As Stannis stared out the window of his solar, he felt a pang of jealousy. It was rare he would experience jealousy – even more so that it related to the king. How long have I called him my king? Was there ever a day I called him brother? Perhaps he did when he was a child; perhaps he'd never did. Either way, it mattered not – Robert Baratheon was first his lord king and second a brother. I will serve him as I would any king. Unlike those lickspittles and fools at court, Stannis knew where his duty and loyalty lied.

Stannis grinded his teeth and clenched his fists as his eyes drifted over to that damned book on his table. If he still believed the Seven, he would've cursed them. If the Lady Melisandre spoke the truth…Stannis inwardly shuddered. How many are not my children? He could not help wonder. There was no doubt Shireen was his – she was conceived on their horrid wedding night after all. The twins? It was more a Lannister trait that they were twins, but apart from that, neither of them seemed to bear a trace of Lannister in their features or behaviour. That was quite a relief. Young Robert? Murky waters. Very murky waters…

Why must I be saddled with a sinful whore? Stannis thought darkly. Have I not done my duty enough? He never cared smallfolk detested him – let them all run to the king and foolish Renly with open arms! The smallfolk's adoration was naught in comparison to fulfilling duty and justice. No, it was not smallfolk's love for the king Stannis envied. It was the king's wife.

Being near women was…uncomfortable. Stannis loved his mother; if he had a sister, he would love her too – it was his duty to. Oddly, he also admired his Tully good-sister Queen Catelyn. Was it because she was the almost literal persona of a woman's virtues? Perhaps it was because she did not look like a seductive whore like his own wife and Renly's new bride. Stannis found himself grinding his teeth once again as he thought about Renly.

"My lord, what is it you wish me to do?"

Stannis glanced at the speaker, the Lady Melisandre of Asshai. Septons would no doubt curse him for taking the counsel of a servant of the Red God or whoever he is, but Stannis did not care. One of his core principles was to judge a man – or woman – by their character, usefulness and nature. He did not care if he listened more to a common farmer than say his good-father Lord Lannister. Names meant naught to him. In his entire life, Stannis had only found one man truly worthy of a knighthood…and that man was Davos Seaworth. What use is a noble knight who'd rather save his own skin than a helpful former smuggler?

"Nothing," said Stannis shortly. Something about Lady Melisandre's excessive desire to help him was rather irksome. "As of this moment, only you, Lord Davos and I are aware of this matter. I would rather it remain private until I'm ready to confront my in-laws. I will not be so foolish in accusing Lord Tywin's daughter of adultery with just a book." He shot that very book a murderous glance.

"With the Lord of Light on your side, you have naught to fear my lord," the red priestess responded automatically. Stannis gave her an exasperated look. "All the gods mean nothing to me," he muttered. "The Faith of Seven, your Lord of Light, the old gods, the Drowned God…" Where were those bloody deities that very day Windproud sank in Shipbreaker Bay within the sights of Storm's End? Where on earth were those gods when the wild sea claimed the lives of all those aboard the vessel save the fool Patchface? Stannis shut his eyes. Now is not the time to think of the past. No. It was better to leave the past in the past.

"Milord, if you wait too long, it will be too late."

Stannis snapped back to the present. The Onion Knight was speaking again. It was his honesty that was quite refreshing. "This book has plenty of evidence in it milord," Lord Davos went on. "Baratheons have wedded Lannisters in the past – why should their features be much different?"

"It is young Robert I am uncertain about," grunted Stannis. "Shireen is mine as are the twins. Myrcella and Tommen are without a doubt, hers. My second son…I do not know. He acts like the king did during his youth yet he does not have blue eyes. The maester says it is a mix between blue and green."

"Milord…" Lord Davos faltered.

"Speak on!" Stannis barked.

"This is a rather ah, delicate question…"

"I believe Lord Davos wishes to ask if you recall the location and year you and Lady Baratheon…created young Robert," supplied Lady Melisandre, without one embarrassed blush. Lord Davos swallowed and nodded.

Beads of sweat dotted the back of Stannis's neck. "It's not as if I write down all the nights we had spent together," said Stannis irritably. "I did my duty and went to her chambers almost every night before she became pregnant with Shireen. I'd also did my duty in the bedchamber rather frequently until she birthed the twins. After that, it was more or less once a fortnight. I had my heir did I not? If it wasn't for the king jeering about…I would have been more than satisfied with Shireen as my heir if I had no sons."

