Month 8 284
(Stannis)
"You what?" I asked my brother, the King.
The King glared at me. "While you were letting the dragon-spawn escape, I arranged a betrothal to make peace with the Reach Lords." He took a large bite out of his turkey leg, chewed in silence as I stared across the table from him. He seemed to calm down after a swig of his wine. We were having our fare in his quarters in the Red Keep.
I had seen warrior Kings like this before. Seen them rise and fall. Men like him were easy to fool. Too sure of themselves to ever learn from their mistakes, much less admit them. They let others push them around because they are too stupid to see the shoves.
"You killed half male lines of a hundred noble houses in a single battle despite being outnumbered thirty to one. I'm proud of you for that. I had doubts about you as a child, but you put them to rest. You are Baratheon though and though. You left me with a problem though. Other than the Tyrells, only one house in the Reach can claim any male heirs and have ancestry back to the old kings of the Reach."
I continued to stare at him silence.
He stared back.
I am sure he meant for me to ask who, but I had already heard this idiocy from his mouth moments before.
The Florents.
"I refuse." I said calmly. I cut my lamb slowly and and savored every bit.
You get so sick of horse and onions.
A tinge of pink had entered his cheeks.
"Why do you refuse your King?" he inquired.
The calm before the storm.
"Because its a stupid decision." I continued before the storm could come to a down-pour. "The Florents greased some palms with gold and made some big claims, everyone does once in awhile. They then spread some more gold to get a few members of your court to come and make a few statements in the right people's ears. These people then brought it up to Lord Arryn over and over, offering gift after gift. Eventually what was started with a golden rumor became fact. Everyone knows that if all the Lords are speaking it, it must be true. When Lord Arryn brings it to you, believing with all his heart that something must be done, you trust his word. Marry off your brother to them or the whole Reach will rebel he tells you the golden lie." I finished and watched the show begin.
His face went from red to a royal purple. He stood up and over-turned his chair as he rose. His fists clenched as he saw the deception unfold in his mind's eye.
Those copper counting lying traitors buying lies in his court! Trying to trick him out of his own brother.
He stormed out the door of his dining room ready to strangle them all.
He was too stupid to see the shove I gave him.
I was alone with a delicious meal.
I smiled.
Idiot brothers.
Feels like old times.