Chapter 36: Brightly Burning
First his brother had slighted him by giving him Dragonstone and entrusting Storm's End to Renly and their uncle Harbert. Then Robert had deflowered Delena Florent on his marriage bed, producing a bastard, and had left him with that harridan Selyse Florent. Then his brother had the temerity to accuse him of treason for not replying to letters that he had never received. Needless to say Stannis had never liked Robert. Loved him? Yes, but that was something that he would never be able to control. Family was family, you loved them whether you wanted to or not. And now Robert's boy had demanded that he return to answer for some edict that Robert had issued before he had died.
Stannis held the letter up. "My nephew asked me to hold the Stepstones with half the Royal Fleet and I have done that. I have defeated the pirate fleet and the pirate King and the fleets of Myr and Lys. I have done it without complaint. And now he asks me to come to King's Landing to answer for something that I have no idea of. I tell you this is a plot against me." He paused then, seeing some of the lords with him shifting uneasily. "Cersei Lannister and her family have never liked me. She was the one who told Robert to give me Dragonstone, that dry and deserted hell hole, and not that which was rightfully mine. She is no doubt controlling what her son says. She and Stark."
Lord Velaryon spoke then, the man was proud, and had worked hard to redeem his family after what his father had done during Aerys reign. "Why would Lord Stark want you removed though my lord? He seems as though he would want you on the council as a member of the King's family."
Stannis snorted. "Stark has no love for me, nor me him. Note how he did nothing to convince the King of my innocence whilst the King was alive. No Stark is just as much a danger as Cersei Lannister and her entire family, more so."
Lord Florent spoke then. "How so, my lord? What does Stark have that Cersei Lannister does not have?"
Florent was an old man, but not a stupid one, Stannis knew he was simply trying to get Stannis to say what he already knew. "He is Robert's oldest friend and foster brother. He could well set the kingdom backwards, or toward a more northern outlook that would harm the Kingdom far more. Furthermore, for all the words of his so called protest he has not yet broken the betrothal between his daughter and Joffrey, suggesting he is no different to the system already there. He will not reform Westeros."
Lord Chester spoke then. "And why should this concern us? They have banished us to the edges of civilised world. Why should we care about Stark or Lannister, when they have never cared about us?"
Stannis remembered the words the red woman had whispered to him as he had taken her the night before he had left Dragonstone. He remembered the words his own wife had said to him after she had finished sucking his cock. And he said. "Because they are ruling for a false King."
Lord Chester snorted. "What do you mean?"
"You know your history I assume, my lord?" Stannis asked, knowing that this would bait Chester, the man was a learned one.
"Of course I do. I know all about the bastards that were passed off as Velaryons, and I know all about other such things that Kings of old have done." Chester replied.
"Who was the King who entered into a marriage alliance with a house, when he was already plight trothed?" Stannis asked.
Chester hesitated then, Stannis looked around the room and knew the others were beginning to put the pieces into place. "King Robert Arryn, the first one. He entered into an alliance with House Justman, but was already married to a lady from the tribes. He had married her to fuck her and because he was in love with her. It started a war after his death."
"What does this have to do with anything?" Velaryon demanded.
"Are you suggesting that King Robert was in no place to marry Queen Cersei?" Lord Grimm asked, the man was sharp and ambitious.
"Yes." Stannis answered simply.
Lord Chester looked at him and asked. "You have some proof of this, my lord?"
"Are you calling me a liar?" Stannis asked softly.
"No, my lord, but I do think it is somewhat convenient. You did not raise this point when the King married Queen Cersei, and now that he is dead, and his son has come to ask you to answer something, you bring this up." Lord Chester replied simply.
"I did not know about it then, I only found out about it through Lord Arryn." Stannis said. He procured a paper he had found long ago it seemed, and placed it down on the table. "Have a read of it." he commanded.
The lords gathered read it, and even Davos read it. Lord Velaryon who had often attended court spoke then. "That is most interesting and most definitely Lord Arryn's hand then." There was a pause, Velaryon got up and drew his sword, placing it at Stannis's feet. "I pledge my allegiance to you, my King."
Chester and Grimm did the same, as did Florent, and the three other lords gathered at this meeting, Stannis took this in and smiled, then looked to the Maester. "Send my response back to King's Landing, tell my nephew I reject his demand and expect him to vacate the throne, that he holds now. The bastard shall be removed. By order of King Stannis."