(Stannis POV)
I am standing at the large port of Storm's End and looking at Shipbreaker's Bay. I see two of our warships coming back, and in between them, that must be Robert in a small dinghy. Only Robert knows why he chose to take a dinghy from Gulltown to here. A bigger boat would have been faster, but then again, the way he does things only makes sense to him... and me occasionally. He hasn't sent a raven to notify me of what was going on, he didn't tell me to prepare, or that we were amidst a rebellion. He knows how I stand on this, knows how I feel about this and how hard this decision was for me.
Finally, he docks at the pier and steps onto the path. He is dressed in his war armour, and from the looks of things, he has gotten to use it. Urgh, the smell is terrible. But my face doesn't change at all. I have always kept a stern face, at least most of the time. Only Robert is capable of making my facial muscles do something.
"Stannis..."
I place my hand on his shoulder, ignoring how he looks. It seems it has begun.
"Welcome, brother. Everything is ready. Come, time to get you washed." I say, and motion for some of the workers to get Robert's armour off.
"I should have written, but I wanted to talk to you personally," he tells me.
"I am aware of that. But you should have trusted me more. You know what I would decide."
"I know, but your sense of duty is powerful. You deserve a chance to remain neutral, and if you wish, take mother and father with you, together with Renly. I would understand that," he tells me.
Robert looks at me. He knows me better than anyone and knows I always adhere to the laws and regulations. This would have been even more extreme, a few years ago, but the working with Robert and all the business dealings we had, combined with what we know, has changed me somewhat. But then again, I think about Mother and Father and what happened. The way they changed and grew frightful and taciturn towards Robert, mostly. They haven't left Storm's End for years now, and all of that is only the King's fault.
"In the Kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king," I say.
"Thank you, Stannis."
We make our way back to the castle, where we are going to plan out this war. The old plans are no longer feasible, since we have at least two other kingdoms at our side, the North and the Vale.
"My Lord?" the commander of the security guild arrives.
"Lock down the port now. No more ships shall leave unless we order them to. Arriving ships are to be turned down, unless it is an emergency, and we know who is on it. Other than that, spread some calm in the city and assure everyone that everything shall be alright, as long as they listen to what we tell them. More news will follow."
"Very well, my Lord," he says and walks off.
The door opens, and Tommy and Arthur Shelby walk in. They bow slightly and stand around the table with the large map of Westeros, which Robert created. It is very detailed, and he even trained people to do it and created new methods for it as well. He gave them new professions, called them map makers. That's all they do now: create better, more detailed maps. And only now do I realise just how much of an advantage this will give us.
"Alright, the situation has changed. What do we have now?" Robert starts the round.
"When I heard what happened to Lord Rickard Stark and Brandon Stark, I called the banners in your name. Not all of them have followed the command, though." I say.
"As we predicted," Robert says, and I nod.
"Which Lords?" Tommy asks.
"Lords Cafferen, Fell and Grandison. From what our spies told us, they have started to mobilise their own forces and will most likely plan to attack after meeting up and combining their strength." I say.
"But we expected this?" Arthur asks.
"We did. When we went through the reformation phase, those three of the Storm Lords have constantly refused to do as they were told and blocked our attempts on many occasions. But since Robert is the Lord of the Stormlands in all but name, they had to do what they were told. Manipulations are everywhere. But we are ready for it." I explain.
"Indeed. And thanks to your quick thinking, Stannis, we have a massive advantage. What about the Reach?" Robert asks.
"I know that you are convinced the Tyrells will stand loyal to Aerys. The logical conclusion is that they will march east, towards us, and straight to Storm's End. That's what I would do in their situation." I say.
"But if we already have most of our forces stationed and ready, then we could still use that as momentum to make our move against the storm lords first and then move north, to meet up with the North and Vale hosts," Tommy suggests.
"And what? Meet with the Reach host of 100'000 men on the battlefield? Nuh, mate." Arthur shakes his head.
"You are both correct. But if the Reach could mobilise 100'000 soldiers this quickly, they would be the most powerful kingdom of all. Their size and poor management have made the Reach weak. Fertile lands and good connections are what kept them in their current position. But it is rather easy to invade the Reach, as they have no natural borders like the Westerlands do or the Vale or the North. We will win, not because we have the superior numbers, but because the Lord of House Tyrell is a stunted fool and a proud man."
I listen to Robert and think about it. He is right about what he said, and invading the Reach might be easy, but getting back out again wouldn't, if they manage to amass a sizeable host.
"True, Mace Tyrell is a fat idiot. But what will you do if we meet Lord Randyll Tarly on the field?" I ask.
"I will use him to make our path believable. So here's what I have planned." Robert starts explaining.
.
"Are you sure you want to remain here, Stannis?" Robert asks me as he sits on his horse.
"As much as glory and victories are tempting, staying here in our beautiful city and enjoying myself, while you go off and dig through blood and mud, sounds preferable. It's alright, Robert. I know that one of us has to remain here. Father, Mother and our younger brother are all here; I'll take care of them."
