CHAPTER 163
Dragonstone.
The crushing defeat hung over the Stone Drum like a storm cloud, filling the council chamber with suffocating silence. Davos Seaworth, Ser Axell Florent, Lord Alester Florent, and the other captains all looked toward Stannis Baratheon, who sat at the head of the table with a gloomy, unreadable expression. Melisandre, seated calmly across from him, remained composed as ever, as though even the disastrous defeat upon the Blackwater could not disturb the certainty of her faith.
A week earlier, while Garon was still sailing through Ironman's Bay toward Pyke, the Battle of the Blackwater had erupted before King's Landing.
Stannis had gathered the strength of Dragonstone and the Stormlands, leading more than twenty thousand men against the capital while Joffrey Baratheon's forces remained pinned behind the city walls. At first, Tyrion Lannister's wildfire trap devastated much of Stannis's fleet upon the Blackwater Rush, yet Stannis personally led his knights ashore, driving relentlessly toward the Mud Gate and nearly breaking King's Landing's defenses.
Just when victory seemed within his grasp, everything changed.
Lord Tywin Lannister arrived from the west with the full strength of the Westerlands, joined by the mighty host of House Tyrell. At their head rode Ser Garlan Tyrell wearing Renly Baratheon's famous green armor, causing many Stormlords who had once sworn to Renly to believe their former king had somehow returned from the dead.
One lord after another abandoned Stannis.
His army collapsed almost instantly.
In the end, Stannis barely escaped aboard the few surviving warships, returning to Dragonstone with scarcely two thousand exhausted men.
His position was now weaker than it had been before he ever launched the invasion.
Unless fortune performed a miracle, nearly everyone within Dragonstone believed King Stannis had already lost any realistic chance of claiming the Iron Throne.
That grim conclusion weighed heavily upon the assembled lords.
Lord Alester Florent, now serving as Hand of the King, exchanged a glance with his brother Ser Axell before finally breaking the oppressive silence.
"Your Grace."
He bowed respectfully before continuing.
"The battle is over. We must now consider our next course."
Stannis slowly lifted his eyes.
The defeat at the Blackwater had nearly shattered even his iron determination.
"What do you propose?"
Alester had clearly prepared his answer beforehand.
"Your Grace, I believe we should send envoys to King's Landing."
"Envoys?"
Stannis stared coldly at his Hand.
"To negotiate."
"And upon what terms?"
Without hesitation, Alester replied,
"You should renounce your claim to the Iron Throne in exchange for recognition as Lord Paramount of the Stormlands while retaining Dragonstone."
His proposal immediately stirred the chamber.
Even Ser Axell Florent looked surprised.
Davos frowned deeply before speaking.
"Lord Alester, are you asking His Grace to bend the knee to Joffrey Waters?"
"Never forget that His Grace is King Robert's lawful heir."
Alester turned toward Davos with visible displeasure.
"I know that perfectly well."
"But tell me honestly, do we still possess the strength to win this war?"
"Sometimes retreat is necessary before advancing again."
"We should preserve our strength and wait until the realm changes once more."
He paused before adding meaningfully,
"After all, another king still sits in the Riverlands."
His words once again caused murmurs throughout the council chamber.
Even Stannis showed hesitation.
At that very moment, Melisandre smiled faintly before speaking.
"Your Grace."
"The Prince That Was Promised does not surrender."
"And besides..."
"We still possess the means to claim victory."
Stannis immediately looked toward her as though grasping the last remaining piece of driftwood in a storm.
"What means?"
Melisandre slowly rose from her chair, her red robes shimmering in the firelight.
She surveyed the chamber before smiling confidently.
"As Lord Alester has said."
"There is still a king in the Riverlands."
"If that king and his army were to swear themselves to Your Grace, would you not once again possess the strength to challenge for the Iron Throne?"
"The North?"
Stannis frowned.
"Why would House Stark ever swear fealty to me?"
Melisandre's smile deepened.
"Your Grace..."
"Have you forgotten that we still hold one of House Stark's sons?"
Upon hearing those words, Davos immediately understood her meaning.
He knew Melisandre intended to rely upon her shadow magic once again.
A trace of pain crossed his weathered face.
He wanted to object.
Yet after a long silence, he chose not to speak.
Stannis also understood at once.
"You mean..."
"We eliminate Robb Stark and then use Rickon Stark to command the North."
His gloomy expression gradually brightened.
"Robb's kingship is rebellion."
"Replacing him with Rickon would restore order."
Before anyone else could respond, Alester interrupted.
"Your Grace."
"Even if that plan succeeds..."
"How exactly do you intend to kill Robb Stark while he is surrounded by thousands of seasoned warriors?"
"Can our remaining strength defeat the Young Wolf?"
Unlike Melisandre, Alester knew nothing of Renly's true death and had always dismissed rumors involving dark sorcery.
He continued bluntly,
"Even assuming Robb dies through deception..."
"Rickon Stark is still not his heir."
"He has an elder brother."
"Bran Stark remains alive in Winterfell."
"Would we then need to murder Bran as well?"
