Jacob II

The grumbling of the men in the council chamber bored the rightful Prince of the Seven Kingdoms.

He was surrounded by the King's Men, Queen's Men and some of his father's remaining bannermen and commanders. He sat on his father's right, in the high place of honour. Jacob ran his hand across his bearded face in boredom; his eyes were rolled, whilst his father didn't see his bored son's face.

The prince caught his eye on Sorrell, who sat among the King's Men. Jacob had begun to trust Sorrell a lot more; the man was more than just his sworn shield, but was his ally. The prince couldn't hold back hard tears from falling from his eyes, being apart from Davos affected him more than he let on. Jacob saw a collection of letters by his father and most of them were replied from Northern houses, whom were either going to refuse his father's kingship or swear his fealty, as the rightful king of the Seven Kingdoms.

"All of them are rejections, apart from a reply from the leech Arnolf Karstark. I met the man once, and he is an untrustworthy player. The man always envied those in his family higher in status than he was; his son Cregan is a snake and must be vying for the lordship of Karhold if they succeed in throwing Alys into my arms and out of their household."

The return of Ser Richard and Ser Justin displeased Jacob more; he was no friend of any of the Queen's Men, but as heir to the throne most of them had no choice to obey him. Uncle Axell being the foolish pounce he was, would never object to anything his great nephew told him to do, being one of his last remaining uncles living and desperately seeking his favour.

The heir to the throne cleaned himself up; to look presentable in front of the lords of the council. He was clad in the colours of his mother's house, with his gold and black furs over his shoulders. His hair was tied in a sufficient ponytail, his beard was trimmed with some of the men able to recognise him.

The doors of the chamber open for Jon to arrive, to see the two wildings and Melisandre present.

Jacob didn't want to look at the Red Woman in the eye, for she would capture him in her evil spell. His father was a fool to bring her here, this was a war council meeting and she had no place in it. Leaving her at the Wall will be his one wish, with her foreign power being what scared him more than being on the battlefield again. As a worshipper of the Faith, the Red Woman's religion had no place in the Seven Kingdoms, whilst his father was on the path to kingship and needed the Faith and the High Septon to turn against the Lannister-Tyrell coalition and turn to the prince and his father.

"Rattleshirt will be under your watch, Lord Commander." The Red Woman informed.

"The man cannot be trusted." Jon protested.

The Lady Melisandre shows Jon the red ruby gem, on the wildling's wrist. "He is bound to me, blood and soul. As long as he wears the gem, he will serve you faithfully."

"My father summoned you to this war council for a reason. I know you wouldn't want to be seen as partial to him in the game of thrones. As a former guest of the Starks, I do not know much about the northern lords, but as a man born and raised in the North, you have knowledge my father wishes to know, as the northmen will be fighting under our banner." Prince Jacob said, in a neutral tone.

"The northmen would look to His Grace's son as an eligible husband for any of their unmarried daughters, as His Grace the prince will need to choose wisely from the more loyal of Northern houses, and not those who turned to the Boltons."

"Foolishness, his words are useless, Your Grace." Ser Godry objected.

Jacob's father Stannis ignore the man's provocation. Ser Godry Farring was one of the Queen's Men, but one of the more foolish ones. The prince didn't appreciate the man disrespecting one of his last remaining friends in the world. If Ser Godry said anymore, then he would have been sent out on the prince's orders for insubordination and contributing nothing to the war council.

"I want to know if Mors Umber can be trusted to bend the knee to me." King Stannis asked.

"I would advise you to take his oath, Your Grace." Jon replied.

"It will only bring me half of the Umber forces."

"Father, half of the forces is better than none. Hother Whoresbane is only fighting for the Boltons because of the Greatjon being a prisoner of the Red Wedding." Prince Jacob interjected.

"It would be prudent, if His Grace shall listen to the council of his heir than some upstart bastard." One of the Queen's Men sneered.

The prince never understood why men like these swore their loyalty to his mother Queen Selyse and the religion of the Red Woman. It's mostly due to them wanting to push their superiority among everyone else. Prince Jacob held the hilt of his sword, itching to kill the man, who dared to insult Jon.

