!!! I don't think I can properly put into words how much I love this story, and how amazing I think it is! (and how fast you wrote it after I had posted the prompt too; I guess when a muse gets hold things can write themselves ;) )
Out of all the people to choose for an alternate POV, Ned was a brilliant choice. He inherently respects Stannis, and even if he finds Stannis disagreeable and hard to be around he still sees the worth in him (overall Ned tries to see the best in everyone and not let prejudices blind him, which makes him such a rare character). And you made Ned a great objective observer here, kind of reminding me of some of Jon’s POVs as well.
Ned had tried to talk to him about his wife and his daughter when they had last met, but Stannis had barely said more than two sentences to him. lol, Ned is so blessed with a happy family life that he’s probably puzzled when Stannis doesn’t want to talk about his wife and child.
I would love to know what Davos said to Stannis to make him laugh! And as to all the slight touches and physical closeness between Stannis and Davos that you wrote in (a hair closer than most other men, as Ned observes), I don’t even think Stannis and Davos realize that .
It pains him how much things have changed when a smuggler can make Stannis Baratheon smile, while nothing Ned can do or say will ever bring real happiness back into Robert's eyes. What a way to end! I liked how you layered the unraveling of Ned and Robert’s relationship over the strengthening of Stannis and Davos’ relationship; it’s great foreshadowing for the ASOIAF series when both relationships change to Hand/King, for Ned/Robert ends up in tragedy while Stannis/Davos is still working (well, unless GRRM is a bastard and doesn’t let them meet again…).
Re: Fill: Stannis/Davos from Ned's POV (hints of Robert/Ned): Making You Smile, 2/2
Out of all the people to choose for an alternate POV, Ned was a brilliant choice. He inherently respects Stannis, and even if he finds Stannis disagreeable and hard to be around he still sees the worth in him (overall Ned tries to see the best in everyone and not let prejudices blind him, which makes him such a rare character). And you made Ned a great objective observer here, kind of reminding me of some of Jon’s POVs as well.
Ned had tried to talk to him about his wife and his daughter when they had last met, but Stannis had barely said more than two sentences to him. lol, Ned is so blessed with a happy family life that he’s probably puzzled when Stannis doesn’t want to talk about his wife and child.
I would love to know what Davos said to Stannis to make him laugh! And as to all the slight touches and physical closeness between Stannis and Davos that you wrote in (a hair closer than most other men, as Ned observes), I don’t even think Stannis and Davos realize that .
It pains him how much things have changed when a smuggler can make Stannis Baratheon smile, while nothing Ned can do or say will ever bring real happiness back into Robert's eyes.
What a way to end! I liked how you layered the unraveling of Ned and Robert’s relationship over the strengthening of Stannis and Davos’ relationship; it’s great foreshadowing for the ASOIAF series when both relationships change to Hand/King, for Ned/Robert ends up in tragedy while Stannis/Davos is still working (well, unless GRRM is a bastard and doesn’t let them meet again…).