Renly Baratheon's death came as a shock to many. Based on the current situation, if nothing unexpected had happened, the allied forces of the Stormlands and the Reach were poised to claim victory, with Renly ascending as the new ruler of the Iron Throne.
But something unexpected did happen. Just as Renly and Margaery Tyrell were about to marry, sealing the most important part of their alliance, Renly was assassinated. Even more shocking was that the killers were Catelyn Tully—who had come to Storm's End to negotiate an alliance on behalf of Robb Stark—and Brienne of Tarth, formerly Lynd's attendant and now a knight known for her exemplary conduct.
Everyone was stunned and bewildered. It made no sense—why would Catelyn Tully, who had come to ally with Renly, turn around and kill him? And even more baffling, why would Brienne of Tarth, a model knight, assassinate the very lord she had sworn to serve?
If Brienne had originally received the title of "model knight" solely thanks to Lynd's praise, then everything she had done since had proven her worthy of that name.
Before the war broke out, most people believed Brienne would go to Summerhall to serve Lynd. Given her relationship with him and her own reputation, working in Summerhall would've earned her high regard—far more than serving anyone else.
Yet she didn't do what people expected. Instead, she pledged her loyalty to Renly Baratheon, Lord of Evenfall Hall.
And Renly didn't disappoint her. Not only did he appoint her as captain of his Rainbow Guard, but he also named her his adjutant, putting her in charge of assisting with military affairs. Much of Renly's swift success in rallying the Stormlands' armies could be attributed to Brienne's help.
Among the noble officers under Renly's command, Brienne was by far the most trusted—second only to Loras Tyrell, the Knight of the Flowers. That's why, when news broke that Renly had been killed by Brienne, his own Rainbow Guard captain, no one believed it at first. It took repeated confirmations before people could even begin to accept it.
Many soon connected the incident to Theon's capture of Winterfell, and all eyes turned once again to Lynd.
If Brienne truly had killed Renly, then the only person capable of making such a paragon of knighthood break her vows and commit regicide would be the one who had trained her—Lynd Tarran.
Even so, many people rejected this theory, unable to find any motive for Lynd to take such action.
If Lynd had done it to seize power in the Stormlands, there would've been no need to kill Renly. All he had to do was send envoys to the region's various lords. Everyone knew how closely tied the Stormlands were to Summerhall—economically, militarily, and more. Summerhall handled most of the region's security.
That's exactly why, when Renly summoned his troops, the Stormlands' lords could send their full forces to Storm's End without leaving any soldiers behind. They had no need to worry about protecting their homes.
It was common knowledge that Lynd Tarran was the true power behind the Stormlands. Renly had their support only with Lynd's approval. If Lynd had wanted to reclaim control and sideline Renly, it would've taken nothing more than a single command. Why would he need to go so far as to have Renly killed?
In response to this question, some busybodies speculated that Renly's planned marriage to Margaery Tyrell had enraged Lynd—because Margaery was allegedly his secret lover.
While that theory was utterly unreliable, it became the favorite among the smallfolk. In taverns and inns, people were already singing tales of how Lynd Tarran and Margaery Tyrell fell in love at first sight when they met, enchanted by each other. Never mind that when they first met, Margaery had still been a child.
Compared to the far-fetched idea that Lynd had Brienne kill Renly, others preferred a more pragmatic theory: look at who benefited. And so, two suspects emerged—Tywin Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, and Stannis Baratheon, Lord of Dragonstone. Both stood to gain the most from Renly's death.
There was no need to explain Tywin Lannister's situation. His main army was stalled outside Riverrun, across the Red Fork of the Trident. The Young Wolf was wreaking havoc across the Westerlands, poised to strike Casterly Rock at any moment, and the forces stationed at Harrenhal couldn't move, since a portion of Stannis' troops remained stationed at Crackclaw Point, watching for any opportunity.
Lord Tywin was in his greatest crisis yet. If the Stormlands and the Reach formalized their alliance and crossed the Blackwater Rush at this moment, Tywin Lannister would lose the war completely.
And now, Renly's death had resolved Lord Tywin's greatest dilemma. Though his predicament hadn't vanished entirely, it had bought him a moment to breathe—a moment that could very well determine life or death. The benefit to Lord Tywin was substantial.
However, compared to what Tywin gained, Stannis Baratheon's advantage was far more tangible.
After Renly declared himself king, Stannis rushed back from the Crownlands battlefield to the Stormlands, intent on claiming the rightful titles of Head of House Baratheon, Warden of the Stormlands, and Lord of Storm's End. But everyone knew Stannis didn't stand a chance—his army had been blocked at Cape Massey, unable to penetrate the Stormlands.
As long as Renly and Margaery were married, they would have been free to eliminate Stannis without much difficulty. No one believed Stannis had any hope of victory.
Yet with Renly's sudden death, Stannis was instantly freed from his predicament. More importantly, he became the next in line to inherit House Baratheon. This meant the Stormlands, which had seen him as an enemy only moments before, were now obligated to swear fealty to him.
The nobility of the Stormlands owed their allegiance to House Baratheon—not to any individual member. Whoever held the title of Head of House Baratheon and Lord of Storm's End was the rightful recipient of their loyalty. Since Renly left no heirs, his death marked the extinction of his branch of the Baratheon line. Everything that had belonged to him was immediately passed to Stannis, who held a higher place in the house's line of succession. Stannis thus became the Lord of Storm's End and inherited Renly's troops, wealth, and all other assets, causing his military strength to multiply several times over—making him the greatest threat to King's Landing.
News of this sparked widespread panic in King's Landing. Many feared that Stannis would launch an assault on the capital, and few believed the city's defenses could hold. Civilians began to flee en masse, hoping to find refuge in Summerhall.