"I plan to leave the Wall to take on the Bolton bastard at the Dreadfort unaware. Lord Arnolf has been urging me to attack claiming it is lightly garrisoned." The king announced.

"The plan will fail, Your Grace." The Lord Commander foretold.

Many of the Queen's Men were scorned, and most of them should have stayed at Eastwatch with his mother and his sister. Prince Jacob placed a hand over his head; it was better when Uncle Axell was controlling these sorts of men, they would listen to him, being their leader and his mother's best man. The prince glared at Ser Godry, being the main troublemaker, but Jacob's father ignored him and the rest of the Queen's Men.

"Silence, explain why my plan will fail, Lord Commander." The king said, in an iron tone. Silencing the Queen's Men with fear.

"Unless, you win over Mors Umber to your cause. His forces will cut yours to pieces, as it crosses his lands. Second, the Dreadfort will learn of your coming, long before Lord Bolton's arrival, a small garrison can hold the castle against men many times their number. The combined armies of Ramsay and Roose Bolton will outnumber you five to one, and will easily destroy you, as you lay siege to the Dreadfort. The northern lords you seek to rally to your cause, whom have suffered generations of wildlings pillaging their lands, will not be pleased to see the wildlings crossing their lands."

"It would be wise. Mors Umber offered his fealty on the conditions of having the skull of the burnt wilding king, a pardon for his brother Whoresbane, who is fighting under duress for the Boltons, due to his nephew being prisoner of the Freys." The prince replied.

"The Lord Commander is a coward, do not listen to him, Your Grace." One of his father's cowardly captains objected, urging the prince to want to slap him at the back of his head.

"You are all excused, apart from the Lord Commander and my son." The king commanded, with all the captains, bannermen and other men exiting the chamber.

Prince Jacob was glad, not to have any of those rebellious Queen's Men around. He will have to speak with Uncle Axell about disciplining the troublemakers in the war council. In his mind, Jacob knew Jon's knowledge was vital, and dismissing it would be a foolish mistake. As a former guest of the North, Jacob may know some of the noble houses, but he wasn't a man born and raised the North to know every detail about their lords and ladies. It must have been the reason why his father needed to keep Jon close to him.

In the chamber, it was just him, his father, Jon and the Lady Melisandre. The Red Woman's glare bristled the prince; he would be glad to never see her again, having to continue the war for his father, and giving him counsel. Jacob knew his father was a soldier, a commander and not one for playing the game of thrones, it was why he was needed by his side.

"You should consider my offer of Winterfell to you." King Stannis said, in a quieter tone.

"I cannot accept, Your Grace. Sansa is the rightful heir and I cannot forsake my vows." Jon refused, with his father's disgust fairly showing on his face.

On the other hand, Jacob was glad his father's ire was not directed at him for once, but understood why Jon refused the offer. For the sake of his honour, as a man of the Night's Watch and the Lord Commander; he was responsible for leading and organising the black brothers, making decisions on the wildling prisoners still stationed at the Wall and to prevent another civil war between the wildlings and the Night's Watch.

"I plan to reward Winterfell to Arnolf Karstark." The king said, reading through the unread letters.

"The Karstarks abandoned my half-brother in the war. He personally beheaded Lord Rickard for killing two Stark prisoners."

"Those prisoners being the sons of Ser Kevan Lannister, the sheep holding the throne for the child king." Prince Jacob said.

"I haven't heard from Davos in days. The absence is a sign of White Harbor being a lost cause."

"I promise a source of more men, if you allow me to keep the wildlings at the Wall, to occupy more of the abandoned forts, Your Grace." The Lord Commander said to the king.

"The decision is wise; the wildlings should stay on the Wall. The Northerners are already sceptical of us as it is, fighting a war against the staunch lords is one we cannot afford." The prince interjected.

"Recruiting the mountain clans would be more sufficient, with them being loyal to my father's memory. I suggest marching through the mountains to win the clansmen to your side, and then attack Deepwood Motte to defeat the Ironmen to rally the north on your side." Jon suggested.

