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Pacing up and down, Stannis could not calm down. A letter from Catelyn Stark had just arrived. She told Stannis how Robb had been injured during a battle, how this Greyjoy boy had taken Winterfell and killed the last Starks there were. How Robb, learning about the treason of the one he saw as his brother and about the murder of his little brothers, had fallen in love with the girl who healed him, and married her. Married her! Stannis kicked a wooden chair, in front of Melisandre, calm as ever.
"Stupid boy", he groaned.
"I warned you, my Lord. I told you did not need Robb Stark, or Theon Greyjoy, or Renly. All you need is faith. Faith in R'hllor, in me, in yourself."
"Faith do not win wars. Soldiers do", he spat back.
"My King…"
"Silence!" he shouted at her.
The young wolf had gotten married with this girl, when he had to marry a Frey. Catelyn wrote it was okay, that Edmure, her brother, will replace Robb. Stannis snorted with the irony of the situation: did Catelyn really think the old Frey would forgive and forget about that insult? Did she know him so little? He took his head in his hands and stifled a yell, biting his fist. A yell of rage, of despair. These stupid Starks were going to ruin it all.
Margaery was walking by the sea, holding her brother's arms. All smile, she had just told him about the baby. Stannis wanted her to be cautious: she understood his reaction, after all the dead babies Selyse had, but she was so happy she wanted to tell everybody. And Loras was her brother, he had to be the first to know after Stannis. He looked overjoyed and right after, worried.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
Margaery smiled and kissed his cheek gently:
"I feel really good. Really, really good. So happy, and not tired at all. Maester Cressen says it is probably a boy."
"How can he know that?" Loras asked in a dubious way.
She shrugged: she didn't know and she didn't care. She felt it was a boy. She had no idea how or why, she just felt it. She looked around as they were walking: she had ended up loving Storm's End. She missed Highgarden of course but her new home was not so bad. Sometimes, the castle looked a bit gloomy – well, it was the Baratheon's place – but she loved its massive outer curtain wall, the sound of the sea at nights. She smiled at Loras and they stopped walking, leant on the wall and looked at the sea.
"How is Stannis with you?" she asked.
They never really talked about her husband. And Stannis never talked about her brother. Loras shrugged and ran a hand in his beautiful curly hair:
"As nice as he can be I suppose. But I don't care. He can be nasty with me, as long as he treats you well."
Margaery's smile broadened and she took his hand:
"He makes me very happy"
"Do you know when the baby will be born?" he asked with a smile.
She nodded:
"Around winter"
Loras sighed:
"Let's hope he won't be born during the real winter…"
Margaery nodded sadly and saw a crow flying to the tower. Dark wings, dark words. She suddenly had a weird feeling and she took Loras's hand, took him back inside. While they were rushing back in the tower, they did not see the ship which had dropped anchor as close as the sea would allow it.
Stannis was reading the letter, again and again and again. He was trying, hoping the words would be different if he read it a million times. But the words were the same. And they felt like a million stabs in his chest. The letter had been written hastily, he could see it. He was still holding it when Loras and Margaery came in. She noticed her husband's look and turned to Melisandre. The Red Priestess was smiling. Maybe her impression was wrong then, maybe those were good news. But Stannis looked as if he had seen a ghost: pale, his jaw clenched harder than ever. He turned to Margaery and, without a word, held the letter to her. She felt Loras behind her and they both read it.
"Robb Stark is dead. Catelyn is dead. She ordered Brienne of Tarth to take Jaime Lannister to King's landing so she would get her daughters back. They're all dead, they're all dead…" the young Queen read out loud.
Margaery gaped and turned to Stannis:
"What happened? No other news? Who killed them? When?"
Stannis glanced at Melisandre.
"I'm talking to you, Stannis. Not her", Margaery snapped.
"They were killed during Edmure Tully's wedding."
"During a wedding? How dare they?" Margaery whispered and sat down suddenly.
