Coming of the Red Anchor
Where The Fun Begins
Daenerys
Stoneyport
She walked down the coble stone streets with the two soldier escort, enjoying the sounds of children running down the street as they chased each other or kicked a ball about while others walked up and down the streets going about their business. It wasn't too busy and it felt slightly empty to her. She said as much to her escorts and either grunted or hummed in acknowledgement.
"Of course it's emptier milady, men and women have gone off to serve in the navy and marines" one said, his northern accent coming across strongly.
"Men and women?"
"Yep" replied the second, popping the 'p'. "All citizens over 18 years can serve. Those who wish to can volunteer and are trained for six weeks basic instruction on weapons, tactics and armour. After that they are kept on permanently or as a reserve for when they're needed. The training peeps decide where the volunteers go. Reserves train for six weeks each year. Permanent are assigned to the naval ships out on patrol or to the horse guards for on land duty" the second explained, his accent coming across as more of a twang though dulled with a hint of the North. They continued down the streets and Danny saw a large building with a red cross on a sign outside. It was three floors high she estimated and built from stone with wood work scattered about for decoration.
"That's the hospital ma'am" the second guard explained.
"Hospital?" Danny said unsurely, testing out the word.
"The sick and injured go there to be healed. The healers are best in the realm, if not the world. Even the maesters have sent a couple here to learn medicine to a greater level. Chief healer here is some half maester called Qyburn. Odd fellow but very smart."
"Half maester?"
"Aye milady, he got kicked out by the Citadel for ugly experiments. In fact the Citadel called them too bold apparently but most people know they were actually gruesome. Lord Warrington brought him here to have him taught properly about the human body and rehabilitate him. Surprisingly it worked. Not many were happy about a guy like Qyburn being here at first but he does know his stuff and has proven himself to the people. Redemption some say" the northerner admittedly grumpily.
xxxxx
They continued walking around the small city, Daenerys moving over to the market in the central square near the Mayor's mansion. The foods on sale smelt lovely, though some looked worse than they smelt. The fresh bread appealed the most but son some lemon cakes caught her eye. She hurried over to look them over more closely.
"Like you what see my dear? Three silver and the cake is yours, or forty copper for a slice" the stool owner said gleefully, though he gave her a long searching look as well. Daenerys wasn't wearing the same clothes she wore in Pentos anymore much to her chagrin, her hair was done up in a bun with a thick travellers cloak wrapped around her with the hood up. Underneath the brown cloak she had a grey wool dress that fit her well and showed off her budding curves and hinted at her still growing breasts.
"They smell lovely but unfortunately I'm not really looking to buy anything currently. Merely passing through" she explained and the man's expression fell. She didn't really have much money and House Britanican was effectively paying for her while they cared for her and her dragons.
Her dragons were the size of cats currently, having grown remarkable quickly over the last few weeks. They could make weak flames, enough to cook small pieces of meat or fish, but were otherwise defenceless. She had decided on Rhaegal and Viserion for two but was struggling with the third almost black one. She had been tempted to call it Balerion after the Dread but felt it was uninspired. She had then thought Ayrion for her father but knew the reputation of her father was not so good in Westeros. Pondering further she had eventually settled on calling him Daevalon after Daemon the Dragon Knight or was it Aemon? She'd have to read over the books again, she really needed to know more about her ancestors. She was proud of how her children were doing but had to keep any eye on them to make sure they behaved and didn't cause too much trouble.
She had to admit she was beginning to love this city. That the men and women were treated equally for their military and that there were rules in place for the two brothels, both directly owned by the town she'd found, in order to prevent any funny business (she read that to mean spying and other bad things). She found that all the children over 5 and under 13 had to attend lessons on reading, writing and numbers a few days each week under the watchful eye of the local maester and a few volunteers. There was also a public bath house which took inspiration from a people referred to as Romans by the older men and women of the Britanican military.
xxxxx
Daenerys was walking back towards the main stables to fetch her horse in order to ride back to the naval base with her two escorts when she asked about the accents the two had.
