Capítulo 55: Chapter 54
Solomon. Dragonstone.
Since business in King's Landing was over for the moment, I decided to visit Dragonstone. It was a small rocky island in the Narrow Sea, at the end of Blackwater Bay, with a fortress of the same name. It was here that the Targaryens had moved before the Doom of Valyria happened.
It was bleak and empty, as it had been formed by a volcano, and all that the island had was a small port, a castle, almost no vegetation, and rocks of various sizes and shapes.
The castle that I could see from the harbor looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. Its architecture was different from any castle I had ever seen, that is, it was built of black stone. Triangular with sharp tops, the towers and walls had dragon-like features, and I also caught sight of several stone gargoyles that looked like the same dragons. All of this created a kind of gothic-mysterious picture that looked intimidating, but also stylish and original.
I breathed in a full breath of the smell of the sea and freshness, something I couldn't do in King's Landing.
I loved this place. Although it gave the impression of isolation and loneliness, there was also a sense of peace and freedom. The sound of the waves crashing against the rocks, the smell of sea and salt, and the open sky full of clouds blended perfectly with each other. I think I would have stayed here longer, even if there weren't many places to walk.
- I like it here, and I think we'll spend some time here," I said as I surveyed the landscape of rocks and frozen lava around me. - What about you?
- If you like it, so do I, my king. Though, I would add red through vegetation or simple decorations,' Kinvara replied.
- 'Here... well,' Lavena said.
- So we agree on this place," I nodded and looked at the long stone pathway from the shore to the castle. A group of four men were coming down the path, and after a while they appeared before me.
The first was a tall and large middle-aged man with broad shoulders, dark blue eyes, a short trimmed beard, and black hair with slipping gray. And, as I realized, this was Stannis Baratheon, the younger brother of the current king. He struck me as an extremely serious, stern and callous man, but he also reminded me a bit of Ned because of the sense of duty that emanated from him.
Behind him stood two women, one of whom was a red priestess, judging by the dress and the necklace around her neck, and the other of quite ordinary appearance. Hiding behind Stannis was a girl of ten with a disfigured face. And while our two groups looked around at each other, it was she who was the first to say something.
- Why are you barefoot? Aren't you cold? - She asked with childish curiosity and quickly lowered her eyes, still hiding behind her father, causing everyone to stare at her. The guards looked at each other worriedly, Stannis shook his head, the red priestess remained silent, and the last one, who appeared to be her mother....
- Shireen..." she wanted to scold her as I raised my hand to stop her and knelt down, then smiled.
- Don't be afraid, child, come," I said, and Shireen, seeing her father's nod, walked forward slowly and uncertainly with her head down. - How do I look in your eyes?
- You look... magical, my lord," she began uncertainly. - Your clothes are so beautiful and clean, your hair is long and silky, and your eyes seem to shine with golden light... And also... I somehow think that you are good and kind... Just like in fairy tales....
- You're right about something, child," I let out a chuckle, and at that Stannis looked a little worried. - What's your name?
- Shireen. Shireen Baratheon," she introduced herself, pronouncing the surname with a note of affection, then glanced at her group. - This is my father, Stannis Baratheon, Lord of Dragonstone and Master of the Ships. Standing beside him are Lady Melisandre, priestess of the Lord of Light, and my mother, Celisa Baratheon.
- I see. My name is Solomon and these are my companions, Kinvara and Lavena," I said and looked at the mutilated part of her face, which she noticed and turned her head, trying to hide it.
I gently stopped Shireen and touched the affected part of her skin. The girl became uncomfortable and a sense of shame began to emanate from her, but my smile went nowhere. With a careful movement of my hand, she looked directly at me again, though her eyes were still downcast. Mana flowed down my arm and began to gently penetrate the scars on her face.
- You're a beautiful girl," I said, pushing back her black strands of hair, and pulled my hand away. Stannis and the others' eyes widened in surprise at the change and continued to stare at what was happening.
