geez so helpful

[inthenarrowsea]

[Stannis pinches the bridge of his nose as he lets out the long suffering sigh of a king who's done with his mundane's shenanigans and indecision.]

Send Renly's new pet to a game, the maid of Tarth. I have got a kingdom to win.

[So done]

Comments

[kingslays]

[Whoa, whoa. Don't you be talking about his wench like that.] She is not anyone's pet.

[inthenarrowsea]

[A raised eyebrow. You've got his interest, Kingslayer.] And you defend her, why? Last I heard she'd gotten your hand cut.

[kingslays]

The reasons are my own, Stannis. [He's resisting the urge to look at his golden hand right about now.] Renly is dead, besides. He can have no pets now.

[inthenarrowsea]

['Because I killed him' his brain helpfully supplies, but he ignores it. He spends enough time dwelling on it every night, he won't let it ruin his days as well.]

Is she your pet now?

[kingslays]

[He looks mildly offended.] For a man who wishes to be king, you have quite the deaf ear to your people. I said she was no man's pet.

[inthenarrowsea]

'Wish' implies I'm not the legitimate king. [Yes that's the part he chooses to focus on.]

None of your children should sit on the iron throne.

[kingslays]

If we're talking legitimacy, there is a young queen across the sea who has more claim, I believe.

[Not even going to touch that last part there.]

[loveandloyalty]

Last I knew, you weren't doing terribly well at that 'winning a kingdom' business, brother. [Bristling a little. Brienne is not his pet, okay.]

[inthenarrowsea]

[He knew, when he'd gotten here, that there was a chance he would see people he'd thought long gone. It doesn't make it any easier, but he swallows and pretends nothing is wrong.

He has nothing to apologize for after all. Renly choose his own path.]

Last I knew you weren't, either but that's hardly the point. The point is that I do not, will not have time to lose in these games.

[loveandloyalty]

[It's always rough to see Stannis, it had even been rough when they didn't have so much death lingering between them. Now is even worse, but he keeps his expression impassive, even a touch amused; he's always been good at hiding his inner turmoil behind a smile.]

You should have thought of that before you made yourself more enemies. You will never be the king I could have been.

[inthenarrowsea]

[And this is exactly why he didn't want to step out of the mundane's headspace. It was safe there, Stannis could stay there quiet and unbothered. Boring, maybe- but Stannis had never minded that much.

Instead he's here, having to convince ghosts that he's the legitimate king. Again.]

Maybe you would have. [He's full of pride, but he isn't stupid. His mouth does tighten a bit when he says that.] But I happened to be born first, a fact that everyone seems to take as a personal offense.

I am Robert's heir, Renly. [Deal with it.]

[pyromancy]

And a realm to defend.

[ a simple statement, not a reminder. The duties of R'hllor's champion are greater than those of a contender for a throne, but Melisandre knows Stannis is nothing if not dutiful. ]

[inthenarrowsea]

Indeed.

[Davos is constantly reminding him of his duties as a king, Melisandre of his duties as a champion... and now his writer has decided to toss him around and play with him as if he was a kid's toy, a pet to be disposed off when she's done with him. It's hard to not let himself feel overwhelmed, but he's well aware of the risks of doing so.]

Champion, King and now a Puppet. One too many faces for a single man, and it's easy to choose which one to dispose of.