"Aye milady I'm a northerner through and through. Come from near Deepwood Motte, been here for two years now to serve the house's navy since it protects me ma and da back home" the northerner explained gruffly. "There's a fair few northern men and women serving here that come from elsewhere, mostly along the west side as we know the Ironborn more than those lucky sods over in the east."
"To be fair to them Baldwin they have to deal with those wilding people you lot complain about all the time" retorted the other.
"Aye you Britanicans here are lucky Jack, barely get any if at all. Bear Island, Last Hearth and the Mountain Clans still get wilding raids and Deepwood does occasionally if they sneak past the rest."
"So what's your story" she asked the other as they walked.
"My adoptive dad came with the fleet. Like everyone they were shocked and horrified by what they found. Devastated they couldn't go home from what I heard. My real dad had died in a raid by Ironborn when I was one. House Britanican arrived about a year or two later. Dad met my mum while they were surveying the lands and began setting up this city here. By the time new homes had been built out of that orange brick he'd moved in with my mum and then they married a moon or two later. Got two younger half siblings now. Anyhow, he was there a lot as were others of his squad of soldiers so I picked up a few of their ways of talking and accent. He's nice I guess, don't really remember a lot before him so..." Jack shrugged and they kept walking.
"Hasn't been easy for my siblings though, their father was kept busy during the early years plus the Ironborn rebellion and now he's away again though this time commanding one of the warships. Didn't help some of the troops looked down on him for marrying a local but way I hear it a fair few of 'em have. Both British and American" Jack explained with a grin. "Ships were mostly made up of male crews and only a few of the women were interested enough to marry a fellow crewmember plus some of the men were married with wives back home. So yeah probably more than half the total have had children with locals now. That said the American ones don't care for the nobility, their country back home apparently outlawed it, can you imagine, must be anarchy or near enough without some nobility to help control things. So 'cause of that they mostly avoid Lord Warrington and any visiting lords. The Brits weren't too bad, they had a King and lords back home though apparently both had little real power. So they deal with that and any lords who visit" Jack finish with a shrug.
"I see" Daenerys said softly. "So are both on good terms? I mean they must if under one flag."
"Aye you'll get no trouble now. Been here over five and ten years, they had a war with the Ironborn as well which helps mould you into one. American troops still sorta keep to themselves in terms of dealing with lords but otherwise deal with everyone when they're in the city. We're all good now."
She looked at Baldwin who shrugged and said "I ain't seen nothing to indicate any trouble. They're all decent people, even the female sailors and solders are good at what they do." She nodded and they grabbed their horses, Danny stroked the long face of her mare before saddling it and hefting herself astride it. Her guards were waiting outside the stables when she appeared.
"Ready milady?"
"Yes thank you. Lets head back."
Before they could go far they were met by Lady Warrington and Admiral Gardner. "Lady Targaryen" Lady Warrington said slowly, clearly uncomfortable with one of her family here. Gardner in turn frowned slightly at the tone. "There has been news that affects you, you should come to the manor."
"What news?" She noticed Lady Warrington hesitated and Gardner snorted.
"You might as well tell her, the news will be out soon enough given what Lord Stark and your husband are planning" Gardner advised leaving Danny more confused than before.
"It seems that you are not the last Targaryen. As you know there is Maester Aemon at Castle Black but there is another. A nephew of yours. Jaehaerys Targaryen, son of Rhaegar and Lyanna Stark. Lord Stark has declared him the rightful king given the bastard status of Robert's get. I guess my lady, that it would make you Princess Daenerys of House Targaryen" Dacey concluded.
"I-I have a n-nephew?" Daenerys stuttered out in surprise.
"Aye your highness, you do."
"Wh-where is he? Can I meet him?"
"He's at Riverrun learning to take command and rule" Gardner explained. "As for meeting him I am unsure. It would be best to keep you separate somewhat for both your own safety. Plus you have the dragons to raise." Danny started at that before looking at him in surprise, she hadn't thought people would know so quickly.
