Storm's End was not the largest castle, but it was certainly one of the strongest.
The bloodline of House Durrandon, the Storm Kings, had continued down to proud Argella, and that influence had then passed to House Baratheon.
Storm's End stood by the sea, and coastal lands often gave rise to great towns or fortresses. The five great cities of Westeros, King's Landing, Oldtown, Lannisport, Gulltown, and White Harbor, had all risen because of the sea.
Storm's End's seaward wall rested atop pale cliffs, their steep chalk faces almost twice as high as the outer walls themselves. At the foot of the cliffs was an opening, a tunnel that led directly beneath the castle. It was the ancient dock of the Storm Kings, with the waterway guarded by heavy gates. Yet the passage was extremely difficult. It could only be sailed at high tide, and even then it was perilous. Only the most agile sailors could master those waves.
The clatter of hooves rang out before Storm's End. Gendry wore black armor and rode a black steed. Daenerys rode beside him on her silver pony. Their horses carried beautiful black wicker baskets, fine work by Myrish craftsmen, and curled inside them were the young dragons. The black and white dragons stayed with Gendry, while the green dragon remained with Daenerys.
"What a well-matched pair of young people. Just like the King in his youth, and even taller than the King was." The two young people showed their faces, the Stormborn descendant with black hair and blue eyes, and the Dragonlord's descendant with silver hair and violet eyes. They were still as tender as young grass, yet they had already stepped onto the battlefield of power. Their authority burned like flame, while Renly's fortune now flickered like a candle in the wind. After saying farewell to the Knight of Flowers tonight, he would be sent to the Wall.
Gendry's standard-bearer, Jon Snow, and Anguy were both young. They rode gray horses and raised the Storm's banner, a union of stag, dragon, wolf pack, and Free Folk. The red priestess and another of Stannis's men raised Stannis's banner, riding forward alongside Jon.
Gendry understood the red priestess's place in Stannis's camp. Dragonstone had no great generals, so Stannis could only rely on the red priestess, and even the Onion Knight.
"Why is there a wolf too?" many Stormlanders asked in surprise. They were speaking of Jon's Direwolf, Ghost. The wolf's fur was pure white, his eyes red as blood, but after sensing the scent of dragonfire, the Direwolf had become much more obedient. Even among such strange supernatural creatures, there was a hierarchy. Dragons stood at the top, though creatures like these still had a frightening effect on horses.
Lady Catelyn Stark of Winterfell, Great Lord Stannis Baratheon of Dragonstone, Ser Cortnay, castellan of Storm's End, Edric, Lord Estermont, and the others followed behind Gendry and Daenerys. After them came the powerful Stormlands lords: Tarth of Tarth, House Caron, House Morrigen, and others. As for the minor nobles and Sellswords from Dragonstone, they were almost negligible.
"My brother had a gift for inspiring loyalty, even from enemies. It seems his son may have that same gift. They both have a kind of pull," Stannis thought. Many Stormlands lords and knights here had once sworn to Renly, yet now Gendry used them without the slightest suspicion, as if they had been born to serve him.
"Storm's End," Daenerys said. In her sight stood a massive gray castle, and the closer they came, the taller and grander it appeared, like an upraised fist.
"Yes, Princess Daenerys," Ser Cortnay said. Ser Cortnay was bald, and his weathered face bore a red beard shaped like a shovel. People regarded him as a good man, a brave man, and also an experienced commander and castellan, the steward of the Stormlands.
"Come to think of it, we may be very distantly related," Ser Cortnay said to Dany.
"Are we?" Daenerys grew interested.
"One of Ser Cortnay's ancestors married a Princess of House Targaryen, but that was many years ago, almost too distant to matter," Stannis said bluntly.
Stannis's words were enough to choke the conversation dead. But if one spoke of Dragonblood, the closest line was House Baratheon.
"Come to think of it, many commoners in the Stormlands are also kin to House Baratheon. It is said that the bastard Ronard Storm had twenty-three wives and ninety-nine sons, so thousands of years later, many Stormlands commoners still claim to have royal blood," Ser Barristan added.
Ronard Storm, the bastard Ronard, was also a weighty figure among the Storm Kings. He was a bastard of House Durrandon who later seized the throne. Ronard was a terrifying warrior and a lustful king. He overthrew his brother, King Morden Durrandon II, slowing the decline of House Durrandon. Morden's queen placed the crown on Ronard's head with her own hands, and she let Ronard into her bed as well.
"With that many wives, how could he possibly keep up?" Ser Cortnay suddenly joked, and everyone laughed along.
"How many soldiers can the Stormlands raise?" Gendry asked Ser Cortnay. As castellan of Storm's End and steward of the Stormlands, Ser Cortnay naturally knew these details best.
"Twenty to thirty thousand. We have plenty of lords and knights, but the overall population is limited, so the number of regular soldiers is smaller," Ser Cortnay said. The Stormlands were badly divided by forests and mountains. They were a land of forests, rocks, and rain. Because the region was small, the total population was not particularly high. Yet thanks to the violent climate and constant warfare, the people of the Stormlands had always been known for toughness and a love of battle. Throughout history, they had fought The Reach and Dorne many times, and at times the Riverlands as well.
