Hello!

It's the fiftieth chapter already :o. Time flies! Thanks to all of you who follow Dragon dreams since the beginning. If you're new, welcome!
Today we have an eventful chapter in Daeron's camp.

Enjoy!

Chapter L: It was the only way

"Lady Margeary has had three miscarriages already. One of them was at six months, according to Pycelle, it nearly killed her." The gasps were audible as Varys told the story again in Stannis' presence. At first, Daeron had thought Stannis would not really care about the fate of Margeary Tyrell. He hated the Tyrells. But Stannis was a father also, and his marriage had suffered through some miscarriages as well, accidental ones that would destroy anyone. Daeron could only imagine. "The Tyrells withdrew their forces after the second, because then, it became obvious that the issue came from Joffrey's beating."

"How can the people of the Court put up with it?" Arianne asked. She was clearly disgusted, even though she had already heard the information several times.

"At first, not many people noticed except for Lord Tywin and his daughter. Queen Cersei was tasked with stopping the violence and it seemed to be that." Varys started to explain something Daeron had not heard before. "Of course, after the first miscarriage, Joffrey got worse. He blamed her and she was more under the scrutiny of the lords and ladies. So, people began to notice. Her cousins and ladies-in-waiting first. There were rumours, but by then Joffrey had already executed some peoples for no apparent reasons. Even if each time he was scolded by Tywin after the fact, the Court did not know that. they only knew the reputation of Joffrey. The New Mad King. And they were afraid. Nobody said a thing except for Lady Olenna who had more and more private audience with her granddaughter. But Joffrey started to get accusing of the old lady and after the second miscarriage the Tyrells fled. I believe Lady Margeary asked them to do so to preserve them."

"Well, I am outraged by your story Lord Varys." Stannis intervened. "But as sad as it is, this actually helps his Grace's cause." He paused. All around him nodded, they had all come to the same conclusion except maybe for Varys himself who grimaced. "What is more problematic is Rickon Stark's fate. Considering Brandon Stark is still lost and a cripple, Lord Rickon is the spare to the North, and a valuable hostage for the enemy."

"At least he is valuable, they won't kill him without thinking." Arianne declared.

"Roose won't. His bastard is way less rational." Varys corrected.

"It's a good thing Roose Bolton is still in charge then." Daeron remarked. "By the Gods, I never thought I would say something like that." He could have laughed, such was the absurdity of the conversation, but Daeron noticed the face Varys made and it concerned him.

"Lady Walda, Roose's new wife, is pregnant. I fear once the bastard is married, he will eliminate all threats to his lordship…" Varys developed.

"He would kill his own father?" Daeron exclaimed. "His new good-mother and unborn child, I could understand, but Roose is his family, the man who raised him to his current position."

"Are you familiar with Bolton's recent history, your Grace." Varys questioned, to which, Daeron shook his head. "He had a trueborn heir, who died mysteriously when he went in search of his half-brother. Half-brother who had been born of rape, if rumours are to be believed and who was never welcomed to his father's castle until his trueborn brother died."

"You believe he killed his half-brother and resents Roose Bolton?" Daeron deduced.

"It would not surprise me, your Grace." Varys confirmed. Daeron was not exactly surprised, he knew not all families' worked as the one he had grown up in and that cruelty was everywhere in the world. But still, he was shocked, especially as he had been considered a bastard in his childhood. Even with the hardships, he would never have considered hurting Robb or Bran or Rickon to get their place. And somehow, he wondered if this was why Lady Stark had been wary of him.

"Then, you must carefully decide when to act, your Grace." Lord Stannis commented. "If we go against Roose Bolton, he's more experienced with warfare but he will keep Lord Rickon alive. Whereas with Ramsay, he has no idea what he's doing and that means he will probably impulsively kill his hostage. That being said, with dragons, it won't make much of a difference."

"I'm not burning Winterfell to the ground." Daeron corrected. "Especially if Rickon is inside. And I won't be using the dragons as offensive weapons. They will be on the battlefield only to dissuade people."

Stannis looked perplexed. "It seems to be a waste of an effective weapon."

"These people will be my people. Do you think they'll enjoy being my people if I burnt their fathers and brothers to a crisp?" Daeron ironized.

"It is war." Varys pointed out.

"Exactly, but sometimes dissuasion and a little fear are as good a weapon as fire and blood." Daeron retorted. "I'm not using the dragons to kill innocent soldiers forced to fight for monsters." He declared once again. At his side, Arianne nodded, even though they had not talked about it, she seemed to agree.

