LIGHTNOVELONLINE Ch.65
(Stannis Baratheon POV)
After my failed attempt at taking King's Landing, I am sure I became the laughingstock of the Kingdom. With my brother most likely using this to prepare better for his siege at King's Landing. After almost threatening to kill Ser Davos as he was telling me I made a mistake in trusting Melisandre, his questioning me in front of my men was what led me to almost execute him. Though my daughter and Melisandre talked me out of it, plus for some reason Melisandre said the Lord of Light has more plans for him.
With our failure in the south, Melisandre said we needed to head north, past the wall. Since the Lord of Light told her that is where we will find more allies. I gathered the remaining men under my control along with my family, taking them North to Eastwatch. Where I would request entrance to the North, past the wall. The journey was a long and hard one, as winter was approaching just like the Starks house words.
As we arrived at Eastwatch, the commander of the castle was surprised at our appearance. He told me about the 'wildlings' that are trying to breach the wall. Asking for my assistance in defending against them. Melisandre asked the Lord of Light for guidance, coming back and telling me we need to sail, past the wall landing in the 'Haunted Forest'.
"Your grace, the men… they will be extremely uncomfortable with doing this. I am not sure it is wise to sail past the wall, especially since there is a huge army of wildings trying to breach it," Ser Davos says to me annoying me further with his constant distrust of Melisandre.
"We do as the Lord of Light commands! Stop questioning me for fucks sake! If it was not for my daughter and Melisandre, I would have taken your head already!!" I yell at him as my anger spikes and I need to vent it out. He gives me a saddened look but nods his head taking his leave.
"Your grace, be at peace. We will soon reach the place where we will have an army that is unstoppable with the Lord of Light helping us," Melisandre says to me as I calm down since her presence alone puts me at ease.
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(Ser Davos Seaworth POV)
'That red witch has poisoned Stannis's mind! She is leading us to our death! I can feel it in my bones!... I can't let little Shireen suffer because of him,' I think to myself as I leave Stannis's temporary residence at Castle Eastwatch.
'My whole life was a shit show until I met Stannis. He gave me purpose and a newer better life, one that I could never have dreamed of originally. I would have followed him to hell and back… but he is no longer the same man I knew all those years ago. Ever since that witch appeared, his mind started to deteriorate like she was controlling him. I have no idea why she kept me alive, nor do I care. I just know I will keep Shireen alive, she is the last thing I care about,' I think as I wait until nightfall preparing a horse with enough supplies to last a few weeks.
Then I go to the princess's room, where she is fast asleep. I place my hand over her mouth and wake her up while placing a finger over my mouth with my other hand. She gives me a surprised look at first then confusion, but nods her head understanding me. I then remove my hand from her mouth.
"Princess, we need to leave. Quickly. Your father… he… he is not himself and I believe the witch has poisoned his mind. She is leading him and everyone to their death, I can feel it. We need to escape while we can," I say to the young girl who I came to view as my own daughter.
"What? Why not tell my father?" Shireen asks me with confusion.
"He no longer listens to me… without you and… that red witch he would have killed me," I say to her and she gives me a long look as I worry she will want to stay dying with her father who has lost his mind.
"I trust you Ser Davos… My mom and dad, never really cared for me anyway. Where will we go?" Shireen says to me as my heart breaks for the young girl, but I smile hearing she trusts me.
"I… I am not a hundred percent sure. But I believe we should head to your Uncle Renly. Last I heard he was marching to Winterfell with the Starks to retake it since the Boltons and other northerners have abandoned their cause. Renly is the last of your family and I believe he will take you in," I say to her and she nods her head quickly getting up and grabbing some things before I sneak us out. Luckily I have a lot of experience when it comes to smuggling merchandise and people.
We easily escape the castle as I paid off some of the nightwatchmen previously. We then reached the horse waiting for us, I quickly urged the horse southwest towards Winterfell. It would take a week or so to reach Winterfell, hopefully, Stannis doesn't send anyone after us and is too consumed by his madness.
"Don't worry Princess, I will make sure you are safe," I say as we ride with her giving one last look back toward her father and mother.
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(Stannis Baratheon POV)
The next morning, as I was breaking my fast with my wife and Melisandre, one of my men, ran into the room with an extremely worried look. I gave him a hard look and urged him to speak.
"Your Grace… the Princess…" the guard says stuttering under my gaze as my anger rises.
"What! What happened to my daughter!" I say to him angry with his stuttering.
