The Young Lion

Act 2 Ch 21 Battle Of The Blackwater

“So it begins.”

He said calmly as the first rain drop fell from the sky. The rain then increased in intensity, the water soaking the black armored soldiers who stood unflinching as the water droplets ran off their armor. As arks of lightning and thunder bellowed overhead, the sounds of drums only continued to increase as more and more ships became visible entering the bay.

Joffrey watched on his face still as more and more of the enemy's ships made their way into his city’s harbor. He gripped the stone wall with so much force that his knuckles turned white. Once more than half of the number of ships from the reports had entered the Blackwater, Joffrey turned and nodded his head to his vice commander.

In response Jacelyn turned and signaled to one of the royal guards atop the wall, who then raised a torch signaling to their ships in the water below. Suddenly three ships made their way out onto the water and began sailing their way toward the enemy fleet, who continued to make their way deeper into the bay. 

The king’s ships consisted of two smaller ships that were trailed by a large battleship and all three were filled to the brim with pots of Wildfire. The men maining the ship were Royal Guards from his provisions unit, most of whom were maimed in their battle with the Northman. They were injured beyond saving and would never be able to fight in the phalanx again, but Joffrey had refused to discard them. 

Instead he had offered them positions where they could help train the next batch of soldiers. Most had happily taken up his offer and the chance to continue to assist their brothers, but he could see the discontent in many of their eyes as they watched their brothers thrust their spears and lock their shields. That's why he hadn’t been all that shocked when a small group of them had come before him, kneeled at his feet and begged him for the chance to help in the battle that was to come.

Word apparently had spread throughout the ranks of Joffrey’s plan to lay the enemy’s fleet to waste with the usage of Wildfire. Truth be told Joffrey had run into a bit of a dilemma with his Wildfire plan. Originally he planned to use the Tyrion method from the show and load up all the pots of Wildfire onto one ship and have Bronn light it. Unfortunately the pyromancers had done too good of a job, and with the amount of fresh pots and old ones he had gathered from around the city he now had too many to fit on just one ship. This meant that he had to either accept having a large amount of the dangerous substance within his city walls, or he had to find someone willing to sail a highly combustible ship in a suicide attack.

That's why the eight men kneeling before him begging him for the chance to defend the city and protect their brothers had been a welcome surprise. The head of the group was a young man by the name of Demick who’s arm had been crushed in the battle against the Northman. Joffrey still remembered the words from the young man despite it being over a week since they had talked.

[Flashback]

“Please, your grace gives us the chance to serve you and protect our home.”  

Demick pleaded looking up at the young king as he kneeled at his feet. Joffrey looked at his vice commander hesitantly before responding. The group of eight men had approached him while he walked among the training grounds to discuss the upcoming battle with his advisors.

“You men don’t have to do this. I would not ask this of you, there is still much you can offer the kingdoms that doesn’t involve you forfeiting your lives.”

“With respect your grace.” 

The young man interrupted pausing slightly before he continued.

“We were trained to be king’s men. Let us die as king’s men. Instead of rotting away in our beds as old crippled men, let us fight in your name and die on the field of battle so that we can join our brothers in paradise.”

Joffrey looked into the young man’s eyes and saw the dedication and fanaticism they emitted. There was an unwavering resolve to die in his service, and he knew no matter what he said he wouldn’t be able to change their mind.

“Does he speak for all of you?”

“Yes, your grace.” The other seven said in unison.

Joffrey once again looked at Jaclyn who nodded his head in agreement. He then looked down at the eight men who anxiously awaited his answer. Letting out a heavy sigh, he looked down at Demick with a kind fatherly smile.

“Give me your swords.” He said kindly

Smiles broke out across the men’s faces as they each drew their short arming swords from their scabbards and laid them at the king’s feet. Joffrey then had Jaclyn gather the swords up as he moved forward and placed his hand on Demick’s shoulder.

“I will have each of them blacked and planted in the garden next to your brother’s.”

“Thank you, your grace.” 

He responded as tears rolled down his face along with the others. They had received the details of the plan that day and each one had looked forward to the redemption they would receive come the day of the battle.

