Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven Davos
The smoke from the burning of the gods darkened the morning sky.
The Maiden and the Mother, the Warrior and the Blacksmith, the Crone with pearly eyes, the Father with a gilded beard, even the Stranger carved more like an animal than a man, were all in flames.The statuary's aged dry wood and its numerous layers of pigmented paint glowed a fiery, hungry red.The hot air curled up and pierced through the cold air. Behind, the gargoyles and stone dragons on the city wall were indistinct, as if separated by a curtain made of teardrops.From Davos's point of view, those monsters seemed to be trembling and about to move...
"What a crime." Allard said, fortunately he still knew how to lower his voice.Dale agreed in a low voice.
"Keep quiet!" said Davos. "Don't talk nonsense here." His two sons were good men, but young, and Arad was especially impulsive.If I hadn't quit, Arad would probably end up in exile on the Wall now. It is Stannis who saved him from this fate. I owe him...
Hundreds of people gathered at the city gate to watch the burning of the seven gods.The smell in the air was terrible.Even the soldiers who kept order were deeply disturbed by such an act of disrespect to the gods most people had worshiped all their lives.
Three times the red lady walked around the fire, praying once in Asshai, once in High Valyrian, and once in Mandarin.Davos could only understand the last time. "O R'hllor! We are in darkness, come down here!" she cried, "Allah Lord of Light, we dedicate these false gods to you, these seven-faced gods, yours Enemies. Take them away, and give us your light, for the night is dark, and every place is dangerous." Queen Selyse repeated the prayer.Stannis stood beside her, watching impassively.His beard was cropped extremely short, and his chin was as hard as stone in a black-blue shade.He was dressed more splendidly than usual, as if preparing to go to church to worship.
The sanctuary on Dragonstone Island was the place where Aegon the Conqueror knelt and prayed before he set sail to conquer the land of Westeros, but it was not spared.Queensmen toppled altars, pulled down statues, and smashed stained-glass windows with warhammers.Brother Bhaer could do nothing but curse, but Sir Herbe Lambton led his three sons to the sanctuary to defend the gods they believed in.The Lambtons beheaded four queen party members before being subdued by numerous soldiers.Afterwards, Earl Gunther Sunglass, who was usually the mildest and most devout among the vassals, told Stannis that he could no longer support him, so he was arrested and imprisoned, together with the monk and the two surviving sons of Sir Heber. go to jail.The rest of the princes quickly learned their lesson.
The gods meant nothing to Davos the Smuggler, but he, like most men, always worshiped his warriors before he set off;He felt very uncomfortable seeing the gods being burned, and it wasn't just because of the smoke.
If Maester Cressen were alive, he would have prevented this.Rumor has it that the old man challenged the Lord of Light openly and was condemned for blasphemy.Yet Davos knew the truth, for he had seen the old maester put something into the goblet.It must be poison, nothing else is possible.He voluntarily drank the Death Poison, trying to get rid of Melisandre for Stannis, but somehow, her apparition blessed him.For this reason, he originally wanted to kill the red-robed girl, but even the bachelors from the Academy City were powerless, so how could he succeed?He's just Davos the smuggler from Flea Den, the Onion Knight raised to high office.
The burning gods seem to be wearing colorful robes of flames, changing from red to orange and then yellow, emitting beautiful light.Septon Baal had told Davos that the gods were carved from the masts of the ships in which the ancestors of the Targaryen race fled from Valyria.Over the centuries, they have been painted in layers, gilded, silver-gilded, and jeweled. "The more beautiful they are, the more they please R'hllor," Melisandre had said when she told Stannis to pull down the idol and drag it to the castle gate.
The girl stretched her arms and lay across the warrior, as if embracing him.The Virgin seemed to tremble as the flames licked her cheeks as a long sword passed through her heart, flames leaping from the leather grip.The Father was the first to be overthrown, so he is at the bottom.Davos watched as the Stranger's fingers tangled, blackened, and flaked off into bright red coals.Lord Celtigar was nearer the fire, coughing violently, holding a linen kerchief embroidered with red crabs to hide his wrinkled face; The earl's face was ashen; the earl of Velaryon looked at the king and ignored the raging flames.
