Game of Thrones: Knight’s Honor

Jaime Lannister harbored a lingering dislike for House Tyrell, stemming from an old grievance. His father, Tywin Lannister, had once considered marrying Jaime's twin sister, Cersei, into Highgarden. Though the plan never came to fruition, the very notion left Jaime resentful toward the Tyrells. This made his current assignment to greet the Tyrell entourage particularly irksome.

When Garlan Tyrell arrived at Kingswood, Jaime had been waiting for days in the abandoned barracks near the entrance. The Tyrell entourage's delay had only fueled Jaime's frustration, and he was eager to vent his anger on Garlan as soon as they met.

"I'm only ten years old this year. I wonder what Lord Jaime was like at ten," Garlan remarked with a calm smile, unfazed by Jaime's thinly veiled hostility. His tone was teasing, but his composure made it clear he wasn't intimidated.

Jaime remained silent for a moment, taken aback. Privately, he acknowledged Garlan's competence; leading a team from Highgarden to King's Landing at such a young age was a feat he himself couldn't have accomplished at ten. Still, he refused to show any admiration. Instead, he forced a smile and deflected, saying, "Why is it not your eldest brother Willas Tyrell leading the team to King's Landing, but you, a boy whose milk teeth have barely fallen out? Does House Tyrell disdain the tournament His Grace Robert has arranged for his son's birth? Or perhaps you're dissatisfied with the heir to the Iron Throne?"

Unfazed, Garlan countered smoothly, "Lord Jaime, it seems you've forgotten something. My father, Lord Mace Tyrell, is already in King's Landing. Are you suggesting my eldest brother is more important than my father? If House Tyrell had any issues with Robert's heir, my father wouldn't be in King's Landing but back in Highgarden."

Jaime's attempts to provoke Garlan had clearly failed. Reluctantly, he moved on. "I've been commanded by His Grace Robert to greet the Tyrell entourage here. Follow me to the encampment site I've arranged for you." With that, he tugged at his horse's reins and turned toward King's Landing.

As Jaime rode past the Tyrell party, his gaze fell on Lynd, a Tyrell warrior standing among the scouts. At first glance, Lynd didn't seem particularly remarkable, but Jaime's eyes were drawn to the albino shadowcat at Lynd's feet. The creature, named Glory, was an unusual and striking companion. Jaime's expression briefly betrayed his astonishment and curiosity, though he quickly masked it. He reminded himself this was neither the time nor place for such distractions and resumed leading the Tyrells as instructed.

The combined party of Lannisters and Tyrells marched along The Kingsroad in orderly formation. Their banners, fluttering in the wind, prompted travelers to clear the path and wait for them to pass before continuing their own journeys.

Though the war had ended a year ago, its aftermath lingered. Commerce, in particular, was still heavily affected. Not all of the Targaryen loyalists had been eliminated. While most surrendered after Prince Rhaegar's death, a few Knights remained defiant, leading scattered remnants of House Targaryen's forces into hiding. These loyalists knew they couldn't reclaim the throne but sought refuge to plot their next moves.

At the time, escape routes for the remaining Targaryen loyalists were scarce—practically nonexistent, save for one option: heading south. The North, the Riverlands, the Vale, and the Westerlands were hostile territories, leaving only The Reach, under House Tyrell, and Dorne as potential allies. Both regions had been Targaryen supporters during the rebellion. Thus, the remnants of the Targaryen forces, with what remained of their strength, crossed the Blackwater Rush and set their sights on the south.

However, before they could make it out of Kingswood, the tide turned sharply against them. The Tyrells and the Dornish, seeing the inevitability of Robert Baratheon's victory, publicly declared their allegiance to the new king, abandoning the Targaryens entirely. This betrayal sealed the fate of the loyalist remnants.

To worsen their plight, Robert Baratheon immediately issued a royal warrant for the arrest of all remaining Targaryens and confiscated the estates of the Lords and Knights still loyal to their cause. This not only cut off their chances of regrouping but also ensured they had no means of sustaining themselves or buying protection.

Lord Mace Tyrell, eager to prove his loyalty to King Robert, ordered the nobles of The Reach to hunt down the Targaryen loyalists. This not only eradicated the remaining troops but forced them to scatter, becoming bandits and outlaws. The Queen of Thorns, Olenna Tyrell, was livid. She smashed one of her prized Further East porcelain vases in frustration, fully aware of the damage this rash decision would cause.

The Reach would suffer severe instability, and the Tyrells' rule over the region would be shaken. But with the order already publicly given, Olenna had no choice but to let it stand. To defy her son's decision would be seen as siding with the Targaryens, potentially drawing Robert's armies southward to destroy House Tyrell altogether.

In an attempt to mitigate further disaster, Olenna ordered Mace to remain in King's Landing indefinitely under the pretext of fostering good relations with the Iron Throne. This would keep him from making more impulsive decisions that could exacerbate the situation in The Reach.

The fallout from Mace's decree was swift and devastating. As Olenna had predicted, The Reach was overrun by bandits, with some remnants of the Targaryens turning to brigandage and others falsely claiming to be loyalists to justify their raids. The Red Lake Forest bandits, whom Lynd had once helped eliminate, were just one such group. Across the plains, hills, and mountains between Highgarden and King's Landing, countless other gangs emerged, wreaking havoc.

The impact on commerce was particularly severe. With roads unsafe for merchants, trade in The Reach ground to a halt. Castles and towns that relied on the flow of goods fell into stagnation, and the Lords of the region faced financial losses that left them resentful of House Tyrell. This resentment was especially pronounced among those who had never fully supported the Tyrells as Lords of Highgarden or Wardens of the South. The unrest culminated in open challenges to Tyrell authority, such as the split within House Crane—just one of many signs of growing discontent.

