Green wildfire was still licking at the wreckage of warships on the Blackwater Rush when, suddenly, rain began to fall.
The rain over the Blackwater Rush, in particular, seemed heavier than elsewhere.
The gods, in a rare display of mercy, sought to extinguish the wildfire that had consumed tens of thousands of lives. A thick fog rose from the river, and green flames flickered within it, like myriad wailing specters.
A squad of soldiers roared as they pushed the breached city gate, their throats raw, exerting all their strength as if to perish with the thousand-pound gate.
"Push! Push! Faster, faster, faster!" Martin waved his longsword, its edge already dulled, ordering the soldiers to close the city gate.
Through the gate, he could even see the enemy forces crossing the river—the green-and-gold flower banner of Highgarden, the banner of the Tyrell Family.
The green banner fluttered in the wind beneath the pre-dawn sky, followed by nearly tens of thousands of troops.
What to do? They couldn't hold them off! Martin felt his heart turn cold.
The River Gate defenses had been ravaged by Stannis's army, but with Stannis's retreat, they were left to pick up the pieces.
"Push! Push quickly! Push for me!" Martin urged anxiously, knowing in his heart that if King's Landing fell, they would all die without a burial place.
Given Tywin's cruelty, it would be a miracle if a few stragglers from their ten thousand men survived.
Martin frantically urged them on, as if he wanted to crush the forces of The Reach crossing the river between the gate's leaves.
With a muffled thud, the city gate closed, but Martin knew this was only the first step. The gate, having been breached once, was already riddled with holes.
They still needed to build a stone wall behind the gate to reinforce it.
So sandbags, rolling stones, and even corpses were transported towards the gate opening.
At this moment, a cavalry unit had already crossed the Blackwater Rush, led by a man in blue armor.
His helmet bore exaggerated antlers.
That was Renly's armor, but the one wearing it was Garlan Tyrell, the second son of Mace Tyrell, Duke of Highgarden.
Petyr Baelish (Littlefinger) had suggested he wear Renly's armor to confuse Stannis's army and demoralize them.
It must be said, the effect was quite good. Many, seeing him emerge in Renly's armor, thought Renly had been resurrected.
Along the way, Renly had captured many of Stannis's officers and Dragonstone nobles.
Even Stannis's Hand of the King had abandoned his army and fled.
Garlan heard that Stannis's army was retreating, so he sped up his march, hoping to gain more military honors.
But when he arrived at the city walls, he found something amiss. He had never seen the banners on the battlements before.
"Direwolf banner? Stark? Why black? A bastard?"
A series of questions surfaced in Garlan's mind, but one thing was certain: that banner was, in all likelihood, from the North.
And the North and their allies, the Westerlands, were absolutely hostile.
If that were the case, wouldn't it mean King's Landing had already fallen?
"No!"
Garlan shook his head. He remembered that the Northern army should still be in the Riverlands; how could they be in King's Landing?
Just then, another army approached from the west.
"My Lord, Lord Randyll Tarly's army has arrived."
"Randyll Tarly!" Garlan felt a surge of excitement. Randyll Tarly was their greatest general in The Reach!
During Robert's Rebellion, The Reach initially sided with the Royalists, and Randyll Tarly, in the Battle of Ashford, routed Robert, forcing him to abandon his armor.
He was a truly fierce man.
Indeed, the approaching army was in neat, solemn formation, advancing as if crushing everything in its path.
Renly's original contingent had been whispering about the changing banners on the walls, but seeing Randyll Tarly's army approach, they all fell silent.
Randyll Tarly was formidable in battle, and his military discipline was beyond reproach. He didn't just command his army; he even managed his own family with military rigor.
Those who were useful stayed; those who weren't, were cast out.
This Earl Tarly was also the father of Sam, Jon's friend from the Wall.
Randyll Tarly despised Sam for only liking to read and being overweight, and even for wanting to become a maester at the Citadel.
The Tarly Family had fought on battlefields with swords for generations, and now an anomaly who wanted to dabble in books had appeared, which infuriated Randyll Tarly.
This strict general and father, in a fit of rage, threatened him: either hunt with him and be killed as prey, or take the black and go to the Wall.
If he treated his own son this way, let alone his soldiers.
When Garlan saw this general, who was so strict as to be almost ruthless, his entire body couldn't help but tense up.
"Earl Tarly."
"Ser Garlan."
After exchanging greetings, Garlan pointed to the black-and-white Direwolf banner on the city wall and said, "Our enemies seem to have gotten a head start. Should we wait for the main army before preparing to besiege the city?"
Randyll Tarly looked at the wall, his expression unreadable, as he rode his horse closer. Garlan quickly ordered his retainers to step forward and protect him.
Randyll Tarly looked down and around. Beneath the River Gate walls, there were uncollected bodies everywhere, lying haphazardly, many of them nobles in full armor.
Their banners, mostly like tattered rags, lay scattered across the battlefield, gradually being covered by mud under the beating rain.
Randyll Tarly walked towards a body lying not far from him. He dismounted, removed his glove, and wiped the wound on the corpse, finding the blood viscous but not yet congealed.
Then he stood up and looked at the city wall, noticing a scarlet Lannister banner still flying.
