iron throne of ice and fire

Chapter 268 The King’s Curse

Stannis Baratheon looked at his Onion Knight with his deep eyes: "Davos, Ser Axel wants me to continue the war. Many people think that I have completely failed... Who can blame this? Almost everyone All the lords who swore fealty to me have deserted me, and even my grandfather, Lord Ismon, has bowed to Joffrey."

Eldon Ysmond is the lord of Greenstone Castle in the Stormlands, and Stannis's mother, Kasanna Ysmond, is his daughter. Lord Ysmond was captured during the Battle of King's Landing, and he surrendered to Joffrey's Iron Throne.

He added: "The few who still retain their loyalty have lost their confidence and spend their time drinking and gambling all day long, licking their wounds like a defeated dog."

Ser Axel stepped forward a little and said: "Failure is the disease, victory is the cure. Your Majesty, fighting will cheer them up again."

"Victory." Stannis' dark thin lips twisted.

He waved his hand and said: "We do need a lot of victories. Sir Yaser, tell my prime minister your plan. I want to hear his opinion."

Although Ser Yaser was very reluctant, he still obeyed Stannis's order. He turned his body to Davos and said: "On the Blackwater River, Count Adrian Celtigar (Crab Island) is in the Flame Heart." Fighting under the banner, but after being captured, he immediately turned to Joffrey and still stays in King's Landing. This man betrayed the real king. I plan to..."

Ser Axel's plan is simple. Stannis still has about 1,600 soldiers on Dragonstone. He plans to use Salladhor Saan's fleet to transport him to the lightly guarded Crab Island to attack Earl Celtigar's army. Betrayal and take revenge.

Finally, he announced: "Burn his castle, kill his people, and turn Crab Island into barren ashes and bones, with only carrion crows staying. This way all the Seven Kingdoms can understand the consequences of taking refuge in the Lannister." "

Stannis listened to Ser Axel's retelling in silence while slowly grinding his teeth from side to side.

After Ser Axel finished speaking, he said: "I believe this plan can be done, and the risk is very small. Unless the Redwyne family sends reinforcements from the Arbor Island, Joffrey will not have ships to support Crab Island. Crab Island Although the island has no strategic value, its fall can tell Lord Tywin... that I, Stannis, am not dead."

Stannis turned to Davos and asked: "What do you think of Ser Axel's proposal? I want to hear the truth, my Hand."

To be honest... although this plan sounds good, it is actually a bandit's work. Sir Axel and his old friend Salladhor Saan are actually targeting Crab Island, The property of the Celtija family (Chapter 188).

To be precise...their first target was not the Crab Island, but the Mermaid Port of the Kleb family. However, they were scared of being beaten, so they moved their target to the Crab Island of the Settiga family.

After pondering for a while, Davos' eyes moved slightly and met Sir Axel's threatening gaze.

Davos turned his gaze to Stannis and said, "King Stannis, I have to say... this plan is stupid and cowardly."

"cowardly?!"

After hearing Davos's words, Sir Axel asked loudly: "Smuggler, how dare you call me a coward?!"

Prime Minister Davos remained silent, and Stannis said coldly: "Quiet."

Then, he looked at Davos: "Go on, I want to hear your reasons, my Prime Minister."

Prime Minister Davos turned to face Sir Axel and said slowly: "You want to let the Seven Kingdoms know that we have not failed, so we need to take the initiative to find new fighters. This may be true... but our Who is the enemy? There are no Lannisters on Crab Island."

Sir Axel raised his voice: "There is a traitor on Crab Island. Adrian Celtija betrayed His Majesty the King."

Prime Minister Davos said directly: "Are there traitors in the Mermaid Port of the Kleb family?"

"You...you!" Ser Axel glanced at King Stannis, fear flashing across his face.

"Mermaid Harbor."

Stannis's emotionless voice sounded: "Davos, tell me, what happened?"

Davos nodded slightly and said, "Four days ago, one of our squadrons attacked Mermaid Port, and we lost many ships."

Stannis's jaw moved silently a few times and he said, "Why didn't anyone tell me this?"

He looked at his Prime Minister, and Davos responded respectfully: "King Stannis, I'm sorry, I just found out."

After a pause, he added: "My second son heard the news in a tavern at the port."

Seeing Stannis's eyes moving towards him, Sir Axell hurriedly explained: "Your Majesty the King, they were careless... They just wanted to replenish supplies at Mermaid Port. This was a misunderstanding... I only found out not long ago. about this."

"Misunderstanding... Or a robber under the king's banner?"

Stannis snorted coldly and said to Davos: "My Prime Minister, I don't need bandits to work for me. Deal with it according to the law and don't let anyone go."

Sir Yaser urged in a panic: "Your Majesty the King, our military morale is unstable. We cannot..."

Stannis interrupted coldly: "I am not the leader of the bandits, and I will not leave anyone unwilling to follow orders. If I tolerate their crimes because of a moment of weakness, that will be a real failure, a complete failure. fail."

After his words fell, Lord Davos bowed slightly towards his "god", and Ser Axel opened his mouth, but under Stannis's intimidating gaze, he did not dare to say anything further.

After a pause, Davos's voice sounded: "King Stannis, Lord Green is not our enemy. Please allow me to write him a letter."

Stannis's lips curled up imperceptibly, and he said, "Smuggler, have you learned how to write?"

Lord Davos raised his eyes to look at King Stannis and replied respectfully: "One of my stewards...he writes beautifully."

Stannis tapped his chin and said, "Leave it to you, my Hand."

He added: "Continue the topic just now. Davos, please continue."

Davos stroked his chest and said, "As you command, King Stannis."

He thought for a moment and said slowly: "Count Celtigar... I don't doubt that he bowed his knee to Joffrey. We all know that he is an old man who has only a few days left, and his only wish is to die in his own castle. , drinking fine wine from a jeweled cup every day.”

He looked at King Stannis: "However, when you called, the old man came, with his ships and soldiers to support you. Faced with the overwhelming number of Renly's army, he followed at Storm's End You fought. Then he sailed his ship into the Blackwater, fought for you, died for you, and was burned for you."

After a pause, he continued: "Yes, the guard of Crab Island is indeed lax. There are only women, children and old people there... because their husbands, sons and fathers died in the Blackwater River and died under our flag. , that’s why.”

His voice rose slightly: "However, Ser Axel actually proposed that our army rush to their homes behind them, rape their wives, and kill their children. King Stannis, the people of Crab Island are not you. The traitor..."

Davos's words were rudely interrupted by Sir Axel: "Count Celtigar's men were not completely wiped out on the Blackwater River. Hundreds of soldiers were captured and knelt together with their lord." Davos Earl Si asked: "Count Celtija is their lord, and they swear allegiance to him. What choice do they have?"

Sir Axel raised his thick chin and said in a contemptuous tone: "Everyone has a choice. When Earl Celtija surrenders, they can still refuse and die because of it. They die heroically. This is true loyalty. "

Lord Davos was unable to refute, because he knew very well... Stannis is a man of pure iron, who neither understands nor forgives the weakness of others.

Sir Axel's voice was filled with mockery: "As His Majesty's Prime Minister, you speak good words for those traitors. Now I have some doubts about your loyalty to His Majesty the King, Onion Knight."

Stannis frowned and said: "Smuggler, it is everyone's duty to be loyal to the legitimate king, higher than loyalty to the lord."

Earl Davos opened his mouth and said: "King Stannis, people are different. Some are strong and some are weak."

He gritted his teeth and said directly: "The law cannot condone weakness, but... at least... you should not implicate innocent people. This is also a kind of cowardice."

When Davos finished speaking, he heard Stannis grind his teeth.

