Inside Storm's End, in the ancient bedroom of the Storm King, stood a bed with yellow curtains, and the floor was covered with precious Myrish carpets.
Candlesticks sat on the tabletop, along with all manner of costly specialties from the Stormlands.
There was amber from the Rainwood, furs and fine wood carvings, blue marble ornaments from Tarth, pearls from Estermont, and more.
The tapestries hanging on the walls were even more valuable. Though old and worn, they depicted sacred scenes: the story of the first Storm King, Durran Godsgrief, building Storm's End.
A ruined castle by the sea, corpses everywhere, a storm having passed through. Durran, in utter fury, declared war on the Goddess of the Wind and the Sea God, while Elenei, the gods' daughter, stood behind him.
On the night of the wedding, the gods destroyed Durran's fortress and killed all his kin and guests. Durran declared war on the gods, and the answer he received was a great storm raging across his kingdom.
Each time Durran built a new fortress by the sea, the gods immediately destroyed it. Until the seventh time, when Storm's End finally stood.
Durran's bloodline had a feud with the gods. Storms often ravaged the Stormlands, and Storm's End simply endured them head-on.
"Man can prevail over heaven. Now it is my turn to face the storm directly." Gendry looked at the scene in the tapestry. Elenei was a daughter of the gods, and Gendry felt there might also have been some hint of sacrifice in it.
Crow's Eye sacrificed flesh and blood to the storm, while Gendry meant to resist the storm.
The power of a storm was not a rune, but the collision of moisture and the movement of air, harder still to grasp.
Gendry opened his palm and began to feel the breath of fire within the room.
The fire element from the wall cabinet and the fire element from the brazier slowly gathered above his fingertip.
"A difficult spell to cast." Gendry patiently watched the flames gather bit by bit, spark by spark, like drops of water slowly coming together. It was nothing like that smooth, free-flowing feeling.
But this was not unacceptable. If even Gendry found it so difficult to cast spells here, then others would find it even more impossible to breach the walls of Storm's End with magic.
For one thing, the fire element in Storm's End was nowhere near as abundant as Dragonstone. The wind and water elements here should be especially plentiful, but the Storm Gods of every land carried an evil aura, and for now they could not be provoked.
The more important reason was that Storm's End's spells were woven deep into its thick walls, layer upon layer, keeping magic from entering.
Using magic here would bring backlash and attack. The red priestess had been unable to enter openly, and had instead used the smuggling passage of the Onion Knight to summon the shadow assassin.
Gendry had taken advantage of a loophole. He was both a Pyromancer and possessed the royal blood of House Durrandon, so the runes were not so hostile toward him.
"If runes were woven into the walls thousands of years ago to guard against magic, that means the enemy also had magic," Gendry thought, as a cluster of flame slowly finished condensing at his fingertip.
The rune "Stubborn Stone" had, as its first effect, the strengthening of foundations, allowing buildings to stand firm. Its second effect was to shield against magic and prevent magical attacks.
There were only two kinds of magic in the world used for buildings: that of the First Men, and that of the Valyrians.
The First Men used runes to build great structures like Storm's End and The Wall. The Valyrian Dragonlords used fire magic and runes to fuse together black cities and the Valyrian roads.
"Perhaps when I build a great city in the future, I can use the Stubborn Stone rune as well."
Against a black-red background, the shape of the flame slowly shifted: a bronze shield, golden chains, a pale gray stone.
The shield was defense, the chain was insight, and the stone was resistance to magic.
But no matter the form, runes constantly turned upon it.
"Dragons and magic. This is the gift I prepared for you, Crow's Eye."
Gendry grasped the flame. Stubborn Stone was smooth and round, able to resist the control of magic.
"I will carve the same runes as Storm's End onto the dragons' bodies."
Stubborn Stone was the most ruthless final move in this war. Its purpose was to deal with the Dragon Horn, Crow's Eye's possibly miraculous bewitchment, and his skinchanger talent.
...
Aside from studying the "Stubborn Stone" rune at Storm's End, Gendry feasted and gathered with the lords and knights of the Stormlands.
Storm's End had originally belonged to King Robert Baratheon, and later was given to Renly. But after Renly Baratheon came of age, he served as Master of Laws in King's Landing, which weakened his ties to the lords.
Recently, the Storm King's round hall was often filled with laughter. Storm's End had not been this lively in a long time.
Gendry wrestled with the lords of Storm's End and Sharp Point, crossed swords and spears with them, hunted with them, and of course, feasted. The black dragon in Gendry's courtyard always drew the loudest cheers, and people looked at the growing dragon with wonder in their eyes.
House Baratheon had enjoyed the honor of several marriages with House Targaryen, but it had never produced a Dragonrider.
Generation after generation of storms. Lyonel the Laughing Storm had won honor for Storm's End, Robert had pushed House Baratheon onto the Iron Throne, and Gendry's achievements were greater and higher than all of theirs.
"Careful, my lord." Gendry threw axes with Lord Fell's grandson, and competed in longsword and warhammer with the descendants of Lord Cafferen, Lord Grandison, and others. The sight was deeply moving, making Gendry think of the old stories.
These men were naturally no match for Gendry's strength. They were descendants of those Robert had captured at the Battle of Summerhall.
