In the castle of Storm's End, Stannis Seaworth sat under a table in the library. Next to him was a pile of books. The library was where he spent most of his time. Among the high bookshelves reaching almost all the way to the ceiling. The huge room was round and took up a whole floor of the tower. The bookshelves wrapped around each other in a spiral shape, and it was easy to get lost here if you didn't know your way around. But Stannis did.

He had read most of the books in the library at this point, except the ones in Old Valyrian. Although he was working on translating them because he wanted to know all the secrets of the world they lived in. Knowledge was what he strived for most in life.

One day Stannis would become a maester. That was his dream. Having to pledge to a life without a wife and family didn't concern him. It was not what he wanted out of life anyway.

But reading was not the only reason he was in the library so much.

While entrenched in a book on the history of the Andals Stannis also kept peaking towards the aisle of bookshelves in front of him. Waiting to see the shadow of someone. Waiting to hear familiar footsteps. Waiting to be greeted by a sweet smile.

Away from his mother's prying eyes, this was where they met.

Stannis looked down at the book again, starting to give up hope. He focused on the words in front of him instead, forgetting everything else while he threw himself into the world of the book. Mighty kings, charming queens, and evil sorcerers started to enact scenes in his head. Battles between good and evil were fought.

"Hey, did you notice me coming?" a voice next to him suddenly said. "I'm sorry I'm late. I was put on guard duty in the courtyard instead of inside the castle, so I couldn't sneak away."

Stannis looked upon a cheeky smile, dark locks of hair, and warm brown eyes. The yellow guard uniform was still a bit loose on the young man's narrow frame. But despite only being a few years older than Stannis he had already worked in the castle for many years. All through the years when it was held by Tyrek Lannister.

"You know I'm not going anywhere, Bastian," Stannis replied. "You'll find me here anytime."

"And I'll always want to find you," the young man responded.

Stannis closed the book he was holding in his lap and put it on the floor next to him. He wanted to make sure it didn't become damaged. Then he leaned over towards Bastian who was crouched next to him.

Their lips met in a kiss.

Not a first or second kiss but the kind of kiss you share with someone you're already very close and comfortable with. The kind of kiss you share with someone you know loves you back.

Their eyes had met the first day when Stannis arrived at the castle. Somehow they both felt a connection just by a look. Somehow they knew that they were the same.

A few days later Bastian had found Stannis in the library during his guard duty shift there. They had discussed books and messed around as boys do. Wrestling, throwing stuff at each other, and playing tag. Sometimes Steffon also joined in the childish games. And they had kept meeting there every day since.

Once they finally kissed it didn't feel weird, it felt natural and obvious. It was Stannis' first kiss, but not Bastian's.

They had a plan. Stannis would go to Old Town to become a maester and Bastian would accompany him. When Lord Baratheon came back Stannis would ask him to arrange this. To have a guard accompany him would not be a weird request since Stannis was not a fighter, he just had to ensure that Bastian was chosen for the task.

"Are you sure your mother won't come in here?" Bastian asked. "I saw her in the hallway, scolding Lord Penrose. Apparently, he had not dried off his boots before entering the Great Hall."

"She never checks on me in here," Stannis replied. "Although since Dev left she does have a lot more time on her hands, as she doesn't have to constantly patrol the castle for him and Brynda. The thought of having bastard grandchildren enrages her."

"You know she terrifies me. I wouldn't want to know what she would do if she found us."

"My mother terrifies everyone. It's the way she likes it. And I wouldn't want to know either. Although at least what we do won't give her any bastard grandchildren... But she won't find us. Because I'm not a moron like my brother. I can hide my urges and I know how to placate my mother."

"I've never heard her be angry at you about anything. I've heard her disparage Devan so many times and I've seen her chase Steffon through the hallways screaming at him to sit still. But never you."

"It's the way I like it. If I don't draw her attention towards me I can do whatever I want. I can be with you. Because I'm the calm, obedient child who earned her trust. Stannis Seaworth would never be up to any shenanigans."

"Shenanigans? Is that what I am called now."

"You are definitely shenanigans."

Stannis leaned over towards Bastian again for another kiss.

This was definitely shenanigans. The best kind of it. The kind not even Marya Seaworth could stop.

The kiss came to a sudden halt as Stannis saw a movement in the corner of his eye, on the other side of the bookshelf next to him. He signaled to Bastian to be quiet and peered through the books.

A woman walked among the books, seemingly looking for something. Stannis had never seen her visit the library before.

Stannis crawled out from under the table, leaving Bastian behind.

"What are you doing here, Brynda?" he asked.

Brynda looked up, not at all surprised to see him. After all, she was trained in combat, so it was hard to surprise her.

"I'm looking... for something," she said. "A book about women I guess."

"Women... how do you mean?" Stannis asked. "I know what most books here are about."

Brynda looked slightly guilty, but she didn't seem keen to talk about this with him.

"Just show me where the books about the human body are," she said in a rushed tone.

Maybe Brynda thought Stannis was stupid. Or too young to understand. But he wasn't. He knew what kind of books she meant. And he knew why she needed them.

"You're with child, aren't you?" he asked. "I mean I know you and Dev... shared a bed before he left. My bed in fact... "

Brynda looked at him with exasperation in her eyes. Stannis moved a step backward to make sure she didn't slap him.

"Don't tell anyone, Stan," she said. "Especially not your mother."

"I promise," he said.

"You better keep that promise. Or I will tell Marya about what you and Bastian were doing under that table. You might think you're discrete but I know exactly what you were doing in here."

Perhaps Stannis had underestimated Brynda as well. She wasn't stupid either.

"What will you do though?" he asked. "It's not like you can keep it a secret forever. My mother will find out, she finds out everything."

"Dev will be back soon..." she said. "Hopefully your father will have talked to my cousin by then so they let us marry. And no one will know. Now give me that book, Stan!"

Stannis reached down and picked up a book that he knew contained information about pregnancy and childbirth. He assumed that's what she wanted.

Brynda snatched it out of his hand and walked out of the library in a hurry. Hopefully not too upset to hide that book from Marya if she passed her in the hallway.

As Stannis turned around to join Bastian under the table again he heard a sound above him and looked up.

"Steff," he said. "I can see you. Come down from there."

His little brother's face soon appeared peaking down from the bookshelves.

"I'd rather be up here," the boy said.

"Well, I've promised mother to watch you," Stannis replied. "So I would prefer if you didn't kill yourself."

Steffon sighed and reluctantly climbed down from the bookshelf, using the shelves as steps.

"You're not watching me though, Stan," he said. "You're kissing Bastian under the table."

"You weren't supposed to see that..."

"I can see and hear a lot from up on the shelves. Like what you and Brynda talked about."

Apparently, everyone knew what everyone was doing in the library... Even the ten-year-old boy. It was a wonder Marya hadn't found out about any of this.

"Don't tell mother," Stannis said since that was always the most important thing to keep in mind. "And you're too young to know what that was about anyway"

"I understand a lot..." Steffon replied. "I know Dev will be in a lot of trouble when he gets home."

"When is Dev not in trouble..."

That was true. But both brothers knew that Dev probably was in bigger trouble than usual this time.

What they didn't know was that Dev wouldn't come home.