"You're on my flagship Princess, of course I know what is going on aboard it. My scientists thank you for your cooperation by the way. They were quite excited to take blood samples and various scans of the creatures. For us they are something of myth and legend. Never did we ever think they might really exist, even when observing the skulls below the Red Keep." She nodded dazedly, staring north towards where her dragons would be, almost as if she could sense them some how. She had a nephew, one who was going for the throne. She would have to meet him someday, he couldn't be worse than her brother and she doubted that these people would put someone like that on the throne. A Targaryen alone in the world was truly an awful thing. Now she wasn't alone, she had someone to look forward to meeting.
South of Riverrun
Jaehaerys
They had set off two days after the meeting at Riverrun which declared him king and he still felt uncomfortable and unready for it. Oh he could plan a battle somewhat now thanks to the teachings of House Britanican and the advise from various lords but ruling? That was another mater entirely.
He had said good by to his sis- no, his cousins, as they left. Arya's farewell had been rather tearful and even Sansa, the one he had got on the least with, had looked sad to see him go. He was going south to Harrenhal while they travelled north back home to safety. Robb and Asha were still around, though Robb and his father had argued about both being here and one remaining at Winterfell. Eventually Ned had relented since Robb had created a battle guard of heirs which now encompassed Jae himself plus Ser Barristan as his official Kingsguard.
xxxxx
They rode down worn roads, muddy tracks and cross country en route to the ruined fortress. Here and there they would re-take castles and keeps, such as Atranta and Lychester, which the Lannisters had taken, liberating them and either killing or capturing the handful of Lannister soldiers that remained. They passes small villages and houses where family would watch the soldiers pass, some suspiciously while others more joyfully. On the seventh day of riding Jae rode beside his uncle, glad to be beside familiar company once more after taking turns riding with the various northern and river lords. He had much to learn and hearing from the various lords, at the suggestion of both Robb and his uncle, meant he picked up on concerns and worries they had. It was the common one that brought him to his uncle.
"Uncle" Jae said softly as he rode beside him, Ser Barristan shadowing behind them a few feet away.
"Your grace" Ned said in reply.
"Uncle you can pass on the formality while it's just us" Jae returned kindly. Ned smiled softly.
"What is is it nephew? What troubles you still?"
"I do not know how to be king. Why would the lords support me when I know nothing of such position? I have ridden beside a number of them now and I can see they worry I am a green boy who has no idea what I am doing. I fear they may be right. War I can do to some degree but ruling? I know not a thing about it." Ned sighed but nodded in understanding.
"Aye you know nothing of ruling. You do know some lessons of war which I, or those military minded in House Britanican, taught you but ruling, aye I failed you there. You were so set on the Watch when you were younger, and I might have slightly encouraged it, that I felt you didn't need the same lessons Robb and even Asha received. Robb was my heir and Asha had claim to rule to Iron Islands, you were my bastard son, and set for the Watch. Aye I could have fought it and tried to find a keep or some land for you but it would have drawn more attention to you. Attention I did not want. Someone could make the connection I feared if you were legitimised or made lord of a keep. And then we'd have war. A war I did not want" Ned explained quietly regretting much of what had occurred these past 18 years.
"I get that Uncle and while I did not have it easy I did better than most bastards. That doesn't however explain why they'd support me? In fact it's more reason not to. So why do they Uncle?" Jae asked desperately. Ned could see it in the boy's eyes and he glanced behind to see the army riding or marching behind them with Ser Barristan watching them closely though feigning disinterest.
"As the Greatjon said, you're from the North and the North has been hard done by by the Iron Throne for many years, decades even, maybe more. I suspect that if I hadn't been here and neither had you, that Rob may have been made King of the North and they would fight for independence. That is how much the North dislikes the south. And I would not blame them a bit though it's something I fear that the North could ill afford even with House Britanican improving things" Ned answered sadly. "Tax rises and little reward after the rebellion saw many of my lords seethed under it. I managed to get Jon Aryn to ease it back somewhat but many still complained it was too high for them to bear. I had to do much to appease them. House Britanican helped somewhat with their new goods, new roads and help in repairing old roads. Trade increased and made life easier and the taxes more bearable. Still things could have gone differently. Why do they support you, you ask?" Ned turned to look at Jae.
