Skyrim System In Westeros

As Wright watched Robert and Stannis shake off their disappointment, he turned to the critical topic at hand: ensuring history followed its original trajectory. Any deviations, while inevitable, must not derail the grand course of events.

"As of today, only the four of us know about Renly's and my magic. I haven't even told Maester Cressen. The reason Renly and I revealed our abilities was first to prove our intelligence and second to demonstrate that we can defend ourselves. Now, brothers, what do you plan to do about the current situation?"

Robert leaned forward. "Right now, Doran Martell in the south and House Tyrell in the west have both declared their support for the king. We're caught between two enemies. The northern rebels who want to overthrow the king have been pinned down. Either we hold our position here to distract Dorne and the Reach, or we abandon Storm's End and march north. Our bannermen are debating the options."

Stannis interjected. "The Reach can mobilize an army several times our size, and we cannot underestimate the Dornish forces. A direct offensive would likely fail. Our best option is to play defense and wait for northern reinforcements. But King's Landing blocks their path, and if we abandon the Stormlands, Dorne and the Reach will ravage our lands. This is our home. Such devastation would shatter morale, and we could even face defections."

Wright turned to Robert.

"Brother, have you ever truly considered what this rebellion is about?"

Robert answered without hesitation. "What else? To overthrow that mad king, kill Rhaegar, and rescue my betrothed!"

Stannis added, "And then? After the king and the prince are dead, who will sit the Iron Throne?"

Neither Robert nor the northern lords had thought much about the aftermath. Their focus had been solely on defeating the king. For a moment, Robert was silent, unable to provide an answer.

Stannis broke the silence. "By law, after the Mad King's death, Rhaegar would inherit the throne. But this rebellion aims to overthrow the Targaryens entirely. That leaves the next in line as Rhaegar's son, followed by Prince Viserys."

Wright spoke up. "Don't forget, brothers, our family has intermarried with the Targaryens many times. Our grandmother, Princess Rhaelle, was of House Targaryen. If something catastrophic happens, Robert has a legitimate claim to the throne. Do you really want to put the Mad King's descendants on the throne and wait for them to grow up, only to seek revenge on us?"

"That's true," Stannis agreed. "In that case, Robert is the most suitable candidate for the Iron Throne." His excitement grew at the prospect of his elder brother ruling the Seven Kingdoms.

Stannis continued, "The Mad King is incompetent and increasingly tyrannical. Many lords across the realm are already on the brink of revolt. If Robert rallies the banners under the banner of ending the Mad King's tyranny, it will unite the lords and give the rebellion a clear purpose. With a blood claim to the throne and the strength to lead, Robert ascending as king can galvanize the rebel cause. You are the one, brother."

Robert's face flushed red as he listened. Though he remained outwardly calm, his inner turmoil was palpable.

"Since this rebellion is in my name, I can't stay here to fend off Dorne and the Reach while leaving the northern forces to attack King's Landing alone. I must head north as soon as possible to join the rebel army and unite our forces for the assault on the capital."

Robert analyzed the situation while Renly nodded along, though it was unclear if he truly understood the discussion.

Stannis added, "First, we need to purge loyalists to the crown within our own lands and unite the Stormlands under one banner."

"I'll handle that myself. Some of our bannermen have been dragging their feet and ignoring my summons. They're clearly disloyal, but dealing with them won't be hard," Robert assured confidently.

Stannis continued, "Second, we must consider the Reach, which has the largest army. Brother, do you know which of their commanders can actually fight?"

"The lot of them? Good at counting coins, useless at fighting. Except for Randyll Tarly, the rest are cowards," Robert scoffed. "The Tyrells were just stewards for the Gardeners, who they betrayed to seize the title of High Lords. More than half the bannermen in the Reach don't respect them. Every war they fight is full of tricks—half-hearted effort and no real commitment."

"Lady Olenna Tyrell runs their house's affairs. Her son, Mace Tyrell, is just a wealthy fool," Stannis added.

After a moment's thought, Robert said, "Then here's the plan: I'll send Lady Olenna a letter, praising their loyalty to the crown while explaining that the rebellion is a matter of survival, not treason. I'll propose a staged battle at an agreed-upon location, where we'll feign defeat and retreat. This way, they can report to their bannermen that they've upheld their duties without risking unnecessary bloodshed."

