Someone did her Joreen's screams. A ten-year-old boy with a penchant for climbing trees.

Steffon saw Meera leave the castle that morning and decided to follow her to the woods. But once he was out there he was unable to find them. So he climbed a high tree to survey the area. That's when he saw them, in a meadow below the hill on which the tree stood. He saw Lady Baratheon and Joreen, and saw the men who took Lady Baratheon away.

Steffon was too little to fight them. All he could do was watch. And he watched intently. He saw the grey direwolf emblazoned on the men's armor. He knew who they served. These were the king's men.

When the men had left Steffon hesitated for a moment. He wagered if he should run back to Storm's End for help. It wasn't very far and the meadow was the other way. His father and Lord Baratheon would know what to do. But the screams from the upset child called on him. He couldn't leave Joreen out there for a moment longer than necessary. Perhaps the wolves would get to the lonely child before he could return for her.

So the boy quickly scaled down the tree and silently made his way to the meadow in the cover of grass and bushes. He wanted to be sure none of the king's men were left behind. The screams guided his way there as he crouched down in the vegetation. As long as the girl screamed she was still alive.

When he arrived at the meadow it appeared empty, except for the screaming baby. Her cries for her mother grew more and more desperate.

Steffon looked both ways one more time, to be absolutely sure no one was there, before he exited the bushes and made his way to the girl.

"Hi Jory," he said and softly stroked the girl's cheek to try to calm her down. "Don't worry. I'm here now."

The girl got quiet for a moment as she looked up at Steffon suspiciously. Then she continued to scream at the top of her lung's capacity.

Steffon held his nephew Mathos quite often, so he wasn't unaccustomed to handling babies. But they usually weren't as upset at this one. Her little arms and legs punched and kicked at him as he gathered the blanket around her and lift to her to his chest.

"I'll protect you," he whispered and tried to calm the girl by rocking her back and forth slightly.

Steffon would protect Joreen. He would protect her for the rest of his life. He would one day swear an oath to protect her.

The girl settled down slightly from the embrace. She still wailed but her body felt a bit more relaxed. Her arms and legs were no longer flailing wildly.

"Let's go," Steffon said. "Let's take you to your father. He'll know what to do."

***

Gendry heard the scream of his child reverberate the castle. He sat in the Great Hall with Davos, Howland, Stannis, and Bastian. They were just about to start today's council meeting and he figured his wife and Joreen had just got back from the woods. Meera had left a note telling him where they had gone and he trusted her to take care of herself and the girl.

Then the doors to the hall flew open, and his whole world shattered.

Panting and dirty, Steffon Seaworth fell on the floor in front of the main table. The little girl in his arms screamed furiously.

"They took her....." the boy managed to get out before having to catch his breath again.

Dread sunk in Gendry's stomach. He couldn't quite put everything together. But he knew his child was there and his wife wasn't. Something was very wrong.

Davos got up from the table and walked up to his son. Howland followed suit. Gendry was frozen in place.

"Breath, son," Davos said as he kneeled beside the boy and put his arm over Steffon's shoulder. Having his father close seemed to calm the boy slightly and he released his tight grip on the girl in his arms. Davos gently took the girl from his son and handed her to her grandfather.

"Give her to me," Gendry said. As the fear spread through his body he needed to have his daughter close. He needed to know she was safe at least.

Howland went around the table and put Joreen in Gendry's lap. He knew Gendry couldn't pick her up himself because of his injured arm. The tense expression on Howland's face made the dread in Gendry's stomach sink even more. They both loved Meera, and they knew something must have happened to her. She wouldn't leave her daughter.

"Come here, Jory," Gendry said and held the crying girl tightly to his chest. It seemed like they both needed the comfort.

Joreen kept crying loudly. Her whole little body was tense and anxious. Even as Gendry rocked and kissed her she wouldn't settle down.

"I think she needs to nurse to calm down," he said. "That usually works". His heart dropped as he realized the girl's mother wasn't there to feed her.

"I'll get Brynda," Stannis quickly said, having already assessed the situation. "She should be able to feed Joreen as well. She's started to wean Mathos and feed him solid food since he's so hungry all the time."

While Stannis left the room Davos bent down towards the now sobbing Steffon. Whatever had happened seemed to have traumatized the boy.