"Your blood and name is the main thing in your favour. You have my blood, my sister's blood, inside you and the Starks are one of the Great Houses and were Kings of Winter since time forgotten. Your father was a well respected and a generally much beloved prince that many had hoped would replace Aerys. That it turns out he was never a kidnapper or rapist as some feared restores their faith in him. You were raised by me and, much as I dislike to sound my own horn, the North respects me for my command ability during the rebellions and my wardenship of the North. They expect you to be somewhat like me making you a predictable man and a fair and just ruler in temperament. As for your lack of knowledge, the key argument I believe?" he glanced at Jae who nodded cautiously. "You will learn. Surround yourself with good advisors. For war, myself, Robb, Ser Brynden and Stannis are all good or excellent commanders. That we named Stannis your Hand will help since he knows the capital better than I and is a dutiful and competent man. He will do a better job as Hand than I did. Otherwise for council positions; Varys, depending on what side he takes, would be good for Master of Whispers or replace him with Lord Warrington since he has a wide net of eyes and ears. Perhaps Lord Manderly or his heir as Master of Ships, Robb could do as Master of Laws for a while while I remain in the North. Do you see what I mean?"
"Aye uncle, even if I don't know anything now, I should get the right people to help me, guide me and then use that to make myself a better ruler" he replied uncertainly. Ned smiled and nodded in agreement.
"No man is born ready to lead or rule. One must learn. It is whether you take the time to learn and how much you do that will decide your fate."
"He is right your grace" Ser Barristan spoke up in his gravelly voice. "You have talent with the sword and the potential to command when at war so do not squander it. Your father loved to read and sing, he was most studious and many expected great things from him but he could command well like you. Learn my king, and I sure you will prove both Rhaegar and your mother proud" Jae nodded and listened closely to the elderly knight.
"I will Ser, and thank you again for your support." The old man smiled slightly.
"I could do nothing less. I have served three kings your grace; two mad and one who wasted away because he could not adapt or move on. You seem more dutiful and less mad than them. Much like your father and uncle in fact. Both were, or are, honourable and good men. Be like Rhaegar your grace, but do not let prophecy or mysticism blindly rule you like he." Jae nodded and looked forward as they rode, riding in silent contemplation of all he had heard. He would do this for his father and he would learn what he could. He had to or he would die he thought mirthlessly.
xxxxx
The group he led eventually passed over the peak of a small hill a few hours later and he gasped at the sight in the distance. There, with overgrown trees, climbers and bushes, were the monstrously large stone curtain walls of Harrenhal, sitting on the banks of the Gods Eye. The state of the towers, of which only five could be seen from outside, were grumbling and partially melted, indicating its status as a fallen, ruined great fortress. On the ramparts the golden lion of house Lannister flew proudly and defiant, daring him to attack. He hummed thoughtfully before sighing. "This is where the fun begins" he sarcastically said quietly.
Dragonstone
Stannis
The raven had arrived a few days ago confirming the boy's claim and the announcement of himself as the boy's Hand. It almost made him smile, being acknowledged had been one of the few things he'd wanted. That and Storm's End as was rightfully his. That said, he would do his duty no as Hand and he could relinquish claim to it if Renly would side with them against the common threat. He might but he knew there was no love lost between himself and his younger brother. There'd not been much between any of the brothers in all honesty, not since before their parents had died.
What he would do now he wasn't sure. He needed to speak with Renly and the Tyrells; perhaps land in Blackwater bay and meet them as they approached the road to the Stormlands from the Rose Road? No it would take too long, Renly was marching slowly from Highgarden and was only now near Bitterbridge. He'd need to meet sooner. He needed something to draw Renly to him quickly. He looked down at the table map and pondered before coming to a quick decision. He didn't need to do it properly, just enough to force them to send a message to Renly. Yes, that could work and placed a flaming heart marker down on the location and turned to leave the room. The marker sat on Storm's End.
