The highest point of Dragonstone Island is not the famous Stone Drum Tower, but an open-air platform attached to the east tower of Main Holdfast.
This was originally a place where maesters observed astronomical phenomena and calculated tides, but now it has become Stannis Baratheon's temporary command post.
The platform is not big, made of black stone, and has chest-high crenels on its edges.
From here, you can have a panoramic view of most of Dragonstone Island.
The dark purple flag of the Redwin fleet was looming in the firelight and thick smoke. In the darkness, it seemed that more small boats were constantly sending soldiers to the beach.
Inside the castle, black smoke rising from many places marked the location of fierce street fighting, and the shouts of killing were intermittently blown by the wind from high places.
Stannis stood in the center of the platform, his back to the howling sea breeze.
He stood upright, but the fire emblem surrounding the stag on his chest seemed to be covered with a layer of gray.
They have been staying here for more than an hour. Since arriving here, Stannis has been pacing from the edge of the platform to the central map table, and then back again. It is obvious that his heart is not as calm as it seems on the surface.
Bad news comes one after another like this gloomy weather without stopping.
"Your Majesty! The arrows in Sea Dragon Tower on the east side have been exhausted, more than half of the defenders have suffered casualties, and Redwin's people have occupied the lower two floors!"
"Your Majesty! The Tide Gate" leading to the underground dock has been breached. A group of enemy troops broke in along the waterway. Buckland Ser is leading people to prevent them from going deeper!"
"Your Majesty! The outer wall on the west side has been breached in many places. The enemy is infiltrating along Old Granary District towards Main Holdfast. Our people are divided!"
Every messenger or knight who came to report the news was suffering from minor or serious injuries. Their hurried sentences and heavy breathing combined to form a large web called "rout", which was slowly tightening.
Stannis listened without saying a word.
His face was angular, with high cheekbones and a tight chin. He only nodded occasionally or uttered one or two short syllables to express his knowledge.
A rough defense map of Dragonstone Castle was laid out on the stone table in the center. Every time he received a report, Stannis would press his finger on the corresponding position on the map, as if to nail failure there.
"Tell the guards of Sea Dragon Tower to abandon the upper floor, blow up the stairs, retreat to the arch at the base of the tower, and use the narrow terrain to block the attack. At least hold on until sunrise!"
"Order Buckland to abandon the dock, retreat in the direction of the Dragonbone Hall, and join forces with Swygert Earl."
"Send an order to the commander of Old Granary District to set fire to the debris pile on the edge of Old Granary District, create a wall of fire, slow down the enemy's advance, then break it into pieces, use the advantage of the familiar terrain to harass the enemy, and move closer to the assembly point under the Shigu Tower."
Every instruction is very specific and pragmatic, trying to re-glue the shattered defense system back together to buy time for a possible comeback.
The knights or scouts who received the order loudly accepted the order, then turned around and left in a hurry, rushing to their respective deaths or missions.
Stannis watched their departing figures, his eyes not changing at all.
However, anyone could see that the face of the King of Dragonstone Island gradually became gloomy.
The personal guards around him and the few remaining knights held their breath and did not dare to express their anger.
They knew their king too well. Stannis Baratheon never gave up easily, but at this moment, even the most loyal people could smell defeat in the air.
Just like at the end of the Battle of the Blackwater River, the carefully constructed hope collapsed inch by inch, and the feeling of despair that the cold river water flooded the nose seemed to be spreading again.
The last knight who could be sent also took the order and left, and the platform suddenly became much empty. Only Stannis was left, as well as the two dozen most elite Kingsguard and a few core knights guarding him.
The wind got stronger, making the flags roar and making people feel panicky.
There was a long silence.
Stannis turned slowly and glanced at every face around him.
I wanted to see the firm eyes of my subordinates, but wherever I looked I was filled with fear and despair.
The backbone of these people who had followed him through the disastrous defeat at Blackwater River but still clung to Dragonstone seemed to have their backbones ripped out at this moment.
An unknown fire surged in Stannis's chest.
He can accept failure and sacrifice, but he can never accept cowardice before fighting!
"You."
"What are you doing?"
He took a step forward, looked at everyone with sharp eyes, and asked in a cold tone, "The battle is still being fought, the sword is still in his hand, and the castle has not completely fallen."
"Look at you, you look like a group of sheep surrounded by hunting dogs, waiting to have their throats cut. Don't forget, we haven't lost yet!"
