The following morning, Stannis bid farewell to Jon Snow and the Night's Watch. Everybody was already on horses when he joined his, got on it, and started to walk. The rest of the army, Shireen and Margaery followed him. The Queen turned one last time to look at Melisandre, staying here, and she waved at Gilly, holding her baby in her arms. She smiles back at her and Margaery rides by Shireen's side.
The road to Winterfell is long and tiring. But they walk quite fast. They leave as soon as the sun rises, and stops only when it's too dark to go on. After a few days, and while Stannis has allowed the men to stop to eat a bit, Margaery walks by him, brushing his hand, and walks away in the woods with a knowing look. The snow, the trees, the sounds of the forest reminds her weirdly of the dream, this awful dream she has made. Sometimes, at nights, she has this nightmare again, always the same, the look for water, the stag by her side, the beast, her death. Shivers of horror run up and down her spine and she tightens her coat around her chest. She suddenly feels a hand running on her scruff, grabbing her hair and making her turn around. Stannis's mouth crushes on hers, his tongue slips in her mouth in a demanding, passionate kiss. He takes her against a tree, far from the soldiers's look, and she bites the leather of his collar to stifle her moans. When they're done, Stannis directly goes back, after a kiss though, and Margaery stays alone, waiting for her heart to stop pounding so hard, for her legs to stop shaking and for her face to lose the red that stained her cheeks. When she feels ready, she walks back to the camp and observes Stannis, as he walks among his men. She has grew real love and affection for this man, twenty-one years older than her, a man who was dressing in dour, dark, utilitarian clothing. Margaery, her, was always smart, wearing flower-shaped dresses. She watches her husband and realizes how much he's not trying to be a King, he is a king. He doesn't need fancy clothes, he doesn't need to treat other people like scum. He's a commander, that's who he is, and he knows clothes don't make a king. Victories do. Desire fills Margaery with brutal belly pangs as she wants her husband again. But, just when she's about to go see him, a soldier sounds the departure of the camp. Margaery sighs, walks to her horse and gets on it.
Stannis joins Margaery every night, but she soon feels sick and tired most of the time. She falls asleep on her horse often, and the leather of the saddle cuts into her thighs and her butt. When she gets down at night, Cressen gives her an ointment she applies with winces of pain. Sometimes, she just would like to walk among the soldiers, but she knows Stannis would never agree with it. After a month, she totally hates her horse, hates horseriding and she promises herself never doing it again. This is when they reach the place where Stannis decide to settle on. The young queen sighs with relief, and, as soon as the royal tent is pitched, she lies in the bed and falls asleep immediately.
Stannis walks in his commander's tent and prepares Winterfell's attack with Renly and Davos. They foresee to stay here for a week or so, just the time that the men recover from this long travel. Renly and Loras will then lead their men to the Twins, and will attack the Freys. Renly proposes that they go further and attack Casterly Rock, but Stannis refuses. He does not care about Casterly Rock. All his thoughts are focused on King's Landing. He will take Winterfell, yes, but the main target is King's Landing and these bloody Lannisters.
They've been here for three days when Stannis frowns at clamors from outside. Davos and he walk out of the tent to see what is going on: in front of them, a young woman, lean and long-legged, dressed up like a boy. She walks between the soldiers, led by two of them, who stop in front of Stannis and bow:
"Your Grace, this is our prisoner"
"I'm not a prisoner", the young girl says. "I came here to meet Stannis Baratheon. Why do you say that, you bloody liars?" she spats.
Davos raises an eyebrow at the young girl and Stannis clenches his jaw.
"I am Stannis Baratheon. And you are?"
The girl crosses her arms on her chest and looks up and down at him.
"Asha Greyjoy, daughter of Balon Greyjoy."
Murmurs spread among the soldiers. Renly arrives from his tent and stares at all of them. Stannis stares at her, and orders her to follow him before going in his tent, motioning Davos and Renly to come with him. Margaery, awake from her nap, walks behind them and goes stand next to Stannis. He whispers her name in Margaery's ear. Stannis offers a seat, food and water to Asha, wondering what the hell she is doing here, in Winterfell. The girl drinks lengthily, eats ravenously. Stannis glances at Davos, who slightly shrugs, not able to give answers to his King's questions.