"It was Walder Frey. He did not forgive Robb for marrying another woman than his daughter. I knew he would never forgive that. He allied with the Lannisters. And now, Robb's army is destroyed", he sighed wearily.
Margaery came to him and embraced him. She looked at Melisandre:
"It's true", Melisandre nodded.
"All his men, all his bannermen…" Stannis said, as if he was talking to himself.
"No survivors at all?" Loras asked.
"A few. Edmure Tully is Frey's prisoner now. Bryden Tully survived. He sent the letter", he said, nodding at the piece of paper.
"We shall avenge them."
"My King", Margaery said, kneeling in front of him. "Send a message to the North. To those loyal to Robb. Say you were his ally, and that you'll avenge his death. Say you need all the men to join you. This massacre… This slaughter will unite the North behind you, and against Tywin Lannister."
Her eyes were sparkling with a weird glimpse and Stannis did not like that. She was almost…thrilled by the news. He stood up and walked to the door. He turned around to look at them, and stepped out: he bumped into someone and looked up.
"Your Grace", Davos said, recoiling.
"Ser Davos. You're late", Stannis coolly said.
"Sorry, your Grace. Sea was not helpful", the old smuggler retorts.
He glanced in the room and looked back at Stannis:
"What's going on?"
"We need to talk."
Melisandre walked to the door and Stannis glared at her:
"Alone"
He closed the door on him and Davos and he led him out.
At night, he was back in his commanding room and sat on the chair with a heavy sigh. He closed his eyes: the day had been long, tiring, and shitty for the most part. He started to drift off to sleep when hands on his shoulders made him startle. Oh, no, not again. Keeping his eyes shut, he groaned: "Go away". "Okay", he heard and realized it was Margaery. He grabbed her hand:
"No, no. Sorry. I thought it was Melisandre."
Her eyes turned from amused to dark and angry:
"Melisandre?"
Stannis did not know what to say and he just looked down.
"MELISANDRE?" Margaery yelled. "I am stroking your shoulder and you think it is this…whore?"
"Don't call her that", Stannis scowled at her.
"Why not? You prefer me to call her your lover? Your mistress?"
Stannis stood up and tried to take her in his arms but she pushed him away and dissolved into tears.
"You shag her?" she asked, crying.
"No… Of course not. You know me. I am not this kind of man."
She kept sobbing, walking away from him:
"Since you learned for the baby, you have not come to me. Not once."
"Maester Cressen said it could be dangerous. Margaery, please… I am not cheating on you. I… You're my wife. I… I…"
She knew what he wanted to say and it both amused and terrified her to see him stumbling on the words. What happened to the boy he was to be so afraid of love? Afraid of feeling it, afraid of telling it? She cupped her face and stared at him:
"I need to hear it. I need it."
He looked at her and shook his head:
"I can't. I'm sorry I can't."
He looked lost, scared. Something happened. Something else than Robb's murder. She knew him, he was right. She could feel when something was wrong.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Davos came back… He had a letter for me… The Night's Watch… They need help… Jeor Mormont is dead. His men mutinied. And there are the Wildlings trying to invade them, and the White Walkers. The White walkers are not a legend. They fought some of them. What shall I do? I can unite the North and take Casterly Rock. I can just ignore them, as all the others will do."
Her hands still on his cheeks, he looked at her, seeking desperately for an answer. She faintly smiled and said:
"You are not like the others. You are the best man I've ever known. You need to help these men. Because if the Wall falls, if the Night's Watch falls, we are all dead. All", she insisted, taking his hand and putting it on her belly.
He nodded slightly and she added:
"I am coming with you. I'm not letting Melisandre alone with you. When will you leave?"
"I need some time to assemble the greatest army possible. Send crows to the North, unite the Lords, explain them what is going on, and probably meet them all up there", Stannis said, firmly.
Margaery nodded and she slid her hand in his:
"But now, you need to sleep."
Because the night is dark and full of terrors, he could not help thinking and a violent shiver ran up and down his spine.