A/N In case you did not notice, I had to update chapter 15 as I made a bit of a slip up. Storm's End had a named Castellan prior to the Rebellion, Robert's great-uncle Ser Harbert. His surname is not given in cannon so I have gone with Estermont his mother's family. Anyway it was only a change to the very of the chapter so you don't have to reread the whole thing.

The group was about to move towards the stairs when Walder finally came down the ramp and hurried up behind Robert. His presence earned some raised eyebrows. It was Ser Penrose that spoke up first.

"And this is?" he asked.

"Oh! I almost forgot; this is Walder my new squire." Robert said with equal parts excitement to introduce the boy he had taken a liking to and embarrassment that he had forgotten about him in the moment.

"Walder…" Ser Harbert spoke up clearly probing for the boy's house.

"Walder of Winterfell." Robert said proudly. "He's a good lad and shows lots of promise."

"You've taken a low-born northern boy as your squire." Stannis' slow and even tone sounded more like a statement than a question, but Robert could sense there was something else behind the words that he couldn't quite place. The air between them seemed the chill even further for a moment before Robert replied.

"Yes, what of it." It came out with a hint of a warning growl. A few more tense moments passed before Cortnay stepped in to break the tension.

"It is of course a knight's prerogative who he takes as a squire. We'll make sure the boy is given proper lodgings. Now as you said, let us get out of the cold and get some warm food in our bellies. I know the waters of Shipbreaker Bay are not kind to those who ply them." He said as diplomatically as he could. And with that the tension subsided as they proceeded up into the Round Hall of Storm's End. The servants had laid out quite the feast and they were joined by other members of the Baratheon household and it wasn't long before Robert was enjoying himself. He officially announced his betrothal to Lyanna Stark to the cheers of his household. After properly celebrating the good news he began to share stories of his time in the Vale and of his travels in the North, though he definitely left out the more supernatural elements out of it. The men shouted in awe in disbelief when Robert told of his time in the Neck even with the more magical parts omitted.

While everyone made merry, Stannis stayed off to the side only really participating when Renly demanded his attention. Even then Renly would quickly grow bored and go find someone else to entertain him, usually the jester Patchface who wandered about the hall. Robert wasn't sure why they kept that halfwit around, but Cressen and Stannis seemed to be set on letting him stay here. Robert enjoyed the antics of a good fool like any other man, but Patchface was anything but a good fool in his mind. Why should he have been the only one to survive that wreck? But still time and time again Cressen and Stannis insisted that the madman stay. And so Robert's thought turned to his younger brother. He wasn't exactly sure how to go about settling things with the dour young man, but eventually decided that now wasn't the best time to dwell on it. He was having too much of a good time celebrating being back and could sort things out with Stannis later. With those thoughts put behind him, the feasting and merrymaking went on till the sun set. Eventually the festivities started winding down and Robert staggered out of the great hall having drank far more than he had originally intended.

A comely servant girl offered to show him to his chambers, and apparently was talking to him along the way, but he wasn't paying attention. His drink addled mind was simply appreciating the bounce of her generous breasts and the swish and sway of her wide hips. The effect was mesmerizing and leading him to fantasize about what she might look like without the heavy winter dress she was wearing. He imagined that it would probably be easy enough to convince her to show him. The rational part of his mind was trying to rebel at the thought, but he was too far into his cups to listen. He was also too far gone to notice that she had not been leading him to his childhood bed chamber as he expected, but to the lord's chambers of Storm's End. He froze and stared at the door; all thoughts of the servant instantly chased away. The last time he had stood here he had come home to spend time with his brothers while his parents were away on their trip to Essos. The last time he stood here was the last day he had seen his mother's and father's faces.

"Is everything alright my lord?" The servant asked clearly puzzled by his reaction.

"Huh? Um yes, everything is alright. I think I will take a walk before turning in. You're dismissed." He said a little startled at her question as he had almost forgotten she was there. He quickly turned from the door and walked away. He walked aimlessly around his ancestral home just taking in the familiar environment as the effects of the wine and ale slowly dwindled. Eventually his wanderings brought him to the godswood. He hesitated for a moment before entering. Where the Winterfell godswood was a dark and primal place, this one felt far more open and kept. He remembered that fires often started here when lightning would strike one of the trees, but the old weirwood heart tree at the center of the place always stood untouched. Soon he found himself standing before its solemn gaze.

