The Right Choice

Chapter 5: The Lions vs the Grim Stag

(NdA:everything you reckognize belongs to GRRM)

Stannis was ready, as the ships moved swiftly towards King's Landing; less then hour till they arrive; even without the Reachmen, he had a strong army and a stronger fleet.

His plan was sound, he would attack with a two pronged assault, from the sea and from land; However, he needed to be ready; while he had recovered from the poison thanks to Melisandre, he was stll not perfectly healthy;

"Ser Davos" he said to his trustworthy advisor "Yes my king" replyed the Onion King "Should I die or be captured, take Shireen and bring her to safety" Davos nodded but added "It won't be necessary my king!"

Stannis Baratheon nodded and tried to rest before the battle to get his rightfull throne would begin.

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"Swords aren't meant for you, Your Grace" said Bron without hesitation, after he had knocked down King Joffrey Baratheon, First of his name, on his ass for the hundredth time.

Before the young vicious king could threat his Master-at-arm, the former sellsword added "Your majesty, there are better weapons then swords; you are good with daggers and gifted with the crossbow" he said "You are king, why should you use a weapon similar to your own sworn defenders?" he concluded, and Joffrey seemed actually be listening to him.

While the queen-mother did not approve it, the king really put himself in the training with the weapons he was more versed with, even fogetting his favourite past-times, tormenting his siblings, Sansa, and other innocents.

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"The queen-mother" Ser Meryn Trent tried "Tell my mother that I'm the king, and I won't leave my place" said Jofferey, who was having the time of his life, putting quarrel after quarrel throught his uncle's men.

Ser Meryn lookeded like he was going to insist but the Hound gave him a look which promised him more hurt of what the queen mother would have done to him; he decided to stay and protect his king on the battlement. His fear amused Joffrey who kept killing men; The Hound seemed unnerved looking at the green flames in the bay but the young king relished at the feint scream of burning men he heard.

The wildfire trap the Imp had planned worked but Joffrey's blasted uncle had managed to land enought troops to launch an attack at the Mud Gate; in the last few weeks Joffrey had begrudgingly started to appreciate his least favourite maternal uncle; he was smarter then Joffrey's own mother and treated him like a man instead that like a child.

Even if he still wanted to mutilate him sometime, he was starting to think he should wait for a time the Imp will not be of use anymore; beside, the more he thought on it the more he was convinced that he preferred the imp to his Grandfather.

Joffery hit another man with a quarrel, they were increasingly closer but Joffery felt no fear, nor disgust, only elation for the smell of blood, shit, ash and smoke in the air. He thought to his grandfather, his own father thought little of him and Uncle Tyrion seemed to hate him too; He had only one vivid memory of his grandfather, one which made his chicks burn hotter then wildfire; He was 8 and visiting Casterly Rock with his mother and his grandfather was displeased with his behaviour.

Joffery banished that memory from his mind and focused on the battle; he killed another Bartheon soldier, then his uncle said "Your Grace we need to hit them now".

Joffery nodded, and gave the order. A horn was sounded and the chrge begun.

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"He did what?" asked Cersei to a guard who was sent by Ser Meryn "H-his Grace re-refused to l-leave the field your G-grace" said the terrified guardsman,

Cersei seethed but regained her composure and returned to sing hymns with the other women;

She looked at Sansa, and thought again to that faithful night with the witch. "A younger and more beautifull queen will arrive and she will take everything from you."

"Not you little dove" murmured the dowager queen as she sipped her wine. "You will be Joffery wife, maybe, but I will be the Queen"

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Stannis hacked and slashed, slashed and hacked as he and his man breached the Mud gate; he will win, he could not fail it was his destiny, his right and his duty.

But then the sellswords attacked, followed by the goldcloacks; Stannislocked blade with Harry Strickland who was as thought as a nail, but Stannis was stronger, and at the end the Grim Stag sliced throught his opponent's shouldr joint, cutting his arm of, and making him passing out in shock.

Stannis throght the furious fighting managedto spot the bastard usurper and yelled "There, men, our victory is within grasp! Push forward!"

"For the one true king!" His men replyed opening a way for him and his personal guard, to reach Joffrey. The boy seemed slighly different from the cruel brat he remembered; he planted a quarrel in one og his men's shield then dropped the crossbow, and pulled out two daggers. "Uncle! Have you come to bend your knee?" He asked mockingly.

"I'm not your uncle Joffrey Waters; I'm the man who will kill you!" He said charging with his flaming sword. Seeig that, the Hound, already intimidated by the fire in the bay declared "Screw this, I'm out" and retreated, leaving Joffrey alonewith Pod, Bron, Sir Meyn Trent and Tyrion facing against Stannis and four well armored knights.

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"We will arrive soon" said Lord Swift "Not enought" he replyed. "My lord" he cut his useless babbling short and rode to the back of the van where the carriages with the ammunition where; there along with a maester there was Arya Stark, recovered but not enought to ride. She was currently sleeping "Ensure her safety" he ordered the maester, then left.

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"That man has gone" said the maester in a different voice. "A girl does not need to pretend to sleep anymore" he added. "Arya opened her eyes. "Do you have a name?" asked the man who was wearig the maester's face. "Petyr Baelish!" She replyed "and I want it seeming like the Lannister did it" Jaquen look at her "So be it, Valar Morghulis." Arya fell asleep for real this time, a smile on her face.

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Stannis Baratheon missed the first assault; the usurper was faster and nimbler that he had predicted; he felt something reaching an unprotected part of his body and it stung. But some hard week of training can't transform a boyin a veteran warrior, and at the end Jofferey was deharmed and ready to be dealt with; but then the sellsword, Bronn, managed to kill one of his men, and engaged him in close combat.

Bronn was by far the most dangerous foe he had dueled up to that moment, playing any dirty trick in the book, and going on but a flaming sword does give a slight advantage, and Stannis did not fell for his tricks, and at the end Bron was knocked out; now only two boys and a dwarf separated him from his victory .

He locked eyes with Joffery "surrender boy, anf maybe you will live with your brother, at the Wall"
The boy who fancied himself a king had fond his knives and look at him defiantly.

"As you wish" he said and moved to kill him, when he felt acute pain coming from his left leg well a small wicked axe had embedded itself.

Joffrey moved to seize the moment but Stannis punched him in the face knocking him out andone of his teeth off.

Podrick Payne then charged almost impaling Stannis with his spear; grunting for the pain Stannis opened a fiery slash in his opponent flank and then knocking him off with an headbutt; finally he was free to take Joffrey's head, but right then his vision blurred, and then he realized that the gush in his leg was bleeding a lot;

"T-the Imp" he murmured " Have studied the human body" explained Tytion getting up from the ground. "It was a lucky shot, but I di it you were I wanted" he added as Stannis fell on his knee.

"All the fighting you did later helped too" Now he was almost as tall as Stannis himself. He rose his axe.

"Well played, Imp" were his last words.

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Tywin hastened the march, he could see the fires in the distance; a lesser man would have prayed to the gods to be in time, but not Tywin Lannister; he urged his men to move forward.

They heard people shouting a sthe army reached King's Landing. And the shouting was one word "HALFMAN, HALFMAN, HALFMAN!" Tywin look up on the battlement and saw his less favourite son with the head of Stannis Baratheon in his hand; and in spite of himself, looking at the Grim Stah head, the Old Lion smiled.

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(English is not my mother language, feedback is really wellcomed, no flames please.)