Daeron next announced that they would depart to Castle Black the next morning where their army would mass before marching down, if Sansa arrived before that, good, otherwise, they would present her with her family home when she arrived. Judging by the fact some Northern Lords were starting to question the activities of the Wall, they could not waste any time. That being said, to some – especially Lady Selyse, with whom they had dinner the night before – going back to Castle Black was an unnecessary hindrance. It might be, but the Wall was a position easily defended with few enough men, contrary to Queenscrown, and Daeron was not about to risk the lives of Arianne and Aemon in case of an ambush, they would be far safer under the Lord Commander's care while they waited for Oberyn and Ser Richard, and so would be the Ladies Selyse and Shireen. Besides, they had a trial to perform. Daeron could not allow the Red Woman to remain untried at Castle Black. Her tendency for manipulation made her a particularly problematic prisoner. Maybe it was part of why Lady Selyse did not want to go to Castle Black. The noble woman still seemed highly devoted to the 'Lord of Light'. She prayed daily and in public with some of Stannis' men, much to her husband's annoyance. She probably had hoped that they would go to Winterfell directly, thus forgetting about her favourite priestess.

...

Before they left, Varys asked for a private audience with the King. His appetite for secrets was starting to get on Daeron's nerves. If the Master of Whisperers wanted to tell him something, why could he not say it in front of his advisors? "I wanted to warn you about something Lord Stannis said, your Grace." The bald eunuch began. "I don't agree with his visions that the demise of Lady Margeary is good for your campaign."

"I saw you make a face." Daeron confirmed. "Why do you disagree with Lord Stannis?"

"The boy is becoming so much out of control that I fear his grand-father will soon take action against him…" He left the rest of his thought in suspense.

"You mean Lord Tywin would have his grand-son killed. I must admit I would prefer to feel surprised and shocked, but I'm not." Daeron sarcastically pointed out. "I still don't see how his murder does not turn into our favour…"

"If Lord Tywin kills Joffrey… then Tommen steps on the throne… a perfect puppet in the hands of… well, his Hand, and Tywin becomes the true power of the crown again. The people fear him, but most agree that he is a good Hand, he was even under Aerys. Not to mention, if Margeary is out of Joffrey's claws, Lord Tywin might propose a new marriage, one with Tommen this time, provided that the Tyrells ally themselves with the Lannisters once again." Varys summarized. In other terms, Daeron would have the two armies victorious of the last war against him once more. But he was not sure he agreed with Lord Varys' analysis.

"Why would the Tyrells accept?" He asked sceptically. "Their precious rose is ruined already."

"Tommen is a boy, every player in King's Landing thinks that he will be easily manipulated. And it would not surprise me that Lord Mace could covet a place in the Small Council still, even if his very old mother disagrees. A shame mothers aren't eternal…" Varys ironized.

...

It was during the trip back to Castle Black that Daeron truly realised how fast winter was approaching. Even the sturdy Northern horses struggled in the snow, if a trot was feasible, a galop could not be achieved and the mounts needed more frequent stops then they did in the South. They needed more food also, and, like men, at night, they had to be covered in thick woollen blankets in order not to freeze to death. Daeron could hardly imagine how the men of Stannis' army would have survived without some help from the Free Folks. They did not know how to forage food in the snow, and they would have never thought of covering the horses. Still, even with those precautions, it would be unlikely that none of them died of the cold.

Daeron himself felt exhausted when they set camp, it should not come as a surprise with his recent cold. His cheeks, which had not been covered as he rode, were so cold they stung and burnt. Arianne's face was bright red and he imagined his was too. His joints ached when he slid off his horse and he had been so crisped during the ride that his back made him suffer as well. Thankfully, his wife's embrace provided some comfort in the night. They slept with their son between them, wrapped in as many blankets as they could so that the little prince would be as warm as possible.

The other problem with autumn snow, was that it was wet and heavier than the light, pillowy snow of the dead of winter. When they woke up, the men had to shovel it away so that they could put away the tents that had been covered in white during the night. It took at least an hour every morning and some men were starting to get injured. They had no maesters with them, barely a few healers who were lost as to what to do in case of an injured back or a finger bitten off by the cold.

...