The first thing that struck him was the different feel of the wood. Where in Winterfell he felt like an intruder, here he felt comfort and acceptance. It was as if the wood was embracing him and welcoming the lord of the keep home. And so, Robert knelt to pray. He prayed to the seven and to the old gods. He prayed that he could take on his role with courage and wisdom, he prayed that he could find a way to bridge the gap that had formed between he and Stannis, and as always, he prayed that he could save those he loved this time around. He once again felt that sense of spiritual peace he got when he took the time to pray, his mind was now much clearer. With that clarity came an unhappy realization as he remembered what he was thinking before being distracted by the memory of his parents. He quickly knelt down again and added a prayer for strength to honor his betrothed. He would have to be far more careful if he didn't want to walk down the road of debauchery again. Having finished his prayers, he steeled his nerves and returned to his parent's room.

This time he only hesitated a moment before opening the door and entering. A low fire burned low in the hearth, and it cast the room in long shadows. It was different than he remembered and yet the same. The same tapestries still hung, and the same large bed stood in the center of the room, and the rest of the furniture was there as well. But all of the little things that made it his parent's room were gone. Their personal effects having long since been packed away. Robert figured it was better this way. It was his room now, he was the Lord of Storm's End, and he would start acting like it by making this one place his. Though he was far too tired to really do anything other than climb into the bed and fall into a deep dreamless sleep.

Robert was roused from slumber by the prodding and calling of Walder. The boy had acquired a wooden training sword somewhere and was currently jabbing it into Robert's side.

"Gods boy, I'm up!" Robert roared drowsily. The boy for his part jumped back and had the good sense to look ashamed. "Why in the world would you think it was a good idea to stick me with that thing?"

"Well, my lord, you told me last night that you wanted to be awake as soon as the sun rose, and that I should do whatever I needed to make it happen." Walder replied shyly, shuffling his feet a little.

Robert's head was pounding, and the fog of slumber had yet to fully clear, but he couldn't really fault the boy for following his instructions even if he didn't really remember giving them.

"Ah, right. What did I tell you we were going to do?" Robert asked while rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"You wanted to spar in the morning and practice the joust afterwards, my lord. You also mentioned something about meeting with your uncle to get a better understanding of how the place runs." The boy said with a pleasant smile. Robert couldn't help but notice how Walder was putting more effort into how he spoke and held himself.

Robert eventually grunted in acknowledgment and slowly got himself out of bed. Walder helped him get ready for the day and they both proceeded to the round hall to break their fast. A heavy breakfast of eggs, venison, and rye bread helped Robert overcome the lingering effects of the previous night's revelry. He was about halfway through his meal when his brothers entered the hall. Robert gave them a wave, beckoning them over. Renly immediately ran over and climbed up to his spot at the head table obviously ready to eat. Stannis just stood for a moment seemingly surprised to see his brother up so early. Overcoming his shock, he coolly made his way to his place and sat to break his fast with a simple porridge brought to him by the servants.

"The boy and I are going to train in the yard later, how about you come show me how far you've come in your martial training." Robert said congenially. Stannis stopped with a spoon halfway to his mouth, holding it there for a moment obviously unsure how to respond. He eventually took his bite and responded.

"As you wish Brother." His tone held no warmth, and Robert could sense some hesitation.

"Don't get too excited Stannis!" Robert roared with laughter trying to lift the mood. He could tell that it did little to change his brother's dour countenance. Quieting down, he continued. "Anyway, I'll meet you out there whenever you are ready." Stannis just nodded.

The rest of Robert's meal was spent fielding questions from Renly about his travels. The young boy had quite an imagination and shared his own tales of daring adventure. Robert was sure that most of it was make believe, but he couldn't help but laugh at the three-year old's antics. He finally finished his own meal and left for the training yard.