Without a doubt, Stannis was the single greatest and most direct beneficiary of Renly's assassination, making him the prime suspect.
Still, all of this remained speculation. No solid evidence had emerged, and only two people knew the truth of what had happened: Brienne of Tarth and Catelyn Tully. Both fled immediately after Renly's assassination and had since vanished without a trace.
However, recent reports claimed they were seen near the Bay of Crabs, seemingly intending to return to Riverrun via the Trident.
"Why would they run?" The news from Renly's camp reached Lynd right away. He studied it carefully, then spoke—half to Jon, half to himself.
"I think they were afraid," Jon guessed. "There were only three of them in that room, and Renly ended up dead. No matter how they explained it, no one would believe them. The first instinct would've been to run and find a chance to explain later."
Lynd shook his head. "If it were only Lady Catelyn, maybe. But Brienne wouldn't have run. Even if she were branded a kingslayer, she would have stayed. Something must have happened—something we don't know."
Then he turned to Balin, recently reinstated to his former post, and ordered, "Have your people find Lady Catelyn and Brienne. Immediately."
"Yes, my lord." Balin, who had just completed the Trial of Loyalty at the Redemption Sept, had grown more reserved—and now carried a colder, more austere presence.
Lynd paid no mind to Balin's change. In truth, the current Balin suited the role of intelligence chief far better. The old Balin had felt more like a knight.
"What's the situation over at Mus now?" Lynd asked next.
"Stannis didn't enter Storm's End," Jon reported. "He only accepted the Stormlands coalition army outside the castle, then left. The Stormlands lords are asking what to do next."
"What to do?" Lynd paused for a moment, then said, "They are the lords of the Stormlands. It's their duty to serve their liege. They only need to fulfill their obligations. As for managing the Stormlands, we'll handle that. Trade in the region will continue unchanged."
Jon nodded. "Understood. I'll send word to each of the lords, one by one, to put them at ease."
"Who's in charge of Storm's End now?" Lynd asked suddenly.
Jon responded quickly, "It seems to be Ser Cortnay Penrose. He was the commanding officer of Storm's End's forces before, and after Renly's death, he acted as castellan. He refused to let Stannis into Storm's End. It seems he favors Edric Storm, King Robert's bastard, as the next Lord of Storm's End." Then Jon added, "Do we need to intervene?"
"No." Lynd shook his head. "Cortnay is just a knight. He has no authority to decide who controls Storm's End. As for Edric—even if Robert acknowledged him as his bastard, he was never legitimized. He's still a bastard. How many people in the Seven Kingdoms would recognize a bastard's right of inheritance? If he truly had any claim, he wouldn't be aiming for the lordship of Storm's End—he'd be vying for the Iron Throne."
"Speaking of bastards, there are quite a few of King Robert's in our lands. If Edric has a claim to inherit Storm's End, then all the other bastards should be entitled to a share of House Baratheon's inheritance too. Now that would be interesting," said Lothor Brune, pulling an apple from his pocket and giving it a quick polish on his sleeve before taking a bite, clearly amused.
"Haha! In that case, one Storm's End wouldn't be enough," Bert laughed.
The others couldn't help but join in.
Lynd smiled as well, then asked, "What's the situation in Highgarden?"
"What else could it be? Lady Margaery's marriage has become a complete taboo over there," Jon replied, his smile fading into a sigh. "The wedding between Renly and Lady Margaery never took place, so technically she isn't even considered his widow. At Storm's End, she's nothing more than an outsider—not even allowed to stand vigil for Renly. She returned to Highgarden on the third day after the incident. The Reach forces outside Storm's End have already withdrawn to Bitterbridge. What House Tyrell plans to do next is still unclear."
"I've heard from Tumbleton that an envoy sent by King's Landing has already boarded a ship there. Looks like they're heading for Highgarden," Balin suddenly said. "Could it be that King's Landing is trying to re-establish the marriage alliance?"
"Surely Highgarden wouldn't agree to such a ridiculous proposal, would they?" Bert said in disbelief. "If they actually go along with that, how would Lady Margaery even face people? She'd be the laughingstock of the entire Seven Kingdoms."
"You think she isn't already?" Jon said grimly. "First the Iron Throne breaks off the betrothal, then her next fiancé is murdered before the wedding—she doesn't even qualify as a widow. Give it a little time, and you'll start hearing all sorts of rumors about her, floating around in the streets, in taverns and inns. I honestly don't know how such a kind-hearted lady is supposed to endure that kind of slander."
"Kind-hearted?" Lynd raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Jon, don't you have a wife and children?"
Jon's expression changed instantly. He quickly defended himself, "My lord, what are you saying? I just don't think Lady Margaery deserves all this misfortune. She deserves someone better."
"No need to worry about her. She's far stronger than you give her credit for. And if you're looking for someone to be concerned about, it should be the assistant I assigned to you—not the Little Rose." Lynd shot Jon a glance, then asked, "Why did you show her the intel on Winterfell and Storm's End? Didn't I tell you to keep that from her?"
Jon explained, "I just thought there were some things Sansa had a right to know. Like you just said about me—I think Sansa is much stronger than you realize."
"Jon, have you noticed you've gotten a bit soft lately?" Lynd looked at him, a hint of amusement in his eyes, then turned to the others. "What do you all think?"
Everyone nodded, eyeing Jon with curious expressions.
Jon's cheeks turned slightly red. "Soft? I don't think I've changed at all."
Just then, Lothor chimed in, "Lord Jon recently took in a pair of sisters from the Riverlands—refugees. They're staying in that apartment he bought on Flint Street. He purchased it privately, without Lady Victaria knowing."
"Oh!" Realization dawned across the group, and they all exchanged glances, each wearing a faintly amused smile as they looked at Jon.