Chapter 37: Stannis

At Storm's End.

A man with a straight back and a determined face sat at a wooden round table, writing something.

On the clean and tidy table, there was a half-burned white candle. The candle's flame flickered as the wind blew in through the window, casting his shadow on the wall behind him.

Outside the window, the rain poured down heavily, the noisy sound of rainfall making him somewhat irritated.

Suddenly.

Snap—

The pen in his hand accidentally broke, and Stannis's expression turned a bit sour.

He threw the broken pen against the wall.

For some reason, Stannis felt a bit uneasy at this moment. The sudden breaking of the pen seemed like an ominous sign of something terrible about to happen.

The man furrowed his brow, then raised his hand, his rough fingers gently massaging his temple, trying to make himself more alert.

However, it was of no avail.

His pale lips tightened, Stannis was now weighed down by many concerns.

He had long forgotten how to smile and had no idea how to be carefree.

His elder brother, Robert Baratheon, was now the king, and by tradition, Storm's End, the ancestral seat of House Baratheon, should be passed down to the next heir.

Of course, the king could continue to hold Storm's End until he chose a worthy heir and then grant it to them.

However, Stannis, as the primary heir to Storm's End, was beyond doubt. His younger brother, Renly, was just a child and posed no threat to him.

At least, that was what Stannis believed.

Even before Robert had any children, Stannis, as the younger brother, could have been considered the Iron Throne's primary heir.

But now, Stannis suddenly had a terrible premonition.

The reason might have been his poor personal relationship with his brother and the lack of news from King's Landing.

"Perhaps Robert just wants to recapture Dragonstone first."

Stannis let go of his temple-massaging fingers, sighed, and then muttered to himself.

The furrowed muscles in his brow loosened a bit.

Although his relationship with his brother wasn't amicable, and he had some reservations about his brother's methods, Stannis remained loyal and never doubted his elder brother.

He knew how much Robert despised the Targaryens, so he gave himself an explanation in his heart.

Perhaps Robert simply wanted to recapture Dragonstone first and then hand over Storm's End to him.

Now.

Ever since the Earl of Redwyne's fleet returned defeated from Dragonstone, they had returned to the Westerosi western coast to recuperate.

And King Robert's determination to reclaim Dragonstone had not wavered.

Stannis remained at Storm's End, urgently building warships and training the royal navy.

By now, more than half of the newly built warships had been launched, and the newly trained navy was taking shape.

Stannis was ambitious, believing that once his royal navy was fully trained, recapturing Dragonstone would be a piece of cake.

"Is my brother inside?"

At this moment.

A childish and slightly excited voice came from outside the study door, followed by a cold, indifferent voice.

"Apologies, Lord Renly."

"Lord Stannis doesn't wish to see anyone right now."

A guard stationed outside the study stopped Renly Baratheon, the third son of Storm's End, in his tracks.

The boy, dressed in a blue velvet jacket, looked as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, accidentally dropping a shiny stone he had been holding onto the ground.

There was something slightly...different about Renly, the third son of Storm's End, compared to boys his age.

Although he also underwent some light knight training, in truth, he had little interest in swordplay.

Renly preferred collecting beautiful things.

For instance, he had just returned from the beach with a few friends, where they picked up some pretty stones. Among them, this shiny stone was his favorite.

However, the children were hastily called back due to an approaching storm, so Renly, upon returning to the castle, wanted to share his find with his older brother Stannis.

To his disappointment, the excited boy was met with a closed door.

Renly's spirits dropped instantly, his lips pouting in frustration as he picked up his beloved stone from the ground, preparing to leave.

Inside the study, Stannis had heard the entire conversation. His brow furrowed slightly, but in the end, he spoke in a neutral tone.

"Renly?"

"Let him in."

He did, in fact, care deeply for his younger brother.

Their parents, Lord Steffon Baratheon and Lady Cassana Estermont, had perished in a shipwreck at Shipbreaker Bay, leaving behind a young Renly.

Eldest brother Robert was wild and unrestrained, while the composed and experienced Stannis took on the role of a strict father figure.

However, Stannis was not good at expressing his emotions.

Hearing his brother grant him entry to the study, the black-haired boy's face lit up, his earlier dismay washed away.

But just then...

Boom--

A distant alarm bell rang from the direction of the lighthouse.

Stannis, sitting in the study, was slightly startled. A look of astonishment crossed his normally stern face, and the guards outside, as well as Renly, were taken aback.

The sound was all too familiar.

It stirred memories buried deep within Renly's heart, memories that hadn't yet faded.

Only half a year ago, they were trapped in Storm's End, eating rats while the horns and bells echoed outside the castle walls.

The young five-year-old Lord Renly burst into tears on the spot, creating a chaotic scene.

Within Storm's End, the situation wasn't much better. The painful memories from half a year ago seemed to linger before their eyes, as soldiers rushed about and the castle's servants were thrown into disarray.

Stannis remained the calmest of all. After his initial shock, the resolute man quickly regained his composure.

He stood up from his chair, pushed open the study door, and without looking at Renly, who was sitting on the ground crying, he strode outside.

"Seven Hells!"

"Who can tell me what's going on?"

At last, a panicked soldier hurriedly approached, informing Stannis of the situation.

"Lord Stannis, this is bad."

The soldier was out of breath, having run all the way from the watchtower.

His face was still filled with terror.

"A large number of unidentified ships have appeared at sea, and they're now riding the storm towards the harbor!"

...