Davos III

It had been eighteen days. Eighteen days of being held prisoner in large airy and well-furnished chambers, with a view of the city's streets and the harbor in New Castle. The Onion Knight maybe a guest on the outside, but he was a hostage with guards stationed outside the doors. He was a man of value, as the Hand to the rightful king of the Seven Kingdoms and had royal seals to prove it.

"I may be seeing Lord Manderly soon, not as an envoy, but as a hostage. There is so much on the line with treating with one of the fattest lords in the Seven Kingdoms. The war effort in the North, seeking a bride for Prince Jacob and to gain an ally for Stannis. The Queen may be right on one thing, she may not like whichever granddaughter Manderly chooses for the prince, but she will do her duty to guide the poor girl through this war and the aftermath."

Ser Davos would have prayed to the Seven, for the sake of Lord Manderly's granddaughters, who are forced to marry men below their stations, and are from a house known for ugliness and cutthroats. He was given food throughout the eighteen days, which signified he was a guest of some sorts, but his hosts would never deprive him without sustenance to keep him alive.

The political situation was not all in black and white. Lord Wyman Manderly was weary of all the fighting and violence surrounding his house and the North, but the man was a coward, who allowed the Boltons and other traitor houses to have power over him and other Stark loyalists in the North.

The Onion Knight didn't like this business, but he knew this marriage was vital to the cause, and how it would be difficult to convince an already afraid lord to abandon his safety and the safety of his people to marry off one of his granddaughters to a man of high birth.

"My king chooses me out of all the men in his retinue. He knew the prince and I have been bonded, since he was a babe at his mother's breast. Of all the loyal men, I know what's in the best interests of the heir to the throne. Not men like Axell Florent, who suck up to the prince to gain favour from the king and never knew what his favourite book was nor do they know him beneath his titles."

Ser Davos was willing to die, in attempt to cement this alliance before King Stannis pushes his son onto the Karstark girl, another bride in consideration. There was no shortage of northern brides available for the prince, but the king will have to choose carefully and choose soon, the prince maybe a man of eight and ten, but time was of the essence and his availability will be known to the rest of the Seven Kingdoms.

It was a possibility Lord Manderly may have knowledge of the prince being dead, like the rest of the kingdoms. Killed at the Battle of Blackwater, it had been true for a while but Prince Jacob returned with a greying hair colour and a new sworn shield from the south at his side.

The Onion Knight was no consultant in terms of marriage pacts, but he had a mission. To hopefully secure an alliance with the Manderlys for gold, provisions and men in exchange for a suitable husband for one of Lord Manderly's two granddaughters. In the end, Davos will choose the girl, based on whether Prince Jacob could grow to love her and the eventual marriage can last forever.

Davos had full confidence in his prince, even though others in the king's court many not. Prince Jacob was a changed man; he wasn't the boy, who would refrain from any socialisation with other men of his station, but he had grown up to become more engaged in politics and court intrigue.

The doors opened for a man to appear with few guards behind him. He was over six feet tall and was stout. The man's beard was greying, as were the colour of his eyes. His beard reminded him of Prince Jacob's short lived new hair colour when he returned. He wears armour of silver, with flowing seaweed engravements on it. The man's helm made him look fearsome, but over a head taller than Davos meant he wouldn't push his luck with this knight.

The Onion Knight was seized by the stout man and a hand full of household guards. He may have been treated like a guest, but he didn't know his situation being inside a keep, which housed Freys.

"I'm growing used to being seized by guards of various lords, it comes with being the Hand of a king most people in the Seven Kingdoms despise. Fools, if what the robber lord said in Sweetsister was true, then none of them know the prince is alive, a man grown and unmarried."

He was familiar with the Commander of the White Harbor garrison, being the cousin of Lord Manderly and the man responsible for making sure he was comfortable, during his stay and having a sustainable meal through the eighteen days. Ser Davos was thankful towards the Seven, for getting him this far on his journey, even though it pained him to be away from the prince and princess again.

At the back of his mind, Davos was fortunate to have found another ally in the Reachman Grimm.

The new sworn shield of Prince Jacob and a man, who worshipped the Seven, as much as any one of the King's Men did, but he was not one of them, due to his obvious dislike for the king. Ser Sorrell was a different man than what Davos expected, which was a self-centred southerner only concerned with his own self ambitions, but this man could fight and took his oaths to heart, even though the man was previously a sailor at Oldtown.

