The moment court ended, Stannis strode after the king. To his irritation, Renly followed him. In normal circumstances, Stannis would've remained to settle all of the small council issues after court, but today's circumstances wasn't ordinary in the slightest at all.

"Brother!" said Renly, rushing past Stannis to the king. Stannis's jaw tightened. So typical of Renly to dash around like a fool. The king stopped and looked at him and Stannis, his lips unusually in a straight, tight line and his eyes dark instead of his merry blue.

"What?" the king growled.

"You promised me a position in the small council Brother," said Renly, flashing him a pleading smile. Stannis walked up to them and crossed his arms. "An actual position, Brother. Do you not remember? You said you would consider giving me the office of Master of Laws."

"Lord Stark is Master of Laws."

"Ser Kevan was a proficient Master of Laws," spoke Stannis. "What Robb Stark had done disgraced his House. It should not guarantee Lord Stark the honour of a position in the small council. What Robb Stark had done can also be seen as high treason Your Grace. Breaking his betrothal to Princess Lyanna was foolish of him and truly unwise. He deserves to be disinherited or sent to the Wall, not forgiven, and his sister's hand in marriage to Prince Orys!"

The king glowered at him. "Lord Stark is Master of Laws and will remain so till the Vale wedding," he said shortly, "and as I have lost a Stark good-son, I will gain a Stark good-daughter. Fair trade."

"Fair trade?" repeated Stannis, astounded. "Your Grace! Must I remind you the Lady Lyarra had been betrothed to Lord Bolton's heir-"

"I WILL HAVE A STARK GOOD-CHILD!" the king roared before stomping away, causing passing lords and ladies to look at Stannis and Renly with interest.

"Well that went well," said Renly, attempting to laugh good-naturedly. Stannis did not respond. "Come now Stannis," wheedled Renly. "You must think it's quite unfair that Lord Stark was rewarded-"

"It's more an honour than punishment," interrupted Stannis bluntly, "for lords of the south. However, for northern lords, it is punishment enough. I don't like it, but the king had clearly made up his mind and if he considered it a harsh enough punishment for House Stark, so be it."

"And our future good-niece?"

"You'd rather another girl be married to Prince Orys?"

Renly suddenly looked very shifty. Stannis narrowed his eyes. "I'd rather have an honourable Stark girl as future queen than a Reach girl," he stated.

"Think of it Brother!" whispered Renly, his eyes glittering with excitement. "It would be advantageous for the realm – and for us – with the Reach closely tied to the crown!" He grabbed the edging of Stannis's sleeve. On instinct, Stannis pulled away, grinding his teeth to suppress a horrified shudder. "It will not be long until winter is here," Renly went on. "We'll need plenty of food to survive. Not us alone, but also the people. With the Reach on our side in the oncoming winter, our food stores will be fuller and the people will not starve to death. That's not all. We will also have the aid of the Redwyne fleet if the Ironborn plan to invade."

"Your marriage to Lady Margaery secured us the Redwyne fleet and stores for the winter. We do not need another Reach marriage. One is plenty."

"Come now Stannis…do you not think Lady Desmera Redwyne a pretty girl? A beautiful one perhaps? Much more suited to be queen than the Stark girl I think. I believe the people will be more pleased with Prince Orys marrying a southroner than a northerner." He beamed like a pleased child.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"You are the King's Hand. Your opinions are heard more than mine."

You are a fool if you believe the king will listen to me. "The Tyrells told you that Lady Desmera is beautiful didn't they?" asked Stannis flatly. "I highly doubt you'd met the girl and if you had, I don't think you would know a pretty or beautiful girl on sight. The Tyrells want the match, not you."

Renly laughed. "You are mistaken, Brother. It is you who cannot see a beautiful girl if she is naked in front of you. I certainly can. Here, look." He pulled out a gold locket and opened it. Inside was a miniature painted in the vivid Myrish style of a young lady about eighteen years with dark brown eyes, freckles and a torrent of flaming orange hair.

"The king has already made up his mind," Stannis said again, slowly walking to the Tower of the Hand where Lord Davos would be waiting, hopefully with more news. "There is no use trying to change it. The king is obsessed with a Baratheon-Stark union and he will do anything to arrange one. I doubt the king will agree to have Prince Orys married to Lady Desmera when he just betrothed him to Robb's sister the Lady Lyarra. Even if Lady Lyarra dies before she could wed Prince Orys, the king will substitute her with her younger sister."