Robert first got Walder set up with training leathers and set him to practice the basic strikes on a dummy before approaching Ser Penrose for a spar. He had been pleasantly surprised to find that his friend had been appointed as master-at-arms of Storm's End by his great-uncle. Robert couldn't have made a better choice as Ser Cortnay's bravery and stubbornness embodied the very soul of Storm's End. The knight demonstrated his outstanding skill and determination during their first few spars. Where many would back off when confronted with Robert's aggressive style, Ser Penrose held his ground and traded blow for blow. Robert smiled as his blood pumped faster and faster, there few things better than a good brawl in his mind. In the end, Robert's strength eventually wore down his friend and he ended up taking each of the spars. After checking that Walder was still keeping up his own practice, he saw that Stannis had finally arrived and was prepared to spar.

Robert noted that Stannis had grown both in stature and strength since he had seen him since. Even at six and ten Stannis had grown into the powerful Baratheon build and was well on his way to surpassing the six-foot mark. If one were to compare the two brothers side by side, Stannis would appear to be leaner and sinewy, but compared to others his age Stannis had quite the imposing figure. What Robert noted most however was his younger brother's expression. He approached the ring with the same look that Robert had when going to court. It was obvious he didn't want to be there.

"Ready to show me how good you have gotten? Ser Cortnay couldn't best me today, perhaps you might serve up my first loss." Robert said encouragingly. His words seemed to have no effect, however. Stannis simply saluted and took his stance.

Robert looked over his brother. Armed with sword and shield, Stannis' stance was perfect. There was no flaw for him to exploit, nothing giving away an attack. It was obvious his brother had spent hours and hours in the training yard to come this far. Robert smiled and launched his attack. His brother's defense and repost was just as crisp and precise as his stance, but something was missing. In all of his countless bouts, Robert always fed off of the emotions of his opponent. The emotion of the men he fought would bleed into their style. From Ned's cold determination to Brandon's fiery confidence and even Cortnay's stubbornness all showed in how they fought. With Stannis there was no emotion, only a cold indifference, something that Robert couldn't quite understand. As they traded blows, it became increasing clear to Robert that fighting was something that Stannis approached like any other duty, it was just something expected of him. And if there was one thing that defined Stannis was that when he was given responsibility, he would carry it out with the upmost skill and diligence.

Robert could tell that Stannis was not emotionally invested in the fight itself, not blinded by the glory of battle. He could always see clearly, and in that moment, Robert felt a mix of pride and disappointment. He was proud that his brother had a unique look that could lead to great victories, but disappointed that he would never bond over fighting like he had with many other men. Robert sighed internally as their fight continued on seemingly in a stalemate. It was time to end things, a dispassionate view might win you a battle or war, but in a duel, skill alone was not enough. Robert's drive to win was what gave him the edge. They traded a few more strikes and counters before Robert finally went in for a tackle, taking Stannis by surprise. Robert laughed while offering his hand to his brother. Stannis graciously took it and stood up dusting himself off.

"You fought well Brother! It looks like you've put in quite a lot of effort to improve." Robert said patting his brother on the shoulder. There was a split moment where Robert saw something akin to pride in his brother's eyes before it was replaced by the stony mask he had worn ever since Robert's return.

"I do what is expected of me. Now if you'll excuse me, Uncle is waiting for me in the solar." Stannis' cold tone was not lost on Robert, and as he watched his younger brother retreat, he couldn't help but wonder what it would take to break down those walls.

Robert really did want to make things right with his brother. Lyanna's admonition had really forced him to think about how he had treated his brother in his past life. When he examined all of his past interactions with Stannis, Robert saw that he never properly recognized him for his impeccable service. Robert knew he had excuses for each occasion, but death had brought a new perspective to things. So, Robert had tried to be more open and supportive of his brother, but it didn't seem to be working. Quite the opposite in fact, his efforts seemed to just chase Stannis further behind his implacable emotional fortifications. Well, if there was one thing Robert was good at, it was storming the walls. He would have to take direct approach to overcome his dour brother's defenses. Perhaps he could address it tonight after their evening meal, a belly full of good food and good drink should put even Stannis in an amenable mood. For now, he would continue on with his plan for the day.

After Robert had finished with Walder on the training grounds, he instructed to boy to prepare his horse and help him don his jousting armor. This surprised Ser Cortnay.

