Chapter 49: The Onion knight's journey
299-300 AC
This chapter is split in two big parts, keep in mind they are ten months apart.
Ser Davos Seaworth
He had awoken on a few rocks in Blackwater Bay called the 'spears of the merling king'. He had lost five sons in the battle of King's Landing. All five that had come with him, even young Devan, had died. The four eldest died on the ships in the bay. He could still see Matthos' face before him when the wildfire hit his ship. The face of agony before he disappeared in the green flames. Devan's death had been different. He had been killed in the fighting at the side of his king. Before they left, there had been jokes that his son followed King Stannis everywhere. Apparently, this had been truer than anyone could have ever known, as he had even followed his king in death.
He had lost almost everything he cared for. His sons, his king, … even the pouch around his neck had been lost. Maybe death would have been a kinder fate, but it seemed the Gods still had a task for him. That, or they were cruelly laughing with his fate. He still had Marya and his two youngest sons, he supposed. However, going to his wife to tell her how their sons had died was something he didn't think himself possible off for the moment.
He had been picked-up by one of Salladhor Saan's ships. He had immediately been brought towards the pirate that he liked to call his friend. There he had been told of the fate of the army and his king. He had also been told of the state of Dragonstone. The ancient Targaryen fortress had fallen in disarray. Queen Selyse had had her daughter Shireen crowned as Stannis' heir and had then demanded the regency for herself, locking away her daughter in her chambers in the process.
By the queen's side were her uncle Ser Axell Florent and Melisandre, yet they had lost most of their power. As King's Stannis army had marched inside the city, so had most of the queen's supporters and those of House Florent. The queen's brother Ser Imry, the fool that had let the whole fleet into the bay and destroyed it, had died on his ship. Her other uncle, Lord Alester had seemingly died during the fighting in the city.
Only a few dozen knights and soldiers had been evacuated from the battle by his friend's ships. None of those had been of House Florent. Almost the entire army had either been inside the city or had been crushed against the walls by the Reach cavalry. For those unfortunate souls outside the walls, it had apparently been too dangerous to save them and so only a few stragglers and wounded on the beaches had been able to be saved.
Salladhor told him how there were less people around Melisandre's fires than before they had sailed for the capital. Many had died, while a few others had stopped going altogether. The Lady Melisandre had always called King Stannis Azor Ahai. She made them all believe he was her god's chosen one after thousands of years. That he would bring light into this dark world. Now with the king's death, she had obviously been proven wrong.
Even so, she was still powerful and dangerous. She had a few dozen fanatics still around her and she had the ear of the former queen. She needed to be taken care off, protected or not. He wanted nothing more than to kill her. She who had poisoned his king's mind and had destroyed the statues of Dragonstone. She who had ultimately caused the death of five of his sons.
It seems she was only getting madder. She wanted to burn Robert's bastards now, for their king's blood. Queen Selyse didn't seem to care, not even about her cousin's son Edric Storm. For now, they still lived it seemed. Stiff resistance had come up from Ser Andrew Estermont.
Ser Andrew was a cousin to the late Baratheon brothers on their mother's side. Thus, he was also related to Princess, now Queen, Shireen and both bastard boys present at Dragonstone. The knight had been known as a loyal supporter of King Stannis and was a respected noble among his Stormland peers.
He had managed to rally many of the disillusioned Stormland soldiers behind him and served as a counterweight to Melisandre's most extreme demands. Yet, it seemed the former queen and her uncle were out to get him now and he would soon be banished. If that were to happen Shireen would not only lose one of her most trusted followers, she would also lose the last of her father's legitimate kin present. The bastard boys' fates would be simply horrible, burned in the Red God's wicked fires.
He couldn't let that happen. He had to protect Stannis' blood, bastard born or not. Princess Shireen also needed his help. She was a sweet girl that deserved better than being poisoned and locked up by her mother and that red priestess.
He had gone to his old friend Salladhor and asked whether he would help him get rid of the witch. The man hadn't been keen on it after so much backpay, but after being promised a hefty sum of the remaining treachery as compensation he had caved in. The pirate had kept him hidden on his ship for a few more days, whilst making contact with the Estermont knight.
They now docked on the island. Four ships in total docked at the harbor. Forty crewmembers from each, all armed and ready, would accompany them to the fortress. He had a feeling Melisandre would see him coming in her fires and he hoped the manpower would be enough.
He finally sat foot on land, after days on the water. His sea legs had to adjust to walking again, just like many of the other sailors. After a little while, they finally made for the castle. Once arriving there, they noticed that the gates were open and yet no one could be seen guarding them.
They walked in to the courtyard, only to be greeted with Lady Melisandre, Ser Axell Florent and Queen Selyse. Behind them were at least sixty armed men, ready for combat. They stood next to a great fire with torches set around it in a ceremonious circle.
"Onion knight, what is the meaning of this?" The former queen demanded to know.
"I come here to protect the new queen. It is what King Stannis would have wanted me to do." He responded and he noticed how Ser Andrew Estermont and many Stormlanders were arriving on the scene.
"Protect them from who, if I may ask? There are no threats here on Dragonstone." Lord Axell Florent responded, while not even bothering to hide his disdain for him.
"I disagree, my lord. The greatest threat to the Queen's safety is standing next to you." He replied, as he looked into the eyes of Melisandre.
The outrage was evident on both the Florents' faces. "How dare you insult the Lady Melisandre! She is the representative of R'hollor to help us fight the darkness that will come! You insult her and you insult R'hollor himself onion knight! You dare to turn yourself from our God?" Selyse Baratheon shouted.
"I can't turn from a god I never believed in, Your Grace. I follow the Seven. I always have and I always will. Your priestess poisoned the minds of our good king. She let him believe he was some prince chosen by her god. She let him to the slaughter, together with five of my sons. All of them died, because of the lies she told everyone. Where is Azor Ahai now, I ask? What did Lightbringer ever do for our king or our men? Nothing, it did nothing." He stoicially answered.
"I saw the fires she loves so much up close", he continued as he pointed to the many burn wounds on his body. "All it brings is death and suffering. It is time she is held accountable for her actions."
"HOW DARE YOU? YOU DARE INSULT OUR GOD AND OUR PRIESTESS? GUARDS SEIZE HIM!"