"She is missing! Along with Ser Davos!" the guard says while bowing his head in fear to me.
"WHAT!!" I say while standing up and throwing the table in a fit of anger making the food fly everywhere.
"SEND MEN NOW TO SEARCH FOR THEM!!!" I scream feeling like one of my veins burst from my anger. The guard scrambles away quickly carrying out my orders.
"Your Grace, please calm down. We can not afford to send any men, we need all the people we can have," Melisandre says to me stroking the back of my head, calming me down completely as I nod my head. I then call another guard in to stop my last orders and instead prepare everyone to sail to the Haunted Woods as the Lord of Light commands.
I watch the shore of Westeros disappear as we all sail North of the wall with the cold becoming even harsher. I felt a calmness like I never felt before as we sailed to the location Melisandre picked for us. After another week of sailing, we reached the place the Lord of Light picked for us.
Arriving there the thick cloud that covered the area parted showing another fleet of ships. Tens of thousands of men camping near the shore, along with an army of strange beings behind them heavily armored. Some were much larger than others, but they numbered in the hundreds of thousands. I saw a smile on Melisandre's face as she saw this.
As we reached the shore, my men landed with me and we were met with a group of people. Three of them appeared to be the army leaders, one was an extremely beautiful woman with red hair and eyes, probably the most beautiful woman I ever saw. Next to the woman was a young man who appeared to be a Targaryen with his Silver hair and purple eyes.
The third member was a huge hulking beast of a man standing taller than even Gregor Clegane, the man was at least 10ft (3m) tall. His skin was also a deep greenish-grey color, with a pair of tusks coming out of his bottom jaw. The man looked more beast than man, especially with the tattoos on his face and body. Since the man was wearing very little clothing as if the cold did not bother him.
"My Lady, I have brought Stannis Baratheon as the Princess commanded," Melisandre says confusing me as she bowed deeply to the other red-headed woman.
"Good, you did well. The princess will be pleased with this addition to the army. Now we are just waiting for the lich to come with his army and we will begin our march south," the other woman says and before I can speak I see the fog part as I giant beast lands in the water nearby. Fear grips my heart seeing this beast as the entire army settled here bows to it.
"I see more humans have arrived," the giant white dragon with ice coming out of it says. The dragon gives off such coldness that the air around it is freezing turning to snow, even being this far from it I feel like my bones are turning to ice.
"Once the lich comes we will have more than enough to deal with the humans who oppose me. Then we can show them what it means to have a true dragon to rule them. Then we can enact my true purpose," the dragon says and I feel my mind go blank as the dragon looks down at us. My memories slowly disappeared with my sole thought to serve this dragon at all costs.
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(Renly Baratheon POV)
We reached Winterfell and Ramsay Bolton surrendered the castle immediately to us. Seems Ramsay has more sense than his father Roose, though Osmond tells me that Ramsay is more conniving than his father. For now, I will have some of my trusted men keep a close eye on him. Though we need all the men we can get, as this war is still far from over.
As we stayed in Winterfell for a week to help restore it along with Robb Stark calling the remaining bannermen. We receive word from Castle Black asking for support due to the large army of wildings that are soon to assault the wall. After much debate, we decide to march to the wall since Robb believed the letter as his half-brother sent it.
Just as we were all preparing to head to the wall to help defend it against the wildings, a horse was spotted heading to us with a man and a young girl. They were stopped, but word reached me that the rider claimed to be Ser Davos Seaworth and my niece Shireen. I had them brought to me, since if it is true I now have a great hostage to use against my brother.
"Uncle!" Shireen says running over to me and giving me a hug which I return. As much as I have come to hate both my brothers, Shireen is just a young girl. I would not harm her, though I would try to bluff my brother into thinking I would if it meant him bending the knee.
"Long time no see, Shireen," I say as we hug and break it smiling down at her, while giving Ser Davos a confused look. Since out of all of my brother's men I would not have thought Ser Davos of being the one to betray him.
"Your Grace, we come to you hoping to seek refuge from your brother. He… he has fallen to the red witch's charms and is no longer the same man I came to love like a brother," Ser Davos says surprising me.
"Margaery, my love, can you take my niece and get her something to eat. She would probably love a good warm bath too," I say to Margaery and pass Shireen's hand to her.
"Come little one, let us leave the men to talk," Margaery says smiling down to my niece as she gives me a smile before leaving with my wife.
"Tell me everything," I say motioning to a seat in the room as I sit across from him and Ser Davos begins telling me everything that has happened to Stannis since the red witch came.