Thanks for the lovely reviews and the new followers! Hope you'll enjoy this chapter!
The letters to the Northerners were sent the following day. Stannis got the army ready: he did not take all of it. The rest of the army had to stay in Storm's End, and had to warn him of everything that was going on. He met Renly outside, by the big wall, watching at the ships getting ready.
"Ready to leave?" he asked Renly.
Renly turned to him and nodded slightly:
"What are you going to do about Brienne? I swear I did not tell her anything, I am not involved in the Kingslayer's escape."
"I know", Stannis sighed. "And I will not harm her. She can take the Kingslayer to King's Landing. I would not trust Cersei Lannister. I don't understand why Catelyn thought she would free her daughters in exchange of him."
"A mother's love is pretty blind, I guess", Renly shrugged.
Stannis turned to him, and leant by his side.
"Do you remember Mother?" he suddenly asked.
Renly gave him a surprised look: Stannis never talked about his parents. And he barely talked to Renly or Robert, anyways. His brother did not look back; he looked fascinated by the sea stretching in front of them, by the ships and the cries of the men who were organizing his fleet.
"Not at all", Renly answered. "You?" he hesitantly asked.
Stannis nodded slowly.
"How was she?" he asked again.
He wanted to know more about his parents. He was only 1 when they died. Stannis and Robert were already teenagers.
Stannis smiled softly:
"She was very beautiful and kind. She loved all of us a lot. Her hair was brown, but not as dark as ours, more like Margaery's. Her eyes were blue, very pale. She loved sewing and playing with us. She did not like when Robert and I were fighting, or training with swords. Father said we had to learn how to fight, but Mother hated it. She could not watch us. So, instead, she walked by the sea, or she left with her horse. She loved the sea, she loved sailing. She was a true kind woman, really loving and caring with Father and us. I remember how happy and surprised they were when she learnt she was having you. Not that they were old, but I think you were not expected. Robert and I were so excited, honestly. A new little brother for Robert and I stopped being the youngest one. Mother made us feel you moving in her womb, she was always smiling when we did it. She was always smiling basically. Then they left to find Rhaegar's bride, and, well you know how it ended… Father had told Mother to take you with them but Mother insisted that you stayed with us. We all found it weird back then but… Maybe she had an intuition or something, I don't know."
Renly had stared at his brother the whole time he was speaking. He kept staring at him when he said:
"Those are more words about them than you've spoken since I was born…"
Stannis did not look at him, he just shrugged and turned to go. Renly stood up and watched him walk away. He was almost at the door, going back inside, when Renly suddenly shouted:
"You'll be a bloody good king."
His hand on the handle, Stannis turned to him after a few seconds:
"I know."
When he opened the door, he was grinning broadly.
The first answers from the Northerners reached Storm's End after a few days: mostly positive, they were calling for revenge and for the heads of the Boltons, the Freys and the Greyjoys. They were also saying that Theon Greyjoy had taken Winterfell, and that his sister, Asha, told him to go back to the Iron Islands with her. He refused and stayed in Winterfell. The Boltons thought they were the most powerful house in the North now, and they would take Winterfell back. Stannis wanted to let them do. Let the Greyjoys and the Boltons kill each other. Fewer enemies for us, he told Davos and Renly, when they were reunited to talk about the battles to come. They agreed and Stannis read again the letters: the Manderlys, the Glovers, even the Mormonts were joining his forces around the Wall. He chose the most trustworthy men he had to answer them and Stannis then left to his ships to spend some time with his men. He was impatient: impatient to fight, impatient to actually do something to get the throne. Stannis spent a lot of time in Storm's End's library but he did not find anything about the White Walkers. Nothing useful, anyway. A servant came to tell him the dinner was ready and he looked up at him surprised: it was dark outside, but he had not realized it was that late. He closed the book he was reading and joined Margaery and Shireen upstairs. They were already eating, as well as Renly. He nodded at Renly and smiled at his wife and daughter. Margaery smiled back, Shireen too, but they looked worried and sad.
"Everything's okay?" Stannis asked as the servant was bringing him food.
Margaery nodded but Shireen stared at her father and said:
"I'm scared you might die at the Wall. Why do you have to go there?"
"Because it's my duty, as the King. Protector of the Realm, you do remember the titles, right?" Stannis answered.
Shireen nodded approving.
"But you could die…" she whispered sadly.
Margaery, by her side, stroked her hair gently and gave a knowing look at Stannis. For a moment, he remained silent: the Wall first. Then Winterfell, and so many battles before King's Landing were awaiting him.
"If I die, Renly will be the heir. He will take care of you."