Guardsmen walked forward, but Salladhor's men answered immediately. For a moment, both sides looked at each other without making a move. The stand-off was interrupted by Ser Andrew.
"Ser Davos is right! We are Westerosi. We believe in the Seven and we have no need for her Essosi cruelties here. She wishes to burn the Queen's own cousins, the true offspring of King Robert Baratheon. I will not remain idle when men are brave enough to stand up to her cruelties."
The knight pulled out his sword and marched over to stand next to him. With him, dozens of Stormland knights and guards joined in until they outnumbered the other group four to one.
It was then Lady Melisandre spoke up. "I had seen your betrayal in the flames, Ser Davos. I didn't come unprepared." She smiled.
"You should have used your flames to predict our king's fate in King's Landing and warn him. The fact you claim to be able to do so and that you didn't makes you the traitor, not me." He retorted.
"Now!" Salladhor screamed and their men charged at the outnumbered group of swords. The fighting was unfair from the start. The enemy was quickly getting overwhelmed, but then the witch started chanting in some kind of Bastard Valyrian.
The flames of the fire grew to thrice its original size and suddenly bursts of fire shot out of it from the top. They went directly for their men and a dozen of their troops quickly burned to death.
"We need to kill Melisandre!" He shouted towards a group of Stormland knights. One of them nodded stoically, as yet another burst of fire hit some men to their left. Their death screams filled the sky as they quickly melted in their armor.
The five Stormlander knights charged at the Red Witch. She saw them coming and laughed. The first one was quickly hit by a burst of fire. The second fared no better. Then the third knight threw his dagger at the red priestess. She managed to dodge it, but it gave the other two the means to close the distance. Suddenly a huge burst of fire shot at them. Both men screamed in agony, but the knight he had spoken to lunged at the witch.
He could clearly see how the man's robes were burning, while the steel of his armor was melting on his body. Yet, still the knight lunged himself at Melisandre with a piercing death cry for all to hear. Both soon disappeared in the fires and when the screams of the knight stopped, a chilling laugh could be heard from inside the fires.
Suddenly, Melisandre could be seen in the middle of it. Not the Melisandre he had ever seen though. No, what he saw was a very old and misformed woman. Her scary laugh pierced the night sky, as her toothless smile looked right at him.
All had stopped fighting and were looking upon the spectacle. At last, Melisandre's body caught flame and with a smile on her face all could see her turn to ash in seconds.
None spoke for a long while, until a Stormlands man-at-arms close to him whispered aloud. "Is … is it done? Is she gone?"
He looked around him at the fifty or so charred bodies, mixed in with a few dozen dead from the fighting. He looked to the fire again, which had once again taken its normal size. "Yes, yes I think it's done." He responded aloud.
He looked towards Axel Florent and his daughter. "Ser Andrew, would you be so kind as to confine the queen mother to her chambers."
"It would be my pleasure." The Estermont grinned. "What about her uncle?"
"For him and their most faithful knights the dungeons will do, I believe."
Now the grin became bigger and the Stormland knight, backed by his countrymen and some of Salladhor's sailors marched forward. The remaining enemies threw their weapons to the floor and let them through. The Florents and the so-called Queen's Men were taken away and he looked around himself.
"You can't do this! I'm the Hand of the Queen. Arrest that smuggler at once! I'm your Hand! I rule here!" The Florent noble kept shouting as he had to be dragged towards toward the dungeons.
Salladhor came over to him. "What sort of monster was she?" He mumbled, as he looked upon the dozens of bodies of his burned sailors.
"I don't know, but she is finally gone now." He said, looking upon the scarred body of the sailor that had given him his first meal after he had been picked up from that rock. They would mourn for their sacrifice, but it was over now. Admitting that to himself, he let out a sigh of relief.
"I must find the Queen. She must be set free at once."
(That evening)
He looked upon the fire that was burning. It had been the queen's idea. As a way to pacify the tensions with the remaining R'hollor worshippers, she had ordered those who died to protect Melisandre to be burned. The other bodies would be buried ceremoniously on the morrow.
His new queen stood next to him and without the presence of her mother she finally seemed to open up. Always at her side were her two bastard cousins, Edric and Gendry. The former was practically a noble. He had been raised under Renly and behaved as if he was trueborn. The latter couldn't be any more different. Gendry, having been raised as a blacksmith his whole life, lacked any sense of decorum and obviously felt really uncomfortable around nobility.
Still, both had been stuck to the hip of their cousin since they had been left out. Both were also way too big and way too strong than boys of fifteen and twelve had any right to be.
The afternoon had been spent with official court business. He had explained everything that had happened to his young queen and Stannis' daughter had insisted upon naming him regent. He didn't feel comfortable in that role. He could barely read and had no noble birth to speak off, but she and Ser Andrew had insisted. He had accepted, but only on the condition that the Estermont knight was made Hand of the Queen. That way, he could defer things to him that he felt uncomfortable with.
The move had also seemed a politically smart choice. The knight had helped him against the Florents and Melisandre, he was kin of the queen and he was a good and respected knight of a well-respected Stormlander house all the same.
His first act as regent had been to appoint Gendry and Edric to high-ranking positions. The former had been made Shireen's sworn sword. Although the blacksmith apprentice had had no real skill when he had arrived on Dragonstone a year prior, he had made quite some progress. King Stannis had given him and Edric a tutor to teach them in the same fighting style as their father. By now, the boy could stomp over half the Stormlands nobility in the ground with his warhammer. The latter had been made Shireens cupbearer. That way both of them could stay close to her person at all times.
His second act had been to free Septon Barre and many of the others in dungeons. The Septon had been put to bed, as he was half dead when they found him. Still, the young Maester Pylos had told him he would recover in time.
His third act had been to officially reappoint the Septon to his position and allow worshipping of the Seven in all of their controlled territories once again. Queen Shireen had stopped him from outright banning the worshipping of R'hollor, but without Melisandre most of their power had been broken. Only a few queen's men remained, the most notable being Ser Narbert Grandison, Ser Perink Follard and Ser Brus Buckler. All others had either died in King's Landing, in the skirmish that morning or had been put in jail.
The trio had been left alone, although he had assigned men to watch them. They were all present at the funeral pyre, as they religiously looked into the flames. Yet, none had made a move against him so he would let them be for the time being.