"Thank you, Stannis. I'll kick Rhaegar in the knackers for you."
"Ha! You do that. Farewell, Brother. And good luck." I say, and he nods.
In any normal situation, I would want to be at my brother's side, but right now, I can't. Robert was made for blood, battle and fighting. He enjoys building and creating as well, but if you look at him, he is simply incapable of sitting still most of the time. He hasn't quenched the thirst of his body with sexual pleasure. He seems to have standards. But I don't think it's that much of a problem for men who are out fighting to indulge themselves occasionally. And yet, Robert doesn't need it or want it. I respect him for that. His willpower is second to none.
I watch as Robert and our forces move west. He claims that Summerhall is the most likely place where the other three want to meet. After it was destroyed, no one cared for Summerhall. Naturally, Robert went ahead and renovated it. He tore it down and built it back up again, giving the Peaky Blinders and our guilds another base of operation in the Stormlands. Because it is a small hub for merchandising, the Lords will believe it is a good place to attack and weaken our rule, but he is wrong. The moment they didn't allow Robert to take a look at their books and operations, as well as their castles and cities, they were already ruined.
The army disappears from view, and I walk back. The Commander of the security guild walks beside me, awaiting my orders.
"What have the other guilds reported? Why haven't I seen any of them yet?" I ask him.
"They are busy fulfilling your orders, my Lord. The last time I checked, our reservoirs are still being filled. It was a fruitful yield, my Lord. And the farmers inside the city have to be notified as well. I already sent soldiers there to protect all of them, when food eventually grows thin, but I don't believe that will be necessary." he tells me.
"I don't like possibilities I can't control, Commander. None of the people have ever been besieged by 100'000 enemy soldiers who desperately want to kill and rape them, and take all our crops and gold. Storm's End is the heart of the Stormlands. If it falls, the rebellion is mostly over, and I would rather starve than allow the Mad King to take what Robert and I have built."
"I understand, my Lord. I will do everything I can to ensure that doesn't happen," he says, and I nod.
"You have to, this could be the calmest war you will ever experience or the most tragic. Are the men ready?" I ask him.
"Yes, my Lord. Almost 2'000 deadly men are ready to die for the protection of this city. But if you allow me to ask, my Lord. Why didn't we increase this number? Wouldn't it have been better to have more men, if you expect the Reach to lay siege to Storm's End?"
"If I wanted to have men who protect us from the Reach soldiers, Robert would have never left. We are expecting a siege; our plans work towards a siege, Commander."
"I don't understand, my Lord."
"2'000 men might be useful if we fight in the streets of Storm's End, but would still be useless against 100'000 men, if they have breached the walls. They are not here to protect Storm's End from the Reach, but from eventual outrage or chaos inside the city. Robert has already prepared for the problems arising during a siege. Our walls are specially designed; they won't be breached."
"I see. Very well, my Lord."
"Good. Now, get the warships out of our Harbour and tell them to adhere to the plans we made. The captains are to sail the shores of Essos, for a while and can use the money they have to buy sustenance. But they have to live off that gold for the entirety of the war, and if they don't have any left, they are on their own."
"I understand, my Lord. Are we also expecting a siege from the sea then?" the Commander asks me.
"Of course. Again, we want that to happen, which is why we have already prepared several warships. If they see them leave, they won't remain too close to the Harbour, to keep their mobility in case they return." I explain.
We finally reach my solar and I get to work.
"It seems to be heavily based on assumptions, my Lord."
"Naturally. Half a battle takes place inside your head. And if we control those 50%, then we are halfway to victory. Finally, close the gates, Commander—all of them."
"All of them? Even the outer ones, with the-"
"All of them. now, do as I told you and get me Mary in here plea-"
The door opens, and Mary comes in with a tray of food and warm drinks on it.
"Already ahead of you, my Lord," she says.
"I shall take my leave, my Lord," the Commander says and leaves the room.
"You haven't eaten anything yet, and I thought it would be best if I took care of this for you," Mary says and reveals all the warm dishes.
"Mary, you are one of the most skilled women in the realm. There is no need for you to bring me food. I'm a grown man now." I tell her.
"You taught me so much, young Lord. I will always be in your debt," she says.
"There is no debt. Robert took you in because he wanted to. There is nothing to repay. And even if there was, you are already doing it. You are doing a lot of management work and helping with logistics."
"I know, but I'm still trying to do more."
*Sigh*
"So what did you bring me then?" I ask.
"Lovely steak, with lots of vegetables and some warm milk, just as you like it." Mary smiles.
"I can't eat this while we're expecting a siege, Mary! Everyone has to watch their rations now and that-"
"You will eat this! You haven't eaten anything today, and probably won't eat anything this afternoon as well. So eat this."
*Sigh*
"Very well. But if we're going to have a siege, I want the cooks to at least know about it." I say.
"Of course, young Lord. I will tell them. Now enjoy your food and take your time," she says and then leaves the room.
How did it get to this? Robert and I used to teach her how to write, economics and politics and now this...