The Iron Throne of Ice and Fire

"The fire is full of traps. You can't be sure what is now, what is future, what is possible."

"Which ones belong to the future, which ones belong to the present, and which ones belong to the past, the King of Light has already made his will. Everything that mortals do on earth is guided by the King of Light."

Stannis and Melisandre entered the door together. Davos walked forward, caressing his chest and said: "Your Majesty, as Ms. Melisandre can see, your nephew Joffrey is dead, and the three onions are all dead." ”

There seemed to be flames swaying in Melisandre's eyes. Her red eyes gently glanced at the Onion Knight and said: "Your Majesty, Joffrey is the third one."

Stannis stared at the Prime Minister with a respectful expression for a while and said: "Davos, he is not my nephew. Although I have thought so for many years."

Then he glanced at Melisandre: "I can count, woman."

Stannis walked along the map table, past Oldtown and the Arbor, towards the Shield Islands and the mouth of the Mander.

"Joffrey...remembered that there was a cat in the castle kitchen. The cooks often fed it scraps and fish heads. One of them told the child that it was about to give birth to kittens. The man thought he would want one. . As a result, Joffrey disembowelled the poor animal with a dagger to see if it was true. After finding the kittens, he showed them to Robert and was beaten severely and almost beaten. die."

Earl Davos raised his eyes and glanced at the red-robed priestess, took a step forward, and said: "King Stannis, the fourth onion, and Tywin Lannister are also dead. They died on the same night."

King Stannis stopped, paused, crossed his fingers across the table, and said, "The lion is dead... Is the news reliable?"

Earl Davos nodded slightly and replied: "The Lys merchants in King's Landing sent out messenger crows. They are friends of Salladhor Saan. They have no reason to lie to me."

"Tywin...Joffrey..."

After a moment of silence, King Stannis took off his red gold crown, put it on the table, and said, "Will they send someone to greet me?"

Melisandre walked closer to the map table: "They can't, Joffrey has a younger brother."

King Stannis's teeth chattered: "Tommen, yes, they also have a boy who also came from incest."

Melisandre stretched out her hand, her slender fingers gently placed on Stannis's arm, and whispered: "They will crown Tommen and continue to rule the Seven Kingdoms in his name."

"Tommen is gentler in temperament than Joffrey, but he is still a monster in the making, another leech infesting the realm."

King Stannis clenched a fist and continued: "Now that the lion is dead, who is giving orders in King's Landing? It can't be Tommen, he is still a boy. Time is running out, and Westeros needs a real man. stand out."

Melisandre's body was almost close to Stannis, and her low and hoarse voice sounded: "Your Majesty, since there is not much time left, then save them quickly."

Fiery red eyes looked up at him motionlessly: "I have achieved the goal of the three kings. Give me that boy and let me awaken the magic dragon in the rock for you."

Lord Davos looked at Stannis, who was frowning, and reminded: "Edric Storm."

Stannis suddenly burst into shuddering anger: "I know his name. Smuggler, please spare me and say no more. Like you, I don't like this, but I must be responsible to my kingdom. This It's my duty."

He looked at Melisandre again and said coldly: "Woman, you swear, you have no other choice, I swear on your life. If you lie, I promise to make your life worse than death."

"You are the one destined to resist the ancient gods, in response to the prophecy made five thousand years ago. The red comet announced your arrival. You are the reincarnation of Azor Ahai, the prince in the prophecy. If you Failure, and the whole world will perish together.”

The large ruby ​​​​on the neck of the red-robed woman throbbed: "Give me that boy, and I will return your kingdom to you, King Stannis."

King Stannis's eyes were like dark blue bruises. He stared closely at the red-robed woman. When he was about to speak, Lord Davos's voice first sounded: "Edric Storm is no longer here."

Stannis turned and stared at the smuggler: "No more, what do you mean?"

Earl Davos looked at the king calmly: "At this moment, he has boarded a Lysian ship and sailed safely to sea."