He then approached Garlan and said, "Ser, I suggest we begin the siege now."
"Now?"
Randyll Tarly pointed to a lion banner on the city wall that had not yet fallen and said, "Our enemies are very lucky, but they have only just captured King's Landing. They haven't even taken down all the banners. King's Landing's defenses were almost completely shattered by Stannis. This Northern army must be desperately trying to repair the defenses. You can see soldiers moving weapons all over the city wall. Now should be their weakest moment!"
Randyll Tarly was indeed a seasoned and victorious general; he saw through the strengths and weaknesses of Jon's defenses at a glance.
Although Garlan and Randyll Tarly led only an advance force of about four thousand men, they believed they could besiege the city!
Just as the two were preparing to arrange for their soldiers to attack, another group of people crossed the Blackwater Rush.
That person was extremely cautious, not only wearing armor but also hiding behind a group of guards.
He was of medium height, slender, with gray-green eyes that constantly darted about, like a lurking viper.
He was none other than the current Master of Coin, Petyr Baelish.
It was Littlefinger who, through his own efforts, orchestrated the "Bitterbridge Mutiny," severing Stannis's reach towards The Reach army.
Then, under the orders of Tyrion and Cersei, he forged the "Lion-Rose Alliance."
If he could secure victory for the "Lion-Rose Alliance," his position in the "new dynasty" would be crucial.
At the very least, he could become a lord who controlled a region, even if it was in secret.
"Chaos is a ladder." Looking at King's Landing, which was getting closer and closer, Petyr was smug, as if looking at a masterpiece he had personally crafted.
He had climbed a significant rung on the ladder of chaos he had personally built!
However, when he saw The Reach army gathered below the city, he felt a bit puzzled.
Since Stannis's army had retreated, why weren't they entering the city?
As if by some astonishing intuition, Petyr suddenly remembered the urgent message Tywin had sent before their arrival:
"You must hasten your support, just in case."
"Please hurry, I need to see Ser Garlan." Petyr urged the boatman, but his tone remained gentle.
The boatman knew this was an important person, but such a great lord speaking to him so calmly made him feel somewhat flattered.
But his hands didn't stop, and he rowed faster.
Soon, the boat docked, and Petyr came to Garlan and Randyll Tarly's camp.
Then he received unexpected news.
"The North?" Petyr felt his mind momentarily freeze.
Then he voiced the same question as Garlan.
Shouldn't the North still be in the Riverlands?
Why would they be in King's Landing?
When Petyr saw the familiar yet unfamiliar banner on the city wall, his expression subtly darkened.
Although the black background of the banner was vastly different from Stark's, no one else would use a Direwolf besides a Stark bloodline.
"Eddard's bastard!" Petyr immediately thought of the rumor that Eddard's bastard, Jon Snow, had shown great power in the Battle of Green Fork, using a Flood to turn the tide of battle.
Not long ago, he had even set an ambush and killed Tywin's most capable general, The Mountain, reportedly personally slaying him.
Petyr believed that Jon personally slaying The Mountain might be an exaggeration, just as Robb capturing Jaime Lannister must have been achieved through the encirclement of his soldiers, but for a young man who had just come of age, such a record was still a bit too terrifying.
"Are you planning to besiege the city now?"
"Yes, Earl Randyll Tarly is in command." Garlan told him truthfully, also relaying Randyll Tarly's hypothesis.
This eased Petyr's mind; he had almost thought the lordship he was about to receive would slip away.
If it really was Jon, then his army couldn't possibly be too large.
It would be impossible to hold King's Landing against the combined forces of The Reach and the Westerlands.
Petyr pondered for a moment and then said, "My Lords, since the Northerners have breached King's Landing, it will still take some effort to capture the Red Keep. Furthermore, Princess Myrcella and Prince Tommen have already been moved out of King's Landing. We can fight without restraint and deliver a crushing blow to the Northerners!"
"Hmm."
Garlan nodded, his heart full of shock.
His mind was a bit slow; he hadn't even thought of this point just now.
Once Jon took and killed Robert and Cersei's three children, what good would the alliance between The Reach and the Westerlands be?
They would have worked for nothing.
However, hearing that Myrcella and Tommen had been moved out of the city greatly relieved him.
Even if Joffrey died, it wouldn't matter.
The basis of their alliance still existed.
Soon, the armies led by Garlan and Randyll Tarly were ready.
It was now dawn, and the lion banner on the city wall that had not been pulled down earlier had now been toppled.
They could now almost clearly see the still busy and vigilant defenders on the city wall.
Inside the city gate at this time—
"Jon asked if we've finished building the wall."
A soldier was sent to inquire, but Martin looked at the stone wall, only a third built, and wanted to cry.
He had already personally gotten involved, but time was too pressing; there simply wasn't enough!
"Tell him, give me another quarter of an hour, no, half a quarter of an hour! I will definitely build it!"
To his surprise, the soldier said, "Lord Jon said to make the stone wall sturdy, and he will buy you enough time."
Hearing that Jon wasn't rushing him, but instead was going to buy him time, Martin was incredibly moved.
"Tell Lord Jon not to worry, I will seal this place completely!"
Outside the city gate—
"Prepare to besiege the city!" Randyll Tarly commanded.
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