Deep in the garden of Lord Mace Tyrell's mansion in King's Landing, a rose-covered pavilion shut out the bustle of summer.
Renly reclined in a carved chair, a smile on his handsome face, and drained the spiced wine in his cup.
"Lord Mace, you have seen it all for yourself. My royal brother is deeply grateful for Highgarden's generous assistance. The Lannisters are no longer as overbearing as they once were, and hasn't even our noble queen's increasingly arrogant face finally acquired a little restraint...? Perhaps it is time we took the next step..."
He set down his cup and looked intently at the Lord of Highgarden, Mace Tyrell, across from him.
Lord Mace sank deep into a broad chair lined with velvet cushions.
This lord, whose wealth rivaled anyone's in the Seven Kingdoms, was in his prime, yet already showed signs of premature decline.
Silver threaded his curly brown hair, and even his carefully trimmed triangular beard could not conceal its flecks of white.
Ever since news reached Highgarden that his second son, Garlan, had led an army to war only to become the Easterner's prisoner, Lord Mace had been on tenterhooks. He had immediately taken the fastest carriage and hurried to King's Landing, travel-worn and dusty.
He had also bundled his third son, Loras, who was still serving as Renly's squire, into Duke Eddard's delegation to the Stepstones.
The wealthy nobles of the Reach all owned courtyard residences in King's Landing, and House Tyrell possessed several in fine locations.
These residences had now become his bases of anxious concern.
Over the past few months, each report the Seven Kingdoms' delegation sent back to King's Landing had been more alarming than the last.
Not only had the Easterner captured Tyrosh, one of the Free Cities, he had actually crowned