"The cousin of Lord Manderly was a pleasant man, but the man is doing his duty to his lord. Treating with the lord of the keep will take some cunning and some careful persuasion, but learning from Prince Jacob on how to speak to high lords and play the game of thrones, I am prepared to represent my king's cause and to persuade Lord Manderly to abandon his fruitless alliance with the Freys, a house responsible for the murder of one of his sons and many other northmen and rivermen slaughtered at that gods forsaken wedding."

The Onion Knight still had his royal seals with him. As proof of his status as Hand to the rightful king of the Seven Kingdoms, and he had an extended role of playing matchmaker for Prince Jacob, but he was ready to embrace such a role for a man, he considered another son of his. It wasn't an easy task, as it involved the potential of everything going wrong for him.

This treating could go south, for how the Freys could manipulate the situation in their favour and try and have him killed, only for speaking for his king.

Ser Davos couldn't fail, the prince personally asked him to find him a wife from House Manderly, in attempt to disrupt his father's plot of marrying him off to the dead Lord Karstark's daughter. The prince saw the Manderlys were worthier allies for his father in terms of funding the rest of the war and to help them all survive the winter.

The guards were not mishandling him, in the way the robber lord's guards did on Sweetsister. It seemed Northerners treated their guests or hostages with a sense of humanity and respect. He didn't expect the treatment to last forever, it depended on what Lord Manderly thought of him.

The Onion Knight took a deep breath, with him standing in front of wide, blue-green double doors engraved with the merman and the trident. It was a sigil to be proud of; it looked fearsome in its larger form. The guards behind could get in front and force the doors to open, and take him inside.

Ser Davos, still being held by two guards was brought before a crowded court, with many of the guests focusing their eyes up on him. The floors, walls, and ceiling were made of wooden planks placed together and engraved with all creatures of the sea. The other end of the hall was a dais, where there was a large cushioned throne, it was occupied by a very large man with a booming laugh and dressed in the blue and green colours of the hall. By his description and what was told to him days before, this was Lord Wyman Manderly and Ser Davos was a jester in this man's court.

Behind the dais a kraken and grey leviathan were locked in battle beneath the painted waves. The hall was grand, and many of the guests looked different. Ser Davos suspected those sitting on the table on the left were the Frey delegation, due to their weasel looks and glaring at the ladies of the court with them turning away and fearing to look repulsed by the Frey men. His head was held up high; he was the Hand of the King, to the rightful king of the Seven Kingdoms and he was here to negotiate alliances and a possible marriage pact between House Baratheon and House Manderly.

On the right side of the throne were women, whom were members of House Manderly. One of the women had long yellow hair with her face being rounded and pink. She was quite plump, dressed in a turquoise blue gown and looked her nose down upon Ser Davos. Two other younger women stood with the older woman, with one of them having a long brown hair bound in a braid, but the other young lady stood out amongst the guests of the court with her own hair being in a green colour.

The Onion Knight remembered what Prince Jacob told him of House Manderly. Of the women of the household consisted of the captive Wylis Manderly's lady wife Leona, formerly of House Woolfield, his daughters the ladies Wylla and Wynafryd. Ser Davos reminded himself of how Ser Wylis Manderly was a hostage of the Lannisters, and how they would like to see him returned home.

"You are should kneel before me; you are in my court in the presence of my family and good Frey friends Jared, Rhaegar and Symond." Lord Wyman said, catching the attention of all those in his hall.

"I requested a private audience with you, my lord." Ser Davos replied, remembering what Prince Jacob taught him about the game of thrones.

"You are in no such position to be requesting, such a thing smuggler. You will kneel before Lord Manderly; you are in his halls after all." One of the Freys in the delegation sneered.

"I refuse, due to my status as Hand to the true king of the Seven Kingdoms."

"Rightful king, the man you serve is nothing but blasphemy in the name of the Faith. He is the same man who sent his son to die in his thoughtless war leaving him depleted and destroyed." Lady Leona said harshly.

"He means nothing, good daughter. He is a smuggler in service to man, who couldn't even get a grandson out of his abnormal son, before his death. It's a shame, a young man had to die for his father's worthless ambition to sit on a throne that doesn't belong to him by rights."

"My lord, those of House Frey are responsible for the death of your son and others, who have been slaughtered at that damned wedding."