"The plan is likely to be a success and it will impress the northmen enough for them to flock to my banners." The king agreed.

"I will have to warn you, Your Grace. The clansmen are deeply devout to the Old Gods, the presence of the Lady Melisandre will not be welcome."

"I will remain at the Wall with the queen and the princess." The Lady Melisandre said.

"The Ironborn would be weakened, only the dead craven's daughter remains in the castle, not having the full strength of the Iron Fleet or Ironborn men. She will be a worthy hostage, to get rid of the remaining Ironborn still in the North." The prince mused.

The prince's father rubbed his jaw. "When Balon Greyjoy rose against my brother, I beat the ironmen at sea, where they are the strongest. On land, taken unaware….aye. I won a victory over the wildlings and their King Beyond the Wall, with my son leading another half of my host. If I can smash the ironmen again, the north will know it has a king again."

"You are excused, Lord Commander." The prince said, rising his hand, signalling the Red Woman to leave as well.

"Of course, Your Grace."

The prince may be the closest person to his father Stannis, but he never understood why he made the choices he did. He wouldn't make the same choices himself, being the more politically minded of the two. Jacob was excited to continue the war, to have the opportunity to slaughter the remaining Ironborn in the North, along with the Boltons and Freys. At the back of his mind, the prince could see the anguish of his mother, begging his father not to send him to war again, having returned twice with scars and being scared for him. His mother was right to be afraid, he was the only son of a dying house and he was the future of House Baratheon, whether he liked it or not.

With the Red Woman and the Lord Commander left the council chamber; it was the prince and his father alone. Prince Jacob was less talkative, during the council meeting. He didn't want to impose on his father; he sensed his father must be angry with him, not wanting to tell the prince to his face.

"Do you have faith in Davos completing his diplomatic mission, Jacob?" Stannis said, in an iron tone.

"The Onion Knight has never failed you. He will succeed even if he has to give his life for you." Jacob replied.

"Marrying Arnolf's niece will happen after we have recaptured Winterfell."

"It's not a wise decision, father. I met this castellan once and know enough. The man and his relatives are snakes, they only pledged themselves to us in order to have Harrion killed by the Lannisters, and then assume the lordship of old Rickard's lands."

"You still hold hope for Davos securing the Manderly alliance."

"I know the urgency to marry quickly, it's only a matter of time before our enemies realise how my youth could cost them their allies. I would like to know why after Uncle Renly's death, why haven't you engaged me to Maid Margaery when you had the chance."

"The Tyrells and the Florents have been feuding, since the beginning of days. Such a marriage would not happen, if I had my way. Mace Tyrell and the fool Paxter Redwyne thought they could starve me into submission, since then your mother and I agreed to put all notions of such an alliance out of the window. On the other hand, I don't like any of these bannermen at all, especially the lickspittles that came over after Renly's death. I must make use for them, but the prideful Lord of Highgarden would cut off his left foot, before he would allow your mother's family to grasp power from him and his ilk. Unlike those loyal to the Tyrells, the ladies Melessa and Rhea, first cousins of yours once removed are married to powerful lords, who could persuade their husbands not to take arms against you."

"Speaking off first cousins once removed, what happened to Lord Alekyne Florent." Jacob asked.

"The last I heard, the man is seeking refuge in the Hightower to flee from the fat flower's second son and his army." Stannis answered.

"Do any of them know I'm alive?"

"They do not need to know, most in the south believe you to be dead and I would like to keep it that way. Let the dishonourables fight amongst themselves, and then Tyrell's own lords can turn on him."

"You shouldn't doubt Davos' loyalty to you. He is one of the only men, who stayed with you when we endured the loss on the Blackwater. He had to bare your own harsh and boorish character and never disobeyed you. You should reward him greatly, if he is able to secure White Harbor and a wife for me."

"You would choose a girl from Manderly's brood rather than marrying the Karstark girl."

"Father, we do not have much. We need provisions, food, men and gold to continue the war further and maybe survive the coming winter. If mother had her way, she would leave me unmarried and allowed the lords of Westeros to fight amongst themselves, it sounds more of an attractive idea than marrying anyone at all."

