Stannis looked up as he heard the wooden door swing open. His eyes widened as he saw the sight in front of him. A moment of relief rushed through his body at the sight of his daughter. Contrary to popular belief; Stannis was not a cold man all the time. He watched as his eldest daughter moved over to him, her hands laced together as she did so.
"Father," she greeted him, kissing him on the cheek.
Stannis wrapped his hands around her upper arms, his hold slightly too tight around her small frame. She squirmed for a moment before relaxing. Stannis looked her up and down. Her blue gown had been ripped in some places and her cloak had become dirtied at the bottom.
"Did they hurt you?" Stannis asked from Sarah, his voice tight and stern. "I need you to tell me if they hurt you."
"Who?" Sarah wondered from him. "No one has harmed me father. I would have come earlier, but Jaime Lannister refused to let me go."
"Damn the Kingslayer," Stannis mumbled.
"Who was supposed to hurt me?" Sarah wondered.
She looked around the room that her father considered as his place for working. The vast table took up most of the room. Sarah couldn't deny that the table was a thing of beauty. It was large and showed the Seven Kingdoms on it, bumps and dents marking each ones territory. She thought that this room was one of the brightest in the castle for a wall at the far end was missing and simple led onto a vast balcony.
"The Lannisters," Stannis whispered to her.
He found that he was always whispering nowadays. The news of Jon Arryn's death had shaken him. It had moved him into action. Stannis was now more concerned with keeping himself hidden so that no one found him.
Varys had told him enough. The eunuch had told him that people knew what he had been searching. Ever since then Stannis had feared that the Queen would attempt to keep his daughter hostage so that Stannis did not attempt to harm her.
Thankfully she was safe on Dragonstone and away from the King.
"Why would the Lannisters harm me?" Sarah wondered. "Surely the King would not-"
"-The King is a giant fool," Stannis interrupted his daughter, releasing her from his hold. He moved to stand at the foot of his table before looking down at it. The sculpture of King's Landing came into his view and a moment of anger boiled up inside of him. He had to act soon enough.
"Father," Sarah whispered, a moment of meekness coming over her as she saw him so enraged. "Why did you bring me home? What is happening?"
Stannis inhaled sharply as she questioned him. He moved his gaze back up to look at his daughter, wondering if he should tell her the tale. He supposed it couldn't do anymore damage. Sarah would spend the rest of her time with Shireen and not tell anyone.
"I suspect it will soon be common knowledge," Stannis said through gritted teeth. "You should take a seat, Sarah."
His daughter slowly moved over to the chair by her father's right hand side. She pulled it out and sat down. Stannis sat at the head of the table, pouring a goblet of wine for himself. He pressed it to his lips and felt the sweetness of the wine flow down his throat.
"I assume you heard about Jon Arryn's death?" Stannis checked with his daughter.
"I heard something mentioned," Sarah nodded in agreement with her father. "What about it?"
"He was murdered. I am sure of that," Stannis said. The Lord of Dragonstone had been keeping tabs on everything he had heard from the capital. Eddard Stark was on his way to King's Landing to serve as the Hand of the King. Stannis only wondered how long this Hand would last.
"By the Lannisters?" Sarah dared to ask her father.
"Aye," Stannis nodded. "His death is the reason why I left. It is the reason why I had to bring you back here. You need to listen carefully, Sarah. You need to listen to me and not repeat this to anyone."
"What is it?" Sarah wondered, a tone of fear in her voice.
"I discovered that Robert's children are not his," Stannis said. "I looked at them for a long time, Sarah. I looked at their blonde hair and green eyes. They hold none of Robert's characteristics. I began to investigate with Jon Arryn. We knew that something was wrong."
Sarah's brows furrowed and she rested her hands on the table. She looked down to them, having a vague idea what her father was speaking of. She didn't really know what to think. His implications were strong. She could sense that much.
"The prince's and the princess are bastards?" she checked with him.
"Worse than that," he commented. "They are Jaime Lannisters bastards."
That was when Sarah felt her heart pounding against her chest. She took in his words and shook her head. Jaime's children. That would mean that he would have to lie with Cersei. How could he do that? She was his twin sister. Surely it was not possible.
"A product of incest cannot sit on the Iron Throne." Stannis informed his daughter.
She shook her head and raked a hand through her dark hair in an unladylike fashion. "Jaime? Are you sure of this?"
"Almost certain," Stannis gruffly replied. "Jon Arryn was murdered for what he knew. I had to go before anyone could find out about me."
"I assume you haven't told the King?" Sarah replied, her mind still reeling from the information.
She had sat with Jaime Lannister. She had spoken to him in kind tones towards the end. She had grown to know him during her journey. He had fought against her when she tried to escape. He'd held her as she sat on his horse.
"He wouldn't believe me," Stannis replied. "Besides, getting back to him would be difficult. He's sent me multiple ravens demanding you return to King's Landing. I heard of how your marriage was called off."
"Only until proven that I wasn't barren," Sarah said. "I didn't understand that, father. Why would someone make up a rumour like that?"
"I have thought on it for a long time," Stannis informed her. "I think it is the Queen's doing. She needed the marriage to be called off so that she could take you back to King's Landing. Once you're there then that is it. She has you and she knows that I would never act if your life was in her hands."
Everything seemed to be coming together at that moment in time. Sarah was slowly beginning to understand everything.
"But once it was shown that I was not barren then there would be a marriage again," Sarah said to her father.
Stannis nodded in agreement, clenching his fingers into his fists in a repeated motion. He too had found that bit to be rather odd. Saying nothing, Stannis moved to refill his cup whilst his daughter took a few moments to think. She had once read a story...but that was all it had been...a piece of fiction.
