Cassana

We stand on the walls of Storms End.

I watch Robb who looks out at the sea in fascination, while I was always near the sea whether it be at Storms End, Kings Landing or Casterly rock, he has rarely strayed from Winterfell. He's hardly seen any of Westeros, one day I hope to show him it.

To show him our kingdom.

"It's peaceful," I smile. "When I was a child I'd stay up here for hours, usually some poor Kingsguard would have to watch me. Poor Ser Barristan got rained on more than once."

I fall quiet remembering his fate, he was exiled. He was the only member of the Kingsguard who wouldn't have been loyal to Joffrey, who wouldn't condone what he had done.

The only one who ever protected me.

Then pain shoots through my heart as I remember that he wasn't the one one. There is one other Kingsguard who has protected me and he is rotting in a cell.

Jaime.

He is many things but he is my uncle, another reminder that my family is now my enemy.

"Sometimes I forget that you were born a princess and grew up with knights who are legends to us up North," he comments and I realise that it would be strange for him "Although I suppose you aren't just a princess anymore."

He hugs me from behind and his beard tickles my cheek as I turn my head to kiss him.

"King Robb and Queen Cassana," I say finally letting my tongue speak it. "I like the sound of that."

"So do I."

He kisses the top of my head and my eyes close, for a moment feeling complete tranquillity with my husbands arms around me, the wind blowing against my skin and the smell of the brewing storm over the sea. Home.

That peace is quickly interrupted by Renly.

"Look at the happy couple. I heard you had a run in with Littlefinger"

We share a look then turn to to face him. It was a good night except for a certain part of it. Littlefinger could have given me that letter at any time but he chose to do it right before my wedding, after he had tried to drive a wedge between us using the Frey girl. He set this up, he tried to sour me towards Robb to get me to accept. I don't know if he read the letter as it was sealed but he certainly would have known what it asked, at least the part about Robb anyways. But now that letter is ash and no one will know of it's contents except for us.

"Yes, he best be gone now so I can spend time with my husband in peace."

If I forget the part about the letter it has been relatively peaceful now I won't have to endure another scandal by being an unwed woman involved with a Stark. Robb's men however may be slightly scandalised when they discover their king got married on what was meant to be a diplomatic meeting.

"When will we be returning to the camp?" Robb asks him.

"Today," he answers. "Sorry to break up the honeymoon but we will be meeting Stannis in a days time to discuss his surrender and defeat him."

"Negotiate peace," I correct and he simply rolls his eyes. "Renly, Stannis is your brother."

"Are you really lecturing me about going to war against my brother?" he quips and Robbs hold on me tightens slightly to calm me, or at least he tries to.

"Would you like me to remind you of what led to that?" I counter and he quickly shuts up. "You two are the last male Baratheons. You need his ships and he needs your men. Surely you can put your manly pride, or shall I say vanity, aside for the sake of this war."

Out of the corner of my eye I catch Robb suppressing an amused smile while Renly just looks offended.

He steps closer and his voice is cold "You do know that Stannis will demand I make him my heir. If we side with Stannis you will inherit nothing and lose everything."

A threat. He wants to strip me of my birthright, of everything my father left behind and take it for himself. Little does he know.

I let out a short laugh "I am already a queen Renly. I do not wish to inherit anything, as far as I'm concerned you and Stannis can fight like children over what my father won during his rebellion. All I wish is to end this war and put my brothers head on a spike."

Just as I suspected he's willing to believe me, to believe he's appeased me by allowing me to marry Robb. It's almost amusing how he believes he has orchestrated this while in reality he is not the one in control. I am.

He may be king but only because I am allowing him to be.

He looks to Robb who gives a small, single nod and he looks pleased. He thinks I know nothing of his ultimatum, he thinks he's got Robb and I under his control. Good. Let him think that.

Renly clears his throat. "Well then, we'll leave at midday and arrive back at camp in the evening."

I wear a content smile but once Renly's gone it quickly disappears.

"Do you think he believes it?"

"Yes," I answer trying to ignore the bitterness of the whole situation. "But I suspect he'll want to talk to you about that ultimatum and get a solid answer. When he does, tell him that once we win this war you'll take me North, that you think I'll be happy to do so and that we've even spoken of it."

He nods but seems uncomfortable "I don't want to become a liar."

"Sometimes it's necessary," I coax but I tread carefully. "Especially with men like Renly. If he thinks I'm not a threat he'll keep me around and I will stay in power. I have a hold over him and I can't let that influence slip. I know it is frustrating, but I need you to trust me."