Davos wondered what was going on in his mind.But how could someone of Velaryon's stature confide in him?The Velaryon family, nicknamed the "Lord of the Tides", is of ancient Valyrian blood and has been married to the Targaryen family three times, but what about Davos Seaworth?It smells like fish and onions.The other nobles have the same attitude towards him, he can't trust them, and they will never confide in him, even his children look down on them.In the future, my grandchildren will compete with their descendants in martial arts tournaments. One day, maybe their descendants will marry my descendants.Someday my little black ensign will fly as high as the seahorse of House Velaryon or the red crab of House Celtigar...
The premise of everything is that Stannis won the throne.otherwise……
Everything I have is given by him.Stanley knighted him, made him sit alongside the other nobles, and made him give up smuggling boats and command warships.Up to now, Dale and Allard also have their own ships, Malik has become the oarsman of the "Fury", Mathos has served his father on the "Black Bertha", and the king has taken Devan into the royal family A servant, one day he will be knighted, and his two youngest sons will follow the same path in the future.His wife, Maria, became the hostess of the small castle in Cape Wrath, and the servants had to call her "Madame". Davos could also hunt red deer in his own forest.Stannis Baratheon had given them all, at the price of a few knuckles.He punished me justly, for I had flouted the laws of the king, and he had won my loyalty.Davos touched the little leather pouch hanging around his neck. The severed knuckles were his lucky charm, and he needed it just now.Yes, we all need luck, especially Lord Stannis.
The dim flames licked the gray sky, and black smoke rose, writhing and writhing.The wind changed direction, and the viewers blinked, wept, and rubbed their eyes one after another.Allard turned away, coughing and cursing.This is a harbinger of things to come, Davos thought to himself, in this war, there will be more, more things burned.
Melisandre was dressed in crimson brocade and a blood-colored velvet robe, her eyes were as red as the large gemstone in her throat, as if on fire. "According to the ancient book of Yashai, after the long summer, the stars will weep blood, and the world will be covered in icy darkness. At this terrible moment, a warrior will pull out a flaming sword from the fire. That sword is the 'Lightbringer', The red sword of the hero, the one who holds it is the reincarnation of Azor Ahai, and he will drive away the darkness." She raised her voice so that everyone present could hear, "Azor Ahai, beloved by R'hllor Ah Hai! Warrior of Light! Son of the Holy Flame! Come! Your sword is waiting for you! Draw your sword!"
Stannis Baratheon strode forward like a soldier going to battle, his two squires hastening to follow.Davos watched as his son Devan slipped a long, thick glove on the king's right hand.The boy was wearing a milky white top with a flaming red heart embroidered on his chest.Byran Farring was similarly dressed, a stiff leather cloak wrapped around his Grace's neck.Davos heard bells jingle faintly behind him. "Under the sea, smoke is bubbling, and fire is green, blue, and black!" Patchface's singing came from afar, "I know! I know! Oh oh oh!"
The king gritted his teeth, raised his leather cloak against the flames, and strode into the fire.He went straight to the Virgin, grasped the sword with his gloved right hand, pulled it hard, and pulled it from the burning wood carving, and then stepped back quickly.He held up the sword, the blade was cherry red, surrounded by tongues of green jade like flames.The guard hurried forward and patted off the sparks on the king's clothes.
"Burning sword!" Queen Selyse shouted, and Sir Axel Florent and other queen party members also shouted, "Burning sword! Burning! Burning! Burning sword!"
Melisandre raised her hands above her head, "Look! The promised omen has come true! Look, that is the Lightbringer! Azor Ahai has returned to the world! Hail! Warrior of Light! Hail! Son of the Holy Flame!"
There was a jumble of applause as Stannis' glove caught fire.The king swore, thrust his sword into the wet mud, and clapped his hands to his thighs to quench the flames.
"Give us your light, O God!" Melisandre cried.
"Because the night is dark, and everything is dangerous!" replied Selyse and her party.Should I follow along?Davos thought, Do I really owe Stannis so much?Could it be that this Vulcan really became his belief?His shortened fingers twitched.