Castle Black had not miraculously changed in the few weeks of his absence, it was still very much in ruin and pitiful to look at. So were the men who garrisoned it. To think that they were supposed to defend the Seven Kingdoms against the Night King and his army… To think that 'Jon Snow' had almost been forced to join them… Maybe it would not have been all bad, maybe Daeron would have been able to see the threat earlier and they would have been better prepared, but he doubted it. If he had gone to the Watch, he would not have found the dragons eggs, he would not have the support of Stannis and Dorne. His aunt would still dream of conquering the Realm and who knew what she might have thought of the tale of White Walkers and their wights.

As had become the norm when they arrived at Castle Black, Lord Commander Thorne greeted the royal family and the Baratheons with a grave face. But he was not alone. Behind him, stood a girl and a boy. The girl was very tall with fiery-red hair, and a long face with a nose too narrow and too big for her features. The boy was smaller, with chestnut hair and a shy look about him. His back was rounded, and his eyes were scanning the dirt. He reminded Daeron of himself when he was a child and the Stark family received guests in Winterfell.

"Your Grace, Lady Alys Karstark and Lord Ned Umber come with a disturbing tale." Ser Alliser declared gravely. "One I think you should hear before the trial of the Witch." That sentence alone woke Daeron's curiosity.

He nodded. "I will have use of your study again then, Lord Commander." The man graciously accepted. "Lord Stannis, Varys, follow me." He ordered the two before turning to Arianne who was holding their son. "My Queen, you are welcomed to join us as well."

Arianne shot a look at the baby in her arms. Aemon needed to be settled of course, so Arianne was torn. Once again, Lady Shireen Baratheon showed her wits and empathy. "Your Grace, if you'll allow me, I'll help the prince settle. I can stay with him while you assist in this important meeting." The young girl said. Her mother seemed about to protest.

"I will go with Lady Shireen to make sure the prince is safe, your Grace." The Lord Commander did not give the woman the opportunity to speak as he reassured the young parents. "I already have heard the story of Lady Karstark and Lord Umber."

Arianne courteously thanked the old knight and the young lady as she passed her son over to Shireen. Then, she looped her arm in Daeron's and the six of them headed to the Lord Commander's quarters.

Daeron sat behind the great simple oak desk, his back turned to the warm hearth. Arianne sat to his right. Stannis had taken a chair on the left of the desk and Varys stood behind him. The two children were standing in front of the desk, both of them looking nervous and frightened. They were only children after all. Lady Alys could not have been older than fourteen or fifteen and Ned Umber – the Greatjon's youngest son – was eleven.

"What is this tale my Lord, my Lady?" He asked them nicely. A part of his mind remained alert, however. Robb had killed Lady Alys' father and Lord Ned's uncle allegedly gave Rickon to the Boltons. He had no idea if the children were friends or foes.

Lady Alys gave a quick look to her companion before starting. "Your Grace…" She seemed unsure of the title. "We have come concerning the Red Woman and your bro… I mean, your cousin, Lord Rickon Stark."

"What does Melisandre have to do with Lord Rickon?" Stannis scorned. "She's been with the wildlings, not at the Last Hearth."

"She was, my Lord." The young Lord Ned protested. "Your Grace… your Grace." He added, clearly, he did not know who he had to address and how.

"When my father was beheaded by King Robb… sorry, Lord Robb," Lady Alys took the next batch of explanations, "who was then betrayed by the Boltons. My uncle Cregan supported them along with my brother Harrion. They… they devised a plan to bring back some of the Northern Houses into the fold…" She paused, she looked very embarrassed. "The Boltons and my family offered Mors Umber a choice. Either House Umber would be destroyed and the Last Hearth burnt to the ground. Or they would kill the Smalljon, who was a prisoner at the Twins, and make Ned the new lord, provided that he swore fealty to the Boltons and married me…" She hung her head in shame.

"Go on." Arianne encouraged her softly.

"Lord Mors accepted the deal and I was sent to the Last Hearth so that I could meet my betrothed and get to know him until we were of an age to marry." Once again she paused and took a few breaths to steady herself. "At first, Lord Mors was wary of me and he clearly despised the Boltons. I cannot blame him, I myself is highly ashamed of what my family has done. I have prayed for Lord Robb's soul almost every day."

"Lord Robb is alive, my Lady. So are Lady Stark and Lady Sansa. They should be on their way here." Varys explained. The girl widened her eyes in shock, and Lord Ned looked at his betrothed in confusion.

