"But we have a great advantage in the fleet," Davos reassured himself. Stannis had been master of ships for many years, commanding the Royal Fleet. Now Dragonstone possessed one of the strongest fleets in the Seven Kingdoms, and Stannis had forcibly detained many other ships—armed merchantmen and cargo ships—that came within sight of Dragonstone.
Davos was thin and plain-faced, his humble origins evident. A green cloak, deeply corroded by seawater and salt, hung from his shoulders, its color faded from prolonged sun exposure. Beneath the cloak were a brown tunic and trousers, matching his brown eyes and hair. A worn leather pouch hung from a strap around his neck. His small mustache was streaked with white, and his injured left hand wore a leather glove.
But the guards outside Stone Drum Tower waved Davos through, as everyone knew Davos was a man held in high regard by Duke Stannis.
"Is that person here?" Davos asked hesitantly.
The guard nodded. Davos reluctantly ascended the tower and entered the Round Table Hall. The Round Table Hall, as its name suggested, was a spacious room with unadorned black stone walls. Four tall, narrow windows faced the four cardinal directions, directly exposed to wind and rain.
The most famous feature of the hall was the massive carved wooden table, ordered by Aegon the Conqueror before his wars of conquest. Every time Davos saw it, his heart swelled with emotion, the realm spread out before his eyes, the table gleaming with the patinated lacquer of about three hundred years of history. The "map table" was over fifty feet long, about half that in width at its broadest point, and less than four feet at its narrowest. Aegon's carpenters had sawn out bays and peninsulas according to the shape of the continent of Westeros, so no part of the table was straight.
Davos saw his liege, Duke Stannis of Dragonstone, a man who never knew how to bend, and was therefore not very popular. Stannis sat on a raised dais, corresponding to Dragonstone's position overseas, this being the only remaining spot in the Round Table Hall, and the Red Priestess was also on one side of the Round Table Hall.
"I hoped you would bring good news, but I knew you wouldn't." Duke Stannis Baratheon said, looking up at Davos. Stannis wore a tight leather vest and coarse brown wool trousers; he always lived simply. Duke Stannis differed greatly from his brothers in appearance and temperament. He was known for his steadfastness, never sought luxury, rarely laughed, and was difficult to approach.
Stannis was broad-shouldered, with strong limbs and a taut face, his skin hardened like iron from long exposure to the sun, though his features lacked the handsomeness of Robert or Renly, resembling Cold Iron. Though he was not yet thirty-five, only a fringe of fine black hair remained on his head, like the shadow of a crown, encircling his ears. Stannis also kept his beard short and neat, like a blue-black shadow covering his square jaw and the hollows of his cheeks, as if in response.
"I wasn't a good envoy," Davos said with a grimace.
"Then I should cut off your tongue and your fingers," Duke Stannis said, never considering others' feelings. He disliked flowery words and would never utter them.
Beneath Stannis's thick brows, his eyes were like two wounds, deep blue like the night ocean. Even the most comical jester would find his efforts futile against that mouth, a mouth born for frowns, scowls, and stern commands. It was pale, thin, and tight, long having forgotten how to smile, and ignorant of what joy was. The Duke also ground his teeth at night, a sign of insecurity.
"The Lords of Stormlands remain unmoved and unwilling to raise arms for me. Many are opportunistic, and many are under Renly's banner. They believe it would be appropriate for me to choose either Renly or the bastard." Stannis said resentfully.
"It is the bastard, but your brother has legitimized him, and I see many Lords are watching. Even Renly cannot rally everyone, because Highgarden is now also waiting to see, unless Renly can achieve some breakthrough in battle. That's why Lord Renly is eager to ally with us, needing the Royal Fleet's support," Davos said.
"What do you mean, the throne belongs to Renly or that lucky bastard Gendry? That blacksmith Child." Stannis's tone was cold. "I never asked for Dragonstone, but by right, I should have received Storm's End. Robert completely disregarded my loyalty to him. I built his fleet, defeated his enemies, did he thank me? He did not. It was Robert who ordered me to take Dragonstone, and now… because of the King's generosity and gratitude, I have to bow and scrape, guarding my rocks and seawater."
"You should know the current situation. Dragonstone has few people. The outer islands are rocky and rugged, sparsely populated. Moreover, those Lords, hearing that the Targaryen girl is returning, I see them looking at me with some apprehension. This place has always had the stench of dragons, and I've only held it for a dozen years. What can I rely on? Mercenaries from Across the Narrow Sea, and they are all others' cast-offs."
Davos knew these old grievances had wounded Stannis too deeply, and besides, it was not the time to dwell on memories. He calmly said, "At least in the eyes of many Lords, your brother Renly would be in dire straits without the support of Highgarden, and the Stormlands have never had the strength to go it alone. And your nephew has already amassed a large army and fleet, and Lord Eddard's will in his hands."
"Robert was already very unfair to me, and he left me with such a mess. Because of his generosity, Renly wants to steal the throne. As for that bastard, Robert's last few words erased decades of my loyalty, and the gods-approved order of succession…" Stannis's angry voice echoed through the hall.
Davos remained silent, sullen. Renly was indeed a thief coveting the throne. But in the comparison between the bastard's legitimization and his uncle's rights, it was indeed debatable.
"My Lord, our real enemy is the Lannister. And now, everyone is against the Lannister."
"I will not ally with Renly, no matter how well he speaks. He is a rebel, and I don't believe he will give up the crown."
"Then your nephew? He has already lifted the siege of Riverrun, and now the forces of Winterfell and Riverrun are willing to support him," Davos suggested.
"He's just a boy, and besides, is there a place for me in that will?" Stannis's face was grim. "Robert hurt me deeply, and I see his son is the same."
"But that is your brother's will," Davos pleaded. "If you had been informed earlier, perhaps Eddard could have been saved."
------------------------
There are already 70+ chapters available on my Patreon!
The story will continue to update 1 chapter per day on Webnovel,
while early access chapters are posted on Patreon.
Maybe it's not worth it today but it could be later
[email protected]/Kazenova223
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"