[Back to Present]

As the three ships sailed their way toward the enemy's fleet, Joffrey watched intently as the last of the enemy's vessels came into the bay. Some hanged back and remained outside the bay, most likely belonging to the pirate Salador whatever that the onion knight convinced to fight for Stannis. Seeing the last of the ships enter, Joffrey turned his head toward Tyrion and nodded his head. Tyrion then turned and had his squire Podrick raise a torch giving a signal to the king’s men.

Suddenly a large blocking chain was hoisted out of the water at the entrance of the bay. It tightened as it came out of the water connected by twin towers on opposite sides of the bay’s entrance. The chain effectively cut off any reinforcements from sea, as well as trapping Stannis' fleet inside. Seeing the chain Stannis’s sailor became confused and disorganized, while Davros tried to regain control over the men.

With the chain raised Joffrey’s men hoisted the sails to full mast and set a collision course against the much larger ships. The two smaller ships came out ahead of the larger ship, each carrying two men each, one to stir and the other to manage the sails. Davros looked confused as the two small merchant ships came barreling down on their fleet.

“Archers stand to!”

The archers on the main deck turned and drew their bows.

“Nock and set!”

The men loaded the scorpions and their bows at their captain’s command, and stood at the ready.

“Hold.”

They remained in place as the two separate ships came upon them. As the two ships got closer the two royal guards tied the helms in place so that it would remain on course. Then the two men went and grabbed torches as the other men dumped a pot filled with the substance onto the deck. As the ship was about to collide the royal guards shouted out, as Ser Davros ordered the archers.

“Fire!” He ordered and the Archers and scorpions all fired at the four men.

“For the king!” The four Royal guards shouted before throwing their torches down igniting the Wildfire as they were riddled with arrows.

Then in a flash of green light two smaller explosions destroyed the front of Stannis' fleet. Some of the men maining the wall had to shield their eyes at the light. Joffrey remained focused as the largest of the three ships made its way toward the remaining ships of Stannis’s fleet. He then turned and noticed the bright orange lights making their way toward them through the Kingswood on the other side of the Blackwater Rush.

“Looks like their main force is almost here.” He said to his hand and the vice commander.

“It won’t matter, your grace.” His vice commander voiced.

“No it won't.” 

He responded as he turned his attention back on his rigged battleship as it made its way into Stannis' fleet. Demick was the one steering the battleship, carefully avoiding the wreckage of the other ships and the burning waters as he sailed his ship toward the center of the fleet. Stannis' men had recovered from their shock and the remaining ships began rapidly firing scorpions and arrows at the battleship trying to sink it before it got too close.

One of the royal guards had been struck through the throat with an arrow as he managed the sails. While another had been impaled through the chest by a scorpion bolt as he tried to ready the substance to be ignited as the other two had done. 

Seeing his brother had fallen before he could perform his duty, Demick tied the ship's wheel in place as he ran down the deck to get a torch. As he ran he was bombarded with arrows that pierced his right leg and left shoulder. Ignoring the pain he continued to push forward until he arrived on his fallen brother’s body he quickly grabbed the pots and smashed them down on the wooden deck.

The rigged ship’s Bowsprit then collided with the enemy's hull, pushing the ship back until it was at the center of the enemy fleet. He then reached up and took a burning torch from the Taffrail and raised it high into the air.

“For the king!” 

He shouted before throwing the torch down, erupting the wildfire that quickly made its way to the pots in the decks below. Even as the green flames ignited around him and he felt his flesh melt from his bones as everything burned around him. Demick wore a content and proud smile across his face.

“I’m coming brothers!” 

It was his last thought as his body was consumed by the Wildfire. In a giant explosion of blinding green light that was ten times the size of the previous two, Joffrey watched with a stoic expression as Stannis’s whole fleet was consumed by the green flames. The impact from the explosion barreled out knocking over trees in the Kingswood as some of Stannis' men fell from their horses. While some of Joffrey’s men were knocked from their fighting positions when it slammed against the city's stone walls.

[In the Red Keep]

Even the red keep itself was shaken as the scared noble woman in Maegor’s holdfast felt the whole room shook. Sandor looked around confused as he stood guard in the room having been ordered by the young king to protect Sansa and his little brother. At first Sandor was pissed that he was being forced to babysit while a battle raged outside the city. But once Joffrey had explained that they would be utilizing fire and that he knew of his fear of it. Sandor had readily agreed to keep his brother and beloved safe.