- No, I...
- Then why don't you take a look at yourself? - I asked, and created a hovering mirror in front of her, revealing a perfectly clean and healthy face. Shireen opened her eyes wide in disbelief and gingerly took the mirror in her hands and began to twirl it around to get a good look at her reflection. After a few seconds, she smiled happily and her eyes were covered with a shroud of tears.
- Father," she turned to Stannis, holding the mirror in her hands as if it were the most valuable treasure in her life. - My face... It...
In response, the stern and, I would even say, calloused man dropped to a knee and embraced Shireen.
- Yes, it's true," he said, closing his eyes.
I smiled at the father-daughter duet, Lady Baratheon cried, Melisandre and Kinvara looked as if they'd expected something like this, and the guards smiled. Lavena gave me a look that I didn't understand, but it was definitely one of approval with a hint of suspicion.
I wonder, when my child is born, will I have the same feelings? And more importantly, will my child do the same? I guess I won't get the answers to those questions until later, will I?
-0-
Some time later.
After one loud feast celebrating Shireen's healing, where I was the guest of honor, we were transported to the Painted Table Chamber. It was a large circular room with walls of bare black stone and four tall windows facing the four sides of the world, showing the sun that had almost set over the horizon.
It was located at the top of the Stone Drum, the central and highest structure of the castle, where the so-called Painted Table stood. In fact, its surface was a three-dimensional map of the Seven Kingdoms, and it was made entirely of obsidian, which looked original.
Among those present, besides me, were Stannis, Kinvara, Melisandre, and Davos Seaworth, a lean man with brown eyes, a plain weathered face, a beard, and thinning brown hair with gray slipping through it, who was Lord Dragonstone's right-hand man. Lavena wanted to take in the evening views of the island, and Lady Baratheon and Shireen were poisoned to accompany her.
The little girl was so overjoyed at her healing that she actually spent a long time thanking me as much as she could. She even brought from her room a small stag figurine, which she treasured very much, if you could judge from her face, and with a beaming smile presented it to me. Stannis was more reserved in the way of gratitude, but instead of words his look spoke for him.
If at first, when we'd first met, he'd looked at me skeptically, now I could physically feel his gratitude and respect. And that look hadn't changed until now.
Melisandre, a priestess of R'Glor with her usual attractive appearance, red eyes, long copper hair, and snow-white skin, took a submissive stance toward Kinvara. After all, the latter had a higher rank in every respect. But she certainly didn't hide her reverence for me, which had become the norm for me.
- Lord Solomon," Stannis called to me as I looked around the room. - I'd like to thank you and the Lord of Light again for helping my daughter. I will never forget it.
- You don't have to. And I told you to drop the formalities, didn't I? - I smiled.
- I can't do that," he shook his head. - Thanks to you, Shireen is smiling like I've never seen her smile before, and my relationship with my wife has begun to thaw after so many years of dormancy. My family is united again, and that's worth a lot.
- Good for you. She's a good kid, innocent and pure, and so I did what I needed to do.
- Yes, she deserved better than gray sickness and a disfigured face," Stannis nodded. - I confess that when I heard about you from Melisandre, I did not believe it all at once. One who is greater than Azor Ahai himself, a Warrior of Light and the Promised Prince with incalculable power and might. I expected a proud and pompous young man, but not a merciful and compassionate sorcerer, as if he had come out of a fairy tale.
- You flatter me, Lord Stannis," I said. - Has R'Glor told you of my goals?
- Yes, My Lord," Melisandre nodded. - You want to prepare these lands for the coming of the Great Other.
- But the Great Houses have long-standing grudges, and I doubt they will be forgotten. To stand against the Great Other you need an army, a united fist, and a strong king to unite and lead them against the enemy," Stannis said.
- You don't like the current king? - I asked.
- Robert doesn't know how to rule. All of King's Landing walks under the Lannisters, and he does nothing. A king is supposed to hold power firmly in his hands and look after his family's future, but my brother prefers to drink and fill his belly.
- I suppose something must have happened between you two to dislike him so much," I mumbled thoughtfully, and Stannis remained silent. - But you're right to a certain extent. The Seven Kingdoms are fragmented, and a tiny spark is enough to ignite a great flame of enmity. However, there are other ways to prepare for the enemy from the deep North. Would you like to hear it, Lord Stannis?
- Of course.
- In order to reduce the chances of conflict, the parties involved must be made to understand that it is simply unprofitable, no matter who wins. The Seven Kingdoms are ruled by Great Houses, and from what I've heard, the Lannisters are the only ones who stand out as holding the most power in the land. But what if we give a couple of the others a little power? So they wouldn't match the lions, but they'd gain power fast?
- Like the Starks," Stannis nodded.
- Indeed," I seconded him. - But I want to add you and the Tyrells to that number. There are only five basic factors for a war that could well start for one reason or another: men, food, territory, money, and weapons. And of those, two of the factors are already taken up by the Lannisters, leaving only food, weapons and territory.
- That is, the Tyrells, Baratheons, and Starks respectively.
While Stannis didn't exactly have weapons, he did have ships. Lots of ships, since he held the position of Master over the ships. And that's an important factor in warfare. On the other hand, the Stormlands, named for its frequent storms and high winds, and located on the east of the continent, had no large settlements or population, but plenty of mountains and cliffs where iron and steel were mined, and fertile soil.
- Yes," I nodded and looked at Stannis's aide. - What do you think of that, Ser Davos? I heard at the feast that you were a smuggler, and a successful one at that. After all, food and weapons can be procured and diverted more than just directly.
- It can work. If there's demand, there's smuggling," he replied. - I still have a few connections, and if you pay them, they'll do what's needed.
- But Dragonstone is poor and empty, Lord Solomon," Stannis took the floor again. - Why would you turn to me and not Renly or Robert? The Stormlands and the King's Lands are larger and richer.
- I had not originally planned to approach you on this matter, only to help your child. But I liked you, and consider it a personal preference.
And it is. In the short time I've known him, Stannis Baratheon has shown himself to be a pretty good man, harsh but with a heart. I haven't met his brothers yet, and it's entirely possible they'd be more effective than him, but given the circumstances, Stannis was a good fit. Also, he's closely aligned with the Red Faith, which definitely added a point or two.
- That's good to hear, but all of this will require gold, and again, Dragonstone is poor and empty," Stannis said.
- I will solve this issue," I smiled, to which I received a look of incomprehension.
- How?
- Your concern is unnecessary, Lord Stannis," Kinvara said, drawing attention to herself. - If my king said he would settle the matter, then it is settled, and you have only to reap the rewards.
- High Priestess Kinvara is right. The Lord of Light has marked Lord Solomon as his word and will, Stannis," Melisandre backed her up, and apparently she was quite close to him, given her tone.
- I want details. The Lord of Light is great, but I cannot rely on something I do not know. I've heard rumors, but no more," Stannis insisted.
I raised my hand slowly, palm up, in response. A moment later, a small weight of unprocessed gold ore appeared on it. Upon seeing this, Stannis' and Ser Davos' eyes widened in a daze, and then I handed the piece of ore into Lord Dragonstone's hand.
- This is... - he couldn't believe it.
- Yes, it's gold. Send your men to the western part of the island. There they will find quite extensive deposits of gold. All you have to do is mine and process it," I said.
- But there's nothing there," Ser Davos said, confused.
- Not until I get there," I corrected and smiled, looking at Stannis. - Have I answered your question?
With a nod, I looked at one of the windows that overlooked the Narrow Sea.
So now all that's left to do is wait for the King and Ned to arrive in King's Landing and then meet with the current ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. The Tyrells will be handled by Varys, and besides, they're not as demanding of change as the others. Now I have time to relax and enjoy the scenery here, because after King's Landing it sounded really nice.
-0-
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