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CHAPTER NINE; STANNIS BARATHEON

"His sigil is so ugly," Rey muttered in Renly's direction as they neared Stannis Baratheon and his men. Renly laughed, nodding in agreement.

"I suppose you are glad you chose the right brother?" he winked at her, and she smiled. "Stand by Ser Loras, little bee. You shouldn't get involved in this."

Rey nodded, knowing that it wasn't the right time for a cheeky protest. She pulled back on her horse's reins and moved to the left of Loras, hanging back a little. Catelyn Stark smiled back at her kindly, and Rey returned the gesture. She didn't know the noblewoman too well, and she was far too intimidated to say anything in passing like Renly was. But still, the amount of respect she held for the fierce Tully mother was high.

"Lady Stark, I'd not thought to find you in the Stormlands," Stannis began the meeting, addressing the redhead before his own brother.

"I had not though to be here, Lord Stannis," Lady Stark's voice was kinder than Stannis', yet she made herself heard.

"Can that truly be you?" Renly inquired, and Rey knew his lip would be twitching at the side.

"Who else might it be?" Stannis clearly didn't have the patience for his younger brother's quick wit.

"When I saw your standard I couldn't be sure," Renly said. "Whose banner is that?"

"My own."

"I suppose if we use the same one it will be awfully confusing," Renly grinned. Stannis glared. "Why is your stag on fire?"

"The king has taken for his sigil the fiery heart of the Lord of Light," a woman shrouded in red spoke for Stannis, drawing the attention to her. Rey looked over curiously, only to meet her sharp blue eyes for the briefest of seconds.

"Ah, this must be the fire priestess we've heard so much about," Renly hummed. "Brother, now I understand why you found religion in your old age."

Rey smiled.

"Watch yourself, Renly," Stannis snapped.

"No, no, I'm relieved." Renly smiled pleasantly. "I never really believed you were a fanatic. Charmless, rigid, a bore, yes, but not a Godly man."

"You should kneel before your brother," the priestess warned, tearing her eyes from Rey and staring at Renly. "He is the Lord's chosen. Born amidst salt and smoke."

"Born amidst salt and smoke?" Renly repeated doubtfully. "Is he a ham?"

Rey dipped her head, trying not to giggle. Loras, beside her, seemed to be doing the same.

"That's twice I've warned you," Stannis cut him off once more.

"Listen to yourselves," Lady Stark interjected. "If you were sons of mine, I would knock your heads together and lock you in a bedchamber until you remembered that you are brothers."

"It is strange to find you beside my brother, Lady Stark." Stannis redirected his attention to the older woman. "Your husband was a supporter of my claim. Lord Eddard's integrity cost him his head, and you sit beside this pretender and chastise me."

Rey's eyes flickered to Lady Stark, but she did not react. "We share a common enemy."

"The iron throne is mine. By right. All those that deny that are my foes."

"The whole realm denies it from Dorne to the Wall," Renly spoke up once more. "Old men deny it with a death rattle and unborn children deny it in their mother's wombs. No one wants you for their king. You never wanted any friends, brother. But a man without friends is a man without power."

Stannis paused for a moment. "For the sake of the mother who bore us, I will give you this one night to reconsider. Strike your banners, come to me before dawn, and I will grant you your old seat in the council. I'll even name you my heir...until a son is born to me. Otherwise, I shall destroy you."

Rey paled slightly, the venom in Stannis' voice letting her know that he was in no way, shape, or form joking. He meant it. She looked over at Renly, hoping he would pick his next words wisely.

"Look across those fields brother," the bearded man nodded to his camp. "Do you see those banners?"

"Do you think a few bolts of cloth will make you king?"

"No." Renly replied. "The men holding those bolts of cloth will make me king."

"We shall see, Renly," Stannis readied his horse. "Come dawn, we shall see."

"Look to your sins, Lord Renly," the priestess smirked, as if she new something everyone else didn't. She then looked back at Rey. "The night is dark and full of terrors."

With that, Stannis and company left, their horses soon disappearing over the rolling hills of the Stormlands. Regardless, Rey still felt sick to her stomach. She had never been in a situation like this before. She was used to sitting and looking pretty, not listening to grown men; brothers; threatening to kill each other for a throne.

"Would you believe I loved him once?" Renly said, his tone in his usual softness, but with a slight edge to it.

It didn't ease Rey's anxiety in the slightest.

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"Lady Aurelia of House Marigot," Lady Stark approached Rey once they reached the camp again. Rey was still in her lilac dress, but now with a warm cloak around her shoulders, as there was a storm nearing the appropriately named 'Stormlands'. "I don't believe we have properly spoken."

Rey bowed her head, smiling nervously at the woman. "No, I don't believe we have, Lady Stark."

"Call me Cat," the smile on the older lady's face was incredibly comforting.

"Then you must call me Rey."

The two began to walk towards Renly's tent, and Catelyn's arm wove through Rey's. "I have heard your story, my dear. I'm glad you were able to escape that dreadful place, though I'm sorry to hear about your father."

"I am very lucky," Rey admitted, her cheeks tinging pink. "But I can't put into words how I feel for your family. I am so sorry for everything that awful family has caused you."

Catelyn's smile remained, but her eyes were very sad. "Thank you."

They walked in silence for a moment, both of them taking in the chaos around them. It was nearing dusk and the men were preparing for the storm to hit. "I'd never been to the Stormlands before this year. Only the Reach and King's Landing. My father never wanted me too far out of sight."

