There wasn't a proper dining hall at Dragonstone. Certainly nothing like the one in King's Landing. Stannis would have never admitted it- not even fully to himself- but he preferred the dining arrangements at Dragonstone, they seemed more homely.
It was late in the evening and the sun had set many hours before. Stannis, Selyse and Davos were used to dinning late- Stannis had spent many years fighting on battlefields and was used to the lack of a routine and the long hours in the dark setting up camps. Some habits from the battlefield had stuck with him.
"My cousin's name day is in a month's time," Selyse said suddenly, "Maybe we could invite him to stay at Dragonstone?"
"Maybe," Stannis replied nonchalantly. He didn't particularly like any of the Florents, and suffered their company only when he absolutely had to.
"Of course, we'll have to plan a large feast," Selyse continued, "Pheasants and mutton and fish…"
"No fish," Stannis added, "I won't serve fish."
"What about onions?" Davos suggested with a smile.
Selyse gave Davos a stony look. She hated the Onion Knight and didn't understand why Stannis and Shireen liked him so much. She found it particularly irritating when Shireen ran around after him like he was her governess.
"Yes, I'll tell chef to make them a nice soup," Stannis replied, half-heartedly.
"Maybe," Davos began uncertainly, "The Lady Shireen could attend the celebrations."
"Absolutely not!" Selyse yelled in outrage, "Not in her condition…"
"Selyse!" Stannis reprimanded his wife, "It's about time Shireen met her relatives. She is no longer a little infant. Dothraki boys learn to fire arrows from galloping horses at the age of four, Shireen is nearly three- a fancy dinner shouldn't be too much of an ask for her."
"Did Master Cressen tell you about Lady Shireen's lessons?" Davos asked.
"Don't tell me, she's running wild," Selyse said more as a statement than a question.
"No," Davos replied in confusion, "Although it might be good for her to spend some time outside, the fresh sea air will be good for her."
"Maybe you could take her smuggling," Selyse suggested sarcastically.
"Selyse," Stannis said with a sigh, "Let Ser Davos tell us about Shireen's lessons."
"Master Cressen says that Lady Shireen is nearly able to read fluently," Davos said in a proud tone.
"That's…" Stannis began, not used to being a proud parent, "Very good."
"I doubt she would be so accomplished if she'd spent all her time playing outside like Ser Davos suggests," Selyse retorted.
Stannis let out a sigh, "Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea for her to spend some time outside, maybe even go sailing."
Davos smiled, "Thank you, my lord."
"She is far too young and too ill," Selyse protested.
"She was cured of the greyscale over a year ago," Stannis argued, "And we need to start teaching her more about the outside world. It won't be long before my brother, the King, invites us to King's Landing and we all know what that place is like."
Davos nodded in understanding. He knew exactly what that place was like and the idea of little Shireen going to King's Landing frightened him.
"Well-," Selyse began, but a piercing shriek cut off her words.
Stannis grabbed the hilt of his sword and jumped up from the table. The screaming started again and appeared to be coming from near the dining room.
Stannis motioned for Davos to follow him and then slowly began to walk, as silently as he could, out of the room and into the main corridor.
Stannis gazed up and down the corridor but couldn't see anyone there, or any evidence that anyone had been there. Stannis called out to a passing guard telling him to stay with Selyse.
The screaming started again and this time crying accompanied it. Stannis's stomach filled with dread as he realised where the screaming was coming from and he gave Davos a worried but solemn look.
Slowly, both men began to walk down the spiralling stairs, trying not to slip on the steep and damp steps. The steps led into a large room, where Selyse kept the bodies of her three stillborn sons.
The crying was a lot louder now and Stannis tried hard not to show any panic. It was clear however that Davos knew exactly where the crying was coming from and was immensely worried.
Stannis crept quietly down the corridor to the room right at the end of it. The door was slightly ajar, and Stannis tried to open it gently but it creaked noisily all the same.
"Papa!" the little girl yelled as she ran to her father and flung her arms around him. Her cheeks were wet with tears and she was trembling.
Stannis gazed around the room thoroughly but spotted no intruder. In fact the windows were closed and the room was almost pitch black.
Shireen pulled away slightly, to reveal her awfully scarred face which wore an expression of absolute terror.
"I'm sorry, Papa," Shireen began apologetically, sensing that she had panicked her father.
"Lady Shireen," Davos said as he appeared behind Stannis, and pulled the girl into his arms, "Is everything all right?"