The rest of the afternoon had been spent planning possible trials for those men that had been arrested. He and Ser Andrew had decided to charge Ser Axel Florent and his most loyal supporters with the unjust murder of Lord Sunglass and Ser Hurbard Rampton and his three sons. All had either been killed when they had burned the Sept or been burned afterwards. They would bring them to trial in a few weeks. The sooner this was over with, the better.
He looked upon his new queen and she smiled at him. To see her smile so openly like that, even with her greyscale scars, warmed his hearth. He could not help the father, he owed so much to, anymore but he could help his daughter. He would do anything to give that girl what she deserved.
After the funeral pyre, he went back to his study. He worked well into the night. He thanked the Seven for the presence of Maester Pylos, as he could barely read all the documents that needed attention. The young man read most of them aloud and gave his advice when asked. He also wrote his letters for him. However, he was smart enough to check on those, even if was very hard for him. He didn't want to be totally under the control of any Maester, even if that man was Pylos.
He was still looking over the correspondence between King Stannis and Queen Selyse and their bannermen, before and after the Blackwater. He wanted to know who Shireen could count on and who would oppose him taking down Melisandre. It was well past midnight at this point, but he had a lot more work to do if he wanted the tomorrow to go well.
As he picked up a letter concerning House Penrose, a guard wearing the Estermont livery ran into his solar. "My lord, some men have tried to break out the highborn prisoners. Ser Andrew asks for your immediate presence there."
He looked up in shock. They tried to break out the captured queen's men. He had a feeling who could have done it. He followed the guard outside and locked up the solar. Then he, the messenger and the guard, that stood in front of his door, marched towards the dungeons.
What he saw there was a bloodbath. Some fifteen bodies were sprawled across the granite floors. He immediately recognized the bodies of Ser Perink Follard and Ser Brus Buckler with some of their men-at-arms around them. Next to the wall, Ser Andrew stood as dozens of Stormlander guards were spread around.
To the right of Ser Andrew, a wounded Ser Narbert Grandison sat. His hands were bound, and his eyes looked defeated. He walked towards them and greeted the Estermont knight. "What happened here?" He asked.
"Ser Perink, Ser Brus and Ser Narbert here tried to free the prisoners from the cells with a few men-at-arms from them and those in the cells. It was a good idea to have them followed. Our spies picked up on their intentions just before they made their move. By the time they had overwhelmed the guards here, I arrived with forty men from the garrison and ended this feeble attempt."
"Good job", he acknowledged. "What do we do with them now?"
"Those that remain?"
He nodded. "I propose we put them next to their friends. We can trial them after the others for killing the queen's guards and trying to free her prisoners."
"Very well, make the arrangements for the cells. I'll prepare the trial in time." With those words he turned around and left back to his solar. I hope this nightmare will soon be over.
(Ten months later)
He looked into the yard at his queen and her cousins. The two boys were fighting each other, while Shireen cheered them on. Both boys were insanely strong for their age. While Edric had more technique due to years of training under the master-at-arms of Storm's End, Gendry had an edge in raw power due to his age and years of working in the forge.
Many a knight and guardsman had stopped to look at the fight, with many supporting one or even both of the brothers. While most of the nobility favored the young Edric, the common guards and servants cheered for Gendry. He smiled upon the sight. The boys would have made many a house proud. Maybe, just maybe, they could have softened King Stannis stance on his brothers if he had had more time with them.
The queen vocally cheered them on, and he saw how many of the knights and guards in the courtyard looked fondly upon the eleven-year old Baratheon girl. Since she got out of the control of her mother and great-uncle, she had flourished. She was less quiet than she had been before, although she remained as sweet as ever. Even though no one could honestly call her pretty, her demeanor and Baratheon eyes still endeared her to many of her followers.
Sadly, she didn't have the chance to win over any others here on Dragonstone. A thing that was heavily felt on the island.
Much and more had gone wrong these past few months, as he had tried to fix the mistakes his predecessors had made. The new Lord Sunglass was still in Volantis and refused to come back, while most houses had bent the knee to the Lannisters after the fiasco at the Blackwater.
It had taken all his willpower just to make sure they didn't starve to death on this island. Salladhor Saan and most of his ships had left for the Stepstones six months ago. He had paid him what he could, and they had left amicably. Still the loss of his ships was felt every day.
Then a few months ago everything had turned for the worse. First the Golden Company had arrived in the Stormlands. They had taken out multiple noble houses. Most had sworn themselves to Tommen, but they still lost some supporters. That was until they lost Storm's End a few weeks back. It had been a grave hit to both their prestige and power.
Not much he could do about it either. With the loss of Estermont and Tarth and the Masseys not complying to any of his orders, there was no way he could make any kind of move on the Stormlands.
When the Starks had marched on King's Landing, he had secretly started to hope. Shireen was the rightful heir to the Iron Throne and Robb Stark had a brother with a similar age. Maybe he could do something for her there.
That hope had melted like snow in the sun when the Manderly and Vale fleet started to blockade the island. They had been on rations for a while now. However, he wasn't overly worried about the food situation, as he had managed to stock up all the granaries and storage rooms with food from Essos the last few months.
What did worry them was the fact they were effectively cut off from their remaining vassals. Communication was getting harder by the day, as archers from the ships tried to shoot down all their ravens.
For a while now, he had been trying to keep an eye on the situation in the Stormlands, but the Starks and Arryns made that difficult now. Sadly, he knew more than enough to see how dire the situation was. Some Targaryen pretender had made Storm's End his base and was organizing the further conquest of the Stormlands from there.
Already Westerosi were flocking to the pretender's banner. Two thirds of the Grafton fleet had joined up with him at Tarth. The same was true for Aurane Waters with the remainder of the Lannister fleet. When he had heard that news, he had cursed heavily. The man was the brother of the late Lord Monford Velaryon and the uncle of his six-year old lordly nephew Monterys. He should have gone home, took up the regency of Driftmark and delivered the fleet to him, but alas the Targaryen loyalty ran deep with some of these Velaryons.
Others would soon join them, he knew. Although he was unsure on who it would be. If the pretender was who he said he was, Dorne would be the obvious choice. However, he hadn't received any new information since the start of this blockade so he couldn't be sure. He contemplated if some of the Stormlords would flip sides once more and who those would be. The same thought process had already been made about the Reach, but both proved inconclusive. He would have to wait and see.
