Renly stared at him coldly. "What are your thoughts, Lord Tyrell? Are you already prepared to accept these terms?"
"Of course not," Mace said hastily. "But I thought perhaps we could consider them carefully."
"Consider what?" Loras rose to his feet, his face flushed. "Father, we are Renly's men. He is the king we swore allegiance to, not that Targaryen. If we do this, what will the other houses think of House Tyrell? How could you..."
"Loras," Renly interrupted. "Sit down."
Loras looked at Renly, then at Lord Mace, and finally sat down.
"Lord Mace," Renly said, "I understand your concerns. The Targaryens have dragons and a vast army, and they are advancing with overwhelming force. But don't forget that we have fifty thousand men as well. As long as we have the Stormlands and the Reach behind us, as long as we stand united, we may not lose. After all, even Aegon, with his three fully grown dragons, failed to conquer Dorne, a land far poorer than ours."
He paused, then continued, "As for Lady Margaery, I believe she had her reasons. Once the war is over, I can speak with her in person. I could even marry her and make her my queen. But right now, I need to know that you are still firmly on my side. You are, aren't you?"
His thoughts happened to align with Loras's. Though he had no interest in women, he had heard stories of the Rose of Highgarden. He had been waiting for House Tyrell to propose a marriage alliance, never expecting the little rose to go to Valyria instead.
As Lord Mace looked at the spirited Renly before him, he, too, felt encouraged and drew a deep breath.
"Of course, Your Grace," he said. "I will always stand by your