Shireen began to sob, "It was awful, Ser Onion Knight. There was this woman all in red and she was smiling so evilly and then she said Papa needed me to help him. I thought she meant with reading but then she got these soldiers and I think they were Papa's soldiers so I don't understand. But then she was burning me… and…"
"It's ok," Davos reassured her, "It's just a nightmare, and it's over now." Davos looked up at Stannis expecting him to say something but he just stood awkwardly looking at his daughter, not quite sure how to respond.
"Yes, Ser Davos is right," Stannis said, "Everything will be fine."
"But how do you know?" Shireen asked, biting her lip, "How can we make sure the bad woman never comes back?"
Stannis didn't know what to say. He wasn't the warm and overly-affectionate type. Shireen was his only child, whereas Davos already had five sons- the Onion Knight was far more experience at dealing with this kind of thing.
"Your father will help you scare her away," Davos suggested, trying to encourage Stannis to do something, "Do you still have the dragon I made you?"
Shireen nodded, before brushing the tears out of her eyes, "Mama didn't take this one away from me."
Stannis watched as Shireen walked off to look for the toy.
"My wife has been taking away Shireen's toys?" Stannis asked in a venomous whisper.
"Just the ones I make for her," Davos explained.
Stannis tried his hardest not to look livid, he would having words with Selyse. He lit a candle and it glowed warmly, illuminating the room.
Shireen hugged the wooden dragon toy tightly.
"Do you remember the stories about Aegon and Balerion?" Davos asked.
Shireen nodded in confusion, "Of course I do, don't you?"
Davos smiled, "Yes I do, my lady."
"Papa, do you remember the stories?" Shireen asked.
Stannis nodded, "Yes, they were my favourites as a child."
Shireen smiled at her father in response.
"Well, you remember how Balerion scared away all of Aegon's enemies?" Davos asked.
"He burnt down Harrenhal," Shireen replied a little too excitedly.
What is Master Cressen teaching my daughter? Stannis asked himself.
"Well, this dragon," Davos began, pointing to the wooden dragon in Shireen's arms, "He's Balerion and he's going to help you scare away all the nasty monsters and evil red women. And your father's going to help him."
"Are you going to help?" Shireen asked.
"Well I haven't got the blood of a Targaryen," Davos began apologetically, "Only you and your father do, and the dragon belonged to the Targaryeans, so you and your father will have to scare them all away."
"What are you doing?" Stannis asked Davos in a hushed angry tone.
"She's your daughter," Davos replied, "She needs to know you're there for her and that you love her."
"Ok, Shireen," Stannis began uncertainly, "What should we tell Balerion to do?"
Shireen looked uncertain, she wasn't used to her father spending time with her, "Well, maybe we could tell him to keep away all the bad people whilst I'm sleeping and to burn them if they get to close."
"Yes- that sounds like a good idea" Stannis replied, worried about his daughter wanting to burn her enemies, but deciding it was just a game and he shouldn't read into it too much.
Shireen began to climb back into bed and pulled the blankets around her and the little dragon toy.
"Papa, will you read me a story?" Shireen asked.
Stannis looked up at Davos, but the Onion Knight just smiled. Stannis knew Ser Davos was illiterate and Stannis now felt trapped in a situation he didn't know how to handle.
Ser Davos walked over to Shireen and hugged her goodnight before smiling to Stannis and leaving the father and his daughter alone.
"Tell me about the Dance of Dragons," Shireen began eagerly.
"Ok," Stannis began, wondering why on earth his daughter would be reading about the Dance of Dragons, "Which book is it?"
"That one, over there," Shireen replied, pointing to a large shelf that held about twenty books.
Stannis looked over at the shelf, trying to find the right book but none of the titles were exceptionally descriptive. He pulled out a couple of books which he thought might be the right ones- they were large and thick, with yellowing pages- and turned around to look at Shireen.
She had already fallen asleep, one arm hugging the dragon toy. Her dark black hair fell in tiny ringlets down to her shoulders.
Stannis sat carefully next to his sleeping daughter, not quite sure what to do or say. He reached out to stroke her hair, but she shifted away from him, fidgeting a little. He pulled the blankets up to cover her shoulders, and placed a kiss on her forehead, surprised at how easy it was for him to be fatherly but concerned about showing that side of himself and making himself vulnerable, even to a little toddler.
"Love you Shireen," Stannis whispered as he started to walk away.
"I love you too, Papa," Shireen said, looking up at him with one tired eye open and a little grin.