Renly sighed. He patted Stannis on the arm. "Think about it won't you? A lady from the Reach will benefit the realm more than a Stark lady. I'm sure you'll soon see that I'm right. Just you wait and see."


The king did not appear at supper or breakfast the next day. The queen looked more strained than usual when Stannis asked where the king was. She didn't say, but the Blackfish did. "In his bedchamber Lord Baratheon," he had replied with a scowl. "Whore upon whore-"

"Uncle," the queen had cut in, "please, I think Lord Stannis is now aware of um, what my husband has been doing all night and…now." She glanced at the princes, princesses and Bran Stark who were already seated at the table. "Besides, I don't want the children to know."

It would be hard for the young ones to remain unaware of the king's activities, especially at court. However, Ser Brynden respected Queen Catelyn's wishes and fell silent. Usually Stannis would break his fast in his own chambers, but today he had hoped the king would show up for breakfast.

No luck.

There was no point sitting around and listening to the children idly chatter as they do all day. After a small meal of a piece of bread topped with a fried egg – its yolk seeping out sluggishly like a tide of orange slime – Stannis left to find Davos waiting for him outside. "Lord Lannister is about half an hour away from the city gates," Davos reported once they were out of earshot. "I had spoken to one of my old…acquaintances and he said that one of the men in Lord Lannister's cavalcade is the Mountain That Rides."

Stannis's expression twisted into one of disgust. "Is Lord Tywin threatening us with that monstrosity? Does he honestly believe the king will be intimidated into agreeing to whatever Lord Tywin desires?" He shook his head. "Tywin Lannister would not be coming here without good reason. He probably knows that the Iron Throne does not have the means to pay him back at the moment and what better way than to press his demands now?"

Lord Davos looked uncertain. "The people will not appreciate a tax raise, Lord Baratheon. Especially with winter coming."

"I have no wish to raise the taxes Lord Davos. Lord Tywin knows that." Stannis grinded his teeth. Damn Robert for his unsated lust in food and women. So many times Stannis had warned the king against borrowing large sums of money from Casterly Rock. It was most unwise, particularly as Robert didn't have a Lannister queen. A Lannister good-sister was not close enough.

"Lord Lannister will not be generous."

"The Lannisters are proud." Stannis began striding to the king's rooms. "We've wasted too much time," he said decidedly as Lord Davos rushed to catch up. "We need to tell the king about Lady Cersei."

"N-now milord?"

Stannis halted and frowned. "Is there a problem, Lord Davos? We already have all the evidence we need and I came here immediately to inform the king. We did not come here to listen to the repercussions of Robb Stark's marriage. If we wait any longer, Lord Tywin will have gone back to Casterly Rock and who knows the next time he will appear here again." He resumed walking to the king's chambers. It was Ser Garth Hightower he met outside.

"Lord Baratheon," Ser Garth acknowledged with a nod.

"Ser Garth." Stannis nodded back. "Is the king busy?"

The Hightower knight bit his lip. "He was my lord," he said finally. "I believe he is alone now. Perhaps asleep."

"I wish to see him Ser Garth. Immediately."

"Of course my lord." He stepped aside. Stannis went in with Davos. The stench of sweat and sex wafted to Stannis's nose at once. It was putrid.

"Your Grace," said Stannis, watching the king grunt and stand up from his bed. The king padded across the floor towards him. "I have important news-"

"Can you not wait until later?" grumbled the king.

"This is important Your Grace," said Stannis calmly. "Lord Tywin is on his way to the city gates – in fact, he will arrive today. I'm certain you know as well as I do that he is here to demand the return of the loans he granted the crown. You must also know that we are in no place to repay the debts. It is highly likely that Tywin will request many things to forgive the debts – if he forgives the debts that is. The last we need is to hear the Rains of Castamere."

"What is this important news, Stannis?"

"My wife is a whore."

The king stared at Stannis, surprised. He burst into laughter. "A good jape," he chuckled, wagging a thick finger at him. "A good jape Stannis!"

"It is not a jape Your Grace," said Stannis stiffly. "What is worse, was that I was informed she was involved in an affair with her own brother Ser Jaime Lannister. Myrcella and Tommen were their children. Lady Cersei had the gall to claim both of them were mine. I was a fool for not recognising her trickery."

"Incest?" The king looked horrified. "With her own brother?"

