Stannis wakes up with a start and in a sweat. Alone in his room, he breathes hard, and reaches for his cup and water by his bed. His hands are shaking and he tries to calm down before pouring a glass and downing it. He eyes the door and feels the urge to see Margaery. Stannis leaves his warm bed, puts simple clothes on, grabs the candle which enlightens his room and opens the door. The cold in the corridors make him shiver violently and he quickly walks to Margaery's room. He slightly knocks but no one answers and he slowly opens: Margaery is in her bed, in the dark room. Silently, he joins her, after he put the candle on a table. When she feels someone getting in her bed, she turns to him. He strokes her cheek gently:
"Did I wake you up?" he whispers.
Margaery slowly shakes her head.
"I had a nightmare…" she sighs.
"Always the same?" Stannis asks, worried.
"Oh no", she ironically says. "There are improvements. Now, she is eating our baby, in front of me. But she does not touch me."
Stannis gives her a sorry look as she tries to get as close from him as she can: she should give birth soon now and she really has an imposing bump. She sighs and he whispers again:
"I have a nightmare too lately. I think it looks like yours. I am running in the forest, but I am not a man. I have you by my side, you don't really have a physical form but I know it is you. And… something is hunting us, and it kills you, and the baby. And I cannot do anything against that… Then I wake up."
Margaery stares at him while he's saying that:
"Stannis, are you sure she's dead?"
"I have burnt her body. I have dug my dagger in her throat. She is dead, I am sure. I think it is maybe my conscience."
"You were right to kill her. I did not like the influence she had on you. I never really understood why she was so important for you…"
Stannis sighed softly:
"She came to me when my life was meaningless. She told me she saw me in her flames and that I was Azor Ahai reborn… And, well, you know what happened next."
Margaery leans on her arm, looking at him:
"But how did you, a man who does not trust in any gods, believe her?"
"I never really believed her. I always was skeptical but… I cannot really explain, she was fascinating me…"
"I understand…" Margaery says before starting suddenly and grabbing Stannis's hand, putting it on her bump:
"The baby is kicking!"
Selyse had never done that and Stannis finds himself embarrassed and clumsy. But, when he feels the other kick, he very naturally strokes Margaery's bump, trying to feel more. He looks up at his wife, beaming as they both feel how lively their child is. It has always been one of Margaery's fears, after what happened to their first boy: to have another stillborn. But this one looks strong. He is always kicking her, likely to wake her up in the mornings, and she sometimes feels like he is turning around in her belly, which is quite disturbing. She stares back at her husband and whispers:
"Growing strong…"
He smiles and gently pecks her lips.
"We should try to sleep. Maybe we will not be bothered by our bad dreams if we stay together."
Margaery sighs:
"I hope so. I really need to sleep. I am exhausted."
Stannis wraps his arm around her and she turns around so he has more room. He lays his hand on her bump and falls asleep, a smile roving on his lips as his unborn child kicks him.
Davos's boat cannot enter in White Harbor, as a big boat is getting in its way. The Knight grumbles and curses the boat: he just wants to be in Winterfell as soon as possible, and White Harbour is almost 500 miles away, which means about a month of travel by horse to get there. At least he could send a message to Winterfell to warn the King he's coming back, his mission accomplished. Mumbling, he walks to the bow and shouts:
"Let us pass!"
"We have made a long way to travel here! Stay behind, old man!" the captain of the other boat yells back.
Davos groans and shouts again:
"Where do you come from?"
"Dorne. We are bringing a gift to the daughter of winter!"
Davos understands suddenly: Dorne. Quentyn. Sansa. He suddenly lowers the speed of the boat and he lets them pass before sailing right behind them. When he reaches the quay, he jumps off the boat, and helps Osha, Rickon and Theon to get off too. He immediately walks to the beautiful dornian boat. On the quay, a young boy, with brown hair and brown eyes, looks all around him while wrapping his coat tighter around his chest. Davos startles a bit: the boy is not really handsome and, although he is five years older than Sansa, she would look like she is the eldest one. The boy is pretty short, thickly built. His face is plain, his forehead high, his nose broad and his jaw squared. Davos walks to him, and bows:
"Ser Davos Seaworth, my Lord."
The boy turns to him, then to the boat, and, suddenly, from the height of the deck, another boy jumps and lands by Quentyn, who moans slightly:
"Trystane! Are you insane?"
The other boy, younger than Quentyn, laughs noisily.
"Prince Trystane", Davos greets him.
The youngest of Doran's children has not changed: his olive skin, straight black hair and his laughing eyes made him so different from his older brother. The old knight suddenly wonders if Sansa would be willing to marry Quentyn. She had already known an arranged marriage, and, even though Stannis has to allow marriages, he still hopes she would be happier with Quentyn than with the Imp. Though, she was betrothed to Joffrey first, and, as much as this boy was severely insane, he was handsome, no doubt about that.
