I think most readers ruminate on these observations and come to what seems to be the logical conclusion: How else did Stannis have the confidence to boast that he would “destroy” his brother in combat? This of course suggests that Stannis is A) belligerent and irrational, or that B) Stannis had planned to use some sort of trickery to secure his victory.As Renly made clear at his parley with Stannis, Stannis had no chance to win against his younger brother in a conventional battle.Ever since I first read A Clash of Kings, there has always been an enduring mystery surrounding Renly’s death:
