Editing Stannis Baratheon (section)

==History==
===Early life===
Born in {{Date|264}},<ref name=Cal /> Stannis is the second son of Lady [[Cassana Estermont]] and [[Steffon Baratheon]], [[Lord of Storm's End]] and head of [[House Baratheon]]. He has an older brother, [[Robert I Baratheon|Robert]], and a younger brother, [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]].{{Ref|AGOT|Appendix}}{{Ref|TWOIAF|Appendix: Targaryen Lineage}}

When Stannis was no more than four years old, his father took him and Robert to the [[Red Keep]] in [[King's Landing]]. Stannis believed he saw King [[Aerys II Targaryen]] on the [[Iron Throne]], holding court. Stannis was impressed, and he and Robert agreed that the king had been as noble as the [[skulls of the Targaryen dragons]] were fearsome. It was years later that Steffon told him that it had been the [[Hand of the King]], Lord [[Tywin Lannister]], whom they had seen, as King Aerys had cut himself on the throne earlier that day and Tywin had taken over for him.{{Ref|ASOS|54}}

[[File:Cressen Stannis by Lu.png|thumb|left|Young Stannis and Maester [[Cressen]], art by [https://lupotterdraws.tumblr.com/ Lupotterdraws] ]]

As a lad, Stannis found an injured goshawk and nursed it back to health. He named the bird [[Proudwing]], but his brother Robert called it Weakwing, as it would never fly higher than the treetops and never soared. In contrast, Robert owned a gyrfalcon named [[Thunderclap]] which never missed a strike. Eventually, Stannis's great-uncle, Ser [[Harbert]], convinced him to abandon the bird, stating that Stannis was making a fool of himself with it.{{Ref|ACOK|10}}

Growing up, Stannis always stood in the shadow of his older brother. Whatever Stannis did, Robert had done first and better.{{Ref|ACOK|Prologue}} These feelings remained until adulthood.{{Ref|ADWD|42}} [[Cressen]], the [[maester]] at [[Storm's End]], came to care deeply for Stannis, moreso than for his brothers, as he felt Stannis was the one who needed him the most, as the most unloved of the three.{{Ref|ACOK|Prologue}} Even in his youth, Stannis had been an introverted child, who was mature beyond his years, solemn and joyless.{{Ref|AWOIAF|Stannis Baratheon}}

In {{Date|278}}, Stannis's parents were sent on a mission by King Aerys II to [[Volantis]] to find a bride for [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], Stannis's cousin and the crown prince, but they were unsuccessful.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} Maester Cressen remembers how Lord Steffon had written to him a fortnight before his return, stating that he had found a splendid [[fool]] in Volantis who would delight Robert and who might even teach Stannis how to laugh, in time.{{Ref|ACOK|Prologue}} Stannis and Robert were both present at [[Storm's End]] when Steffon and Cassana were expected to return from their voyage, looking on from the parapets of the castle. When the ''[[Windproud]]'' came in sight of Storm's End, the two brothers witnessed how the ship was smashed against the rocks in [[Shipbreaker Bay]] and swallowed by the sea, with Steffon and Cassana drowning.{{Ref|ACOK|Prologue}} According to Stannis, he lost his faith in the [[Faith of the Seven|Seven]] that day.{{Ref|ACOK|10}} The only survivor of the wreck was the fool, [[Patchface]], who washed up on the shore on the third day.{{ref|ACOK|Prologue}}

===Robert's Rebellion===
When King [[Aerys II Targaryen]] demanded the heads of [[Robert I Baratheon|Robert Baratheon]] and [[Eddard Stark]] after the executions of Lord [[Rickard Stark|Rickard]] and [[Brandon Stark]], Lord [[Jon Arryn]] instead raised his banners in revolt. Eddard and Robert returned to their homes to call their own banners during [[Robert's Rebellion]] against [[House Targaryen]]. The resulting decision that Stannis faced—whether to be loyal to his older brother and liege, Robert, or to his king, Aerys—was a difficult one.{{Ref|ASOS|36}} Stannis was at [[Storm's End]] when Robert returned from the [[battles at Summerhall]] with his prisoners, whom he kept at Storm's End, and eventually befriended. Stannis warned his brother that the men he had befriended were men who had wanted to deliver him to Aerys to be burned; while Stannis would have thrown them in a dungeon, Robert made them his allies.{{Ref|ACOK|36}}

