Queen of Thorns

Generally speaking, male lords' retainers and attendants were also men.

The younger ones served as cupbearers, while the older ones became squires.

Female guards were rare.

Especially here in the fiercely martial Dornish Marches.

Of all the female guards whose names had gone down in history, even Titus could only remember the former Lord of Duskendale's bastard daughter.

Known as the "Scarlet Snake" and the "Red Shadow," Jonquil Darke had been Queen Alysanne Targaryen's sworn shield and protector.

And then.

That was it.

When Bowen first returned to the castle and heard that the earl's guard had actually recruited a female colleague, thoughts of testing her mettle, setting traps for her, and secretly teaching her a lesson had passed through his head in turn.

After he met Wenda in person, though he still knew nothing of her identity as a skinchanger, her looks, figure, and bearing alone immediately buried all his little schemes.

Bowen knew perfectly well that, from this day forward, there was one more person in the castle he could not afford to offend...

Yes, the sons and daughters of the Marches had lofty ambitions, and women could hold up half the sky!

Drawing his gaze away from the blonde female guard in white soft armor, Bowen, who had now become one... of the deputy captains, respectfully listened to the Earl of Starpike's latest instructions.

"Parker, Bowen, and Wenda, each of you will be responsible for a squad. Keep your people in line, and don't embarrass me out there..."

Behind the large desk, Titus paused. Afraid the three might misunderstand, he put it more plainly.

"Listen carefully. By 'keep your people in line,' I mean don't let your subordinates go out looking for trouble. By 'don't embarrass me out there,' I mean that if someone comes looking for trouble with you first, make absolutely sure you hit back hard. If anyone dares stick out a hand, chop it off. Understood?"

"Understood!" Parker and Bowen answered loudly.

Wenda's voice was not as loud as theirs. Her red lips parted slightly, and she gave the earl a faint smile as he looked her way.

Titus voiced his approval, satisfied:

"Very good! That's the spirit!"

It was a bright, sunny day.

The spirited guards followed their earl out of Starpike and rode north.

They headed north all the way, leaving the greasy season behind.

By that evening, this new mounted party of more than thirty, traveling at remarkable speed, had already reached the southern bank of the Mander River.

Before their eyes stood a white castle utterly different in style from Starpike-indeed, it could already be called a true city.

Starpike could house only a few thousand people, while the buildings within and outside Highgarden could accommodate well over ten thousand, with ample room to spare.

A sanctuary of southern art, music, and culture, Highgarden stood at the heart of the Reach and had been celebrated by countless singers.

The beautiful white castle was securely protected by three rings of walls, likewise built of white stone, and even at night it was a sight that brightened the eyes.

Living within it must surely have offered a tremendous sense of security.

Highgarden's lowest and outermost wall encircled the entire foot of the hill. Between it and the second wall lay a meticulously maintained hedge maze, where the Tyrells entertained their guests and provided amusement.

It also served a defensive purpose: invaders unfamiliar with the maze could easily lose their way, enter dead ends, or fall victim to the traps concealed within.

Titus thought this was utter nonsense. No wonder the Dornish liked burning Highgarden.

Thoughts of catapults, incendiaries, and aerial bombardment were already turning over in his head...

Precisely because it had been breached several times, each of Highgarden's present walls stood taller than the one before it, with slender, elegant round towers set along them.

Titus had visited once with the old earl and knew that beyond those walls lay something like a green paradise.

Flowers bloomed everywhere, interspersed with gardens, pools, and artificial waterfalls. The endless gardens, large and small, were filled with stone carvings, fountains, and marble colonnades of every kind. Grapevines and roses adorned walls and sculptures, while vines covered the ancient buildings.

As a child, he had passed within Highgarden's innermost wall and stood atop an ancient tower that might date back to the Age of Heroes. Looking out, he could take in every manor and field for leagues around, with flowers and golden roses growing throughout the countryside.

He had also heard that, in Highgarden, the Tyrells honored the Old and New Gods alike.

The stained-glass windows of the High Sept were said to be as intricate and beautiful as those of the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing and the Starry Sept in Oldtown, depicting the Seven and Garth Greenhand... People made up for what they lacked, and everyone had gradually grown accustomed to the Tyrells' efforts to emphasize their close blood ties to House Gardener.

Highgarden's godswood was equally renowned. Almost all the heart trees south of the Riverlands had been cut down, yet three remained in the Tyrell family's grove.

With considerable artistic flair, they were collectively called the "Three Singers," and the Tyrells had widely publicized the claim that Garth Greenhand himself had planted them.

Titus did not believe it.

The three heart trees surrounded a pool, their branches intertwined. After countless centuries of growth, they now looked like a single enormous ancient tree with three trunks.

They stood at the very heart of Highgarden, and Titus had seen them from a distance back then.

Since it was already very late, Titus had not intended to call on his hosts at night.

They were just about to find a few larger homes outside the castle to settle into when a patrol of green-cloaked guards came upon them.

Once the guards asked who they were, they immediately offered, with great enthusiasm, to take them into the castle.

Titus considered it for a moment, then followed them across the high white stone bridge, through three walls and three gates, and into one of the Tyrells' halls.

Their hosts were already waiting there.

Mace Tyrell was the worst Lord of Highgarden Olenna Redwyne had ever brought up.

He was in his thirties, still fairly young, and had yet to acquire the endearing nickname "Lord Puff Fish."

He was handsome and powerfully built, though a little plump. His curly brown hair matched the Tyrell family's distinctive looks, but whether his triangular beard had taken inspiration from the fashions of Tyrosh was anyone's guess.

The Earl of Starpike did not look for long. Here in Highgarden, Titus did not yet dare get too uppity. With Captain Parker beside him, he bowed slightly to the Lord of Highgarden, then paid his respects to the old woman with a walking stick at the lord's side.

By now, every lord in the Reach knew that Mace merely wore the titles of lord, warden, and lord paramount.

His elderly mother, the "Queen of Thorns," was the one who truly made the decisions for the Tyrell family.

Mace seemed a little sleepy and said little beyond welcoming them.

Highgarden's true mistress, Lady Olenna Redwyne, who had always been known for her sharp tongue, had gray-white hair, a small, thin frame, and slightly less than half her teeth missing.

Faced with Earl Titus, weary from his journey, the old lady was not cutting in her remarks, instead displaying her wit and humor.

That was only natural.

Highgarden could indeed muster enough soldiers to leave other great lords dumbfounded, but it had never prided itself on its army's fighting strength. In other words, its family troops performed much like House Lannister's had before: excellent equipment, abysmal performance in actual combat.

Starpike and Horn Hill guarded the entire south for them, holding back the formidable Dornish enemy. In recent years, House Peake had also stopped openly participating in the Blackfyre Rebellions, so naturally they deserved courteous treatment.

Before taking his leave, Titus also made a point of asking whether House Tarly of Horn Hill had arrived.

The lord's mother gave him an unexpected answer:

Randyll Tarly's wife, who came from House Florent, had suddenly fallen gravely ill, and the Earl of Horn Hill had written to withdraw from the trip to the great gathering at Harrenhal.

What a pity. He had wanted to get better acquainted with Randyll.

Still, Randyll Tarly had no children yet, so his concern for his wife's well-being was perfectly reasonable.

Titus exchanged a few more words of regret with Lady Olenna, fully expressing his concern for Earl Randyll and his wife, then took his leave to rest.

Leaving the sleepy Lord of Highgarden with a view of his back, Titus departed with easy grace.

Overhead view of Highgarden: