chapter 132 part 2
Samwell's body trembled with fright. Not daring to resist Pell's authority, he almost thought his most feared father had suddenly appeared.
Samwell raised his head, glanced cautiously at Pell's stern face, and then quickly lowered it again.
Pell's fists tightened. He paused for a moment before saying, "When you are like this, think of Lord Glynn, who has put his trust in you."
Samwell trembled. He was terrified of seeing a disappointed look in Glynn's eyes. Right now, he just wanted to escape Crackclaw Point.
Pell snorted coldly, as if he had seen right through Samwell's thoughts.
"You should be familiar with Clegane military law. Do you remember the fate of deserters?"
Samwell almost pissed himself again. *How could Ser Pell know what I'm thinking?*
Samwell hastily denied it, "I... I... I won't run away."
Then, thinking quickly, he added, "Ser, I'm not a soldier..."
Pell's gaze turned icy. Samwell shut his mouth, not daring to say another word.
It was wartime, and Pell's duties were many. He had no more time to waste here.
"Soldier Samwell, here, what I say goes."
With that, he turned and said as he walked away, "Starting tomorrow, I will assign someone to train you personally."
There were always plenty of soldiers left in camp. Pell planned to pick one to specifically train this coward.
How could someone the lord valued piss himself in fear? He would give special orders for Samwell to sleep next to the corpses every night.
He refused to believe the boy couldn't be "cured"!
He would give Samwell a month. If there was still no effect, then he would... Pell tightened his grip on his sword hilt.
Pell stood outside the tent and took a deep breath. If it came to it, he would send Samwell to his old friend and trouble the commander of the garrison, Marwyn Beck.
...
...
Two days later, at the break of dawn.
The first rays of the morning sun pierced through a thick layer of clouds, shining down on King's Landing.
Outside the Gate of the Gods, Glynn, mounted on his horse, smelled the fresh, earthy scent in the air.
One hundred and twenty household troops, each dressed in a neat blue surcoat over silver plate armor and mounted on a strong warhorse, looked majestic and formidable.
The morning light shone on the rows of soldiers, their armor glinting with a cold metallic sheen.
Thinking back to the eastern campaign last year, Glynn recalled looking at the plate armor of House Brune and couldn't help but... never mind that.
Glynn slowed his horse, his gaze sweeping slowly across the soldiers arranged in a rectangular formation.
Glynn flicked his reins. The horse beneath him gave a soft whinny and began to walk slowly before the formation.
Every household soldier whose eyes met Glynn's would thump a fist against his chest, showing his loyalty to his lord.
*Thump, thump, thump, thump...* The sound of fists striking plate armor grew louder and more frequent.
A soldier with a battle-axe on his back suddenly shouted excitedly, "Long live the Lord!"
This cry ignited everyone's emotions. "Long live Clegane!" "Long live The Whispers!" The household troops roared one after another.
Glynn nodded slightly. He felt as though he could order them to attack King's Landing right then and there. *Ahem*.
He glanced at the distant Gate of the Gods, wondering if the commotion had alerted the Gold Cloaks guarding it.
Glynn raised his right hand, gesturing for quiet. The soldiers' shouts gradually died down, and a silent, stern discipline soon returned. They were well-trained, battle-hardened veterans.
"Move out!"
...
The commotion from a hundred horsemen was a bit much, unintentionally startling many farmers at their work, so Glynn split the soldiers into several groups to proceed separately.
As he neared the Kingsroad, Glynn spotted a figure in the distance and frowned.
*Margaery?* Glynn's thoughts churned.
Glynn made a hand signal, and the soldiers following him slowed their horses.
The Little Rose was waiting there so early in the morning. Glynn felt it would be rude to pretend he hadn't seen her, so he rode out alone in her direction.
Behind Margaery were two handmaidens; all three were mounted. She seemed to have just noticed Glynn and was looking his way.
"Good day, Lady Margaery."
The sunlight was soft on Margaery's milky-white skin, which had a faint rosy glow.
Margaery's tone was full of pleasant surprise. "Good day, Lord Glynn. I didn't expect to meet you here."
Glynn didn't want to guess whether Margaery was genuinely happy or just pretending, but he knew that if she asked to ride with him, it was because King Robert and Lord Eddard were also on the road.
Glynn scanned the area but saw no one else. His tone was concerned. "Lady Margaery, your guards?"
Margaery shook her head. "I woke up rather early today and had a great desire to ride, so I just came out with my handmaidens. As a result..."
She paused, then continued a bit sheepishly, "I rode further than I realized. It's fortunate I ran into you."
Glynn smiled. "That is the joy of riding. However..."
His tone became more serious. "Forgive my presumption, but next time you come out, please do not forget to bring guards. It is hard to feel at ease outside the city walls."
Margaery's smile was like a blossoming flower. "Lord Glynn, thank you for your concern. I will remember that."
Her auburn hair seemed to radiate warmth and vitality.
Glynn smiled faintly. He wondered if Lord Renly had a hand in this. There weren't many people who could know King Robert's movements so precisely.
Varys, at least, wouldn't dare to provide such information casually. If it were exposed, King Robert would surely smash his spymaster to bits with his warhammer in a heartbeat.
So... either the Golden Rose had its own intelligence channels, or Lord Renly had leaked the news.
Margaery's lovely eyes glanced at the many Clegane blue-cloaked soldiers not far away. She gave a crisp laugh and said, "Lord Glynn, are you also out for a ride to clear your head?"
Glynn shrugged and said frankly, "The Lord of Winterfell has shown great kindness to House Clegane. He is expected to arrive at King's Landing soon, so it is only right that I ride out of the city to welcome him and show my respect."
Margaery nodded lightly. Back in Highgarden, Glynn had told her of the kindness Lord Stark had shown to House Clegane.
Glynn lowered his voice slightly, as if sharing a great secret. "To be honest, the last Hand of the King left me with a bit of a shadow. I wanted to get a head start on currying favor with our new Hand."
Was that too frank? Whatever she thought inwardly, on the surface Marga-ery simply looked amused by Glynn. Her beautiful eyes curved into a pair of crescent moons, making her look incredibly charming.
The ever-perceptive Glynn took the initiative to invite her. "I don't think they're too far off... Lady Margaery, if you are willing, you could ride along with us. I would be honored to serve as your guard."
Margaery's doe-like eyes blinked. She hesitated for a moment, then gave a slight smile. "Lord Glynn, it is an invitation too kind to refuse."
Renly had gotten information from somewhere that Margaery greatly resembled Lyanna Stark, the woman Robert had loved with all his heart. It was precisely for this reason that Renly had been plotting to have Margaery replace Cersei as queen, weakening the Lannisters' power while forging an alliance between the Stormlands and the Reach, with himself at its head.
Regardless of Renly's political machinations, Glynn had long known that Margaery and Lyanna did not, in fact, look alike. The honorable Lord Eddard would soon tell them the truth.
The ever-growing Golden Rose would naturally not sit idly by and wait. They wouldn't be so naive as to pin all their hopes on Glynn alone. He was not at all surprised by this.
Glynn would have been more pleased if this were the Golden Rose's own scheme, rather than Renly's meddling.
The conflict between the Golden Lion and the Golden Rose would be that much easier to instigate.
Glynn smiled and said, "The honor is all mine, Lady Margaery. Shall we set off?"
(end of chapter)