Davos

Davos began his morning with two eggs, some toast, and a strip of bacon. He purchased a few pies on the Street of Flour and took them to Flea Bottom to give out to some children. He remembered his own childhood, and the few times strangers had been kind enough to give him food he could only imagine stealing. Who knows, after this whole Kingsmoot was over and Davos could return to the seas, he might just take on a few as cabin boys to learn aboar the Black Bertha. It'd be a better life than learning to be a pickpocket in King's Landing.

Before lunch, Davos journeyed back to the Red Keep. He showed his sigil and documentation to Catelyn Stark's bureaucracy and was let into the Throne Room. Aside from the Valelords, Ironlords, and Westerlords, Davos seemed to be the last one to arrive in the room. Davos sat next to Ser Aemon Estermont, the only other Stormlord to support King Stannis. They nodded at each other and shared small talk about the weather. It was getting colder.

Finally, the maester asked for silence and asked the Lords of Westeros if there was any other name to consider. Davos was shocked when Oberyn Martell stood up in polished armor bearing the sun and spear of his House. He carried a spear with a golden head and a halfhelm as bright as gold.

"Do you have a name to offer Prince Oberyn?"

"I do." The Red Viper began stepping forward towards the Iron Throne near the three Kings:

My Lords of Westeros, long has the Realm been united ever since Daeron the Young Dragon tried to defeat us in combat. He failed. Daeron the Good came and promised his wife, Myriah Martell, that Dornish law will always rule in Dorne. Daeron II was Robert Baratheon's great-great-great grandfather. So by lineage, Joffrey Baratheon was the rightful King of Dorne. But Joffrey is dead, slain as much by his foolish mouth as the Young Wolf's steel. Where was Joffrey's heir when he was slain? In Dorne. And by rights, the Throne belongs to Myrcella Baratheon. Queen Myrcella, please come take your rightful place beside these Kings apparent.

The entire room was silent. From the front of the Dornish table, a short girl with blond, curly hair shyly stepped forward towards Oberyn's outstretched hand. He knelt and she slowly came forward and put her tiny hand in his. He ascended, pulled a chair from the back of the room, and sat Myrcella next to Robb Stark. Again, silence in the hall.

And then, like a crack of thunder, pandemonium erupted. First it was Stannis, "Absolutely not!" Stannis stepped forward and pointed an accusing finger at Oberyn Martell:

What did we fight for if not to rid ourselves of Illborn monarchs? Did we go to war and behead Joffrey the Illborn only to have Myrcella the Illborn? No woman shall sit the Iron Throne, and the Realm is not Dorne. It was Daeron's insistence to bring the Dornish to court that sparked the Blackfyre Rebellion… that and bastards of incest. Why would we plunge the war back into war as destructive as that?

Oberyn replied, "What proof do you have, Lord Stannis, that Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen were born of incestuous seed? Or baseborn at that?"

Stannis began to narrate the entire mystery behind the strange activity in King's Landing. Behind the Baratheon line. Behind Joffrey's odd appearance in comparison with history. Finally, he outlined Jon Arryn's murder and the beginning of the War of the Five Kings.

The Red Viper interrupted him, "So you refuse to believe, Lord Stannis, that children might look like their mother? That's thin evidence to spark a war. It sounds to me like the murder of Ned Stark was both the war's beginning, and Joffrey's death sentence. That does not delegitimize Myrcella. She is the monarch by rights, and I declare that we should have a vote."

Davos could not believe his ears. Myrcella Baratheon a Dornish pawn. King Stannis never expected that he would be fighting Cersei's brood after that war. The vote was then counted. The maester declared, "For Dorne. How does Sunspear vote?"

"For Myrcella, the Queen in Dorne!"

"Do any abstain?"

None. Blackmont, Wyl, and Manwoody all followed Sunspear to support Myrcella. But when the rest of the Lords were consulted, there wasn't a single change.