He almost growled the last sentence.
People were swept by his gaze and lowered their eyes one after another, not daring to look at each other.
Some people moved their steps uneasily, and some people tightened their grip on the sword hilt but felt weak.
There was embarrassment and embarrassment on the platform.
Finally, Gerard·Gower Ser, who was as thick as a bull and had a beard on his face, took a small step forward.
He is a veteran of Storm's End, known for his bravery, and always speaks straightforwardly.
"Your Majesty..." Gerard licked his cracked lips, his voice a little dry. "It's not that we are timid, it's just the current situation... everyone can see clearly."
"Redwin came prepared this time and launched a general attack from all directions. Our defense line has been torn apart."
"It takes time to gather the troops, but the enemy will not give us this time."
He paused and glanced at Stannis's increasingly cold expression, but he had already begun to speak and had to continue, "The pier is lost, the outer towers are probably unable to be defended, and enemy troops are pouring in continuously. This battle...
"I'm afraid, just like the battle at Blackwater River, the situation is over and cannot be won."
As he spoke, Ser Gerard lowered his head suddenly and quickly suggested. "Your Majesty, we still have ships and soldiers loyal to you... withdraw!"
"It is better to retreat to Storm's End or find another place than to be wiped out here!"
"Withdraw?" The voice was so soft it was almost a whisper, but it sent chills down everyone's backs.
He slowly raised his eyes and glanced at everyone again.
"You all think so?"
No one dared to answer, but people's expressions clearly answered Stannis's question.
The knights buried their heads lower, wishing they could shrink into their armor.
Although Gower's suggestion is harsh, it speaks to the aspirations of most people.
The nightmare of the Blackwater River was so tragic that no one wanted to repeat it on this isolated island.
Stannis looked at the faces that were either evasive or depressed.
These faces that he once trusted and relied on now made him feel a kind of loneliness and absurdity that went deep into his bones.
Why?
He clenched his fists.
Why have even these most loyal followers lost their will to fight?
"I don't understand!"
Taking a deep breath, Stannis waved his hand and roared loudly, "Why, from just now, everyone is talking about the defeat of Battle of the Blackwater Rush, as if this ancient battlefield on Dragonstone Island is destined to be doomed for us?"
"Seventeen years ago, I embarked on a journey from Storm's End and followed my brother Robert to start a war to overthrow the tyrant, and the seven the Seven Kingdoms were unified!"
"Wherever the Master of Justice goes, the people all support him. It can be said that he has great righteousness. The state of full vitality and all things competing is still before our eyes!"
"Seventeen short years later, the same bloodline and the same flag are here, in my fiefdom!"
"So much so that it became the burial place of Stannis Baratheon, the legitimate king of Westeros!"
He almost roared out the last sentence, his face flushed slightly with excitement, but under the blush, there was a deeper livid color.
There was dead silence on the platform.
Only the king's heavy breathing echoed the sound of the wind.
The knights were shocked by this unprecedented outburst of anger. They looked at their man who had always been calm, strict, and...
The king, who was known for being unkind, was now like a wounded stag trapped in an iron cage, banging his horns against the fence crazily, refusing to stop even if his head was broken and bleeding.
Gerard·Gower's face turned red, shame and residual blood welled up.
The other knights also raised their heads, with more complex emotions rising in their eyes, perhaps guilt, perhaps a weak fighting spirit that was rekindled.
Stannis took a few sharp breaths and forced himself to calm down his turbulent mind.
He held Longsword in his hand, pointed the tip of the sword diagonally at the ground, and was about to give the final order.
At this moment, a sudden noise came from the direction of the passage guarded by peripheral guards.
"Get out of the way! You executioners, let me pass, I want to see the king! I want to see my husband!!!"
The sound was extremely shrill.
Stannis's brows instantly knitted into a tight knot.
This voice was so familiar to him that he would subconsciously feel a faint headache every time he heard it.
He raised his head and looked in the direction of the source of the sound. The guards were a little at a loss.
"What's going on!" Stannis's voice was low but very cold.
A member of the rear party who was guarding the entrance of the passage ran in quickly and knelt down on one knee. "Your Majesty, it's... it's Queen."
"She insists on seeing you, we can't stop her!"
Yes, that voice was that of Celis Florent.
Stannis' Queen, his legal wife, Shireen's mother, a woman who devoted her whole body and soul to the Lord of Light, but always expressed it all in the most embarrassing and ineffective way.