Stannis took off his gloves and let them fall to the ground.The statue of the god on the fire was already blurred, and the head of the blacksmith was broken and flying in a burst of ashes and sparks.Melisandre sang loudly in Asshai, her voice rising and falling like the tide.Stannis unfastened his burning leather cloak and stood still, listening. The "Bright Messenger" was inserted into the ground, still glowing red, but the tongue of flame wrapped around the blade was rapidly diminishing.
When the incantation was finished, the gods were nothing but charcoal, and the king's patience was completely exhausted.He took the queen by the elbow and sent her back to Dragonstone, leaving Lightbringer where he was.The red woman stayed behind, and Overseer Davan and Bylan Farrin took the king's leather cloak and knelt down to wrap the long blackened sword.What a hero's red sword, it looks like a piece of scrap metal, Davos thought.
Only a few nobles stayed for a while, standing upwind of the fire and talking in low voices.When they saw Davos looking at them, they all fell silent.If Stannis loses power, they will overthrow me at once.On the other hand, he was also at odds with the queen's party of ambitious knights and minor nobles, who converted to the Lord of Light and thus gained Lady Selyse—no, the Queen, have you forgotten? - Favor and protection.
By the time Melisandre and the squire had gone away with their swords, the fire had nearly died down.Davos and his son joined the crowd, making their way to the shore and the fleet. "Devon is doing well," he said as he walked.
"Yeah, he took the glove with aplomb and didn't drop it," Dale said.
Allard nodded, "What's the matter with the emblem on Devan's clothes? It's the fiery heart. Isn't the symbol of the Baratheon family the crowned stag?"
"The lord has the right to use many kinds of emblems," said Davos.
Dale smiled slightly, "Father, like a black ship and an onion?"
Allard kicked the pebbles, "Whether it's an onion or a red heart... Let the White Walkers catch them! It's disrespectful to burn the Seven Gods like this."
"When did you become so pious?" said Davos. "What does the son of a smuggler know about gods?"
"Father, I am the son of a knight. If you don't care about this, how can others care?"
"Your father is a knight, but you are not," said Davos. "If you keep meddling in your own business, you will never be a knight for life. Stannis is our rightful king, and it is not up to us to decide what he will do." Tell him what to do. We steer the boat for him, and do as he commands, and that's enough."
"Speaking of which, father," Dale said, "I don't like the buckets they have for the Sea Sprite. They're all unseasoned pine and they'll leak when they're out to sea."
"It's the same with my 'Lady Maria'," Allard said. "The people in the rear party have searched for all the dry wood."
"I will speak to His Majesty about this." Davos reassured them.It was better for him to speak than for Allard to speak.His sons are excellent fighters and excellent sailors, but they don't know how to communicate with nobles.They were born as humble as I, but they deliberately didn't want to think about it.In their eyes, our flag was only a big black ship flying in the wind, and they pretended not to see the onion.
Davos had never seen a port so crowded, every wharf was packed with sailors carrying supplies, every tavern was packed with soldiers, playing dice, drinking or hunting whores... It was a waste of effort, because Stannis forbade Prostitutes on the island.Warships, fishing boats, stout armed merchantmen and broad-bottomed cargo ships line the shore, and the best berths are occupied by larger ships: Stannis's flagship, the Fury, between the Duke of Stephen and the Sea Hart Shaking, beside Lord Velaryon's silver-hulled Glory of Tidehead and her three sister ships, Lord Celtigar's ornate Red Claw and the hulking, long iron ram "Swordfish".At anchor out to sea were Salador Saan's gigantic flagship, the Valyrian, and twenty other smaller, painted-hulled Lysian ships.
At the end of the stone quay where the Black Bertha, the Sea Spirit, the Lady Maria, and half a dozen other ships of the hundred-oared class were moored, stood a weather-beaten tavern.Feeling slightly thirsty, Davos dismissed his son and walked to the tavern alone.A waist-high gargoyle squatted outside the door of the tavern. Due to years of erosion by wind, rain and sea water, its appearance was no longer recognizable.It and Davos are old friends.He patted the head of the stone statue, muttered to himself: "Good luck", before entering the tavern.