"Can you not venture a guess my lord?"

Stannis sighed. Young Robert was a boy of ten…if memory served, nine or ten months before young Robert's birth at King's Landing, he was at Storm's End. He had still been Master of Ships, but…

"Milord?" Davos prompted.

"I do not remember at all," said Stannis stiffly. "I would prefer if neither of you attempt to speak of that particular matter again."

"As you wish my lord," said Lady Melisandre smoothly. She rose from her seat and dipped her head. "I sense you yearn for a moment alone with Lord Davos do you not? If you need me my lord, you know where to find me." Her red robes had swished around her like a flickering flame as she left the solar. Stannis waited for the weirwood door to close before sitting back down. For the last hour, all he had done was listen, speak, rise from his seat, sit back down, wander to the window, stare out that window…

"I married a whore," Stannis stated flatly.

"You married a Lannister of Casterly Rock milord," said Davos patiently.

"The whore of Casterly Rock," Stannis corrected. "Cersei may bear the name of Lannister, but in truth, she is an adulterous whore." If his whoring wife had slept with any man that was not her blood, he would have shipped her off to the Silent Sisters or the septas; what she did was much worse.

"What of your children milord?"

Stannis loathed that question. Not only did he lose a daughter and a son but he lost two highly prized bargaining chips for suitable potential alliances. Excluding Shireen who was marked with greyscale and Steffon who was betrothed to Lady Alyssa Arryn, all he had was Cassana, who was much too valuable to waste on an ordinary match with a Storm lord – no, Cassana was destined to wed into a Great House of Westeros. As for young Robert, many lords would still wish to have him as a good-son, but the boy himself had expressed a desire to be a knight of Prince Orys's Kingsguard in the future when both of them were men grown. Stannis had no objection to that; there were plenty of Baratheons to carry on the House name. At least if Robert joins the Kingsguard he will lose his rights to Storm's End, Stannis thought. In a way a loss, but it was a secure move considering circumstances.

"You cannot blame Lady Myrcella and Tommen for their mother's crime," the Onion Knight then said. "If it pleases you milord, would it not solve your problem if young Tommen joins the Night's Watch when he is of age and Lady Myrcella to the septas? I hear it is common for younger sons to be black brothers and unwed daughters to be septas."

"It is," Stannis admitted. There was also the succession to worry about. What if Steffon dies young and without sons of his own? No lord would follow a mere girl – especially one blemished with greyscale. "Tommen must join the Night's Watch when he is of age," he said, more decidedly than before. "I had plans for Myrcella, which I still intend to follow, but if she happens to inherit the madness of incest, I will send her to the Silent Sisters. I will not have bastards in the succession line. I will not stand a Lannister born of incest as Lord of Storm's End if accidents are to occur…" Lord Davos shuddered. "No one is to know," Stannis warned. "Especially Lady Baratheon. Lions have claws and I will not be scratched to death by one. Oh she is a stag by name, but she had never been a stag."

Lord Davos nodded. "Aye milord. What of Lord Lannister?"

Stannis had once heard that his good-father made plans to leave Casterly Rock to either Robert or Tommen…on the condition that one or both of them are to be fostered at Casterly Rock to, "learn the ways of ruling the Westerlands," the Lion of Lannister explained. Though Lady Baratheon was enthusiastically in favour of sending Tommen – now for obvious reasons – Stannis had outright refused. "You have a son," he had responded, referring to the Imp Tyrion. "My sons are stags – they will be raised as Baratheons of Storm's End." He had not spoken a sole word to Lord Tywin since.

"Truth is more important than Lord Lannister," Stannis told the waiting Davos. Some might call him a fool for thinking truth above the proud Lord Tywin, but he did not care. He was already disliked by the majority of the smallfolk and Renly's frivolous friends – what was the harm in earning the hate of a few more? "He will discover his daughter's treachery soon enough," Stannis continued, "when he's at King's Landing on the order of the Hand of the King. He'll not dare refuse. Though he is the Lord of the Westerlands, he is still the king's subject and he must obey a summoning from court."

"What if he declares war milord?"

A high chance he will. "Let him come," said Stannis, uttering each word slowly, his eyes darkening by the second. "Let him fight for his whore daughter's honour – it's his right. Treasonable considering I am the king's brother and Hand though. Perhaps Lord Tywin Lannister is under the belief that he has the right to trudge around declaring wars without consequences." He snorted scornfully. "The lions of Lannister are not above truth and justice. Nobody is."

