Dragonstone, the Painted Table Chamber.
Cold, damp sea wind poured through the tall arched windows, making the flames in the hearth flicker and casting wavering shadows across the enormous stone table carved with the whole of Westeros.
Stannis Baratheon stood at the spot representing King's Landing.
He slammed his clenched fist into the hard stone table with a dull crash, his knuckles reddening instantly.
"Eddard Stark!"
He ground his teeth, every word laden with towering fury. "That hypocritical Northerner! He made a show of seeking an alliance and warning me, but all along he only wanted to use me as a stepping stone for his ambitions. I truly underestimated that direwolf's cunning. He dared to hide a Targaryen whelp in Winterfell for more than a decade, biding his time without making a move, coldly watching us brothers turn on one another and waiting to reap the rewards. So much for Stark 'honor'!"
Davos Seaworth stood beside him, his brow deeply furrowed and his weathered face full of confusion. "My lord, then-were the clues about the princes' and princess's parentage false? Was it a trap Stark laid?"
Stannis wheeled around, his lean cheeks taut with anger and a cold light flashing in his eyes. "No, Davos. Before Jon Arryn died, he and I had already confirmed the secret behind those children's hair color. Those three children are indeed not of Robert's blood."
He paused, his voice growing grimmer. "But Eddard Stark's actions were the truly vicious part. He did not report it to the king or tell the Hand. Instead, he chose to inform me alone in that chaotic place, Tyrosh. He wanted me to be the villain who lanced this abscess, to clash head-on with Robert and the Lannisters, while he held the true Targaryen prince in his arms and