chapter 99 part 1
Chapter 99: Defending Honor
Dragonstone, the Chamber of the Painted Table.
Lord Stannis Baratheon sized Glyn up with a sharp gaze, gave a slight nod, and said, "Good day, young man. Can the task assigned by King Robert be completed?"
Lord Stannis's cheekbones were sunken, and his lips were pale, thin, and taut, as if he had long forgotten how to smile.
*Lord Stannis appreciates my abilities...* Glyn's brown eyes flickered as hesitation filled his heart.
*Glyn Crabbe Lannister Tyrell,* he mused, *should I add Baratheon to the end of that?*
...
Stannis was the second son of Lord Steffon Baratheon and Cassana Estermont. His elder brother was Robert, and his younger brother was Renly.
When Stannis was thirteen, Lord and Lady Steffon were returning to Storm's End from across the Narrow Sea. Their ship sank in Shipbreaker Bay, and both of them perished.
From the day Stannis personally witnessed the *Windproud* founder on the rocks and sink, he began to hate the Seven for cruelly taking his parents. He swore to the heavens that he would never worship any god so cruel as to drown his mother and father.
During the War of the Usurper, Stannis endured the siege of Storm's End by House Tyrell's forces under extremely harsh conditions. After the war, however, it was Eddard Stark whom Robert thanked for lifting the siege.
Stannis conquered Dragonstone, but Robert, ignoring the fact that Viserys and Daenerys had already fled before his arrival, blamed Stannis for letting the last of the Targaryens escape.
King Robert, upon taking the Iron Throne, granted Dragonstone to Stannis, but gave the far richer ancestral seat of House Baratheon, Storm's End, to their youngest brother, Renly Baratheon.
Stannis saw Robert's slight as a personal insult, but this never affected his diligent and responsible handling of the affairs of the realm.
...
Stannis waved his hand. "All of you, leave us."
Led by Davos, the men bowed their heads and departed, leaving only Stannis and Glyn in the great hall.
Glyn's tone was steady. "Lord Stannis, this is a heavy responsibility I cannot refuse."
With a scrape of his chair, Stannis rose from his stone seat, his tall figure coming to stand by the long table.
Stannis stared at the tabletop carved with a map of Westeros and spoke, "Lord Glyn, I can have King Robert cancel your mission."
What would Stannis's next words be? *As long as you are willing to swear fealty to me?*
Stannis was a man with a very imposing presence. Glyn didn't want to face a choice with no easy answer.
Besides, if the mission was truly canceled, what would happen to his one hundred and fifty thousand gold dragons?
Glyn had to make Stannis retract such a dangerous idea.
Glyn sighed and said, "Lord Stannis, I do not like to conceal things; it makes me feel disingenuous. In the beginning, I did indeed consider finding a way to get out of this trouble. From my perspective, this mission came out of nowhere."
After a pause, Glyn shook his head and continued, "But later, I decided to accept it. No matter what, this is an affair of the realm. Moreover, I didn't want to make things difficult for Queen Cersei. After all, honor is at stake."
With a soft scraping sound, Glyn also walked to the side of the long table and added, "Lord Stannis, I won't hide it from you. Besides being time-consuming and strenuous, I currently see no other difficulties with this matter. The Red Keep has spent so many gold dragons on it annually for over a decade. I'm a little curious as to why there have been no results."
Stannis snorted coldly. "Fools and parasites. There's no need to be curious about that."
Glyn said bluntly, "Therefore, I wish to do what I can, even if it is insignificant."
Stannis's gaze left the intricately carved map and fixed on Glyn.
Glyn noticed Stannis's stare and also looked up from the map, his eyes holding a hint of confusion, as if his previous words had been merely a fleeting sentiment.
Stannis seemed to see a reflection of himself in Glyn... Thus, he grew suspicious, wondering if there was a deliberate intent behind Glyn's words.
Stannis had seen too many cunning men, but no matter how deceitful they were, none had escaped his notice, and all had received their just punishment.
While Glyn's display of character made Stannis suspicious, he had also successfully diverted his attention.
An undisguised scrutiny entered Stannis's gaze.
Glyn spread his hands. "My lord, do you require me to take my leave?"
"You are an interesting young man. Far more interesting than I imagined."
Stannis tapped his fingers on the edge of the table. "Lord Glyn, I have inspected the Queen's District in King's Landing. You governed it well."
"I can only say I used swift suppression in exchange for temporary peace. I already handed it over to the Red Keep before I left King's Landing."
Stannis turned his head to look at Glyn. "Do you like King's Landing?"
Glyn shrugged and replied, "Not as much as I did at first. I was very fond of it initially, but later I found it easily makes one weary."
Stannis gave a slight nod. "A good insight, Lord of the Whispers."
Though he showed nothing on his face, Glyn had been pondering why Stannis would suddenly ask if he liked King's Landing. The simple question made him feel as if he had grasped something.
An idea struck Glyn, and his tone was tinged with helplessness. "I don't wish to hide it from you, my lord. To be honest, this earldom leaves me with some regret. I had thought I would be enfeoffed as the Lord of Crackclaw Point."
As Glyn's words fell, the hall was silent for a moment.
Stannis's brow furrowed. "That land is rather unique. Your people have their own traditions. The Red Keep today can't even handle matters that are slightly complicated."
Stannis turned around and continued, "Lord Glyn, your abilities are outstanding. I can provide you with an opportunity to display your talents."
Glyn was slightly taken aback, asking in confusion, "Display my talents?"
Stannis gave an imperceptible nod. "I will make the Red Keep find justice again. I can bring you in there."
Trading a capricious, wealthy boss for a workaholic who tolerates no mistakes?
This wasn't a matter to be taken lightly.
Glyn placed a hand on his chest. "My lord, I thank you for your high regard, but Crackclaw Point has always sworn direct fealty to Her Highness, the Queen."
The sharp-witted Glyn noticed the corner of Stannis's mouth twitch. It was very subtle, but he still saw it. "Are you refusing my invitation? Have you not considered that I am trying to save you?"
*Save me?* Glyn was already certain that Lord Stannis had his eyes on the position of Hand of the King, but now he heard another matter that concerned him personally.
Glyn's mind raced. He thought of Queen Cersei; it could only be her.
In the original story, Stannis suspected that the three children born to King Robert and Queen Cersei were not actually Robert's seed. He shared this suspicion with Lord Jon Arryn, who then began to investigate the matter.
...
Stannis did not ignore Glyn because of their difference in status; on the contrary, one could say he held him in high regard.
That was how it appeared on the surface, but Glyn didn't think it was that simple. Stannis was also a player in the game of thrones.
Glyn soon found his answer.
Stannis's aura was cold. "King Robert does not trust me. Furthermore, if I appeared personally, it would easily be misconstrued as a conspiracy. I entrusted the matter to Lord Jon Arryn, which can be considered giving him a chance to defend his honor."
A stunned expression crossed Glyn's face, but inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief.
Stannis had not spoken plainly, but it was not a useless effort.
Once events unfolded, under normal circumstances, Stannis could easily win Glyn's fealty because of today's conversation.