Suddenly a rider came rushing through the gate. He quickly walked down to meet with him, as it seemed important.
"Lord Regent, a Manderly ship is making its way towards the harbor. They have raised a white flag. When our patrols stopped them, they said they wish to parlay. What are your orders, m'lord?" The rider spoke, half out of breath.
Stunned, he looked at the rider. He was dressed in the livery the guards wore down at the docks. "A single Manderly ship you say?"
"Yes, m'lord. Looks to be their flagship too."
Their flagship? That means it must bring someone important. Did Robb Stark want a talk?
He signaled a loyal Baratheon household knight that was in the yard by chance. "Ser, get a horse and ride to the docks immediately. Tell them to let the ship through, but the whole guard must be on high alert. They also need to prepare for my coming, I will be there soon to meet our guests." The knight slightly bowed his head and ran for the stables.
He motioned to the rider. "Thank you for your haste, good men. If you go inside a hot meal will be presented to you." The guardsman nodded in thanks.
He called for Ser Gerald Gower. He had made the knight the new captain of the guards of Dragonstone after disposing of the puppet the Florents had placed there.
"Ser Gerald, assemble a guard of thirty men and arrange a prestigious guard of nobles to come along with me. We ride for the docks to meet with representatives from the Starks." The Stormland knight immediately shot into action.
He walked over to Shireen. "My queen, representatives from the Starks are arriving at our docks soon. I will go and meet them for you, but you must be ready in the throne room once we get back. Get yourself to look as royally as possible. Can you do that?"
The queen smiled. "Of course, Lord Davos."
"I imagine you want your cousins with you when you meet them, so make sure they clean themselves up too." He said, as he looked sternly towards both boys. Both nodded and put away their practice weapons to go inside with the queen.
It didn't take long before they were riding to the docks. He shifted in the saddle constantly, still not used to horse riding after all these years. His legs were made to withstand the waves crashing into a ship, not the constant hopping of a horse on land.
Once they arrived, he and his escort dismounted. He had tried to gather a group that would show the importance of the meeting. Something that wasn't that easy, as many nobles had died or were now in their dungeons.
Still, he couldn't complain. Ser Andrew Estermont was there of course and so were some of his friends. These included loyal Stormlanders like Ser Steffon Wensington, Ser Richard Kellington, Ser Jon Mertyns and Ser Michael Herston. Other very notable people were Lords Lester Morrigen, Robin Peasbury and Lucos Chyttering. Aside from some lords of the Narrow Sea, they were all the high-ranking nobles they had left. The only exception was Ser Osmund Wylde, who he had put in charge of the queen's protection.
They had some thirty guardsmen accompanying them. They awaited in the harbor together for the Manderly ship to dock. Ser Andrew was positioned to his right and Lord Morrigen to his left, with the other two lords next to them and the knights joining at the flanks.
Not much later, the ship docked. Three nobles descended from the ship. The first was a large bald man with a bushy moustache that covered his upper lip and half his cheeks. He was dressed in a refined green tunic and his fur cloak was clasped by a silver-and-sapphire trident at the front. A sword hung from his hip in an elegant scabbard.
Behind him walked another lord. He didn't look like a Northman, as his clothes resembled more the style of the Vale. The man wore a simple scabbard but kept his hand loosely on the hilt of his sword.
Lastly, another Northman stepped from the plank. This man was clad in mail, but with a decorous purple tabard covering most of it. At the front of the tunic were two crossed keys, the sigil of House Locke.
The nobles presented themselves as Ser Wylis Manderly, Lord Qarl Melcolm and Ser Donnel Locke. After some polite greetings, they were given horses and they rode towards the keep. The Manderly heir was almost too fat to sit his horse, but he seemed to manage.
They were led to the Great Hall, were Queen Shireen sat on top of her throne. All three nobles bowed to her and showed her respect, a thing which greatly helped reduce the tensions. After all pleasantries were held and the guests were given bread and salt, he led them towards the Chamber of the Painted Table at the floor to start their negotiations.
There he took place at the head of the table. Ser Andrew sat to his right, as always. He had known of the importance of this meeting and had therefore invited Lord Lester Morrigen to join them. The Morrigens were of an old and very important house in the Stormlands. Their support would do wonders in legitimizing any agreement made here today. An added benefit was that the Morrigens had lost their seat, Crow's Nest, to the Targaryen pretender. He would be a great supporter in reaching some sort of agreement together against him and the Golden Company.
Ser Wyllis sat down in front of him, with Lord Melcolm to his right and Ser Donnel to his left. The delegation was a curious one. For one, they were all knights. A thing not common in the North, but he expected it wasn't a coincidence. It seemed the Stark king tried to play to their Southern sensibilities. The Manderly heir was of course a very high ranking noble. The other two, although well respected, were not.
It was clear what had been the intent of King Robb. He had sought a group of men he could trust and that would fit in more with the South. A group that would not offend them, while still being expendable. That said a lot about this meeting. He wished for an agreement, but he didn't need it at all cost.
"We will be discussing matters for Queen Shireen, as she is still underage. We would like to know what message you bring from King Robb." He said, getting down to business immediately.
The large knight played with his moustache, while giving a small smile. "As you wish, Lord Regent."
"The Kingdom of the North and the Riverlands has allied itself with the Kingdom of the Vale, as you can clearly see." The large man started, as he pointed to the Vale lord on his right.
"We have defeated Tywin Lannister and sent him running with his tail between his legs to Casterly Rock. In the fight, he lost his army, his sons and his last remaining brother. Many of his possible heirs are in our captivity at Riverrun. Since then, we have taken King's Landing and we are momentarily laying siege to the Red Keep. At the same time, the Vale Lords have defeated Littlefinger and Lady Lysa, who tried to usurp the Vale with the support of the Lannisters. Together we have an army of thirty thousand men and a fleet that greatly outmatches your own." The Manderly heir started, which immediately annoyed him and the men beside him.
"I am aware of the current situation, ser. However, if you try to impress me, I can assure you that Dragonstone can withstand a siege for years. If you try to take the fortress you will lose thousands of men and time you do not have with Tywin Lannister gathering a new army in the west and this Targaryen pretender getting stronger every day in the Stormlands." He said, not bothering with hiding his annoyance.