"Who are you?" Quentyn asks, defiantly.
"I am Ser Davos Seaworth. I heard you were heading to Winterfell. Are you two alone?"
"Of course they are not!" a voice shouts from the deck.
Davos looks up and can't help smiling:
"Prince Oberyn. Glad to see you again."
"I am happy too, ser Davos", he says, joining the boys quickly. "Don't bother my nephews, right?"
He laughs: Oberyn was a bit weird the first time he has seen him, but he was nicer once he got to know him. And Oberyn shares with Stannis and Davos a huge hatred for the Lannisters. Davos had seen him training in Dorne: the man is really gifted with the spear and the sword. If half of the Dornian army fights like him, the Lannisters will regret not having them on their side. Oberyn walks away with Davos, explaining the boys and him will probably stay in Winterfell with them, because it would be too long to go back to Dorne and the war should happen soon now. Davos nods and tells him Stannis would be happy to see them. All the people get off the boat, one by one, and Oberyn introduces Davos to his mistress, Ellaria, an attractive woman, not really beautiful though, with black hair and tanned skin. Davos smiles at her and bows, before wondering how Margaery will react when she will see the man who crippled her brother. Thank Gods, Olenna Tyrell is not here. Margaery will probably have other things in mind, and even though she will not be nice to Oberyn, Davos bets the young man does not really care about it. All united against the Lannisters could be their new motto. With a stag's antlers running through a lion as a sigil. Davos chuckles silently as he imagines the words that could go with these banners. He suddenly notices the looks Oberyn, trystane, Quentyn and Ellaria are sending to the people waiting behind Davos.
"Who are those people?" he asks them, showing Davos's little group.
"It is a long story."
Davos gets closer from him and whispers:
"This is Rickon Stark, but I don't want anyone to know."
"RICKON!" a feminine voice yells and they all turn around.
A young beggar runs to the group. Davos stops her just before she reaches them:
"Leave me alone, old man!" she screams, trying to escape, but Davos holds her tight. She is vigourous and doesn't stop fighting back, trying to kick and to hit the Knight. She turns to Rickon, clearly terrified and who gets closer from Osha.
"Rickon! Rickon it's me! Arya!"
Davos turns to the boy, surprised. He doesn't look like he knows her but Shaggydog, the wolf, does not seem to be angry at the girl. He is sit quietly, and looks at her almost kindly. The knight frees her and she rushes on her brother, crying and sobbing. Rickon needs a moment to realize who she is and he starts crying too. They hug each other for a long time, and the Knight feels tears flooding his eyes as he imagines their happiness when they will realize they are home safe. Davos turns back to Oberyn, who shrugs smiling:
"Guess we are not hitting the road alone"
Stannis is pacing up and down in front of the room: Maester Cressen and Luwin are with Margaery. Renly stands by Asha, who looks honestly bored to be here. Davos has tried to calm him down but it is useless. Margaery's yells are ringing out in the castle and even the children, playing outside, can hear her. Suddenly, the door opens and Maester Cressen tells Stannis to come in: he does so and stops right in his tracks when he sees the blood, Margaery crying and in a sweat, her legs spread wide. She cries even more when she sees him, and holds her hand out at him: he joins her quickly, and grabs her hand firmly.
"Your Grace, you cannot stay for long", Cressen says.
"I will stay here until my son is born", the King retorts, scowling at him. "My wife needs me."
Margaery tries to smile at him but a contraction makes her yell again and the midwife tells her to start pushing. Stannis stares at her, keeps her hand in his, but does not really know what to say to her, how to comfort or encourage her. He puts a wet towel on her forehead so she does not get too hot and he lets her squeeze his hand so hard he thinks she is going to break it. Suddenly, the midwife tells her to stop pushing and a baby cry rings out in the room. Margaery starts crying with relief, cries which turns into disappointed ones when the midwife shows them the baby: it's a girl. Margaery, sobbing, turns to Stannis:
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry."
"Shhh", is all he can reply for now.
He is cursed, he is definitely cursed. Is it because he killed Melisandre? Is it because he was unable to save Selyse from this fever? Is it because he has wanted to kill his brother? Is it because he wants to kill a young boy, sat on his throne?
"Your Grace… It is not over…"
Margaery stands up:
"What?"
"There is another one…." Maester Cressen goes white.
"How can it be? You have not seen it!" Stannis groans.
"I am sorry, your Grace", Cressen bows. "But the fact is here, the Queen needs to…"
He is interrupted by Margaery yelling again and, a few seconds later, cries double in the room. The midwife beams and shows us their little boy. Margaery cries twice as much, this time with happiness, and Stannis stares at all of them, dumbfounded but happy. He turns to Margaery, kisses her sweaty forehead, staring at her, and whispers:
"I love you."