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Jon's eyes shifted to Daenerys, intent on congratulating her on becoming a dragon rider (even if she was not one yet and won't be the only one this time around). His smile turned into a frown.
"You don't look happy" Jon pointed out.
"I abandoned them" Daenerys' frown was deep and her eyes angry.
Jon blinked. It had occurred to him then that she had flown away on her dragon.
"It's your first time on a dragon, perhaps it was Drogon who flew you away instead of you flying away on him" Lyanna suggested. Though she had little knowledge about the Targaryens and how their bond with Dragons worked, she felt these words would comfort the girl.
Daenerys seemed to relax ever so slightly.
"I hope so" the girl muttered. She did not wish to be so selfish as to leave her people surrounded by enemies.
[STANNIS'S CAMP; MELISANDRE'S TENT]
[MELISANDRE looks at the icicles hanging outside her tent and sees they are melting. She walks to find Stannis, stepping in a pile of mud on the way.]
"Smug bitch" Robert sneered in disgust.
Stannis stared, but there was nothing behind it, no emotion or anything. But it was also not the usual stoicism from the Lord of Dragonstone.
[STANNIS'S CAMP; STANNIS'S TENT]
[MELISANDRE enters. STANNIS straps his armor on.]
"The Lord of Light has made good on his promise, my king. His fires have melted the snow away. The way ahead is clear."
"We ride for Winterfell."
"No reactions at all from murdering his daughter" Renly spat in disgust. Killing him, Renly could overlook his own murder because of circumstances (as little as there were of that). But he could never overlook or forgive the man for killing his own child in such a manner. There were no circumstances or excuses in the world that could justify it.
"And you will take it. The Lord has shown me Bolton banners burning. You will receive what is yours by right."
[MELISANDRE wraps her arms around STANNIS. He brushes her off and then exits the tent. She follows after him. They pass by Baratheon men as they prepare for battle. One soldier approaches him.]
"Your Grace."
"Prepare to form up."
"Your Grace."
[The soldier waits for a response from STANNIS.]
"Tell me."
"The men. Many deserted before dawn."
'How many?"
"Nearly half. All the sell-swords, with all the horses."
"Serves him right" Sansa muttered furiously. He deserved to be abandoned for the crime he committed.
[STANNIS is speechless. He looks to MELISANDRE who appears even more devastated than he is. Another soldier comes up to STANNIS.]
"Your Grace?"
"Speak up. It can't be worse than mutiny."
[WOODS OUTSIDE STANNIS'S CAMP]
[STANNIS is led by his men to a tree. STANNIS looks up and sees SELYSE hanging from it.]
Stannis watched, horror clawing inside him. He killed his daughter... and his wife...
"Poor woman" Catelyn muttered. As harsh as she was to Shireen, she was still a mother, and Catelyn understood the pain of seeing your child die right in front of you.
[STANNIS takes a long look but tries not to reveal his emotions.]
"Cut her down."
[The men cut the noose and bring her to the ground.]
"Your Grace. The Lady Melisandre was just seen riding out of camp."
"And now she's left you too!" Renly barked a cold cruel laugh. "She knew you'd kill her too so she ran! Her lies were caught and now she runs!"
Stannis watched in silence once more, his horror turning to boiling rage. He'd kill that woman, take a page out of the Bolton books, and Flay her alive! If only she hadn't come to him...
No, it was not all her fault. She was a zealot, but it was he who heard her. Let her use his desperation.
He was at fault here.
He was why his wife and daughter were dead.
[CASTLE BLACK; LIBRARY]
"I wanted to ask you something. To ask something of you. Send me, Gilly, and the baby to Oldtown so I can become a Maester. That's what I'm meant to be, not this."
"He isn't wrong. Sam doesn't seem like the type to come out of a fight in one piece without the element of surprise to help him" Robb said softly.
"But if he's gone, Jon's losing a trusted man" Arya argued with a bite of her lip.
"And he'd need all the man he can get after what happened with the White Walkers. Men of the Watch died, and those with an agenda against Jon would be even more against him now. There might even be new ones to join that side" Brandon the Elder added.
Jon watched in silence, unsure of what to do. Having support would be the best for him, but Sam becoming a Maester... would suit him better than being a fighter. And after Maester Aemon's death...
"I'll be more use to you as a Maester. More use to everyone now that Maester Aemon's gone."
Jon nods to that. That was his thoughts exactly.
"What will you choose, Jon?" Rickard asked, and it took Jon a moment to understand that his grandfather to talking to him and not to the vision of him.
Jon met his grandfather's eyes, which studied him most keenly.
"It would be good for me if Sam would remain" Jon began, "but he is a Brother of The Watch, and I as the Lord Commander must think of the good of the Watch and not just myself. Sam is a well-read man, he is no fighter. He'd better serve The Watch as a Maester than a fighter."
Rickard nodded and Jon saw the approval in the man's eyes.
[CASTLE BLACK; COURTYARD]
[It's the following day. SAM, GILLY, and LITTLE SAM mount the horses. SAM looks up to see JON watching from the top of his steps. They exchange a wave, and then SAM begins riding out of Castle Black.]
"Guess Future you had the same idea," Daenerys said.
"Or Sam convinced me" Jon shrugged. "I didn't look all too happy with the suggestion at first" he added.
"Either way, you put the men before you. Not many would do that" Daenerys replied with a smile. The image of her brother Viserys came to mind, who would only think about himself than his men... even if he had no men to speak of. It was a hypothetical thought, but Viserys had come to her mind when thinking about leaders who would think about themselves over the men under him.
[OUTSIDE OF WINTERFELL]
[STANNIS' depleted army marches onto WINTERFELL. STANNIS is at the front with flaming heart banners flying all around him.]
"So you're finally there" Robert grunted, his voice oddly void of emotions. Even in his worst anger, Robert always had emotions in his voice.
Stannis nods, anxious to see what would happen... whether it was all worth it.
[WINTERFELL; COURTYARD]
[The BOLTON army is preparing for battle. SANSA walks by the men as they are preparing for battle in a hood.]
"You're sneaking" Arya pointed out.
"Are you escaping?" Bran asked, hopeful.
"I don't know" Sansa answered. She prayed that was the case, that somehow she'd found a way to sneak away... but she knew keeping up hope would only hurt her more later on if things fell apart. That had been the story so far for her.