"The Stark siblings were rescued in King's Landing by myself and My wife's family." Daeron told them. "Lady Catelyn was with my aunt, the Queen Daenerys of Meereen." He kept her encounter with Baelish under silence.

"That is a relief, your Grace." Lady Alys looked genuine. "Lord Rickon would have been ecstatic." She resumed her tale. "I became aware of his presence a few months after I arrived, when Lord Mors realised I was still loyal to the Starks."

"You're saying that Lord Mors was loyal to his ancestral liege… Yet we have been informed that he was the one to take Lord Rickon to the Boltons." Arianne pointed out, frowning.

"It was the Red Woman!" Young Lord Ned shouted vehementely, losing his shyness for a split second.

Lady Alys put a calming hand on the boy's shoulder and explained. "Lord Mors had started to really fear the Boltons when we received Lord Jon's head." Daeron shut his eyes in frustration. Until now, he had hoped that the Smalljon had survived it all and was still a prisoner at the Twins. "Shortly after, Lady Melisandre arrived. She only stayed a few days but she did great damage. Lord Mors almost immediately converted to her religion and she started whispering in his ear. I don't know what she told him exactly but it was not long before Lord Rickon and I were in a cell."

"She told him that the Stark blood was King's blood and that it had power in it." The young lord whispered, he appeared to still be under the shock of what he had heard.

"She used to tell me that as well." Lord Stannis confirmed.

Daeron nodded and turned back to Lady Alys. "When he came to take Lord Rickon, he said that he would make a perfect wedding gift for 'Lord' Ramsay's wedding." She girl shivered. "Then he turned to me and said that I was not betrothed to Ned anymore, that when he came back, I would be burnt to attract the good will of the Lord so that the Umbers would defeat the wildlings."

Young Ned put his small hand in hers in a kind gesture to reassure her. "When my uncle left, I asked Ormund, whose been a guard in my household my entire life and my friend to help me save Alys." The young boy said bravely. "He did and we escaped with horses. We came to the Wall because we had no idea where to go, and we always heard it was safe." Daeron doubted that, but he was glad the pair had ended up here. "Lord Commander Thorne explained everything to us. We are willing to pledge our loyalty and that of our Houses to you, your Grace… And to House Stark, once Lord Robb is back." The boy said with conviction. He was in fact, the new head of House Umber now that his older brother was gone.

"I accept your loyalty, Lord Umber, Lady Karstark. But I have one more thing to ask of you…" The children looked at each other uncertainly before nodding. "I want you to repeat your story during the trial against Melisandre."

...

The extent of what Melisandre had done became clearer and clearer as the witnesses explained further and further during the trial. It was impressive. In a short period of about three weeks, the Red Woman had gained fanatics amongst the Free Folks with the help of her Baratheon guards which led to fights amongst the Free Folks. Meanwhile, she went to the Umbers. By the time news of the fights reached Castle Black, she had already come back to her camp and Rayder and Ser Alliser never suspected that she could have gone elsewhere.

The woman confessed to all the charges, including planting the idea of giving Rickon to the Boltons in Mors' mind, as well as informing the Umbers of an army amassing at the Wall. Umbers who, in turn, informed the Boltons. She was the reason why they had less time than anticipated to prepare for battle.

And she seemed perfectly fine with that… "The Lord of Light showed me!" She declared when Daeron asked if she had anything to say for herself. "He wants you to vanquish your enemies soon, I had to push you!" In her twisted mind, it probably made perfect sense, and indeed, he would need to move against the Boltons much quicker. He was boiling with rage, Rickon would probably die because of her. They might lose more men than necessary because of her. There was unrest amongst the Free Folks because of her. Yet she had not even an ounce of regret. She seemed perfectly content with what she had done.

It was enough, she might have been useful at some point, but the risks were too great. Daeron nodded to Stannis, hoping he would understand that his wish had been granted. The Lord of Storm's End got up from his chair on the 'dais' of the dining hall where the trial was happening. "Lady Melisandre of Asshai. In the name of King Daeron Targaryen, the Third of His Name, Lord of the Andals, the Rhoynars and the First Men, King of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, I, Stannis of the House Baratheon, Lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands, sentence you to die."

"I will join the Lord in flames. There is no purer death." The woman replied, with a wicked and frightening smile on her face. Daeron frowned but Stannis seemed to know how to react.

"No you won't, only cold steel for you, Witch." He spat.

Daeron understood then that the woman had hoped to be burnt alive. "Stannis!" Lady Selyse cried and had to be restrained as her husband had the Red Woman dragged outside.