"Robert, I haven't seen you joust since the last tourney at Storm's End. I believe your exact words were 'who cares about riding at each other with sticks, I'll just smash them with my hammer.'" The older knight did a passable impression of the young lord.

"Ha! Well, when you have the right motivation, you can do just about anything." Robert replied in good spirits.

"Yes, women do tend to have that effect on men." Ser Cortney replied knowingly. "I hope nothing untoward happened in the North now."

At this Robert stilled in his preparations. He was about to lash out about how he wasn't like that anymore but caught himself just in time. He knew that his friend was simply japing and didn't deserve to be yelled at. Robert smiled and responded.

"If I tried anything untoward, Lyanna would ensure that the future of House Baratheon would rely on Stannis and Renly. Besides, I've come to realize what my youthful indiscretions could lead to."

"The mighty virile stag laid low by a wild she-wolf. Somehow it seems appropriate." Ser Cortnay replied in mock dismay.

"Ha, ha," Robert replied mirthlessly at the poor attempt at a joke. "If you're quite finished, I'm going to go ahead and practice. I need to make up for lost time." With that, Robert mounted his horse, grabbed a lance from Walder and went about his training. Ser Cortnay was right though, the last time he had jousted in a Tourney was here at Storm's End, he was in fact unseated quite easily by Prince Rhaegar himself. The memory of that defeat spurred him to work even harder than before. Despite his dedication and motivation, and moon on the seas had dulled the skills he had begun to develop in Winterfell, and it would take days of practice just to get back to where he was previously. It was Ser Cortnay who finally convinced Robert to rest as it was obvious that both he and his horse had reached their limit. A frustrated Robert agreed and made his way back to the castle to freshen up before going to meet with his uncle to learn about the daily operation of Storm's End.

And so, he made his way to the Lord's solar, or his solar now that he thought about it. When he reached the door, he was about to knock, but stopped himself. What kind of lord knocked on their own door? So, he boldly opened the door and walked in. The room was well appointed with a large oak desk, old but comfortable chairs, and ornate shelving stuffed with tomes, scrolls, and other records. On the wall behind the desk was an ornate tapestry displaying the crowned stag of house Baratheon. Opposite to the fireplace was an ancient tapestry depicting the seven castles built in defiance of the gods by his ancestor Durran Godsgrief.

His uncle, who had been sitting behind the desk reading through various sheets of parchment looked up in surprise. Robert also noticed Stannis standing nearby with a particularly old tome in his hand and a frown on his face.

"Good day uncle, brother." Robert greeted both men jovially. "I see you are hard at work, please catch me up on what is going on in my lands."

"Good day brother," Stannis said stiffly putting the tome down. "I'll take my leave." Stannis said with a bow making straight for the door.

"Stay Stannis, I value your thoughts." Robert said with an honest smile. Stannis stopped in his tracks and looked at Robert as if he was about to say something. Stannis remained silent however, and simply nodded his head adopting a stony mask to cover his emotions.

"As you wish my lord." Robert definitely noted the deliberate formality of the address and was struggling not to responding in kind. Now was not the time to get into it. The tense silence was broken by their uncle who cleared his throat to get the brother's attentions.

"We were reviewing the details of the petitions we were to hear at court tomorrow." The old knight said in a careful tone, obviously picking up on the tension between the two. This peeked Robert's interest and he instantly forgot about his brother's poor attitude at the prospect of truly holding court as the Lord of the Stormlands. Granted, he normally found the petty squabbles of his vassals boring, but now he was ready to prove himself worthy of the second chance he had been given.

"Ah, excellent, I was looking forward to this. Tell me, what squabbles do the Storm Lords need me to solve this time." Robert said enthusiastically as he moved to look over the documents arrayed on the desk. He could actually hear his brother's teeth grinding but ignored it as he was too focused on the task at hand.

"Yes, well the largest issue is a land dispute between Lords Buckler and Fell." His uncle said with a sigh. "It seems that Lord Buckler claims that a sizeable section of the Kingswood was seeded to his house by House Fell in perpetuity after a border dispute, and that the ruling was upheld by your father. Lord Fell claims that the land was only to stay in Buckler hands for twenty years unless the Lord of Storm's End renewed the punishment. He is petitioning for the judgement to be ended."

