WILOW-Ch.439: You Won’t Do Such a Thing!

Imperial Army Camp, King’s Landing

POV of Domeric Bolton

The next morning.

Garlan Tyrell hugged Margaery and kissed her forehead before stepping back and looking at Domeric.

The commander of the Tyrell forces couldn’t say anything for a while before he finally bowed to him.

"House Tyrell owes you a great debt for this, your majesty." Garlan said, "We’ll never forget your generosity. The gates of Highgarden will always remain open to you."

Domeric nodded, and they looked at Loras. Although Loras didn’t look like a corpse anymore, he was still pale.

Although doctors from Bolton’s army cleaned his wounds and treated them with ointments to prevent infection, Loras’s condition had not fully improved.

After all, he had been trapped in that tower for a long time following his injury, and there was a high probability that the infection had spread throughout his body.

Even though the doctors gave him medicine to treat it, his future was uncertain.

Most likely, the man wouldn’t survive another day without any help from him.

But Domeric hadn’t saved Loras to leave him to die. So, he pulled a bottle from his pocket and removed the cork.

Then he went to Loras, opened his mouth, poured the potion down his throat, closed his mouth, and held his mouth shut until Loras swallowed.

"Your Majesty? What..." Garlan Tyrell began, but before he could finish, Domeric interrupted him.

"Healing Elixir. Something the Old Gods have granted me the knowledge of how to make. I made it for Ser Loras last night. After drinking it, he will no longer be in life-threatening danger," he said.

And as soon as he finished speaking, the potion took effect, and color returned to Loras’s face. His irregular, shallow breathing became regular, turning into long, relaxed breaths.

Now, Loras looked less like a sick man struggling for life and more like a weary man resting.

He would still need time and proper care for a good while before he would be able to heal, but the infection and the high fever were gone, and he was not in danger of dropping dead at any moment.

"Loras is still not at his best." He said, "I would suggest not moving him right now. Allow him some time to heal."

Garlan Tyrell nodded and said, "Thank you for your efforts, Your Majesty. House Tyrell is indebted to you once more. But I want to send my own maesters if your majesty doesn’t mind."

"It is not really necessary, but if sending your own maesters will give you some peace of mind, then feel free to do so." He said.

"Thank you for your understanding, your majesty." Garlan said and went quiet for a moment before adding, "On that note, now that both Margaery and Loras are safe, my army will start the siege battle in an hour or two."

He looked at Garlan for a while. "What do you mean, you’re going to start the siege battle in an hour or two? The time we planned hasn’t come yet, and the other armies haven’t completed their preparations. I know for a fact that they have only managed to create a few siege ladders, and the battering ram is still under construction."

Garlan frowned as he looked at the wall of King’s Landing, "No. Waiting for too long and being too cautious was what allowed Stannis to retaliate and kidnap Margaery and Loras in the first place. No. I won’t be sitting back anymore. In fact, I plan to take the city without the help of the other armies."

"Are you asking for my permission, or are you saying you’re going to do this to me whether I consent or not?" Domeric said, his gaze now filled with sharp coldness.

"My house and I have already lost a lot of reputation in this war. If I end this siege on my own terms, then I might get some of that back." Garlan said.

The man greatly underestimated Stannis Baratheon, believing he could quickly capture the city with only the Reach armies.

Stannis’s armies were now well-fed thanks to supplies from the Reach forces, and under his command, they could withstand the Reach forces for a long time.

And the other armies, having witnessed the Tyrell attacks, would not stand idly by. Whether their preparations were complete or not, they would launch siege attacks as well.

After all, having come this far, no army would simply leave the glory of capturing the city to the Tyrells.

This meant that the Imperial army, unprepared for a siege, would ultimately suffer heavy losses.

But more importantly, Garlan would have completely disregarded him and Jon in this situation.

"You won’t do such a thing, Ser Garlan." He said.