"The Red Wedding was the Young Wolf's work. He changed into a beast before our eyes and ripped out the throat of my cousin Jinglebell, a harmless simpleton. He would have slain my lord father, if Ser Wendel had not put himself in harm's way." The second of the Freys argued.

"Is it your claim that Robb Stark killed Wendel Manderly?" Ser Davos questioned.

"And many more. My own son Tytos was among the dead, and my daughter's husband. When Stark changed into a wolf, his northmen did the same. The mark of the beast was on them all. Wargs birth other wargs with a bite, it's well-known. It was all my brothers and I could do to put them down before they slaughtered us all."

"Ser, may I have your name?" The Onion Knight asked.

"Ser Jared, of House Frey." The second of the Freys, said with his voice radiating arrogance.

"Jared of House Frey, I name you a liar. Those of your house broke guest right, by killing those who ate bread and drunk wine in your own halls. Your house and the Boltons plotted to slay the Young Wolf, the northmen and the rivermen who were loyal to him."

"You are traitor, smuggler. To speak against the Iron Throne and King Tommen, you should learn to respect your betters." Lady Leona said sourly, "You come here, spreading lies and peddling treason under my good father's roof."

"Tommen is a usurper, and not a true son of Robert Baratheon, and therefore Robert's brother Stannis has a truer claim to the Iron Throne."

"What proof to do you have of such accusations, other than a jealous man's ambition to steal the throne from his own nephew, shameful." Lord Wyman resided.

"You have been told lies, my lord. Stannis's son and heir is not dead; he survived the Blackwater and bypassed Tyrell forces to return to his father. Those loyal to Stannis, especially those of House Florent are only fighting for him because of his son, who looks just like King Robert and has his warrior skill on the battlefield. His looks are akin to any trueborn Baratheon of black hair and blue eyes. If Stannis's son had died on the Blackwater, then the southerners in his army would have deserted him a long ago."

"You speak lies, smuggler. You and Stannis Baratheon are responsible for bringing an apostate sorceress onto our shores, who has been converting people to abandon the Faith in favour of a god, whose worshipers burn men alive. Isn't it true, Stannis's wife was one of the first converts? Lady Leona replied.

The Onion Knight couldn't blame Lady Leona. She was speaking against him out of fear. She was afraid for her husband, who was a captive of the Lannisters. Ser Davos knew the Lady Melisandre's presence made King Stannis unpopular, and caused potential allies to turn away from him, due to her and the Queen's Men trying to convert His Grace, the King and his son the Prince into worshipping R'hllor with them.

"The Lady Melisandre is a priestess of the red god. Queen Selyse and others have converted to her faith. The men who have adopted her faith call themselves the Queen's Men, but there are more of His Grace's followers who keep to the Faith of the Seven, myself included. Prince Jacob himself worships the faith and opposes the presence of the Red Woman, if he had been king, then she would have been put to death long ago." Ser Davos explained.

Lord Wyman glares at Ser Davos, he has a right of it. He was a stranger in this man's halls, but he allowed his good daughter and his Frey allies to mock him. He thanked the Seven many times, for Prince Jacob being alive or this delegation would have gone another way, and it would have ended with him with his head removed from his shoulders.

"Ser Onion Knight, what does Stannis Baratheon offer me in return for my allegiance to his already depleting cause?" Lord Wyman said, in a stern tone.

"The chance to do your duty." Ser Davos replied, "And for one of your granddaughters to be queen."

"What about your king's strength? How many allies does he have to his cause? Is his strength strong enough to take on the Boltons?" Ser Marlon questions.

The Onion Knight knew the answer in his own mind. King Stannis didn't have much, but it would have been much less if Prince Jacob had died on the Blackwater. The Florents may have stayed, with a daughter of their own house being Stannis's queen, but in their minds a son and heir was better for advancement of their house and to have Florent blood on the throne for generations to come.

"His silence only proves my point. Allying with Stannis will only bring us defeat and death." Ser Marlon declared.

"What does Stannis offer you? Vengeance, for my sons and yours, for your husbands, your fathers, and your brothers. Vengeance for your murdered lord, your murdered king, your butchered princes and the hand of one of your granddaughters for his son Prince Jacob."

"Yes. They killed Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn and King Robb. He was our king! He was brave and good and the Freys murdered him. If Lord Stannis will avenge him, we should join Lord Stannis." The young lady with the greenish blonde braid announced.

