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Chapter 35

The light

Eddard POV

It took two weeks for us to finally leave. The Lannisters stopped everyone from leaving the city, but even they couldn't keep this up any longer. Two weeks of darkness were over as we were brought to a ship by the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper, whose name he didn't mention, said that we could move freely in the ship since we left the harbor. Looking at the blue sky brightened my mood a little bit. My thoughts didn't go to a dark place anymore, but they didn't disappear.

The war was inevitable as of now. Edmure, Stannis, and Lannisters will clash, and there isn't much I can do to stop it. All I can do is wonder why Stannis didn't try to stop it before. I could only speculate his reasons.

Edmure knew the truth too, but I understood him better. He didn't trust the Baratheons or the Lannisters from the start. He ruled Riverlands in his father's name for some time now. He was an effective lord who prided himself in his achievements. He saw what the future would bring and started to prepare for it. Still, he lied to me, used me.

The light from the sun seemed gloomy to me right now. I missed the cold winds from the North. I can only hope that everyone is fine back in Winterfell. That Edmure took care of my daughters. It is all I could hope for right now.

Sailing towards White harbor was the fastest way to go back home. I didn't trust Stannis to go to Dragonstone. I didn't want to meet with Edmure right now either. How I would act around him now, I didn't know.

Only home and my children mattered to me right now. They were things I thought about the most in these few days of sailing. The only things that kept me from nightmares and gave me strength. It's all I could ask for right now.

"My lord," Jory ran to me and called out.

"What is it?" I ask him.

"Ships, we spotted ships," He answers.

"What banner do they bear?" I ask, hoping it wasn't a golden lion.

"it's a burning stag," Jory answers me.

"What?" I asked for confirmation

Jory repeated it, and then I went to the deck to see myself. Indeed it was a burning stag with a crown. It could only be Stannis. I wouldn't say I liked how he changed the Baratheon banner, but it is his right to do so.

It seems Stannis didn't want to let us pass, as he surrounded us with his ships soon enough. It seems that I had to meet with him, no matter what. I could only wonder how he knew that we would be sailing through there.

Men in arms boarded our ship. Then a tall man with black hair and blue eyes came. He didn't look like his brother, but he was unmistakenly a Baratheon. I wouldn't say he changed much since I saw him last time.

"Lord Stannis," I greeted him.

"King Stannis," A woman in red robes replies. "He is the King of the Seven Kingdoms now."

I didn't correct myself and looked cooly at the woman, then turned to look at the rest of Stannis' entourage. A slight man with brown hair was standing next to Stannis, and he wore a simple brown mantle, the same color as his hair. It could only be ser Davos Seaworth that I heard of, and only the woman was a mystery to me.

"Lord Stannis," I repeated myself.

"Lord Stark," Stannis greeted me with grinding of his teeth. "I presumed that you would be an honorable man and would serve one true King, was I mistaken?"

"I served your brother honorably and truthfully," I responded to him.

"Yet, you refuse to do so for me?" He asks. "You should know by now that I am the only heir to Robert."

"I do," I answer. "If only Robert knew that too, I would have already knelt to you."

"So why aren't you acknowledging my birthright now?" He asks me.

"Why should I? You knew the truth, yet you didn't tell your brothers and left them to die," I answer him. "I helped Robert to take the Throne because I believed him in being a good king. I can't say the same to you."

"I ruled the Seven Kingdoms with Jon Arryn while Robert drank and whored himself to an early grave," Stannis responds to my words.

"And yet, when he needed you the most, you weren't here."

"My lord, King Stannis wasn't safe in King's Landing. His Majesty King Robert wouldn't have believed in his words. He didn't have any other choice but to leave," A man, I presume to be ser Davos, responds.

"I don't think that Lord Stannis was afraid. A man who stood against the whole Reach wouldn't have been afraid to tell his brother the truth. He wouldn't be afraid of a few Lannisters," I reply.

"There was nothing for me to do. Robert wouldn't have listened to me. He would have banished me, so I left on my own," Stannis responds.

"Robert had his faults, I agree. But you didn't even try. You left, leaving your brothers to die," I reply. "And yet, you show up to me, now, when it is too late. I simply can't trust you."

"Stannis Baratheon is your King, no matter how you feel," The red woman says. "It is his right. You should have already knelt and pledged your loyalty to him."

"Aerys Targaryen was my King too. He didn't consider the feelings of Starks, and now he is dead," I respond to her.

"Enough," Stannis yells. "I starved myself for almost a year for Robert, as you said. I built him a fleet and did his work. His rewards were to name me Lord of Dragonstone. He exiled me from my home."

