The North's decision
Jon POV
It was my first time seeing Stannis Baratheon. But I knew of him, of all the pretenders for the Iron Throne, he had the most right to it, and probably the best capabilities to get it. And yet he was refused in every corner.
A rightful king whom no one wants. And it wasn't up to us to put him on that throne either. Still, for him to come himself to us and to offer his own daughter… he might sound desperate, but somehow I suspected he had every intention of winning, and his daughter was only a way for him to tie the North to the South.
For now, Bran was Robb's heir, and if he became the next King of the Seven Kingdoms and asked for the North to bend its knee to him, would Robb or the North refuse? Robb didn't want to be king anyway, and with Bran on the Iron Throne, the North would have no reason to isolate itself from the rest of the Seven Kingdoms.
"Leave us." It wasn't a request but a demand.
Robb and I exchanged glances, understanding that we needed to talk about it. However, we didn't have much time to make a decision. As Stannis and his entourage left, I noticed how the woman who had kept her silence looked at me, as if she was privy to something about me that I wasn't.
"It is too good an offer to refuse," Robb said. "If Stannis wins, we have a good ally. If he loses, we have justification for at least the Stormlands, if not for the Iron Throne itself."
"You are not considering marching to the South again, are you?"
"The Wall might keep the dead at bay, but not the Winter," Robb said. "I wasn't planning to make allies with the South again, but when such an opportunity comes, can I refuse it? We might need them in the future, and it is never good to cut off all relations with the South."
"I don't like it, but I am also concerned about that foreign army," I couldn't disagree. "Still, nothing changes. I still don't like it. And we're talking about Bran here. We can't just force him into such a position."
Bran had his own dream, his own will, but if we accepted this deal, we would be forcing him to take up this responsibility that he never wished for. I just couldn't imagine him wanting any of this. I knew he would resent us for forcing him into it.
"I know that as well," Robb replied. "But you haven't seen what I have. The South has no honor. Nobody will come for us when we need them the most."
"What about your uncle and aunt?"
"The Riverlands are already burned and pillaged as it is; what little time they have to prepare themselves for the North might not be enough. And I just can't trust the Vale. You read her letters, Lysa has no grasp of reality. She might only hinder us more than anything else."
In the end, we can play the game, but we can't make the rules. Robb was right; having at least one more Kingdom on our side would mean the world during the Winter. We probably could trust the Iron Islands as long as Theon stays in power, but they alone aren't enough.
"In the end, I can't refuse it," Robb said. "I don't trust him fully, but Stannis might be the only chance we will have to secure some kind of foothold in the South, and we must get rid of the Lannisters. They will never give up on killing us all. They will use any means to do so."
Even without the Boltons, who knows what house the Lannisters might find a way to use against us? They might not have armies to push to the North, but they have connections and gold to spare, something that we were running out of.
"Elephants, though?" Robb laughed at the idea. "Do you think they are as big as the giants and mammoths?"
"Probably more like hairless dogs compared to them," I replied with a laugh. "So, how shall we play this?"
…
Davos Seaworth. He sure didn't look like the knight he was supposed to be. A man who rose to be the Hand of a King. Rising through the deepest pits of Flea Bottom, I could only admire him for all he achieved on his own.
And I could only respect King Stannis for accepting a man like him, with no name and no family behind him. He let someone from Flea Bottom, people who weren't even fit for the Wall, stand by his side. That spoke volumes about Stannis.
But that woman, the Red Priestess, gave me chills. She hadn't spoken yet, but it seemed she had a lot to say. She seemed to know something, and the way she looked at me felt wrong. Her eyes weren't looking at me, but at something I was supposed to be.
It doesn't matter. It only made it easier for me to keep an eye on them. With most of the threats in the North now taken care of, I needed to focus on the South. My job was to keep Robb safe from them, and I will do everything I can to accomplish it.
Though for all the respect I might have for the King, I couldn't say the same for the Queen. She was like any other southern lady who thought she had more privileges than anyone else. Arrogant and stupid. I can only pity my siblings for dealing with her in Winterfell. Arya might go crazy with her.
And Shireen was another matter. The greyscale made the girl scarred for life. Hopefully, Bran won't be put off by her appearance as much as I am. Even though I know I shouldn't judge her by how she looks, it was hard not to.
Well, I disliked most of those southern ladies anyway, so the princess was no different in the end, only she at least deserved some empathy from me. This alliance had better be worth all the trouble it will bring to us.
"His Grace is waiting for you," one of the southern knights informed me.
I didn't like them. I was sure they were skilled warriors, but from what I heard from Robb, it was hard to trust them. Still, they seemed loyal to Stannis, though they should try to hide their displeasure with working with us a bit better.
