Eagle of the Valley of Ice and Fire.

Chapter 311 There is always cause and effect
The fishermen pushed their carts, and the smell of fish was still there, but Stannis did not care. He had smelled worse at the siege of Storm's End.

He is not Renly, who cannot stand the sight of swords and sabers, the smell of peasant sweat and the filth in the sewers. He only knows how to play some aristocratic games and find happiness in rouge and powder.

Stannis picked up a fisherman's barrel and swung it with a splash of water. It was filled with jumping sea fish that had been entangled in the nets with him.

"Where to?" he asked, raising the bucket he was carrying.

"Go there." The fisherman's son spoke immediately, pointing to the village not far away.

Stannis said nothing more. He took off the lamellar armor that had added weight to his body and nearly drowned him in the sea, threw it on the fisherman's cart, said "It's a gift" and headed for the village ahead.

There are not many fishermen in the storm area here. When they see strangers, they can't help but be curious and stretch their necks to watch.

Stannis noticed the inexperienced looks of these commoners and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

They reminded him of the soldiers who had followed him in the past, who also looked like farmers.

But the people of Stormlands are always loyal and tough, and few people would talk about surrendering even if they were starving to death in Storm's End.

"Your king has come to see you," Stannis snorted, reciting a joke he had made with the soldiers.

"Hahahahaha!"

The people around couldn't stop laughing, "You are the king, then I am Aegon the Conqueror!"

"I am Queen Cersei!"

"I think you look like the Queen Mother's male favorite!"

Stannis waded through the mud and found that many of the straw in the fields were covered with a thin layer of ice.

He couldn't help but frown, "Is winter here?"

"It has arrived a long time ago, Your Majesty. Didn't your lord tell you? The ravens under the command of the Maester of Oldtown must be exhausted, flying over the mountains and over the hills to announce the arrival of the long winter."

"Winter is coming." Stannis couldn't help but murmur the motto of House Stark.

The farmer obviously didn't react and repeated blankly: "Yes, winter is coming!"

Stannis said nothing after that, and carried the barrel to the fisherman's home, then followed the fisherman south, along unknown paths, from ravines and hills to wet and cold green fields, from bright sunlight to sunset.

The fisherman led the donkey to him and handed it to him. "Follow the road south and Storm's End will be easy to spot."

Stannis looked out at the darkening sky and nodded. "We all know the structure of the Stormlands." He climbed atop the donkey and chastised it as if it were a horse, but the donkey did not budge.

"Hold the whip and beat it," the fisherman handed him the whip, "and let the rope hang to control the direction."

Stannis exhaled. "Thank you."

The donkey had gone a few steps when Stannis turned back and said, "I want your help for free. Will you not come with me and give me your donkey?"

The fisherman was stunned for a moment, then quickly waved his hand after hearing this: "I can't do that. I have to take care of the baby when I go back. I'm afraid he will go to the beach to play. You go."

Stannis paused. "I will not break my word. You will receive a bag of gold royals." He relaxed his waist and drew out a knife. "This knife is for you, along with the armor on your chariot. These two items will serve as a token of your love."

The fisherman smiled, said "OK" several times, stepped forward to take the knife, and said, "May the Seven Gods bless you."

"And to you too." Stannis did not question the Seven anymore, but simply echoed the fisherman's words.

After the fishermen left, we rode our donkeys along the way.

The narrow path soon disappeared, and Stannis could only rely on the stars in the sky to identify the direction. He drew out his sword and cut the thorns on the road. The donkey climbed over the hill and even used all four hooves to climb up the slope. At that moment, Stannis could not stop the donkey's movements, so he could only lock the donkey's back tightly with his limbs, letting the fear and cold wind pass by his ears.

It was already dawn when we saw Storm's End Castle. A ray of sunlight in the sky split the hill where Storm's End stood in two, as if Storm's End was above the sun and the ocean. The morning bell on the top of the city had rung, the Baratheon banner was waving, and soldiers were silhouetted on the tower.

"Stop!" The Baratheon soldiers stopped him and his donkey. "Only the gods know whether you are a spy from Dorne."

"Dorne?" Stannis did not think much about it. He could not bear the fatigue of his body. Before he fell asleep, he took a last look at the majestic Storm's End and fell off his donkey.

"Gods!" the soldier cried out, "We need a doctor here. A damned mercenary has collapsed here!"

He only vaguely remembered someone lifting his limbs, someone whispering "Your Majesty" in his ear, and there was noise all around until it became quiet.

He lay on the soft velvet bed, no longer wrapped in cold and fear, but instead in warmth and comfort.

Before him stood Ser Gilbert Farring, the acting lord of Storm's End, and behind him stood Lord Elwood Meadow, who had surrendered Storm's End, and Stannis's own cousin, Ser Lomas Estermont.

But Stannis paid no attention to them. He looked past them and saw Edric Stormbreath, who was busy pouring wine behind them.

"I'm here." He wanted to ask his brother's illegitimate son.

