Chapter Ten
Nyra sat in the middle of the camp, trying not to look famished. The rabbit that was being cooked smelled amazing. She tried to keep her mind focused on the wine she held and not the meat. Stannis's men watched her with a strange sense of loathing and fascination. Some of the men looked like they wanted to rape and kill her while the others probably thought she was the most beautiful thing ever.
"It is not poison," a voice said above her.
Nyra looked up to find Davos Seaworth standing before her again. She glanced at him for a moment and then back down at her glass. She had almost forgotten that she was holding it. She took a small sip, feeling the wine burn all the way down her throat.
"I hope my horse isn't giving you too many problems," Nyra said casually.
Davos smiled. "I think his need for food outweighs his stubbornness."
Nyra nodded and tried not to laugh. She knew Soren would be problem if the men pushed him. So far everyone had been kind to them. Nyra was worried though. They didn't seemed to be worried about the Boltons coming after them. However, she was. She started to voice her concern with Davos when one of the squires brought her a plate of food.
Nyra took the plate and gave him a nod of thanks. She looked up at the boy for a moment and turned to Davos. There was no way the child was not kin to him somehow. He had the same features and the same eyes.
"Is that your son?" she asked.
Davos nodded and sat down next to her. He moved stiffly as he tried to get comfortable. Nyra didn't blame him. The ground was hard on her body, and she was younger than him. His attention turned from Nyra to the young squire. He was serving the other knights.
"Yes he is," Davos said with a tone a pride.
Nyra looked between the two of them. "He is handsome."
"Takes after his mother."
Nyra took a bite of the meat. The grease almost burned her fingers. She didn't care. She was so hungry that she didn't even notice the heat. She started to eat more greedily and stopped herself. She wanted to at least pretend she was still a highborn lady. Davos must have noticed because his smile widened.
"You can eat how you please," he said as if reading he mind. "No one will think less of you."
"Do any of these men know who I am?" Nyra asked with a edge of worry in her tone.
Davos only shrugged. "Some do and some don't."
"Did you know who I was before Stannis told you?"
Davos stared at Nyra for a long moment. Nyra barely noticed as she went back to her food. She licked her fingers as she finished the meat. The juices tasted so sweet on her lips that she wanted to savor every bit of it. She looked back over at him as she finished licking her thumb.
"I heard stories about you," Davos finally admitted.
Nyra turned her attention back to Davos. He was staring at her in a sort of fatherly way. Nyra felt herself blush a little. She started to take another bit of her food until she noticed that he did not look away.
"What sort of stories?" she asked.
Davos grinned with a shrug. "There were many about your bravery, your heart, and your wildness."
Nyra almost spit out her wine. "Wildness?"
"Yes. The wildness that all the women of the Knot have."
Nyra suddenly began to laugh. That was one story she had heard. Her father told her of it numerous times. He told her that her mother had it too. He said all women of the Knot were like the horses that roamed the valley. Nyra always found that to be a compliment.
"I would call it a wildness, Ser Davos," Nyra said with a chuckle. "We just want to be free."
"Yet you chose to become Queen of the North?"
Nyra shook her head. "Every herd has a lead mare."
Davos gave her a smile and suddenly stood. Nyra couldn't help but feel that something had changed. She watched as he walked toward some of the men. The look on his face showed that he was hiding something. She watched the men as he spoke to them. Nyra felt a chill go down her back. She knew she couldn't get lucky enough to escape twice. She glanced over at Soren, who seemed very content to be eating something other than grass.
Nyra started to stand when she heard the sound horses. Nyra looked up to see banners flying as more men rode into camp. She felt her heart skip a beat when she saw the man leading them. He was tall and broad, with skin that looked like dried leather. His eyes were bright blue. Nyra wanted to disappear. She didn't want to stand before Stannis Baratheon again. Behind him rode the red woman. She was looking around the camp. Her eyes instantly fell on Nyra.
Nyra almost looked away, but stopped. She would not give that woman the satisfaction of thinking that she was afraid of her. She stood there as Stannis swung down off his horse. She hoped that maybe he would just walk off and never notice that she was there. However, that was the case. He strode toward her with an air that would bring most men to their knees. Nyra didn't even budge. All she did was stare at him.
"Your grace," she tried to hide the mocking in her tone.