"Come here, son," Davos said and lifted his son. "Just calm down and tell us what happened."

He sat down on the table with Steffon in his arms. The boy cried against his shoulder.

"The king's men," Steffon finally said. "I saw them. They came and took Lady Baratheon with them. They threatened Lady Joreen to make her go with them."

The news hit Gendry harder than the hammer strike that had brought him down. But he didn't cry, he didn't scream, even if he wanted to, he just held on to his daughter. That was all he could do. But inside of him, the fury grew.

"I'll get her back," he mumbled as he put his face against his daughter's head. Joreen seemed to be exhausted from crying. Only light whimpers escaped her little body. "I'll get your mother back. No matter what it takes. I promise you that."

Gendry knew what he would have to do. It was time. It was his destiny.

He inhaled, kissed his daughter's tangled curls, and looked up. Blue eyes determined and furious.

"Call my banners," Gendry commanded. "Call all my soldiers here. I will address them this afternoon in the courtyard. I will tell everyone what I intend to do. I won't let the king get away with this."

"I will make sure your will is done, Lord Baratheon," Bastian said and left the room to execute Gendry's order. Most of the Baratheon armies were still stationed close by since the battle to retake the castle.

Howland put his hand on his son-in-law's shoulder. "You'll do it?" he asked and tousled Joreen's dark curls with his other hand. Her hair looked just like her mother's. Gendry could see the tears in Howland's eyes as he looked at the girl.

"I will," Gendry said. "I have to. I have to get her back."

"I'll be with you," his father-in-law replied. "Just like I was with your father."

***

The rain poured down relentlessly over Storm's End that afternoon. The courtyard was filled with muddy puddles and the sky was dark grey. Thunder was in the air and lighting was seen in the distance.

Gendry had barely let his daughter out of his grasp since that morning, except to let Brynda nurse the girl when she got hungry. Eventually, Joreen had calmed down and fell asleep in his arms. Now Gendry handed the sleeping girl to her grandfather before he stepped out on the stairs to address his men. He didn't notice the miserable weather. The fury burned too hot in his veins for him to feel the cold drops on his skin.

Gendry Baratheon had never looked so much like his father as he did when he stepped out on those stairs. He was fueled by fury and love, just like Robert once had been.

He wasn't nervous. He didn't doubt himself. He didn't feel inferior to anyone.

He was calm. He was assured. He was confident.

"Stormlanders," he said, as water drops fell on his face and limbs. "I address you today to tell you about a grave injustice that has been committed by the man who rules this kingdom. He has taken my wife from me. His men abducted Lady Baratheon when she was out in the woods outside the castle."

The men in front of him gasped and whispered. They had known the king wasn't on their side, but not that he would do something like this.

"I will take her back," Gendry continued, his voice bellowing over the pouring rain. "The king has no right to take my wife, he has no right to rule us anymore, he has no right to tell us what to do. We're the Stormlands and he can't trample all over us. We're stronger than that. I'm convinced the other kingdoms will follow suit and join me in the battle against him. Because he's not a fair or kind ruler. He's not the right ruler for this kingdom."

The rain picked up. Lighting and thunder roared over the sea beyond the castle.

"I will take him down," he yelled over the loud weather. "I will take his crown. I will take his throne. I will take his power. I will take everything from him."

Gendry paused slightly, realizing the magnitude of what he was about to say. But he knew it was what he needed to do. It was the only way to get Meera back. It was the only way to protect his daughter. It was the only way to bring peace to the kingdom.

He raised his war hammer in the air. Still with his left hand, as the right arm wasn't strong enough yet. But he looked strong. He looked magnificent.

Hammer in his hand. Love in his heart. Fury in his eyes.

The sky behind him exploded in a thunderous roar. The crowd in front of him cheered as loud as the storm.

The storm was on his side. He was the storm.

Then he said the words. Gendry Baratheon, a poor bastard child from Fleabottom, said words he never thought he would say. Words that his father had said before him. Words that sounded ridiculous. But he said them. He said them for Meera. For their love. For their children.

"And I will be your king," he said while yellow bursts of light took over the dark grey sky.

The End (of part 2)

Author's Note: So this is the end of this story... and the start of Gendry's rebellion.

Stay tuned for part 3 in 2021, and before that the end of The Lion and The Falcon. There will probably also be some added bonus content to this story at some point.