At the end of the noisy hall, Salado Sann sat eating grapes from a wooden bowl.As soon as he saw Davos, he waved him over. "Mr. Knight, come and sit with me. How about some grapes? They are very sweet." This Lisian has always been glib and smiling.Today he wears a bright coat woven of silver thread, with sleeves that hang down to the floor, and buttons carved from emeralds in the shape of monkeys.On top of his slender, white curly hair, he wore a beautiful fan-shaped green hat decorated with peacock feathers.
Davos crossed the tables and stools, pulled up a chair and sat down.Before he became a knight, he often dealt with Salado Sann.The Lysian was also a smuggler himself, and he was also a merchant, a lender, and a notorious pirate who called himself the "Prince of the Narrow Sea."As long as pirates are rich and powerful, they are still promoted as princes.It was Davos himself who later went to Lys to recruit the old trickster to Lord Stannis' service.
"My lord, you didn't go to see them burn the statue?" he asked.
"The Red Priests have a great temple in Lys, and it burns all day long, singing about R'hllor. I'm tired of their fires, and I hope our Grace Stannis will feel the same before long. He didn't seem to care about being heard at all, he just ate the grapes, put the grapes on his lips, and flicked them off with his fingers. "My dear Sir, my 'Thousand Bird' came into port yesterday. She is not a warship, hehe, but a merchant ship, and she was called to King's Landing. You really don't want to taste this grape I heard that the children in the city are starving." He picked up the bunch of grapes, waved them in front of Davos, and said with a smile.
"I want ale and news."
"I said you people of Westeros are just impatient." Salado Sann complained, "Tell me, why do you have to be so anxious? The more anxious you are, the sooner you will go to the grave." He said Hiccup, "The boss of Casterly Rock sent his dwarf son to take charge of King's Landing. Maybe he wants to use that ugly face to scare the enemy away, huh? Or wants the 'little devil' to dance on the wall and make us laugh Death, who knows? But, remember, the head of the golden robe was originally a rough man, and the dwarf drove him away, and replaced him with an iron knight." He pulled up a grape, crushing the skin with his thumb and forefinger. , sent the pulp into his mouth, and the juice splashed all over his hand.
A waitress pushes through the crowd, slapping furtive hands away as she goes.Davos ordered a glass of ale, turned around and asked Thorn: "How is the defense in the city?"
The other side shrugged, "Well, the city wall is tall and thick, but who will guard it? They are busy building trebuchets and fire-breathing crossbows, oh, but there are few people in gold robes and they are all rookies. There is no one else except them. Just strike fast, like an eagle swooping down on a rabbit, and the great capital is ours. If the wind is fair, your king can sit on the Iron Throne tomorrow evening. And we can dress that dwarf as a clown and poke his ass with a gun Tell him to dance for us, and maybe your kind king will allow me to spend the spring evening with the beautiful Queen Cersei! For him, I have left my wives for a long time."
"Pirate," said Davos, "you have no wives, only concubines, and you are well paid for every effort you put in."
"All I've got is promises," said Salado Thorn plaintively. "My dear sir, I want gold, not paper." He dropped another grape into his mouth.
"When we take the treasury in King's Landing, you'll have the gold. Stannis Baratheon is the most trustworthy man in the Seven Kingdoms, and he will keep his word," said Davos, thinking to himself: The world is turned upside down, and a low-born smuggler is required to guarantee the king's trust.
"I've heard him say that so many times, so I told him: Let's do it right away. The time is ripe, my old friend, riper than the grapes."
The maid brought the ale, and Davos gave her a copper. "Even if we take King's Landing as you said," he said, raising his glass, "how long can we hold it? Lord Tywin Lannister is stationed at Harrenhal with a heavy army in his hands, and Lord Renly... "
"Oh, by the way, speaking of this brother," Salado Saan said, "but it's not so good, my friend. His Majesty Renly has already left, oh no, I want to talk about Renly here 'My lord', I'm really sorry, there are a lot of kings these days, even my tongue is tired. Anyway, this brother Renly has brought his young and beautiful queen, the group of flower princes and shining knights, and A great troop of infantry has set out from Highgarden. He is heading for the great city we have just spoken of, along the Avenue of the Roses."
