Chapter Twenty-Four – Alliance Talks
"It is well that war is so terrible,
Otherwise we should grow too fond of it."
-Robert E. Lee
Caryssa loathed the sea.
She preferred hard solid ground beneath her feet, instead of miles and miles of nothing. This is why she hoped that her foul mood would be somewhat excused by the men on the ship that she had hired to take her to Dragonstone. Even Rhaenyra seemed to be moody, probably hating the motion as much as she did.
Dacey shared her quarters with her, laughing at her when the she-wolves grumbled and bitched about the turbulent sea waves.
She was a Mormont. They lived on a damn island, thrived on the bounties of the sea and Caryssa knew how much her friend loved the ocean. Dacey would breathe in that sea air and sigh with a smile on her face, while she frowned and tried to hold in her food from that morning. Wolves were not meant for the ocean. Krakens, yes. Fish, yes. Wolves, definitely not.
She was made for snow and forests, the North wind whipping through her hair and her skirts. Her father called it the wolf's blood, that desire to be free, that burning in her veins for blood and justice, that fierceness that only few could rival. Her Aunt Lyanna had it, so had her uncle. Arya too.
That's why, despite having heard no news of her youngest sister since the purge of the Stark household from King's Landing, she knew Arya lived. Arya was as fierce as a direwolf and just as clever as her elder siblings; she had found a way out of that rat's nest, of that Caryssa was sure. She was most likely making her way north to find Robb and Mother and then they would only have to free Sansa.
It was with that thought alone, save Sansa, that Caryssa had entered Dragonstone with as docile a temper as she could muster.
She had met Stannis Baratheon once in her life and she had not liked him. He was too stern, too stoic. His face only gave away what he wanted it to and she found herself distrustful of it. A man who hid his emotions was an unpredictable one and it set her on edge.
King Robert had been a man easy to predict. He wore his emotions on his sleeve and she knew how to work around them. Lord Renly had been much the same, though he was far less prone to the sudden bursts of anger that his elder brother had been. Stannis, the second son, the soldier, was not predictable at all and it made the wolf princess nervous.
Upon reaching Dragonstone, she had been ushered into the Great Hall with Dacey, Rhaenyra and her small retinue of Mormont soldiers at her side. Caryssa walked with the grace her mother had instilled into her from birth, though her eyes flickered around the room to find any and all exits and threats. If her time in King's Landing had done anything to her, it had made her cautious of people. There were spies everywhere in the capital and she knew that there were also spies for the Queen, Baelish and Varys spotted all over the Seven Kingdoms too. It wouldn't surprise her if one of those spies had found a place in Dragonstone.
"Lady Lannister, what brings you to Dragonstone?"
Caryssa's eyes fell upon King Stannis from where he sat in his Lord's chair at the front of hall, and curtseyed low. It would make him more willing to listen to her if she treated him like the King he claimed to be.
"Lady Stark, please, if you would. I may have married a Lannister, but I am by no means Lady Lannister," Caryssa asked and he nodded, hopefully more than happy to not mention her ties to that traitorous house. "And I was sent by my brother, King Robb of House Stark, to offer terms of an alliance."
"Your brother wishes to take away a kingdom that belongs to me by right, why would I honor him with an alliance?" Stannis countered, and had Robb not anticipated that he would be difficult, perhaps he would have sent someone else in her place. Yet, from rumor, her brother knew how stubborn the Baratheon would-be king was and had sent her because she was the same.
"Because, Your Grace, you have no friends beyond the Stormlands. The Reach has sided with your brother, Renly, as has most of your bannermen, and the Riverlands are with us. The Martells will not back you because your brother was the one who started the war that lost them their princess," Caryssa explained. She had thought about her arguments long and hard on their sea voyage, trying to turn her thoughts away from her sea-sickness and her imprisoned husband, and she had voiced them with Dacey and the older woman had deemed them wise arguments. She had faith that she could persuade Stannis into an alliance that would benefit them both. "An alliance with the North may be your only option and if we combine our forces, we can take King's Landing by both sea and land and give you your rightful seat."
Stannis seemed to be deliberating her words.
Well, that's what she thought, it was difficult to say what was going on behind those shielded Baratheon blue eyes. Dacey stood tall in her place just behind her and she was thankful for it gave her confidence. The She-Bear would keep her safe against any enemy, she knew, as she had not brought her bow with her from the ship. It would have been a show of distrust to come into his halls so heavily armed, so she simply had her knives strapped to her legs underneath her skirt and she refrained from resting her hands over them.
Rhaenyra, sitting docile at her side, rubbed her face into Caryssa's hip, sensing that her human needed to be comforted and reminded of her presence. Scratching the direwolf behind her ear, the princess kept the Stag King's gaze.
