CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE – Concluding Negotiations
"War is what happens
when language fails."
-Margaret Atwood
Staring out of the window of her temporary room, Caryssa thought on the Lady Melisandre's words.
Why had she said that her God had shown her that Robb would not remain King and that Caryssa and Stannis would be Queen in the North and King of the South?
Even if the worst should happen, and Robb fell in battle, she would still not be considered the next ruler of the Northern kingdom. Little Bran was next-in-line and Rickon after him. The she-wolf was a reluctant princess as it was, she had no desire to rule. Neither did Robb, but he had the title forced upon him. He couldn't have refused his lords. He would have lost his army and they would have lost any hope of saving their sisters from the capital.
The witch was wrong.
Robb would win this war for their family, she knew it in her heart.
"Your brother has done well in the war so far."
Caryssa spun on her heel and turned to face the priestess. Dacey had gone to organize her men for their next departure, so Caryssa was alone in the room, with only Rhaenyra for company. The direwolf growled at their guest, the hackles of the wolf raised and her teeth were bared, but the red woman simply smiled in amusement. Grown men had cowered in fear at Rhaenyra's display, a couple had even wept in fear of either Rhaenyra or Grey Wind, but not the priestess.
The princess clicked her fingers, her four-legged companion withdrew to her side, but remained silent. Caryssa did not want to engage the woman, but it was clear that she had sought her out for a reason.
"Even you must know that every man's luck runs out eventually. Your lord father's certainly did."
"My father was murdered by the bastard boy sitting on the Iron Throne. It had nothing to do with luck. He was murdered because he knew the truth," Caryssa sniped, though Melisandre's expression did not change. "My house will not fall."
"I spoke nothing of your house," The priestess' eyes drifted over Ryssa knowingly, their gaze unsettling her and her wolf, who twitched nervously at her side. Caryssa rubbed the spot between Rhaenrya's ears, trying to comfort her so that she wouldn't…misbehave. Melisandre strolled further into the room, perfectly at ease, even with the large uneasy animal between her and the young woman she was speaking with. "Your Gods care little for the lives of men. Squire, knight, king or slave, they will take his life all the same."
Caryssa bowed her head, her eyes squeezing closed as she felt her heart clench at the thought of losing her brother. That was what the woman was saying in her roundabout way, she knew. The woman had 'foreseen' the fall of her brother.
It wouldn't happen.
This was a war, Ryssa knew, and men were dropping like autumn leaves, but not her brother. Not Robb. She couldn't allow that to happen. Caryssa would battle the Warrior himself, all of the Gods, if it meant her brother would survive this war.
With that renewed sense of determination, the she-wolf lifted her head, her blue eyes as hard as steel as they connected with the fiery gaze of Melisandre.
"If what you say is true, I will not allow it to come to pass."
"We have little choice in the paths the Lord of the Light sets before us. We simply must walk them and discover our fate." Her eyes had softened, she was trying to be kind, Caryssa saw, but it was not a kindness to tell a woman that she had no say in her life nor that she could not protect her brother from a terrible end.
"I decide my own fate."
Thankfully, Caryssa was saved from the witch as Ser Davos and Dacey arrived to inform them both that the King Stannis and his fleet were ready to depart.
Melisandre was not joining them below deck, so the Stark princess was saved from the woman's unnerving gaze, her knowing smirks and what other horrible predictions the witch could unleash upon her.
What exactly the priestess thought she knew about Caryssa, the princess did not know, but it made her blood boil that she would presume to know what the daughter of Eddard Stark was really capable of. Her brother would live, or Ryssa would save him.
She would or she would die alongside him.
She would not live in a world without her brother. She could not live in a world without half her soul.
She did not want to.
Following Stannis onto his ship, she was sequestered in the King's cabin upon Stannis' request as he deemed it safer for her below deck. Caryssa sat opposite Dacey, raking her fingers through Rhaenyra's fur as she watched as the she-bear sharpened her sword.