Silence slowly slipped into the solar like a snake. "May I offer you a suggestion milord?" said Lord Davos hesitantly. Stannis nodded. Davos looked distressed as he said, "Take a few Lannister boys hostage milord. It is not war yet, but if it does come to war…it is better to force Lord Lannister into a parley than allow all those innocent smallfolk die in the slaughter. Lord Lannister's men are all cruel, milord. The Clegane brothers for one, House Lorch another. None will hesitate to kill and rape smallfolk as well as pillage their homes for food and goods – what little they have milord. In wars, the smallfolk will always suffer the most."

"Lord Tywin would rather a few cousins dead than his legacy tarnished."

"The Lannisters cannot march here without passing through the Riverlands or the Reach milord, and you have alliances with both."

"House Baratheon has alliances with both," Stannis corrected automatically. "It is the king who has a Tully wife and Renly a Tyrell bride."

"No matter milord – the Lannisters cannot declare war and march without an invasion of the Riverlands or the Reach. If they do, all of the Seven Kingdoms will be against them."

"Not all of them Lord Seaworth. The Martells despise both the Lannisters and my House – they will remain neutral. Lady Arryn does not appreciate two of her children fostering here – the Vale too will remain neutral. The North often stays away from southron wars as do the Greyjoys who might launch raids for the sake of it." Stannis scowled. "Criminals and plunderers the lot of them. At most, there are the Crownlands, the Reach, the Riverlands and the Stormlands against those Lannisters if there is war. Lord Lannister will know it's better to negotiate." Lord Davos did not look particularly convinced. "We'll discuss more of this later," said Stannis, suddenly irritated. "I will be…with my children if you need me."

Ignoring the Onion Knight's rather astonished expression, Stannis stalked out of the solar and towards the wing of bedchambers. When was the last time I have visited my children on my own? Stannis wondered. At King's Landing he wrote to his children once a fortnight and before he was appointed Hand of the King, he'd visited his children every morning – it had been part of his morning routine after breakfasting on a bowl of oats topped with a single fried egg, a plate of salad with one large slice of bacon and a cup of lemon water followed by an early meeting in his solar with the maester or the steward or Lord Davos – for a short chat, mostly regarding their education and health.

When the corridor of bedchambers came into view, Stannis immediately went to climb the set of stairs that led to Shireen's chamber. If he had his way, Shireen would not be so isolated from the rest of the family. "Damn that woman," Stannis muttered to himself. Before he had left for King's Landing, he had made plans for Shireen to have her chambers next to Cassana's. He was furious when he heard a few weeks later that his proud wife had given the rooms to Myrcella instead and sent Shireen back into the lonely chamber far away from sight.

Stannis knocked at the door and it flew open. He was taken back as his eldest daughter greeted him with a broad beam. Shireen's smile froze as she saw him. It was as if she expected him to be someone else. "Good morning Shireen," Stannis said awkwardly. "You are well?"

"Father," the poor girl murmured, stepping back. She had grown considerably – in height, size and beauty – since he last saw her. "I did not expect to see you at all," she said nervously. "Lord Davos said you were busy…" Ah. She had spoken to Lord Davos quite recently. Without a word, Stannis stepped into her chamber. He grunted with disapproval as he noted how small it was. This is not the room of a daughter of House Baratheon, he thought, his eyes sweeping at the sight of all the furniture and comforts present. He didn't believe in items of comfort and carried none, but he remembered his mother did when she was alive.

"Are you displeased with me Father?" Shireen's worried voice broke his train of thought. "Is it because I spend too much time with Devan? He means no harm, Father. Honest. All he does is amuse me with castle gossip and keep me company from time to time." Her blue eyes widened. "I know you do not approve of gossip Father, but I am so deprived from news that…that gossip is all I have. I promise I will never listen to gossip again if it pleases you Father." Stannis frowned slightly. Devan Seaworth? He was left behind at Storm's End to continue his education in both the classroom and swordplay, not spend time with Shireen…though she was in need of a companion or two.

"You will have new chambers, next to Cassana," said Stannis promptly. "I will have all your items and clothes moved to a new, larger chamber immediately. It's an embarrassment, this room. You are a lady of House Baratheon – not even the natural child of a Baratheon lord would have such…inadequate chambers such as this one. Was it Lady Baratheon's doing?"

Shireen nodded, stunned.