Stannis answered coldly.
"Lord Alester."
"There are matters you do not know."
"Bran Stark was crippled after his fall."
"He cannot rule Winterfell."
"Rickon is therefore Robb's next legitimate heir."
Alester still wished to question him further, but Stannis had already immersed himself completely in Melisandre's proposal.
"Enough."
"This matter is decided."
"As for Robb Stark..."
"I already know how he will die."
He immediately turned toward Davos.
"Ser Davos."
"Prepare the fleet."
"We sail at once."
"We will round Crackclaw Point and make for Saltpans."
"We must seize control of the Northern host before our enemies can recover."
Davos could only bow in obedience.
"Yes, Your Grace."
Yet deep within his heart, his distrust of Melisandre grew stronger than ever.
While Dragonstone hurriedly prepared its remaining fleet, news of the Blackwater spread throughout the Seven Kingdoms.
"Cough... cough..."
At Riverrun, Robb Stark, still recovering after receiving an arrow wound during the campaign in the Westerlands near the Crag, turned pale the moment he heard the latest reports.
Stannis had been defeated.
House Tyrell had joined House Lannister.
The Stormlands had effectively fallen under the Iron Throne once again.
Already weakened by his injuries, Robb was overcome by violent coughing.
"How..."
"How could Stannis lose..."
"The Lannisters actually..."
He struggled to breathe before another fit of coughing overtook him.
Within Riverrun's council chamber, Lady Catelyn hurried to her son's side.
"Robb."
"Remain calm."
"Even if Tywin has won, such a victory cannot have come cheaply."
Edmure Tully, however, shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Sister."
"Tywin now commands the combined strength of the Westerlands and House Tyrell."
"They number well above thirty thousand."
"The only reason they remain at King's Landing is to finish Stannis first."
"When Dragonstone has been dealt with..."
"They will march against us."
Edmure's words made Robb's expression even more strained.
He immediately looked toward his uncle.
"Uncle."
"Summon every lord of the Trident."
"We must prepare for war."
"Harrenhal..."
"Harrenhal must not fall."
"Send word to Lord Bolton immediately."
"Order him to occupy Harrenhal with the northern host."
Edmure sighed.
"The Freys will not answer that call."
"You brought Lady Jeyne Westerling back from the Crag and chose to marry her."
"Why would Lord Walder send you another man?"
Robb's face immediately stiffened.
Ever since he had broken his marriage pact and chosen Jeyne Westerling instead, House Frey had withdrawn all its forces in fury and vowed to make him pay dearly.
Now the consequences of that decision had begun to appear.
"Jeyne..."
Bitterness filled Robb's heart.
For perhaps the first time, he truly understood the price of acting upon impulse.
Lady Catelyn's own expression darkened.
She knew the Riverlords well enough.
If House Frey abandoned the war, others would inevitably begin calculating their own survival.
Should King's Landing continue gaining strength, many uncertain bannermen would eventually seek peace with the Iron Throne.
Still, seeing her son's weakened condition, she gently comforted him.
"Robb."
"You must recover first."
"So long as their king stands strong, the North and the Riverlands will continue believing in victory."
She hesitated briefly before speaking with determination.
"I shall ride to the Vale again."
"I will persuade Lysa to send the Knights of the Vale."
Robb's tired eyes brightened.
"If the Vale joins us, our chances increase greatly."
"We still hold Ser Jaime Lannister."
"Tywin cannot attack recklessly while his son remains our captive."
"And if we can endure until Garon returns with the Ironborn loyal to Queen Asha..."
"We can still win."
Lady Catelyn, however, remained deeply pessimistic.
She had never approved of Garon's bold expedition against the Iron Islands.
"Garon is far too reckless."
"Does he truly believe defeating raiders in the North means he can conquer the Iron Islands themselves?"
"He is a northern lord."
"He has never commanded a fleet in battle."
"How can he hope to defeat Ironborn upon the sea?"
Edmure snorted dismissively.
"If Lord Glover truly possesses the ability you claim, he should already be marching south to reinforce us."
"Instead he crossed the Sunset Sea."
After speaking, an absurd thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"What if..."
"What if he truly captures that dragon horn?"
"What if he actually succeeds in controlling dragons?"
His words caused both Robb and Catelyn's expressions to change immediately.
The same uneasy thought flashed through both their minds.
Fortunately, Robb quickly steadied himself.
"No."
"He would never."
"Garon is loyal."
"He would never betray the North."
He then turned toward Edmure.
"Keep the matter of the dragon horn secret."
"The fewer who know, the better."
Looking toward his mother, he continued,
"Mother."
"Please leave for the Vale as soon as possible."
"You must persuade Aunt Lysa."
Finally, he looked back toward Edmure.
"Uncle."
"I know this is difficult."
"But please write to Lord Walder."
"Tell him you are willing to marry one of his daughters."
While Robb desperately sought new allies to preserve the Kingdom of the North and the Trident, Garon had already completed his affairs in the Iron Islands and was preparing to sail south to join the war that would decide the fate of Westeros.