Before I could even enter the King's chambers, I was met with Davos Seaworth and the Red Priestess. A peculiar duo, Stannis kept with him. I could understand Davos, but did Stannis really turn to the Red God?
"He is waiting for you, Lord Stark."
There was derision in her tone as she called me. I was used to it. Not many lords in the North like me, for many reasons. Wedding a wildling, letting their sworn enemy into their lands, and some thought I was poisoning Robb's ear.
The North, for most, was stable, but politics was something I would never understand. I could only move carefully and make sure not to make any mistakes. I could already imagine many who don't like that we would be helping a Southern King.
"A thousand men?" Stannis asked once I entered. "I appreciate the gesture, but it is too little to make any difference."
"They are not a thousand knights, but they are warriors who can carry their own weight," I replied. "They will be very useful to you."
"And so will you, I guess." Stannis didn't seem to like that I was joining him in this war. "No matter. If you don't want to be direct with me, I can only assume your true goals."
"You want me to be direct?" I asked, looking at Davos and the Red Priestess. "I couldn't give less of a shit about your war, about the Iron Throne, or any other kings and pretenders. In the end, it isn't our war, and only one war truly matters."
"You've seen them?" the Red Priestess asked. "The death that is marching south."
"Aye." I didn't know if she believed the stories or if she was trying to pry something out of me. "The death itself. The only thing standing between that and us is the Wall. The Wall that every single king and lord has ignored for thousands of years."
"Then you should be delighted to stand before the one who will put an end to it, the Azor Ahai."
"I didn't take you to be a believer in a prophecy," I said to Stannis.
"It isn't just a prophecy, it is the destiny of..."
"Shut up." I had no intention of listening to this nonsense. "True or not, it doesn't matter. You have not seen what I have seen, so it is easy for you to believe that nonsense. But no prophecy is going to save us. Only the actions of men and maybe gods, if they have yet to abandon us."
If Stannis trusts in something like this, then I should reconsider how to deal with him in the future. Somehow, I didn't think I could trust a man who put his trust in prophecies and gods. I should inform Robb of it. At the very least, we can share a laugh at Stannis' expense.
"Is it so hard to believe in such words, when you have seen what the world is? Especially when you already possess such gifts as a man, gifts that not many have, and even fewer can master."
"Leave us." Before I could say anything, Stannis dismissed the vile woman.
I don't like her. Her appearance, her words, everything about her told me it was a lie. I had bad feelings about her, but I also now understood why Stannis kept her close. She knew things that should not be known.
"You don't need to worry about her; she won't be coming with us," Stannis said. "For what is to come, she is not needed. Shall we continue? Tell me what your men are capable of the most."
"They are no knights, not very good horsemen, nor particularly good at working together. But Free Folk can do what no one else can."
"And what is that?" Davos asked.
"Tell me if you know any man or woman who would even dare to climb the Wall. Do you think the castle walls will stop them? They are hunters, no matter where your enemy is, in the field, in the woods, or hiding behind the castle walls, they will all be hunted down."
"You still haven't stated your true purpose for wanting to come with me," Ser Davos had sharp intuition.
I looked at Davos. He seemed extremely loyal, so my words might not sit well with him. But it wasn't anything I needed to hide. This alliance was nothing but for both Stannis and Robb to use each other to further their goals.
"I need to see the enemy you will be facing," I said. "I need to see them with my own eyes. And if you die, I need to see it with my own eyes, too. Think of me as a witness to what will come from this war. Win or lose, I have to see it. Words will not be enough."
If Stannis wins this war, I have to know how he will do so. If he loses, I need to see the enemies that we might have to face ourselves. And if nothing else, I at least should learn more about the South to prepare for what they might throw at us in the future.
"Leave us, Davos."
"Your Grace? I know I am not a strategist, nor a warrior, but before we march out, I thought I would at least hear what you have planned."
"You aren't going anywhere; you will stay with Shireen and see to her."
That was a surprise, but now I understood what Stannis was thinking. He wasn't just going to take his home back; he was going all the way to King's Landing. He himself didn't know if he could succeed in this campaign, so he was ready to leave everything unnecessary behind.
That kind of man will do everything he has to do to win, as he will no longer possess anything to lose. It looks like the North has decided well to ally with him. From all the kings I heard of and seen, he seemed the most dangerous one.
A.N. As always. Thanks for reading and supporting me. If you want more 7 more chapters of this story and 42 chapters in total with all my current stories, please consider supporting me on pa treon ironworlf852. Thanks in advance.