Gendry looked over the Stormlands soldiers. Their quality was good, but because of wealth and distance, the Stormlands lords had not carried out much regular army training or large-scale formation practice. Commanding such an army depended heavily on the commander's ability. Otherwise, it would become a wild dance of scattered dragons.
"To defend the Stormlands, one only needs to guard the passes along the borders," Ser Cortnay explained. "The road to the Kingswood is held by Bronzegate. In the Marches, Blackhaven, Nightsong, and Stonehelm guard the Dornish Mountains. As for the sea, Tarth and Estermont serve as defenses, and both have fleets of their own."
Gendry nodded. The Stormlands' terrain mainly consisted of two great forests, the Kingswood and the Rainwood, and it also bordered the Red Mountains, with a long coastline besides. The houses Ser Cortnay mentioned all guarded key routes into the Stormlands, and each possessed the strength to match. House Estermont was also kin by marriage to House Baratheon. His grandfather, Great Lord Steffon, had married a lady of House Estermont, and the two had once shouldered the great task of searching the Eastern Continent for a queen for Rhaegar. Unfortunately, both died together in Shipbreaker Bay.
Gendry's procession was vast and imposing. As the long line moved, chainmail and plate armor clattered. The armor was solid and beautiful, but its weight could easily leave a man aching all over. Beneath the sunlight, the lords wore magnificent armor, gilded and silvered, with helmets adorned by silk plumes, feathers, or sculptures shaped like house sigils, their eyes set with gems.
Among this display of wealth and splendor, Gendry and Stannis seemed plain. Stannis dressed simply as always, in wool and leather armor. Gendry wore black scale plate, but his cloak was only a simple gold cloak, without needless decoration. The red gem in the hilt of Orphan-Maker at his waist was the most eye-catching thing about him, glowing like flame beneath the sun.
The party advanced together and entered Storm's End. Before the next storm arrived, a grand feast would do much to draw them closer together.
...
That night, the hall of Storm's End was warm and steaming, filled with the smell of roast meat and fresh-baked bread. Banners of every kind hung throughout the hall. The most conspicuous were Gendry's and Stannis's banners, their gold-backed standards echoing one another. Great Lord Stannis and Ser Cortnay had already carefully introduced Gendry to the lords and knights of the Stormlands, a hurried lesson of sorts.
Gendry, Daenerys, Great Lord Stannis, Ser Cortnay, and Catelyn Stark sat upon the dais, along with the elderly Lord Estermont. He was very old, and he was the grandfather of King Robert, Lord Stannis, and Ser Renly.
The herald called out loudly, and the Stormlands lords entered one by one, starting with the most powerful vassals.
As the herald summoned each lord and knight, Gendry and Daenerys returned their courtesies one by one. A smile was better than severity, and besides, in the coming winter, these men would have to fight for him.
"Lord Bryce Caron of Nightsong." Lord Caron had long since removed the green robe that represented Renly's colors and changed into the gold garments of his own house. On his breast was the sigil of a black nightingale on a yellow field. House Caron styled itself Marshal of the Marches. Though they stood on the front line against Dorne, they did not truly have the authority to summon other lords.
"Ser Donnel Swann, heir to the Lord of Stonehelm." Ser Donnel entered to pay his respects almost together with Caron. The sigil on the front of his armor showed two fighting swans, one black and one white. House Swann was likewise ancient and powerful, a great house of the Marches, proud and cautious. Both House Swann and House Caron claimed to be the oldest house in the Marches.
Ser Donnel had previously served Renly, while his younger brother Balon Swann served Joffrey. Balon was more accomplished than Donnel. He was skilled in battle, adept with lance and morningstar, and an excellent archer. He had been the champion of the previous tourney, since Anguy had not attended. Unfortunately, as a second son, he had to make his own way.
"Lord Selwyn Tarth of Tarth, and his daughter, Lady Brienne." Lord Selwyn Tarth led in his maiden daughter, Brienne of Tarth. Brienne was indeed tall and powerful, but from head to toe, only her eyes were pure and innocent. Lord Selwyn had sought many marriage matches for his daughter, and many men coveted the wealth of House Tarth, but in the end none had gotten what they wanted.
Lord Selwyn had mostly kept to the sidelines during the Baratheon civil war. His age, his heir, and his comfortable way of life made him less hungry for power, so his firm support for Gendry this time was a welcome surprise. Lord Selwyn was wealthy, kind-hearted, and terribly unlucky. Brienne was his only heir. He took a new mistress every year. When Brienne was a child, he kept a singer in his household each year so his daughter could remember every ballad.
"Lord Lester Morrigen of Crow's Nest, and his two younger brothers, Richard Morrigen and Ser Guyard Morrigen." The three Morrigen brothers also entered the hall. The youngest of House Morrigen, Ser Guyard Morrigen, was a famous knight of the Stormlands.