"Aye, a thing all of us know too. That's why my king wants to offer you a deal." The Manderly knight responded, his small smile never wavering.
"A deal, ser?" Ser Andrew spoke up.
"Yes, a deal." He mysteriously answered.
"You wish to give Shireen the Iron Throne for your own independence then, why?" Lord Lester spoke up.
Now, Lord Melcolm responded. "No, we don't. The lords of the Vale, the North and the Riverlands have held a council with even some representatives of the Crownlands present. We have decided that the time of the Iron Throne is over. Once we take it, that chair and the whole Red Keep will be destroyed. The dragons united Westeros and the dragons have been dethroned. It is time for us to make our own policies once more."
This shocked them. Destroy the Iron Throne? Destroy unity? "I don't know what you are doing here than, my lords. The Iron Throne is Shireen's birthright. If you wish to destroy it, then I don't know what we have to talk about."
"It's not her birthright. It's the birthright of the Targaryens and they are gone and that should remain as such. Robert Baratheon always boasted he conquered it with his warhammer, now King Robb has almost done so too. He will abolish the Iron Throne and dismantle the Seven Kingdoms once and for all." The Locke heir retorted.
"You forget, my lords, that Queen Shireen is descended from the Targaryens. Her great-grandmother was Princess Rhaelle Targaryen. She was the reason King Robert could claim the throne in the first place." Ser Andrew answered.
"I was there when it began, Ser Andrew. The Rebellion had long started before Robert's claim was ever brought up. It was a means to an end. Robert had the right of it, he claimed the kingdoms with his hammer and now the same is done once more, for the last time." Lord Melcolm retorted.
"We are much more interested in Shireen's male Durrandon descent than her Targaryen one." Ser Wylis spoke up.
"How so?"
"Well, if we wish to go back to a time before the dragons arrived then we would expect the Storm Kings, or Queens, to rise once again."
"The Storm Kings?"
"Aye, the Storm Kings. Shireen Baratheon is the legitimate descendent of and heir to King Argilac the Last Storm. We wish to carve up the kingdoms once more and we would offer your queen her rightful place as Storm Queen."
This was the second time he was completely flabbergasted. "What do you mean by that?"
"We would ask Queen Shireen to drop every claim she and all her bastard cousins and their descendants have on the Seven Kingdoms. In return, she will be acknowledged as the rightful suzerain of everything from the Dornish Marches to the Blackwater. The old borders of the Storm Kingdom when Aegon the Conqueror set foot on Westeros." The heir to White Harbor explained his plan.
"You would ask her to give up ninety percent of her kingdom. For what in return?" Lord Morrigen asked.
"If I may be quite frank, my lords. Your queen and your cause have no way of succeeding anymore. The Baratheon claim died on the Blackwater. Your fleet is gone, your army is gone. Most of the Stormlands have bend the knee to Tommen and those that remain are losing their homes to the Targaryen pretender. Two of you present have already lost your homes, Storm's end is lost too. Your cause is lost. Aye, it might take years to dislodge you from this fortress successfully, but eventually it will happen. First, you will lose the remainder of the Stormlands to this 'Aegon'. Then the remainder of the Crownlands will fall, either to him or to us. Then the Narrow Sea houses will abandon you and some others that are offered back their homes. Lastly the remainder of you will either be stormed or starved into submission." Ser Wylis responded. He didn't seem cruel about it, he just stated it like it was a well-known fact.
"If that were so, why offer us anything?" He inquired.
"For a multitude of reasons. For starters, if we wish to break the dragon unity, we need to defeat the Targaryens. Both of them will need to be defeated, the pretender and mad Aerys' daughter. To defeat the pretender, we will need to march into the Stormlands. An alliance with you would give our army a safe supply route and gathering points with your castles. More importantly, the Baratheon flag would give us legitimacy and the help of the locals. They could produce scouts, knowledge of the terrain and extra supplies. It would also lower the risk of guerilla warfare being used against us during the campaign." The Manderly knight answered.
"That's it? You want us to help your army ravage the Stormlands against a Targaryen?" Ser Andrew asked, clearly enraged.
"No, that's not all. Besides, do remember that we are talking about Targaryens here, Ser Estermont. Your queen is the heir of whom they call 'the Usurper'. Her cousins are of his own seed. Do you really think they will let you be? While you hold their ancestral fortress on top of it? No, they will come for your queen and this fortress too." Ser Donnel Locke interrupted.
He thought that over. If the Targaryens wanted three families gone, it would be the Baratheons, Starks and Arryns in that order. It wouldn't be that uncalled for to fight together against them. That didn't mean he would agree to this offer though.
"You said that was not all?" He calmly asked.
"No, it isn't." Ser Wylis agreed. "Our king has also thought about the consequences of destroying the Iron Throne and the unity in Westeros. He wants to reduce chaos as much as possible and bears no ill will against your lands or people. A Baratheon king and queen in Storm's End would be able to effectively take control and pacify the region. This would allow trade to flow between our kingdoms, keep our borders safe and keep the Reach in check in the future."
"King and queen?" Ser Andrew jumped in.
"One of our conditions is that your queen marries one of her cousins. This will solidify her claim on the Stormlands, reduce chaos from lords grasping for her hand and will placate those doubting if a woman is able to rule." Lord Melcolm resonded flatly.
He didn't know how many more surprises he could take during this meeting. However, he forced himself to think about it. Shireen marrying Edric wouldn't be such a bad political move. The nobility and smallfolk alike adored him. Many of them saw Robert or Renly reborn in him, just with big Florent ears. He would strengthen the Baratheon claim considerably, but he would also help with the greyscale situation. Shireen was an intelligent and bright, but shy girl. Her disfigurement always put people off in the beginning. If she had bright, handsome and gallant Edric next to her, most of that could be neglected. More importantly, the girl adored her cousin and they were close enough in age for it not to be weird.
"You would make one of her cousins king?" Ser Andrew asked, seemingly deep in thought.
"What title and power you give him is up to you. We just want them to marry and have a Baratheon couple rule from Storm's End. Whether you make him king or prince consort, give him all the power or barely any is none of our concern. All we want is strong and united Baratheon rule in the extended Stormlands. Who pulls the strings doesn't matter, as long as there is stability and peace." Ser Wylis explained.