Despite efforts over the past year to restore order, the damage to commerce was profound. Merchant caravans rarely ventured into the region unless heavily escorted. The Roseroad, once bustling, now relied on patrols from House Tyrell Caravan Guards to provide a semblance of safety.

Even so, only the bold or well-armed dared use it. This decline in trade became starkly evident as the Tyrell caravan approached King's Landing.

Crossing the Blackwater Bridge, Garlan Tyrell observed a jarring contrast: the southern roads were overgrown with weeds, and inns stood abandoned, while the northern side teemed with life. Warehouses overflowed with goods destined for the Westerlands, Riverlands, and Vale, their prosperity a painful reminder of what The Reach had lost.

Garlan couldn't help but sigh at the sight, his heart heavy with frustration toward his father's reckless decisions. His grandmother's foresight had been sharp as ever. She had blocked his elder brother, Willas, from leading this journey, instead sending the ten-year-old Garlan north. Willas had been kept in Highgarden to assist her directly, a clear indication of Olenna's plans. With her son proving unreliable, the Queen of Thorns had set her sights on grooming a grandson to take the reins—and perhaps, eventually, the place of Mace Tyrell.

After taking a moment to adjust his mindset, Garlan began to notice something odd about the atmosphere in the crowd. The issue wasn't a direct threat, like an assassination attempt, but the way the people were looking at the procession.

Ordinarily, civilians encountering a column of nearly 300 people would avert their eyes and keep their distance out of fear. Yet, the residents of King's Landing had gathered along the roadside, openly staring. Their expressions weren't neutral; they were filled with hatred and contempt. At first, Garlan thought the animosity was directed at their group, but he soon realized it wasn't them the crowd despised—it was the man at the front of the column, Jaime Lannister. More precisely, it was the Kingslayer, sitting tall on his warhorse, exuding pride.

Reflecting on what he had learned about the Usurper's War, Garlan quickly understood the reasons for the animosity. Jaime wasn't hated merely for killing the Mad King, despite being sworn to protect him, but also because of his family name. At the war's end, Lord Tywin Lannister had led the Westerlands army in a brutal sack of King's Landing. Countless civilians had suffered at their hands, and the people's hatred had since coalesced around the most prominent Lannister in the city—Jaime.

For a moment, Garlan felt a twinge of sympathy for Jaime. The constant stares of loathing and disdain would have driven most men mad, yet Jaime endured it with an unshakable will. Garlan couldn't imagine himself remaining so composed under such pressure. His respect for Jaime's resilience grew, even as he maintained his outward composure.

While Garlan analyzed the dynamics of the city, using observation techniques taught to him by the Queen of Thorns, others in the Tyrell group were reacting differently. Lynd, like many of his companions, was gazing around in awe at the city of King's Landing. For most of them, this was their first time leaving Highgarden, and they had long anticipated seeing the Seven Kingdoms' most famous city.

However, the outskirts of King's Landing proved disappointing. The towering walls, which should have exuded grandeur and strength, were marred by signs of neglect and decay. These weren't scars from sieges but the result of years of poor maintenance, making the walls seem on the verge of collapse.

Even more disheartening were the city's residents. Many were clothed in rags, looking more like refugees than the proud citizens of the realm's capital. It wasn't long before the group realized they were right to assume as much. Most of the people they saw were, in fact, war refugees. Unable to return to their homes—where their lands had been seized by local lords—they had no choice but to eke out an existence in King's Landing.

The influx of refugees had overwhelmed the city's capacity to accommodate them. While Tywin Lannister's army had culled a significant portion of the population during the sack a year ago, the demographic void had quickly been filled by waves of displaced people. With the city already overcrowded, new arrivals had built makeshift shelters of wood and cloth outside the walls, forming sprawling refugee camps that stretched from the Mud Gate to the Iron Gate. Over time, these camps had transformed into chaotic, lawless settlements.

The refugees brought myriad problems: theft, robbery, and the rise of organized crime became rampant. For Lynd, however, the most immediate issue was the filth. The streets were littered with human waste, creating a stench that was almost unbearable. Fortunately, Lynd had thought ahead and placed his prized shadowcat, Glory, in a special pocket on his chest, sparing it from the grimy conditions. The thought of Glory brushing against the filth was unbearable.

The group's journey through this squalor didn't last long. Upon reaching the King's Gate, they turned westward, skirting the Colosseum to approach Lion's Hill.

This small hill, located near the Lion's Gate on the northwest side of the Colosseum, offered the best vantage point in the area. From there, one could overlook the arena and enjoy a full view of the action within.

Lion's Hill was already adorned with the banners of the great houses: the golden lion of House Lannister, the direwolf of House Stark, the stag of House Baratheon, and the falcon of House Arryn, among others.

The golden rose of House Tyrell was also present, indicating that Lord Mace Tyrell had prepared a campsite for his entourage in advance. However, their camp's placement was notably poor. Located on the west side of Lion's Hill, it offered no view of the Colosseum. Even the camp of House Martell from Dorne had been given a better location, suggesting that Mace Tyrell's efforts to smooth relations over the past year had borne little fruit.

Jaime Lannister wasted no time. After escorting the Tyrell party to the entrance of their camp, he turned his horse and left without so much as a glance back.

Garlan, after speaking with the camp's guards to confirm his father's whereabouts, led a group of nobles and knights—including Vortimer—out of the camp and toward the Red Keep in King's Landing. The rest of the Tyrell party remained behind, settling into their assigned tents and being organized into patrols, guard rotations, and other duties for the duration of their stay.