Chapter 35
STANNIS BARATHEON
Stannis stood in the room with the Painted Table, as he oversaw the preparations that had been made for the day. The men had prepared the yard for the duel, and seven fires had been lit around the place, and hundreds had gathered to witness the trial.
Stannis himself wore his armor as he stood on the balcony and watched the preparations being made, and many had questioned him when he had captured the boy and claimed him a bastard.
When he had declared himself Robert's rightful heir, he had expected that the realm would rise for him, and yet his own brother had turned his back on him and joined hands with those rich bastards from the Reach.
Renly marched towards Kingslanding with a hundred thousand blades, while the capital itself prepared itself for war. Even Eddard Stark, his brother's life long friend and ally had refused to declare for him, and was supporting that Lannister whore and her incestuous bastards.
The people called him a liar. They named a traitor. But today Stannis would prove them wrong. He would let the God's decide the fate of his claim, and with this victory today he would show the realm the truth about Cersei and her incestuous bastards.
His armies were ready, and the second he had slain the bastard he intended on marching with them to Storm's End, to claim his ancestral seat for himself.
He was a Baratheon, and how was he to take the throne if his own lords had declared for a traitor. Storm's End was his by all the laws of men and Gods, and yet Robert had robbed him of that and had left him to rot in this dark and damp island.
Stannis would right this wrong, and then he would punish Renly for his betrayal and take the Iron Throne. His justice would be swift and his judgement fair.
And today shall be the day his rise would begin.
"My lord the preparations are complete," Davos came in to inform him, and Stannis nodded and he had expected the Red Woman to come and offer him her blessings and yet he had seen no sign of her today.
"Where is Melisandre?" he asked, and Davos shook his head.
"I do not know my lord," and then he hesitated, and after all this time he could read his face now.
"What is it?" Stannis questioned.
"It is about the Red Woman, your grace. Yesterday the guards saw her visiting the boy's..."
"Bastard," Stannis cut in curtly, and he would see no sympathy for him.
"Call him what he is," he ordered and Davos nodded.
"Of course, my lord. The guard saw the Red woman visit her cell late into the night. They say she spent an hour there," and that was strange for the woman had declared him a monster.
"I believe I forbade the guards from letting her near that bastard," he asked, and Davos nodded.
"You did, your grace. But you know the Reed Woman. It is hard to deny her," and that was true indeed, and he had done so to protect the boy.
Melisandre had been vehement in her opposition to the trial, and had asked him to burn the boy at the stake. He had feared that she may harm the boy, and deny him his justice and so he had ordered the guard to not let her near the boy.
"I will deal with the guard after the trial," for he had denied his word, even if it was for Melisandre.
"Is the bastard ready?" and Davos nodded and so Stannis turned and drowned the glass of ale on the table, and gave the loyal smuggler a nod.
"Let us go then," and with that he walked out of the room and slowly made his way to the yard where the preparations had been made, and he saw the stands and the gathered crowd.
He walked onto the field, and just like that the bastard boy walked out of the tent on the other end as well.
By the laws of Gods, Stannis had provided him with castle forged armor, and the best steel. His weapons had been returned to him, and a slew of weapons were placed behind both of them to use during the battle if needed.
"Davos," he called out, and the humble man stepped forward as he passed him his shield and sword.
Stannis was certain of his victory, and his righteousness and as Davos finished tightening up his armor, he saw Melisandre walk onto the field as the bastard stepped forward as well.
She walked towards him slowly, and she seemed far calmer than she had in days. She now stood near him, as he dismissed Davos.
"You went to meet the boy last night," he asked, and she did not lie to him.
"Aye, but I did not harm him," she answered softly.
"This trial. This shall be the true beginning of my reign," and he could already imagine his victory, and how he would ride straight to his ship and sail to Shipbreaker's Bay to take over Storm's End and begin his campaign in full.
"Will you not offer me your blessing today?" and the Red Woman was behaving strangely, but he paid it little heed as she shook her head.
"You have no need of it my lord," and that was true, and with that he walked forward just as Cersei's bastad did the same.
Melisandre walked to the centre of the arena, as the voices died down.
"Today we have gathered here in the name of the Gods! May they peer inside our mortal hearts and find the truth!" she began, and despite being a woman her voice was loud and reached all parts of the yard.
""May the warrior grant victory to the innocent, and reveal the guilty in their falseness!"
"May death sustain life!"
And with that the prayer was made, and the woman stepped back as Stannis stepped forward.
"There is still time uncle," the boy called out.
"End this farce and all shall be forgiven. There is no need for bloodshed here!" and Stannis scoffed.
"Draw your steel bastard! The only blood that will be spilled here today is yours," and the boy then put on his helmet as Stannis did the same, and the world around him died down.
"Even if you have wronged me I shall not do the same onto you. Your wife and daughter will not suffer for your crimes! When I win today, I shall offer them clemency for no child should ever suffer because of their father's ambition," and Stannis did not deign him with an answer as he stepped forward, and the truth was that it had been more than half a decade since he had seen the boy spar.
The last time he had seen him wield a blade had been some five years ago, and even then the boy had showed some great talent. By all the rumors, he was said to be rather dutiful in his trainings and for all his faults Tywin Lannister was not one to knight someone out of obligation.
They began to circle one another, shields ready, swords drawn—waiting for the herald to sound his horn.
THUNNNN!
And the sound came true, as Stannis stepped forward at first and swung down the lightbringer down from the side, and the boy was quick to block the blow, but Stannis was supposed to be stronger than him and he planned on making use of that strength as he pushed in with his shield.