He exhales heavily. "I really don't like politics."

"I know my love," I say holding him close. "But I'm the only person who can act as a mediator between him and Stannis. Renly needs me even if he doesn't like it."

He nods again but seems somewhat distracted. "I've never met Stannis, do you think we have a chance of an alliance with him?"

I take a deep breath. "It's hard to say. I was always close with Renly but never with Stannis, I don't know him well but I can tell you that he's not one for political games. He's a soldier not a politician."

"So like me?" he asks and I shake my head.

"If you were anything like him I would have ran away the moment I got to Winterfell," I say but he only looks more confused. "Robb, let's say you were under siege. It had been months and your men were starving to death, if someone didn't come you would all perish. A smuggler smuggles food into the castle so you and your men can survive. Because of him you survived the siege. What would you do to the smuggler?"

"Reward him of course," he answers as if it's an obvious answer, "Whatever was in my power."

"That very situation happened to Stannis. He rewarded the man that saved his life by cutting off the tips of his fingers for smuggling then made him a knight. That is the type of man Stannis is. He is a just man but a very stern one. He rewards those who serve him but he has no mercy for those who break the law, or rather his law, and you my love are in open rebellion against him."

He scoffs. "Not against him."

"Well that's how he will see it," I say simply, needing him to see how serious this is. "To him we are all traitors. He is Roberts brother, by law he should be his heir and the rightful king but I stand in the way. He already sees himself as king, and therefore since you call yourself king he will see you as a traitor. I can promise you that if Stannis ever truly becomes king the North will not be independent."

He swallows as he realises the gravity of the situation. "So we better get him on our side then."

I lean into him relieved that he actually sees reason and knows that we can't win this war if we are divided. He's not clever in the ways I'm accustomed to men being, he's like his father. He may be just a boy in the eyes of many but he is a leader. He is his fathers son. And that is what scares me.

"I only wish Renly saw it that way," I say almost sadly. "He refuses to believe how weak his claim is compared to Stannis. The only thing that could save Renly at this point is if Margaery miraculously gave birth to a black haired Baratheon boy but considering she's still officially a virgin that certainly won't happen."

He nods along before looking at me in confusion. "Do you think he'll do his duty and give Margaery a child?"

"She's certainly trying, but it's quite hard when Renly isn't," I comment knowing just how much Renly drinks in the evening, or pretends to, so he has an excuse when she comes to his bed. "She knows how weak his claim is, she's smarter than anyone realises. She knows the best way to solidify her position and Renly's claim over Stannis' is to have a boy. Stannis only has a sickly girl after all these years a marriage so it's safe to say he won't have a boy, and that leaves just Shireen and I as the heirs to House Baratheon, but we are not men." I huff feeling my blood boil at how stupid it is. "Why do men have the stronger claim, is having a cock and the right blood really the only prerequisite needed to sit on a throne? I'm Roberts only trueborn child and all my life I've prepared myself for it, if I was a boy then-"

"I know," he says gently, holding me close. "I know love."

I take a breath to calm myself.

"If Renly has a boy then his claim will be stronger than mine," I mutter as he runs his hand over my waist "And if Margaery gets pregnant it certainly won't be Renly's. Another Baratheon bastard on the throne. Even if I had a boy my bannermen would push me aside and make him king."

His hand stills over my stomach. "If you had a boy?"

It takes me a moment to realise what he thinks.

"There's no way I'm pregnant yet," I dismiss not giving it any thought but then I realise Robb and I have yet to speak of children.

He's quiet "You could still conceive."

A shaky breath escapes me at the thought. The moment I fall pregnant I become nothing more than a child-rearer. I'll be a mother, not a queen.

I think of my mother, she always wanted to be the female Tywin Lannister, perhaps once she could have been. Then she married a king and her only duty was to bear children. While she gained security as the mother of the kings children she lost all hope at ever being Tywins heir.

Falling pregnant could either strengthen my claim or alienate me further from it.

If I bear Northern children while Renly calls himself king he will have reason to remove me as his hand and his heir. He will say that I belong to the North.

I belong to no one.

"Of course my love," I swallow, knowing such matters are the woman's alone. He need not know of the moon yea. if I take moon tea. "Although I haven't bled in months, not since my arrest." He's my husband and he's a soldier, he can handle the technicalities of a woman's body. "I don't think my body could handle carrying a child at the moment, I don't know how long it will take for me to fully recover from those cells. I was nearly dead when Tyrion got me out, it was a miracle I survived long enough to get to the Stormlands."