"Your father is an usurper. He pretends to claim…" Stannis starts.
"My father's dead", Asha groans.
"Dead?" Stannis repeats, surprised. "How?"
"Fell from a bridge during a storm", she groans again.
"Fell during a storm? Balon Greyjoy?" Stannis ironically says.
Greyjoys were born surviving storms. It is an uncommon death for them. The young lady looks up at him and says, staring at his eyes:
"I am not here to talk about my father."
"Why are you here, then, my Lady?" Margaery asks with a smile.
"My brother is in Winterfell. Prisoner."
Her eyes stare at each and every one of them. Her black eyes stop lengthily on theirs, and they all feel scrutinized by the daughter of the Kraken.
"Your brother slaughtered the two Stark boys. He betrayed the man he had grown up with. When I will take Winterfell, I will mount his head on a pike. That's the only thing this boy deserves."
Asha's eyes would have thrown flames that Davos would have not been surprised. She glared at Stannis and Margaery lost her welcoming smile.
"I propose you something: give me my brother back. Safe. And I will give you everything I own."
Stannis snorts:
"And what can you offer me, woman?"
"Ships. And me."
She turns to Renly, and the look she gives him makes him swallow hard. Stannis notices the look but still claims for an explanation:
"You?"
Asha ignores him and, still staring at Renly, asks him:
"Is it true what I heard about Baratheons?"
"What have you heard, my Lady?" Renly asks, holding back a smile.
"That you're hung like stags", she grins.
Margaery chuckles, Stannis glares at the two women, Davos hides his smile looking down and Renly becomes as red as a beetroot.
"Yes, it is true", Margaery grins.
"Good. I offer you my services. My uncle has betrayed me, and has probably killed my father. I want to see him dead. The only thing I ask is to have the Iron Islands as mine, when you'll be on the Iron Throne. I don't care about this throne. I know I'm unable to win it alone. I am an Iron born, I'll always be. Life on the continent would not suit me."
Stannis rolls his eyes and spats:
"Renly is betrothed to Sansa Stark, and will be Lord of Storm's End when I will live in King's Landing."
"I can live on the Iron Islands. I don't mind. She is offering us a fleet", Renly protests. "What is Sansa offering us? Nothing. She could be dead. We need to talk about that, Stannis."
The King gives black looks at his brother: he accepts different opinions, but not to be denied in front of strangers. His authority had to be respected, even by his brother. Especially by his brother, indeed. He sent Asha away and she left without a word. As soon as she was out, Renly rushed on his brother:
"By the Seven, this woman's soul is fire!" he exclaims.
"Now, you like fire", Stannis ironically retorts.
"Stannis… She is a Greyjoy. She has ships. She is only two years younger than me… We need her."
The King shakes his head:
"I made a promise."
Renly exclaims with disdain:
"To whom? Robb Stark? He's dead. Catelyn Stark? She's dead."
"Still, it's a promise, and I intend to keep it. We need the Starks as much, if not more, as we need the Greyjoys."
Renly looks down and storms out of the room. Stannis sighs and turns to Margaery and Davos. They give him knowing looks and he just sighs:
"Speak."
Davos motions Margaery to talk first:
"You should let him marry her. This would be a strong sign, Stannis. The Starks, the Northerners are already at our side. I bet all of them think Sansa is dead."
Davos supported the Queen:
"The Martells have proposed that Sansa would marry Quentyn, Prince Doran's eldest son."
"Then the Martells would unite with both Starks and Baratheons. I want my blood to run in every family of this realm. I want to unite with the Starks!" Stannis shouted angrily.
"Your Grace, we need to think about the war. Not only the war against the Lannisters, but the war against the Dead. Honestly, the more men we have, the strongest we'll be. We'll think about weddings later. Maybe the people you want to unite to will be dead before the end of this war. Your brother likes this girl. They're the same age. What if Sansa refuses to marry Renly? What if she doesn't care about her brother's promise? Let him marry Lady Greyjoy. And let Sansa marry a boy of her age, and live far from the hell she has been living in since she arrived in King's Landing."
Stannis listens to Davos, carefully, feeling Margaery's hand stroking his arm. He nods at them when Davos stops talking and says:
"I will think about it."
Then he leaves the tent to give orders concerning Asha Greyjoy.