iron throne of ice and fire

Chapter 578 The King's Witch

"Mofa, Gaoda, you did see it (Chapter 508)."

"I'm sorry, woman, that man is not me!"

Stannis, a gaunt figure, stood before the high seat, his deep blue eyes fixed on the red-robed priestess at the foot of the stairs.

Melisandre lost her former mystery and power. She moved her red lips and said hoarsely, "I didn't see the man's face..."

Crunch!

Stannis's gnashing teeth rang out again. "And yet you interpreted that man as... me!"

He gritted his teeth. "Aerys's daughter brought the three-headed dragon. She was the one who awakened the dragon."

Staring at Melisandre, his eyes flashed sharply: "So, are you planning to leave, woman?"

Melisandre showed unprecedented fragility and reluctance: "Your Majesty Stannis, it is my mission to assist the prince of prophecy and banish the long night. This is the will of the Lord of Light."

"ridiculous!"

There was a sneer as Stannis slowly walked down the stairs. "That man and that woman have claimed the throne of the Seven Kingdoms."

He gritted his teeth and squeezed out a voice: "According to the inheritance law of the Seven Kingdoms, the actions of that man and that woman are legal."

Stannis stood in front of her. Melisandre reached out her soft, hot hand and gently stroked his bony cheek: "Your Majesty, my dream is to help you sit on the Iron Throne. My heart has never wavered. I swear to the Lord of Light."

Staring at her, Stannis said coldly: "My kingdom has not yet been built, and it is about to fall."

His faith was shaken...

Melisandre grasped his face with both hands, staring into his eyes, her voice filled with urgency: "No, your cause is growing. You already control the Wall, the Grant, and the wildlings beyond the Wall."

"Ah--"

"Lord Stark has not yet sworn fealty to me."

Stannis coldly slapped her hand away and added, "Even without Stark, do I have to use the snow and wildlings to fight against the White Walkers while fighting back against the army from the south?"

Melisandre shook her head. "Once you defeat the White Walkers, you can declare yourself the King Beyond the Wall. I will convince the King and Queen of the South. Please believe me!"

"I believe you..."

Stannis shook his hand and said, "Yes, I trusted you enough, but I ended up being a lost cause."

"And the King-Beyond-the-Wall?"

Stannis's face twisted for a moment: "Let me tell you, I would rather die than betray the Seven Kingdoms!"

Melisandre stepped forward, placed her hand on Stannis' chest, and said quickly, "No, there is another way, Your Majesty. Please forgive me for my offense."

"I have met my death, Melisandre."

Stannis slapped her hand away again and said coldly, "I will never surrender to that despicable man!"

"The Baratheon family, the Arryn family, and the Lannister family are about to become history, or they will be forgotten forever. This is the real demise."

Stannis's teeth chattered again. "Green Crabbe, he fooled all the arrogant nobles, including... me."

He gritted his teeth and continued, "It wasn't until Green was crowned that I realized that he was the real enemy who had been hiding in the shadows."

Seeing Melisandre remained silent, Stannis's eyes became deep: "Do you disagree with my point of view, woman?"

After a pause, Melisandre shook her head: "Yes, he is your unexpected enemy, but..."

"Yes, the enemy." Stannis interrupted Melisandre.

He turned around with his hands behind his back, and after a breathless silence, he suddenly said, "Melisandre, I will allow you to leave. I can drive you away from the Wall." After a pause, he murmured, "I can also arrange guards, horses and ships for you."

Looking at his tall but upright back, Melisandre's pupils shrank slightly: "Your Majesty Stannis..."

He turned slowly, his eyes fell on her again, and after a pause, he opened his thin lips slightly: "The premise is to kill someone for me."

Hearing this, Melisandre's fiery red eyes trembled.

"It seems you have already guessed who it is."

Stannis's eyes looked as if winter had come. "Yes, Green Crabbe. Kill him and you will be free."

"No, I can't."

Melisandre stumbled back slightly, and Stannis took a step forward.

"With all my Kingblood, I will kill the Green and leave the Seven Kingdoms to Daenerys Targaryen, who is descended from my grandmother's blood."

Stannis exudes an extremely dangerous aura: "I want to die with him. Let me go with him to see the Stranger. You must do this..."

Before he could finish his words, Melisandre suddenly stepped forward and hugged him. She buried her head in his arms, trembling, and said, "No, you can't die! Your Majesty, I'm sorry, I can't let you die!"

Stannis stood there motionless for an unknown amount of time. He spoke coldly, "Are you rejecting me?"

Melisandre shook her head in his arms: "It's not a rejection, it's because it's meaningless."

Then she raised her head, stared at him with her ruby ​​eyes, and whispered, "I saw in the flames that there were two red-robed priests standing beside him, one of whom was the messenger of the High Priest of Benero, the Temple of R'hllor."

Stannis: "..."

As their bodies separated, he could not help but grit his teeth: “Sure enough, he is a despicable and cunning man!”

After a moment of silence, Stannis closed his eyes and said, "How ridiculous! I can't even die with you."

"At least the merciful Lord of Light is watching over you, Lord Stannis."

Melisandre stretched out a hand and gently placed it on Stannis's arm. Her voice with a Jade Sea accent came slowly: "I cannot disobey the will of the Lord of Light, but..."

Her eyes were gentle. "If you take the North, you will have the power to fight any enemy."

She stroked him, her low and hoarse voice carrying a hint of madness: "Believe me, the King of Light loves his believers the most. The kingdom you have established is the kingdom of the great King of Light."

Stannis narrowed his eyes, paused for a moment, and then said, "Stark, the North, the White Walkers, the Faith of the Seven."

Melisandre raised the corners of her lips, and as she looked at him, she nodded slightly: "My mission at the moment is to assist a king on earth to defeat the White Walkers, and my other mission is to spread the faith of the Lord of Light, which is the duty of every priest of the Temple of R'hllor."

Stannis was silent for a long time before he spoke: "The prerequisite is to defeat the invasion of the White Walkers."

He stared straight at the woman standing in front of him: "I see your hidden selfishness, Priest Melisandre."

She smiled, then she stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

Melisandre stared into his eyes and whispered, "It's because of love. I love you."

After staring at each other for a while, Stannis turned and walked towards the fireplace. As he walked, he asked, "When do you plan to go south?"

Melisandre also took a step and followed him, saying, "I will wait for him at the Wall."

A fire crackled in the fireplace.

Stannis stared at the flickering flames for a moment. "Do not underestimate him, woman."

(End of this chapter)