"Are you afraid of the sept, Jacob or are you trying to test my patience?" The king gritted between his teeth.

"As my father and king, it's your duty to inform mother and Shireen, who I will be marrying, unless you will inform her of not marrying me off anytime soon."

"Do you remember the wedding tourney you attended in Robert's stead? How you won the melee and attempted to win the hand of Lord Tyrell's daughter? It's their loss, you would have made a fine husband to whomever Robert had chosen from the Reacher families."

"Was it true what Uncle Renly said? Of how you, Uncle Robert and Jon Arryn were scheming to marry me off to Maid Margaery. Mother would not have liked it at all, along with the other Florents, whom most despise the Tyrells."

"It is true, but the wedding tourney put an end to those plans. Renly was always complaining, of how difficult it was to find you a suitable betrothal; he and Robert placed blame on me for some of your unappealing qualities, as if I raised you to be unlikable. I raised you to be a great man, but your uncles will always find fault in me, because of the rejections of potential brides and not being any closer to finding a betrothal. The reason why Robert was seeking out the Reacher families is because a king's nephew is desirable to them, after his own pretender children. You could be the foulest man in the Seven Kingdoms, and those courtly lords would still take you, as a husband for one of their maiden daughters, not out of love, but a desire to be closer to power and Iron Throne."

"You never told me any this before. Why now? Are you afraid of losing me to the war or marriage?"

"The war is tiring me out, Jacob. After this chaos and anarchy is over, I would like to meet my grandson before my eventual death. Of all the useless men and knights, I have around me, you are the only true man I trusted and had faith in, not because you are my son. You give me good council, advise me against those who wilfully try to ruin my campaign and still held faith in the Onion Knight, even though I mistrusted him, much to my regret."

"Ser Davos will return. He hasn't failed you yet, he stuck with you when lesser men abandoned you on the Blackwater. I assisted him in his learning to read and write, so he could be a good Hand to you and he was willing to be executed if it meant serving you well. You shouldn't doubt his loyalty; The Onion Knight's allegiance and honour is rare in Westeros, even the Florents who are only loyal because of me being the next king and my mother being Queen."

Jacob was amused, to see a smile appear on the face of his normally grim-faced father. "The day you were born, Robert feasted and drank until the morning. I gathered he was only delighted to have a nephew, who resembled him more than the children his wife bore. The next day, he would jest of how the Tyrells would be shitting themselves, not only was their claim to Highgarden fraudulent, as Lord Alester would say, a trueborn nephew of the king had the blood of the Gardener kings in his veins, it put more fear in the Tyrells and made them more cowardly and craven in that regard."

The prince began to laugh. It was a humourous image to see the Lord of Highgarden fearing for his wealth and position of power. Jacob was no friend of Mace Tyrell, after rejecting his suit for Margaery's hand and desperately wanting to suck up to his Uncle Robert. He knew the Fat Flower would be dead soon, and how Willas would make a better lord than his incompetent and short-minded father.

"Ironrath is still in hands of those traitor Whitehills. It would be prudent if you sent me to lead a force against them." Jacob asked.

"It would be foolish, I need you with me when we take Deepwood Motte. The Glovers know you and negotiations with them will be easier to stomach than if you were absent from my side." Stannis replied.

"I need to speak with the Lord Commander, before we leave the Wall. He might be able to listen to a man his own age, then one old enough to be his father."

"I would warn you, your friendship with the bastard boy will not end well. I need you to be focused and ready to counsel me always.

The prince lowered his head; he didn't want to listen to his father, only because he was wrong. He doesn't believe in having friends because he was bitter and cold himself. Jacob did things on his own terms, and didn't care for what his father suggested. He was going to speak with his old friend alone.

The abundance of wildlings on the Wall made Prince Jacob a lot more aware of his surroundings. He didn't care for them much, only if they didn't cross into the North and ruin his father's chances of getting the northmen under his banner.

