Randyll Tarly - A Targaryen Loyalist?

[Aldarion]

Did anyone find Tarly's behaviour in the Epilogue suspect? 

Quote

The more I give him, the more he wants. Kevan Lannister was beginning to understand why
Cersei had grown so resentful of the Tyrells. But this was not the moment to provoke an open quarrel.
Randyll Tarly and Mace Tyrell had both brought armies to King’s Landing, whilst the best part of the
strength of House Lannister remained in the riverlands, fast melting away. “The Mountain’s men were
always fighters,” he said in a conciliatory tone, “and we may have need of every sword against these
sellswords. If this truly is the Golden Company, as Qyburn’s whisperers insist—”
“Call them what you will,” said Randyll Tarly. “They are still no more than adventurers.”
“Perhaps,” Ser Kevan said. “But the longer we ignore these adventurers, the stronger they grow.
We have had a map prepared, a map of the incursions. Grand Maester?”
The map was beautiful, painted by a master’s hand on a sheet of the finest vellum, so large it
covered the table. “Here.” Pycelle pointed with a spotted hand. Where the sleeve of his robe rode up, a
flap of pale flesh could be seen dangling beneath his forearm. “Here and here. All along the coast, and
on the islands. Tarth, the Stepstones, even Estermont. And now we have reports that Connington is
moving on Storm’s End.”
“If it is Jon Connington,” said Randyll Tarly. “Storm’s End.” Lord Mace Tyrell grunted the words.
“He cannot take Storm’s End. Not if he were Aegon the Conqueror. And if he does, what of it? Stannis
holds it now. Let the castle pass from one pretender to another, why should that trouble us? I shall
recapture it after my daughter’s innocence is proved.”
How can you recapture it when you have never captured it to begin with? “I understand, my
lord, but—”
Tyrell did not let him finish. “These charges against my daughter are filthy lies. I ask again, why
must we play out this mummer’s farce? Have King Tommen declare my daughter innocent, ser, and put
an end to the foolishness here and now.”
Do that, and the whispers will follow Margaery the rest of her life. “No man doubts your
daughter’s innocence, my lord,” Ser Kevan lied, “but His High Holiness insists upon a trial.”
Lord Randyll snorted. “What have we become, when kings and high lords must dance to the
twittering of sparrows?”
“We have foes on every hand, Lord Tarly,” Ser Kevan reminded him. “Stannis in the north,
ironmen in the west, sellswords in the south. Defy the High Septon, and we will have blood running in
the gutters of King’s Landing as well. If we are seen to be going against the gods, it will only drive the
pious into the arms of one or the other of these would-be usurpers.”
Mace Tyrell remained unmoved. “Once Paxter Redwyne sweeps the ironmen from the seas, my
sons will retake the Shields. The snows will do for Stannis, or Bolton will. As for Connington …”
“If it is him,” Lord Randyll said. “… as for Connington,” Tyrell repeated, “what victories has he
ever won that we should fear him? He could have ended Robert’s Rebellion at Stoney Sept. He failed.
Just as the Golden Company has always failed. Some may rush to join them, aye. The realm is well rid of
such fools.”
Ser Kevan wished that he could share his certainty. He had known Jon Connington, slightly—a
proud youth, the most headstrong of the gaggle of young lordlings who had gathered around Prince
Rhaegar Targaryen, competing for his royal favor. Arrogant, but able and energetic. That, and his skill at
arms, was why Mad King Aerys had named him Hand. Old Lord Merryweather’s inaction had allowed the
rebellion to take root and spread, and Aerys wanted someone young and vigorous to match Robert’s
own youth and vigor. “Too soon,” Lord Tywin Lannister had declared when word of the king’s choice had