Robert took in the information and tried to remember how this was resolved last time. Of course, this was a pointless endeavor as he had no interest in such conflicts the last time around. Robert turned to Stannis who had been standing by quietly during the explanation.

"Were you looking up father's judgment on this?" Robert asked genuinely curious as to the contents of the tome. Stannis was quiet for a moment before nodding in the affirmative. Robert continued, "I see and what did he decide?"

"He ruled that the punishment would be extended as the son of the Lord Buckler of the day, older brother to the current Lord Buckler, had been slain in the dispute. The income generated from logging and hunting that portion of the woods was to serve as payment for the loss incurred by the Bucklers. Father decided that the debt had yet to be paid in full and so the punishment was renewed. Based on the taxes levied from the Bucklers, I would say the price has yet to be paid." Stannis' summary was delivered in an even and professional tone, all hint of discontent buried when faced with carrying out his duty.

Robert nodded along and thought for a bit.

"I'm sure Lord Buckler sees the land as his forever since no amount of money can repay the loss of a brother." Robert's mind began to wander, and his thoughts turned to the opening days of the Rebellion. He had slain Lord Fell in single combat at Summerhall. Was his decision to join the loyalists due to this ruling? Maybe there was a way to settle this amicably and save himself a headache later.

"I think the land should be returned to House Fell." Robert spoke to no one in particular.

"But the debt hasn't been paid, this will anger Lord Buckler." Stannis said with just a hint of anger underlying his otherwise calm tone.

"Yes, but continuing to punish a house for something that happened two score years ago isn't good for anyone. Tell me, what happened to the man that killed the Buckler's heir." Robert countered.

"If I recall," Ser Harbert responded, "It was a landed knight and vassal of House Fell. He was slain during the incident as well, cut down by the Buckler boy's guards."

"See, everyone involved is long dead." Robert exclaimed. "I'm sure I can make Lord Buckler see reason. Uncle, please make the arrangements for hunt tomorrow after we hold court. There's nothing like a good hunt to build bonds of friendship. Now what else have we got?" Both Stannis and Ser Harbert shared a look. It was clear that Robert's approach was vastly different than what they had grown used to.

As time marched forward, they managed to work their way through all save one of the petitions they would be dealing with the following day. Robert was doing his best to stay engaged during this time, but since none of the other petitions were nearly as interesting as the first, it was a struggle. He was relieved when his uncle reached for the last parchment that needed review. However, a look of confusion formed on his uncles face as he read through the las missive.

"This one is addressed specifically to you Robert. It seems Ser Harrold Rogers is coming with his wife to petition you regarding your betrothal. He says something about his lady making sure you are worthy to join with their house."

"Who is she to question my worthiness!" Robert shouted. "And how would they know about the betrothal? I only made the official announcement yesterday and that missive must have been sent days ago." His anger being replaced by confusion as he thought more about it.

"House Rogers is known for being infuriatingly enigmatic. I mean, who puts a maze on their arms? If the amber trade didn't bring in so much tax revenue, I would say we should exile them just for causing so many headaches." Ser Harbert replied gruffly throwing down the parchment.

"I guess we'll see what they want tomorrow. We can always throw them out if they get too out of line." Robert said with a huff.

"If that is all, I'll take my leave now." Stannis said quickly heading for the door. Robert barely had time to acknowledge his brother before he had left the room. Robert was far too mentally drained to try and force that issue now. What he needed now was a nice ride across his lands. Robert had grown to truly appreciate the time he spent riding with Lyanna in the North. He didn't have to think while he rode, he could just let go. Regardless, he was still first in his decision that he would force the issue with Stannis before the day was out.

A/N Alright, so next chapter Robert and Stannis will finally have that heart to heart. A few of you in the comments were pretty spot on as to why Stannis was angry, and it will all be laid out in the upcoming chapter. I was going back and forth on whether to just put it into this chapter, but there were other things I wanted to cover and if I included their conversation it would have gone longer than I would have liked. Anyway, kudos if you know what is up with house Rogers.