He could clearly hear what was unsaid. They could remain in power, if they so wished. That wasn't who he was. He would gladly give up all of this to go home to Marya and his two remaining sons. Still, the fact that they didn't want to meddle too much with the rule was something that put him a little more at ease.
"You said it would keep your borders safe. How? We don't share any borders with either of your kingdoms." Lord Morrigen suddenly asked.
"King Robb claims all the lands of the North and Riverlands at the time Aegon set foot on Westeros. This includes all the Crownlands north of the Blackwater. This means we would share a border along the river. In addition, there would be the sea border with the islands of the Narrow Sea. Even though they weren't part of the Storm Kingdom, our king has stated your claim on them will not be disputed. He asked you to see it as a final claim of Queen Shireen's Targaryen ancestry." Ser Donnel responded.
"What? He can't just claim two thirds of the Crownlands just because he feels like it!" Lord Lester exclaimed.
"There will be no more Crown, so there will also be no more Crownlands. Besides, he can and he has. All lords north of the Blackwater, except for the Rosbys, Stokeworths and Chytterings have already bent the knee. Over half of those have already joined his army in the siege of King's Landing and the Red Keep." Ser Wylis responded evenly.
This was shocking. If he had already gained the allegiance of over a dozen lords, there was no way they could fight that claim.
"Which lords joined you?" He asked.
"All the houses of Cracklaw Point helped to defeat Tywin Lannister along the God's Eye River and swore allegiance to our king. Not long after the battle, Lords Buckwell, Cressey, Chelsted and Mallery bent the knee as well. They and their troops fought in the capture of the city. Houses Edgerton, Rollingford, Rykker, Staunton and Hayford bent the knee in the weeks leading up to the attack. Some of those also sent contingents that joined the army on time. The others will have sent troops by the time we march into The Stormlands." The Manderly heir responded, the small smile creeping from under his moustache once more.
This news silenced all three of them for a few seconds. They looked at each other and all realized there was nothing they could do about this news. Contesting the Blackwater border would be impossible, at least until they had control over the Stormlands. There was however one major problem.
"There is a problem with that. Lord Lucos Chyttering is sworn to Queen Shireen and remains with us here on Dragonstone." He stated.
"We are aware of that. Lord Lucos will get the opportunity to swear himself to King Robb and be confirmed in all his lands and incomes. If he refuses, he will get the chance to transfer the lands upon a relative that does swear allegiance. If he refuses to do either, his lands will be forfeited to the crown of the North and the Riverlands. I suppose he could be compensated in her new kingdom if he wishes to serve her with so many rebellious houses. Giving him Griffin's Roost wouldn't go amiss." The large Northern knight shrugged.
Those were gracious offers, considering the Lannisters would simply strip him of his lands and would probably give it to one of their relatives. Still, it was also very clear they wouldn't budge an inch on the borders. He had heard Lord Lucos had some cousin that was castellan at his keep now. If he wanted to keep serving their queen, giving it to him would be an option. He could also appreciate the idea of disowning the Conningtons, the Gods knew those lot deserved it.
"Say we entertain your offer, what is in for Queen Shireen and us, her vassals?" Ser Andrew asked.
"Well first and foremost, we would offer you your lands back. If we march on the pretender, it is to get rid of him and his army forever. Our goal will only be complete once we have thrown them out all the castles they now control. To our latest intel, the keeps they captured are Storm's End, Evenfall Hall, Greenstone, Griffin's Roost, Crow's Nest, Mistwood and Rain House. Although we received word that Weeping Town is theirs as well, as House Whitehead has freely joined our common enemy. Besides that, it seems the Martells have marched into the Stormlands from the south and have put Nightsong and Blackhaven under siege." Lord Melcolm stated.
He gulped. They had known about the houses that had fallen, but the Dornish invasion and the turncloak were new information. "The Dornish have joined the pretender?"
"Yes, the Martell sun was spotted on top of Storm's End by traders coming up from Shipbreaker Bay less than a week ago. Last we heard the pretender was rallying his forces at Storm's End and consolidating the area around Storm's End." Ser Wylis confirmed.
He exhaled a little too loudly. They had lost half the Stormlands by now. Doing nothing would see the last of their vassals or those that forcefully had to bend the knee to Joffrey and Tommen lose everything. He pictured the map of the Stormlands in his mind. If Nightsong fell, Harvest Hall, Poddingfield and all those castles would be next. If Blackhaven fell, the way to Summerhall would be open. The ruins were undefended, and they would march through there quickly. They could either attack those same keeps from the rear or move to Storm's End or Felwood. Meanwhile Houses Swan and Cafferen were already surrounded by the Golden Company. If this 'Aegon' had enough troops he could even strike Felwood, Bronzegate or Haystack Hall directly from Storm's End.
He ran over those thoughts once again and realized he had basically summed up the whole Stormlands. The Targaryen-Martell alliance would bring the whole kingdom to heel in a matter of months if they weren't stopped.
"What else would you offer us?" He asked, trying to keep as calm as possible.
"We would offer you self-determination. You wouldn't need to listen to someone in King's Landing anymore and accept Reachmen or Westermen on the Small council making your laws. You could rule your own country with your own laws and your own taxes done by your own people. We also offer you an alliance with our kingdoms against the Targaryens, but also the Dornish and the Reachmen if need be. We offer you a trade deal with us too."
"All of this just for some help with supplying your campaign and giving you legitimacy among the populace of the Stormlands?" Lord Morrigen asked.
"For now, yes. Of course, we expect your small army and fleet to join us against them. You would mostly repay us with peace and stability along the Blackwater and Blackwater Bay once we have won. You would also help with balancing out power against our other southern neighbor, the Reach. A weak Stormlands is not in our interest, as it would strengthen Highgarden's hold over the South. Lastly, you would give us a favorable trade agreement." Ser Wylis summed up his demands.
A favorable trade agreement, they want coin. In the end it wasn't so bad, he supposed. They didn't ask for tribute or hostages. Besides, they were at war with their other neighboring kingdoms. Preferential trade to the Riverlands, Vale and North wouldn't be such a bad thing considering what the Reach had done at the Blackwater and how the Dornish were invading their lands.