He had also been given a secret mission that should Joffrey fail and fall alongside his Royal Guard, he wanted Sandor to get Sansa and Tommen out of King’s Landing. His exact instructions were for him to get Sansa back to her family in the Riverlands and to get Tommen to his grandfather Tywin under the promise of a lot of gold. Sandor had asked Joffrey how he was so sure he would just take the gold and leave the two children to their fates, but Joffrey had just smiled at him leaving him confused as Joffrey told him that “he wasn’t his brother”.

Sandor still remembered the bewildered look he had given him as he watched his back as he left with his Kingsguard. As Sandor looked over at Sansa who was petting her lioness that her betrothed had given her, and he looked at Tommen who was trying his best to comfort the frightened nobles ladies telling them that his big brother would protect them. A small smile broke out on his scared face.

“Looks like I’ve gotten a little soft huh.” He thought to himself 

Unbeknownst to Sandor, someone else was watching Sansa intently. Llyn Payne and his eyes were filled with cold anger at the sight of the smiling redhead. 

[Back to the Battle]

In the Forest Stannis’s men had recovered from the explosion’s impact as the officer got back on their horses and the infantry men got back into lines. Stannis looked confused as he saw a bright green light in the distance. Kicking the sides of his horse he urged his men forward as they made their way to the opposite shore of the Blackwater rush where they were supposed to meet up with their fleet.

As they exited the forest the men looked on with shock and horror as they witnessed the wreckage of their former fleet. The sounds of screams filled the night air drawing out the thunder overhead. Stannis himself looked shocked as he watched the wreckage of over a hundred ships float down the river. Looking across the river he spotted the assembled men manning the wall at the Mud Gate.

“Damn that dwarf.” 

He muttered as he took a deep breath trying to calm his nerves. His strategy had taken a huge hit and in one fell swoop he had lost a third of his army and almost all of his ships. His officers began to grow fearful not knowing how to proceed. Just then the scorched wreckage of a few of his battleships floated downstream creating a makeshift bridge across the river.

“Your grace, what are your orders?” 

One of the officers asked. Stannis looked at the makeshift bridge that was still slightly burning from the explosion. Since no plan ever survives first contact in a real war, Stannis turned and looked over his remaining thirty thousand men.

“Cross the wreckage of the ships and batter down their gates!” 

He yelled out for all his men to hear. The men looked at each other wearily the sounds of the burning sailors still filling the air.

“But your grace the wildfire” One of the officers said nervously.

“The dwarf has already played his little trick. He can only play it once.”

“We’re too far from the gates. With their archers hundreds of our men will die.”

Stannis then unsheathed his sword and with one swift swing beheaded the cowardly officer.

“Thousands.” He responded as the man’s headless body fell to the ground.

The other men quickly snapped out of their shock by their king’s brutal action. The only thing keeping them from breaking rank and fleeing was their greater fear of their king’s wrath.

“Now come and help me take this city!”

The men all shouted in unison and raised their swords and bows.

“Forward!” 

He shouted as the men made their way across the boat bridge, as he hung back with one of his senior commanders on the other side of the shore. The brave knights and man-at-arms crossed the burning makeshift bridge as Joffrey and his royal guard awaited them on the other side.

“Here they come.” Joffrey thought.

He had hoped that the fear of the Wildfire and the shock of losing over fifteen thousand men would’ve been enough for at least some of them to flee and break rank, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

“Looks like they’re more committed than I thought.”  

“What are your orders, your grace?” Tyrion asked.

“Rain fire.” He responded with a cool tone.

“Archers to your marks!”

The Royal Guards atop the wall stepped forward readying their Hwachas, Scorpions, and their crossbows.

“Hold fast!” 

Joffrey commanded, his men standing at the ready awaiting his command.

Hundreds of Stannis soldiers came charging over the wreckage bridge, each man howling with collective violence. As they came out the other side of the shore they spread out charging at the city’s stone walls like a wave.

“Hold” Joffrey ordered.