Stannis remained behind at Storm's End when Robert marched again. After Robert was defeated at [[Battle of Ashford|Ashford]], forces from the [[Reach]] besieged the seat of [[House Baratheon]], surrounding Storm's End on land and blockading it by sea. [[Donal Noye]] smithed for Stannis and lost an arm during the [[siege of Storm's End]].{{ref|AGOT|19}} Stannis successfully held Storm's End against the siege by Lords [[Mace Tyrell]] and [[Paxter Redwyne]],{{Ref|AGOT|27}} which lasted a major part of the war. His garrison held under desperate conditions, only avoiding starvation by the timely intervention of [[Davos Seaworth|Davos]], a notorious [[smuggler]], whose cargo of onions and salt fish allowed them to hold the fortress.{{ref|ACOK|Prologue}}

After the siege of Storm's End was lifted by Lord Eddard Stark, Stannis [[knight]]ed Davos and, taking him into his service, allowed the new [[landed knight]] to choose the name Seaworth for [[House Seaworth|his new House]].{{ref|ACOK|Prologue}} True to Stannis's sense of justice, he also punished Davos for his crimes as a smuggler by removing the first joint from each finger of Davos's left hand, as payment for his past crimes. Davos accepted the punishment on the condition that Stannis carry out the sentence himself, which Stannis did, using a cleaver for a cleaner cut.{{ref|ACOK|Prologue}}

===Lord of Dragonstone===
[[File:HBO Stannis broods on Dragonstone.png|thumb|350px|Stannis brooding at [[Dragonstone]], from ''[[Game of Thrones]]'' Blu-ray]]
Following the [[Sack of King's Landing]] and the surrender of the [[House Tyrell|Tyrells]] at [[Storm's End]], the new king, [[Robert I Baratheon]], charged his brother Stannis with building a new [[royal fleet]] to seize the [[Dragonstone (island)|island of Dragonstone]], the last stronghold in the possession of [[House Targaryen]]. A fierce storm destroyed the Targaryen fleet which had been protecting the island, while Dowager Queen [[Rhaella Targaryen]] died in labor at the [[Dragonstone|castle of Dragonstone]]. Targaryen loyalists led by Ser [[Willem Darry]] smuggled the two Targaryen children, [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]] and [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]], from the island before Stannis's [[assault on Dragonstone]]. Robert blamed Stannis for letting the Targaryen heirs escape, although the two children had been spirited to safety in the [[Braavosian Coastland]] shortly before Stannis had set sail.{{Ref|AGOT|3}}{{ref|ACOK|Prologue}}{{ref|ACOK|25}}

Stannis was displeased to discover that King Robert had granted him Dragonstone, instead of the wealthier Storm's End, which was given to their younger brother [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]]. Stannis resented this and believed it to be an intentional slight,{{ref|ACOK|Prologue}} which Queen [[Cersei Lannister]] agrees with.{{ref|ACOK|25}} According to a semi-canon source, however, Robert had not necessarily meant it as such.<ref name=Baratheonbrothers>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/The_Baratheon_Brothers/ The Baratheon Brothers], September 11, 1999</ref> The castle had traditionally been the seat of the heir to the Iron Throne, the [[Prince of Dragonstone]], during most of the Targaryen dynasty, so the then-childless Robert was granting it to his heir at that time, Stannis.<ref name=Baratheonbrothers /> Now the [[Lord of Dragonstone]], Stannis became the head of [[House Baratheon of Dragonstone]]. Stannis and Maester [[Cressen]] came to Dragonstone around {{date|287}}.{{ref|ACOK|Prologue}}

Stannis wed Lady [[Selyse Florent|Selyse]] of [[House Florent]]. While Stannis and Selyse were dancing during [[wedding of Stannis Baratheon and Selyse Florent|the feast]], King Robert deflowered [[Delena Florent]], a cousin of Selyse, on the wedding bed. This coupling led to the birth of [[Edric Storm]], the only officially acknowledged [[bastard]] of the king. Stannis insisted that the boy was a slight upon the honor of his wife's house and promptly shipped him off to his brother Renly at Storm's End.{{Ref|AGOT|35}} Stannis only does his duty in the marriage bed once or twice a year, taking no joy in it.{{Ref|ACOK|Prologue}} Though he once hoped for sons, Stannis has only had a daughter, [[Shireen Baratheon|Shireen]], with Selyse.{{Ref|ACOK|Prologue}}

