Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Name, Rank and Serial Number
11th Month of 298 A.C. King's Landing
Lord Stannis Baratheon
He was not proud of the fact that he'd fled from King's Landing when Jon Arryn had died, there had been so much going on and they had come so close to finally exposing some terrible truths, and then the man had died and he had fled. But he had come back now and the King had welcomed him back with open arms. The court was a mixture of all kinds of madness and debauchery, as well as shrewd scheming, that was the Lannister woman's forte. The Lannister woman finally had power, but it seemed as though she did not know what to do with it, there was a lot of issues running around that needed to be sorted, and as such Stannis knew things were not going to be easy, especially as Tywin Lannister was once again raising questions over his reputation. Stannis had never really believed the legends that surrounded the man and now it seemed a boy was proving them even more so.
Of course these were things one did not mention in front of the Queen Dowager, though the King seemed more than determined to get that point across. "Lord Tywin has lost yet another battle to the boy who claims to be a dragon. Tell me mother, how is it that he has such a reputation when he has not been able to beat a horde of savages and ninnies in his own lands?"
Stannis looks at the Queen Dowager and notes the bags under her eyes, she has been drinking heavily it seems. "I do not know Your Grace. The boy has gotten lucky, I think. That is all."
"They have fought four battles now Your Grace. And in each and every one the boy has managed to push Lord Tywin further and further back into the Westerlands. I would say that is more than just luck." Stannis says then.
The Queen Dowager shoots him a harsh look. "And yet he at least answered the call to arms immediately. He did not run off at the first sign of danger my lord."
Stannis knows he should have expected nothing less from the woman, still her words sting, and he has to grit his teeth to prevent himself from giving her a sharp retort. Once he has calmed down slightly he forces the words out. "I have already given my reasons for my journey back to Dragonstone. The King has seen fit to ignore my absence."
"The King only did that because we have need of your ships." The Queen Dowager responds.
The King speaks then his voice sharp. "The King can speak for himself mother." Stannis watches with some amusement as his nephew shoots the Lannister woman a harsh glare. Then the King's attention is on him and Stannis feels himself beginning to sweat under that intense gaze. "Tell me Lord Stannis, how would you handle the pretender?"
Stannis thinks over the question for a moment before replying. "The pretender has his men divided into different divisions from what reports we have heard Your Grace. In order to properly deal with them, I would force him to have to link his different divisions together. The more men that are in one single place, the easier it is to break them against one another."
"What do you mean by that?" the King asks.
Robert truly was a terrible father if he did not even explain this to you. Stannis thinks to himself, aloud he merely says. "There are many mountains and rocky formations within the Westerlands Your Grace. Northmen know how to fight on flat terrain not the jaggedness that some areas of the west have. If Lord Tywin could get them into this terrain, then they would be at a loss of how to handle it. It is one thing to fight on flat ground, quite another to fight on rocks."
"That is evidently what Lord Tywin is trying to do Your Grace. He is trying to lead the pretender towards the jagged ground." The Dowager Queen says quickly.
"If that is what he is doing, he is doing a terrible job of it." Stannis quips. "He had the perfect opportunity to do so after the last battle, or perhaps even before it, and yet he failed to do so, and instead relied on facing northmen on flat ground. So long as he keeps doing that he will never win."
"And how would you get the pretender onto jagged ground" the King asks.
Stannis thinks on that for a moment before gesturing to the map before them. "There are chances to lure them southwards away from the Rock and toward Clegane hall, there is jagged ground there, if one can ensure that they do not catch on too quickly then perhaps there might be a chance. The issue remains that a second host under Ser Jaime is advancing into the west as well, and Ser Jaime knows the lands. He would need to be dealt with. But Lord Tywin refuses to engage his son."
"My father is no Kinslayer." The Dowager Queen snaps.
Stannis stares at the woman. "Ser Jaime is not his son now; Ser Jaime is a traitor. And if your father is truly intent on stamping out this pretender then he had best remove the man's leading commander in this fight so far. Remove Ser Jaime and the pretender will be wandering blind."
The King seems to be considering this quite intently, but the Dowager Queen seems to be fretting over what he has proposed, indeed when she speaks, her words are a mix of venom and worry. "Doing such a thing could only harm you Your Grace. No matter what he has done, Ser Jaime is still your uncle, and family. You do not want to give the pretender more tools to use against you."
In an answer that is all Robert, the King replies. "I would not have to consider such a thing, if your brother was less of a traitorous cunt."