Ser Axell said angrily: "Davos Seaworth, how dare you insult His Majesty the King in person, you are a traitor!"

With a bang, he pulled out the sword from his waist.

King Stannis's voice was cold: "Ser Axell, stand down."

Sir Yaser did not want to give up such a good opportunity: "If your Majesty is happy..."

King Stannis interrupted: "I will be glad if you withdraw."

He added: "Leave quickly and find Melisandre."

Sir Axel had to give up: "As you command, Your Majesty."

He sheathed his sword, glanced at Davos hatefully, and walked quickly toward the door, his boots thumping angrily on the stone slabs.

After a long silence, Stannis said: "You always presume on my endurance."

He's warning his Onion Knight: "I can make your tongue as short as your fingers, smuggler."

Davos bowed slightly, and his voice was very respectful: "King Stannis, I am yours, and my tongue is also yours, at your disposal."

King Stannis smiled faintly: "I will keep it to tell the truth, even though the truth is often very bitter."

After a pause, King Stannis made a gesture. He asked Davos to come closer and said, "The boy was sick, and Maester Pyros (the maester who served Dragonstone) bled him."

Earl Davos said with some confusion: "Which boy?"

Stannis said in a calm tone: "The one who is sick is Robert's bastard son, the boy we brought from Storm's End."

The boy Stannis is referring to is Edric Storm, Robert Baratheon and Dirina Florent as bridesmaid in Stannis Baratheon and Selyse Florent He was conceived in the marriage bed.

Stannis saw this as a stain on his reputation and sent him to Renly Baratheon's Storm's End.

Since both Edric Storm's parents were nobles, his existence was recognized by Robert.

…………

Earl Davos nodded slightly and said, "I met him in Aegon's Garden (the garden near the Dragon Tail Gate of Dragonstone Castle), and I had a few chats with him."

"Does that kid appeal to you?"

King Stannis's eyes became deep: "He has this talent, which is the charm inherited from his father's bloodline. He knows that he is the son of the king, but he does not want to think about the identity of an illegitimate son. He is like a child. Renly adores Robert as much as he does.

I remember that every time my brother visited Storm's End, he would play the role of a father and bring gifts such as swords, ponies, and fur cloaks, but Varys had prepared those things for him.

The boy would write a letter full of gratitude to the Red Keep, and Robert laughed and asked the eunuch what he was planning to send this year. Renly didn't fare much better, leaving the task of raising his children to his acting castellan and maester. I don't have the hypocrisy of Robert and Renly..."

His teeth chattered. "But it pisses me off that everyone would think I was going to hurt that kid."

He looked at the Onion Knight: "I chose Robert back then, didn't I? At that difficult moment, I chose family instead of honor."

Davos was thinking...his "god" didn't even want to say Edric's name. This was indeed easy to cause misunderstandings and made him a little uneasy.

He advised: "I hope little Edric can recover as soon as possible."

King Stannis waved his hand, indicating that Davos did not have to worry: "It's just a cold. He has a cough, a shiver, and a fever. Maester Pylos can cure it quickly. The child will be fine, you know, he has fluids in his body." With my brother's blood."

After a pause, he added: "The king's blood contains power, she said so."

she? It didn't take a guess to know that the woman King Stannis was talking about was Melisandre. Davos's eyes trembled slightly, and the uneasiness in his heart... became deeper.

Davos couldn't help but said: "Has Melisandre seen little Edric?"

After a pause, Stannis's voice sounded: "It was also her wish to bring him to Dragonstone. She saw it from the holy fire... She told me that I need that boy."

Frowning, Stannis seemed not to want to continue talking about the boy. He changed the subject: "My Hand, I want to talk to you about our next battlefield."

After a moment of silence, Davos cautiously added: "King Stannis, to be honest... we are unable to fight the Lannister anymore. Maybe..."

At this time, Melisandre's voice with an accent from the Jade Sea region came over: "What your Majesty is referring to is a real war."

(End of this chapter)