"I am surprised, Lord Stark, to find you at my brother's side." Stannis Baratheon scolded, speaking to Robb like he was a child. "It is well known that your father was a supporter of my claim."
Stannis was similar to Renly and yet vastly different at the same time. They both were tall and muscular, with coal-black hair and blue eyes, and that's where the similarities end. Stannis had wispy black hair across his head and a close-cropped beard across his jaw. His face seemed stretched with his hollow cheeks and thin lips. Probably due to how much the man ground his teeth.
The man had the presence of an experienced commander but did not dress like the nobleman he was. He wore a plain ash-grey woolen shirt under his studded jerkin, plain old boots, and a plain belt that held his war dagger and sword.
"I am not my father," Robb said angrily. "As you know, he died defending your cause."
"Yes, I heard." Stannis without an ounce of sympathy. "But there are sacrifices that have to be made."
"My father is not some pawn to be cast aside in your play for power!" Robb growled. "He died an unlawful death supporting you. Understand if I do not mean to do the same."
"I don't understand." Stannis barked back. "I am the true king of Westeros. By all the laws of men and gods that is true, even if all of Westeros is set against me."
Renly chuckled. "You never knew what it meant to be king, even now you prove that. You will never be loved by Westeros."
Stannis glared at his brother before glancing at his sigil. "You changed our family banner."
Renly smirked. "I can see you've done the same," he said, nodding towards Stannis's banner, a stag's head emblazoned on a heart that was on fire. "Why is your stag on fire?"
"Your brother has taken the fiery heart of the Lord of Light as his banner." The strange woman at Stannis's side explained.
She was an exotic beauty, with hair like burnished copper, red eyes, and pale, flawless skin. She had a lithe figure, with full breasts, a narrow waist, and a heart-shaped face. She regarded Renly and his party with a look of arrogance and amusement.
"Ah, you must be the fire priestess I've heard so much about," Renly said. "I must say brother when I heard you had found religion, I was surprised. It makes much more sense now."
"Watch yourself Renly," Stannis warned.
Renly grinned. "No no, I am relieved you have found religion in your old age."
"You should kneel before you brother." The priestess advised. "He is the Lord's chosen, born amidst salt and smoke."
"Born amidst salt and smoke." Renly mocked. "Is he a ham?"
"That's twice I've warned you," Stannis rumbled.
Robb sighed. "If you two are only going to fling thinly veiled insults, then you waste my time."
"I called this meeting to give my brother one more chance to kneel before his lawful king," Stannis said. "The Iron Throne is mine by right. All who deny that are my enemies."
"The whole realm denies it, from the Wall to Dorne," Renly replied instantly. "Old men deny it on their deathbeds and unborn children deny it in their mother's wombs. Nobody wants you as their king. You never wanted any friends brother, and a man without friends is a man without power." Renly said, growing serious. "No one wants you for their king."
Stannis simply regarded Renly with grim sympathy. "For the sake of the mother who bore us, I will give you till dawn to strike your banners and pledge yourself to me. You'll have a seat on the council, and I will even name you my heir until a son is born to me." Stannis offered. "Defy me and be destroyed."
Renly glanced towards his army. "Look across that field brother. Look at those banners."
"You think a few bolts of cloth will make you king?" Stannis challenged.
"No, the men holding those bolts of cloth will make me king," Renly replied firmly.
"We shall see, Renly. Come the dawn, we shall see." Stannis said, turning his horse around and trotting away.
"Look to your sins, Lord Renly. The night is dark and full of terrors." The priestess added before following her king.
"It's funny," Renly said, glancing at Robb. "I loved him once."
Line Break
Robb has had enough of southern politics after watching Renly and his brother Stannis fling mud at each other for no gain. All the while, the older Baratheon kept remarking that Robb's father would be disappointed that he had been declared king and was treating with Renly instead of declaring for Stannis.
What worried Robb was the red priestess who had been by Stannis's side. She made Robb feel uneasy. There was something about her that he didn't trust.
Now he was striding into his small camp in the center of Renly's, where his companions were sitting around a fire, chatting casually. Dacey looked up as Robb walked in, smiling.