It reminded her of when she would sit at her father's side on the logs in front of the weirwood tree in the Godswood. He would sharpen his sword and she would read to him from one of the books Maester Luwin had borrowed to her for the day. Mostly, they sat in silence, just enjoying each other's company.
Those were the only moments of peace that Caryssa could remember from her childhood. Everything else was loud and filled with the rambunctious laughter of her siblings, which wasn't a bad thing, but sometimes she had needed the quiet and her father would take her to the Godswood.
It hurt her more than she thought it would just to feel that sense of familiarity.
"That woman…what she said," Dacey sighed, placing her sword to one side and setting her full focus on her charge. "It cannot be true."
Caryssa did not bother to hide her worry from her friend, her fear.
"They say the Red Priests and Priestesses of R'hllor can see into the future by staring into fire and she believes what the flames told her, to her very soul, I saw it in her eyes," Caryssa took the she-bear's hand in her own, grasping it tightly. "We cannot let it come to pass. You must promise me to do everything in your power to keep Robb alive."
"I swore your brother an oath to live, fight and die at his side if it comes to that. I won't break that promise."
There was no denying the sincerity in Dacey's words, or her face, and Caryssa didn't doubt them either. She trusted Dacey, more than anyone outside of her family, and she knew that the older woman harbored some feelings towards her brother. If he was not already sworn to some faceless, nameless Frey girl, she would have been more than happy to call the Mormont woman her good-sister someday.
Just another future that would never come to pass. The only gods that Caryssa believed in were the Old Gods. She didn't believe there was a 'Lord of the Light' and that he demanded sacrifices. No God could be so cruel.
Melisandre was a false prophet and Robb would be as fine as a King could be in times like these.
She hoped.
The ride to Renly's camp was spent discussing terms with Stannis. It was not easy. Where Caryssa had been able to persuade King Robert to see reason because of how resemblance to her late aunt, Stannis had not shared his brother's love for Lyanna Stark, or even Ned Stark, and he was a lot more difficult to negotiate with. Especially with his priestess at his side. Melisandre made things a lot more difficult, and uncomfortable, for Caryssa while in talks with the king.
Caryssa did find herself to be a good at it though, potentially securing Robb the North and all the lands above the Neck.
They also discussed cementing their alliance with a marriage between their houses. The princess Shireen was of an age with her little brother, Rickon, and wars were often won with marriages, or so she'd heard it said.
It made her feel like such a hypocrite as she all but sold her little brother like livestock, having berated her mother and brother for doing the same to Arya. The only difference, she reminded herself, was that Arya had absolutely no desire to be some lord's lady wife, but Rickon did want to be a lord, like Father, with a wife, even if he was too young to know what that would mean. She understood Robb and Mother's reasoning a little better now, even if she did hate it still.
They discussed what would be done after Stannis' ascension to the throne on the occasion of future conflicts. She was sure that should the South call the North for aid, if the cause was just, the North would answer as it had always done during Robert's reign.
The pair of them, she-wolf princess and stag king, almost had all of the details of their proposed alliance sorted through and decided, and Caryssa felt proud of herself for securing the alliance her brother sorely needed. Especially as it meant they did not need to get into bed with Balon Greyjoy.
Now, as long as her mother had managed to convince Renly to stop his foolery and renounce his claim, to support his brother, they could defeat the Lannisters almost too easily. In theory, anyway.
Stannis' small group of soldiers, advisors and his Northern guests met Renly's retinue, which included her mother, on a hill, and the tension was palpable in the air. The princess knew that these negotiations would not go as smoothly as others had.
Catelyn wasn't surprised to see her daughter riding beside the king as they reached the meeting point, but she was surprised that Stannis hadn't insisted on Rhaenyra being caged or left behind. Not many people outside of the North took well to the direwolves' presence – grown men were often left uneasy by the giant animals, yet the wolf was where she could always be found, beside her mistress.
It took the breath out of the older woman's body to see her daughter look almost royal in her riding garb, at the head of the king's men. It was a sight that reminded Catelyn that her eldest child had actually grown into a woman and it was almost painful for her to acknowledge it. Her son was a king and her daughter was a married woman negotiating with a different king. How times had changed from when her babes were in fact just that.