"He brought his bride with him?"
Sann shrugged, "He didn't explain the reason to me. Maybe he couldn't bear the warm pussy between her legs overnight, or he thought he had a chance to win."
"This matter must be known to His Majesty."
"My dear sir, I have reported it early. Although your Majesty frowns every time he sees me, I can't help but worry when I think of seeing him. If I change into rough beggars' clothes Smile, do you think he likes me? Forget it, I won’t do that anyway, I’m a man who walks the talk, I’m afraid he’ll have to put up with me in silk and satin, otherwise I’ll take the boat to my comparison Go somewhere popular. That sword is no 'Lightbringer', my friend."
The sudden change of topic made Davos uncomfortable, "What sword?"
"Oh, the sword that was drawn from the fire. I always have a smile on my face, so people will tell me things. What use is a burnt sword to Stannis?"
"That's the Burning Sword," Davos corrected.
"A burnt sword," said Salladhor Sann, "my friend, you should be grateful for that. Do you know how the real 'Lightbringer' is forged? Let me tell you. Then It is an era when darkness covers the world. In order to resist the darkness, heroes naturally have a hero-specific weapon, oh, and if it has never been seen before. So, Azor Ahai worked tirelessly in the temple for thirty years Thirty days and nights, he forged the sword with the holy fire, heated, beat, laminated, heated, hammered, laminated, oh, until the sword was cast. But when he plunged the sword into the water to cool it, the sword shattered with a bang."
"As a hero, of course he couldn't shrug his shoulders and go find this sweet grape to eat like me, so he started all over again. This time he spent fifty days and fifty nights, and the final product was even better than last time. Azor Ahai caught a lion and was about to plunge his sword into the beast's heart to cool it down, but it broke and shattered. He was not only sad, but sadder because he finally knew what to do. "
"For the third time, he spent a total of a hundred days and nights forging the sword, and at last when the blade was white-hot from the holy fire, he called his wife. 'Nissa Nissa,' he said to her,' Open your chest, and remember, you are the one I love most in the world.' I don't know why she obeyed, but she obeyed, and Azor Ahai plunged the smoking sword into her still throbbing flesh. Heart. It is said that it was her cry of mingled pain and ecstasy that made a dent in the moon, but her blood, soul, strength, and courage were all poured into that sword. This is the red sword of the hero, the "Lightbringer" story."
"Do you understand? You should be lucky, because what His Majesty pulled out from the fire was a burnt sword. Too bright will hurt the eyes, my friend, and the flames will spread everywhere." Salado Sann finished eating The last grape, smacked his lips. "My dear Sir, when do you think His Majesty will give the order to sail?"
"Soon, I suppose," said Davos, "if his god so wishes."
"His god? Sir, isn't it your god? Who is the god of Ser Davos Seaworth the Onion Knight?"
Davos took a sip of his wine, buying himself time.There are many people in the tavern, and you are not Salado Sann, he reminded himself, you must answer carefully. "Lord Stannis is my god, he made me, he honors me with his trust."
"I remember." Salador Sann got up, "I'm sorry, I'm getting hungry more and more after eating these grapes, and dinner is waiting for me on the Valyrian, today there is peppered mutton And grilled seagulls with mushrooms, fennel, and onions. Ha, we'll be dining at the same table in King's Landing soon, won't we? Let's feast on the Red Keep and ask the dwarves to sing a merry tune. See you Lord Stannis, please help me remind him that by the next new moon, he owes me another twenty-three thousand golden dragons. He should have given me those statues, so beautiful, what a pity to burn them, luck Maybe you can get a good price in Pentos or Myr. Hey, if he lets me sleep with Queen Cersei for a night, I'll give you a discount." Pirate Lys patted Davos on the back and swaggered out of the hotel, as if He opened the shop.
