"But now I am the one winning this victory, the one directing this war." Gendry looked at the Red Priestess. Now that Stannis had bent the knee, she had to serve him too.
"Yes, Your Highness," the Red Priestess said bitterly. "You are the Unchosen One, beyond the Lord of Light's predictions."
"You should dress more warmly," Gendry told her.
"My faith is enough to warm me." The Red Priestess was unconcerned. Her alluring figure was also a kind of bait.
Gendry tightened his grip on Orphan-Maker. The black sword's cold touch seemed to diminish the Red Priestess's allure.
"It seems your predictions sometimes fail too."
The Red Priestess opened Gendry's palm. "I have gazed into the Holy Flame and begged the Lord of Light for guidance. The Holy Flame can reveal the truth, Gendry. Through it, I can see through stone and earth, into the darkest secrets of men's souls. Dead kings, unborn children—if I wish to speak with them, nowhere is beyond my reach; years drift past and seasons turn, but if I wish to journey through them, I can reach their end."
"There are never lies in the flames?"
"Never... but we priests are only mortal, after all. We may misinterpret them, confusing cause and effect."
Gendry nodded. The Red Priestess's prophecies were indeed reliable, though sometimes they might be too vague, and the images were not precisely on target. Still, that was enough. Someone with magical talent was very hard to come by now.
Gendry touched the Red Priestess's arm. Even through her outer garment, he could feel heat.
"You're rather like a dragon," Gendry told her. "Very hot."
"So I can give you an even better experience." The Red Priestess smiled at Gendry. "I have never seen such a beautifully built body as yours, filled