He runs his thumb over my hollow cheek and kisses my forehead "I don't want you to put yourself in danger to give me a child. The last thing I'd want is to lose my wife and child. I'm not going to take that risk."

That might just be the most responsible thing I've ever heard a man say. Then again Robb is a practical man, he knows it would be too dangerous and with the war it will only put another target on my back, or rather my stomach.

"Thank you," I say knowing that if I want to prevent any possible pregnancy I'll have to take the moon tea soon, but then again some say a woman who does not bleed does not become pregnant. Even so it's not a risk I'm willing to take. "Even if children are a joy it is dangerous."

He tilts my chin up so I'm looking at him "And you know that you are my wife, my queen. You are more important to me than a child. We have the rest of our lives. We don't need to worry."

I rest my forehead against his knowing that after all I've done that I don't deserve him. All I can do is be better, to wear his name with pride. To be honourable, honourable as a Stark.

"I love you."

The words still feel strange to me. Once I said them to another with such certainty I could never have doubted it. Yet this feels different.

The words don't feel like a lie on my tongue, but still strange.

"I love you too."

He kisses me and the brewing storm begins to grow louder. "Let's get ready to leave before it hits."

I nod but it's not the storm I fear, it's the future of my house. Tomorrow will decide it's fate.

~

I'm preparing to meet Stannis alone, securing feminine armour around my abdomen, when the Maester comes with a letter.

Immediately I recognise the handwriting, knowing Robb is out with Greywind I tear the scroll open.

I am glad you are safe. You and Robb, it's how it was meant to be. I told you once to be a good wife to him because I know he'll be good to you. Better than I could ever be. I'm going North beyond the wall, and in all honesty, I don't know if I'll be coming back. It isn't what I thought it would be, but I'm doing my duty. Benjen is missing, and we're going to find him. I'm leaving tomorrow. If we see each other again it will be a miracle so I'll say it now, knowing that what we had was real, as impossible as it was, is all I need.

Yours, Jon

This letter I know I should burn right away, but I can't bring myself to. Not truly.

Which is why I kiss it and open my chest in the corner of my room where Jon's cloak lies, out of Robb's sight. It may be one of Robb's I wear now but I cannot forget who was the first to wrap theirs around my shoulders. And so I slip it inside the folded cloak, and shut the chest. Keeping it in there as I do my heart, but hidden away and out of sight. As it should be.

But I cannot ignore how it pains me so.

~

We ride to the cliffside to meet Stannis. Robb rides slightly behind while I ride beside Renly. We can't afford to fuck this up, we need to unite House Baratheon otherwise we will destroy ourselves and fade away into nothingness just as the Targaryens did.

"Do not say anything stupid," I warn Renly "We are trying to settle for peace. We need his-"

"I know, I know," he groans. "It will be alright and if he doesn't cooperate we destroy him. Simple."

"No," I argue, knowing Renly is incapable of destroying anything but himself. "The future of our house is at stake. If you fuck this up I swear that you will regret it."

"On who?" he laughs. "You don't believe in the gods."

And with that he rides ahead and I fall back beside Robb.

"Cass?" he asks cautiously and I glare at Renly strutting around on his horse wearing a crown as if he's actually fought for it.

"Bloody men and their pride," I mutter.

"Stannis is a commander, surely he'll do what is best for his men and your house," Robb tries to assure me but I'm still doubtful.

"Not all commanders are as reasonable as you are," I tell him. "Also be prepared for Stannis to make you an offer, it will likely be along the lines of bend the knee or die."

We both take a deep breath as we approach Stannis and his advisors. I recognise Davos but the Red Woman is certainly a surprise. She must be that fire priestess we've heard about.

For a moment we're silent until Stannis tilts his head to the side and takes a long look at me. "Princess, I had not thought to find you in the Stormlands. The rumours of your escape are true is seems."

"They are," I say wanting to start this on the right foot. "It has been a long time since I've seen you uncle."

"Don't be so informal," he says curtly. "I am the king now that your father is dead, and not only did you attempt to usurp the throne for yourself, you support a would be usurper."

Renly gives me a look and Robb also shoots me a nervous glance but I ignore both of them. If Stannis wants to take this stance then it seems I must change mine. He won't allow me to mediate if he will not take me seriously.

"Except I am not a usurper since I am his only trueborn child and the rightful queen," I declare and he doesn't look impressed. "But here I am trying to negotiate peace instead of fighting."