The war council was on his mind, and how Jacob would have to face the field again and he will have to be strong, like the stag of his house sigil. He was the antlered warrior the wildlings saw cut down their forces in the snows, he was the iron prince who struck fear into the hearts of the enemy and his own men.

The man of eight and ten didn't care what others around him thought, he was to be their king and they would have to respect him. If they didn't, then they would join other treasonous men in the grave.

Some of the wildlings were intimated, looking away from the iron prince's scar under and above his eye. The scar was from the Battle of Blackwater, his first real battle. He begun to like the edged scar, it made him look fearsome and a warrior.

The prince went into the Lord Commander's Tower; its entrance still smelled like old smoke and the fire, which killed the Old Bear Commander. Some parts of the tower were restored, in no part done by brothers of the Watch, who still respected their Lord Commander, unlike some of the others.

A whisper escaped through the walls of the tower; the haunting voice echoed in the air. The first floor had been restored, even though the second was ruined. The whispers made Prince Jacob shiver through his bones, it was a haunted tower and he didn't understand why his old friend stayed there.

The prince pulled the door open, to see Jon in his small office. He didn't want to cause any discord between the Lord Commander and his king father. Prince Jacob only wanted to be the peacemaker, and to soothe things between the two sides. He gulped, not knowing how this conversation will go.

"I didn't expect you to come here, Your Grace." Jon said, looking at the prince in a stern manner.

"I wanted the opportunity to speak with you, before my father and I leave Castle Black." Jacob replied.

"You know how to reason with your father, even when other men are fearful of him."

"I am to rule after him. I know he can be blunt, angry and uptight, I fear for my father. The war is taking much from him, but he still has his strength and his will to fight. I'm not sure if the mountain clans will be welcoming of an Andal Faith worshipper like myself into their halls."

"As long as you appease them and give them a reason to fight for you."

"I heard things from your other black brothers, the ones who hate you. Is it true you had a wildling lover and it's why most of them hate you?"

"Why would that be of interest to you, Your Grace?" The Lord Commander wondered.

"I believe we have more in common than a persistent for honour and justice."

"My black brothers, they think of you as emotionless and cold. I believe them in some regard, but I would like to hear your side of the story, Your Grace?

Jacob's eyes softened, he hated himself for having any sense of vulnerability. "I wasn't always cold, Lord Commander. There was a time when I did have feelings, but I locked them away when various people I cared about started to die off like flies. I'll tell you a story, something I only told the Onion Knight and no one else. I might have slipped a few words to my sister, but she would bestow pity on me, as if she could make me feel better."

"I'm interested to hear it, Your Grace."

"I always envied the more handsome men, like my uncle Renly, Ser Loras and your brother Robb. The jolly and friendly fools, they could get anyone to like them for nothing. My father raised me to be a strong lord, and a strong lord I became. I was sent to Highgarden when I was young, to be raised in the home of a man, who almost starved my father to death. When I came of age; I won a melee and asked for Margaery Tyrell's hand, but her father rejected my suit. I know what men say about me, how I am uncaring or have no love in my heart. There was a time I did. I did love someone, but that love soured and rotted like a past gone peach."

"You were kind to Samwell, even when other brothers of the Watch make japes at his expense."

"Samwell is kin to me, his mother Melessa being my first cousin once removed from House Florent, it's difficult to recall any of my relatives, most of them I have never met and others I have met once. None of them are true to me, Jon. They only see me as advancement for House Florent and nothing more.

"Is it the reason why you are closer to your Baratheon kin than your Florent kin?"

"Being fostered in the Reach wasn't so bad; the fruit harvested tasted great, the wine was sweeter and there was always a tourney once in a moon. As a ward of the Tyrells, I was accustomed to meeting with their bannermen on a regular basis. I…. took a liking to Lord Redwyne's daughter Desmera, she was one of the only girls in the Reach who didn't fear me. She was a beauty, but not a greater beauty than her cousin Maid Margaery. Her visits to Highgarden were the only times I had with her, before she went home to the Arbor. I began to resent her, for crawling her way into my heart without permission. I loved Desmera, but I was foolish to think she was any different to the power hungry southerners. Her father commanded her to stop seeing me, as Lord Redwyne was to betroth her to some lord. I guessed the lucky groom was Dickon Tarly, reasonable boy and dutiful son to his father. I would have been happy for them both, much to my displeasure. Paxter Redwyne hated my father and wanted revenge for his and Mace Tyrell's ill thought siege. He would rather cut off his sword hand rather suffice the idea of his only daughter's courtly love being the son of Stannis Baratheon."

