It was the same with the other lordlings. He could trust none of them, nor would they ever include him in their private councils. This is an important fact when considering Seven Kingdoms' society, and it is perfectly embodied in Davos's experience.
Modern Western society considers crashing through the glass ceiling to be a mark of excellence, of succeeding in the world, but in the Seven Kingdoms, the social stratum is much more ridged. People are born where they belong and should work hard to be the best their birth allowed, whether knight or baker or lordling. After all, if you were supposed to be a knight, you would have been born into a knight's family.
This is why Davos is scorned in the quote above and why he tells Cressen, "To them I'll always be the Onion Knight" 1.
By moving up in the world, Davos has disrupted the social structure. His becoming a knight suggests that anyone can do it well, anyone brave enough at least. And if anyone can do it, then is it really that special to be a knight? The same is true of Davos's sons, but Davos consoles him by reminding himself, " My grandsons will joust with theirs though, and one day their blood may wed with mine. In time my little black ship will fly as high as Velaryon's seahorse or Celtigar's red crab " Assuming Stannis wins the Iron Throne, of course.
Instead, Stannis sees Davos as a valuable and loyal knight because, well, he is. Davos is also honest with Stannis when the other lords are too busy kissing up, making Stannis remark, "He makes me wish I had more smugglers in my service" He is again imprisoned to appease the Lannisters and the Freys. Lord Manderly reportedly has Davos killed.
This is ordered by the Lannisters, before his heir will be released from Lannister custody, but it is an act. A criminal is executed and Davos is sent on a mission to try and find one of the Stark heirs who was seen traveling to Skagos by Wex Pyke , the squire of Theon Greyjoy , who survived the slaughter when Ramsay Snow took Winterfell. Recent blog posts Forum. Explore Wikis Community Central. Register Don't have an account? Davos Seaworth. Edit source History Talk 0.
My lords bannermen are inconstant even in their treasons. I need them, but you should know how it sickens me to pardon such as these when I have punished better men for lesser crimes. You have every right to reproach me, Ser Davos. You must have these great lords to win your throne-" "Fingers and all, it seems. Unthinking, Davos raised his maimed hand to the pouch at his throat, and felt the fingerbones within.
The king saw the motion. You have not lost them? I have often wondered. Where I came from. They remind me of your justice, my liege. Each should have its own reward.
You were a hero and a smuggler. Good men and true will fight for Joffrey, wrongly believing him the true king. A northman might even say the same of Robb Stark. But these lords who flocked to my brother's banners knew him for a usurper. They turned their backs on their rightful king for no better reason than dreams of power and glory, and I have marked them for what they are.
Pardoned them, yes. But not forgotten. And then, abruptly, he said, "What do the smallfolk say of Renly's death? Your brother was well loved. For the boy he was, not the man he grew to be. I cannot speak for what they said once we had sailed. We met both sorts. And there is another tale being spread as well-" "Yes. My daughter fathered by a halfwit jester! A tale as vile as it is absurd. Renly threw it in my teeth when we met to parley.
You would need to be as mad as Patchface to believe such a thing. I will have justice for him. Aye, and for Ned Stark and Jon Arryn as well. For a long time the king did not speak. Then, very softly, he said, "I dream of it sometimes. Of Renly's dying. A green tent, candles, a woman screaming. And blood. Your Devan will tell you.
He tried to wake me. Dawn was nigh and my lords were waiting, fretting. I should have been ahorse, armored. I knew Renly would attack at break of day. Devan says I thrashed and cried out, but what does it matter? It was a dream. I was in my tent when Renly died, and when I woke my hands were clean.
Something is wrong here, the onetime smuggler thought. Yet he nodded and said, "I see. At our parley. Mocked me, defied me, threatened me, and offered me a peach. I thought he was drawing a blade and went for mine own.
Was that his purpose, to make me show fear? Or was it one of his pointless jests? When he spoke of how sweet the peach was, did his words have some hidden meaning? He brought his doom on himself with his treason, but I did love him, Davos. I know that now. I swear, I will go to my grave thinking of my brother's peach. The stink of horse dung was heavy in the air, mingled with the woodsmoke and the smell of cooking meat.
Stannis reined up long enough to bark a brusque dismissal to Lord Florent and the others, commanding them to attend him in his pavilion one hour hence for a council of war. They bowed their heads and dispersed, while Davos and Melisandre rode to the king's pavilion. The tent had to be large, since it was there his lords bannermen came to council. Yet there was nothing grand about it.
It was a soldier's tent of heavy canvas, dyed the dark yellow that sometimes passed for gold. Only the royal banner that streamed atop the center pole marked it as a king's. That, and the guards without; queen's men leaning on tall spears, with the badge of the fiery heart sewn over their own. Grooms came up to help them dismount. One of the guards relieved Melisandre of her cumbersome standard, driving the staff deep into the soft ground. Devan stood to one side of the door, waiting to lift the flap for the king.
