Eagle of the Valley of Ice and Fire.

Chapter 259 King and King

He stood on the top of the lighthouse, surrounded by four pale pillars, like an empty bag with its mouth exposed. The sea breeze rushed in impatiently, squeezing his face.

Stannis opened his cracked lips. He didn't know why he felt thirsty, but he couldn't help but sniff the salt and moisture in the sea breeze, wanting to be closer to the water.

He sniffed more and more, and a gust of sea breeze blew into his throat.

"Ugh~" Stannis bent down, retching, and enduring the discomfort in his throat.

He was about to kneel on the ground, but then he stood up again by folding his arms.

I am the king, Stannis instinctively straightened his legs and reached out to hold on to the pillar beside him.

He looked up. "Where is this?" Stannis asked.

The sky was covered with dark clouds, and thunder was hidden in the clouds, hanging over the sea like a black mirror.

The Narrow Sea?
It was ridiculous. He smiled slowly, somewhat reluctantly. In his life, except for a few times, he rarely set foot north of the Redwyne Strait. Apart from the Narrow Sea, where else could he have been...

He raised his head and looked into the distance, his eyes vague and dazed.

A ship, drifting like a leaf, slowly sinks and falls into the broken black mirror.

Stannis stared at the ship, eyes wide open.

The crowned stag stood tall on the bow, drifting with the wind. The broken white foam hitting the hull seemed to be pulling the stag's pale little hands, grabbing the antlers tightly and dragging them to the bottom of the sea.
His trembling body paused where he was, his dazed eyes focused on the distance.

Shipwreck Bay.
"Duke Stephen, Lady Casanna, mother, father." Stannis' lips moved as he called out instinctively. His voice was originally low and hoarse, trapped in the lighthouse, but it gradually became louder, and even sounded like a resentful woman's roar, sharp and long.

He felt so helpless and was gradually losing control. His consciousness gradually regained consciousness and when he looked down he saw a madman whose limbs were twitching and who was screaming with his mouth wide open.

The cold water hit Stannis's basin like a blow to his head against an icy wall.

He woke up trembling, and the light of a torch in the dim dungeon reflected his shadow and the jailer's shadow.

Stannis remembers, he is in the dungeons of the Red Keep, he lost the war
The king who lost his crown lowered his head and groaned.

The jailer shook the basin, making a rattling sound, and stared at him silently.

"What are you talking about." The jailer had a blank expression on his face. To be more precise, his face was contemptible in the darkness. All one knew was that he was a huge guard.

The king lowered his head, still humming.

The jailer frowned and leaned his head closer, trying to get closer
But he met Stannis' eyes.

They were clear and bright, sparkling in the firelight like two bright pearls.

The jailer couldn't help but lean back and stagger.

"Your Majesty." He uttered the word, then realized that he had said the wrong thing. He stood up awkwardly and brushed the dust off his clothes in a pretentious manner.

The image of his daughter appeared in front of Shireen Stannis' eyes, and he choked out his daughter's name.

Joffrey sat on the Iron Throne, stroking the body of a crossbow.

Sansa stood among the women, with her head lowered, her eyes occasionally moving upwards to look at the throne.

Margaery crossed her arms, and contrary to her timidity, her confidence shone brightly, attracting almost all the attention in the throne room.

But with every frown and smile, Margaery always managed to shift her flattery and attention to Joffrey, earning the king enough vanity in one morning.

Sansa also fell into it, and was always provoked by Margaery's words and started smiling.

What disturbed and surprised her was that these smiles were mixed with sincerity.

She was shaking with fear, which others must have thought was excitement.

Margaery grabbed her hand in time and looked at her with bright eyes. Meeting her gaze, the fear in her heart was immediately suppressed, and Sansa smiled, her heart full of gratitude.

Ser Sandor Clegane told some joke nearby, and Joffrey laughed out loud on the Iron Throne. His laughter echoed high in the throne room, attracting everyone's attention.

Sansa raised her head and saw the twisted scar that covered most of the Hound's face. The eyes that had seen countless dead people's last faces were staring at her silently.

Sansa nodded slightly, lowered her eyes and raised the corners of her mouth. This was the expression a lady would have when she saw a brave knight, with a timid voice and a very shy look.

Ser Sandor Clegane looked away, but Sansa could hear the Hound gulping.

"Love is poison. Although it is sweet, it can still kill people. Stay awake."

She remembered half of Queen Cersei's words, but the latter part was too explicit, so Sansa kept it in her heart and didn't recall it often.

“Bang! Bang!”

Everyone looked up, except Joffrey, who was alone, stroking his chin, without showing any emotion.

The bells of the Red Keep are ringing, signaling that the King must set out.

Sansa looked around; Tywin was not there.

Margaery stepped forward, took Joffrey's arm, and whispered in his ear.

Sansa stared at Joffrey's face and felt that the king's expression was unexpectedly strange, with a strange smile and strange calmness.

