ARC 1: Birth of the Daemon and Daenerys
Chapter 13: Stannis's Arrival
The somber quiet of Dragonstone, a stillness born of grief and isolation, was broken by the arrival of the royal fleet bearing the banners of House Baratheon. The black stag on a field of gold, a symbol of the new regime, sailed into the island's harbor, casting long shadows across the dark, volcanic stone. Leading the contingent was Stannis Baratheon, the younger brother of King Robert, a man whose very presence seemed to exude a rigid sense of duty and an undercurrent of simmering resentment.
His arrival was not unexpected. With King's Landing secured and the Targaryen rebellion crushed, Robert had dispatched his brother to secure Dragonstone, the last significant stronghold still held by loyalists. Ser Gawen Corbray, the castellan, had prepared the island's defenses, but resistance against the full might of the royal fleet would have been futile. A tense parley had been held, resulting in a reluctant yielding of the island under the condition of the Queen's and her children's continued safety – a promise made with a distinct lack of enthusiasm by Stannis.
Stannis Baratheon was a man carved from granite and duty. His features were sharp and severe, his jaw perpetually clenched, as if he carried the weight of the world upon his shoulders. He possessed a keen, analytical mind but lacked the warmth and charisma of his elder brother. The bestowal of Dragonstone upon him by King Robert, while a significant lordship, had been perceived by Stannis as a slight. He believed Storm's End, the ancestral seat of House Baratheon, should have been his birthright, a grievance that festered beneath his outwardly stoic demeanor.
His interactions with Queen Rhaella were stiff and formal. He offered condolences for her losses, his words precise but devoid of genuine warmth. He conveyed King Robert's decree that she and her children were to remain on Dragonstone, under his watchful eye, essentially as honored prisoners. The island, rich in strategic value and the ancestral home of the Targaryens, was deemed too important to be left in their unchallenged control.
Rhaella, still fragile and deeply grieving, received Stannis's pronouncements with a quiet dignity. She understood the precariousness of their situation. Dragonstone, while a formidable fortress, could not withstand a prolonged siege against the royal fleet. Her primary concern remained the safety of her infant twins.
Stannis, in his meticulous manner, took a thorough inventory of Dragonstone's resources and defenses. He questioned the maesters about the island's history and any remaining Targaryen loyalists within its ranks. He was a man who trusted little and suspected much, his gaze often lingering on the Queen and her children with a calculating intensity.
It was during one of his inspections of the keep that Stannis first encountered the infant twins. They were in the Queen's solar, Daenerys gurgling happily in her cradle, while Daemon lay quietly beside her, his violet eyes fixed on the intricate carvings on the ceiling. Rhaella stood nearby, her expression a mixture of maternal affection and wary apprehension at Stannis's presence.
Stannis observed the infants with a detached curiosity. He saw in Daenerys the typical cherubic features of a healthy babe, her silver-gold hair already hinting at the Targaryen lineage. But it was Daemon who captured his attention, albeit in a way that made him subtly uneasy. The infant lay so still, his gaze so unnervingly focused, even at such a tender age.
"The boy," Stannis remarked, his voice flat, his eyes narrowed slightly. "He is… quiet."
Rhaella's arms tightened protectively around Daenerys, whom she had lifted from her cradle. "He is a thoughtful child, Lord Stannis."
Stannis's gaze remained fixed on Daemon. He had seen many infants in his life, his own daughter Shireen having been born not long before the rebellion. There was a stillness about this Targaryen prince that was… unsettling. It was as if the child was observing him, analyzing him, with an awareness that defied his mere months of existence.
He moved closer to Daemon's cradle, his sharp eyes scrutinizing the infant's features. He noted the deep violet of his eyes, a stark reminder of the ancient Valyrian blood. As Stannis leaned in, Daemon's gaze, which had been fixed on the ceiling carvings, slowly shifted, locking onto Stannis's face with an unnerving intensity. For a fleeting moment, Stannis felt a prickle of unease, a sense that this infant saw more than he should.
He cleared his throat, breaking the silent stare. "They both appear… healthy." He offered a curt nod to the Queen. "Ensure they remain so, Your Grace. Their well-being is your responsibility."
Stannis's interactions with the twins remained infrequent and perfunctory. He saw them as symbols of the defeated dynasty, a potential threat to the stability of Robert's reign. He treated them with a cold neutrality, ensuring their basic needs were met but offering no warmth or kindness.
Rhaella, sensing Stannis's underlying suspicion and resentment, kept her children close, shielding them from his cold gaze. She found solace in Daenerys's innocent joy but remained subtly concerned by Daemon's continued quietude and his occasional unnerving displays of awareness.
The arrival of Stannis Baratheon on Dragonstone cast a pall over the fragile peace that had settled on the island. The Queen and her children were no longer simply grieving survivors; they were now wards of the new regime, their every move scrutinized by the stern and suspicious Lord of Dragonstone. The ancient fortress, once a sanctuary, had become a gilded cage, and the whispers of the fallen dragon dynasty were now accompanied by the watchful silence of the stag.