reached Casterly Rock. “Connington is too young, too bold, too eager for glory.”
The Battle of the Bells had proved the truth of that. Ser Kevan had expected that afterward
Aerys would have no choice but to summon Tywin once more … but the Mad King had turned to the
Lords Chelsted and Rossart instead, and paid for it with life and crown. That was all so long ago, though.
If this is indeed Jon Connington, he will be a different man. Older, harder, more seasoned … more
dangerous. “Connington may have more than the Golden Company. It is said he has a Targaryen
pretender.”
“A feigned boy is what he has,” said Randyll Tarly. “That may be. Or not.” Kevan Lannister had
been here, in this very hall when Tywin had laid the bodies of Prince Rhaegar’s children at the foot of
the Iron Throne, wrapped up in crimson cloaks. The girl had been recognizably the Princess Rhaenys, but
the boy … a faceless horror of bone and brain and gore, a few hanks of fair hair. None of us looked long.
Tywin said that it was Prince Aegon, and we took him at his word. “We have these tales coming from the
east as well. A second Targaryen, and one whose blood no man can question. Daenerys Stormborn.”
“As mad as her father,” declared Lord Mace Tyrell.
That would be the same father that Highgarden and House Tyrell supported to the bitter end and
well beyond. “Mad she may be,” Ser Kevan said, “but with so much smoke drifting west, surely there
must be some fire burning in the east.”
Grand Maester Pycelle bobbed his head. “Dragons. These same stories have reached Oldtown.
Too many to discount. A silver-haired queen with three dragons.”
“At the far end of the world,” said Mace Tyrell. “Queen of Slaver’s Bay, aye. She is welcome to
it.”
“On that we can agree,” Ser Kevan said, “but the girl is of the blood of Aegon the Conqueror,
and I do not think she will be content to remain in Meereen forever. If she should reach these shores
and join her strength to Lord Connington and this prince of his, feigned or no … we must destroy
Connington and his pretender now, before Daenerys Stormborn can come west.”
Mace Tyrell crossed his arms. “I mean to do just that, ser. After the trials.
strength of House Lannister remained in the riverlands, fast melting away. “The Mountain’s men were
always fighters,” he said in a conciliatory tone, “and we may have need of every sword against these
sellswords. If this truly is the Golden Company, as Qyburn’s whisperers insist—”
“Call them what you will,” said Randyll Tarly. “They are still no more than adventurers.”
“Perhaps,” Ser Kevan said. “But the longer we ignore these adventurers, the stronger they grow.
We have had a map prepared, a map of the incursions. Grand Maester?”
The map was beautiful, painted by a master’s hand on a sheet of the finest vellum, so large it
covered the table. “Here.” Pycelle pointed with a spotted hand. Where the sleeve of his robe rode up, a
flap of pale flesh could be seen dangling beneath his forearm. “Here and here. All along the coast, and
on the islands. Tarth, the Stepstones, even Estermont. And now we have reports that Connington is
moving on Storm’s End.”
“If it is Jon Connington,” said Randyll Tarly. “Storm’s End.” Lord Mace Tyrell grunted the words.
“He cannot take Storm’s End. Not if he were Aegon the Conqueror. And if he does, what of it? Stannis
holds it now. Let the castle pass from one pretender to another, why should that trouble us? I shall
recapture it after my daughter’s innocence is proved.”
How can you recapture it when you have never captured it to begin with? “I understand, my
lord, but—”
Tyrell did not let him finish. “These charges against my daughter are filthy lies. I ask again, why
must we play out this mummer’s farce? Have King Tommen declare my daughter innocent, ser, and put
an end to the foolishness here and now.”
Do that, and the whispers will follow Margaery the rest of her life. “No man doubts your
