Davos recognised the boy and instantly knew that something was terribly wrong. He knew the boy was a good friend of Devan's, a few years older than his son, and a bit quicker and better with a sword, but a kindly boy, completely devoted to Stannis.
"Look we have already given Stannis everything we can," Jon argued, "The night's watch do not participate in wars. We have already overstepped the mark."
"You do not participate in wars," Davos repeated, "And we are no asking you to. But you are vowed to protect every man, woman and child in the realm. Are you not? Tell me then Lord Commander, how letting the Queen Selyse and Princess Shireen starve and be slaughtered is obeying your vows?"
It was a low blow, Davos knew, and he felt ashamed for it, but the Lord Commander had two sisters and Shireen had spent much time with Samwell Tarly, a good friend of Lord Snow. He hoped the Lord Commander would understand.
The Lord Commander nodded thoughtfully, "Why not bring them back here? We will supply the horses and food for the journey. Tell King Stannis to send some soldiers with them to guard them if he is worried and I will tell my brothers that they are too not harm the Queen and the Princess in any way."
"Stannis wants them with us," Davos said.
"Why on earth?" Jon asked in disbelief, "I had a sister the exact same age as the Princess. As different as chalk and cheese but still I would never dream of letting Arya on a battlefield, no matter how much she might fight against that decision. As for Princess Shireen, she is no Arya- and I'm glad for you and the King's sakes that she isn't."
Davos smiled, "I am only here to follow Stannis's commands. I will try to talk some sense to him, as I have done before. I only hope it won't be futile."
"Ser Davos," the young boy said, appearing at his side, out of breath, "Lord Commander. I have an urgent matter I need to discuss with you."
The boy passed a letter to the Lord Commander. Jon read it quickly before sighing and kicking at the snow angrily. He passed the letter to Davos.
No… Davos thought, Injured? Not the princess, how could Stannis have let this happen?
Davos knew full well what 'injured' really meant and his blood was boiling. How far had the Red Woman gone before Stannis had stopped her? He would avenge the princess, he would kill anyone who was responsible for hurting her and anyone who ever tried to again.
"Take as many horses and as much food as you need," the Lord Commander began, "I will ready the healers and tell Sam and Gilly."
Davos nodded, before absentmindedly passing the letter back to Jon, "Thank you. You are most kind, King Stannis will not forget this."
Jon smiled, before turning over the letter. Stannis had certainly not overlooked his loyalty both past and present but he was not sure what to do or say to the King when he saw him next.
He ran a finger over the roughly parchment.
'I am most grateful for your help. When I return we will have much to discuss. I wish to reward you. I understand your loyalty to the Night's Watch comes first but I have a proposition.
If you wish to ever leave them, you will not just become the next Lord Stark but the next King of Westeros after I die.
The one true King of Westeros,
Stannis Baratheon.'
BREAK_BREAK_BREAK_BREAK
Davos tore through the camp, sending several of the soldiers running to avoid being trampled. He pulled up just a few feet away from Shireen's tent and jumped down from his horse, commanding the soldiers to take his horse to shelter.
He knew he should report first to Stannis but didn't care. Shireen was like a daughter to him, and Davos knew she would likely one day be his daughter by marriage. She needed him- he might well be the only person she could completely trust.
He crept into the tent quietly, not wishing to startle her, and found Stannis sitting next to his daughter holding a bandaged hand. The man's eyes were red rimmed and Davos was shocked to realise that Stannis had been crying.
"Ser Onion Knight!" the Princess called out in raspy voice, before her father turned to see Ser Davos.
Davos smiled before kneeling next to Shireen. She looked very tired, but not feverish, Davos was surprised to find. He stroked her cheek and found that she was just warm. He spotted the stag toy was tucked under her arm, and noticed that its antlers looked charred.
"I told father you would be back soon," Shireen replied, before a coughing fit started.
"Hush now, child," Davos replied, "You need to rest."
Shireen smiled, "I know. Father told me the same thing. But I'm ok, really I am. Father said we're going back to Castle Black. When will we be going?"
"Not for a few days, child," Davos replied.
Shireen pondered that quietly, "Am I really that ill?"
Stannis sighed deeply, "I need to talk with Ser Davos and then I promise I will let him stay with you for as long as you wish. Your mother will be back soon, she's just getting food. Sleep. Please, Shireen."
Shireen nodded, before she closed her eyes, and fidgeting a little.
Stannis gestured for Davos to follow him outside.
"They have given her milk of the poppy," Stannis explained, "You know how sensitive she is to that. She should be asleep for most of the next week or so. Have the Night's watch delivered on their promise?"
Davos nodded, "Fifteen carts and as many as horses as they could spare. I promise the lord commander we would take good care of them."
"We must make up one of them for Shireen," Stannis announced, "She will not be able to ride for a good few weeks."
"Your grace," Davos began delicately, "What happened?"
"I made the worst mistake in my life," Stannis began, tearfully, "I let Melisandre get inside my head… and… I nearly kill my own daughter. Melisandre said we should sacrifice her to ensure a victory, and I almost did it… and worst of, worse than anything, Shireen forgives me. She says she understands. I want her to be hell bent on revenge, I want her send Dornish assassins to try to kill me and to plot behind my back to usurp me. I want that more than anything Ser Davos, it's what I deserve."
"Don't let Shireen hear you say anything like that, your grace," Davos cautioned him, "I know what children are like. I've seen plenty of mother back in Flea Bottom who wiped their children's backsides day and night and forced them to work in all sorts of awful places and yet their children still returned every night all smiles. No matter what you do Shireen will forgive you, it's in her nature. You told her I was a traitor and would rot in a dungeon cell for the rest of my life and she came to me told me that she didn't care that I was a traitor and that I was her friend and that was all that mattered. She was the one who taught me how to read, your grace, she was very insistent about it."