xxxxx
It was a week later that found his forces sat around Storm's End, the castle closed to him and a raven having fled towards where he knew Renly to be. Melisandre and Ser Davos had accompanied him and he was glad the former smuggler had as his ships allowed him to close of the sea route as well while his army foraged and kept the besieged garrison inside. He was not the only one besieging a castle at present. King Jaehaerys and Lord Stark along with the northern host had laid siege to Harrenhal, trapping the Old Lion inside and starving him out. Meanwhile the River lords secured their homes again while also gathering strength to guard the pass from the Golden Tooth in case and Lannister troops came out from there. He doubted it since he too had heard that Casterly Rock had fallen and the Old Lion was raising a host to retake it before the Lannister prestige was lost. Unfortunately it already had as many around the realm now knew that the lions had lost their den. He had almost smiled at the news.
He looked over the map of his besieging force, making sure their were no obvious holes. He may not want to fully attack now but that didn't mean he could train his men for when they did it for real. A rustling of the tent door flap drew his attention as Ser Davos came in.
"Thought I told you to be on your ship?" he said gruffly.
"Aye but thought you should know there's a storm brewing and we may need to pull back. Not sure if it'll hit now, later or miss us but thought you oughta know milord."
"Ought to and my lord" Stannis muttered in correction to his able right hand. "Alright, retreat if you need to, no point wasting ships on a siege I don't mean to complete."
"Very good milord. So do we know when Renly will arrive?"
"Scouts indicate he's riding hard with twenty thousand, perhaps a day away. We'll hold here though I want the men ready to leave at a moments notice." Davos looked confused briefly at that order. "Renly is arrogant and flippant enough he might attack us when we don't bend to him and I wont waste good men when against such numbers. Not when my king wants me to maintain a blockade on the Blackwater" Stannis explained. "We'll let Renly waste himself and his strength against the Lannisters there. Perhaps ask for the king to let Tywin flee south to deal with Renly then I'll take charge of the Stormlands by right and renew an attack with the king coming from the north. Even Tywin won't be able to fight two hosts of 20,000 from two directions."
"Aye that could work, even Renly will be able to inflict some damage when he attacks and assuming he fails, and depending on who survives, you and King Jaehaerys can make them bend to us and claim the capital for ourselves. That's if Renly lives and bends the knee" Davos commented thoughtfully.
"If Renly looses badly enough he'll want mine and our King's support so he'll bend. If he dies the Stormlands will flock to my banner and the Tyrells will be left alone as enemies of the Lannisters. If our king does his duty properly he can get the Tyrells onside by marriage to their girl. Assuming Renly is who I suspect he is they can annul the marriage on grounds it was unconsummated and pass the girl to the king."
"So now we wait" Davos said tiredly.
"Now we wait" Stannis ground out.
xxxxx
The wait turned out to be a little over a day with a meeting and parley secured a short distance from Storm's End. Stannis led ten guards, himself, Ser Davos and the lady Melisandre to meet his younger brother. Renly sat with an equal amount of guards on horseback, sitting upon his white horse eating an apple. He wore lavish gold plate and a grey cloak with an antler crown upon his head. Stannis in comparison wore a black cloak over a few worn armour plates and mail. "Brother! How kind of you to come here. Have you come to bend the knee?" Renly said happily.
"Renly, what are you doing declaring yourself king? If anything it should be me you're supporting not yourself as I'm the elder brother" Stannis ground out.
"Pish, no one would follow you anyway, why do you think I have the Reach and the Stormlands. Is that a new sigil?" he replied instead of answering his charge, looking up at the flags held aloft. Indeed Stannis' new sigil was of a burning heart surrounding a black stag's head. "Makes sense I suppose, it would be rather awkward if we both used the same one!" he japed. "Do you like mine? I changed it to show my marriage to the Tyrells and my love for their people." His flag displayed a golden stag's head upon a sea of blue.
"Renly" Stannis ground out warningly. 'Why did the boy never take anything seriously?'
"Though I suppose it's not as different as yours is, why is your stag on fire?"
"It shows my lord has taken for his sigil the fiery heart of the Lord of Light. You should search your beliefs as well Lord Renly, come and pray to the true god before all is lost" Lady Melisandre answered calmly from beside him.