"How'd the meeting go?"
Robb sighed in annoyance and ran a hand through his curls. "It was an hour of the brothers throwing insults at each other. A complete waste of my time."
"Well, you have a guest," Daryn said, jerking his head towards Robb's tent. The others tried hard to keep smiles off their faces, but it was obvious that they found something very funny about the situation. The young king raised an eyebrow and walked towards his tent, noting that Greywind had shot into the tent the instant Robb had walked into the campsite.
Robb pushed aside the tent flap to reveal Margaery Tyrell petting Robb's direwolf, a soft smile on her face. Robb raised an eyebrow, a smile spreading across his face. "My lady." he greeted, bowing slightly. "What do I owe the pleasure?"
Lady Margaery looked up, a smile also spreading across her face. "Forgive me, my lord, I just came to see your beautiful wolf again. I didn't mean to intrude," she said. She looked back down at the giant wolf, whose eyes were closed in pleasure as it received Margaery's undivided attention. "He truly is magnificent."
Robb chuckled, dropping onto a nearby stool. "Aye, he is. He likes you."
Margaery chuckled as well. "How was the meeting with Stannis?"
Robb was unable to keep the disgust off his face. "Terrible. The two brothers threw insults the entire time. It was a complete waste of time."
Margaery nodded slowly. "There have been rumors that Stannis has taken up a foreign God and now has a priestess advising him. Is that true?" She asked. "There's been word that she's burned all the statues of the Seven and the sept as well."
Robb nodded. "Aye, it's true. There's something about her. I can't seem to put my finger on it."
Margaery looked at him. "Do you think she is a pretender?"
Robb shook his head. "I don't think she's pretending, that's what worries me." Robb said "All my instincts tell me to be wary of her. So far, my instincts have not failed me."
"Stannis is not known as the zealot type." Margaery mused.
"That's the other thing." Robb agreed. He looked at the beautiful girl. "Why did you come looking for me?"
"I wanted to hear about the meeting with Stannis," Margaery replied immediately.
"Your husband was also there," Robb countered. "Now, the truth please, my lady."
Margaery chuckled. "My husband has always treated me a little….delicately."
"A rose with a stem of steel." Robb joked. "You do not have to worry about me keeping the truth from you. In the North, some of our women are a lot stronger than steel."
"You mean Dacey Mormont," Margaery said, glancing outside the tent.
"Aye, and her mother and sisters as well," Robb said. "The women of Bear Island are very remarkable. So, what would you like to know?"
"Is there anything from the meeting that I should know about?" Margaery asked.
Robb shrugged. "Stannis isn't pleased. He sees me and Renly as traitors and false claimants to his throne. His priestess proclaimed him the 'Lord's chosen'."
"He's bought into the religion." Margaery mused.
"He's changed his banner, he has the priestess, but he was still Stannis. The man who held out against the might of the Reach." Robb sighed. "I will be watching him very closely, regardless of what Renly says tonight."
Margaery's face shifted in an instant, her thoughtful look replaced with sorrow. "You leave tonight."
Robb nodded. "I will meet with Renly tonight and hopefully receive my answer. I leave tomorrow morning regardless."
Margaery looked at him. "Do you believe my husband will agree to your terms?"
Robb shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "If he agrees, then we can end this war sooner and I can go back to Winterfell with my family and stay there."
Margaery pouted. "Do you hate the south so much?"
"The south is just different my lady. There are some parts that I like," Robb said easily, gazing into her large brown eyes. "But it's not somewhere I would like to remain for long. Starks don't prosper in the south. You know how Robert's Rebellion."
Margaery nodded and stood up, patting Greywind lovingly. "Thank you for talking with me, Lord Stark. I hope your talk with my husband goes well," she said, not able to meet his eyes.
Robb nodded sadly. "Thank you for your company, my lady. Do you need an escort back to your tent?"
She shook her head. "No, I have my husband's guards waiting for me. I will be ok," she promised. She looked once more at Robb, before quickly ducking under the tent opening and leaving. Greywind whined sadly, slumping next to Robb's cot.