As the soldiers stepped on the sandy beach suddenly hundreds of steel bear traps clamped down on the soldiers legs. Shock and agony filled the men's faces as their legs were pierced by the steel spikes. As the wave of Stormlanders were struck with chaos from the sudden turn of events, Joffrey gave out orders atop the wall.

“Now!”

“Loose!” One of his officers shouted.

Suddenly the men let loose a swarm of arrows and bolts upon the enemy forces. Thousands of arrows and bolts rained down on the unsuspecting soldiers. Hundreds of men fell to the ground dead, the carbon tipped projectiles going through their inferior armor like silk. As the soldiers tried to take cover and raise wooden shields, another volley of arrows was already being rained down on them. In the blink of an eye over a thousand of Stannis' soldiers lay dead.

Some of the more experienced veterans knew that their only hope was to get close to the city’s wall and led the men forward using their shields in an attempt to protect themselves. The men atop the walls continued to reload the scorpions and Hwachas, and while they did the men wielding the crossbows continued an endless onslaught with their bolts.

They were packed in lines of three, and when one finished firing his bolt he would move to the back of the line, and using the Goats-Foot lever from Joffrey's industrial sector was able to reload the crossbow in around three seconds. It was far more efficient than the old crank design and it allowed his forces to fire an endless volley of carbon steel bolts upon his enemies.

Stannis' men continued to push forward even as their men died around them, some carrying ladders and poles to climb the walls. As they pushed forward a large enough force was able to get close to the walls but found a deep trench and a spike wooden wall waiting for them. While the men contemplated how to climb over the wooden spikes, Joffrey's men continued to fire down at them.

The soldiers raised their metal kite shields in an attempt to block the bolts, some set up their own individual formations and began firing arrows back at the Royal Guards hitting some of them. While some of the Stormlanders climbed over the wooden spike wall and began trying to set up the ladders, one of the captains gave out orders to the infantrymen. 

“To the Mud Gate go now!”

The men followed his orders, hundreds of men running alongside the wall toward the gate pushing a battering ram along with them. To their surprise as they got closer they didn’t find any of the enemy soldiers outside the walls to greet them. Once they fully came upon the gate to their shock and glee the wooden gates opened themselves, some of the soldiers believed that maybe there had been a mutiny. Deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth the men surged forward crowding together trying to be the first inside the walls.

As the men entered the tight gate their glee soon turned to confusion, as they found black armored soldiers waiting for them inside the tunnel. They stood in a tight lined formation with their shield locked and covering the man to the left of them. Their confusion turned into blood lust as they raised their battle axes and swords into the air, and charged head first at the enemy’s shield wall.

“Hold!” The officer at the head of the wall shouted.

The enemy soldiers continued to charge forward screaming with fury. The Sabers remained unfazed and focused bracing themselves for impact. 

“Steady” The officer repeated once the wave was a few feet from them.

The wave of Stormlanders then slammed into the shield wall with all their might. Each enemy soldier pushing against the shield formation with all their strength. As they tried to reach over and swing their axes and swords at the black armored men, the Royal Guards remained steadfast and pushed back holding the wave of southerners at bay. Once the foot traffic stopped and Stormlanders ceased being able to advance, that’s when the Royal Guards made their move.

“Now!”

Then as one the front line pushed the enemy soldiers back creating space between them. They then opened their shields up and skewered them with their spears. Then as one they stepped forward and relocked their shields.

“Push!”

They repeated the same move pushing the enemies back and then piercing them with their lances. As some of Stannis' men at the front began to panic, realizing too late that they’ve turned from the hunters into the hunted. While the soldiers in the back kept trying to push forward, and with the confusion of foot traffic the Royal Sabers continued to push forward and slaughtered the men-at-arms.

Some of the front men tried to keep the black armored demons from making space, they clung to their shields trying to hold them. That’s when the second line using longer spears stabbed through the shoulders and over the shoulders of the front line. Soon all the men clinging to the front line had their faces and torsos pierced. The front line once again moved as one pushed the enemies further out of the tunnel. As the Phalanx moved forward against the soldiers the third line consisting of the plungers stabbed their spears into the still living enemies lying on the ground.