It was a quick endeavour, only a few minutes and the head of Melisandre was rolling in the dirt of Castle Black's courtyard. Her body was hacked to pieces with dragonglass shards by some of the Free Folks. They did not want to give her the satisfaction of burning her body, but they still could not afford her becoming a wight.

Lord Stannis took her head by the red hair and looked at it. Her necklace was still attached to it. Lady Selyse was hysterical, crying, calling for vengeance and screaming like a mad woman. Baratheon men took her away swiftly without even a glance from her husband. He was transfixed by the necklace. With his free hand, he took it off. Then something strange happened. Her face turned into the one of a very old woman. Older even that Maester Aemon had been before he died. She had fine, sparce, white hair and her face was so wrinkly it was hard to see where the mouth and eyes were. In horror, Stannis let the head fall from his hand. When it hit the ground, it disappeared in a puff of dust. Lord Stannis threw away the necklace, looking at it as if it was cursed.

Varys picked it up. "Magic, your Grace, dark and bloody. I would advise you to destroy it."

"See it done." A disturbed Daeron ordered.

...

They woke up to a misty weather the next morning. The Lord Commander had organised for his highborn guests – and Mance Rayder – to break their fast with him in his study and discuss the next moves. Shireen, Alys and Ned were on time and looked intimidated by all the adults around them. But Shireen's parents were nowhere to be seen. It was very out-of-character for Lord Stannis to be late.

Eventually, he arrived, panting. "Sorry, your Graces, I seem to have a problem with my wife." He bowed to Daeron and Arianne before facing his daughter. "Shireen, have you seen your mother?" He asked her. The girl, who now looked very worried, shook her head.

Forgetting about the meal, Daeron and Ser Alliser directed their efforts to find Lady Baratheon. Even Rayder sent some scouts out to see if the lady went beyond the Wall, as unlikely as it was.

If Lord Stannis was not panicked, he was at least worried. Telling them the same things again and again throughout the search. He blamed himself for his wife's fanatism. He also repeated that he should have gone to her the night before, seeing how distraught she was. Daeron had learnt from some of the men, but also the rumours that the Baratheon spouses did not share a room, and that they only performed their marital duties once a year. If the rumour was true, then it was a miracle that Lady Shireen was even born.

The Free Folk found her first. Stannis and his daughter – who had insisted on participating to the search – rushed in the direction indicated before they could hear the scout's warning. That it was not pretty. Arianne and Daeron ran after the Baratheons.

The scouts led them through the woods bordering Castle Black. The forest was dark with high, black trees that looked dead after having lost their leaves at the end of summer. The moss was covered in snow and there was no clear path. What would Lady Selyse be doing here? Daeron remembered her complaints at having to ride in the snow. No horse had been taken from the stables of the Night's Watch. He could not imagine any reason why the lady would walk out here alone.

When he had his answer, he realised how wrong he had been. He had underestimated the fanatism the Lady and some of her guards showed to the Lord of Light. He could never have imagined that the woman would be so attached to her red priestess, that she would kill herself and follow her into the next life.

Yet it was what they discovered. An half charred tree with a female body attached to it. Not quite ashes, but black and dead. There was no way it was not her. A bracelet confirmed it as Lord Stannis knelt before his dead wife's burnt body. On the ground, two Baratheon guards, with their throat slit. They probably attached her and killed her at her demand before killing themselves, or each other if they lacked the courage.

While Stannis was devastated and rendered mute by the horrendous discovery, his daughter was much more vocal. Men were restraining the young Shireen as she tried to join her father.

"Mother, Mother please!" She screamed in a high-pitched voice as she struggled to get out of the soldiers' grasps. "Mother!"

When Daeron and Arianne arrived shortly after the Baratheons, Arianne rushed to the little girl and enveloped her in an embrace while turning her away from her deceased mother. "Mother." The little girl repeated more softly as she sobbed against the Queen's shoulder.

What did you think? I particularly enjoyed writting the children's story. I don't know why, since they appear very briefly on the show, but I always liked them.
RIP Selyse Baratheon and Melisandre.

Next chapter: I'm going to try something different with the dreams so that Daeron knows what he's up against.

Guest reviews:

- Thank you! Shireen will be back in chapter 52 with more sweetness.

- He has one now since chapter 40 I think, but it is Dark Sister.

- Thank you for reading it.

- Thanks!