Hearing this, King Stannis' teeth creaked again: "The bastard was taken away from Dragonstone without my permission. The Lysian ship... What do those Lysian pirates want to do? They intend to betray." ………”

The red-robed woman interrupted Stannis's speculation softly: "It was not the Lysians, but your Hand who did it, Your Majesty."

Her eyes flashed dangerously red as she turned to Davos: "Do you know what you have done, Davos Seaworth?"

Earl Davos lowered his eyelids: "I fulfilled my duty."

"This is betrayal."

Stannis walked to the window and stared out at the night. The tiredness in his voice was more than angry: "Davos, I promoted you from a pariah to a noble. Is it so difficult to be loyal?"

"My loyalty to you will remain unswerving in this life..." Davos Seaworth had already thought deeply about his upcoming words, and he knew that his life depended on it.

"King Stannis, you have sworn me to give you honest counsel, to protect your rights and your kingdom, to punish your enemies, and to care for your people. Isn't Edric Storm a subject under your protection? ? Isn’t it one of the people I swore to protect? How can it be called betrayal if I keep my oath?”

After staring at the smuggler for a while, King Stannis said coldly: "I never asked for this crown. It is cold and heavy on my head, but as long as I am king for one day, I have the responsibility and obligation to take care of this crown." Kingdom. If I had to sacrifice a child and sacrifice him to the fire to save millions of people from the invasion of darkness... Davos, sacrifice is never easy, otherwise it wouldn't be called a sacrifice. ”

Crunching, he gritted his teeth: "Ms. Melisandre, please explain to the smuggler."

Melisandre nodded slightly. She left Stannis's side and shuffled closer to Davos: "What Azor Ahai used to temper the 'Lightbringer' was the hard work of his beloved wife. A man with A rich man who has a thousand fat cows sacrifices one of them to the gods... It's nothing, but he sacrifices his only cow..."

Earl Davos interrupted the red-robed woman's bewitchment. He looked at his "god" and said, "She is talking about cattle, but I am talking about people, your daughter's friends, your brother's bloodline."

"He is the king's son, and he has the power of the king's blood."

The big ruby ​​around Melisandre's neck shone like a red star: "You thought you saved this child, didn't you, Onion Knight? You are so wrong! No matter where you hide in the ends of the earth, when the long night falls, Edric ·The storm will still die together with others. When the time comes, darkness and cold will cover the entire world, and even your own sons will not be able to escape. Do you know that you have interfered with a great cause that you cannot understand!"

The red-robed woman seemed to be a burning flame, and Earl Davos's back was covered with cold sweat. He breathed secretly and said: "There are many things that I cannot understand, and I have never pretended to understand. I understand the relationship between the sea and Rivers, knowing the course of the coast, knowing the rocks and shoals, knowing where there are hidden coves for small boats to land quietly. I also know..."

He took a slow breath and continued: "As a king, you must protect the people of the kingdom, otherwise you are not a king."

"Davos, how dare you laugh at me to my face? Do I have to learn the duties of a king from an onion smuggler?"

King Stannis's face was gloomy. He pulled out the "Lightbringer", and its light suddenly filled the hall.

He should have gotten a haircut and shaved... Perhaps it was because he was prepared to lose his life in advance. At this moment, Davos found himself unexpectedly calm.

He knelt down to his "god": "King Stannis, if I have offended, please just behead me. No matter life or death, I will be your loyal knight."

After saying this, he lowered his head to facilitate the king's execution.

"Dai, Fo, Si. Very good."

With a creak, King Stannis slowly raised his sword: "With the Andals, Rhoynar and the First Men..."

Melissa's mysterious red eyes stared at the back of the Onion Knight's thin-haired head, and the fingers of her hand hidden in the sleeve moved slightly.

Immediately, the flames in the brazier that had been burning quietly on the side suddenly rose into the air, blazing fiercely, as if given violent life.

This sudden scene made King Stannis stop his movements, and the red-robed woman passed lightly between him and Davos, slowly approaching the brazier.

"The will of the Lord of Light..."