"Why would tell me all this, Your Grace? I'm just the Lord Commander, doesn't your father know."

"No….I trust the Onion Knight with secrets like these. My father makes it no secret he held his grudge against the Reacher lords, who tried to starve him. Rightfully so, the bannermen of the Fat Flower underestimated my father's strength and will. He may not have as much as the other usurpers in this war, but my father never forgot why he was fighting for the throne. For the kingdoms to have a strong ruler to repair the realm and to avenge the dishonour on our house."

"Admirable goals, Your Grace. You have changed, you were not the man I met at Winterfell, who treated me like an equal among Lord Stark's trueborn children."

"War changes people, Jon. I have killed a great deal of men, and I am going to kill more. As a southerner, it will be a challenge to survive the northern snowstorms. I will endure it for my father, as I must do everything else."

"My apologises, Your Grace. For refusing your father's offer, I stand by my vows to the Night's Watch."

"It matters not, you have honour. Ned Stark and your brother Robb had honour, but honour and ignorance of the game has led them to the grave. My father will get over it; he has more important things to focus on and might reward Winterfell to a loyal Northman. Rest assure, I will never allow that snake Arnolf and his kin to have the seat of House Stark, as long as I have my father's ear and counsel. I know an opportunist when I see one, and Arnolf Karstark is no different than a Tyrell."

"I guess this will the last time we will speak with one another." The Lord Commander said.

"I will miss it, having someone trustworthy around me. I don't have men like you around, only Sorrell, but he is not for small talk being my sworn shield. Lord Davos is away and I do not know when he will be returning to my father's side."

"The Night's Watch is grateful for the assistance provided from you and your father, Your Grace. It's good to see a king, who cares for the struggles of the Wall. With most of them fighting a war, I didn't expect any help to come to the Wall."

"You should meet Ser Davos one day; he would appreciate another man of honour such as himself. He maybe of humble birth, but he knew better than most of those lords and bannermen, who would rather leave Castle Black to be sacked and pillaged by the wildlings. I hope to see my mother and sister again, before I take the field once more."

The thought of his mother Selyse and sister Shireen softened the prince's heart. He has grown accustomed to being separated from the most important people in his life. As a prince, a warrior and the last son of House Baratheon, it was Jacob's duty to assist his father on the field of battle and in war councils. He was a man of eight and ten, but his beard and physical changes made him look older, which made him look every inch a warrior of the Stormlands. However, he had shrewd intelligence, from being taken under the wing of the Queen of Thorns, as a young child and learned the game of the high lords through a clever, sharp old woman, who had power through her oaf son.

Jacob was going to miss Jon; it didn't matter because could make new friends among the northerners, who are rebelling against the Boltons and Freys. As the heir of Stannis Baratheon, he wasn't afraid of lords, who would flay their enemies rather than face them on the field or those, who would hide under a bridge to avoid a war. He may not like war, but he only fought for the memory for his Uncle Robert, who had been made a motley of by the Lannisters and his council.

The prince was older and might be strong enough to wield his uncle's Warhammer. He had trained with it when he was younger. He would like to smash the hammer between the ribs of the Kingslayer, the Leech Lord and the Lord Troll of the Twins, who should be living under the bridge, like the rest of his hideous kind. He ached to be with his mother, he maybe a man grown, but he still needed his mother's comforts until he was to go to war again.

Jacob was glad not to be here any longer. His thirst for blood was greater than it was before, and his sword Limos hungered for it. The prince was willing to oblige his sword's need for traitor's blood, and the blood of those who stand in his father's path towards his rightful throne.