THUNK!
He tried to push him back, and make him lose his balance yet as their shields met he felt as if he had hit a rock as the boy refused to budge, and then retaliated with a shove that broke his balance.
Stannis saw a sword coming for his neck, and quickly raised his shield to block it, and the blade hit the shield giving time to steady himself as he pushed his blade forward, aiming it at the little space in between his shoulder guard and chest plate, but the boy once more raised his shield and kicked him in the chest and sent him reeling back.
"AGHHH!" Stannis grunted, as his breath became heavy, but the boy refused to give up.
"AGHHH!" and he was upon him, as a blade came for his head and he tried to dodge it, but felt the metal hit the antlers of his helmet and felt his helmet ring as he pushed himself forward and threw himself at the boy, as they both spun around and pushed each other back.
Stannis was heaving now as the boy spun the blade in his hands in a rather familiar way.
"Even the way you spin that blade reminds one of Jaime Lannister," and one could say many things about the Kingslayer, but his talent with the sword was unmatched.
"If you really believe that then you should have thought a thousand times before taking me on, or have you forgotten how he became a Kingsguard," and he had not forgotten at all.
He had been there at the tourney when Jaime had defeated Ser Arthur Dayne and to this day, he had not seen a finer duel than that. The sword of the Morning was the realm's greatest knight and a sixteen year old Jaime Lannister had defeated him in a duel and won the Whitecloak.
"You are not Jaime Lannister," Stannis taunted.
"No," the boy agreed and then ran forward.
"I am better," and swung down his blade, and Stannis simply blocke dit with the shield and his arm shook with the weight of the strike as he retaliated with a swing of his own, but it was a feint and his blade got past the shield and struck his chest plate.
And then he struck his shield arm hard with the edge of hiss shield as Stannis winced in pain.
"ARGHH!" and swung at his head, but he tilted his head just in time, but the blade struck the antler once more, and the helmet was pulled away from his neck.
And now his head was wide open, and before he could jump back the boy pushed in and struck his head with his own.
"AGHHHH!" and in his desperation Stannis pushed hard and sent him tumbling back, as blood dripped down into his eyes.
"HAA! HAAAA!" he huffed, as pain seared through his head and he had no time to pity himself.
"You think you are the chosen one! YOU! You are nothing! You are an envious cur! A traitor who has always sought more than he was given!" the boy lashed out and Stannis ground his teeth.
"SHUT UP!" he roared and jumped forward, and began to strike down at him, but the boy simply parried or blocked his strikes as he went on the defensive.
"You have always hated us! Hated your brother for taking Storm's End from you and this farce is nothing more than the revenge if an envious second son!"
"You are nothing more than a bastard!" and his blade struck his shield when suddenly the boy chose to counterattack.
"That I am," and the admission surprised him, as the boy struck hard and the shield was pushed out of his hand, as the boy kicked him in the chest and sent him tumbling.
"AGHH!" but Stannis could not believe his ears.
CLINK!
Their blades met as he stared into those green eyes.
"You admit it! You admit your own status!" he whispered, and he saw a twinkle in those eyes.
"Maybe, but I must say it was rather easy to make a fool out of you, uncle," and Stannis ground his teeth in rage, as he pulled away and aimed a strike at his neck, but the boy simply blocked it with his shield and returned struck his shoulder.
"AGHHHH!" and the blade found the gape in between his armor and struck true, as his bone cracked and blood poured out. His arm grew weak, and he thrust forward on impulse and found himself an opening and yet just as he was about to strike him, he felt his vision blur as he stumbled on his own feet.
"AGHH!" And the boy simply swung his shield at his face and pushed him back, and now Stannis could not see, and his body refused to listen to him. This was not natural.
Not at all.
"It seems like the Mountain makes for a bad sparring partner," and the boy spun his sword once more, as Stannis reeled from those words.
"Gregor," he whispered and every boy in the realm knew of that name, just as they knew of Arthur Dayne.
"I have been facing that monster in the yard for some two years now," and what kind of absurd training was that. The Mountain was a behemoth of a man, and to face him all by yourself for two years.
It all made sense now.
"Honestly, I thought you would be better," he taunted as Stannis dropped his shield and grabbed the blade with both his hands, and pushed ahead and swung his blade once more, but with only one fully functioning arm his strikes were weaker, and the boy blocked them quickly.
"I believe that poison was simply wasted on you," and then he parried his strike, and closed in and pushed him back, and as he stumble the blade cut his leg as Stannis fell to the knee as he tried to attack his legs, he used his shield and then broke his arm.
"AGHHHH!" he roared in agony, as Stannis's sword fell to the ground, as the boy stepped forward, and put the blade to his neck.
"She was right about you," Stannis whispered, as his world began to darken.
"You truly are a demon," and the boy scoffed.
"And you were right about me," the boy whispered back.
"I am a bastard," and then the blade tore through his neck, and Stannis's world turned dark once and for all,
.
.
.
In the yard Stannis's head rolled to the ground, as Steffon turned to the crowd.
"The Gods have spoken!" he roared as he pulled off his helmet.
"THE VERDICT HAS BEEN MADE!" and all around the people were silent, for few had expected such an outcome.
"My uncle called me a traitor! He called me a bastard! Yet I shall not hold his crimes against you! His sins were his own, and now he has answered for them! His family shall suffer no harm from me, and my cousin shall forever have my love and protection!" the young prince spoke as he turned towards the stands.
"BUT THERE IS A WAR TO FIGHT STILL AND I HAVE NEED FOR YOUR SWORDS..."
"...AND YOUR FURY!"
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