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ATP
All seers' tragedy ever. :)
Two stubborn people
Dany is sitting in the tent that Stannis Baratheon put at her disposal. Guarding her, Dragon and Rhaegal lay outside, their bodies form a perfect circle around the tent. No one can come close to her. Despite that, Dany knows she will not shut her eyes this night.
Not until it is decided what becomes of this parley with Stannis Baratheon.
She has not met anyone like him. He would never obey her. He will never be charmed or intimidated by her.
If he accepted Dany as his queen he would not honor her the way others have.
He would call question her, forever. Even if he was able to trust Dany she would have to prove she was worthy of it all the time.
A man like that is dangerous. On the other hand, a man like that is valuable and perhaps exactly what she needs.
It is an infuriating thought.
By all means, it is good he is not a dragonrider.
"Are you sure about it, my lady?" Ser Davos Seaworth asks. Her cousin brought his advisors to the negotiation, but this common man is the only one who has dared to call her.
"I am. I would feel it if it was otherwise. Lord Stannis would as well." She does not take her eyes off Stannis Baratheon, not for a moment.
Maybe if he had been childless… Though, Dany cannot know Viserion choose Shireen just for her bloodline or for herself.
"You didn't allow my niece to accompany you, fearing she would choose her lord father above you." It seems Ser Davos' question increase courage in others, like Stannis' Lord Hand.
"Shireen could turn against me, but Viserion would be unable to."
"Dragons fought each other in the past," Stannis points out, finally speaking to her.
Dany smiles, proudly. "But unlike my ancestors, I'm more than just a rider of a dragon. I'm the mother of them."
It is hard to explain – or admit – but she does not want to fight her cousin, that victory would not bring her triumph. But she will do it if Stannis forces her to.
Sitting in his tent the words that Ser Davos said after the negotiation are on his mind.
'She's so much like you.' From a certain aspect, she is, he must admit that. At the same time, however, she is entirely different.
She is just like Rhaegar. Just like Robert was in his youth. She is the sort of person whom songs are written about. Who can set people's imagination aflame – he notes it even in his own men, even now, although, Daenerys Targaryen arrived just a few hours before.
But she arrived on a dragon's back.
Stannis cannot feel such a thing. There is no glory or beauty or gorgeousness that can stun him.
But he has eyes to see on others' faces, he has ears to hear in their voices.
And he knows very well that he cannot make them watch him like that or speak about him that way.
The useless sword of Heroes is laying in his lap. He made the smart choice of leaving Melisandre behind on Dragonstone. He did what he could and at least, he can say he did it all on his own.
Still, it was not enough.
He should force the realm man by man to yield to him lengthening this war for years.
But he has run out time already.
If he resists, if he fights he will die tomorrow and those who fight on his side will burn in dragonfire with him. It could be valiant, it could be defiant.
And it would be cowardly and selfish. Duty dictates him to serve the realm. Death would mean to give all the Seven Kingdoms, all the people to the hands of pretenders who are unworthy of them. Death would mean betrayal.
But Stannis Baratheon is not a traitor.
And he is not Azor Ahai either. He is Torrhen Stark.
Dany is surprised when through her dragons' senses she notices Stannis approaching. But when her cousin enters the tent, her expression is perfectly collected.
She does not stand up and he does not bend either just takes the other chair across from Dany.
"You won't be king, but Shireen can be my heir."
That offer, apparently does not enthuse him. "Until you bear your own child," he says.
Dany purses her lips. No way she will tell Stannis Baratheon that she can never have a child of her own.
He only stares at her but if he came to see her backing down he will be disappointed.
Stannis studies this girl, trying to see her as queen. His queen.
Maybe. One day. The path, however, that leads there is very, very long.
"You have dragons. You have an army. Why haven't you attacked?"
She is not a strategist but a conqueror. But Stannis wants her to admit and say it.
"I know a little about battle plans." She shifts in her chair with embarrassment.
Stannis nods. They have to clarify the balance of power.
"I can win this war."
"With my dragons and sellswords."
"With them, it will be easier. "Because no way he admits any weakness to her.
"Would you be willing to win it for me?"
"For us." But this is not a promise but a question and Daenerys understands it.
She is deep in thought for a while.
"If you are loyal to me, I will be loyal to you."
Stannis has poor experience with emotions but this one… this one he knows very well. She offers the greatest thing she can think of.
"If I swear loyalty I will keep my word to the very end."
She does not believe him – not wholeheartedly, at least – but it is all right. He does not believe her either.
"Now speak, what are your plans about ruling?"
This is his fate, after all. Always being the second one, always standing one step behind someone else.
Though, it does not necessarily have to mean the shadow.