The look on the Dowager Queen's face at the King's words are enough to make Stannis have to place his hand in front of his mouth to stifle a laugh. "You did not mean that." the woman says.
"Oh I meant every word of it mother. Your brother is a fool for siding with the pretender, dragon or no, he will fall." The King responds his voice authoritative. "Now, Varys, tell me what have your little birds gathered of the placement of this pretender's forces?"
There is a moment of silence as they wait for the eunuch to respond, when he eventually does so his words are soft and to the point. "His forces are as Lord Stannis noted divided into different divisions, commanded by various lords all of whom are looking to achieve the pretender's good graces. My sources within the man's camp report that there has been some division between Bolton and Karstark though, with both sides accusing the other of their lords' deaths."
"What does that matter?" the Dowager Queen asks. "They are not the ones we want."
"Of course it matters." Stannis snaps then his patience with the woman fading quickly. "They are two of the most powerful families in the north, if they are at loggerheads then that can only be good for us."
Before the Dowager Queen can respond, the King speaks. "Lord Stannis is right. Go on Lord Varys."
The eunuch nods his thanks and then continues. "It seems the Lords Domeric and Harrion believe the other was responsible for their respective father's deaths. The reasons why are not quite clear, but from what my little birds have told me, their men have come very close to blows. The pretender and his cousin are having to try very hard to keep them apart from one another. And the Karstark forces happen to be quite close to where Lord Tywin's men are."
The smile on the King's face then is something that Stannis does not think he will forget for as long as he lives, a terrifying sight to behold, still it is better that he is smiling than raging. "Excellent." The King says. "Now we just need to apply pressure and watch that fool's army fall down." There is a moment of silence as they all digest that, and then the King speaks once more. "Tell me Lord Stannis, out of the lords serving in the royal fleet, how many of them are working for you?"
It takes him a moment to understand just what the King is asking, but then when he does understand he responds with confidence. "All of them Your Grace. Those who might have opposed you I had killed. There are none who would dare fight for the pretender now."
"Not even Velaryon?" the King asks curiously.
"Especially not Velaryon." Stannis responds.
"Good." The King says. "Renly is marching up from Storm's End with some eighty thousand men it seems, and I need to know whether or not a naval assault can drag him away from his path."
"Your Grace?" Stannis asks uncertainly.
"I want some of the royal fleet to attack Storm's End. Let my coward of an uncle go running back when his castle is attacked. I want to see him run and I want this bastard brother of mine slain." The King responds.
"There will be ships waiting for such a thing I think Your Grace." Stannis cautions. "Renly might be many things but he is not a complete idiot. He will suspect somewhere deep down that we might be doing something such as that."
The King seems to be considering that, but his eyes seem to indicate that he is set on this course of action. "Lord Dondarrion wants revenge for his castle, and for his family. He wants to make sure that Renly and the bastard know what they have done. I think it right that we send a small force under him to cause a distraction for Renly Baratheon."
"How small a force Your Grace?" Stannis asks.
"Two hundred men no more. I do not want him to be successful, I merely want him to get close to the fools." The King responds.
There is a glint in the King's eyes, a glint Stannis never saw in his brother's eyes, and it worries him, but it is not his place to question him. "Very well Your Grace."
"You will command here Stannis, send Ser Aurane with some of the ships toward Storm's End. It is time we tested just how true he really is." The King responds.
Stannis nods. "Yes Your Grace."
Silence falls once more after that, as they are all left with their thoughts and their plans, and then the King speaks once more. "Lord Baelish what word from Braavos, have the Iron Bank considered our proposal?"
Stannis does not like Baelish, has never liked Baelish, has never trusted Baelish, but he cannot deny that the man is good at his job. When the man speaks his words are soft. "They have considered it Your Grace, and they have agreed to it. They will send someone to collect the first payment in a moon's time."
"Good." the King responds. He pauses for a moment and then says. "You know Lysa Arryn well do you not Baelish?"
"I do Your Grace." The man responds.
"Then I want you to go to the Vale to meet with her, convince her to send her men to aid in defending what her husband fought for. Use whatever words you need, but convince her all the same. I want it done by the end of the year, and when you return, I want the swords of the Vale to be at your side." The King says.
"It will be done Your Grace." Baelish responds.
Stannis looks at the man and he cannot help but feel as though there is something going on in the man's mind, something that will not be good for any of them. He remembers some of what he and Jon had found out, and he wonders whether the man before him knows that they did. His actions certainly suggest he might do. Perhaps it is time Stannis took the advice of that red woman and presented the evidence to the King.
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