Sir Davos Seaworth continued to sit in the tavern for a while, drinking and remembering what happened a year ago.Both he and Stannis were in King's Landing, and King Robert held a tourney for Prince Joffrey's name day.He remembered Thoros, the red priest of Myr, brandishing a flaming sword in a joust.The man's attire was really colorful, the red robe trembled in the wind, and the long sword in his hand was wrapped in light green flames, but everyone knew that it was not caused by magic.At last his flames did go out, and he was struck in the head with the mace in the hand of the bronze Yohn Royce, and he fell from his horse.
If today this sword was a real flame sword, it would be a rare thing that could be relied on, but the price paid would be too high... He thought of Nisha Nisha, but his wife Maria came to mind.She was a good-natured woman, a little fat, with pendulous breasts, a kind smile, and the nicest woman in the whole world.He tried to imagine himself stabbing the sword into her heart, and couldn't help trembling.I really am not a hero material, he concluded.If he had to pay such a high price to get the magic sword, then he couldn't do it.Davos drank his ale, pushed away his glass, and left the inn.On the way he patted the gargoyle on the head again and murmured, "Good luck." We all need it.
After nightfall, Devan came to the Black Bertha with a well-saddled snow-white horse. "My lord," he announced, "Your Majesty orders you to meet him in the Hall of the Drawing Table. Please ride this horse. Immediately." Set off."
While it pleased him to see Davos in his handsome squire's attire, Davos was uneasy about the summoning itself.Could it be that he wants to order to sail?he thought to himself.In fact, apart from Salado Sann, there are many captains who think that the time is ripe and they should send troops to attack King's Landing immediately, but first of all, a smuggler must be patient.I told Maester Cressen the day we got back to Dragonstone that we had no hope of victory, and the situation hasn't changed. We have too few men and too many enemies, and if we paddle into the water, we will die.Alas, no matter what, let’s get on the horse and talk about it.
A dozen lords and knights were leaving when Davos arrived at the Drum Tower.Celtigar and Lord Velaryon nodded abruptly to him. The others ignored them completely, but Ser Axell Florent stopped to speak to him.
Queen Selyse's uncle is like a big wine barrel. He has thick arms, bent legs and feet. He has the famous Florents' protruding ears, which are bigger than his niece's, but the thick ear hair does not hinder the size of the city. Things came to him one after another.Ser Axell had been castellan of Dragonstone for ten years, when Stannis had been Robert's courtman in King's Landing, and lately he had been head of the queen's party. "As always, Ser Davos, it is a pleasure to see you," he said.
"My lord, me too."
"I noticed you this morning. The hypocrisy gods are a delight to burn, don't you think?"
"It's really bright and dazzling when it burns." Although the other party was polite, Davos didn't trust him, not to mention that the Florens family had already taken refuge with Renly.
"According to Lady Melisandre, sometimes R'hllor would allow his devout servants to glimpse the future from the sacred fire. Looking at the fire this morning, I seemed to see a dozen beautiful maidens in yellow silk in a great There is dancing around the King. Sir, I do not believe this omen to be false, and it is one of the many honors that will come to us when we take back King's Landing, and take for your Majesty the throne he deserves."
Stannis has no interest in dancing, Davos thought, but he dared not offend the queen's uncle. "I see nothing but flames," he said, "and the smoke makes me weep. Your Majesty is still waiting for me, sir, if you forgive me." He pushed forward, wondering why Sir Axell took so much trouble. .He is of the queen's party, but I belong to the king.
Stannis sat at the map table, accompanied by Maester Pylos, a thick stack of papers before them. "Sir," said the King, as soon as he came in, "come and read the letter."
He picked one at random respectfully, "Sire, this looks good, but I can't read." Maps and charts were no problem for Davos, but letters and other documents were beyond his reach.But my son Devan can read, and so can his younger brothers Stephen and Stannis.
"I forgot." The king's brow showed displeasure. "Pylos, read to him."