"Lady Baratheon demands a lavish tourney to celebrate Myrcella's name day," Stannis said with a scowl. "A waste of coin if you ask me. However, if that blasted tourney does occur, you will attend. Regardless of what your mother says."

"You mean it?" asked Shireen, excitement dancing in her eyes.

Stannis nodded and stepped back out. "You are still my daughter after all," he said gruffly, patting her on the shoulder. My firstborn too. He glanced at the scars on her cheek. Her disfigurement only increased his affection for her. Most nobles would despise a child with deformities. Shireen was strong, Stannis thought. She was strong to survive greyscale. Many who were struck with greyscale died – the majority did. He was proud to have a strong daughter.

Shireen is a true Baratheon.


Dinner was another silent event. From his seat at the head of the table, Stannis prodded his serving of chicken with his dagger. He was in no mood to eat with so much on his mind, but it was his duty as Lord of Storm's End and head of House Baratheon of Storm's End to appear at family dinners once in a while.

Sitting at the opposite end of the table, Lady Cersei Baratheon glowered at him, stabbing her portion of chicken ferociously. Stannis's lips twitched as he watched her cut a piece violently, a bit of sauce flying out and landing on Tommen's nose. Sitting in a row at one side of the table were Shireen, Steffon and Cassana; on the other were young Robert, Myrcella and Tommen. Young Robert had looked quite bewildered that evening when Stannis told him he was to sit next to Myrcella and Tommen instead of his usual place beside the twins. It is time Shireen is a part of this damned family once and for all. I should have done something about it years ago. Yes, I should have.

"You will not wed off my daughter like a heifer."

Stannis arched an eyebrow as Lady Baratheon spat out those words as if they were poison. "You will not sell my daughter as if she's a bloody cow for sale!" she repeated angrily. "Do you hear me?"

"I heard you perfectly," said Stannis calmly, putting down his dagger. "I do not have intentions to sell any of our daughters like cattle. Who could have given you such an idea like that, Lady Baratheon?"

"You plan to wed Myrcella to that squire of yours!"

"To Devan Seaworth?" Stannis snorted.

"Not the Onion Knight's son! Horas Redwyne! I know, Stannis. I know the king and your lords all want your ridiculous grudge against the Redwynes and Tyrells to cease and you plan to do so by selling Myrcella to them!"

Stannis eyed her coldly. "You have been listening to rumours and gossip again Lady Baratheon. I have no intention of betrothing Myrcella to Horas." Especially as Myrcella was no trueborn child of his and the Redwynes would be furious that their heir was engaged to a bastard. "I suggest you dedicate more of your time to charity and needlework like all highborn women do," Stannis added. "Your utter reliance on gossip and rumour…" He shook his head. "Unladylike my lady. Not a good example for our daughters either."

Lady Baratheon scowled. "I will not catch a disease from beggars."

"You will not catch a disease from beggars my lady. Tomorrow, you and all our daughters will go and give food to the poor. I do my duty and you should too. No more gossip, you understand?"

"You are not my father, my lord."

Stannis stood up. "I have work to attend to. My lady." He dipped his head and strode out. As he expected, Lord Davos was waiting outside. "I hope it went well, Lord Davos," Stannis muttered quietly. "Did you find it?" Lord Davos nodded, his eyes flickering with unease. "There is naught to worry yourself about Lord Davos. I told you that already," said Stannis with a jolt of irritation. "How many have you found in Lady Baratheon's chambers?"

"Not many milord," Davos admitted as they began walking from the Great Hall to the solar. "She must have burnt many of her letters."

"As I expected. Lady Melisandre said I'd be rid of the adulterous woman at the end of this month. She claimed she saw it in the flames."

"I did not search thoroughly though milord, I must admit. I was afraid-"

"Yes, yes," Stannis cut through. "We do not want to rouse her suspicions. How many did you find?"

"Devan found it, milord." Lord Davos handed him a folded piece of parchment. "It is not the original – Devan copied it out. We thought it would be better to have the original left as it was."

Stannis nodded. "It'll not be long now," he said quietly. Tomorrow he would go to Lady Baratheon's rooms and search them himself. It mattered not how smart she was at hiding and burning all of her incriminating letters – adulterers would always leave a guilty stain somewhere in their possessions.


I planned to upload this a few days earlier, but I was busy with schoolwork, so my apologies! I thought it would be interesting to write this in Stannis's perspective - a challenge! Personally, I believe Stannis has more emotion in him than he reveals. The next chapter will be back in the north.