daughter’s innocence, my lord,” Ser Kevan lied, “but His High Holiness insists upon a trial.”
Lord Randyll snorted. “What have we become, when kings and high lords must dance to the
twittering of sparrows?”
“We have foes on every hand, Lord Tarly,” Ser Kevan reminded him. “Stannis in the north,
ironmen in the west, sellswords in the south. Defy the High Septon, and we will have blood running in
the gutters of King’s Landing as well. If we are seen to be going against the gods, it will only drive the
pious into the arms of one or the other of these would-be usurpers.”
Mace Tyrell remained unmoved. “Once Paxter Redwyne sweeps the ironmen from the seas, my
sons will retake the Shields. The snows will do for Stannis, or Bolton will. As for Connington …”
“If it is him,” Lord Randyll said. “… as for Connington,” Tyrell repeated, “what victories has he
ever won that we should fear him? He could have ended Robert’s Rebellion at Stoney Sept. He failed.
Just as the Golden Company has always failed. Some may rush to join them, aye. The realm is well rid of
such fools.”
Ser Kevan wished that he could share his certainty. He had known Jon Connington, slightly—a
proud youth, the most headstrong of the gaggle of young lordlings who had gathered around Prince
Rhaegar Targaryen, competing for his royal favor. Arrogant, but able and energetic. That, and his skill at
arms, was why Mad King Aerys had named him Hand. Old Lord Merryweather’s inaction had allowed the
rebellion to take root and spread, and Aerys wanted someone young and vigorous to match Robert’s
own youth and vigor. “Too soon,” Lord Tywin Lannister had declared when word of the king’s choice had
reached Casterly Rock. “Connington is too young, too bold, too eager for glory.”
The Battle of the Bells had proved the truth of that. Ser Kevan had expected that afterward
Aerys would have no choice but to summon Tywin once more … but the Mad King had turned to the
Lords Chelsted and Rossart instead, and paid for it with life and crown. That was all so long ago, though.
If this is indeed Jon Connington, he will be a different man. Older, harder, more seasoned … more
dangerous. “Connington may have more than the Golden Company. It is said he has a Targaryen
pretender.”
“A feigned boy is what he has,” said Randyll Tarly. “That may be. Or not.” Kevan Lannister had
been here, in this very hall when Tywin had laid the bodies of Prince Rhaegar’s children at the foot of
the Iron Throne, wrapped up in crimson cloaks. The girl had been recognizably the Princess Rhaenys, but
the boy … a faceless horror of bone and brain and gore, a few hanks of fair hair. None of us looked long.
Tywin said that it was Prince Aegon, and we took him at his word. “We have these tales coming from the
east as well. A second Targaryen, and one whose blood no man can question. Daenerys Stormborn.”
“As mad as her father,” declared Lord Mace Tyrell.
That would be the same father that Highgarden and House Tyrell supported to the bitter end and
well beyond. “Mad she may be,” Ser Kevan said, “but with so much smoke drifting west, surely there
must be some fire burning in the east.”
Grand Maester Pycelle bobbed his head. “Dragons. These same stories have reached Oldtown.
Too many to discount. A silver-haired queen with three dragons.”
“At the far end of the world,” said Mace Tyrell. “Queen of Slaver’s Bay, aye. She is welcome to
it.”
“On that we can agree,” Ser Kevan said, “but the girl is of the blood of Aegon the Conqueror,
and I do not think she will be content to remain in Meereen forever. If she should reach these shores
and join her strength to Lord Connington and this prince of his, feigned or no … we must destroy
Connington and his pretender now, before Daenerys Stormborn can come west.”
Mace Tyrell crossed his arms. “I mean to do just that, ser. After the trials.