Stannis looked down at her with those cold, unyielding eyes. Nyra only stared at him. Her hands itched for Challenger. As she stood there, Melisandre suddenly materialized next to Stannis. Her long, red gown hung tightly to her thighs and breasts. The ruby on her neck seemed to pulse as she breathed.
"I'm glad my Hand was able to find you," Stannis with no warmth to match his words.
Nyra didn't want to stand on ceremony, so she cut right to the chase. "What do you want, your grace?"
Melisandre walked closer to her. Nyra very quickly stepped away from her. Nyra didn't want the woman to touch her. Melisandre didn't even seem to notice the sidestep. Nyra stared at them for a long moment.
"I won't ask again," Nyra warned.
Stannis stared at her for a moment. "Let's talk in my tent."
Nyra growled under breath and followed them. Stannis's tent was the biggest in the field. It was nestled in the middle of the camp. From the outside, it looked as normal as all the others with simple fabric that lacked color. However, the inside was very different. The tent still lacked color, but it was full of things. A desk sat in the middle of the room. A table sat to one side with maps spread out across the top.
The maps reminded her of the way that Robb's command tent used to be. She longed to look at the maps. Some part of her wondered what Stannis had in mind. She glanced as Stannis as he took a seat behind the desk. One of the pages instantly showed with a tray of food and drink. Stannis waved it away, as did the red woman. Nyra thought of taking more food but only shook her head.
"You are not hungry, Lady Nyra?" Melisandre asked.
"I just want to know why I am here," Nyra snapped.
"Do you want your lands back?" Stannis was not even trying to be diplomatic.
Nyra almost let the words come out of her mouth before she thought. She did want her lands back, but she wanted Robb back more. Her heart sank as she thought of what he might be going through. She turned to Stannis. She stared into his eyes for a long time.
"You have an army that can take back my lands?" she tried not to snicker.
Stannis nodded. "And I will help you get them back. With one condition."
Nyra felt sick at her stomach when he said that. Conditions always meant someone giving up something that they did not want to. She was tired of being the one taking the conditions. She stared at the man for a long moment. With Stannis there would be no compromise only a condition.
"What do you want?" Nyra asked with a low growl.
The red woman gave her a cold stare. Nyra glared at her. She wanted her to say something to her. No matter what Stannis said, Nyra would have nothing to do with woman. She waited for what Stannis had to say. She knew that she would not like this idea anyway.
"I want you, Nyra," Stannis finally admitted.
Nyra felt something hit her in the face. Stannis had a hand, other advisors, and an army. What could he want from her? She turned to him. The look on his face showed her all she needed to know.
"What could you possibly want from me?" Nyra asked, slightly confused. "You have everything you need."
Stannis looked up at her. She thought for a moment that he smiled. It was hard to tell with a face like his. Something in the idea of him smiling sent a shiver down her back. She tried not to show it.
"His grace needs an heir," the red woman said with smoke in her voice.
Melisandre walked over to stand behind Stannis. Nyra thought of saying something to them. If he needed an heir, he could get a bastard off her whenever he felt like it. She seemed willing enough to crawl into his bed. But that was just it. A bastard was no heir.
"I don't understand, your grace, you have a wife," Nyra said, trying not to show fear.
"She is old and sickly," the witch said it before Stannis could. "He needs a new wife. One like you."
Nyra suddenly felt head spin. Her knees even felt weak for a long moment. She forced herself to stay on her feet. She stared at the two people before and tried to keep her breathing even.
"I am already married," Nyra finally breathed out.
"That marriage was never recognized by the one God," the red woman said.
"Your Red God is not my God!" Nyra growled. "I am married to Robb Stark, and I am Queen of the North."
Stannis slowly looked up. Nyra stared at him for a long moment. Her heart was in throat as she stared at the man. Nyra now understood everything that he wanted. He wanted to marry her, get her lands, and take the North all in one ceremony. She started to shake her head as her hand reached for the sword she didn't have.
"I think you understand what I am getting at, Lady Nyra," Stannis said.
"You can't take the North as long as Robb is still king."
"Robb Stark is a pretender and a thief!" Stannis suddenly shouted. "But most importantly he is a prisoner of Ramsay Bolton."
"That doesn't mean you can just steal his wife and lands."
"It won't be stealing if you agree."
"Why would I agree to this?"
"Because if you don't," Stannis stood and walked over to her. He towered over her with a long shadow that almost made it feel like he surrounded her. "I will call off my strike on your castle, and Robb Stark will die."