Margaery closed his eyes and glared at him, as if it was precisely that kind of things she did not want him to say. Shireen gave her father a shocked look and mumbled:
"Can I leave? I'm not hungry anymore."
"Go ahead", Stannis said and the little girl left the room. Margaery glared again at him:
"Can't you be sweeter with her? She loves you, she doesn't want to see you die."
"I'm going at war. I'm going to fight the Wildlings, the Boltons, the Freys. Of course I might die. She needs to understand how the world works now. I'm a King, and I'm a commander. I can't let my men fight alone. I have always fought by their side. That's why they respect me, that's why they follow me."
He grabbed his glass and drank lengthily before putting it back on the table brutally. Margaery startled and Renly gave him a disapproving look. He looked back at him, then his eyes met Margaery's and he sighed:
"I am scared too. But I don't have a choice. We can't stay here forever, and if we don't go to war, war will come at us. We need to help the Night's Watch. It's our duty. I would be ashamed if I stayed here knowing what threatens them."
"I know", Margaery said. "I know."
She took his hand and her thumb stroked his fingers.
"Your Grace?" a servant hesitantly asked.
"Yes?"
"Ser Davos asks to be received."
Stannis frowned slightly and nodded: Davos came in, a piece of paper in his hand. Seeing his face, Stannis immediately knew those were no good news.
"Speak", he commanded.
"The Freys have besieged Riverrun. The Lannisters are going to join them."
"Does Blackfish have allies to help him?" Stannis asked.
Davos shook his head:
"Most of the other Lords have bent the knees in front of Joffrey."
Stannis held back a sigh: Bryden Tully was now an ally, and he could not leave him alone.
"How many are they?" he asked, looking at Davos.
"2,000 Freys and almost as many Lannisters."
Stannis's mind immediately started to count and to face any eventuality. Davos, Renly and Margaery remained silent: they knew they should not disturb him.
"How many men shall I send?" he asked Renly.
"How many can you send?" his brother asked back.
Stannis stood up and walked slowly around the table:
"We should hit hard. It's time to show Westeros how powerful we are, how great is our army and how brave are our men."
He stopped walking and turned to Renly:
"I give you 8,000 men."
Surprise could be seen on Renly's face. He looked at everyone in the room:
"Give me?"
Stannis nodded:
"Will you win this battle for me, brother?"
Davos and Margaery looked at each other: they both held back a delighted smile. They have waited for this for a long time. Davos had always feared that Stannis would never forgive his brother. But, somehow, was it really forgiveness or just a way to see if he was really loyal to him? 8,000 men were more than the double of the Freys. Maybe it was just a tempting cake to see if Renly would fight for his brother or fight for himself. Davos watched Renly standing up and getting closer from Stannis.
"I will", he firmly asserted, holding his hand at Stannis.
After a brief hesitation, he shook it firmly.
"Loras will go with you"
Margaery protested:
"Loras is a Kingsguard. He has to stay with the King."
"Loras will do what I command him to do. He'll go with Renly."
Margaery protested again:
"I want my brother to be with me. How long will the travel to Castleblack last? I'll probably give birth there! I need Loras!"
Stannis turned to her, as well as Renly and Davos. She had good arguments, but Loras was born to fight at wars. He needed to go to this battle.
"My army needs one of his most skilled warriors. Your brother is a warrior, not a maester. Riverrun is not that far, he'll meet us at the wall once they had freed Riverrun."
"But…" Margaery started but Stannis groaned.
"Stop questioning my orders. Go and say goodbye to him. We're leaving for Castleblack tomorrow."
Margaery bit her lower lip and rushed out of the room. Stannis did not even run after her: he had other problems to deal with.
"I'll talk to her later", he told Davos and Renly, before leading them to his commanding room and prepares the strategy of the attack on Riverrun.
Margaery walked back to her room her eyes red. She had cried a lot when she was with Loras, he had tried to solace her but it was useless. She was a bit reassured to know he would be by hers and Stannis's side at the Wall and now, her hopes had been crashed. When she opened the door, Stannis was here. On their bed, naked, he looked like he was waiting for her. She sniffled and wiped her tears away. Silently, she undid the laces of her dress and lied next to him. Margaery did not want to cause a fuss. As soon as she lied next to him, her husband put his hand on her belly and stroked it gently. She smiled, her eyes still tearful:
"I cannot feel him moving yet", she said.
"I know. I just want him to know I'm here", Stannis replied, looking up at her. His hand reached her face and he wiped away a lonely tear on her cheek. She faintly smiled.