"You are at Storm's End," Ser Farring answered first. "Your own chamber, my lord." "You are ill. You have a large boil on the sole of your foot. I'm afraid you cannot walk," said Lord Elwood Mather with a flattering look of concern and a regretful tone.

Stannis paused for a moment before he spoke: "What is the situation now?"

"What's going on?" Lord Medou was slightly stunned. Ser Romas Estermont beside him gave the answer: "Dorne has repeatedly invaded the border, and peace has only just been restored in the Borderlands. Nightsong City has been recaptured by us."

Recover? Stannis laughed. Only those who believed in the lies of the Seven Gods would believe what Romas said. Those who fought against Dorne were probably only the lords of the borderlands. The army of Storm's End had less than a thousand people. How could they have the ability to recapture Nightsong?

"Tell the truth." His words were stern but weak and his voice was light. He didn't know if these people could hear the seriousness of his words.

"Nightsong and some border nobles betrayed Storm's End and turned to Joffrey," Ser Farring spoke first when no one else responded. "Your daughter was made queen and taken to the North by Ser Davos. It seems that the next strategic step is to unite with the Starks to fight for the Iron Throne."

Stannis nodded and smiled contemptuously.

The three looked at each other, wondering when Stannis had become so fond of smiling.

"They don't know you're coming," Lord Meadow whispered. "Only a few soldiers and servants have seen your face, but they didn't know it was you. If possible, we can send a ship to take you to Winterfell at any time."

Stannis did not answer. He propped himself up with his arms, thinking about what to do next, but the pain in his brow made it almost impossible for him to speak. He just kept rubbing his brow and coughing.

"It seems you need to rest," said Count Meidou, "We will prepare a servant to serve you."

"This is it," Stannis said, pointing to Edric Storm. "Robert's son. My kinsman."

Count Meidou was slightly stunned, then he reacted, "Okay, Your Majesty, you take a rest."

The three men stayed in the room for a long time, and were later driven away by Stannis.

Edric stared at Stannis on the bed with wide eyes.

"Would you like a drink, Your Majesty?" he asked, as if he didn't know how to start the conversation.

Stannis shook his head. "I will not be like my brother, who drank himself to death in the midst of a boar, went to the seven hells, and left his people in ruins."

Edric pursed his lips and put down his drink, "What do you need?"

Stannis opened his mouth slightly. The face of Cortanay Penrose appeared in his mind. His eyes lingered on the face of Edric Storm for a moment, then he shook his head. "Nothing. You stay here."

"As you command, Your Majesty." Edric looked around and chose to sit down in front of the chessboard, staring at the Cyvasse chess.

Stannis rested his head on the soft pillow, smelling the spices that Edric had arranged in the room. His eyelids grew heavier and he fell asleep again.

Edric walked around the room, then stopped moving.

When Stannis woke up again, it was already late at night. Outside Storm's End was a rare quiet moonlight, which was divided into grids by the bedroom window lattices and shone onto the bed.

As the moonlight changes, the field of vision is divided into flowing light and darkness.

Edric stood between light and darkness, standing silently.

"What's going on?" Stannis had just said this when he felt a pain in his chest. He looked down and saw a pool of blood on the white velvet bedspread. In the dim light, he saw a sticky shadow wrapped around him, pressing him so hard that he couldn't breathe or get up.

"Why?" Stannis asked in a pitifully low voice, his head bowed.

"Sir Penrose." Edric Storm spoke with tears in his voice, his eyes were filled with tears, and the moonlight was flickering in them.

"I understand." Stannis felt his eyelids were heavy. Unlike before, this moment they were really heavy, the heaviness of farewell.

"I taught Renly, ahem, how to avoid a nasty coach, which was nasty to him," Stannis spat out blood. "There is a secret passage in Storm's End. When my father was angry, I would hide in it. The servants and squires could not find me."

"Go out," Stannis ordered, "and keep turning left. There is no storm at Storm's End tonight. This is good. You will see an open cave. The moonlight shines through it like a curtain. Stick your head out. There is a ladder on the wall below the cave. Climb down and you will reach the cook's storeroom. You can leave whenever you want and take as much supplies as you want. Ahem, it's up to you."

"Why?" This time it was Edric's turn to ask, his voice still sounded childish.

Stannis did not answer, but pointed to the bookcase next to him. "In the second drawer, there is a bag of gold dragons."

"Take him with you. You can take half of it. Ahem!" Stannis raised his upper body, blood gushing out. "The other half, the other half goes to the fishing village in the north, by the sea, to the people who have my armor and sword. Leave it for him. I promised them. Ahem, this is the king's credit."

Stannis started to sit up and beckoned Edric over.

The latter looked hesitant, and before Stannis almost fell, he supported him, without saying a word.

"The king must die a king's death." Stannis insisted on sitting down and watched Edric take the gold dragon from the drawer, push through the side door, and leave to the corridor on the left.

"Winter is coming," Stannis muttered to himself, "It would be better if this war ended sooner rather than later."

(End of this chapter)