R. Baratheon: 70 (39%)

R. Stark: 39 (21%)

S. Baratheon: 31 (17%)

N. Voting: 25 (14%)

M. Baratheon: 17 (9%)

Davos felt relieved that at least Stannis was not only beating his (lawful) niece, but also N. Voting. What an embarrassment it was during the first vote when King Stannis was losing the election to a lack of voting.

Debate began. The Lords of the North began to debate the Lords of Dorne as the Reachlords began to argue with the Riverlords. Catelyn Stark shouted for silence once more as the maester began to declare that the Small Council is going to decide how to solve this predicament. At this rate, the Lords of Westeros would continue voting ad infinitum and the Iron Throne would remain empty forever.

As the maester, the Imp, and Catelyn Stark were deep in conversation when the doors to the Throne Room opened with a loud crash as they beat against the wall. In walked at least twenty Septons led by the barefoot High Septon in a brown cloth and carrying an ancient staff of weirwood. He marched right to the front of the room amidst complete silence as the Lords from the North to Dorne wanted to hear what the avatar of the Seven had to say.

Catelyn Stark stepped forward and curtsied, "Your Holiness. What can we do for you today."

The High Septon spoke with a voice unbecoming of the Gods, "We heard there was a meeting of Kings here beneath the Iron Throne."

"Indeed, Your Holiness, there is."

"Then it is the duty of the Faith to speak in favor of the Gods' chosen." That's when Davos Seaworth could not believe his ears, he was hearing the declaration, the words of his God, and they were telling him something he had never thought was possible:

Noble Lords and Ladies of Westeros! Did you intend to choose a King without consulting your Gods? The Realm is Seven Kingdoms. And the Gods are personified in each of them. But just as the Seven Kingdoms are all aspects of the One Realm, so the Seven Gods are all connected aspects of the One Godhead. So while the Lords of Winterfell, the Eyrie, Riverrun, Highgarden, Casterly Rock, Storm's End, Pyke, and Sunspear may all choose how to run their part of the Realm, how can we have a man sit the Iron Throne who does not follow the Holy Faith as piously as he can?

Robb Stark is a noble and honorable man. The Lord of Winterfell would lead us wisely, but he worships trees with blood-red leaves. He cannot be our King.

Myrcella Baratheon is a kind and beautiful child. Is she the baseborn product of incest? Only the Father can judge justly. But can a girl sit the Iron Throne? No. She cannot be our Queen.

Stannis Baratheon worships a demon. He has forsaken the gods of his forefathers and taken up with the fire god of Asshai. Can we have a demon of the east rule the Iron Throne, rule the Realm? No. The last King we had obsessed with fire nearly burnt the Realm to ashes. We should not have another one. He cannot be our King.

Renly Baratheon worships the Seven. Renly Baratheon has been to the Starry Sept in Oldtown, the Stoney Sept in the Riverlands, and all over the Realm united people from all walks of life into the unity of Crown and Sept. Look across the hill to the Great Sept of Baelor. Only the unity of these two hills can keep the Realm as one. Renly Baratheon is the chosen King of God.

May the Father judge him justly. May the Mother care for him. May the Warrior give him courage. May the Maiden bestow him purity. May the Smith make him hardy. May the Crone give him wisdom. And may the Stranger leave him be.

The maester then started to tally the vote. The vote was being tallied and Ser Davos suddenly found himself at a crossroads. He remembered the day the Red Woman dragged the wooden Gods to the beach. The Mother that burned stayed in Davos' dreams. She begged Davos for an answer. The Father would surely judge him harshly.

But Stannis… Stannis gave him everything. Stannis brought him up from a smuggler from Flea Bottom to a landed Knight. The Mother gave him sons, the Smith gave him a ship, but King Stannis gave him a life.

"For the Stormlands. How does Storm's End vote?"

Ser Cortnay held up Renly's declaration voting for himself.

"Do any abstain?"

Time ticked. The Knight of Greenstone was silent. Davos could not believe himself. His King was failing. Should he stand? Did he follow his Gods, or his King? Was he being forced to choose? Who would be more understanding: the Gods, or the King?

Not today, Davos thought. He stood and said, "Cape Wrath for Stannis Baratheon." May the Father judge me harshly.