Stannis Baratheon is Renly and Robert’s older brother. He resides at Dragonstone (the Targaryen’s former castle) for the entirety of the novel. After Ned discovers that Joffrey is not Robert’s biological child, Ned says that Stannis is Robert’s rightful heir and should inherit the Crown. Near the end of the novel, the Starks hear that Renly is making a play for the Crown instead of Stannis. No one is exactly sure why that is happening or what Stannis’s response might be.