Chapter Text
Ten Years Later
Stannis smiled as he dismounted, the complete raucous of small voices reaching him as soon as his feet reached the ground. It sounded like a herd of elephants running their way.
“Were we like this, father?”
“Worse, there were twice as many of you” Stannis laughed at Dale’s look of horror.
Now age twenty and one, Dale had taken on the mantle of his father as Viscount Rainwood. Dale had traveled with Stannis for many years, working with him closely as an advisor and trusted son. In turn Stannis taught him everything he would know to be a man of the ton. Dale had grown into the image of his father and sometimes Stannis would look over and imagine his friend was here once more.
“Father!” Little Davos’ voice reached him as the boy flung himself into his arms. Stannis caught him easily, thanks to a decade of practise with rowdy boys and hugged his son close.
“Gods you’ve grown” Stannis kissed the boys forehead. At ten years old Davos was Stannis’ double, tall, slender and with the Baratheon sharp gaze that made him a shrewd negotiator. Even if it was just for ten more minutes before bedtime.
“Wait till you see Alayne!” Davos laughed loudly, his best friend and brother Steffon Seaworth at his side and next to embrace him.
Stannis rose back to his full height to see Allard, Matthos, Maric, Devon and Little Stannis emerging from the yard. The boys, now men aging twenty to four and ten, were training under the watchful gaze of Sandor Clegane and protecting their mother at Winterfell. Soon Allard and Matthos would ride south with Stannis to serve in the kingsguard.
He hugged them all, glad to be back at home, his true home, with his family. They were a large family now, the 7 Seaworth boys and the 4 Baratheon children making for a full house. His wife would joke that she had spent the better part of her life raising children, she could do it in her sleep. He often times felt the same. Once the idea of being a father had been terrifyingly foreign to him, not it was second nature.
A flash of red caught his gaze and he turned to see 3 more children emerge from the keep. He smiled at Elrick, now 8, Cassana and Alayne as they ran to him and he crouched once more to pull them into his arms.
Elrick Baratheon Stark, heir to Winterfell, was every inch a Northern lord and already as stubborn as his mother. And his girls, his precious princesses Cassana and Alayne, ages 6 and 4, were Stannis’ beauties. The poor girls had 9 older brothers watching out for them, a good thing considering they had their mother’s beauty down to the Tully blue eyes and fiery hair. Davos was right, Alayne had gotten tall in the two moons he was away.
And there she was, he watched his proud Queen of the North as she emerged from the keep, her stomach once again rounded with child as she moved to his side.
“Gods you’re beautiful” He pulled her close, kissing her deeply. “I can’t wait to get you alone” he promised her.
“I’ve missed you” she smiled, kissing him briefly before moving to hug Dale. “My darling.”
“Hello Mother” Dale kissed her cheek in greeting. At some point, all of the boys had started calling them ‘mother’ and ‘father’, and it only made sense, they were the only parents they could remember.
“Come” Sansa smiled. “We’re going to feast tonight to celebrate Dale’s viscounty.”
Stannis followed his wife inside, while Dale stayed with his brothers, laughing in the yard. Stannis paused to shake the hand of the sinister form of Sandor Clegane. The Hound had proven a dedicated sworn shield, making sure all of the Seaworth boys were damned good knights.
Though his duties to the Southron realm called him away often, he was at home in Winterfell as much as possible. He was home for the birth of each of his four children, holding Sansa as they came into the world. Soothing her pain as best he could.
“First” Little Stannis caught up to them and stuck to his side once they were in the Great Hall.
“Second” Stannis kissed the boys chocolate curls. “Staying out of trouble I hope?”
“Of course” the boy laughed, the sound reminding Stannis of Lady Marya.
“Good” Stannis kept his arm around his namesake as they moved to the fire, warming his bones.
“Papa” Alayne smiled, crawling into his lap the second he sat on the chair beside the fire, placing a noisy kiss on his bearded cheek.
“My darling” he held her as Sansa sat across from him, a hand on her belly. “Gods wife, you look as if you’re ready to give birth.”
“I am only 6 moons, husband” she sighed. “I don’t remember being this large. If you’ve given me twins when you promised only ‘1’ more, I swear I will send an army south and sack your fields” she laughed softly, smoothing her gown over her stomach as Cassana climbed onto her scant lap.
“Well” Stannis said. “Both Dragonstone and Storm’s End will need heirs, unless Edric finally gives in to Renly’s badgering about being his heir.” Sansa groaned in exasperation and Stannis could only laugh, savouring in the sound of his family as he relaxed by the fire. Twins wouldn’t be so bad, he mused.
“Your Grace” Lady Lyanna, still Hand to the Queen and now wife to Lord Galbart Glover and mother to a son of her own greeted him as he found her in the Queen’s offices.
“Lady Hand” he replied. “How fares the north” he asked, knowing the answer would be the same as before.
“Whole and healthy” she gave a small smile as she spoke. “And the south?”
“Damned busy” he told her. “I shouldn’t laugh but Renly is going gray, is very amusing.”
Lyanna smiled, having come to know his brother over the years, working closely with him Hand to Hand, “I am sure he looks quite regal. How long will you be in residence?”
“Several moons” Stannis replied. “I will stay until Sansa’s time comes and after a bit. Then I will take Dale, Allard and Matthos when I return south. Brienne has offered Allard and Matthos positions in the guards. Edric will take them as squires.”
Lyanna nodded, “And Lady Arya?”
“I hear from her often, she is proving quite the ambassador to Essos” Stannis nodded. “Apparently it speaks of me that I have no problem with women in authority” he chuckled, “Female captain of the guard, female ambassador, married to a queen who has a female as her hand. Were it not for my 9 sons I would fear I was outnumbered.”
“The North knows prosperity and has more children than it has in a long time” Lyanna stated. “I foresee many peaceful years.”
“Peace would do my old bones good” Stannis echoed Lord Manderly’s words from so long ago. Never finding them truer.
Sansa sighed with a smile, “You tricked me.”
“I did no such thing” he held his wife to his chest in their large bed in the master’s chambers. He sat up against the headboard and she had nestled in the cradle of his body, exhaustion having her leaning heavily on her husband’s strong chest.
“Pure trickery” she smiled.
“Balderdash” Stannis scoffed.
At the foot of their bed lay Cassana and Alayne, both fast asleep after the days activities. On her lap, with Stannis’ help, was Orys Renly Baratheon, heir to Storm’s End and Brynden Sandor Baratheon, heir to Dragonstone. One more Stannis had pleaded with her, teasing her body into indescribable pleasure so that she had agreed. He’s certainly tricked her, she smiled to herself.
Stannis had held her as she worked to give birth, as he always did, and when the time came for a second babe to be born he had laughed in triumph as she gave him a fourth son of his blood.
They held them as they nursed, her husband's arms around her supporting her weak body. She spared a glance for the beautiful girls asleep on the bed, “Eleven sons” she marvelled.
“And two beautiful princesses” Stannis kissed her temple. “The image of their mother.”
“Do you think Ser Davos knew” she asked softly. “That we would end up like this?”
“I cannot say” Stannis replied. “I daresay he would have hoped, but this might be beyond what he could even hope for.”
“It is far beyond what I could have hoped for” Sansa leaned her forehead against her husband’s cheek, their newborn sons making soft noises of contentment from her lap.
“Same, my love” he whispered, grateful that his wife could not see the tears of happiness in his eyes.