Stannis tore at the metal with his hands trying to get make it break as his men tried to cut through it with swords, knives, anything they could get their hands on. Even Ghost gnawed at the bars and he had managed to make more progress than the ten men put together.
Stannis both hated and loved the process. It stopped his mind from thinking about… but at the same time he needed Jon urgently. There was no time to waste and so many things that needed to be planned out so that none of them would end up badly injured, or even killed.
Eventually one of the bars broke allowing a large enough gap for Jon and Ghost to climb through. Jon thanked the men and smiled at Stannis and for once Stannis was glad that no one expected him to show any emotional. He was sure he was going to fall apart.
"Thank you, your Grace," Jon said, bowing before his king, "I am in your debt."
"Well you will repay it," Stannis said simply, "Come with me. With have work to do. And bring Ghost with you."
"Yes, your Grace," Jon said in a confused tone, noticing that Stannis's hands were covered in dry blood.
Jon followed Stannis as he led him up a flight of stairs towards the top of the Lord's tower. He was aware of a warmth that radiated for a room near the top and saw a flicker of light around the edge of the door.
"What is going on?" Jon demanded, Ghost raising his heckles and growling slightly.
"Nothing, Lord Stark," Ser Davos reassured him, appearing suddenly from one of the floors below, "His Grace wants to discuss the next battles with you, we want to see if we can rally the support of some of the southerners, he wants to discuss with you any potential allies and how they might aid us. The Princess Shireen has asked for Ghost, she is feeling lonely and bored."
Jon nodded understandingly, "Of course, anything for the princess. Just let the Princess know that she might want to get one of the servants to fetch Ghost some food, he missed lunch."
"Yes, Lord Stark," Ser Davos said, "Come on Ghost, we mustn't keep the Princess waiting."
Ghost trotted off after Ser Davos cautiously, sensing that something wasn't right, but trusting the Onion Knight who had always been kind to him and his lord and lady.
Ser Davos lead Ghost down into the crypts of Winterfell where the animal instantly relaxed curling up at the bottom of the statue of Lyanna Stark.
"Look, Ghost," Ser Davos began, walking away from the animal until he was standing high up the flight of steps leading the crypt, "You and I, we are alike, we both serve the Princess. Stannis didn't want you killed and I most definitely didn't either, but what we are doing is for her sake. We just don't want you getting in the way. I promise you'll get to your master once it's all finished. I'm sorry, Ghost, but Princess Shireen was the closest things to a daughter that I've ever had. I think you understand what it likes to lose your family, you're lost your parents and your brothers and sisters, I lost my sons, I can't bear the thought of the Princess not being here. So please just wait, everything will be ok."
Ghost walked over to Ser Davos anxiously, as the Onion Knight quickly closed the heavy iron door and locked it, checking it would hold against the weight of the direwolf. He could hear Ghost scratching on the door and cussed under his breath before apologizing again and walking back up to the room at the top of the tower.
BREAK_BREAK_BREAK_BREAK
Stannis waited patiently outside of the room, not willing to watch the performance that was going on inside. No doubt Melisandre was seducing the Stark boy as she had done with the bastard boy and also with Stannis himself. But Melisandre was supposed to be his, even if this was completely necessary, and it hurt him to allow her to be with anyone else.
Melisandre was going to be back in their lives now completely, he'd decided but no more burnings or killing children or anything like that. Well after she'd finished with Jon. Time had proved that Azor Ahai did exist and that the Lord of Light must therefore exist to.
He just hadn't expected Azor Ahai to be his daughter.
Everything must be risked for Shireen. She was going to be the one who saved them all.
What was the life of one bastard boy compared to a whole kingdom?
BREAK_BREAK_BREAK_BREAK
Selyse paced backwards and forwards over the creaking floorboards. She didn't dare look at Shireen for fear that she would go into hysterics.
They had wrapped her up in tons of furs and blankets, so many that Selyse felt it would make her feverish… even now.
She was waiting for Melisandre and for her husband, waiting for some indication that they were ready and then they would fix everything and then everything would go back to the way it should be.
Only it never would. There were too many things being realised, too many secrets being told.
Shireen was Azor Ahai- she had been born amidst salt and smoke and under a bleeding star, she had the blood of dragons and a burning sword (Ramsay had yelled it's burning me as he died). She had probably also fulfilled the sacrifice part, or that would be fulfilled very soon perhaps if things went too far, and as for awakening stone dragons or something like that.
Well would that mean the Targaryen girl's dragons, or maybe even the stone dragons of Dragonstone keep? Shireen had had nightmares about the Dragonstone dragons for years.
And what about the three heads of Azor Ahai? What did they mean, did it really stand for the three people she had saved earlier?
It was all so confusing and Selyse worried again if they were making the right decision.
There was no other way, Selyse thought to herself, As cruel and as wrong as it was, it had to be done. Shireen was going to save them, this was about more than just being a mother, this was about saving a kingdom. A kingdom that would never have needed to be saved if people had done their duty. If people had restrained themselves and their lust then none of this would have happened.
Shireen wouldn't have been hurt again, Selyse thought painfully.
She knew she had to let it happen.
Jon Stark had King's blood.
BREAK_BREAK_BREAK_BREAK
Ghost let out a loud and miserable whine that echoed around the whole castle. He trudged through the snow miserably looking up at the tower again and again but it was over.
His master wasn't coming back.
There would be no more making snow monsters in the sunset light, no more smuggled joints of ham at midnight, no more watching as Jon talked with Stannis or Shireen or any of them.
Jon was dead.
Ghost would have felt completely empty if it weren't for one thing.
Despite all the misery he didn't want his master's death to be in vain.
He wanted Shireen to live again, he wanted her to be happy.
And for that reason, and that reason only, Stannis, Melisandre and Davos had not been eaten alive.
BREAK_BREAK_BREAK_BREAK
At first everything was heavy as if waking up from a deep slumber. Legs and arms felt numb and weary and struggled to push of the weight. Breathing was slow but steady and the heart beat was the same too. Eyes felt glued together and heads felt like they were stuffed with cotton.
The first thing Shireen registered was that she was alive, the second was that she had been dead.
She gazed around the room at her elated parents and Ser Davos who was crying happily and walked over to kiss her head. Even Melisandre was there, smiling happily at her handiwork, no doubt feeling for once that R'hollor wishing agreed with everyone's.
Well everyone except two people.
"What was the cost?" Shireen asked in raspy and low voice.
Stannis looked around the room pained and Selyse and Davos exchanged a concerned look.
"Jon Stark," Stannis said quietly, wishing it wasn't true.