Regarding the news of the Battle of Highgarden, two full months had already passed by now.
Yet the turbulent undercurrents sweeping across the Seven Kingdoms had not subsided in the slightest.
At Storm's End, the royal fleet that by rights should have been under Kal's command was instead laying siege to the fortress.
Of course, the royal fleet encircling the castle was far from at full strength.
That was because not everyone acknowledged Stannis Baratheon's claim to the Iron Throne.
From the moment Stannis Baratheon chose to openly challenge Kal's lawful rule, the royal fleet—originally under his command as Master of Ships—split apart.
Although many captains still chose to support Stannis as king, there were still some who chose to remain loyal to the Iron Throne itself—that is, to Kal.
These forces, which did not place their faith in Stannis, ultimately followed the Hand of the King, Eddard Stark, back to King's Landing on the day after the ceremony in which the statues of the Seven were burned, becoming a royal fleet aligned with Kal.
These warships included the largest vessel of the royal fleet—a colossal four-hundred-oared flagship, King Robert's Hammer—as well as the Lionstar, the Gale, the Sea Swift, Lady Lyanna, and others.
They were now tasked with guarding Blackwater Bay before King's Landing, standing as enemies against their former comrades, keeping watch day and night against any attempted incursion, even though their total number amounted to fewer than fifty warships.
And after concluding his efforts to summon his bannermen on Dragonstone, Stannis also sent all the forces he was currently able to command by sea toward Storm's End, rather than sailing directly for King's Landing.
During his time on Dragonstone, he sent a letter to every lord in Westeros—more than a hundred in total—declaring that he alone was the rightful king.
But clearly, not many lords responded to his call.
Even so, after Stannis's forces arrived at Storm's End, his presently thin ranks on land, together with his remaining yet still formidable navy, nonetheless surrounded Storm's End by both land and sea.
He knew that his youngest brother, Renly, had already returned to Storm's End, and this was precisely the purpose of his coming here.
Only now, those who had arrived at Storm's End were no longer limited to the two Baratheon brothers alone.
When the Hand of the King, Eddard Stark, learned that Stannis had not chosen to attack King's Landing, but had instead turned his ships toward Storm's End, Eddard—having realized what Stannis intended to do—immediately brought a small retinue and rushed to Storm's End at the greatest possible speed.
Traveling with him was the current Lord Commander of the Kingsguard—Ser Barristan Selmy.
At this moment, the two men were standing side by side atop Storm's End, whose walls were said to have spells woven into them to prevent magic from passing through the massive stone, watching as below them Stannis's army felled trees to construct siege towers and trebuchets.
Watching all of this, a trace of hesitant realization could not help but surface in Eddard's eyes.
Time had passed swiftly—more than ten years had slipped by in the blink of an eye—yet the scene before him felt like a cycle repeating itself.
The trees that had once been felled during the Siege of Storm's End had somehow grown tall again, just as they had been before.
But the last time he had come here, he had secured a great victory—a victory won without bloodshed.
He had not achieved that on Dragonstone, but now, standing here, he hoped he would succeed.
The direwolf banner of House Stark fluttered atop long spears, while the heavy, murky scent of sea salt filled the wind, surging toward him unceasingly from behind.
Storm's End beneath his feet stood towering against the heavens, completely blotting out the vast ocean behind it.
In the distance, Stannis's army, set against the backdrop of pale gray stone, appeared small and helpless, like mice holding up banners.
"Stannis has gone mad… A foreign witch has bewitched him. He has already been blinded by power and desire… or perhaps by old grievances, to the point that he would even change his faith for it."
Looking at everything not far away, Eddard spoke with a heavy gaze to Ser Barristan Selmy at his side.
All that had happened on Dragonstone, he had already convened the small council to recount in full after returning to King's Landing.
No one could understand why Stannis insisted on all of this, and so this was the only conclusion they could reach.
Hearing the words of the Hand of the King, Ser Barristan Selmy could not help but let out a sigh.
The Battle of Highgarden—the wildfire unleashed once more after several centuries—had long since spread throughout the Seven Kingdoms. Such momentous news was more than enough to sober those who could not tell right from wrong.