"Ah, you must be this fire priestess we hear so much about. Mm, brother, now I understand why you found religion in your old age" Renly added mockingly after looking over Melisandre's and her revealing red robes.
"Watch yourself, Renly" Stannis retorted, his anger growing for his foolish younger brother.
"No, no, I'm relieved. I never really believed you're a fanatic. Charmless, rigid, a bore, yes, but not a godly man."
"You should kneel, he supports the Lord's chosen, born amidst salt and smoke" Melisandre replied coolly.
"Born amidst salt and smoke? Is he a ham?" Renly japed again, some of his riders laughed or coughed to cover their laughs.
"That's twice I've warned you."
"Now now brother dear, if you want to support ham for the throne that's your business." More cries now came, mocking Stannis as a ham lord.
"Renly!" Stannis finally snapped. "I support the one with true claim by blood and law."
"But who other than you and I could have claim?" Renly asked in confusion.
"The son of Rhaegar Targaryen."
"The boy died when the Lannisters butchered the children during the sack" one of Renly's guards argued in surprise.
"Who are you boy? No don't answer that. With your fancy gold armour and blade along with that fine horse you can be no one but Loras Tyrell" Stannis said, getting a short nod in reply from the boy. 'Barely a man grown and he thinks he can fight in a war' he scoffed.
"And not that son. Rather it is the son he had with his newly married second wife Lyanna Stark. The boy was hidden as Eddard Stark's bastard son to protect him from Lannister savages and my drunken brother who would no doubt think a mere babe is a threat." Renly's eyes widened in surprise while a number of his guards and fellow riders also gasped in surprise.
"That, that's not possible. Why would Lord Stark do such a thing and betray Robert? They were as brothers, certainly Robert liked Stark more than us" Renly asked in bewilderment and with bitterness.
"Because to Stark family trumped friendship or duty. Just like I choose family over duty to the crown when I supported Robert in rebelling. It was why I gave you food over my self during that siege. Because family trumped duty."
"Are you a Tully now brother? Family, Duty, Honour?" he japed though not in the manner of before. It was said with barely any heat that his usual japes and comments possessed. It was because of that Stannis said nothing in reply and even Renly got the point that they were still family, if estranged somewhat. "Tell me brother, why are you here? I have twenty thousand swords here right now, you have barely five thousand."
"To talk some sense into you. Bend the knee to Jaehaerys Targaryen and keep Storm's End while the Tyrells can keep Highgarden" he replied firmly.
"I thought you wanted Storm's End back?" Renly asked in confusion. "As it was I was going to offer it to you since Dragonstone should be the seat of the heir to the throne."
"I was made Hand of King Jaehaerys so I will keep Dragonstone for now" Stannis replied before sighing slightly. "The Iron Throne is Jaehaerys' by right. All those that deny that are my foes."
"You have a good claimant brother, I will grant you that, but you have few allies. You never wanted any friends. But a man without friends is a man without power. And who does support you and this Targaryen eh?"
"Lord Stark, Ser Barristan Selmy, the North and the Riverlands. He moves to secure the Vale and his forces have seized Casterly Rock." Renly looked surprised by the last point. "Oh you didn't know? Yes, that new northern house with the ships took it after raiding Lannisport. Tywin is under siege by the North while the Riverlands gathers its strength to support said siege. We have almost won Renly. Aid us now, strike your banners, come to me before dawn and I will even grant you your old seat in the council. Otherwise I shall be forced to destroy you."
"Look across those fields, brother. Can you see all those banners?"
"You think a few bolts of cloth will make you King?" Stannis retorted. 'How arrogant is the fool?'
"No. The men holding those bolts of cloth will make me King" Renly said with a smug grin. "All twenty thousand of them. Plus the other sixty or so back at Bitterbridge."
"We shall see, Renly. Come the dawn, we shall see."
"Leave here brother, we need not fight if you leave. Return to Dragonstone and await my victory at Kings Landing, we need not fight" Renly tried.
"Look to your sins, Lord Renly. The night is dark and full of terrors." With the final word of Melisandre the parley broke up and Stannis turned back to his forces laying siege.
