So even after all these years, many still whispered among themselves in private, refusing to truly accept House Tyrell of Highgarden as their rightful rulers.
Those houses west and south of Highgarden that resented Tyrell rule largely rallied around House Hightower of Oldtown, whose seat was the Hightower.
As for those in the north and east of the Reach, they naturally looked to House Rowan of Goldengrove, whose domains covered almost the entire northern Reach.
Of these two great houses, one held Oldtown's trading port and the Citadel's network of connections in its grasp, along with the staunch support of the Faith of the Seven.
The other relied on the fertile lands of the northern Reach to control more than half the region's grain production. If they joined forces, they could not only obstruct every decree issued by House Tyrell of Highgarden, but even disregard commands from House Targaryen and House Baratheon back when they had no dragons.
No matter how ruthless Lady Olenna, the Queen of Thorns, could be, or how deftly she maneuvered, she had never dared openly break with these two houses of the Reach.
After all, even her own birth house, House Redwyne, which controlled the entire Arbor Fleet, fell somewhat short of those two houses in its influence over the Reach.
When Viserys and his companions' four dragons flew over Highgarden, the guards atop its white marble walls, clad in plate armor bearing rose designs, were the first to see them.
What set the soldiers of the Reach apart from those of the other great kingdoms of Westeros was that they were all equipped with plate armor.
The soldiers of the other six kingdoms mostly wore leather armor. Even in the Westerlands, formerly the wealthiest region, most soldiers wore leather; only knights, personal guards, and