Hearing this, the muscles in Stannis's jaw twitched slightly.
At this time of life and death, every second is crucial, why is she here to cause trouble?
Come to cry out about the fear of the castle falling?
Or to reiterate her devotion to the Red God's stuff?
Either way, it made him feel doubly irritated.
But he couldn't help but see it.
She is Queen, at least in name only.
"Let her in."
Stannis snapped, with suppressed anger in his tone, as if he just wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible.
He was once extremely loyal to his wife, but she devoted herself wholeheartedly to her belief in the Lord of Light, and even encouraged him and the red-robed witch to do so...
Hearing this, the rear party guards on the outside hesitated for a moment, but in the end they still did not dare to disobey the king's order and gave way to a passage.
A figure rushed in almost staggering.
Celice Florent Queen looked terrible at this time. Her brocade robe was covered with dust and stains, and her hair was messy.
That face, which was by no means beautiful, and even a bit unworthy of the audience, was filled with panic at the moment, as if it was on the verge of collapse.
She immediately saw Stannis standing in the center of the hall, surrounded by knights.
"Stannis!"
Queen let out a whine, completely ignoring his manners and the astonished gazes of many knights and guards around him. He almost crawled to the king's feet and stretched out his trembling hands to hug his thigh tightly.
Tears welled up in his eyes, staining Stannis's greaves with tears and snot.
"No! Please!"
"Don't hurt my daughter! Don't hurt Shireen!"
She raised her face, tears streaming down her face, and her voice was broken. "I know, I know you have always disliked her and me, but she is your daughter!"
"She is innocent, don't hand her over to the flames! Don't!!!"
This unreasonable cry resounded throughout the hall.
The knights who had been rekindled by the king had a look of uncertainty on their faces.
Stannis was startled, a little stunned by the huge misunderstanding and ridiculous accusation.
Sacrifice Shireen?
Who?
When?
By the way, the woman did mention this matter to him before, but he quickly rejected it directly.
Why did this matter reach Selyse's ears?
"What nonsense are you talking about!"
Stannis knelt down, held his wife's shoulders tightly and asked, "Who wanted to hurt Shireen? Who told you to sacrifice her!"
His voice was filled with the anger of being slandered, and he knew that much of his wife's madness revolved around her belief in the Lord of Light.
But such an accusation is really too much!
Celis seemed not to hear his question, or in other words, she was immersed in her own fear and said incoherently, "I heard... I heard them say it!"
"Gordy Falin Ser, you sent him to capture Shireen because Ms. Melisandre said... that only the blood of the king's closest relatives, the blood of the true king, can ignite the flame of victory and repel the enemy...
As she spoke, she raised her teary eyes and begged, "I know... I know there must be sacrifices. The Lord of Light needs sacrifices! I am willing!"
"Stannis, let me take Shireen's place! Sacrifice me to the gods!"
"I believe in Him, and I serve Him devoutly. You can take my blood and my life. I just ask you to let Shireen go because she is your only child! She is still so young!"
There was dead silence in the hall.
Only Celis Queen's uncontrollable sobs and pleas echoed.
The expressions of the knights became extremely complicated.
There was unbearability on some people's faces. After all, a mother begging so humbly just to protect her child was enough to touch the softest part of people's hearts.
Some people were even more uneasy, and their eyes kept wandering towards Queen and the king. Most of them were members of the rear party.
His wife's words were like a rusty knife cutting into his heart, and Stannis's chest heaved violently.
Gordy Fallin?
He certainly did not send Gordy Fallin on any Shireen-related missions.
In fact, his last clear order was for Eron Ser to pay attention to protecting Shirin's safety, and then...Eron no more news came.
So, who authorized Gordy Fallin to mobilize his personnel to target Shireen?
Without any surprise, a cold name appeared in his mind.
"Queen Your Majesty, your spirit of sacrifice is touching."
As if to confirm the suspicion, a calm voice came from the entrance of the passage. "But unfortunately, you are not of the king's blood."
Everyone turned around and saw Melisandre, the red-robed priestess, Emissary of the Lord of Light, walking in slowly.
She was still wearing the crimson robe, with her hood lowered, revealing her red eyes that seemed to be burning with everlasting flames.
Several loyal guards wearing red robes and with fanatical eyes followed closely behind.
In front of everyone, her face was extremely calm, and her tone of voice did not fluctuate at all as she admitted directly. "Yes, Gaudi Farin Ser was sent by me."