"And your mother?"

Rey shrugged. "I haven't seen her since I was nine. She was more concerned about whom I would marry rather than where I went."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Catelyn said softly. "A husband or wife should never be a mother's first priority."

"I know you were a good mother," Rey muttered, and Catelyn shot her a confused expression. "I was close with Arya in King's Landing. No one's made me laugh as much as she has. She reminds me of you."

"Of me?" Catelyn scoffed. "She's like her father."

Rey smiled once more. "She's got the same fire that I've seen in you these past few days. Though Lord Stark was kind-hearted and strong, she speaks for herself and doesn't let anyone else get to her."

They reached Renly's tent, and the conversation ended. Catelyn was quite touched to know that despite their lack of contact, Rey was a better judge of character than she led herself to believe.

"My ladies," Renly welcomed them, his arms outstretched. "I hope you are both well after that fun affair with my older brother."

Catelyn sat opposite Renly, while Rey found herself looking for new reading material. Renly had a fine collection that he'd brought from camp to camp, and he always let her read whatever she wanted. Often, she found annotations in-between the lines of his favourites; little comments of observation, most of them quite witty. 

While Renly and Catelyn made conversation regarding where they stood as allies, Rey's finger landed on a book that was lazily placed over the top of the others, its pages almost worn out from use. She smiled and pulled it out, opening the front cover. 

DEATH AT ONE'S ELBOW.

She hummed softly to herself and held the book to her chest, making sure that it was all she wanted. It was. She tucked it under her arm and wandered over to the small sofa in the corner of the room by the large mirror. She opened the book once more and started to read the first few lines. 

Suesane Caerlight was never one to pick her battles wisely. She was not a brave soul; nor was she kind. She was as dangerous as she was angry at the rest of the world, but she was not to blame for that. What she was to blame for, however, was the mountain of bodies she stood over, both her face and blade coated in blood that was not hers, in a town that she was not from.

But her story did not begin that way.

"In the morning, I'll destroy my brother's army." Renly rose from his seat. "When that's done, Baratheon and Stark will fight their common enemy together, as they have done many times before."

He walked across the tent and allowed Brienne to remove his cloak. He swept his index finger under Rey's chin softly and placed his hand on her shoulder. She smiled up at him. Catelyn could see that the two genuinely adored each other. It wasn't some alliance that brought them together, but a true friendship. She was the sister he never had, and he was the brother she deserved.

"Our two houses have always been close, which is why I am begging you to reconsider this battle. Negotiate a peace with your brother,"Catelyn pleaded, watching as he stood beside Rey's chair to let Brienne take off his armour. 

"Negotiate with Stannis? You heard him out there. I'd have better luck debating the wind," he said with ease. He then turned to face Catelyn once more. "Please bring my terms to your son. I believe we are natural allies, and I hope he feels the same. Together we could end this war in a fortnight."

Renly turned to face the mirror, and a dastardly breeze entered the tent. Rey curled up in the chair, shivering slightly, and Renly looked down at her. He saw the book she was reading. 

"I was hoping you'd find that," he said with a smile. 

Before Rey could respond, Brienne gasped loudly from behind them. Rey's eyes flicked to the dark mist that was generating behind her closest friend, and her jaw dropped as it formed into the shape of a man, stabbing Renly through the chest. The king spluttered, and Rey screamed, the book falling to the ground. 

The shadow. It had a face. Stannis. 

Rey jumped forward as she watched Renly fall, blood gushing out of his wound and onto her expensive gown. She didn't care. Tears ran down her face and she desperately tried to plug the hole with her hands. It didn't work, but she became frantic. The speed of her breathing increased to the point where her vision was beginning to blur, and she could no longer tell what she was looking at. "Renly, please! Please, I need you!"

Two guards burst into the tent, seeing Brienne and Catelyn standing over the dead king's body, with Rey holding him in her arms, crying. Brienne's sword was out, making it look rather strange. "You'll pay for this!"

"It wasn't her!" Catelyn insisted, but she was thrown aside as the guards dove for Brienne. She fought them off with ease, and Rey cradled Renly's head in her hands, whispering a prayer. She didn't know what she was saying or why she was saying it, but she felt that maybe it would help.

One of the guards grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, and she yelped, but Brienne grabbed them and drove her sword through their chest. Rey continued to cry as blood flew across the room. 

The tent fell silent once both guards fell to the floor. Rey wept, her throat closing up from panic. Brienne turned and fell to her knees, placing her hands on Renly's lifeless body. The two women had lost the single most important man in their lives - and to what? Dark magic?

Catelyn rushed over to them, kneeling down. "We have to go. They'll hang you for this! Both of you!" 

"But we'd never hurt him!" Rey objected, not wanting to part with her king. Catelyn pulled her up, and Rey continued to wail. "I don't want to go!"

"You have too!" Catelyn demanded. "Take my hand, Aurelia. You will be safe with me."

Rey took one last look at Renly, and she swallowed, before getting to her feet. She grabbed the book that had fallen to the floor, and looked over at Brienne. "Please, I can't do this without you."

"I won't leave him," Brienne shook her head, but Catelyn wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"You can't avenge him if you're dead!"

Brienne allowed Catelyn to take her hand, but stopped as the noblewoman moved towards the entrance. "Not that way."

The warrior got to her feet and pushed against the sheets behind them, leading them out the back. Rey choked out a cry as she took one last look at Renly, before running behind the two women. 

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