'She looks like Lyanna did at the tourney at Harrenhall,' Catelyn mused, the image of her deceased good-sister and Caryssa seemingly merging into one.
It was her eyes.
Though Caryssa's eyes were Tully blue, like her own, Catelyn could see Lyanna's iron will in her mirror image. The wolf's blood, Ned had called it; it flowed through her daughter, just as it had Ned's sister. Just like it did Arya. It was a steely determination that could give even the fiercest warrior reason to pause.
Clearly, King Stannis had seen it too as he had not sent the young woman from his side. Her daughter, perhaps, had struck an alliance with the stubborn Stormlander, just as Robb had predicted she would.
Seeing Caryssa in such a way reminded Catelyn of Ned too. People had respected Ned, as Lord of Winterfell, as a soldier, or just as a man, and Catelyn thought that was what she saw in Stannis' eyes when he briefly glanced at the young woman on his left.
Gods be good, this meeting would go well and they would be able to return to Robb with pleasant news.
Gods be good.
Caryssa nodded once to her mother in greeting, who gave her a brief, but relieved, smile in return, before her eyes lapsed onto King Renly.
He wore polished golden armor and a crown of gilded stag horns that made the she-wolf want to roll her eyes. All of his men were dressed too finely for soldiers expecting to see battle, too extravagant for their king to be taking this war seriously.
It made her see that her opinion was most likely to be the correct one. Stannis would make the better king of six kingdoms, because he would not see it as a game. Renly…Renly would be beloved of the people, but he would lack the stomach for the hard decisions that would certainly come with the crown. It meant more than just a pretty accessory atop his head and a special chair to sit on. The crown, the throne, were a commitment to his people, symbols of the oath he would make to them and Ryssa didn't believe that the youngest Baratheon fully understood that.
Having the title, the crown and sitting on that iron seat would not make him a good king. It hadn't for Aerys Targaryen, or for King Robert.
Yet, the young princess bowed her head in deference all the same, falling back on Septa Mordane's etiquette lessons in an uncomfortable situation.
"Lady Lannister, I had not thought to see you in the Stormlands." Renly greeted, and Caryssa gave him a small smile.
"I had never been and it is just as beautiful as the late king told me. His Grace's friendship meant a great deal to me, and it is for him that I am here to offer my aid to you both in the hopes you can reconcile your differences and we can all continue from here in friendship."
Renly seemed placated and pleased by her answer, so turned his attentions to his brother.
"Is that really you?"
"Who else might it be?" Stannis answered, and Caryssa felt as though she already knew how this meet would go just from their initial interaction.
"Well, when I saw your standard I couldn't be sure? Whose banner is that?"
"My own."
Caryssa had asked Ser Davos about that herself when she had seen it. A crowned black stag placed in the center of a red heart surrounded by yellow flames on a field of white. It was the new banner for House Baratheon of Dragonstone, Ser Davos had told her, and she supposed that the house had splintered into three different vassals now; House Baratheon of the Crownlands, House Baratheon of the Stormlands and House Baratheon of Dragonstone.
It made Caryssa wonder how their father would have felt if he could have seen this. If it were her brothers? Ned Stark would be heartbroken to see that his sons were at war with each other and his house had been splintered. 'The lone wolf dies but the pack survives,' he had always told her, another nugget of wisdom he shared to all his children.
"Suppose if we use the same one, the battle would be terribly confusing," Renly considered, a playful smile on his lips that let everyone know that he was not taking this as seriously as he should. "Why is your stag on fire?"
"The King has taken for his sigil the fiery heart of the Lord of the Light." Melisandre informed him, which did absolutely nothing to wipe the amusement from the younger Baratheon's face.
The young she-wolf herself did not particularly understand Stannis' sudden conversion of religion, but she would not mock another of a different faith for their beliefs.