"Moon tea," Sarah suddenly whispered. "Can it cause a girl to become barren?"
Shrugging, Stannis leaned back in his seat and ground his teeth together.
"Possibly," he muttered to her. "I would not know. All that matters is that you are here now. You are here and know the truth."
"Yes," Sarah said, her voice quiet as she thought of everything she had just been told. The Kingslayer and the Queen. It sounded like a tragic book Sarah would read to her younger sister. "Do you intend to keep quiet about this? Surely the King has a right to know."
"I am thinking about this, Sarah," Stannis said. "Perhaps Eddard Stark will grow curious. He was close to Jon Arryn. It seems that too many of the Hands of the King ask questions. It never leads anywhere for their benefit."
"I see," Sarah replied in a soft voice.
"Who was it who helped you back here?" Stannis wondered, changing the topic of conversation. He had to think of something else for a few moments. He was turning obsessive and crazy at the thought of Jaime and Cersei.
"Beren," Sarah said. "He helped me to escape Winterfell. He has been loyal to Dragonstone."
"Aye, that he has," Stannis said; a small smirk on his face as he spoke. "I assume he'll want a Ser added to his name now."
A tug of Sarah's lips was enough to be considered as a sly smile as she looked to her father through her lashes. "I think that was his hope."
"Aye, that should do," Stannis said. "He has brought you home. Now, you should go to your mother. She would like for you to eat with her this evening."
"And you?" Sarah wondered as she stood up, pushing her chair back under the table as she looked to her father.
Stannis glanced back to his daughter, wondering if it was concern that he saw in her eyes. Never before had anyone been concerned for Stannis. It was not something that many people felt when they saw the Lord of Dragonstone.
"I will eat with Ser Davos," Stannis replied. "We have a lot to discuss."
"As you say," Sarah inclined her head.
She moved back to her father and bent down to peck him on the cheek again. Stannis watched as his daughter left the room and he looked across the table to Winterfell, his thoughts turning to Lord Eddard Stark.
...
"Sarah, this is Melisandre," Selyse spoke as she sat at her small table in her own quarters.
Sarah took a seat by her mother's side before turning to look at the Red Priestess. She had heard a lot regarding the Red Woman. She had never seen her before. Stannis had found it more apt to keep his girls away from her as he was cautious of her to begin with. But he was slowly growing to see her way of thinking. It was something that he doubted would ever happen.
"It is a pleasure to meet you," Sarah inclined her head.
"I have heard a lot about you, child," Melisandre said. "I prayed to the God of Light that he would bring you home safely."
"Melisandre and I spent a lot of time praying," Selyse said and she wondered if she could bring her daughter to her way of thinking. She had no time for Shireen. The girl was too young to appreciate Melisandre, yet Sarah was old enough to understand.
"I thank you for being so considerate to do so," Sarah replied and took a sip of water.
She could feel Melisandre's gaze on her. It was unsettling. The Red Woman was an exotic beauty, Sarah couldn't deny that. Her hair was the colour of copper and her eyes were bright and burning. Sarah didn't know how to feel under the stare of the Red Woman. She knew that Melisandre could be dangerous. She could sense that much.
"Your father is a great hero, Sarah Baratheon," Melisandre said. "I see his victory in the flames."
Doing her best not to scoff, Sarah turned to look at her mother.
"Where is Shireen?"
"Dining in her room," Selyse said; no hint of remorse in her voice as she spoke. Sarah was the one to wince, a motion which Melisandre picked up on. "Your sister is better off in there. She has her books and toys."
"I shall join her after the meal," Sarah informed her mother.
"I was hoping that you could take a walk with Melisandre and me," Selyse told her daughter. "I would like that very much."
"I promised Shireen that I would read to her," Sarah lied, doing her best to get out of a walk with her mother and the Red Priestess. Sarah wanted nothing more than to get away from the pair of them. "Perhaps tomorrow should suffice?"
"You care deeply for your sister," Melisandre spoke. "You are loyal to her. Your duty is your one defining feature."
"She is my sister," Sarah replied, still holding her goblet of water in her hands. "I consider it my duty to be there for her."
Melisandre took a moment to think before she stood up, seemingly in a world of her own. Selyse watched with wonder as the woman moved over to the small candle by the window. She looked into the flame and Selyse stood; her chair scraping against the floor as she pushed it back.
"What is it?" Selyse wondered. "What do you see?"
Sarah remained seated, daring to slowly pick at the chicken in front of her. She kept her eyes down and her mouth closed. It was not in her place to comment on this strange behaviour from the Priestess.
"The time will come when loyalty will be tested for you," Melisandre suddenly said, her eyes turning to Sarah. The young woman chewed and swallowed with haste. "A decision shall need to be made. A decision of who you fight for. I fear you will make the wrong decision. The decision that the Red God doesn't want."
Selyse pressed her hands to her mouth and Melisandre sat in her empty chair. The Red Woman turned to the side to look at Sarah, her orbs wide as she dared to pick up the girl's free hand.
"The Lord of Light wills for you to believe, Sarah Baratheon," she spoke. "He wants me to show you the right way."
"What are you talking about?" Sarah wondered. "I am on Dragonstone. I am loyal to my father."
Leaning back in her seat, Melisandre shook her head. "The Lord of Light showed me the sign of a lion. A stag in a lion's den. A difficult choice shall be on your shoulders soon, child. A decision that can change your father's fate, and the fate of others."
...
A/N: Thanks to everyone reading and to those who review! I do hope you'll let me know what you think so far!