Robb nodded. "I know boy. I miss her already too."
Line Break
"So, what was the girl here for?" Smalljon asked curiously, digging into his fourth bowl of swine stew.
Robb and his guard were sat around a low fire, eating an early dinner before Robb met with Renly. Renly's steward, a lanky man by the name of Nathen, had been kind enough to send food for breakfast, lunch, and supper for the northern guards. Tonight, it was a stew of boiled pork and vegetables accompanied with some crusty bread and black beer, at Smalljon's request.
"She just wanted to talk," Robb replied, slathering the last of his bread with butter before tearing into it, following the bread with more beer.
"Based on her dress, are you sure your grace?" Daryn asked with a sly smile.
Robb pushed the heir to Hornwood slightly with his boot, forcing the man off his stump and onto the hard-packed dirt. Both young men had smiles on their faces.
"We talked, that's it." Robb reiterated. "She was curious about the meeting with Stannis."
"Her bloody husband was there." Smalljon pointed out.
"My thoughts exactly, but it seems Margaery is seen more like a delicate rose than a queen with a crown."
"So she came to you for answers?" Dacey asked.
Robb nodded. "She did."
"You met this girl yesterday," Daryn commented.
Robb shrugged. "I like to believe that we're friends. Besides, you've seen her. Will you look me in the eye and say you wouldn't want to be friends with her?"
Daryn smirked. "I'd love to be friends in bed with her."
Once more, Daryn was pushed off his stump.
"Say one more thing about Lady Margaery and I'm pushing you into the fire." Robb joked with mock seriousness.
"I'll just bash your head in." Dacey deadpanned.
Daryn glanced at the lanky but muscular woman and the studded mace she had near her hand, gulping slightly.
"I'll keep quiet."
Smalljon clapped Daryn on the shoulder. "Wise choice, my friend. I've seen many a man get on Dacey's bad side, and I've seen all walk away with either a broken nose or their balls turned inside out."
"Or both," Dacey grumbled, draining the last of her ale. "Your grace, are you sure you want to leave so early? We could stay a few more days. There is no harm talking with Renly."
Robb shook his head, thinking back on what Lord Bracken had said. "I can't go back now Dacey," he answered. "I said I would leave tomorrow, and that's what I intend to do. We are in Renly's camp, which means he holds most of the leverage. I had to take command of the situation any way I could, and that was by giving him an ultimatum."
"So, if he rejects your terms, you'll take the Iron Throne?" Daryn asked curiously, no longer smiling or joking.
Robb put down his tankard and rested his elbows on his knees. "I'm not sure." He admitted. "I think I may have to. After today, there's no way I can declare for Stannis. Something not right there."
"So you'll take the throne and sell it off to the highest bidder?" Smalljon grunted. "Not a bad idea."
Robb shook his head. "I can't auction off the Iron Throne. I have to make sure it goes to someone who won't abuse its power."
"Who?" Dacey asked. "Who do you know in the Seven Kingdoms capable of ruling five other realms?"
Robb resisted the urge to say Jon. His brother would be great on the throne, especially because he wanted nothing to do with it. He would see kingship as Robb sees it; a burden, not a privilege.
It also helped that Jon was technically the true heir to the Iron Throne.
"I don't know," Robb said finally. "We'll deal with that later. First, we have to beat Tywin Lannister. And having a hundred thousand bloody men marching towards King's Landing would make that much easier."
"Will it?" Smalljon wondered. "Would Tywin really turn his back on us if Renly marched towards King's Landing?"
"A snake won't sit still while a knife is heading towards its heart," Robb said confidently. "Tywin will not sit idle at Harrenhal while his grandson and daughter are attacked. That is when we will strike."
"What if Renly does agree to your terms, but refuses to give back your sisters or Ice. what then?" Dacey asked.
Robb sighed. "There are many unknowns. Too many for my liking. I don't trust Renly, and I trust Stannis less, but I need one to help me win this damn thing. I'm taking a risk here."
"How do you know if it's the right one?" Daryn asked.
"I'll just have to wait and see," Robb replied grimly.