"Ah, you must be this fire priestess we hear so much about. Oh, brother, now I understand why you found religion in your old age." Renly mocked, and Caryssa glanced at the king at her side, and saw him tense at the implication.
"Watch yourself, Renly." Stannis warned, his voice sharp and in no way indicating that he was in a playful mood.
This did not stop his brother from continuing his childish ribbing.
"No, no, I'm relieved. I never really believed you were a fanatic. Charmless, rigid, a bore, yes, but not a godly man."
"You should kneel before your brother," Melisandre stated, and, for once, Caryssa agreed. Renly had the men, but not the correct temperament for king. "He's the Lord's chosen. Born amidst salt and smoke."
Even Caryssa had to hold back a wince at that. Renly was already not taking them seriously, so why would she push the religion aspect?
"Born amidst salt and smoke? Is he a ham?" Renly teased, and this time Caryssa could not hold her tongue.
"King or not, he is your elder brother, you should show him some respect."
"My daughter is right. Listen to yourselves! If you were sons of mine, I would knock your heads together and lock you in a bedchamber until you remember you are brothers." Catelyn added, and Caryssa was grateful for the support as technically she had spoken out of turn and, in her experience, not many men enjoyed being berated by women.
"We all share a common enemy and that fact alone should be enough to unite us," Caryssa urged, hoping that reminding them of the Lannisters, who actually held the Iron Throne, would put an end to the childish squabbling. Even her brothers, who were much younger than either of these men, never fought as pathetically as this. "They want us to fight amongst ourselves."
"The Iron Throne is mine. By right. All those that deny that are my foes."
The smile fell from Renly's face.
"The whole realm denies it, from Dorn to the Wall. Old men den it with their death rattle and unborn children deny it in their mothers' wombs," Renly seethed, surprising everyone with the venom in his tone. Perhaps he cared more for his brother than he acted, and being labeled 'foe' hurt him more than he would admit. "No one wants you for their king. You never wanted any friends, brother, but a man without friends is a man without power."
It was that moment that made Caryssa felt like climbing down from her horse to fall to her knees so she could smack her head bloody against the ground in her frustration. Renly may have many friends, but they would not give him power. Why could he not see that the Tyrells would only use him to get more power for themselves, and that he had become nothing more than a puppet in their schemes. The whole realm knew how far the Tyrells reached and that they wanted to reach ever higher. It was no secret; so why did Renly allow it?
Then she remembered, her eyes drifting behind the young would-be king to the lord in the flowery armor.
For love. He did it for love.
"For the sake of the mother who bore us, I will give you this one night to reconsider. Strike you banners, come to me before dawn and I will grant you your old seat in the council. Lady Stark here has also negotiated for you to keep Storm's End and I will even name you my heir until a son is born to me," Stannis delivered his terms just as he and Caryssa had discussed, though the Northern girl was surprised that she had actually been listened to. He was a king, though one of many nowadays, and he did not have to take the advice of a nineteen-year-old woman who had no experience with wars. "Otherwise, I will destroy you."
If it had been her, Caryssa would have taken the threat seriously. Stannis had fought battles and a war when he was still young enough to be considered a boy. He knew how to command an army; Renly did not. He was not a warrior or even a fighter; he didn't even participate in tourneys. He was no leader and he had to know that.
And yet he appeared unfazed.
"Look across those fields, brother," They all glanced over the thousands of men that were amassed over the hill. The reports of Renly's hundred thousand strong army appeared to be true. "Can you see all those banners?"
"You think a few bolts of cloth will make you king?" Stannis questioned his younger brother incredulously.
Numbers won battles. That was what she knew. Stannis was a great war commander, she knew that too, but even he could not best an army of one hundred thousand men on the field of battle with the force that he had. It made Caryssa wonder what back-up plan the older king had in place for when these negotiations failed, because they would. She had hoped that Renly would be more reasonable, but she could see that she had been wrong.
"No. The men holding those bolts of cloth will make me king."
"We shall see, Renly," Stannis retorted, nudging his horse forward a little, obviously preparing to leave. "Come the dawn, we shall see."