"She has made a great case, My King, but her brother is not the Stark to make an alliance with."
Caryssa's eyes finally lapsed onto the owner of the feminine voice and she had to work hard to school her face so it didn't betray her shock.
Maester Luwin had books on the Red Priests of R'hllor, but she had never seen one in the flesh. The woman before her was dressed all in red, her hair the same startling shade of crimson as her clothes, and her eyes, though blue like Caryssa's, shone with a fire inside that was unsettling to look at.
"My brother is King in the North, he is the only Stark you can make an alliance with." Caryssa replied, not knowing what the woman meant, only that she would not like it.
"The fires told me of your coming, Caryssa Stark, daughter of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Tully, wife of Jaime Lannister, and they told me great things," The Red Woman approached her and she felt Dacey tense behind her, though the Ryssa herself fought hard at maintaining a cool demeanor. "A wolf lady in a lioness's skin, blood on the snow, the princess of ice and fire, Lyanna Stark reborn, but your fate will not end in your demise, like hers did. The Lord of the Light showed two great kingdoms, North and South, King Stannis of the South and…Queen Caryssa of the North."
Caryssa felt laughter bubbling up inside her, but laughing in the face of this Baratheon King's obviously most trusted advisor would not bode well for her, so she tamped it down within her, settling for an amused smile.
"I have two legitimate brothers after Robb. I will never be queen of anything. Your Lord of the Light must be wrong in this instance."
"The fires only show me what was, what is and what can be, my lady."
Knowing that she would get nowhere in an argument against this witch of the Red God, the young lady turned back to the King of Dragonstone and tried once more to persuade him to see their side of things.
Robb needed ships and, once they had taken King's Landing, they needed someone to take the Iron Throne, because no one from the North would sit as King (or Queen) of the Seven Kingdoms. The North was tired of Southern politics.
"Your Grace, that bastard Joffrey took my father's head, slaughtered our household in the capital and keeps my sister hostage. The North has risen to avenge their liege lord and countrymen and to save my sister from sharing the same fate as my aunt did all those years ago," The She-Wolf pressed, and out of the corner of her eye she could see Stannis' right hand man, Ser Davos, she believed, looking down at his boots at the mention of both her sister and aunt. Good men hated the abuse of women. "The North fought alongside your brother in his rebellion against the Mad King-"
"To serve the North's interests." Stannis countered, and Caryssa nodded her head at the somewhat truthful statement.
"Perhaps I must word this differently…the North shall back your claim. We will help you claim your throne and defeat your enemies. With our army at your back, you can restore the damage done to the realm by this war and the Lannister rule, but six kingdoms would surely be easier to oversee and deal with than seven. Do you not agree, Your Grace?"
Silence overtook the room once more, eyes flickering between the would-be Stag King and the Wolf Princess as the two stared the other down. Two pairs of blue eyes held each other, stubbornly refusing to break contact first.
"I heard rumor that your mother, Lady Catelyn, was spotted riding towards my brother's camp." Stannis settled on, and Caryssa decided that honesty, being something she knew that Stannis would value, was the best course of action.
"My mother treats with Renly the same way I now treat with you. My brother sent her to persuade Renly into an alliance. It's said he has a hundred thousand men in his army. No army in all of Westeros has those numbers. It would be foolish to not attempt to bring him on side," Caryssa explained, though she didn't know if Stannis appreciated her words. "She is also to persuade him to renounce his claim to the throne, to declare you the rightful king. I knew your brother during my time in King's Landing. He had very little ambition. I don't believe that staking a claim was ever his idea."
"And who's idea do you think it to be, my lady?" Ser Davos Seaworth, the Onion Knight, and supposedly Stannis' Hand of the King, questioned.
They made a picture, Caryssa thought, the Red Witch on his left and the Onion Knight on his right.
"The Reach has given King Renly their full support. I don't believe that is mere coincidence," Caryssa stated. The Tyrell's had ambition, which was something every person in Westeros knew. They had climbed very high from the days when they were stewards for the King of the Reach, thousands of years ago. "As is army is far greater than your own, I dare say you may have to make some concessions in order to gain his allegiance."
"And what do you propose?" Stannis seemed genuinely interested to hear what she had to say. Other lords and kings would not have given her the time of day to express her opinions and suggest actions to take. Maybe she could grow to like Stannis as a king, if not she already respected him.