Stannis nodded grimly. "Both Myrcella and Tommen have the Lannister looks of green eyes and golden hair while my elder children and your children have the black hair and blue eyes every Baratheon has. Furthermore, I had examined all of the Baratheon-Lannister matches that were cited in The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms, a cumbersome and massive book written by Grand Maester Malleon. In every Baratheon-Lannister union, their issue were all black of hair with blue eyes. I recall your bastard Gendry Waters had a golden-haired mother, yes? Last I saw of Gendry, he was black of hair with blue eyes."

"What do you…plan to do?"

"I refuse to remain married to the whore of Casterly Rock, Your Grace. I yearn for Lady Cersei to be put on trial and I seek an annulment. Once that is sorted, I'll be declaring Myrcella and Tommen bastards of incest."

The king nodded slowly. "Lord Tywin will not be pleased," he warned.

"Your Grace, I'm a man of justice. I geld rapists, cut hands from poachers and a finger or two from smugglers and thieves. Those who committed lesser offences I have flogged and oathbreakers I execute. I cannot allow Lady Cersei to escape the jaws of justice Your Grace."

"Your children will be devastated," said the king quietly.

Stannis stared at him. When did the king truly care about children? When was the last time he spent time with his own sons and daughters? "It'll be a lesson to them then," he said coldly. "They'll learn that both smallfolk and nobles alike are not spared from justice."

"Mmm." The king patted Stannis on the shoulder. "You do what's right, Stannis. I know you will."

Stannis frowned. No arguments? Outright support? Only yesterday after court the king was still furious and rather unreasonable. His suspicious eyes slid to the table beside the king's bed.

It was littered with bottles of Arbor gold.

Noticing him staring at the bottles of wine, the king said quickly, "Don't tell Cat. She will not be happy. Keep it between us, yes?"

"Where did you get the Arbor gold?" asked Stannis.

"Gifts from Renly," grunted the king, grinning at him. "He received caskets of it and gave it to me in secret. I would have the servants hide the caskets every time Cat comes for the night. Thankfully she doesn't come as much these days. Would you like a goblet of Arbor gold, Stannis?"

Stannis shook his head. A small council meeting was to start soon. "Your Grace, I need you to sign and issue a few documents regarding Lady Cersei Lannister. In the small council meeting today, I plan to inform the councillors about her arrest and perhaps even the trial."

The king yawned and nodded. "Shocking isn't it?" he remarked. "Lord Tywin's golden twins fucking each other? He would not be happy to hear that."


Stannis glowered as each councillor slowly took their seats around the table in the council chamber. Despite the king planning to remove some of the advisors in the small council, the Fat Flower of Highgarden irritatingly showed up with Lord Redwyne, talking loudly in a booming voice.

"My lord Hand," said Lord Tyrell, sitting down beside Stannis. "What the Stark boy did was treasonable do you not agree? I for one think that Lord Stark doesn't deserve the honour of being Master of Laws."

"You would rather Ser Kevan?"

"Ser Kevan is Master of Laws my lord Hand, a good position for a Lannister. As I am to be the future good-father of Princess Lyanna, don't you think it is wiser if I am given an official place in the small council? People will think it most unfair if their beloved princess's good-father is merely a…a advisor!" His chair whined as he moved closer to Stannis, much to Stannis's chagrin. Lord Mace's eyes shone as he whispered, "The Reach will be your House's staunchest ally, lord Hand. Oh it'll be the most stalwart with Paxter as Master of Ships and myself as your Master of Laws…and the marriage of Willas and Princess Lyanna of course, with Harrenhal a part of the princess's dowry."

"What?" said Stannis, taken back. Harrenhal and its rich, fertile lands in Tyrell hands? A somewhat unpleasant thought crossed his mind. What if the king – very drunk thanks to the Arbor gold gifted by Renly – agreed to hand Harrenhal to the Tyrells as Princess Lyanna's dowry? The king never mentioned it, but upon more than one occasion he would announce sudden plans.

Lord Tyrell nodded vigorously. "The Whents are gone and Princess Lyanna's a claimant through her mother the queen."

Stannis gave him a long look before turning to the other councillors. Varys the Spider was chatting cordially to Ser Kevan Lannister, rubbing his white hands as he spoke; Grand Maester Pycelle, seated beside Lord Davos, snoozed as he did at the beginning of every small council meeting; Ser Barristan Selmy sat silently like Lord Stark, both of them waiting for the meeting to commence; and the Master of Ships Lord Redwyne, resumed his earlier conversation with Lord Tyrell.

"We are facing two inheritance crises," announced Stannis. "Both House Rosby and House Whent have ended in their individual male lines and there are a good number of claimants for Rosby and Harrenhal."

