The sun had not risen yet, but Stannis Baratheon was already up, fully dressed, and ready to go meet his younger brother. He walked out of his tent, greeted soldiers and walked to his wife's one. He nodded at the servants and moved the flaps away to get in. He stopped right in his tracks when he discovered Shireen asleep in Margaery's arms. The future queen was looking at her daughter-in-law, a smile roving on her lips, her hand stroking her hair gently. Stannis walked to her bed: she turned to him with a surprised look and smiled when she saw him.

"Hello", she said.

He sat by her side and pecked her lips quickly:

"I need your advice."

She raised an eyebrow and whispered:

"Mine?"

She didn't want to wake Shireen up. Stannis glanced at her daughter peacefully asleep and nodded. Margaery was quite surprised: she thought he would ask Davos, or the Red Woman. She was just a teenager, not a grown woman. What advice could she give to a future king?

"You are my wife", Stannis whispered in turn. "I trust you. What shall I do with Renly?"

"Renly?"

She was more and more confused.

"What do you mean?" she asked again.

His eyes locked hers and he simply said:

"Shall I kill him, if I must?"

"Kill your brother?" she gasped slightly.

"What if he doesn't want to surrender? I don't want a battle. I need my men for a greater enemy than my own brother. The Red Woman said…"

"You shouldn't trust her", she interrupted him. She bit her lip and looked down: "Sorry."

"Go ahead", he encouraged her.

"I don't trust her. She scares me. Please, your Grace, don't go that far. If you have to fight, fight him. With your army. But, murdering him would be… unforgivable. By you, and by the Gods."

For a moment, he just stared at her and she stared back, not smiling. She was serious. She didn't mention herself among the ones who would not forgive him that, but she thought so. Stannis despised Jaime Lannister for killing his king and he wouldn't mind killing his brother? That didn't make any sense. After a long moment, he nodded and kissed her again:

"Get some rest"

He stood up but she grabbed his hand:

"I want to be there"

"No. It's not your place", Stannis firmly said.

"But it's Melisandre's?" Margaery bitterly pointed out.

He looked down at her and nodded:

"Yes. It is."

He quite brutally freed himself from her grip and left without a word. Margaery felt tears filling her eyes; she huddled up against Shireen and stared at the white fabric of her tent, moving with the wind.

Stannis left back to his tent, where Davos was waiting for him, examining the map of Westeros.

"Ser Davos", Stannis greeted.

"Your Grace", Davos bowed.

He stood by his side, watching at the map too, at the different military forces in Westeros.

"Robb Stark has defeated the Lannisters and has captured the Kingslayer", Davos said, showing the wooden wolves standing on the map.

Stannis held back an admiring whistle.

"Your Grace, there is something else", Davos said again. Stannis gave him an inquiring look. "Catelyn Stark is seeking alliances. She is with Renly right now. If you defeat him, you'll have Robb Stark."

His eyes were sparkling with excitation. Stannis didn't react but he knew that, with Robb Stark by his side, he would have great chances to win. But the Young Wolf wanted to be king in the North and Stannis didn't want to divide his realm. He simply nodded and said:

"Get ready, Ser Davos."

Davos bowed again and walked out of his tent, leaving alone a thoughtful king.

Renly Baratheon was in his tent, dressing up with Brienne's help. He was grave and pale. He joined his escort and Catelyn Stark, got on his horse and rode to his brother's camp. They had to meet by the sea. Renly was confident, almost smiling as he rode there. But his smile faded away when he saw Stannis's army. There were much more men than what his scouts had told him. Idiots, he thought. But it was too late now. He could see Stannis riding to the meeting's place, with this Red woman and his Onion knight. They stopped close to each other and glared for a moment.

"So. I heard you besieged my castle", Renly told Stannis.

He clenched his jaw: typical Renly.

"Storm's End should have been mine. As the Iron Throne is. You cannot deny that, brother."

Renly smiled:

"No one wants you as a King, Stannis. You have no friends, you inspire no loyalty, no love. How can you hope winning a war without allies?"

"I have the Tyrells", Stannis retorted, his fingers clenching on his horse's rein.

"I saw that", Renly said again, keeping his stupid smile.

"You are outnumbered, and I do not want to see a massacre", Stannis calmly replied.

Renly laughed:

"But my soldiers are way more loyal to me than yours are to you, brother."

Davos suddenly turned to Stannis's camp and shouted:

"Soldiers, who is your king?"

From the camp, Renly saw thousands of men rising and, with a same voice, they shout back:

"Stannis! Stannis! Stannis!"

The noise was deafening, the horses startled. Renly lost his smile, Stannis smirked.

"No loyalty? No love?", Davos groaned.

Stannis glanced at him and he stayed silent.

"What's that banner?" Renly asked suddenly.

"I got my own. A stag on fire, in a red heart", Stannis stated.

"The heart of the Lord of Light", Melisandre precised.

Renly glared at her and Stannis said again, looking at Catelyn:

"I am the rightful king. Your husband knew it, Lady Stark. He supported me. Now, Renly, I give you this night. Tomorrow, come to me, bend the knee and I will give you your siege back at the Council. Or I'll fight you and I'll destroy you. Your choice."

Stannis slightly nodded at Catelyn and rode back to his camp, followed by Melisandre and Davos. When he came back, his soldiers acclaimed him. Margaery was standing in front of his tent, waiting. How he wished Renly heard them.

He did hear. He closed his eyes hearing their shouts as he rode back to his castle. Brienne was following him everywhere, and he would have liked to be alone, to think about what he was going to do. He thought about surrendering: Stannis had more men, and was a better commander. He had to admit it. The youngest of the Baratheons had never won a war, never won a battle. He sighed and kept thinking about the different solutions he had. His men believed in him, he could not disappoint them. When dawn came, he did not leave to Stannis's camp.

Stannis had to come to him, and fight.