===Master of Ships===
[[File:Stannis Baratheon Greyjoy Rebellion.png|350px|thumb|Stannis leading the attack on [[Great Wyk]] during [[Greyjoy's Rebellion]], from ''[[Game of Thrones]]'' Blu-ray]]
Lord Stannis was appointed to the [[small council]]{{Ref|AGOT|27}} of King [[Robert I Baratheon]] as the [[master of ships]], and he left [[Selyse Florent|Selyse]] and [[Shireen Baratheon|Shireen]] on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]] when he traveled to [[King's Landing]].{{Ref|ACOK|Prologue}}. Stannis only occasionally writes to Selyse, and his visits are even fewer.{{Ref|ACOK|Prologue}}

In {{Date|289}}, Stannis led the rebuilt [[royal fleet]] to the [[Sunset Sea]] to help suppress [[Greyjoy's Rebellion]]. Stannis lured [[Victarion Greyjoy]], [[Lord Captain of the Iron Fleet]], into a trap in the [[Straits of Fair Isle]], and he destroyed much of the [[Iron Fleet]] in the ensuing [[sea battle off Fair Isle]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Iron Islands: The Old Way and the New}}{{ref|ADWD|63}} Afterwards, Stannis subdued [[Great Wyk]] in his brother's name.{{ref|ADWD|26}}

Stannis once led a fleet to [[Sisterton]] to suppress smuggling from the [[Three Sisters]]. He hanged a dozen friends of Lord [[Godric Borrell]], and he threatened to hang Godric himself if any ships are wrecked if the [[Night Lamp]] were to go dark.{{ref|ADWD|9}}

Ser [[Axell Florent]], Selyse's uncle, has served as the [[castellan]] of Dragonstone for ten years while Stannis has been away at King's Landing.{{Ref|ACOK|10}}

===Recent History===
[[File:Henning Ludvigsen Clash for the crown.jpg|thumb|350px|Stannis with his brothers [[Robert I Baratheon|Robert]] and [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]], by Henning Ludvigsen © Fantasy Flight Games]]
Despite his loyalty and service to his elder brother, Stannis has always felt underappreciated by King [[Robert I Baratheon|Robert]]. Instead of thanking Stannis for holding [[Storm's End]] against the [[House Tyrell|Tyrells]] during [[Robert's Rebellion]], the king thanked his old friend, Lord [[Eddard Stark]], for lifting the siege. Instead of thanking Stannis for [[assault on Dragonstone|capturing Dragonstone]] for him, Robert blamed Stannis for the escape of [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]] and [[Daenerys Targaryen]], even though they left Dragonstone before Stannis had set sail.{{Ref|ACOK|Prologue}}

Stannis has helped Lord [[Jon Arryn]], Robert's [[Hand of the King]], in ruling the [[Seven Kingdoms]], but he has received little or no acknowledgment or thanks from his elder brother, who spends his time hunting, drinking, and whoring.{{Ref|ACOK|Prologue}} Stannis feels that Storm's End, the ancestral seat of House Baratheon, was his by rights after Robert took the [[Iron Throne]], and has told Robert so on multiple occasions. In due time, Storm's End was given to young [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]] instead.{{Ref|ACOK|25}}

King Robert once rejected Stannis's proposal to outlaw brothels.{{Ref|AGOT|27}} Stannis has outlawed [[prostitution]] on his island of Dragonstone.{{ref|ACOK|10}} Dragonstone's maester, the elderly [[Cressen]], fell and broke his hip in {{date|297}}.{{ref|ACOK|Prologue}}

Eventually, Stannis began to suspect that the children of Queen [[Cersei Lannister]]—Prince [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], Princess [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and Prince [[Tommen Baratheon]]—were not actually Robert's. Lord [[Varys]], the [[master of whisperers]], suggests the idea had been mentioned to Stannis by an unnamed individual.{{ref|ACOK|15}} Convinced that Robert would not believe him, Stannis confided his suspicions with Lord Arryn, the King's Hand.{{Ref|ACOK|31}} 

Stannis and Jon investigated the matter, visiting several of Robert's [[Bastardy|baseborn]] children in the capital, including visits to the shop of [[Tobho Mott]] and to [[Chataya's brothel]].{{Ref|AGOT|27}}{{Ref|AGOT|30}}{{ref|AGOT|35}} According to [[Gendry]], Tobho's apprentice, Stannis and Jon often went riding together, with Renly excluded.{{Ref|AGOT|27}}{{Ref|AGOT|30}} During their investigations, Jon agreed with Stannis that his young son and heir, [[Robert Arryn]], would be [[foster]]ed with Stannis on Dragonstone.{{Ref|AGOT|27}} Jon had begun to gather proof when he suddenly died,{{Ref|ACOK|31}} with Stannis believing that Cersei had Jon killed.{{Ref|ACOK|31}}{{Ref|ASOS|36}}