"What of the wildling matter lord Hand?" asked Lord Stark.

Stannis frowned at him. "His Grace had already had ravens sent to all the lords. We will discuss the wildling matter later Lord Stark."

Lord Tyrell coughed. "Lord Hand, my good-father Lord Leyton Hightower had married a Rosby thus he has a good claim to Rosby and the Princess Lyanna has a good amount of Whent blood in her through the queen."

"Had either the late Lady Whent or Lord Rosby left a will naming an heir from one of the claimants?" inquired Lord Stark.

Stannis shook his head. If either of them had named an heir, it would've been a good deal easier for all of them. "All of Lady Shella Whent's children are dead, her husband and cousin is dead, her two uncles are dead, her cousin Ser Walton also dead as is his sister Lady Minisa Tully, the queen's mother. However, Lady Minisa left surviving offspring with her husband the late Lord Hoster Tully."

"Harrenhal can be given to Prince Ormund when he is of age," suggested Varys, smiling mysteriously for some odd reason. "He has Whent blood in his veins. The Targaryens oft gave Summerhall to younger sons; Harrenhal can be bestowed to younger princes of House Baratheon."

Lord Tyrell bristled, "Lord Varys! It would be better as Princess-"

"Harrenhal will not be given as a dowry for any princess," interrupted Stannis, tired of the Fat Flower's blusters. "With all the Whents dead, Harrenhal's heirs lie in the Tullys. In any normal succession, it would be the Lord of Riverrun, as only son of Lady Minisa, who'll inherit Harrenhal. He has the strongest claim to Whent inheritance and Harrenhal is in the Riverlands after all. It will be best to give him control of Harrenhal. He will most likely give it to one of his younger sons to start a cadet branch." He looked around expectedly.

Lord Stark was nodding, as was Ser Kevan. The Grand Maester was still asleep and Varys remained smiling and nodding. Only Lord Tyrell wasn't pleased, but he was a mere advisor, not a councillor.

"The matter of Harrenhal is done," decreed Stannis, scrawling it down. Usually it was Grand Maester Pycelle's duty to write during council meetings, but as days, weeks, months and years passed, he seemed to sleep more than write or talk. It'll not be long before the small council received a new grand maester.

"What of Rosby?" inquired Lord Redwyne.

"Perhaps a matter for another day?" murmured the Spider.

Stannis grinded his teeth. The small council had lingered on the Rosby matter more than necessary. "Why is that?"

"Surely you my lord Hand have more important news to share."

Every pair of eyes in the room swivelled over to Stannis. Even Grand Maester Pycelle – finally awake – stared at him sleepily.

"Lord Hand?" prompted Davos.

"My wife committed adultery," said Stannis reluctantly. He intended to inform the small council, but did not expect to be pushed by Lord Varys. "She committed adultery and claimed her two bastards as my own, when the truth was that both of them – Myrcella and Tommen – are fathered by Lady Cersei's own brother Ser Jaime Lannister." The reactions were as Stannis anticipated. Lords Redwyne and Tyrell looked utterly revolted, Lord Stark's serious expression shattered into one of horror and Ser Kevan covered his face with his hands, ashamed.

"Incest?" croaked the Grand Maester, now wide awake. "Incest? It is taboo! The participators of such a crime must be punished!"

"You must be mistaken Lord Hand," muttered Ser Kevan.

"I'm not mistaken," said Stannis icily. He proceeded to tell them what he'd told the king and by the end of it, the Reach lords were murmuring to each other. The grand maester was spluttering to himself, spittle flying out.

"What will you do with Lady Cersei?" said Lord Stark quietly.

Before Stannis could reply, the door opened and a golden-haired boy attired in Lannister colours entered. "My lords," he said politely. "I've been sent here to tell you that Lord Tywin of House Lannister, the Lord of Casterly Rock, the Shield of Lannisport and Warden of the West, has arrived."


When I'm plotting the chapters, I always forget about the Whent and Rosby inheritance crises so I decided to solve the Whent inheritance in this chapter. I actually enjoy writing about Mace Tyrell and his blustering and foolishness. Next chapter is the northern chapter and you can still suggest whose POV it can be in. I am keeping count of the suggested POVs and right now a Daenerys POV is in the lead.

BigStevie, I apologise for not uploading the oneshot I promised you. I'm still writing it and hopefully I'll have it uploaded on Saturday night (14.01.17). Thank you for your patience :)