As he waited for the arrival of the Stark men, Stannis prepared himself for the possibility that this meeting may not end the way he hoped. An alliance was ideal, yet he was not prepared to bend to the whims of a boy, not beyond offering the North the freedom it sought. Let Robb Stark call himself King in the North if he wished, but Stannis expected a certain amount of respect as the MSN who would soon sit on the iron throne, and he desired good relations between the two. Civil war was not what he wanted, no more than he wanted to add the Stark boy to his list of enemies. They both wanted Joffrey off the throne, they both wanted to bring justice down upon the Lannisters; joining forces was only logical. Had Melisandre been present, she might have disagreed, but she was not, and a great many of his men were pleased by her absence. He knew this, and yet he said nothing of it.
When Ned and Robb were brought to him, Stannis was in one of the many room s facing outward, though he was not fool enough to bring either of them to where he and his most trusted men meet and discussed tactics. There was a map on the far wall, but nothing else of note, and the man himself stood at the window, back to the door. For men, all armed and stone faced, had escorted the pair, and they addressed Stannis as "Your Grace" when they announced the arrival of his guests.
Stannis turned, and while he did not smile, his expression was not it's usual cold steel. A wave of his hand dismissed his men, though they remained just outside the closed door. "Lord Stark," he greeted with a nod, before turning to face Robb, almost appraising as her looked him over. "And his son, the one they call the Young Wolf. I've heard a great deal about you." He stepped away from the window, hands behind his back as he stepped towards the center of the room. "I extend my thanks to the both of you for agreeing to meet with me. You know why, I presume?"