"Debatable," he says shortly. "You are a woman and a child, if the rest of the queens children are bastards you could very well be also."

I swallow hard at the thought "Tell me, do I look like a Lannister?"

"You look like your mother," he says and I don't miss the disgust in his voice. "So yes you do and regardless, by blood you are a Lannister. You might not be the Kingslayers but your mother has proven herself unfaithful."

Before I can argue the Red Woman speaks up. "She is indeed Roberts daughter. She has kingsblood but she is not the chosen one."

"She is the Queen in the North," Robb says proudly from beside me and Stannis looks between him us. "And my wife."

"Ah, another usurper," he comments and Robb and I exchange a look, he finally understands what I meant about Stannis. Stannis' attention turns to Renly "Marriages all around I see. You marry off Cassana for the North and you marry a Tyrell for Highgarden. Smart decision, but it will not help you."

I take a moment to pray that Renly won't say anything stupid but as he's pointed out I'm a person of little faith.

"Oh come on brother it's been years and not even a hello. Can that truly be you?"

"Who else might it be?"

"When I saw your standard, I couldn't be sure," Renly comments. "Whose banner is that?"
"My own."

"I suppose if we used the same one, the battle would be terribly confusing," he jests and I feel my eyes roll back into my head. "Why is your stag on fire?"

"The king has taken for his sigil the fiery heart of the Lord of Light," the Red Woman says. Gods, so many bloody gods.

"Ah, you must be this fire priestess we hear so much about, Brother now I understand why you found religion in your old age," Renly quips and for once I don't disagree with him. She's certainly a beautiful woman, even rivals Margaery.

"Watch yourself, Renly."

"No, no, I'm relieved. I never really believed you were a fanatic. Charmless, rigid, a bore, yes, but not a godly man."

I shoot Renly a glare but he ignores it.

"You should kneel before your brother," the Red Woman advises "He's the Lord's chosen, born amidst salt and smoke."

"Born amidst salt and smoke, is he a ham?"

Oh for fucksake.

"Enough!" I interrupt "Are you kings or bickering children?"

Both take offence and Stannis warns "You should know by now to watch your tongue."

"As should you both," I retort. "We are not here to trade insults, we are here to negotiate an alliance."

"No," both immediately answer and I feel my patience growing short.

"A truce then," I propose. "You two will agree to not kill each other until the war is done. Stannis, with your ships and Renly's men, as well as my husbands army, we can take Kings Landing but only if we all agree to fight together."

"I came here to forge an alliance to end this war," Robb says to Stannis. "From one king to another, we both know it is the best strategic decision."

"You are not a king, you are a boy," Stannis insults and for once I can see Robb is the one whose temper is growing short ."If you want to end this war you should bend the knee to the true king."

Before I can speak Robb says "The true heir to the throne is my wife and I won't even bend the knee to her, I sure won't be bending it to you."

I look at him in true admiration. He is the only true king standing here.

"The Iron Throne is mine by right," Stannis argues. "All those that deny that are my foes."

"The whole realm denies it," Renly says "From Dorne to the Wall. Old men deny it with their death rattle and unborn children deny it in their mother's wombs. No one wants you for their king. You never wanted any friends, brother. But a man without friends is a man without power."

That may just be the smartest thing I've ever heard Renly say.

"For the sake of the mother who bore us, I will give you this one night to reconsider. Strike your banners, come to me before dawn, and I will grant you your old seat in the Council. I'll even name you my heir until a son is born to me. Otherwise I shall destroy you."

For a moment I see Renly consider it before he looks over the hills to his camp "Look across those fields, brother. Can you see all those banners?"

"You think a few bolts of cloth will make you king?"

"No. The men holding those bolts of cloth will make me king."

"We shall see, Renly. Come the dawn, we shall see."

"No," I say curtly, I can't watch them do this. "We are the last that remains of our house. We cannot and will not destroy each other, nor can we force our own men to fight against one another on the battle field. Stannis I plead with you to see reason, to agree to a truce, and once the war is done we will decide amongst ourselves who shall sit on the throne. Until then we share one enemy."

He is the closest to amusement I've ever seen him. "And I suppose you intend to sit on the throne once the war is done?"

Renly watches me carefully and I know I must be careful of what I say.

"I am the true heir," I state simply. "But I am not the one fighting against you for it, I am fighting for peace."

"You are not fighting because you have no supporters and no army. You have nothing," he says coldly. "If Renly will not bend the knee then I advise you to. I will make you my heir after Shireen and you can live your life in peace in the North which will remain part of the Seven Kingdoms. It is more than you will be left with at the end of this if you do not bend the knee."