He knew how Shireen had often cursed at her crown and her birth in private. She was her father's daughter and would do her duty, but maybe this was her chance for peace and prosperity and a happy life while still holding the Baratheon and Durrandon legacy from before Robert alive. Her father had wanted Storm's End all his life. Would giving Shireen the fortress and a crown not be enough?
He looked to both Stormlanders present and saw they too were entertaining the idea. He arched forward and asked the delegation. "I don't feel comfortable making such a decision without our queen. However, we do have the power to negotiate a possible agreement. I propose we do just that, after which Queen Shireen's word on it will be final. If she refuses, I will not go against her wishes."
All three seemed to agree to this. It took multiple hours, but they reached an agreement. Their borders were set on the Blackwater and Blackwater Bay, which implied that the Celtigars had to give up their claims on Cracklaw Point once and for all. An agreement with Lord Lucos Chyttering would also need to be found. All the while, their borders in the west could still move. If the Reach fought on, forced land compensations would be supported by Houses Stark, Tully and Arryn.
An alliance was agreed against the Targaryen pretender and all his followers. As well as a future mutual defensive alliance against the Reach. A trade agreement was concluded. Special preference would be given to merchants from their kingdoms in all ports and towns of the Stormlands for fifteen years. After that, they would return to the rates held during Robert's reign. Their own merchants would pay at that same rate from the start.
Edric would be legitimized as a Baratheon and made Prince Consort to Queen Shireen after they were married. The latter would have to wait until she was of age. They would reign from Storm's End and the Starks and Arryns would force every house within their borders to bend the knee to his queen.
House Baratheon would drop every claim to the Seven Kingdoms or any other lands outside the agreed borders in perpetuity. They would discard their Targaryen heritage in every way except the lordship of Dragonstone and the overlordship of the Narrow Sea. They would recognize the dissolution of the Seven Kingdoms and recognize the kingdom of the North and the Riverlands, as well as the kingdom of the Vale should they chose independence in the future. The Storm Kingdom would be acknowledged by them in return.
The Starks and Arryns promised to help them reclaim all castles lost within their territory to either Lannisters or Targaryens.
They would have to pass a decree abolishing the Faith Militant in their kingdom. He hadn't even known they had been brought back. However, after the religious zeal of the R'hollor worshippers he had enough of religious militants for his lifetime. He would gladly abolish every order to the contrary.
All Baratheon heirlooms found in the Red Keep would be immediately transferred into their possession. King Robert's and King Stannis' remains would be ceremoniously buried in Storm's End under the custom of their forefathers. Same would go for all those lost in the city during the Battle of the Blackwater or the fighting when Lord Eddard Stark was captured.
They had finished the meeting with a toast to a renewed alliance between the North, the Vale, the Stormlands and the Riverlands. In the end, he walked out of that meeting tired and confused. Had he done right and negotiated Shireen her ancestral home back with a crown, or had he robbed her of her birthright? Still, if she rejected it, he would too. There was also the issue of betrothing her to Edric, how would she react to that?
This is it for this chapter!
Another really long one for you! This chapter was supposed to include a lot more, but my plans weren't realistic for once. As such, you will receive another Ser Davos chapter in the future (but it won't be the next one).
You see Ser Davos in the aftermath of the Battle of the Blackwater. He allies himself with Salladhor Saan to remove Melisandre and is joined by many disillusioned Stormlanders under Ser Andrew Estermont, Stannis' maternal cousin. They defeat the Red Priestess, although she shows her powers to deadly effect. Without King's Blood (Ser Andrew blocked her sacrifice of Gendery and Edric) Melisandre isn't strong enough to take all of them on (at once).
In the aftermath, Ser Davos becomes regent and names Ser Andrew Hand of the King. They rule Dragonstone together and immediately stop a plot against them to free the locked-up Queen's Men.
We see Shireen, Edric and Gendry evolve more freely and happily on Dragonstone. A delegation comes from Robb to discuss his plan. Davos all but accepts after he realizes exactly how hopeless they are against (F)Aegon.
Thank you for the support! Next chapter will again take a little longer as I'm in the middle of exams.
Fannic
Reviews:
- Supremus85: Some of it is more manner of speech than actual plan. Although Tommen might still be killed, I doubt Robb would agree to actually genocide all the islands. His fury on the Iron Isles (if he gets there before dying) will be gruesome, but maybe not that extreme. Glad you support the less white knight version of Robb!
- Finkarhu: You're welcome!
- Wolflord456: Thank you! Didn't forget about Tarly, however he and his army are in the northwest of the Reach and are at least 500+ miles away from Storm's End. He won't get anywhere near without Robb noticing. The Dornish are a lot closer to some settlements captured by the Golden Company.
- Time Parad0x: I have PM'ed you!
- Javi30: Thank you! I wish you and yours the same.
- TheNiemand: Glad you liked it! I actually like the historical take. I might take a look at it and see if I can play with it and fit it in somewhere.
Yeah, she was really annoying in the show.
They do play games, just a lot more direct and with more respect to House Stark, although they kind of got Robb here. It's the spies, lies, … that are a lot different up north.
The dragons won't be grown at all. At this time, the dragons are 1.5 years old … they are basically babies. Drogon's wingspan is 20 feet/6 meters at the end of the last Dany chapter in the books (which takes place around 2 months before this in chronological order). Balerion's wingspan at the time of the conquest was around 30 times that …
- Force Smuggler: How so? The Andals tried to unite it for thousands of years, without dragons it never went further than the conquest of the Riverlands by either the Ironborn or Stormlanders. Wars will happen and territory will change hands frequently, but total conquest won't happen unless in extreme circumstances. Robb has the armies of 5 kingdoms (N, R, V, C, S) united now and as I explain above here this is not the show. Drogon, although very dangerous and terrifying, looks more like a flying dog than he would resemble Balerion in the books. The dragons are growing fast, but you would have to wait another 100 years before he reaches that size.
Robb and Jon talked about it before. It was more Robb checking if Jon still stood behind his earlier decision. No, Dany is not a part of Robb's pack and Aegon even less so. If it comes between Jon's aunt and his people, Robb will choose his people. He is king and has a duty to them after all. It's not like he is attacking Jon, just his extended family he never knew.
- Wolf's Pizza: I PM'ed you.
- MrMundy16: She can't. Her dragons are waaaaaaaay smaller than Aegon's at the time. However, she does have a bigger and much more experienced army.