"You were needed there," I reply. I couldn't deny that Stannis was wronged, but who hasn't in this world. "Is that why you didn't serve Robert when he needed it the most? Because he wronged you?"

"Enough of this farce, Lord Stark. I will not beg you to serve me. If you deny my birthright, then you are a traitor to me," Stannis tells me and draws his sword.

Jory and Harwin next to me draw their swords too. I motion them to stop. Stannis didn't need to kill them too. He might not beg, but I will if it means to save my men. I have already forsaken too many loyal and good men.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you," Shopkeeper came in front of Stannis.

"Who are you?" Ser Davos asks.

"My name doesn't matter. What matters is that I already send a hawk to ser Edmure Tully," Shopkeeper answers. "I don't think you want to make the Starks and the Tullys your mortal enemy by killing Lord Stark here, do you?"

"Lord Stark is a traitor," It was the red woman who responded. "The Lord of Light is all King Stannis needs. King Stannis' enemies will fall before him."

"Kneel, Lord Stark, it is your last chance," Stannis tells me.

"I never was afraid of death. I only wish you leave my men alive," I reply to him.

"Seize him and his men," Stannis gave his order.

I didn't resist as his men grabbed my arms. I didn't say anything as chains were put on me. I took one last look at the blue sky, at the light of the sun. I sighed and let myself be led to Stannis ship. At least he didn't intend to kill me for now.

…

I don't know how many days had passed to reach the Dragonstone. Being locked in a small, dark room at the ship's bottom doesn't help count days. It was dark when we reached the Dragonstone. I was led from the ship to the dungeon in the castle dungeons.

It seems that darkness follows me, like an old friend in these times. At least I saw Jory and Harwin unharmed. I knew I would die, but I didn't wish the same for them.

There wasn't much I thought about what will happen. I just sat in the dark cell, getting some food and water at times. My mind was clear, but it didn't matter. Time passed slowly in the dark, well, at least that seemed to me. I couldn't tell if a day had passed or a week.

When sleep comes to me, I dream of Winterfell.

Winterfell stood in the heart of the North for eight thousand years, and it will stand for thousands of years to come. I did not doubt it, but I was worried about how my children would act after hearing that I had died.

I was always greeted by darkness when I woke up, so I was surprised that there was light this time. The light blinded me, and I had to cover my eyes to block it. Once my eyes could see again, I saw ser Davos standing by the cell with a torch in his hand.

"Lord Stark," He greets me with a bow.

"Ser Davos," I greeted him back. "Is it time for me to die?"

"No, I bring news," He answers. "The Lannisters have come to the Riverlands. Eight and thirty thousand men, Tywin had. Ser Edmure Tully has faced them with only three and twenty thousand men in arms. The battle took place outside the Golden Tooth."

"Edmure isn't a fool," I reply to him. "What happened?"

"Ser Edmure managed to stall them, but after one clash, he retreated," He informs me. "It seems he is waiting for your son Robb Stark to come and support him."

"My son?" I ask conserned.

"Yes, Robb Stark has called banners and is marching south," Ser Davos answers me.

"I see. Why are you telling me this?" I ask him.

"His grace Stannis wants to know if ser Edmure can win," Ser Davos explains.

"I don't know if Edmure can win, only gods know, but I know that Edmure won't lose," I tell him. "Edmure was long since prepared for war, and he won't be defeated."

"I see," He responds. "I will be leaving to the Stormlands. I don't know what King Stannis will do to you, but it would be better for everyone if you knelt. With ser Edmure and your Son support, we could end this war."

"The North won't follow someone they don't know. Stannis is nothing to them. News soon will spread to them that I was captured by him. My lords won't take it kindly," I explain to him. "The Northern lords are stubborn men. They won't be given to your King's demands."

"Than who will they follow? For who they will fight?" Ser Davos asks.

"For Edmure, if he asks. He has done much for the North and is respected if not loved by my lords," I answer. "And even if I knelt to Stannis, he couldn't end the war. The Dorne will not support him. Edmure doesn't have a reason to do so too. Robb will definitely not like Stannis for what he has done."

"They would listen to you. You could be Stannis Hand," Ser Davos tells me.

"I do not wish for it, and as I said before, I can't trust your King. A man who leaves his own blood isn't something that I can simply serve," I inform him. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, my lord," He agrees.

"How did you know that we would be traveling by sea?" I ask him.

"To tell the truth, I don't know. It was Melisandre, the priestess of the Red God, who told us," He answers.

I didn't say anything else to him. After a while, he left. He was leaving me to ponder why he truly has come to see me. To inform me, or to check on me? Maybe he believed he could persuade me? I didn't know, and I could only wonder.