Stannis nodded. "We can also suggest they focus on besieging Storm's End without pillaging the Stormlands' towns."

This plan, devised by Robert and Stannis, heavily favored their own side.

Wright interjected, "But will the Tyrells agree to this?"

Stannis replied, "Lady Olenna is no fool. This approach lets them demonstrate loyalty to the crown without significant losses. The letter will also carry a veiled threat: if it comes to real fighting, both the Reach and the Stormlands will be left in ruins. They'll fear retribution. The Tyrells don't hold absolute control over the Reach—most of their bannermen aren't keen on war. Some even want the Mad King dead. The people of the Reach have no strong ties to the crown and are only looking to profit from the chaos. That's why the letter must go to Lady Olenna, not Mace."

"Stannis, draft the letter in my name and arrange a meeting with their envoys. If the plan works, I'll lead the Stormlands' main forces north as soon as possible. If not, we'll come up with something else," Robert ordered.

He wasn't one for flowery language, so he delegated the task to his younger brother.

"Oh, and have the envoy tell them to bring plenty of supplies for the siege. Whether it lasts a day or a year, it's all the same to us. Ha!"

Wright cautioned, "Stannis, you'll need to hold Storm's End no matter what. If Robert is to be king, his future seat of power must remain unbroken. Losing it would devastate morale."

Stannis nodded resolutely. "I'll have a small garrison, but Storm's End is nearly impregnable. I'll stockpile food, medicine, and whatever else is needed to withstand a long siege."

Robert added, "Renly and Wright's magic must remain a secret for now. Only use it in critical moments, like saving gravely injured leaders. Once we've dealt with the north and west, that leaves the south—Dorne."

Stannis said, "I'm not too worried about Dorne. For decades, they've never fielded an army, always offering verbal support."

"Still, no one can guarantee they won't send troops this time. And with the rebellion aimed at overthrowing the king, their sister is the wife of Prince Rhaegar," Robert replied, taking a drink and rubbing his temples. He felt like today was the day he had used his brain the most in his entire life.

Stannis responded, "We should write a letter to Prince Doran Martell in my name, acknowledging their loyalty to the crown but explaining that it was Rhaegar who betrayed his marriage, and the Mad King who slaughtered the nobles. Once the rebels capture King's Landing, the goal will be to overthrow the crown and ensure the safety of his sister and her children. If they don't send troops, that's ideal. At the very least, we want them to join forces with the Reach at Storm's End."

"Isn't that guarantee enough?" Robert asked.

Wright, looking at the two of them, took over, "That's why I, as Robert's fourth brother, will personally go to Dorne as a hostage."

"They'll kill you first as a sacrifice!" Robert shouted angrily.

Stannis also agreed, "Robert needs to head north, while I'll defend Storm's End. The best scenario is Dorne does not intervene. The second best is Dorne agrees to our terms and only besieges Storm's End, which would put even more pressure on me. The worst case is if Dorne and the Reach ignore Storm's End and directly support the crown. In that case, the neutral Westerlands will inevitably side with the loyalists! With the largest army in the Riverlands, the richest Westerlands, Dorne's long-prepared forces, and the loyalists within the Northern armies, who can your rebellion possibly stand against?"

Wright countered, "Until the war's outcome is certain, Dorne will not harm me. And with my magic, I have a good measure of safety."

In the original story, Dorne did send 10,000 troops to support the crown, but the real fear was the unpredictability—if Robert were to lose, it could throw everything into chaos. Thus, the key was to create a significant gap in forces between the two sides.

Both Robert and Stannis weren't fools. With a few words from Wright, they quickly agreed on the plan.

Robert looked at the three of them for a while, then sighed, "My good brothers."

Thus, their strategy was set.

Robert would quickly clear out the loyalists in the Stormlands and, after a feigned defeat against the Reach, lead the main army north to join forces with the Northern armies.

Stannis would gather supplies and hold Storm's End until the Northern forces arrived.

Renly would assist in treating the severely wounded.

Wright would head to Dorne to stabilize the situation.

Robert pulled the hands of his brothers together, and they all grasped each other firmly. "Our family's words," he said.

The four brothers shouted in unison, "Ours is the fury!"

With that, the Baratheon brothers began their ascent to power.