"As you command." The maester picked up a piece of parchment and cleared his throat, "I am known as the true son of Stephen Baratheon, Duke of Storm's End, and his wife Lady Cassanna of House Ismond, and I am here By the honor of the family, my beloved brother Robert, our late king, died without a direct descendant. Joffrey the boy, Tommen the boy, and Myrcella the girl Out of the incestuous offspring of Cersei Lannister and her brother Jaime the Kingslayer. By the laws of succession and blood, I declare today that I am proprietor of the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Oath of allegiance shall be sworn at once. By the light of Allah, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, Stannis I of House Baratheon seals the handwriting." After writing the letter, the parchment creaked softly.
"Ser Jaime the Kingslayer," Stannis said, frowning. "Whatever the man does, he's a knight. Besides, I don't see why Robert is called 'I My deeply respected and beloved brother', I have no relationship with him."
"Your Majesty, this is nothing more than a gesture of respect," said Palos.
"That's a lie, take that out." Stannis turned to Davos. "The maester told me we have a hundred and seventeen ravens, and I'm going to use them all up. One hundred and one Seventeen ravens can carry one hundred and seventeen manuscripts to all corners of the country, from Arbor Island to the Great Wall. I think there will always be a hundred of them that can survive the storm, the falcon and the attack of the bow and arrow. In this case, then A hundred maesters would take my letters into their studies and their dorms, and read them to their masters... and then they would be burned, or the listeners would keep their mouths shut. The lords love Joffrey, or Renly, or Roy Burr Stark, I am their rightful king, but they will be deaf and dumb. That is why I need you."
"Your Majesty, I am at your disposal at any time."
Stannis nodded, "I want you to drive the Black Bertha north, passing through Seagulltown, the Five Fingers, the Three Sisters, and even as far as White Harbor. Your son Dale will drive the Sea Sprite south, across the wind Cape Wrath and Cape Broken Arm, along the coast of Dorne, to the Isle of the Arbor. You each take a box of letters, send one to every port, every manor and every fishing village, and nail the letters to the sanctuary and the inn on the door so that anyone who can read can see it.”
"Not many, I'm afraid," said Davos.
"Your Majesty, Sir Davos is right," Maester Paros said, "It is better to express your beliefs."
"It's good, but it's more dangerous," said Stannis. "It's all bad words from me."
"Send me the knights, please, and let them read," said Davos, "that will carry more weight than anything I say."
Stannis seemed satisfied with the suggestion, "Okay, I'll give you a few men. Anyway, I have some knights who would rather believe than fight. Act openly when it is safe, and hide from others when it is dangerous. Use what you know All the smuggling tricks: Black Sails, Hidden Bay, etc. If there is a lack of letters, arrest a few monks and ask them to copy a few more copies. Your second son is also useful to me, and I want him to cross the ship on the Lady Maria The Narrow Sea, reach Braavos and the other Free Cities, and bring these letters to their rulers. I will let the world know my proclamation, and Cersei's evil."
You can tell them, Davos thought, of course, but will they believe it?He glanced thoughtfully at Maester Pylos.The king caught his gaze. "Bachelor, go write a letter, time is running out, we still need a lot of letters."
"Of order." Palos bowed and left.
The king waited for him to leave before saying, "Davos, is there anything you don't want to say in front of the maester?"
"My lord, the Pylos is well, but whenever I see the chain around his neck, I cannot help mourning for Maestro Cressen."
"Is the old man's death his fault?" Stannis looked into the fire. "I never meant to have Cressen at the party. Yes, he pissed me off and gave me a bunch of bad advice, but I didn't." I wanted him to die. I wanted him to live in peace, and that was what he deserved, but"—he gritted his teeth—"he died. Pylos was very capable."
"Pylos is not the point, this letter... I'm curious, what do your princes think about it?"
Stannis snorted, "Celtigar asserted that the letter was well written, and he would say yes even if I asked him to look at my urinal. The others would just nod like geese. Except Velaryon, who Said that the situation should be resolved by force, not in writing. Does he need to tell me? Let the White Walkers take them all, and I want to hear your opinion."
"Your letter is direct and violent."
"I'm telling the truth."
"That's right, but you found no evidence of incest, just like last year."