It seems to me that he is doing basically everything he can to a) downplay the threat that Aegon and his company pose, and b) delay reaction of King's Landing. He starts by calling Golden Company "adventurers", where we know that they are a capable combined-arms outfit. He is questioning whether it truly is Jon Connington who is with them, and dismisses Aegon as a feigned boy. And wittingly or not, Mace Tyrell is doing the same.

[asongofheresy]

Might be, but all of the Reach are Targaryen supporters anyways, you're not the first one to suggest Randyll is friend in the Reach forgetting House Rowan, Hightower, Redwyne, Tyrell will all flock to Aegon, especially if the boy really cares about the realm and clashes with Euron's Ironborn. 

[Aldarion]

On 6/2/2019 at 9:43 PM, Jova Snow said:

Might be, but all of the Reach are Targaryen supporters anyways, you're not the first one to suggest Randyll is friend in the Reach forgetting House Rowan, Hightower, Redwyne, Tyrell will all flock to Aegon, especially if the boy really cares about the realm and clashes with Euron's Ironborn. 

Thing is, it is not "friend in Reach", it is "friends in Reach". So as you point out, there is more than one. But Randyll I think is particularly important because he is a) a very experienced and very capable battlefield commander (which means that he could even take JonCon's place should latter die soon), b) has been / is on important position in Lannister military and government and c) has actually proven itself in Robert's Rebellion on Targaryen side.

EDIT: Brynden Blackfish also wrote something about the topic:
https://warsandpoliticsoficeandfire.wordpress.com/2016/03/16/blood-of-the-conqueror-part-6-friends-in-the-reach/

[BlackLightning]

On 6/2/2019 at 3:43 PM, Jova Snow said:

Might be, but all of the Reach are Targaryen supporters anyways, you're not the first one to suggest Randyll is friend in the Reach forgetting House Rowan, Hightower, Redwyne, Tyrell will all flock to Aegon, especially if the boy really cares about the realm and clashes with Euron's Ironborn. 

I don't think the Tyrells will be flocking to Aegon. I think they will be flocking to Daenerys. Why? Because Daenerys is female and Willas and Loras are both unmarried young men. Also, the Tyrells might hate Aegon for what's about to happen to Mace and Margaery.

Everyone else in the Reach? Yeah, if they survive the scourge of the Ironborn, they'll be throwing in with Aegon.

[Melifeather]

On 6/2/2019 at 2:20 PM, Aldarion said:

It seems to me that he is doing basically everything he can to a) downplay the threat that Aegon and his company pose, and b) delay reaction of King's Landing. He starts by calling Golden Company "adventurers", where we know that they are a capable combined-arms outfit. He is questioning whether it truly is Jon Connington who is with them, and dismisses Aegon as a feigned boy. And wittingly or not, Mace Tyrell is doing the same.

There are a couple tantalizing clues:

On 6/2/2019 at 2:20 PM, Aldarion said:

How can you recapture it when you have never captured it to begin with?

This could be explained two different ways. 

1) Mace Tyrell laid siege to Storms End during the Rebellion, so in his eyes he "captured it", therefore a second siege counts as a "recapture".

2) Mace is actually allied with Jon Connington, and he fully expects JonCon to succeed.

Downplaying both Young Griff's identity and the power of the Golden Company are intended to keep Kevan Lannister in the dark.

On 6/2/2019 at 2:20 PM, Aldarion said:

Randyll Tarly and Mace Tyrell had both brought armies to King’s Landing, whilst the best part of the
strength of House Lannister remained in the riverlands, fast melting away.

I think its telling that both the Tyrells and the Tarlys have brought armies to Kings Landing. It may be under the guise of defending Margaery, but what if they are already allied with Jon Connington?

[Aldarion]

On 9/12/2019 at 3:35 PM, Feather Crystal said:

I think its telling that both the Tyrells and the Tarlys have brought armies to Kings Landing. It may be under the guise of defending Margaery, but what if they are already allied with Jon Connington?

My thought as well. Chances are, they will open the gates for Aegon's men.

[Ser Arthur Hightower]

Mace is committed to keeping Tommen King and Margaery Queen. Of course he could attempt to wed her to Aegon, but I don't think he is gonna want to do that right off the bat, especially when Aegon's strength is theoretically so weak.

I do think Randyll is a likely candidate for a "friend in the Reach". The Tarly's are Marcher Lords, and they were apparently the most anti Dornish, and anti Daeron. So without any real confirmation we can say there is a decent chance they fought for Daemon in the first Blackfyre Rebellion, hence links with currently exiled former allies.

[broken one]

no he is just narrow minded and rejects all that does not fit his vision of how things should be. I have a problem with this character - great tactician / commander and utter knucklehead at the same time

[TheLastWolf]

On 3/23/2020 at 7:49 PM, broken one said:

no he is just narrow minded and rejects all that does not fit his vision of how things should be. I have a problem with this character - great tactician / commander and utter knucklehead at the same time

Yes, he's a complete chauvinist, we saw that with Brienne and he's so cruel towards his own son...and narraw minded of course. I believe that he's just underestimating JonCon and fAegon, and not in cahoots with them. 