"Lord Harwood Fell of Felwood." Lord Harwood came forward to pay his respects. He was the grandson of the Lord Fell whom Robert had slain in single combat at Summerhall. In one of the battles at Summerhall, Robert killed Lord Fell and captured his son, "Silveraxe" Fell. Yet Silveraxe and Harwood, father and son, had both become loyal servants of King Robert.
Gendry looked them over. In truth, one powerful vassal was still missing. Lord Beric Dondarrion of Blackhaven was still struggling to survive in the Riverlands. As for the once powerful and wealthy House Connington, it had fallen into decline because of Jon Connington. Now Lord Ronnet Connington of Griffin's Roost was only a landed knight. This Red Ronnet had once been betrothed to Brienne of Tarth, only to later humiliate her for being too ugly.
During the Usurper's reign, Jon, as Rhaegar's close friend, had been raised by the Mad King to Hand of the King. After Jon's defeat at the Battle of the Bells, he was stripped of his title and Griffin's Roost, then exiled Across the Narrow Sea. Jon's cousin Ronald went over to King Robert.
After Robert seized Aerys II's throne, he granted the castle to Jon's cousin, but did not return the confiscated wealth. He also gave most of House Connington's original lands to other lords loyal to him.
Once all the lords and knights had entered, everyone raised their cups. They toasted one another with blessings and compliments, and then the feast formally began.
Gendry had changed into a three-colored outfit of black, gold, and red, with Orphan-Maker at his waist. The Storm's smile was sharp as a razor, and his looks and strength were famous throughout the realm. Though Daenerys was still only a girl, her beauty was unmatched. Her long silver-gold hair shone, and the purple crystal hairpin matched her violet eyes perfectly. She was every bit as beautiful as the rumors claimed.
"Long live the Storm!" the guests shouted. Those seated at the very back had to squeeze together on the benches. The Storm did not refer only to Gendry. Daenerys, too, was Stormborn.
When Gendry and Daenerys rose, everyone rose with them and shouted, "Long live Storm's End! Long live Storm's End!"
Though it was not exactly honorable, the lords forgot Renly quickly. A better choice now stood before them. A peerless warrior, the demon outside Riverrun, the Kingslayer's nightmare, the fiercest fighter in the realm. He stood apart even among princes and nobles.
They were not fools. Before, they had simply had no choice. If they did not choose Renly, then their only option was Stannis. Besides, everyone knew Lord Renly had never gotten along with Lord Stannis, and Renly had the support of Highgarden.
Gendry knew the lords and knights were not only blessing him. They were blessing his string of victories. They were also blessing his late father, King Robert, his grandfather, Great Lord Steffon, and every Storm of the past seven or eight thousand years, Durrandon or Baratheon. In the end, they were all Storms.
Although these lords and knights had not known Gendry well before, they had not forgotten that it was King Robert who led the Stormlands to the throne, nor had they forgotten that the Lannisters had stolen the Stormlands' glory. That was why the Stormlands had been willing to follow Renly in one great gamble.
"It feels so different," Jon said, suddenly lost in thought. When King Robert had held a feast at Winterfell, Jon had sat in the lowest place and had even been thinking of going to the Wall to become a Night's Watchman. He had never imagined things would change so much. Now he served the king's son and sat in a seat of honor.
"Have a drink." Anguy handed Jon a cup of wine, pulling him out of his thoughts.
"This castle is truly ancient. Magic is woven into its very stones. Even my shadow cannot pass through the Black Wall. Yes, the power here may be ancient, and perhaps forgotten, but it still remains," the red priestess said to her new colleague, Qyburn.
"The shadow you speak of is a dark thing, my lady," Qyburn said softly.
"You are wrong, Old Maester. There are no shadows in darkness. Shadows are servants of light, children of flame. Only the brightest fire can cast the darkest shadow," the red priestess explained.
"The shadow you summon carries a heavy price, my lady. How many times can the flame of life burn beneath your sacrifices?"
"A simple truth, Old Maester." The red priestess smiled. "Only death can pay for life. Only flame burns on."
"Do you desire the Storm's flame?" Qyburn asked. "I advise you not to entertain that thought. The King's path is to develop his own power, not to rely on devotion and sacrifice as you do. They are different roads."
The red priestess said nothing. Of course she desired it. The strongest Storm in the world was the fiercest flame. If offered to the Lord of Light, the Lord of Light would surely be pleased. But from the look of things, the Storm had his own ideas. Through the power of his Bloodline, he sought his own true self.
"Prince Gendry, Princess Daenerys." Under Lord Selwyn's encouraging gaze, Brienne of Tarth suddenly stood, then knelt in the aisle and made her request. "I ask to become one of your Stormguard. I ask to serve as one of your guards, to give my life for you, to follow you to the ends of the earth, never leaving your side, and to protect you from every danger."
She was worthy of the way of knighthood. Perhaps the girl from Tarth truly did share some blood with tall Duncan.
For a moment, the hall fell completely silent. Everyone looked at this woman who was obsessed with the knightly path, the maiden of Tarth.
"Granted, Lady Brienne," Gendry and Daenerys said solemnly.
Bloodline. House. Legacy.
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