"It's not impossible, but the testimony is in Storm's End, Robert's illegitimate son, the bastard he made on my wedding bed on my wedding night. Dilina is from the Florent family, and he Lucky was still a virgin, so Robert later publicly acknowledged the kid. They called him Edric Storm, and they said he looked exactly like my brother. I thought, just let the people look at him, and then look at Joff Ri and Tommen, the truth speaks for itself."
"However, if someone else is in Storm's End, how can the people of the whole country see it?"
Stannis tapped his finger on the map table. "This is a problem, one of many." He raised his eyes. "I know you still have an opinion about this letter. Say it. I don't knight you You learn the tricks of the rhetoric, isn't my group of princes not enough? Davos, speak straight."
戴佛斯微微鞠躬，“信的末尾，有一句话，怎么念的？奉承上主明光照耀……”
“是。”国王咬紧牙关。
“您的子民恐怕不会喜欢这句。”
“都像你一样？”史坦尼斯尖刻地问。
“您或许可以改成'以天上诸神与地上凡人为见证'或者'以新旧诸神之名'……”
“走私者，你倒虔诚起来了？”
“陛下，这正是我想问您的。”
“是吗？听起来你不但不喜欢我的新学士，连我新信仰的神也不喜欢。”
“我对这个光之王所知不多，”戴佛斯承认，“但对我们早上烧掉的诸神却是很熟悉。铁匠长年保佑我船只平安，而圣母给了我七个身强力壮的儿子。”
“是你妻子给了你七个身强力壮的儿子，你可有向她祈祷？我们今早上烧掉的不过是些木头。”
“或许如此，”戴佛斯道，“我小时候，在跳蚤窝沿街乞讨，修士们偶尔会给我东西吃。”
“如今给你东西吃的人不就是我？”
“您让我身居高位，而我给您的回报便是实事求是、实话实说。假如您把百姓长久以来信奉的诸神全部推翻，硬塞给他们一个连名字都念不好的神，恐怕他们是不会爱戴您的。”
史坦尼斯倏地起身，“'拉赫洛'念起来有这么难？百姓不会爱戴我？你倒是说说看，他们什么时候爱过我了？既然如此，他们爱不爱我又有什么差别？”他走到面南的窗户，远眺月夜里的海洋。“从我亲眼目睹'傲风号'触礁沉没的那天起，我便不再信神。我指天发誓，绝不敬拜任何淹死我双亲的残酷神只。在君临时，总主教成天对我唠叨世间一切公理正义均来自于七神，但我见到的种种'公理正义'，却都是人力所为。”
“既然您不信神——”
“——那为何又找个新神？”史坦尼斯打断他，“这话我也问过自己。我对神灵所知不多，更不想理会，但我知道，这个红袍女祭司握有力量。”
是啊，然而是何种力量呢？“从前，克礼森有智慧。”
“走私者，我相信他的智慧，也相信你的机灵，可这有什么用呢？风息堡下属的诸侯对你不理不睬，我低声下气向他们请求，得到的却是嘲笑。总之我再也不会如此窝囊，谁也别想再嘲笑我。铁王座于法应属于我，但我要如何夺得？国内有四个王，其他三个都比我有钱，兵力也比我多，我手中只有船……还有她。红袍女。你知道吗？我手下一半以上的骑士连她的名字都不敢念，就算她除此之外别无所长，仅仅作为一个散播恐慌的女巫便已很有价值。人一胆寒便先输了一半。更何况她说不定真有其他本领，我打算查个清楚。”
“我告诉你，我年轻时，曾在野外发现一只受伤的苍鹰。我为它细心疗养，替它取名'傲翼'。它会停在我肩上，会跟着我来来去去，还会吃我手上的食物，但它从不肯展翅遨翔。我多次带它外出打猎，然而它始终飞不到树梢之上。劳勃笑话它是'衰翼'。他自己有只矛隼叫'响雷'，从未漏失一只猎物。某天我们的叔公哈伯特爵士要我换只鸟养，他说，继续养傲翼会让我变成笑柄，这话没错。”史坦尼斯·拜拉席恩转身背离窗户，背离南海的幽影。“既然七神连只麻雀都不曾给我，现在是我换只猎鹰的时候了，戴佛斯，换一只红色的猎鹰。”