"I have talked to Loras. He wants to fight at Riverrun", she said.
"He's a soldier", Stannis asserted. "I know you and your father want him to be otherwise but he'll never be. He is a soldier as Renly is a Lord, as you are a Queen, as Shireen is a princess", he smiled.
Margaery sighed, stroking Stannis's fingers:
"I know."
"He will win this battle, and all the others he will fight in. Do not worry for him."
She nodded and moved closer to him, burying her face in his neck, smelling his scent. Stannis stroked her back and her hair gently, enjoying her warm body against his. He wanted her, but Cressen had said it could be dangerous for her and the baby. Margaery stroked him too and she soon felt how excited he was. She ran her hand on his chest, his stomach and he recoiled when she took his shaft in her hand. She leant closer and whispered: "Let me pleasure you" in his ear. He did not even nod; he just held her tighter and gasped when she started stroking him and rubbing him. He sighed her name, closed his eyes, feeling her hair against his nose. It was tickling him slightly but it felt good, so good. Her palm had grabbed his cock firmly and was rubbing it up and down, there slowly, there quickly, alternating the pace wonderfully. He felt her thumb running on the tip, her hand releasing his cock and the sound of a finger licked. Then the grip started again, more firmly, more demanding. The movements sped up and he felt her nails digging into his skin, her short breath against his ear, her hot tongue sucking on his lobe as she was now rubbing him faster. He opened his eyes wide when he finally came, jolting his hot semen on her belly. She brushed his skin gently for a moment, until her strokes became lighter and lighter and ended up stopping. He looked at her: she had fallen asleep. He kissed her lips gently and slowly drifts off to sleep too.
A few days later, they were sailing to Eastwatch. Margaery did not leave her cabin, or seldom. She was very sick, barely could bear the movements of the sea. Shireen, her, was a true Baratheon. Standing at the bow of the ship, she looked happier than she had ever been. Davos and Stannis were looking at her, smiling slightly. They had left at the same time than Renly and Loras, and they hoped they would get to Riverrun safe. Winning the Tullys at their cause would be great: the family was ancient and highly respected. Stannis knew the Blackfish: he would never surrender. The journey to Castleblack was long and tiring. But they were lucky: the sea was calm, they did not face any storm, and the wind pushed them forward. Melisandre was praying a lot, but Stannis did not believe it was thanks to her God. They were just lucky. Once they reached Eastwatch, Margaery's belly had grown way bigger than when they left. She felt better too, but was happy to finally walk and not sail. Maester Cressen was going with them, just in case Margaery had a problem with the baby, or that they would stay longer than expected. Anyway, the child would be born in the North, for sure. Stannis gave his men a few days to recover from the journey before telling them to get ready to attack the Wildlings. Margaery rode with them until they installed the camp not far from the battlefield. There, Shireen and she said goodbye, one more time, to Stannis. Margaery walked back in her tent when they were gone and she waited for the new battle's sounds. She hoped, she hoped so much that, once Stannis would be on the throne, all these battles and dead would stop, that they could all live in peace, not only her and her family, but also all these soldiers, all these innocent people. She was sewing, as usual, Shireen was reading a book. Should it be their ritual? Every time Stannis would risk his life, they would sew and read? Margaery watched her daughter-in-law, concentrated on her reading, and smiled. The needle she was using was sewing quickly between her hands: Stannis had given her a bear's fur and she was making a coat for Shireen. The bond between her and the little girl had grown stronger and stronger. A sudden belly cramp made her stop and wince : Shireen looked up and asked worriedly if she was okay. Margaery nodded, a smile replacing her wince little by little.
"Come feel your little brother kicking", she said softly.
Shireen grinned, jumped on her feet and rushed to her. She placed her little hand on her belly, hesitantly, and Margaery guided her. She pressed her against her skin:
"There. Can you feel?"
Shireen held her breath.
"No", she softly said.
Margaery waited with her and suddenly felt another kick. Shireen startled and then laughed. She turned marveled eyes to Margaery and the Queen smiled at her.
"How does it feel?" she asked Margaery, keeping her hand on her belly.
"Quite strange, to be honest. And it's a wonderful feeling at the same time."
"Father will be so delighted with the news", Shireen said.
"I hope so", Margaery replied, turning her face to the battlefield. They could still see the snow turning into white cold clouds as the horses were galloping to the wildlings. And, suddenly, they heard the shouts of Stannis's men, and the yells of the Wildlings. As for the battle against Renly, the young woman held the young girl in her arms, rocking her slowly, whispering reassuring words in her ears, words she hardly believe herself, and they waited together. The battle had just begun.