An older squire waited beside him. Stannis took off his crown and handed it to Devan. Davos, attend me. My lady, I shall send for you when I require you. After the brightness of the morning, the interior of the pavilion seemed cool and dim.
Stannis seated himself on a plain wooden camp stool and waved Davos to another. If only to irk Celtigar and Florent. You will not thank me, though. It will mean you must suffer through these councils, and feign interest in the braying of mules.
And I need them to haul my cart. Oh, to be sure, once in a great while some useful notion is put forth. But not today, I think-ah, here's your son with our water. The king sprinkled a pinch of salt in his cup before he drank; Davos took his water straight, wishing it were wine.
Lord Velaryon will urge me to storm the castle walls at first light, grapnels and scaling ladders against arrows and boiling oil. The young mules will think this a splendid notion. Estermont will favor settling down to starve them out, as Tyrell and Redwyne once tried with me.
That might take a year, but old mules are patient. And Lord Caron and the others who like to kick will want to take up Ser Cortnay's gauntlet and hazard all upon a single combat.
Each one imagining he will be my champion and win undying fame. The Lannisters do. A siege would take too long, single combat is too chancy, and an assault would cost thousands of lives with no certainty of success.
And there is no need. Once you dethrone Joffrey this castle must come to you with all the rest. It is said about the camp that Lord Tywin Lannister rushes west to rescue Lannisport from the vengeance of the northmen. And fewer lords. Though you are wrong in one respect, Davos. There is a need.
If I leave Storm's End untaken in my rear, it will be said I was defeated here. And that I cannot permit. Men do not love me as they loved my brothers. They follow me because they fear me. The castle must fall.
Doran Martell has called his banners and fortified the mountain passes. His Dornishmen are poised to sweep down onto the Marches. The queen's men had destroyed the sept. Ser Hubard Rambton and his sons tried to defend it, but he was slain along with one son and the others were thrown in prison along with Septon Barre. Lord Guncer then told Stannis he could no longer support him, and he was thrown in prison too. Lords Ardrian , Duram , and Monford are there, but seem uncomfortable.
Davos is also uncomfortable, but owes Stannis everything. His son Devan is squire to Stannis, his wife Marya is mistress of a keep, and his two youngest sons 1 will hopefully be knighted someday. In return for all these favors, Davos's loyalty is unwavering. Melisandre proclaims that it is written that at the end of a long summer when the stars bleed and darkness covers the land Azor Ahai shall be reborn and draw Lightbringer , a flaming sword, from the fire and destroy the darkness.
She bids Stannis to come forth. His squires, Devan and Bryen Farring , prepare him as Patchface sings of flames under the sea.
Stannis reaches into the flames and pulls out a sword that had been thrust into the Mother; the sword glows with a green flame. Stannis has to drop the sword afterwards and soon departs. Davos notices that the sword is a charred ruin.
Further out in the harbor is Salladhor Saan 's flagship, Valyrian. Davos turns aside and enters an inn.
Inside, Davos spies Salladhor Saan and joins him. They have been friends a long time, and it was Davos who traveled to Lys on behalf of Stannis to recruit the banker, smuggler, and pirate who styles himself the Prince of the Narrow Sea.
One of Salladhor's trading ships, Bird of a Thousand Colors , is just arrived with news. The city is not well defended as there are too few men. Renly has left Highgarden and marches on King's Landing.
Salladhor does not believe that the sword Stannis pulled out of the fire was Lightbringer and is grateful for it. He tells the story of the forging of the original sword.
According to legend, Azor Ahai forged Lightbringer when a great darkness was upon the land. He spent thirty days and thirty nights in a temple forging the blade in sacred fires, but when he tempered it in water, the sword shattered. The next forging took fifty days and nights and Azor Ahai tempered it by plunging the blade into the heart of a lion, but once again he failed. For the third attempt, Azor Ahai worked the forge for a hundred days and nights and then summoned his wife, Nissa Nissa , to plunge the blade into her breast.
By sacrificing the thing he loved most in the world, Azor Ahai was able to complete Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes. Salladhor takes his leave, and Davos departs soon after. That evening, Devan comes with a summons from Stannis.
On his way to see the king, he is stopped by Ser Axell. Axell served as castellan of Dragonstone for ten years while Stannis served on the small council , but has lately become one of the foremost of the queen's men who are fanatically devoted to the Lord of Light. He is particularly fervent this night and claims that he saw a vision in the flames, as the priests of the Lord of Light are supposed to be able to from time to time.
Stannis is attended by Maester Pylos when Davos arrives. Stannis shows Davos a letter, but Davos cannot read, though his youngest sons Daven, Stannis , and Steffon can.
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