Lord Davos asked, "Lord House Celtigar is their lord; they swore fealty to him. What choice did they have?"
Ser Axell raised his thick chin and said scornfully, "Everyone has a choice. When Lord House Celtigar surrendered, they could have refused and died for it, died gloriously. That is true loyalty."
Lord Davos was unable to refute, for he knew well... Stannis was a man of pure iron, who neither understood nor forgave the weakness of others.
Ser Axell's voice carried a sneer: "As King's Prime Minister, you speak well of those traitors. I now even doubt your loyalty to the King, Onion Knight."
Stannis frowned and said, "Smuggler, loyalty to the rightful King is everyone's duty, higher than loyalty to a lord."
Lord Davos opened his mouth and said, "King Stannis, people are different. Some are strong, some are weak."
He gritted his teeth and said directly, "The law cannot forgive weakness, but... at least... you should not implicate innocent people. That, too, is a kind of cowardice."
When Davos finished speaking, he heard Stannis grinding his teeth.
Ser Axell said angrily, "Davos Seaworth, how dare you insult the King to his face! You are a traitor!"
With a clang, he drew the sword from his waist.
King Stannis's voice was cold: "Ser Axell, stand down."
Ser Axell did not want to give up such a good opportunity: "If it pleases you, King..."
King Stannis interrupted, "It will please me if you stand down."
He added, "Leave quickly and fetch Melisandre."
Ser Axell had no choice but to give up: "As you command, King."
He sheathed his sword, glared hatefully at Davos, and quickly walked towards the door, his boots thudding angrily on the flagstones.
After a long silence, Stannis spoke, "You always presume upon my patience."
He warned his Onion Knight, "I can shorten your tongue too, just like your fingers, smuggler."
Davos bowed slightly, his voice respectful: "King Stannis, I am your man, and my tongue is yours, to do with as you please."
King Stannis smiled faintly: "I will keep it to speak the truth, though the truth is often bitter."
After a pause, King Stannis made a gesture, signaling Davos to come closer, and said, "The boy is ill. Maester Pycelle, who serves Dragonstone, bled him."
Lord Davos asked with some confusion, "Which boy?"
Stannis said in a calm tone, "The one who is sick is Robert's bastard, the boy we brought from Storms End."
The boy Stannis referred to was Edric Storm, conceived by Robert Baratheon and Delena Florent, who was a bridesmaid, on Stannis Baratheon and Selyse Florent's wedding bed.
Stannis considered this a stain on his honor and sent him to Renly Baratheon's Storms End.
As Edric Storm's parents were both nobles, his existence was acknowledged by Robert.
...
Lord Davos nodded slightly and said, "I've seen him in Aegon's Garden, located near Dragonstone's Dragon Tail Gate. I spoke with him briefly."
"Did the boy attract you?"
King Stannis's eyes deepened: "He has that gift, a charm inherited from his father's bloodline. He knows he is the King's son but refuses to consider his bastard status. He worships Robert like Renly did when he was a child.
Back then, my brother would play the role of a father every time he visited Storms End, sending gifts like longswords, ponies, and fur cloaks, but those things were all prepared by Varys for him.
The boy would write a letter full of gratitude to the Red Keep, and Robert would laugh and ask the eunuch what he planned to send this year. Renly was no better; he left the task of raising the child to his castellan and maester. I do not have the hypocrisy of Robert and Renly..."
His teeth grated: "But everyone will think I would harm that child, and that makes me angry."
He looked at the Onion Knight: "I chose Robert back then, didn't I? In that difficult moment, I chose family over honor."
Davos thought... his "God" was unwilling to even speak Edric's name, which indeed easily led to misunderstandings and made him somewhat uneasy.
He advised, "I hope young Edric recovers quickly."
King Stannis waved his hand, signaling Davos not to worry: "Just a chill. He's coughing, shivering, and has a fever. Maester Pycelle will cure him quickly. The boy will be fine, you know, my brother's blood flows in his veins."
After a pause, he added, "King's blood holds power, she says."
She? There was no need to guess that the "she" King Stannis spoke of was Melisandre. Davos's eyes trembled slightly; his unease... deepened.
Davos couldn't help but ask, "Has Melisandre seen young Edric?"
After a moment, Stannis's voice sounded: "It was also her will to bring him to Dragonstone. She saw it in the sacred fire... She told me I needed that boy."
Frowning, Stannis seemed unwilling to continue discussing the boy. He changed the subject: "My Prime Minister, I want to talk to you about our next battlefield."
After a moment of silence, Davos cautiously advised, "King Stannis, to be honest... we are unable to fight Lannister any longer. Perhaps..."
At that moment, Melisandre's voice, with a Jade Sea accent, came through: "The King refers to the true great war."
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