#2: Dark Magic
To Melisandre, Stannis Baratheon was Azhor Azhair reborn.
He was chosen by R'hllor, Lord of Light, to destroy his enemies in one fell swoop and rid Westeros of the pagan idols its people clung to so tightly. Wielding Lightbringer, he would ensure R'hllor's victory over the Lord of Darkness and Cold.
But first, he had to win the Iron Throne of Westeros.
As Stannis sailed to Blackwater Bay to meet the false King's forces, Melisandre plotted to strike a fatal blow to the heart of their enemy's forces. Stannis could not lose this battle. She would ensure that he did not, as she had guaranteed his defeat of Renly.
She wove a different spell this time. When she had targeted Renly, it had been convenient for the Shadow that killed him to resemble a human figure. This time, there was no need for such extravagance. A great pyre, some whispered words into the cold night air, and three drops of her own blood was all she needed to send the false King to his death. A man's life was an easy thing to end once she had seen it in the flames.
In a vision, she had seen the false King burn like the wooden statues of his false gods. She wanted him to die in the heart of the battle in the midst of his soldiers. To see their leader burn and hear his screams would frighten Stannis' enemies witless, and leave their strategies forgotten and their courage forsaken.
When Stannis returned to her from the Battle of Blackwater, she learned that although he had suffered a crushing defeat, what she had seen in the flames had come to pass. Now, there were other false Kings to slay before one of them seized the Throne.