"Would you believe I loved him once?" Renly said softly to no one in particular though Loras glanced at his secret lover but remained silent.
xxxxx
Stannis meanwhile hurried back to his siege camp to look over their plans once more. Ser Davos and Melisandre followed him onto the command tent. "What do you want to do my lord?" Davos asked.
"I could give you a son, but I would need a few days before it could be used" Melisandre said suggestively.
"How the blazes is a son suppose to help Red Woman?" Davos asked in confusion.
"Not the son you're thinking of Ser Davos Seaworth" she replied as calmly as ever.
"No not yet, if I had been fighting for myself and I was the prince mayhaps I'd chance it since cleaner ways don't win wars. But I fight for the king claimant who is another man. No I will hold on that my lady. If Renly is serious in engaging us on the morn then we shall pack up and leave during the night, while the others sleep. I do not like to flee, I am no craven, but there is a craven and then there is a fool who fights an unwinnable battle. This would be one. No, we shall withdraw to Dragonstone, I have said my piece and got the measure of just what my foolish pillow-biting brother is. I will recommend a new strategy that may help break our enemies and bring more onside."
"My lord?"
"I shall let Renly attack Kings Landing and recommend allowing Tywin to aid them. We can deal with the victor afterwards."
"Aye I suppose that works, we let Renly waste troops on the capital while we consolidate and rest. We attack after with fresh troops and awakened capital occupied by a tired army. It could work my lord.
"It will work Ser Davos, its just a matter of who wins is all. Regardless, get my men packed up and ready to move out. We need to be gone by dawn."
"Of course Lord Hand" Davos quickly replied and turned to go carry out Stannis' command.
Renly
He had a pleasant night's sleep, with barely a thought on the potential Targaryen, not that he slept much with Loras there to be honest. Oh they had enjoyed themselves so much that night. He was confident enough to risk it, after all his brother only had 5,000 so then what did it matter if he was tired after a few rounds of passion with his beloved Loras. 'Not that Loras complained much either' he thought with a smirk as he felt himself begin to harden again with thoughts of the previous night. He boldly rode ahead of his column of mounted knights with his Rainbow guard surrounding him, hope and fear now seeping in as he drew closer to his home. As they rode closer he had most of his mounted knights begin to fan out into one long line so as to charge down the pitiful band his brother had. It was as they came round the hill, expecting to view the camp that laid before his home of Storm's End, that they found the siege camp deserted. In fact most items had been taken down and only a few tents and ladders remained behind. There was no one there in front of his home.
"Where have they gone? Is Stannis hiding somewhere or is he a true craven and too cowardly to face our might?" Loras questioned with glee while looking about in confusion. Indeed Renly was just as confused but he knew his brother was no craven. He'd held a siege for the entire rebellion and fought the Ironborn all the way back to their islands when they too rebelled. No he was no coward. As much as it worried him as to where Stannis had gone it relieved him too. He did not truly wish to fight his brother and had hoped he would stay out of this war. Perhaps he had now. The heavy main gate of Storms End opened and a small group of riders came out. He found the castle castellan Ser Cortnay Penrose amongst the group along with his nephew, Edric Storm, Robert's bastard son.
"Your grace! Welcome home and good timing with your arrival. Our thanks at relieving the siege" Penrose said with relief.
"Indeed my good ser, it seems my brother Stannis has vanished into thin air. I did not know he could become smoke as well as fire" Renly japed happily though looked around the grounds outside the fortress in concern.
"Aye he disappeared during the night. We noticed the fires of the camp go out and the noise of men marching. The ships have gone too. He's gone your grace" Penrose reported. Renly nodded happily as he observed the great keep and the high stone walls of this home.
"Good. Well then, it seems we must return to our march on the capital. Ser Cortnay send word to Bitterbridge that they are to meet me at the edge of the Kingswood. It's time to end the evil of the Lannisters and begin my reign. Back to our camp and then on to war!" he called to his group and they rode off back to his camp to pack up before going to meet their comrades.
"Finally, this is where the fun begins!" Loras yelled gleefully as they rode.