- Thmsmgnm: Thank you! Yes, it was an abomination. However, the worst part was Bronn getting the Reach. Like wtf?! There are hundreds of claimants and you give it to a sellsword? In reality he would be killed before the month is over and civil war would erupt once more. Exactly! Old school nationalism is on the rise in Westeros.
- OneDocToHealThemAll: Thank you! With Robb dying I don't know if it will be so easy in the end, but we'll see.
- Kuman: Wrong choice! ;-) However, I hope you like this POV too. Dismantling Harrenhal is an interesting thought. Dismantling the city walls of King's Landing would also work. You gotta love a good castle spam.
- Manuel89000000: It could be, but you need to keep cultural and religious differences in mind as well. You have to ask yourselves "what would the prideful lords of the Vale choose?", not what is the best choice. Both are still possible.
- Kingmanaena: Thank you!
- 27mad97: Dragons will be discussed further on. The wildlings are skirmishing still and have been pushed back behind the Wall. They are not destroyed yet and things are happening there, but news takes a long time to travel between Castle Black (who's ravens were all killed) and King's Landing (who's ravens are not in Robb's control). Alfred the Great's reforms are an interesting take. I think they could work on the Riverlands southern border, but even better on the North's western border. Thank you for the inspiration!
- Foxy-Floof: You'll have to wait and see!
- Sammy-1000: Thank you! Yes, it might be. Ned's high morals got him killed. Rickard told/thought Robb that he needs to be brutal from time to time if he doesn't want to end up the same way. A harsh, but necessary lesson.
- Arian Arch: Not all of them will no. If Willas is to succeed, he would probably have to bribe nobles to join him. House Tyrell is very rich, don't forget that. It wouldn't be the first medieval king that buys possible supporters or bribes his opponents. However, the Florents will always oppose him so fighting is ensured.
The Florents have a mixed reputation. They also lost a lot of members due to their alliance with Stannis. (Lord Alester and his nephew Ser Imry are dead. His nephew Ser Erren is captured by the Tyrells. Now his brother Axell and niece Selyse are captives of the Baratheons. Another nephew is in the arbor as a squire and possible hostage.) This will hurt them. The Hightowers and Redwynes are dealing with an ironborn invasion of thousands of raiders. If not, they could easily shift the conflict it into Willas favor, but they can't now. The Tarlys have no claim.
- Scillacci: Thank you! I wrote it with great care.
- Anindhitania: Yes, she is slowly recovering from the traumas named Joffrey and Cersei. She is discovering what it means to care for children and is looking at the North through different eyes. Maybe she will consider a Northern husband now, either that or a noble from the Riverlands or Vale will happen. The first clashes with the Targs are close!
- GrimmJow: That's what everybody said about Highgarden too … By the way, the Tyrells did have a Gardener claim through the female line, although far weaker than the Florents, Hightowers and Oakhearts. Fun story: if the Starks were to die out, the closest related Northern houses would the Cerwyns and Umbers through the female line, not the Karstarks (their male descent is over a thousand years old and completely moot at this point).
Both houses are what I had in mind, but they aren't needed now.
Yes, you are absolutely right, Dany's support will be lower than most expect. (F)Aegon will gain support, most importantly from Dorne as you can see.
- Minaton: Thank you! I PM'ed you.
- Iacopo Passerini: Your guess at (F)Aegon's ancestry is a common one. It is also commonly believed that the second wife was a Blackfyre and maybe even Varys sister or cousin. If I go with this route or not, will be shown later on. You're right about Dany. She has been too coddled about what her father and brother did.
I agree. No real united Westerosi culture was thought out and the system of the Lord Paramounts just reinforced national cultures. The only region where a common identity had some success was in the Crownlands and especially King's Landing. Your notion of historical writing is a good one I hadn't thought about. I will try to remember it!
- Leovatrella: Yes, you are exactly right with Jon and Aegon. Concerning the puppet kingdoms, of course he wouldn't be able to hold them for a hundred years. That's not what I meant. If he can just hold them for one or two decades, it makes reunification much less plausible. That (and extra trade and tactical gains) are the aim, not endless client states. As the Westerlands/Stormlands get stronger, Robb would pull back on his own kingdom. However, this gives him the opportunity to get rid of initial anti-Stark and revanchist sentiments, as well as those who want unification. At the most extreme, he waits until the first minor border skirmishes happen so the animosity sets in.
- Emsee: Yes, exactly. Even with the OP North (how would you double their pop in the middle of winter?), they would never be able to hold the Riverlands.
I don't know if breaking with the Baratheon name wouldn't be too big of a shock to the Stormlords, … It's said in canon that the Hightowers, Florents, … have better claims on the Reach (due to female ties with House Gardener) than the Tyrells, but I don't know about the Rowans. Splitting the Reach would also mean another huge war and less pressure on the boundaries of the Westerlands. Splitting at the Mander is impossible. That would defeat the purpose of Highgarden and the castle is so formidable everyone would want it. Religious schism is an interesting one which I have thought about before.
You will have to wait and see for the Iron Isles solution.
- Poly19hum: Thank you! I will once my exams are over and I have settled back into normal life.
- Orionastro: As I mentioned in earlier chapters, I will cut out the others as it would just lengthen the story with twenty chapters without actually changing anything except a few important people dying. The others never win in the end, so it gets old quick. Also to defeat the others they need Daenerys and I'm not going for another JonxDany fic were Jon gets a dragon.
- Guest1 + LordRhyolith: Yes, the invasion only came because of the Blackfyres. Without it, the only dangers are high tolls on the Stepstones and possible raids on Tarth, Greenstone and Dorne by some Essosi pirates. Braavos and Pentos will just want trade, so the North and Vale are relatively safe. Maybe there is a smaller danger for piracy in Blackwater Bay too.
- Guest2: A pyrrhic victory for Robb. However, due to Lord Tarly's arrival, they needed to retreat back from Atranta a few weeks later. This gave the mental image that they had fought for nothing and lost in the long run anyway. Besides, Robb lost so many troops … he probably felt much the same as Pyrrhus of Epirus who said "If I achieve such a victory again, I shall return to Epirus without any soldier. If we are victorious in one more battle with the Romans, we shall be utterly ruined.