The King began to ride away, most of his party, including Ser Davos, following closely behind. Only Melisandre and Caryssa, with Dacey and her men, tarried for a moment longer.
"Look to your sins, Lord Renly, for the night is dark and full of terrors." Melisandre warned, her words saying more than she actually had. It was a threat, Caryssa could see, and she looked towards her mother wondering if she had heard it too.
With her eyes, she begged her mother to be safe, but her words were for her once friend.
"I did my best to foster peace between you and your brother, Your Grace." Caryssa spoke, but only once Lady Melisandre had ridden away towards the King, who waited for her at the bottom of the hill.
"And I am grateful for your efforts, my lady. You always were kind to me during your time in the capital. It is a shame that we meet again in such circumstances." Renly offered, his tone more cheerful, like how it had been at the beginning of their meeting. He was being far more friendly towards her, and she was happy for it. Her quarrel was not with any Baratheon, except the boy pretending to be the son of King Robert.
"For the sake of our friendship and your life, I would ask you to consider your brother's proposal. I would not wish to see you get hurt."
"I have an army of 100,000 men, my lady. That is not a fight Stannis can win."
"Battles have been won with worse odds. Please, just think on it."
Only when Renly nodded his assent, did Caryssa nod towards Dacey, indicating that they were leaving. With one last look at her mother, she pushed her horse into a light gallop in order to catch up to Stannis.
Negotiations had broken down and failed, but she hoped that Renly would see sense and come to his brother before dawn. She did not like to think about whatever it was that Melisandre would cook up to diminish his advantage against her chosen one.
Silently, as she rode beside the king once more, she sent up a prayer to the Mother to watch other Catelyn, knowing that they were both in danger as they stayed in the two different camps.
Gods, she hoped Renly would put an end to this madness.
Only tomorrow would tell if the Gods would answer her prayers.
It was just before dusk when Caryssa was summoned to Stannis' tent, and she did not go alone. Dacey, a couple guards and Rhaenyra accompanied her. The soldiers were antsy with anticipation as she passed them.
She swept into the room, just as Ser Davos was leaving it, and only the King remained inside, so she nodded to Dacey and indicated for the woman and the guards to stay outside the tent. Rhaenyra would be protection enough should she need it, which she doubted she would.
"You wished to see me."
Stannis turned to her, having been studying his battle plans, and nodded stiffly, gesturing for her to take a seat.
"You claim that your brother doesn't want to be King of the Seven Kingdoms."
"I do." Caryssa replied simply.
"You swear it."
"By the Old Gods and the New. My brother has no interest in the Iron Throne. We simply want Northern independence and to avenger our father."
They stared at each other for a long time, both trying to gauge what the other person was thinking, where they both stood in the situation, both struggling to get a read on the other. They were similar that way; when they wanted to be, they were an open book, but if they did not want anyone to know what they were thinking or feeling, their faces were blanker than a fresh canvas.
Finally, Stannis broke the silence.
"You remind me of your father. He was a good man and a good soldier, but most of all, he was honorable and loyal. You could have ridden off with my brother, but you stayed at my side, even though you probably liked him better."
No one every compared her to her father before he died. It was always her Aunt Lyanna. Now that Ned Stark was dead, all she ever heard was how alike they were as father and daughter. It hurt. It was like little knives stabbing into her chest over and over anytime someone mentioned his name, but it was nice too. In a way, it reminded her that her father was not gone, because she carried a piece of him within her and that would never die.
"The capital is a cesspit of liars and murderers and traitors, but your brother was always kind to me and I will always be grateful for that. But," Caryssa paused, searching for the right words. "I know who my father would have given his allegiance to and who I believe would be better for the realm, and I don't think that man is Renly. Your brother is a good man, but I do not believe that he will be the king the realm needs."
There was another pause as Stannis mulled over her words, the pair of them watching as Rhaenyra took a slow trot around the tent until making her way back to her master, before he nodded.
