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Green Shield is ruled by House Chester."
"Grey Shield by House Grimm."
"Oakenshield by House Hewett."
"And Southshield by House Serry."
"Together they form the Shield Islands."
"They guard the mouth of the Mander and serve as the Reach's first line of defense against Ironborn raids."
Karl nodded slightly.
"Then I suspect they'll soon try to stop us as well."
His gaze remained fixed on the distant sea.
"When I was at Crakehall, I openly declared war on House Tyrell."
"They cannot ignore that insult."
"No matter how they view me, they will take precautions."
Turning toward Lady Averon, Karl continued.
"Which houses do you believe are most likely to support Highgarden before we arrive?"
Lady Averon considered the question carefully.
After a long pause, she answered.
"The nearest major houses would be House Rowan of Goldengrove, House Tarly of Horn Hill, and House Florent of Brightwater Keep."
"Further along the Mander are House Fossoway of Cider Hall and House Merryweather of Longtable."
"Those are the most likely candidates."
Then her expression became more thoughtful.
"There is, however, one uncertainty."
"House Beesbury."
"They answer to House Hightower."
At the mention of House Hightower, Karl's eyes narrowed.
"House Hightower?"
Lady Averon nodded.
"During House Tyrell's declaration of support for Renly Baratheon, House Hightower remained completely silent."
Karl immediately frowned.
"They never pledged support to Renly?"
"No."
"They have remained silent throughout the entire conflict."
A thoughtful silence fell over the room.
Then Lady Averon added another suggestion.
"If Your Majesty wishes, I could write to Oldtown."
"Or travel there personally."
"Perhaps I could secure House Hightower's support."
Karl did not answer immediately.
House Hightower's silence was unusual.
He had heard no rumors regarding their intentions.
No alliances.
No negotiations.
Nothing.
That silence made him uneasy.
Especially after House Tyrell had already surprised him once.
In truth, Karl was not worried about House Hightower itself.
He was worried about the Citadel.
The influence of the Citadel stretched across all of Westeros.
And House Hightower stood at its center.
Though often overlooked in recent years, House Hightower remained one of the most powerful families in the Reach.
Some would even call them the uncrowned kings of the south.
They ruled Oldtown, one of the oldest and richest cities in Westeros.
They possessed vast wealth, enormous influence, extensive marriage alliances, and even a Valyrian steel sword known as Vigilance.
Their bloodlines connected them to Houses Tyrell, Florent, Rowan, Redwyne, and even the Targaryens.
No sensible ruler could afford to ignore them.
More importantly, Mace Tyrell's wife, Alerie Hightower, was herself a daughter of House Hightower.
The interests of the two families should have been deeply intertwined.
So why had they remained silent?
The question lingered in Karl's mind.
Unfortunately, Lady Averon could provide no answers.
"No one knows what House Hightower is thinking."
"They have remained quiet for a very long time."
Karl nodded slowly.
"Very well."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"As for contacting them, let's postpone that decision until we know more."
Without sufficient information, acting hastily would be foolish.
For now, the matter would remain unresolved.
Taking a deep breath, Karl turned away from the window.
"Let's return to our previous discussion."
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