Chapter 361

DAVOS SEAWORTH POV

King Stannis looked at the letter and continued to stare at it for a long moment before… chuckled???

The sound was foreign to his ears. King Stannis was a hard man born from hard circumstances. He never smiled and even in his daughter's presence though his stern features did relax a bit when he was near her.

So hearing him chuckle made him very curious about what was in that letter.

Finally King Stannis put the letter down on the table and he looked toward him.

King Stannis remained silent for a while, mulling the words in his mind and then finally spoke "Domeric Bolton has taken Casterly Rock."

Those words were so out of his expectation that for a moment he merely gaped at his King.

"Huh!?" he managed to let out at last before he shook his head and cleared his mind.

"How? Where?… Wasn't he at Riverrun the last time we heard about him?" he asked.

"He was indeed." King Stannis said and he could see a hint of admiration in his voice. "And in the time span of one month, he took Golden Tooth without anyone knowing, destroyed the Lannister army gathering outside Casterly Rock and then took the castle which everyone else said was impenetrable. Marvelous. Simply brilliant."

This was the first time he has heard his King praising someone so much. But he could understand why that was.

Casterly Rock was like Storms End in many ways.

It was only a decade and a half ago when the entirety of the Reach forces were stationed outside Storms End. And King Stannis who was a mere boy at that time, managed to hold the Castle against such a force with barely 1000 men for an entire year.

The Reach had over 60,000 men at that time. Not to mention all the ships that surrounded them from the sea side.

So the fact that Lord Bolton managed to take Casterly Rock with only 8000 men in the span of a few days was a great feat indeed.

"As good as that news is your grace… that doesn't solve our problem." He said and watched in silence as King Stannis' good mood disappeared almost instantly.

King Stannis turned and looked at him "I know. That is why you'll be smuggling Lady Malesandre to the other side of the river tonight."

He almost grimaced at that.

He knew what was inside that Red Witch's womb. And he really really wanted no part in this.

"Is there really no other way your grace?" he asked, some of the desperation showing in his voice.

King Stannis didn't really and simply stared at him.

He already knew the answer.

There was no other way. There was no trick in the world that would allow King Stannis to defeat a force 10 times his own.

In the end, he simply bowed.

"I'll see it done your grace."

King Stannis didn't reply and he left the room with a heavy heart.