Yet Stannis remained the same man, stubbornly refusing to awaken—and the one who least should have done so.
"If possible, it would be best for us to end all of this here."
"Lord Eddard Stark, you once won a victory here. I hope this time it will be the same… The white ravens from the Citadel have brought word that summer has ended, and the North is not at peace either."
"If this cannot be brought to a swift conclusion, then there will not be much time left for us."
As he accompanied the Hand of the King in watching below—where Stannis's army still persisted in its futile attempt, like mayflies shaking a tree—Ser Barristan Selmy also spoke of his hopes.
Storm's End was one of the most impregnable castles in all the Seven Kingdoms, and the fortress itself was completely encircled by massive outer walls.
Those towering outer walls rose a full thirty meters high, with the narrowest sections still measuring twelve meters thick. On the seaward side, they stood twenty-four meters tall, looming forty-six meters above the surface of the sea.
Both the inner and outer layers of the walls were built from enormous blocks of stone, with sand and rubble packed between them.
Moreover, there were neither arrow slits nor hidden gates upon them. The great stones were fitted tightly together, their ingenious masonry forming a single rounded whole—curved and smooth, without corners or seams, proof against wind and rain alike.
For a castle that had withstood the ravages of divine wrath, enduring storm after storm day after day across several ages and countless centuries, Barristan truly could not fathom what Stannis was thinking to even contemplate attacking such a fortress.
One had to remember that during the war that overthrew House Targaryen, when faced with a siege from the Reach, it was by relying on this very stronghold that he had managed to hold out until Robert won the war, bringing that brutal Siege of Storm's End to an end.
And surely it could not be that Stannis believed himself stronger than the gods?
Unable to make sense of it, Barristan could not help but think of the story of the castle beneath his feet.
The first Storm King—Durran—built this fortress in the Age of Dawn. He once declared war upon two gods, because they had slain his family and guests, and destroyed his wedding to their daughter, Elenei.
He rebuilt the castle five times, each time taller than before, each time stronger than before.
Yet the howling winds and towering waves still roared out of Shipbreaker Bay, smashing every wall to pieces.
During that time, he cast aside all counsel and all threats, ignoring them utterly.
It was not until the seventh time, when he built the present fortress, that it finally stood.
Though legend says that he succeeded with the aid of the Children of the Forest, and even with the help of a small boy, the magic that permeated the great stones nonetheless ensured that Storm's End endured the trial and still stood unmoved.
Hearing the words of Ser Barristan Selmy, Eddard Stark's brow furrowed even more deeply.
The turmoil gripping the Seven Kingdoms was hardly confined to a single place. He had originally been worried about the unrest within his own lands, but fortunately the king had resolved that problem for him.
Yet winter remained a threat all the same, like storm clouds before a thunderclap, hanging over one's heart and refusing to disperse.
This summer had truly been far too long…
Only by settling everything at hand could he free himself to face the coming winter.
"I will find a way… For now, I can only hope that Renly will come to his senses."
Gritting his teeth, Eddard reached out and patted the solid mass of stone before him, then turned and walked toward the interior of the castle.
In truth, neither Eddard nor Barristan had been at Storm's End for very long.
Although he had long known that King Kal had won a great victory in the Reach, he still had to remain on guard against a potential attack from Stannis.
After all, the madness that had unfolded on Dragonstone that night was something he had never been able to forget, nor did he dare gamble on whether Stannis might descend into further madness.
Therefore, once he had clearly learned that Stannis had not chosen to attack King's Landing, but had instead turned his spear toward Storm's End, he decisively headed south without delay.
Because of delays in the flow of information, combined with the differences in travel speed by sea and by land, despite hurrying as fast as possible, Eddard and Stannis ultimately arrived at Storm's End at nearly the same time, one close on the other's heels.
Out of courtesy, Renly received both him and Barristan.
Yet in response to Eddard's blunt and unreserved proposal, Renly gave him no answer.
Instead, he simply let the matter drag on, and during this period he did not meet with him again.
It was as though he had already forgotten Eddard entirely.
But now, faced with Stannis Baratheon's empty show of force and his threat of war, as well as the letter seeking negotiations that had arrived just that morning, Eddard also knew that this matter had to be resolved.
