Dragonstone
Orryn
"I say father, we must be quick, distribute the information about Joffrey's bastardy. We must take the fleet to the Stormlands, we must gather support as soon as possible."
"Orryn is right Stannis, has there been any response as to when my father will march to support us?" My mother asked with a certain confidence.
It had been a moon since my return to Dragonstone. I returned to my duties as Ser Justin's squire, checking the fleet with Ser Davos and finally, I still had a few lessons with Maester Cressen, but I spent the rest of the day with my father in the painted room planning...
Planning what exactly I didn't know. But my father wanted caution, he wanted to be meticulous, he wanted everything his way. Weapons, armor, arrows, supplies, everything.
My father just remained silent, his hands folded in front of him.
"Young Orryn's words have merit my lord, we should go and gather his supporters as soon as possible." Maester Cressen said, also agreeing with me.
"And beg before those petty lords?". Dad said through gritted teeth.
"They will bow to the rightful king, every lord will fight for the honor of having us in his castle, for the honor of hosting a king." Mother still said confidently, perhaps more to herself than to us. "What about my father?".
"Lord Alaster gave ambiguous answers... at the same time some merchants claim that Lord Renly spends time with the Tyrells, visiting some lords...". Ser Davos answered her.
"It's easier to support someone who stands before them, with an army on their doorstep. That's why I say Dad, we have to go to the Reach, we have to show Uncle Renly whose right to the throne it is."
"Renly hasn't challenged Stannis' right to the throne, he may just be rallying supporters for his father Orryn." Maester Cressen and I just looked at him, he knew what my look meant.
"Where is Renly?" was my father's question.
"Preparing to host a tournament in Bitterbridge, the seat of House Caswell." Ser Davos spoke once more and a heavy silence reigned in the room.
"Get the troops ready, we're going to march to Bitterbridge and attend my brother's tournament."
"Yes sir, the men have been looking forward to it ever since they were summoned." Ser Davos replied with a smile.
"If I may?" Lady Melisandre noticed for the first time. "Don't go as a mere lord, go as a chosen one of the Lord of Light, go carrying the sword Lightbringer".
"Talk with sense woman!". Dad growled and my mother looked offended, as always happened when the red woman was contradicted.
"Crown yourself king of the seven kingdoms before you go". I replied and everyone looked at me. "Don't wait for the others, do it yourself and announce it to everyone.".
"R'hllor will surely bless you my lord, even more so if you have the right incentive." Lady Melisandre said with her red eyes blazing, and when she did that, something would surely burn.
That same night, the sept of Dragonstone was burned, a sword stuck in the chest of Mother's statue was pulled out of the flames.
Lady Melissandre sang and prayed to the lord of light, crowned my father as king of the seven kingdoms on the sands of Dragonstone beach, proclaimed him a chosen one and when the sword was removed, it burst into flames, the steel taking on a red color.
That same night, the waters of Ciri leaked and our child was brought into the world, one moon ahead…
Somewhere in the Stormlands
A line of knights, wagons and chariots sped through the Stormlands. The banners fluttered, Celtigar's red crabs, Bar Emmom's blue swordfish, Massey's colorful triple spiral, Velaryon's seahorse and Sunglass's Seven-pointed stars. All these lords marched in the name of King Stannis of House Baratheon.
The Crowed Stag stood proudly at the head of the caravan. Queen Selyse insisted that the banner change, that the stag was in a heart of flame from R'hllor. King Stannis didn't mind the change, in fact he just didn't implement it because there was no way to make more banners in time for the march.
The fleet and a good number of soldiers were stationed in and around Seaworth. Only 200 men accompanied the king, and very few joined them on the way to Buckler's lands, most of whom had already accompanied their lord, Lord Renly.
"We should stop father, set up camp while we still have light." Orryn said to his father as they both rode ahead of the column.
Stannis gritted his teeth, indignant at not being welcomed into a castle as he should have been. Orryn was also indignant at such disrespect, he knew the reception his uncle Robert received during his journey to Winterfell, but there was no point in getting angry… for now.
"We can go on a bit longer... weren't you in a hurry?". Stannis finally answered his son.
"We must let the men rest a bit, show that we are not marching to war but to meet our subjects, we must have rested and clean men to show when we arrive."
"Go on, give the order and we'll stop at the next plain, it has a river relatively close by, if I remember correctly."
"Yes sir." Orryn replied before turning his horse and riding off to the next row where the lords were following.
"Lord Bar-Emmom, will you accompany me?". Orryn asked his childhood friend Duram, the new lord of Sharp Point.
"Yes, my prince!". The clumsy boy replied, full of relief.
When they were out of earshot of the other lords, Orryn let out a laugh. "Heavens Duram, you look terrible!".
"Try to stay yourself over so many accusing looks! All those old men want to take a piece of me, I'm sure!".
"And after so many years in Dragonstone you haven't learned to control yourself in the face of harsh looks?"
"Your father never liked me, Orryn, but he tolerated me and I tend to believe that he meant me no harm. Lord Celtigar on the other hand? He must be planning how to trap me, the old miser!".
Orryn laughed and rode on until he found Ser Justin and his great-uncle Ser Axel. "Sers, we're stopping at the next plain."