When Joffrey had told his men and his uncle his plan to defeat Stannis' superior numbers, many of his advisors had thought he was mad. It wasn’t until he explained that by forcing Stannis’s army into a chokepoint it would make his vast numbers useless. His men and even his Uncle began to look at Joffrey like he was some kind of military genius, of course none of them knew that he was actually just a cheater. He was utilizing the same strategy that king Leonidas used with his 300 Spartans against the Persian empire at the battle of Thermopylae.

As the Royal guard continued to push the enemy out of the gate, the men on the outside looked confused. The enemy captain could tell that no matter how many of the men flooded into the opened gate, their forces didn’t seem any closer from getting inside. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, he turned and addressed two of the squads with him.

“You men follow me, we’re going to the King’s Gate!” He shouted.

He then ran forward leading the few hundred men with him, they also ended up wheeling the battering ram along with them. As they ran by the men atop the walls continued to fire their crossbows and Hwachas at them. Joffrey slowly watched as a large number of the enemy's forces split and were now heading to their less defended gate. Of course everything was proceeding as he had anticipated. He then turned and looked at his vice commander.

“Go to the other gate.” He ordered

Jacelyn nodded his head and began to run alongside the stone wall making his way to the King’s Gate. Before he left Joffrey turned to his Kingsguard Preston Greenfield.

“Go with him and keep him safe.”

“Yes, your grace.”

The white knight bowed his head before following after the vice commander.

Joffrey then turned and gazed upon the bloody battlefield. Thousands of Stannis men already laid dead, but no matter how many they killed more seem to pop up like cockroaches. Though he knew soon the casualties would start to pile up for Stannis’s plans. 

As he looked upon the endless scores of dead in front of his city’s walls Joffrey could feel his heart sink. Each of these men had family’s of their own and he was making countless orphans and widows on this day. But slowly he closed his heart to it, it was too late to turn back, and this was the price of war. He didn’t take any pleasure out of the pointless slaughter, but he had learned long ago some tragedies couldn’t be avoided.

“Close your heart to it.” 

He told himself, trying to steady his nerves, blocking out the screams and cries of agony and the smell of death. Tyrion and Barristan both looked at the young king with a sympathetic look. It was easy to forget sometimes that Joffrey was still just a sixteen year old boy.

At the Kings Gate the enemy forces had already begun ramming their battering ram against the wooden door. Joffrey’s men continued to fire down on them from above, many of them hitting their mark. Some of the enemy forces created three men units, two men utilizing their wooden shields while the third man would fire back his own arrows at the top of the walls. As the men slammed the ram repeatedly against the strong door, other soldiers carried in a canopy to shield them from the Royal Guards' crossbow fire. That's when Jacelyn and his Kingsguard escort made their way to the top of the gate. Analyzing the situation he began to give out orders to his men who responded immediately.

“Burn them alive!” He ordered.

That's when four men dumped burning hot oil down the front of the gate and onto the two front men in the canopy. One of the soldiers then tossed a burning torch down and set the oil aflame setting the two men on fire. The two men screamed in agony as they burned before falling to the ground dead. The other four didn’t skip a beat and continued to slam the ram against the now burning door. The Royal Guards began to fling their spears into the canopy piercing right through the tough fabric and stabbing one of the four men operating the ram.

Finally the door gave way to the repeated ramming and burst open. The captain and his men then charged forward pushing the cart mounted battering ram through the flames. Stannis' men followed behind him funneling in through the canopy and into the now open gate. Once inside the men pushed the ram aside and drew their swords and readied their axes and maces. Though the sight that greeted them on the other side left them stunned. A large circle of black armored soldiers in battle formation awaited them. After enough had crossed the threshold Jacelyn shouted out.

“Now!”

Then two of the royal guards atop the gate cut two ropes which dropped a second gate behind the men. The captain and his small force turned around with shock and horror seeing that they had become trapped inside. The captain slowly looked up at the top of the wall and stared into the Jacelyn’s eyes. Jacelyn’s face slowly grew a grin as he gave out his next order.

“Archers” 

Then the Royal Guards standing behind the circle of shields readied their crossbows. The enemy soldiers clumped together trying to find some kind of safety in their numbers.

“Loose”

The men then fired their crossbows as one when the front line of the shield wall ducked down. Many of the men fell from the first volley, the carbon steel bolts ripping right through their armor. They rotated out and reloaded as other crossbowmen took their place. 

