~ Every 100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter! Your votes keep this climbing. Thanks!
Melisandre stood before the flames. Her red eyes mirrored the flickering light and shadow, her whole being bathed in an ominous, sacred glow.
Behind her, Stannis stood like a silent stone statue. His gaze was fixed on the very heart of the fire, straining to make out the enemy who had framed him.
The flames shifted in color, orange-red, then scarlet, then an eerie, sickly green.
Faint, blurred images flashed and merged within the fire.
He saw the towering Red Keep of King's Landing and the Iron Throne that belonged to House Baratheon.
Then, a figure appeared.
The figure was wrapped in a soft halo, its face indistinct. But Stannis could sense youth and vitality radiating from it.
Countless rose petals fell around the figure like a grand floral shower.
The people of King's Landing cheered. They shouted a name, but the crackling flames drowned it out.
Then, a crown woven from golden roses slowly settled onto the figure's head.
The figure turned, and what stood before Stannis was no longer the familiar Iron Throne but a strangely crafted seat. The figure sat upon it.
"It's him..." Melisandre's voice broke the silence, a dreamlike murmur full of certainty, as if seeing all truths.
Stannis's heart twisted sharply.
Roses?
The Tyrell sigil?
And that strange throne?
He had never seen a chair like that.
Could it be... the one supported by House Tyrell, beloved by the people, so young and full of life...
"Renly..."
"It's really him!"
Stannis ground the name out through clenched teeth.
Renly, his brother.
The younger brother who'd followed him since childhood, the one he believed would never betray him.
"No... this can't be." Stannis's voice trembled with disbelief.
"Renly... why would he do this?"
"Because of the throne, my king."
Melisandre turned, her red eyes glowing in the firelight like twin hellfires.
She had initially chosen to follow Stannis Baratheon because she believed he was the prophesied "Azor Ahai reborn," the legendary hero who had defeated the White Walkers with his sword, Lightbringer, eight thousand years ago.
To her, Renly was a barrier to Stannis's claim, and this was yet another proof she took for granted.
She spoke the words Stannis feared to voice himself.
"The Iron Throne is the world's deadliest poison. It turns fathers against sons, brothers against brothers."
"Your brother is young, handsome, beloved."
"He has everything you lack, and he stands with a legitimate claim to the throne."
Melisandre's words cut through the darkest parts of Stannis's soul, exposing his jealousy and bitterness nakedly into the air.
Yes.
Renly.
What was he, really?
Nothing but a flattering jester with silver tongue.
Nothing but a hypocrite who preferred men, using Loras to win favor with Highgarden.
Why?
Why had Storm's End been granted to him, while Stannis was left only with barren Dragonstone?
Why was Renly adored by all, while Stannis was met with fear and distance?
And now, the bastard was even scheming to steal the throne rightfully his!
First, he poisoned Robert and framed him!
He'd even dare to strike at Joffrey and Tommen!
That way, the sole heir of House Baratheon would be only Renly!
A perfect two-pronged plan.
What a ruthless brother.
"The Lord of Light has seen his ambition."
Melisandre's voice carried a divine, seductive power.
"He deceives the world with a false smile. His light is a counterfeit—stolen to claim your destiny."
"He is a servant of darkness, the harbinger of the Long Night."
"My king, you must decide."
"For the Lord of Light, for this world, you must cut down this false king with your own hand!"
Stannis closed his eyes.
The image from the flames stayed fixed in his mind.
The golden rose crown, the frenzied cheers of the people...
Anger, betrayal, jealousy.
All those emotions converged into a chilling hunger for vengeance.
When Stannis opened his eyes again, not a trace of doubt or hesitation remained.
"Law is absolute."
His voice was as hard as Dragonstone's rocks.
"Renly Baratheon has committed kingslaying and treason."
"He is no longer my brother."
"He is the enemy of the realm."
"He must pay the price."
...
King's Landing. The Red Keep.
Prince Joffrey sat by the window of his chambers, restless as he stared out.