"But, your majesty...." Garlan said, but Domeric interrupted him and said, "What you’re about to do won’t restore your lost prestige, Ser Garlan. On the contrary, you’ll be breaking your promises to other armies and betraying an Emperor and two Kings. Do you really think there won’t be consequences?"

"I... I..." Garlan tried to speak, but seemed unable to find the words.

At that moment, Margaery intervened, offering her support. "Please forgive my brother, Your Majesty. Recent events have clouded his judgment. You can be assured that House Tyrell and the Reach army under its command will not break their promise to Emperor Domeric and the other armies."

Domeric first looked at Margaery’s face for a moment, then turned to Garlan and spoke. "I hope things turn out as Lady Margaery says, Ser Garlan. I will overlook this transgression of yours this time, but next time you will not go unpunished."

"Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty," Margaery quickly bowed before him.

Although Ser Garlan was frozen in place, at Margaery’s nudge, he too bowed his head before Domeric.

Then Domeric turned and left the tent, leaving his three siblings there, prepared for Loras, and began walking towards his own tent.

Varko, waiting outside Loras’s tent, immediately appeared beside him when he saw him leave and accompanied him to his tent.

When Domeric reached the front of his tent, a man waiting at the entrance came and whispered something in Varko’s ear.

Domeric entered his tent and sat down on the battlefield throne in the center of the tent.

This battlefield throne was not as ornate or magnificent as a typical throne; it was a simple wooden throne. As an emperor, Domeric had to make decisions and pronouncements on many matters, and doing so from a throne was more effective.

But he had made this battlefield throne for himself to use in situations like these, where he didn’t want to appear as someone who lived in luxury on the battlefield and didn’t understand the plight of his soldiers.

He also had redesigned the tent he was in for this kind of purpose. From the outside, the Emperor’s tent looked like the intersection of three different tents.

But it had only one entrance, which led to the throne room where Domeric was currently sitting. Behind the throne were two separate doors leading to the other two tents.

One of these doors led to Domeric’s bedroom, the other to his study, but these two tents had been magically expanded and contained many luxuries and things that couldn’t possibly be found in a tent.

Like the bathroom in Domeric’s bedroom.

Thanks to this new tent, Domeric could also gather those unaware of his magic in the throne room.

"What is the matter?" he asked Varko after he sat on his throne.

"Our men have found the woman you mentioned before among the Tyrell army, Your Majesty. She is now waiting to speak with you," Varko said.

"Oh. Tell them to send her here," Domeric ordered.

Then Varko approached the tent door, relayed Domeric’s order to his men, and, after a while, one of them entered the tent with the person he had summoned.

"Brienne Tarth is brought before you, Your Majesty," the man said, kneeling.

"You may leave," Domeric said, then turned and looked at Brienne.

This woman, known as Brienne Tarth or Brienne of Tarth, was a tall, well-built, blonde noblewoman.

But she didn’t see herself as a Lady; therefore, unlike other Ladies, she had chosen to be a warrior, wielding her sword and armor.

In this respect, Domeric compared her to Arya.

Although in another reality Brienne would be a knight and then the Lady Commander of the Kingsguard, her fate in this reality was uncertain. Still, Domeric was not willing to let such a talented person slip through his fingers.

"You must kneel when you come before the Emperor," Varko warned Brienne.

But when Brienne, who had been nervously looking around since arriving, hastily attempted to kneel, Domeric spoke. "No need. You can stand, Brienne Tarth."

Then he added, "There’s no need to be nervous. The only reason I summoned you here is to ask you something."

"What do you want to know, Your Majesty?" Brienne said, her head bowed.

"Brienne Tarth, I am considering bestowing upon you the title of Imperial Knight and assigning you to the Dark Knight unit, tasked with protecting the Emperor and Imperial family members. Do you wish for this?"

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Next Chapters’ Name:

Ch.440: The Day of the Siege Attack

Ch.441: The King’s Landing Has Fallen

Ch.442: Another Ritual Time