"Name him your heir," Caryssa suggested. It seemed plausible in her mind. Renly would not make a great king, or a warlord, but the idea that he could be the next king may placate him. "Only until such a time as you have a son of your own or your daughter comes of age. It may appeal to his ego, if you also allow him to keep Storm's End. At the very least, meet with him. Discuss an alliance as we are now. Be the better man, the better King, and the people will support you."
She was afraid for a moment that she had overstepped, pushed a little too far with her words, but Stannis nodded and she almost sighed in relief. Were he a dishonorable man, he could have broken the guest right and had her killed. He was a king after all, and it seemed like most kings these days refused to acknowledge a person's right to a fair and just trial.
Her father hadn't had one.
Though, if she had her way the little prick king, Joffrey, won't have a trial either.
"I shall meet with my brother, but if he does not bend the knee, I will consider him a traitor and an enemy of my throne."
"As would be your right as the true King of the Iron Throne." Caryssa bowed her head slightly, agreeing to his terms and showing deference. She may be a new princess, but she was still but a princess. Stannis was the rightful King of the seven- six kingdoms.
"And what becomes of your husband once we win this war, Lady Stark?"
Caryssa was silent for a moment, knowing what Stannis would want and what her brother would want. Jaime's head. Yet, she could not reconcile the two sides of herself that were at war. She wanted to see her husband hurt for the humiliation and the hurt he had inflicted up on her, but the other half of her mind reminded her of the love she bore him and of how much it would hurt to truly be parted from him now.
"My brother has not informed me of his plans for my husband further than possibly ransoming him back to his father in exchange for my sisters." She answered honestly.
Perhaps her brother sensed that she had grown to love her husband and did not want to cause her pain with whatever he had decided, but he truly had not told her what he had planned for Jaime beyond the end of the war.
And, truthfully, she could not think about her husband's fate. She just couldn't. There were other things on her mind that she had given more importance to.
Jaime would be safe until the end of the war. Her brother would put him to trial and the Gods would decide his fate, but this war they were fighting would most likely drag on for years. It had taken two years for the rebellion to over and done with, Caryssa had no doubts that this war would take just as long to resolve.
Especially in a war with four kings, five if Balon Greyjoy counted as a king.
"Ready the fleet. We leave for the coast at dawn," Stannis declared, breaking the she-wolf out of her thoughts. He rose from his seat and approached the princess and her retinue, and it was only the second time in her life that Caryssa felt truly intimidated by a man as he loomed over her. "My lady, my wife will take you and your people to some rooms to rest until we leave."
"We would be grateful for the rest, Your Grace."
She looked back at Dacey and the woman nodded to her, gesturing for her men to follow them as Queen Selyse led them down a hallway past the lord's table.
It was only when she and Dacey were in the privacy of their shared room did Caryssa allow herself to relax.
She had done her best to complete the task given to her by her brother, now the rest was up to her mother. If she could convince Renly to accept Stannis' terms then they would be able to win the war far quicker and they would have peace in Westeros.
And they could go home.
A/N
Hey guys!
So I'm updating again! Yay!
This one is short…and I'm not completely happy with it, but I really wanted to update this story on time for once, even if it is cutting it close.
So, introducing Stannis, Melisandre and Ser Davos! I'm not gonna lie, I have writing Stannis. I don't know if I've got his voice right, or Melisandre's for that matter. It's so much easier writing the Starks, because they are my faves, you know? I'm gonna have to rewatch Season 2 to try and get those guys down.
What did you guys think of Caryssa's first official meeting with Stannis? Okay? Not okay? Whatever you thought, please be kind. I'm a little fragile right now guys.
So anyway, thank you to all my reviewers!
I'm honestly so thankful for all your support during what was such a horrible time for me. Fern was the first friend I had who had died and she was so young and it was so sudden. Needless to say that I was in no way prepared for it, me and our group of friends all got pretty blindsided by it, and it took me a while to push past it to the point where I could function normally again as a person. I'll always miss her and it still hurts, but I'm feeling a bit better mentally and emotionally so I'm just happy to pick up with my writing again.
So here's to you guys;
starlily16, DarylDixon'sLover, ZabuasGirl, Forever Fanfiction Lover22, NicoleR85, Diana Cruz, MADStar529, Vikihungerrgame1, WolfGirl81, sarah, The Archfiend, Guest, Miss. Lori MacManus, KD, EMILCE CULLEN-VULTURI, Sparky She-Demon and Bella-swan11.
The next chapter will be updated FEBRUARY 8TH.
Also I have a new poll up on my profile to decide which of my Game of Thrones fics, I will actually update this year. I've taken away the Jaime/OCs, because I kinda want to write a different pairing for the next story, so please go vote and let me know! You each get two votes, so use them wisely!
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the new chapter,
S. A. L. Stratton.