A Game of Thrones 4-Book Bundle

will deliver one to every port and holdfast and
fishing village. Nail them to the doors of septs and inns for every man to read
who can.”
    Davos said, “That will be few enough.”
    â€œSer Davos speaks truly, Your Grace,” said Maester Pylos. “It would be
better to have the letters read aloud.”
    â€œBetter, but more dangerous,” said Stannis. “These words will not be kindly
received.”
    â€œGive me knights to do the reading,” Davos said. “That will carry more
weight than anything I might say.”
    Stannis seemed well satisfied with that. “I can give you such men, yes. I have
a hundred knights who would sooner read than fight. Be open where you can and
stealthy where you must. Use every smuggler’s trick you know, the black sails,
the hidden coves, whatever it requires. If you run short of letters, capture a
few septons and set them to copying out more. I mean to use your second son as
well. He will take
Lady Marya
across the narrow sea, to Braavos and
the other Free Cities, to deliver other letters to the men who rule there. The
world will know of my claim, and of Cersei’s infamy.”
    You can tell them,
Davos thought,
but will they believe?
He
glanced thoughtfully at Maester Pylos. The king caught the look. “Maester,
perhaps you ought get to your writing. We will need a great many letters, and
soon.”
    â€œAs you will.” Pylos bowed, and took his leave.
    The king waited until he was gone before he said, “What is it you would not
say in the presence of my maester, Davos?”
    â€œMy liege, Pylos is pleasant enough, but I cannot see the chain about his neck
without mourning for Maester Cressen.”
    â€œIs it his fault the old man died?” Stannis glanced into the fire. “I never
wanted Cressen at that feast. He’d angered me, yes, he’d given me bad counsel,
but I did not want him dead. I’d hoped he might be granted a few years of ease
and comfort. He had earned that much, at least, but”—he ground his
teeth together—“but he died. And Pylos serves me ably.”
    â€œPylos is the least of it. The letter . . . What did your
lords make of it, I wonder?”
    Stannis snorted. “Celtigar pronounced it admirable. If I showed him the
contents of my privy, he would declare that admirable as well. The others
bobbed their heads up and down like a flock of geese, all but
Velaryon, who
said that steel would decide the matter, not words on parchment. As if I had
never suspected. The Others take my lords, I’ll hear your views.”
    â€œYour words were blunt and strong.”
    â€œAnd true.”
    â€œAnd true. Yet you have no proof. Of this incest. No more than you did a
year ago.”
    â€œThere’s proof of a sort at Storm’s End. Robert’s bastard. The one he
fathered on my wedding night, in the very bed they’d made up for me and my
bride. Delena was a Florent, and a maiden

when he took her, so Robert acknowledged the babe. Edric Storm, they call him.
He is said to be the very image of my brother. If men were to see him, and then
look again at Joffrey and Tommen, they could not help but wonder, I would
think.”
    â€œYet how are men to see him, if he is at Storm’s End?”
    Stannis drummed his fingers on the Painted Table. “It is a difficulty. One of
many.” He raised his eyes. “You have more to say about the letter. Well, get
on with it. I did not make you a knight so you could learn to mouth empty
courtesies. I have my lords for that. Say what you would say,
Davos.”
    Davos bowed his head. “There was a phrase at the end. How did it go?
Done
in the Light of the Lord . . .
”
    â€œYes.” The king’s jaw was clenched.
    â€œYour people will mislike those words.”
    â€œAs you did?” said Stannis sharply.
    â€œIf you were to say instead,
Done in the sight of gods and men,
or
By the grace of the gods old and new . . .
”
    â€œHave you gone devout on me, smuggler?”
    â€œThat was to be my question for you, my liege.”
    â€œWas it now? It sounds as though you love my new god no more than you love my
new maester.”
    â€œI do not know this Lord of Light,” Davos admitted, “but I knew the gods we
burned this morning. The Smith has kept my ships safe, while the Mother has
given me seven strong