Watching the back of Eddard Stark as he walked ahead, Barristan could likewise feel the weight pressing upon him.
Casting one more glance at Stannis's army outside Storm's End, still at work constructing engines of war, he drew a deep breath, turned, and quickly followed after Eddard.
"Lord Eddard Stark need not worry. After these days of calm, I believe Renly Baratheon should already have made his choice."
"His greatest support, House Tyrell, has already been destroyed by His Grace the King, and because of that battle, the Stormlands lords who once supported him have also begun to waver. He has no choice left."
Barristan chose his words as carefully as he could, for after Kal revealed his dragon and defeated House Tyrell, the outcome of the struggle for the Seven Kingdoms had long since ceased to hold any suspense.
It was a situation of certain victory—Kal had already openly shown the face of his dice.
As long as Renly had not completely lost his reason, he knew how he ought to choose.
Dragging things out for these past few days was nothing more than a matter of pride.
What Barristan had said was something Eddard understood just as well, and it was also the reason he had not truly been pressed to the point of urgency.
After all, although he had come here in great haste for the sake of speed, he had not mobilized the forces of King's Landing to march south along with him, had he?
The matter of face had already been given due consideration, and Renly had been allowed room to indulge his petty temper.
So now, Renly also had to show his stance. Otherwise, both of them knew very well that Kal would not tolerate Renly and his followers provoking him again and again without cause.
Sure enough, after Eddard once more sought out the castellan of Storm's End to convey his request to see Renly, it was not long before word came back that Renly was already waiting for him in the great hall of Storm's End.
At a long table, the Warden of the North, Lord of Winterfell, Hand of the King, and Acting Regent, Lord Eddard Stark, sat upright at one end.
Opposite him sat Renly Baratheon—the Lord of the Stormlands, Lord of Storm's End, former Master of Laws of the small council, later self-proclaimed King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm.
The two sat facing one another, silent.
Behind them stood, respectively, Ser Barristan Selmy, Lord Commander of Kal's Kingsguard, and Ser Loras Tyrell, Lord Commander of the Rainbow Guard of Renly Baratheon, who now styled himself king.
Candlelight illuminated the four of them, their shadows intertwining and trembling across the floor.
"Renly Baratheon, House Tyrell has already failed. They have become the sacrifice of your willfulness. Do not persist in your delusion any longer."
After a long stretch of mutual silence, Eddard finally spoke to admonish him.
Hearing his words, Renly's expression could not help but darken.
Always cheerful and lively, he too lost his smile upon receiving this news.
The same was true for Loras standing behind him—indeed, his grief was even more apparent.
Eddard did not concern himself with whether his words were as sharp as blades, carving bloodied, heart-rending wounds into others' hearts.
He was merely stating the facts with solemn gravity.
For, plainly speaking, in victory and defeat, the winner takes the crown; as the victor, Kal was qualified to impose terms upon the defeated.
And as the Hand of the King reappointed by Kal, he had a duty to do what he ought to do.
Moreover, before this, Kal and he had not failed to give Renly chances.
Seeing that Renly and the other man remained silent, Eddard could not help but soften inwardly, instinctively exchanging a glance with Barristan.
Renly was Robert's younger brother. If possible, he too wished to avoid brothers of House Baratheon turning their blades against one another.
"I know what you are thinking, Renly… You are not without a chance now."
Renly raised his head, and a trace of confusion appeared on the face that had gone from high-spirited to utterly haggard.
Eddard continued, "I trust you already know of Stannis Baratheon's madness."
"If you wish to obtain His Majesty Kal's forgiveness, you can rally your bannermen and the Tyrell soldiers you brought who are now in Storm's End and take him down. In short, you must win this war and bring this farce to a complete end."
"As long as the matter is concluded, I guarantee that Kal will not threaten the lives of you or Stannis Baratheon."
"And has not Stannis Baratheon also proposed negotiating with you?"
"If he has in fact already had a change of heart, then this is a very good opportunity."
At Eddard's words, Renly's gaze wavered several times, before finally settling into a bitter smile.
His parched, cracked lips slowly parted.
"I accept your terms."
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