Stannis half smiled, "I knew Matthos never taught you. He didn't have the patience. I always suspected it was Shireen. I understand but I wish she wasn't like that. People like me… do not deserve to live, they definitely do not deserve to be kings. I will fight this war, but only for her, so that one day she will be the ruler I can only dream of being."
"Your grace," Davos replied, "Your men have not deserted. Look around you, everyone is happy, relieved, resting. They know you tried to save them and to win this battle but they know you were not truthfully willing to sacrifice your daughter in doing so. They recognise it took courage to even contemplate such a thing, but that you trusted in the wrong person. They are just glad that you have changed your mind now, relieved that Shireen will survive. They know kings must make sacrifices but they know you can tell if you are going too far. You have shown them that you are just and good and honourable, and that you know your own mind, and they are loyal because of that."
"She will have scars for the rest of her life," Stannis began, "And every day she will be reminded that it was me who caused those injuries."
"No, your grace," Ser Davos replied, "It will be the Lady Melisandre who will bear the blame. Shireen is smart enough to know that you were manipulated and not acting a way that was true to who you are. She will not blame you for this any more than she blames you for putting that doll in her crib."
Stannis shuddered at that memory, "That was different then. I didn't know that the doll was infected. I did everything I could, called in every healer, every maester. This was my doing."
"But you weren't in your right mind," Davos argued, "If you do everything in your power to help her then it will go a long way to helping the both of you feel better."
Stannis began to sob slightly, "I'm worried I have already made a mistake."
"Your grace?" Davos asked, concerned.
"The letter," Stannis began, "Did you not read all of it?"
"I read the part that said Shireen had been injured and that we needed horses and carts to help us get back to Castle Black," Davos replied, "Was there something else?"
Stannis took a deep shuddering breath, "I plan to betroth Shireen to Lord Stark. I suspect she already likes the boy, and of course will talk to her about it. But what if she wants to marry Devan instead? I've already put things in place."
Davos put a supportive hand on Stannis's shoulder, "I have an idea, and one that I know with no doubt Shireen will agree to. If she marries Jon and not Devan then I will suggest to Shireen that she marries one of her children to one of my sons' children."
Stannis nodded, "It sounds like a good idea. It's common sense, they would be raised together no doubt, and it would likely be a love match."
Davos smiled, "Let her marry Jon Snow if she wishes too. He is a good lad and he will protect her. He will bring us soldiers from all the houses in the north. But don't let that cloud your view, if she wants to marry Devan than I will bless that union too."
Stannis half smiled, "Thank you. Maybe Devan will become a hand of the king and queen himself, one day."
"Or Lord of Books," Davos suggested, "No doubt King's Landing will have the most extensive library in the whole world by the time Shireen has her own children. She will want a Lord of Books and that role will go to her most trusted of friends."
Stannis laughed, "Lord of Books? Yes, I can see that happening. And every child in Westeros would be literate."
"The Seven Kingdoms will prosper under the Princess's rule," Davos said, "I only wish I won't be too old to see it."
Stannis smirked a little, "I will make sure to take that in the spirit it was meant in and not suggest that you were wishing me an early death."
"Of course, your grace," Davos said, laughing, "I wish we will all live long and great lives."
Stannis smiled, properly, for the first time in years, "My daughter needs you. You should go to her. Thank you, Ser Davos. You are a loyal and true friend."
BREAK_BREAK_BREAK_BREAK
Shireen bit her lip. Her father hadn't expected to overhear the conversation.
What was she to do? Jon Snow or Devan Seaworth, they were both hers but she didn't know which one to choose. She never imagined she would ever be so lucky. She always expected just to live at Dragonstone and to never marry. Either way she was prepared to sacrifice whatever she had to, but making this sacrifice seemed to be an impossible decision.
She loved Devan, but as a sister loves a brother. They had, without Davos and Stannis knowing of course, kissed a few times- seeing whether or not it could blossom into anything else. But it hadn't and Shireen had felt so awkward and miserable that she had told Devan he could never kiss like that again. But he was familiar and warm.
Shireen did have a crush on Jon, he was strong and brave and handsome. He was a sword fighter and Lord Commander. But he was an unknown. Powerful, and well placed to help her father's claim, but strange. She sensed a loss about him, a pain that ran deeper that just losing your family when you joined the Night's watch. He had something darker about him, a hidden pain, but Shireen knew it would be rude to ask him what it was.
She was so confused and weary. She had devoured the broth her mother had brought her but it gave her little energy. She was aware that she was uncomfortably warm but didn't have the strength to push off the blankets.
Davos entered the tent and smiled as he saw that she was awake.
She smiled back, too weak to speak.
Davos was concerned as he watched her. She was clearly feverish now, but only a little, she was still coherent. She seemed to be deteriorating, and rather quickly considering he'd been outside for only a few minutes.
"Princess," he said as he moved to sit next to her.
Shireen smiled, "I know what happened. I know Melisandre tried to kill me."
"Hush now," Davos said, "Your father will choose a punishment he feels is suitable. She will not harm you again."
"No," Shireen began to protest.
"You need to rest," Davos said, "I can read to you for a while if you'd like. But you should probably sleep."
"Don't let father kill her," Shireen said as loudly as she could.
"The Red Woman tried to kill you and betrayed your father and mother," Davos said, "She is guilty of several accounts of treason."
"She will be useful," Shireen said before falling asleep.