Joffrey stood up, took Margaery's hand and walked down the platform of the Iron Throne.

"Duke Tywin has already arranged for the king to be safe in the Great Sept. Please follow the king's carriage and go together, together." Grand Maester Pycelle waved his sleeves and said to the nobles below the platform.

Sansa looked at Joffrey hesitantly, but the latter didn't seem to have any objection and was looking down at Margaery lovingly. To outsiders, it seemed like they were just a young couple falling in love.

Joffrey bent down and kissed the queen, then walked out of the hall.

Sansa frowned. She didn't envy Margaery at all. She just felt a chill wrapped in malice running up the back of her head, and even shuddered. The nobles and women rushed out of the throne room and looked for their own carriages.

Sansa's cheeks flushed as she looked up into the queen's carriage.

Cersei's long golden hair fell down her back, and her face looked as if she was still unsatisfied.

"Queen Madam." Sansa quickly lowered her head and wanted to go out.

"Brush my hair," Cersei said, her voice a little hoarse. "It's right here."

Sansa raised her head woodenly, hesitated for a few seconds, and slowly moved behind Cersei like a dull piece of wood and picked up the wooden comb.

The fat jailer stumbled out of the prison gate and was scolded by the prison warden as he walked out.

"Logan!" the butler shouted, "This half-dead deer is in your hands!"

Logan walked into the cell, lamp in hand.

He held the lamp up to Stannis's face, and Stannis looked up at him.

The square jaw and sunken cheekbones clearly indicate Stannis.

All Stannis saw was a scarred, round face.

Logan bent down, put the oil lamp aside, and rubbed his hands and breathed on them.

The two people were very close, like old friends meeting again after many years.

"Confess your guilt, your grace." Logan placed a piece of paper in front of him, which listed a series of Stannis' crimes.

Stannis simply looked down and snorted. "The bastards and the guilty are walking around in the streets without a care for the laws of the kingdom. I will be his first and legal heir when Robert dies. Baratheons only rage on other people's lands, and never cowardly admit their guilt in their own castle."

"I," Stannis said, looking up, "will not bow before the guilty."

Logan stared at Stannis's face and sneered softly. He picked up the paper and tore it into pieces in front of Stannis.

Stannis' pupils dilated slightly.

"You are my only king, your majesty."

Logan lowered his round head and bowed down on the straw mat on the ground.

"I will rescue you," Logan chuckled. "Even though the lions have cleared out a group of guards in the dungeon, arrogance is their nature."

"Who are you?" Stannis stood up, his cheeks trembling in a way that was not appropriate for his status. "If I go out, I will definitely promote you to a higher position and make you a noble."

Logan stood up and left a bag of wine, "Drink sparingly, Your Majesty."

He walked to the prison door, "You are right, the guilty should die. When these guilty people die, new guilty people will come in. When they are all dead, you, my king, will be the next one to enter the throne."

The prison door opened and everything fell silent, but Stannis could clearly hear the heavy and rapid beating of his own heart.

The High Sparrow held the Bible in his hand and looked around the house.

Militang held the sword and checked it, then threw the sack in. "Leave the boy here."

He looked up at the High Sparrow. "The Seven have not given us permission to kidnap children."

"But the Seven teach us to punish sin and right wrongs," the High Sparrow replied without missing a beat.

Militang didn't say much. He put away his sword and asked, "Where to go next?"

"The port," the High Sparrow whispered. "The side near the Red Keep."

The stench of the port was always lighter at night, perhaps concealed by the thick darkness. Militang rode his horse with the Big Sparrow, quietly passing through the pebble slopes of the coast, rushing towards the Red Castle.

After a moment, he stopped his horse, "There are guards."

A tent was built on the slope not far away, and a man in a golden robe was walking towards them.

"You guys? Who are you?"

There were light footsteps behind them, followed by two muffled sounds, and the guards fell to the ground.

"Someone doesn't like being late."

Militang looked at the person coming nervously and almost drew the sword from his back, but was held down by the High Sparrow.

"According to your suggestion, I only brought one knight of the Seven Gods." The High Sparrow dismounted and nodded to the visitor.

The visitor looked at Militang for a few seconds but said nothing.

"The Church of Oldtown and You"

"Nothing to do with it," the High Sparrow laughed twice. "I have said it again and again. Being expelled does not mean being expelled by the Seven Gods. The glory of Oldtown has long been rotten, and the cathedral in King's Landing is full of filth. All of these need to be governed by pure believers."

The man spread out his hands, "I smell blood."

The High Sparrow reached out and picked up the cloth beside the saddle and handed it to the visitor.

Militang frowned. He was tense the whole time, ready to draw his sword at any time and fight his way out.

The man opened the cloth slightly, nodded slightly, and disappeared into the shadows.

Militao couldn't help swallowing his saliva and turned around to ask, "Who is he?"

The High Sparrow climbed gently onto the horse, "Nobody."

(End of this chapter)