“Archers! Loose!”

Some of the enemy soldiers tried to push their way out through the shield wall, but all they got in return was a short arming sword through their guts and face. The Royal Guards continued to fire their crossbows at their vice commander’s command. Finally the captain refused to die like a dog and with his few remaining men pushed through the shield wall. Many were stabbed by arming swords as they went through. The captain was shot with two bolts in the back as he made his way to the stone steps of the wall swearing that he would take the commander with him. 

He managed to cut down a few of the black armored soldiers defending the steps, but received wounds of his own. As he climbed the top of the wall, he was faced with the sight of several armed men, one of which was wearing white armor and standing beside the obvious commander. The white knight drew his sword and charged at the bloody and wounded soldier. The pair slashed and hacked at one another, their fight short but intense. Until the enemy captain spotted a hole in the kingsguard defense and drove his sword into the enemy's armpit. The white knight slowly slumped to his knees as he bled out before falling over dead. The captain drew his dagger and turned to finish off the enemy commander, but was met with a knife in his throat.

As he stared down in shock at the hand holding the large dagger that was piercing his Adam's apple he looked up and saw that the blade belonged to the one handed commander he had come to kill. When his legs began to lose their strength, he began to fall forward but was caught in the embrace of his killer, who slowly held him and lowered him to the ground. As the old veteran laid dying life slowly leaving his body he gazed into his killer's eyes. He expected to see disdain, hatred, or even pity, but instead he saw only respect. After the commander gave him a respectful nod of the head, the old captain finally let go and went to meet the gods.

Jacelyn slowly released the man and laid his corpse gently on the stone pavement.

“Everyone remember that man’s bravery.” 

He ordered with the Royal Guards nodding in agreement. After making sure the enemy’s were dead, the men began treating their wounded. Those that were still able followed their vice commander as they continued fire on the opposing army.

Back at the Mud Gate the enemy soldiers were still trying to climb the walls with their ladders and poles. Any man who had successfully made it to the top were quickly sent back down without a head. Once enough ladders had been set up past the spike barricade below, Stannis's men quickly tried to climb them. Seeing the rows of men climbing like army ants up his city’s walls, Joffrey decided it was time to play his next hand. Nodding his head to his uncle, Tyrion had Podrick toss a torch into the trench below.

The flame ignited the oil inside the trench causing a wall of fire to erupt below the climbing enemy’s. Their clothes quickly caught fire beneath their boiled leather armor and many men fell into the inferno below. The wooden ladders soon fell apart halting any attempt to scale the walls. The lucky few that managed to get to the top before that happened weren’t lucky for long and soon had spears embedded in their faces.

While chaos was erupting around the city’s walls, even more chaos was happening inside the Mud Gate tunnel. The Phalanx unit of four hundred men was slowly pushing the Stormlanders out of their city. They attacked, defended, and moved as one impenetrable unit making the individual men of Stannis’s army like brittle knives against a mountain face. As they pushed forward they had already slaughtered hundreds until they made it to the gates entrance. As they stood at the entrance they waited for the southern cunts to come forward and attack as they remained in formation.

However fear had begun to grip the enemy forces, as they looked around at the scores of their dead comrades all around them. They could see now they couldn’t climb up the walls, making the only way in through the wall of black demons in front of them. Slowly they were losing heart as they became more and more tired from the battle. They had already been exhausted and sleep deprived before they had even begun the fighting, none of them having a peaceful night's sleep for the past week.

Many of the men-at-arms were considering fleeing at this point as the battle seemed hopeless. As the enemy soldiers contemplated their choices, the King’s Sabers didn’t remain idle. Seeing that their enemy wouldn’t come to them they decided to go to them instead. 

“Formation B!” The Officer shouted out

They moved out of the tunnel in full force and then switched from their Phalanx formation into their Tortoise one. The front line of men kept their shields out and interlocked, while the second line brought their shields up and covered the front lines head, then the third line did the same for the second line. The men then formed into a rectangular position with spears pointed out through the gaps in the shields in all directions.