[Jaenara Belarys]

On 6/2/2019 at 12:43 PM, Jova Snow said:

Might be, but all of the Reach are Targaryen supporters anyways, you're not the first one to suggest Randyll is friend in the Reach forgetting House Rowan, Hightower, Redwyne, Tyrell will all flock to Aegon, especially if the boy really cares about the realm and clashes with Euron's Ironborn. 

Euron would eat Aegon alive, pick his teeth with Aegon's bones and ask for seconds. Aegon is no match for Euron.

On 8/4/2019 at 4:33 PM, BlackLightning said:

I don't think the Tyrells will be flocking to Aegon. I think they will be flocking to Daenerys. Why? Because Daenerys is female and Willas and Loras are both unmarried young men. Also, the Tyrells might hate Aegon for what's about to happen to Mace and Margaery.

 

Loras isn't permitted to marry, he's a Kingsguard. And I respectfully disagree with your assessment that they will flock to Dany because she's female. House Tyrell has plenty of eligible ladies for Aegon to marry. 

 

[BlackLightning]

On 3/26/2021 at 3:05 PM, Jaenara Belarys said:

Loras isn't permitted to marry, he's a Kingsguard. And I respectfully disagree with your assessment that they will flock to Dany because she's female. House Tyrell has plenty of eligible ladies for Aegon to marry. 

That is, of course, assuming that neither Arianne nor the rambunctious Elia Sand get in the way.

Secondly, House Tyrell has sullied their reputation. Margaery has been married three different times to three different Baratheons and now she is believed to be a Run-Around Sue who uses milk tea to abort unwanted children.

Thirdly, the Tyrells simply bet on the wrong horse and were caught not having the money to pay up on he bet. Not only are the Lannisters and Baratheons are natural enemies of Aegon's but Baratheons that the Tyrells married aren't even real Baratheons...they are Lannister bastards.

Fourthly, the book version of Mace Tyrell is not a clown but he is still foolish enough to throw all his strength at Aegon without stopping to considering his potential or merit. It doesn't matter if they win or lose; Aegon -- who is both proud and temperamental -- is not going to take kindly to that. It's going to put a bad taste in his mouth and the mouth of Jon Connington.

On 3/26/2021 at 3:05 PM, Jaenara Belarys said:

Loras isn't permitted to marry, he's a Kingsguard.

Unfortunately, the precedent of dismissing Kingsguard knights based on political conflicts of interest, injury or age has been established.

Even so, Willas is still single and ready to mingle.

Garlan can always get the promise of being raised to the lordship of Highgarden.

[Lord Varys]

The chances that Willas Tyrell's great hour in this game will come when he offers himself in marriage to Daenerys Targaryen isn't all that unlikely.

Chances are not that bad that the bulk of the Reach, the Tyrells included, will eventually throw in their lot with Aegon ... but the Tyrells are likely to come late to that particular party in light of the fact that Mace and Randyll are now, finally, running the show at court and stand to profit more from crushing Aegon than to side with him. They will fight.

And Aegon's principal Westerosi backers will the Martells, so the Tyrells are going to keep their distance simply because of that fact.

But by the time Daenerys shows up Aegon is rather likely to look more like the mummer's dragon he actually is, so Lord Willas Tyrell - if we assume Mace is not going to live all that long at this point - could be one of the first major lords supporting Aegon to defect to the other side.

[Jaenara Belarys]

On 4/1/2021 at 10:40 AM, BlackLightning said:

Secondly, House Tyrell has sullied their reputation. Margaery has been married three different times to three different Baratheons and now she is believed to be a Run-Around Sue who uses milk tea to abort unwanted children.

 

OK, so then find some ladies from Houses Hightower, Mullendore, Bandallon, Fossoway, Meadows, Oakheart, etc.

 

On 4/1/2021 at 10:40 AM, BlackLightning said:

Even so, Willas is still single and ready to mingle.

 

True.