"You should not return their weapons to them." After the Battle of Summerhall, Stannis had once advised Robert this way, but Robert had merely laughed and treated those men with courtesy as usual.
Robert had not thrown those prisoners into the dungeon. Instead, he treated them as friends. Robert gave them friendship and forgiveness, something the Mad King of those days could never have achieved.
Later, Lord Cafferen fought for the stag at Ashford and died beneath Randyll's Heartsbane. Grandison died of the severe wounds he took at the Trident. Robert possessed an extraordinary charm. Even later enemies loved him.
"Knights are very simple. To win them over, you have to be like them," Gendry thought. If one wanted the love of warriors, one had to become a warrior.
Eating and drinking, laughter and sweat, then going to meet the next battle or tournament where life and death were uncertain, to greet honor, gold, and women. This was the life of a knight.
Now, the feasts and small tournaments at Storm's End were being held in full swing. The fragrance of ale, the sweetness of bread, the lingering sound of the harp, and hearty laughter filled the air.
All kinds of banners hung in the hall of Storm's End. At the very center were two golden banners, one on the left and one on the right: King Gendry's golden quartered banner, and the crowned stag banner of House Baratheon, or rather, the banner inherited from House Durrandon.
Then came the banners of the lords: House Bar Emmon's swordfish banner, House Swann's black and white swans, House Caron's nightingale, House Selmy's three yellow wheat stalks on brown.
There were also Cafferen's white stag, Grandison's sleeping lion, House Morrigen's black raven on green, and more.
Food was served course after course: venison, aurochs, goat, roast chicken and duck, swan meat, and costly lemons and blood oranges from Dorne.
"Long live the Storm. A toast to the Storm and the Dragon Princess!" Ser Guyard shouted.
"Ah, a toast to Your Grace!" Anguy the Archer raised his cup and shouted merrily, "May the Seven bless the King!"
"Drink!" Ser Justin Massey said.
"Raise your cups together." Gendry lifted his cup and looked at the lords, knights, and squires below. These men were the foundation of House Baratheon, and the pillars of the new Crownlands he had designed.
"The Stormlands still have great potential for development." Gendry looked at the lords of Sharp Point and the Stormlands. The lords of the Stormlands were rather scattered as well, distributed around the Marches, the Rainwood, and the Kingswood.
Some soil in the Stormlands was very fertile, but the climate was damp and rainy, with many storms. The interior was mountainous, the coast rocky, and within it were two great forests. All these factors limited the Stormlands' population and development.
The Crownlands had money but could not fight. The Stormlands were partly barren, but had many warriors. Only by combining the two would they become complete.
Gendry did not need to deliberately win the knights' hearts. He too possessed the charm of bravery, fearlessness, and victory in a hundred battles. He was the bold and heroic "Storm Dragonlord."
"Only the griffin is wounded," Gendry thought as he watched the laughing lords. After King Robert's war, most Stormlands lords had gained some benefit. Only the griffin had declined.
Red Ronnet Connington, Lord Jon's kinsman and one of Brienne's suitors, was only a landed knight. Naturally, he could not compare with a lord in status. Even his seat was farther back, no longer comparable to the middle and upper lords of the past.
But Gendry would not change that. He simply had not yet freed his hand to crush the fat man of Pentos. Jon had indeed gone too far back then. He had nearly killed Robert in the town, and that was a deep hatred.
After Robert took the throne from the Mad King Aerys II, he awarded the castle to Jon's cousin, but did not return the confiscated wealth, and granted most of House Connington's original lands to other lords loyal to Robert.
Rather than saying Lord Jon Connington was loyal to House Targaryen, it was better to say he was loyal only to Rhaegar.
"Save The Reach, kill the Kraken!"
"Save The Reach, kill the Kraken!" Lord Haywood Fell shouted.
His grandfather had been killed by King Robert at the Battle of Summerhall, yet his son and grandson had both become the King's most loyal vassals.
Gendry looked at these lords and knights. Though they had not met often, he was about to lead them to face the most evil Crow's Eye. The knights were willing to die for him, and he too had to win the war. This was a bond between men.
...
While Gendry stirred the morale of the Stormlands and prepared to fight the Ironborn, Crow's Eye did the same.
Before battle, men had to be inspired and their blood roused.
Relying on his victory in the war for the Shield Islands, Crow's Eye had won the support of the Ironborn. He had also raised Harras Harlaw, Andrik the Unsmiling, Maron Volmark, and Nute the Barber as lords of the four Shield Islands, effectively removing the enemy's officers.
The castle on Oakenshield was filled with the laughter of the Ironborn and the suffering of The Reach.
The Ironborn looted every shop and house they came across, smashing doors and windows. But they burned only the sept, leaving the crows and corpses as companions.
The Ironborn crowded into the hall of House Hewett, eating and drinking. They raised their cups, shouted, and boasted.
They held the wives and daughters of the plundered in their arms, and the captains threw away their usual hard-bread trenchers, replacing them with other men's silver plates.
"This is Crow's Eye's doing," Victarion thought bitterly. Crow's Eye had gained gold and women, while he had gained only empty honor, and had to watch his men kneel to him for lordships.
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