The rectangle formation then stepped forward together as one, and as they stepped forward many of Stannis' men stepped back. Seeing their comrades were beginning to lose their nerve some of the loyal knights in Stannis’ service charged forward together in a v formation to break through. As they charged forward men inside the Tortoise formation threw their lances over the shield wall impaling many of the charging knights. Those that made it through clashed against the interlocked wall and were nearly knocked off their feet. Those that fell to the ground never got the chance to get up again, as they were mercilessly impaled by blades. 

If Stannis’s soldiers were scared before they were shitting their pants now. They watched in horror as the elite of their army was cut down like swine right before their eyes. Some of the men threw down their weapons, and turned and dove into the Blackwater. It seemed they would rather take their chances in the burning waters than face the black demons from the pits of the seven hells.

On the other side of Blackwater Rush Stannis watched on with a aghast expression. His army that had been overwhelming moments earlier had been cut down like pigs before his very eyes. He didn’t know how to make heads of the sudden turn of events as he watched these strange black armored soldiers fight in ways he had never seen before. And despite their forces still outnumbering their enemies six to one, he could tell with one look that his men were ready to jump into the sea and swim back to Storm’s End.

“Was she wrong?” He asked himself. “Am I really going to lose here?”

Doubt had begun to seep into his heart as he watched his men’s slaughter. This was supposed to be an easy victory and when the sun rose on the morrow he was supposed to be sitting on the Iron Throne. Yet in the blink of an eye all of that seemed to change.

Stannis then thought back on the two futures his lady Melisandre had given him before he marched toward the capital. In the first he was sitting atop a bloody throne with the head of two lions on spikes beside him. The second was a golden lion standing atop a pile of his bannerman with an emerald stag kneeling at his feet. He had thought for sure that the first future was the one that came to pass. Now he wasn’t so sure.

As more and more doubt began to sprout inside his mind spreading like bacteria, Stannis thought back on the words of his Red Priestess.

“You are Azor Ahai reborn.” 

She had whispered into his ear.

“You are the prince that was promised. The red comet is your herald. The long night comes and death comes with it. Only you can stop it my prince. Only you can unit the realms of men and lead the way to victory.”

Remembering her words Stannis steadied his heart. He remembered that the emerald stag was supposed to be his brother Renly, and his brother has long been dead. His victory was guaranteed, though there seemed to be only one path for that now. 

He dismounted his war horse and removed his dark cloak from his neck. Afterward he unsheathed his magic bastard sword lightbringer. The large blade had a square cut ruby in the hilt the size of a plum. Its blade glowed orange, yellow, and red with the air shimmering around it. As Stannis stepped forward he turned his head and addressed the old commander who had sat beside throughout the battle.

“If I should fall, get word to Dragonstone and tell my lady, my wife, and my daughter of my fate.” 

“Yes, your grace.”

The old commander nodded his head at his king’s words which Stannis returned. He then turned and started making his way to the wreck ship bridge. As he walked away the old commander called out to him.

“Your grace.”

Stannis turned to look at his old trusted comrade.

“It has been of the greatest of honors fighting by your side.”

The king thought back and remembered that this commander had been with him since the rebellion, and unlike his other bannermen his loyalty never wavered when it was tested by his younger brother. A small smile broke out across Stannis' face.

“The honor was mine.”

He then turned and continued to walk out toward the battlefield. As he slowly made his way up the slick wood, he stopped and stood at the very center of the bridge. Taking a deep breath Stannis filled his lungs with air before shouting out his next words.

“JOFFREY LANNISTER!”

His voice bellowed, drawing all of the soldiers on both sides attention.

“YOU SIT BACK AND HIDE BEHIND YOUR HIGH WALLS LETTING YOUR MEN FIGHT AND DIE IN YOUR STEAD! COME OUT HERE AND FACE ME YOURSELF YOU COCKLESS BASTARD! LET THE GODS DECIDE WHICH ONE OF US BELONGS ON THE IRON THRONE AND WHICH IN THE GROUND!”

Men began to mutter in both armies upon hearing Stannis' insults and challenge. Back on top of the wall Joffrey’s expression became still, but his eyes narrowed becoming filled with cold fury.

“You sly old bastard.”

 He thought to himself as his hands balled into fists, his nails digging into his palms until they bled.

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