For a moment I consider it, I truly consider it. But Robb will never bend the knee. I am now the Queen in the North, I must do what is right for them. I must fight for them.

"You're wrong," Robb says boldly. "She has an army, a far larger army than you have my lord. And the North will be independent."

For a moment I wonder if he is bluffing, just saying this to scare Stannis but when his eyes meet mine I know he means it. He would give me his army.

"You are brave but foolish," Stannis chastises. "If you bend the knee to me then you will be warden of the North as your father was."

"My father supported my wife's claim," Robb says, not looking at Stannis but looking at me. "And she has promised the North independence. I know who I support."

"Do not make the same mistake your father did," Stannis warns "My niece may be Roberts trueborn child but she is also a Lannister, she is her mother's daughter."

"She is a Baratheon," Robb says, defending me before I can even find the words to reply. "And a Stark."

I look at Renly and Stannis and remember my father. My father was many things but he was a true Baratheon, and I am his daughter.

"I am more of a Baratheon than either of you could ever be," I declare. "Which is why I know that if we fight amongst ourselves and allow our house to be torn apart, we will never survive. Your pride will be our downfall."

He looks as if he almost respects me "Then do what is right, bend the knee and you will be granted a seat on my council and keep the title of Princess. Or you can return North with your husband once he also bends the knee and represent the crown in the North, just as your father had intended."

"Or you can bend the knee to me," I counter and they both gape at me while everyone else remains uncomfortably silent. "You and Renly both keep your seats on the council and your respective lands and titles, you both shall also be named as my heirs until I bear a child. Your daughter will have the title of princess and also be in the line of succession. House Baratheon will continue as it did when my father was king except it will thrive, and the realm for once in it's damn history will actually be united."

"No," they both reject and for a moment I'm tempted to let them kill each other.

"And that is exactly my point. None of us will bend the knee, we are at a stalemate. You could either unite our house or destroy it. But if you two are so set on destroying each other fine go ahead, you are doing exactly what Tywin Lannister wants. It is your choice."

For just a moment both of them consider it but then their pride destroys any reason.

"I will see you both at dawn," Stannis declares. "If you and your husband stand by his side you will also he destroyed."

He turns and rides off, as his party leaves the Red Woman tells us. "Look to your sins. The night is dark and full of terrors."

We stand there is silence until Renly comments "That went exactly as I thought it would."

My head whips around towards him feeling that storm raging. "You didn't even try to make peace! For a moment he was considering it, if you had just tried then-"

"Then what?" he merely asks. "What did you expect?"

And with that he rides off and only Robb and I remain. All I can hear is my shallow, shaking breath.

"They were never going to listen," Robb says. "Do not blame yourself for this."

I nod but keep my mouth closed for fear if I speak I may scream. He reaches for me but I pull away feeling a doom I have not felt since the night Renly abandoned me. I jump from my horse and come to stand by the cliffside.

"Cass," Robb calls from his horse. "If they want to destroy eachother-"

I whip around to face him and he falls silent at the sight of me "My father is dead and I am the head of House Baratheon! The responsibility of protecting my house falls on me now!"

"I understand better than anyone," he says trying to keep me calm, but my head is light and my knees weak. "But you can't stop them."

I fall to my knees and he quickly jumps off his horse to come to me but I don't stand. My shaking hand reaches up to touch the Lannister lion around my neck.

"My grandfather always spoke about legacy and family. No one ever truly listened, no one cared except for my mother and I, but with the exception of Joffrey we all loved each other in our own strange ways. Now I realise that love and legacy are the two pillars on which a house survives, when one falters the other is left to keep it standing. Unlike House Lannister, House Baratheon has no love, before my father died he confessed that he never loved his brothers and those brothers do not care for legacy, only their own selfish desires. I am the only Baratheon who cares for my family and my house, and now all I can do is watch it collapse into ruins for when there is no love or regard for legacy there is nothing. We have nothing! If Stannis and Renly go to war at dawn it will be the end of House Baratheon."

He does not argue, he simply comes to his knees beside me and pulls me into his arms, holding me. I look over his shoulder and out to the sea where thunderclouds gather in the distance towards Storms End.

"House Baratheon will not end while you still breath," he says firmly and I believe him.

Storms End is steadfast and has survived the storms and the wars that have battered it for thousands of years.

If our house will not be as strong as it's walls then I must be. The blood of those walls runs through my veins.

House Baratheon will not end while I still breathe.