Melisandre stared at the swaying flames, her red lips parted slightly, and murmured: "A ship filled with gold...tomorrow...when the Lord of Light warms the day...it will dock at the Dragon Boat Festival." The pier of Shidao... They wear purple three-layered beanies... The king and the prime minister will board the boat together..."

Her voice echoed in the empty hall, as if it had some mysterious magic power.

Earl Davos couldn't help but raise his head: "Iron Bank?"

After saying that, feeling Stannis' cold gaze, he immediately lowered his head again.

It didn't take long for the flames in the brazier to burn out. Melisandre turned around. She smiled slightly and said: "It's the Iron Bank, Your Majesty. The night is dark and dangerous everywhere. You shoulder the fate of the entire world. The King of Light is here." To guide you, the Lord of Light has arranged everything.”

Stannis' eyes were deep: "Are you reminding me to keep the smugglers until daylight tomorrow?"

Melisandre bowed and said: "The gloomy sky and the biting cold wind are the guidance of the Lord of Light (Chapter 305)."

…………

The next day, the sky was shrouded in thick haze, as if a huge gray curtain was hanging low. The weak light struggled to penetrate the clouds, but it looked so pale and feeble.

Lord Davos followed King Stannis respectfully, stepped on the wooden planks, and stepped onto the Iron Treasury ship docked at the dock.

They were led by Braavos servants into the large cabin at the stern of the ship.

There is a not too high step at one end of the cabin. There is a long table on it, and behind the table are three high-backed chairs side by side.

It must be very grand to sit there. Lord Davos withdrew his gaze and cautiously said to Stannis, who was pacing back and forth: "Your Majesty, if you are willing, I may be able to find you a chair."

"It's almost noon..."

King Stannis glanced at Davos. He paused, looked behind the long table, and said coldly: "It seems that they are not stopping here for the king."

Hearing this, Earl Davos shrugged: "They may think that we are more urgent. This is a little trick that businessmen like to play, Your Majesty."

King Stannis continued to pace slowly: "Do smugglers also understand the despicable methods of merchants?"

Earl Davos scratched his cheek and replied in a sincere tone: "Becoming a merchant was my biggest dream until you gave me the honor."

King Stannis snorted.

When Davos was thinking hard about how to ease the awkward atmosphere, the sound of the door opening was heard from behind, and then footsteps were heard. Three people wearing three-layered beanies made of purple felt and dark purple robes came over. .

They each stood next to the high-backed chairs, looked at Stannis and Davos for a moment, and then sat on the chairs.

Among them, the man sitting in the middle said: "Good day, Lord Stannis Baratheon. The Iron Bank greets you."

Stannis raised his feet and stood in front of the steps. He glanced coldly at the three people sitting high up and said, "I thought you were here to visit the king. I seem to have misunderstood your purpose."

The man sitting on the left said: "Thank you for allowing us to dock the ship at the dock, Lord Stannis."

The person sitting on the right smiled politely and continued: "We are not sure whether you need the services of the Iron Bank, so we did not take the liberty of requesting an interview with you."

The man in the middle said again: "I think since you took the initiative to visit..."

Earl Davos frowned. He stepped forward and interrupted: "Please allow me to introduce you. The person in front of you is Stannis of the Baratheon family, the true legal king of the Seven Kingdoms."

"My name is Tychu Nestos."

Taichu nodded symbolically and continued: "As far as I know, a new king will be crowned on the Iron Throne soon. His name is Tommen Baratheon."

Stannis clasped his hands behind his back and stared closely at the representative of the Iron Bank, saying: "He is a son of chaos, he is not my blood relative, and like the dead Joffrey, they are not the legal heirs to the Iron Throne."

Tai Chu smiled slightly: "Yes, Tie Jinku has heard this story..."

Stannis corrected him coolly: "It's not a story, it's a fact."

The smile on Taichu's face continued: "We also heard another story about jealous uncles who tried to usurp the Iron Throne that their nephews legitimately inherited, which cost the Seven Kingdoms countless blood and...gold coins. "

Stannis gritted his teeth for a while and said in a cold voice: "I heard that you lent gold coins to the scoundrels on the Iron Throne."