His father,the drunken man who ignored him and even struck him before others, was dying.
Soon, Joffrey would become the king of the Seven Kingdoms. He would wield supreme power.
Yet his heart churned with fear and unease.
He was terrified.
Terrified of his uncle Stannis, stripped of all yet stubborn like a mad bull.
Terrified even more of his uncle Renly, who had suddenly left King's Landing and boasted countless supporters across the south.
He felt like a lamb thrown to a pack of wolves.
At that moment, a gentle knock came at the door.
"Get out!" Joffrey snapped impatiently.
There was silence outside.
A few seconds later, the door softly creaked open.
"It's me, Your Grace."
The voice was so soft it almost dripped water.
Joffrey turned to see Liana.
She wore a simple white gown; her golden hair was loosely pinned back. Her clean, faint face held just the right touch of worry and concern.
Like a lily blooming in the mud, pure and untainted.
Seeing her calmed much of Joffrey's agitation and fear.
"Didn't I say no one was to disturb me?"
Joffrey's tone was still sharp but no longer furious.
"I was just... worried about you."
Liana stepped closer.
Her clear blue eyes shone with sincerity.
"You're about to be king. The weight of the entire realm rests on your shoulders. You must be exhausted."
No one had ever spoken to him like this.
His mother only taught him how to keep a prince's composure.
His father only shouted at him.
Everyone else looked on with awe and flattery.
Only Liana treated him like a real person, not a symbol of a king.
"Your Grace, Lord Lin En came looking for you earlier."
Liana shifted to a more formal tone, her voice dropping to a confidential whisper.
"He seemed very anxious, but you weren't here."
"Lin En?"
Joffrey blinked.
"What does he want with me? Speak!"
"He asked me to bring you a message."
Liana's eyes flickered with admiration and excitement.
"He said you are the true stag of House Baratheon—the only king who can restore the family's honor."
Joffrey's chest rose involuntarily.
"He also said he would be your most loyal sword, clearing every obstacle for you."
"Obstacles?"
Joffrey seized on the word.
"Yes."
Liana nodded, face growing serious.
Leaning toward Joffrey, her warm breath tickled his ear.
"Lord Lin said King Robert's death wasn't an accident."
Joffrey's pupils snapped tight.
"He asked me to warn you about your two uncles."
"Lord Stannis is rigid and stubborn. He believes he is the rightful heir to the throne."
"And Lord Renly..."
"He's deeply supported by Highgarden and the Stormlands. And—he's already left King's Landing."
"If he has nothing to hide..."
Liana left the sentence unfinished, but the unspoken words cut deeper than any accusation.
Joffrey's mind buzzed with a terrible realization.
Stannis... Renly...
"Lord Lin said that letter was far too clumsy."
A sneer crossed Liana's face, mocking the shadowy figure's stupidity.
"Does he think a clumsy forgery can clear suspicion and shift the blame?"
"But he forgot who stands to gain most."
"As long as you and Lord Stannis fight to mutual ruin, who will be the one to profit?"
"Renly!"
Joffrey almost shouted it.
Suddenly, it all made sense.
It was a web of schemes.
Renly poisoned the king slowly, forged evidence to frame Stannis.
Once Robert died, Renly would immediately raise his armies.
He'd wait for Joffrey and Stannis to tear each other apart, then return to King's Landing under the banner of "avenging his brother," claiming the throne rightfully.
What a vicious plan.
Both were traitors.
Both were kingslayers.
"Your Grace, you are truly wise."
Liana's eyes glittered like stars as she looked at Joffrey.
Her unabashed admiration fed his vanity.
He was no longer the boy hiding behind his mother.
He was the king who saw through every conspiracy.
"My two damned uncles..."
A brutal cruelty far beyond his years twisted Joffrey's face.
"They both
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
📚 BOOK COMPLETED ON PATREON!📚
This story has reached its conclusion on my Patreon!
🔥 Full story available now
💎 Exclusive bonus content & early access to new books
👉 Join my Patreon community today!
✨patreon.com/DarkGolds
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━