"I'm sending you back to your brother. Tell him that once my battle with Renly is done, he can have all the lands above Moat Caitlin and call himself King in the North," Stannis stated, and Caryssa felt hope swell inside her. She had been successful and negotiated an alliance with the most stubborn Baratheon of them all, the uncompromising war commander. "Provided he swear me an oath of fealty."
"And what kind of oath would this be?"
"The same oath that your father swore to my brother eighteen years ago."
Caryssa knew the words her father had sworn to Robert, she knew how heavy they had weighed on him when deciding on whether to become his Hand of the King or not, and she wondered if they would weigh just as heavily upon her brother.
She would help him shoulder that burden if she must.
"And in return for my brother's loyalty?" Caryssa questioned, it was important that she took all the facts back to Robb.
"Once I have destroyed my brother and taken control of his forces, Stark and Baratheon will battle together once more to defeat our enemies."
Caryssa nodded, a smile spreading across her lips at the thought of that little lion pissing himself as the combined might of the North and the Stormlands stormed the Red Keep to take his head and his throne.
"And Joffrey Baratheon will lose his head, you will have your throne and my family can finally return home," Caryssa rose to her feet, clicking her fingers to summon her direwolf, who had taken to sniffing around the tent. It had surprised her when Stannis had not said a thing about the wolf who seemed to think she had every right to wander the king's tent as though she owned it, but had had said nothing. "I will leave before nightfall. My king will be pleased with the news. It was an honor, Your Grace."
"Safe travels…princess."
Caryssa grinned and strode out towards Dacey and her men, who looked at her strangely. It took her a moment to realize that it had been a long time since she had smiled and had it been genuine, and when she did it began to feel foreign on her face.
Dacey stepped towards her as her smile fell.
"What does the king say?"
"Once Renly is dead in the morning, we will have an alliance. Robb and Stannis will meet and discuss the terms set," Caryssa informed them, as they walked towards the tents they had brought with them. Caryssa looked towards one of the Mormont soldiers. "Saddle the horses, I want to leave before nightfall. The sooner we are back in our own camp, the better."
"Yes, princess."
She wouldn't relax until she was back with her brother, with his armies and men she trusted.
She probably wouldn't even relax then.
A/N:
Hey guys!
I'm baaaaaaaaack!
I know that it has been a ridiculously long time since I updated this story on this site, or on AO3, but Season 5 of Game of Thrones really did just suck all the enjoyment out of writing for their fandom for me. I didn't like a lot of what they did, especially Sansa's rape, and I was genuinely dissatisfied and unhappy with how I saw things going...until Season 6. Season 6 overall clawed back my respect. I still hate what they've done with Dorne, but the wolves are in Winterfell again, Daenerys is heading to Westeros, Tyrion is Hand of the Queen, they've confirmed the R+L=J theory...I'm pretty pleased with how things turned out for my faves in general, so I refound my love for GoT and had to start writing.
So anyway, I want to say a massive thank you to all of those who have left a review since the last time I posted;
EMILCE CULLEN-VULTURI, Sparky She-Demon, Bella-swan11, lisamariem, 19irene96, jaz7, XxXLIFEafterDEATHXxX, LycanBecks, Courtenae727, funwithstark, nattiebug9, robeccaluagnaphaya97, ToshimiOkami, SarcasticEnigma, ano9478, ForTheWriting, CarpeDiemFreak, Irishmadhatter3, simnal, klandgraf2007, Guest (1), .792, nessapasimio9, HPuni101, Goddessofwomen, Sam, antica, Guest (2), Raging Raven, and last but not least, gr8rockstarrox.
Thank you guys so much for all the love and support and for sticking with the story even when I thought I wasn't going to. Thank you to everyone who favourited and followed even though it wasn't getting updated as well.
So stuff happened and I don't know if I like this chapter or not, but mostly, I'm just excited to be back and writing and actually passionate about it even if I am unsure. It's a good feeling.
I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and please don't forget to review. Reviews are my life-blood.
I love you guys,
S. A. L. Stratton.
P.S. LONG LIVE THE KING IN THE NORTH! Fuck yeah, Jon Snow!