"Be silent, Wylla. You must not speak ill of our Frey friends, one of them will be your lord husband soon." The young woman with the brown braid said harshly. She must be the elder sister to the girl, who bravely spoke out against the Freys.

"Grandfather may want you to marry a Frey, but I refuse to marry Little Walder. I would rather marry Prince Jacob than wed a boy from a house, who murdered our liege lord."

"Wylla, every time you open your mouth. You make me want to send you to the silent sisters. Speak out of turn again, and it will be your reality." Lord Wyman shouted.

"I know about the promise…..Maester Theomore, tell them! A thousand years ago before the Conquest, a promise was made, and oaths were sworn in the Wolf's Den before the old gods and the new. When we were sore, beset and friendless, hounded from our homes in peril of our lives, the wolves took us in and nourished us and protected us against our enemies. The city was built upon the land they gave us. In return, we swore that we should always be their men. Stark men."

"The Starks are all gone, my lady." The maester pointed out.

"That's because they killed them all!"

"Wylla has always been a wilful child, always speaking childish nonsense. I fear she will make a wilful wife." Lady Wynafryd said, in a stern tone.

"Marriage will soften her, I have no doubt. A firm hand, a quiet word and Little Walder should curb her wildness." Rhaegar Frey said, in a tone of disgust and malice.

The Onion Knight admired the Lady Wylla, she may have been young, but she was intelligent enough to see who the true enemies were. She was braver than most of the men in the room, who would cower before the Freys and their lord's cowardice. The young lady's wilfulness was a quality Prince Jacob wanted to find in future wife, a woman who was equal to him in shrewd intelligence. The girl's sister, the Lady Wynafryd was at age with Prince Jacob, but Ser Davos saw her trying to protect her sister from the threat of punishment from her lord grandfather and their Frey allies in attendance.

"Arya Stark is still alive, and on her way to wed Ramsay Bolton, and therefore you should give your allegiance to him, as he will soon be Lord of Winterfell." Rhaegar Frey insisted.

"Why should I give my allegiance to a monster, who terrorised the people of Hornwood, and made his last wife eat her own fingers?" Lady Wylla replied, with her arms folded.

"Be silent, Wylla or otherwise your lord grandfather will send you to the silent sisters. You should behave yourself like your sister." Lady Leona hissed.

"Robb Stark was the real monster, faithless and greedy. He betrayed us all. He abandoned the North to the cruel mercies of the Ironborn to carve out a fairer kingdom for himself on the Trident. Then he abandoned the Riverlords, who had risked much and more for him, breaking his marriage pact with my grandfather to wed the first western wench, who caught his eye. Young Wolf? He was a vile dog and died like one." The Third Frey man snarled, "King Tommen is the only hope for peace in Westeros, all Stannis will bring chaos and will force us all to worship the red bitch's demon god and will kill all he deems his enemies."

"I agree with Rhaegar, King Tommen will bring prosperity and peace to the Seven Kingdoms and your throne less king will seek to destroy us all." Lord Wyman replied.

"He is lying, they are all lying. King Tommen is only a boy, the Lannisters rule in his name. Lord Stannis and his son will stop the Boltons." Wylla protested, causing her lady mother to drag her out of the halls, for her disobedience and for stirring trouble for the Freys in the audience.

Ser Davos wished Prince Jacob had been with him, to prove to these highborns of him being alive. They might have believed Jacob's words, being highborn himself and the nephew of a dead king.

"I will never consider an alliance with Stannis Baratheon. If what my good daughter says is true, then I will not foolishly ally myself with a man, who has abandoned the faith and gotten his own son killed for his ambitions. Guards, seize this smuggler and get him out of my sight." Lord Wyman said, with his guards seizing Ser Davos.

"I am an envoy, my lord. Of the rightful king." The Onion Knight protested.

"Are you? You came into my city like a smuggler. I say you are no lord, no knight or envoy, only a thief and a spy, a peddler of lies and treasons. I should have your tongue ripped out with hot pincers and deliver you to the Dreadfort to be flayed, but the Mother is merciful, and, so am I?" Lord Wyman said, in a kindly tone.

At the back of his mind, the Onion Knight knew this was a lost cause. The Lord of White Harbor turned to Ser Marlon, the captain of his guard and commanded.

"Cousin, take this lowly creature to the Wolf's Den, and cut off his head and hands. I want them brought to me before I sup tonight. I will not eat another bite until I see this smuggler's head upon a spike with an onion shoved between his lying, treasonous teeth."