"Praise be to the Lord of Light, my ass hurts after all that riding." Ser Axel grumbled.
"Will you warn the rest of the Orryn caravan? Try not to go without guards... we don't know what we'll find in these lands at the moment." Ser Justin instructed.
"Try not to go, that is. It's beneath a prince to serve as a messenger relay." Ser Axel sneered and Orryn gave him a penetrating look.
"Keep worrying about your ass, great-uncle, I'll worry about the honor of mine." Orryn replied scathingly before continuing his march, Duram following close behind.
Orryn actually informed the whole caravan about the stop, helped set up some tents and simply rode with Duram around the site. Ser Borys joined them at some point, but kept his distance.
"And when are you getting married, Duram? You're probably looking for an heir by now, aren't you?"
"Tell me about it." Duram groaned. "I like the girls, they don't like me... Did I tell you about the prostitute back home? I loved sleeping with my head between her huge breasts and when she massaged my jewelry...".
"I bet you've had it bad".
"My mother found out and punished me...".
"Duram, is your mother still punishing you? You're the lord of Sharp Point now!". Orryn said a little shocked.
"Damn it, I know that! But it's not like I really rule, you know? Most of the time it's my mother and the maester who do that." Duram replied with a grimace. "After that she wants to marry me off soon... probably to a cousin from a lower branch or to Lord Celtigar's great-niece, although the latter is older than us."
"Are they ugly?".
"I don't know, I've never seen either of them, but I know I won't be as lucky as you."
"Am I lucky now?".
"Yeah, he probably is, since he'll be fucking Lady Margaery Tyrell before the end of the year, that's what everyone says. And you know what they all say? How beautiful she is". Duram finished with a suggestive smile.
"That's what everyone says...".
Duram returned to his men after some more conversation, checking to see if they had set up their tent while Orryn walked to his mother's carriage.
He stopped out of sight and smiled at the scene he saw. Shireen, his sweet and shy sister, was giggling as Arya Stark showed off her 'dancing' techniques.
The girl from the north hadn't been in the best of moods since her escape, often asking when she would be returning home, but she had actually managed to get close to Shireen. She knew how to bring the shy girl out of her shell.
While she was practicing, Arya finally noticed Orryn standing in a tree. "What are you doing there?" She asked with displeasure.
"Watching you dance, is that forbidden?".
"I'm not just dancing, I'm showing my techniques for when I'm in the princess's royal guard."
"I understand the white sheet on your shoulders now." Orryn smiled when he saw the blush on Arya's cheeks as she tried to remove the sheet.
"Lady Arya says will be my sworn sword!". Shireen said excitedly.
"Who knows when she can beat me first."
"I've seen you fight several times... I'm not impressed." Arya replied arrogantly. "In fact, I remember very well you losing to my brother Jon."
"I think I'm good enough to beat a little girl." Orryn smiled back and Shireen stepped between them.
"Orryn, we were playing here...". Shireen said with a look that said, 'Let me play with my friend!
Sighing, Orryn gave Shireen a half-smile. "I know that, sister, and I don't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to know if you've seen Ciri?".
"She's in the tent, tired and sore from what she told me, so I allowed her to look after her baby."
"He's a strange little boy, small and pale. He hardly ever cries and doesn't open his eyes." Arya commented without noticing the way Orryn's breathing quickened. "I don't know if he'll live."
"I'm going to check on her... don't let anyone in, understand Shireen?".
"Yes." Shireen nodded seriously and gave her brother a sympathetic look.
"The same goes for you Ser Borys." Orryn said to the mustachioed old knight.
He made no mention of answering, just sat on a stump and watched Arya and Shireen play again. No one would get past him, that was a fact.
Orryn entered the tent reserved for Shireen and Arya. Ciri was there, singing softly to a baby in a cradle, she was the handsmiad of the two young ladys.
"I came as soon as I could... how is he?".
"Living..." Ciri said in a tired voice. The birth had come suddenly and as exhausting as it had been, Ciri had forced herself to leave with everyone just three days after such an ordeal.
Orryn knew just by looking at her face how much pain she had to endure just to stand up today. It was only at hid request that Maester Cressen had attended the birth, and if he hadn't, he wouldn't have wanted to think about what would have happened to her.
"And they said he'll be fine... right?".
"If he lives another moon, yes. Until then he'll need to be kept warm and fed, but I'm sure he'll be fine, he drinks all the milk from my breasts in one go. A little longer and I'll need a wet nurse to help me."
"Erryn... that's a good name, don't you think?". Orryn said, running a careful finger along his sleeping son's cheek.
"Yeah, that's a good name." Ciri smiled.
Orryn hugged her lightly and kissed the top of her head. "He'll live, I know that. And when he grows up I'm going to make him my squire."
"Don't get your hopes up Orryn... he could... he could go at any time. Half the day he sleeps and I see if he's still breathing... I'm afraid that one day I'll arrive and...".
"Fear not... Lady Melisandre said he would be a great warrior, didn't she? Above all, his blood is Baratheon and no Baratheon leaves this world without fighting. The only difference with Erryn is that he will fight from the first day of his life, that's all."
"A real Baratheon, you say?".
"A real Baratheon".