"What!!!"
Stannis turned his head sharply, his eyes fixed on Melisandre's face.
This time, his anger was no longer suppressed, it erupted like a volcano, and he asked loudly, "Who gave you the power to mobilize my people, and even ordered my knights to capture my daughter!"
"Woman, you have gone too far!"
Facing the king's rage, Melisandre's expression did not change at all.
She even tilted her head slightly, and her red eyes seemed to always show her determination of the eternal truth. "Your Majesty, I mobilized them for you, for the Seven Kingdoms, and to fight against the darkness that is about to swallow everything."
O
She took two steps forward, sweeping her light across the knights with different looks, and finally returned to Stannis, saying loudly, "Now, that is the only way that can allow us to win this war, and ultimately win the ultimate war against winter."
"Sacrifice one person and offer him to the flames of the Lord of Light to save millions of people from the invasion of darkness. This is a heavy price, but it is also a divine blessing."
"Sacrifice is never easy, Your Majesty, otherwise, it wouldn't deserve to be called a sacrifice."
This sentence was like a curse, making many people in the hall hold their breath.
It sounds full of wisdom and compassion, but it hides a mind-numbing logic.
Celis Queen Hearing Melisandre's personal admission, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and her body trembled violently.
She released her hold on Stannis's hand, crawled towards Melisandre almost on her hands and knees, and once again fell at the feet of the red-robed woman, this time her posture was even more humble and desperate.
"Lady! Lady Melisandre!"
Queen burst into tears and bent down completely, his forehead almost touching the toes of Melisandre's shoes. "You heard it, I'm willing to trade it for you!"
"I am Queen. Isn't my blood noble enough? I believe in the King of Light! I am willing to dedicate my soul and my flesh and blood to Him!"
"Please be merciful and let Shireen go! She is just a child, she doesn't understand anything, let me take her place!"
Let me be the one to sacrifice!"
This scene is so ironic.
A Queen, however, fell at the feet of another woman, begging so humbly and miserably.
Many knights turned their faces away, unable to bear to look directly.
Melisandre lowered her head and looked at the woman at her feet who was crying and on the verge of complete collapse.
There was no disgust or sympathy on her beautiful face. She just shook her head slowly and repeated what she just said clearly, "I said, Queen Your Majesty."
"You are not of the king's blood."
"Your sacrifice is meaningless to this war."
As soon as these words came out, it was like a final sentence, crushing Celis Florent's hopes.
She was stunned.
It was as if all the tears, fears, and pleas were frozen in an instant.
Queen collapsed on the ground, staring blankly at Melisandre's red robe, then slowly turned to the expressionless Stannis, and then looked at the faces around him that were either sympathetic, embarrassed, or indifferent.
The world seems to have lost its sound and color.
The Red God, to whom she devoted all her faith and life, to whom she dedicated all her "sacred causes", finally gave her the reward, but it was judged that she was not even qualified to be a sacrifice.
But her husband, the man she had never truly understood and never been truly close to, remained silent at this moment. This silence was tantamount to acquiescence in her eyes.
The air in the hall seemed to be frozen, making people breathless, and seemed so absurd and desperate.
However, as this suffocating silence continued.
Changes occur suddenly!
A knight who was standing quietly behind Stannis, fully armed and dressed the same as the others, moved without warning!
The thick armor didn't seem to bring any lag, and it suddenly rose up with a very clear target. It was Melisandre standing in the center of the hall, attracting everyone's attention!
A dagger with a cold light in his hand was pointed directly at the red-robed priestess. This blow was cruel and decisive, and it was obviously carefully calculated!
"Stop!"
"Protect the lady!"
Several exclamations sounded almost simultaneously.
But the incident was so sudden and so close that most people's reactions were half a beat too slow to stop it.
Melisandre's red eyes flashed with surprise, but she didn't seem to be good at physical dodge, or... she didn't care.
The dagger was about to pierce his throat.
In this moment of life and death!
Celis Queen, who was paralyzed on the ground as if she had lost all her life, suddenly burst out with an astonishing power from nowhere.
She suddenly jumped up from the ground, and used her thin body to crash into Melisandre desperately!
"Watch out!!!"
The force of the push made Melisandre stagger, and she retreated to the side and back, avoiding the dagger.
However, Selyse herself was completely exposed to the edge of the dagger.
Poof!
The sharp knife penetrates the flesh.
The dagger that originally stabbed Melisandre penetrated deeply into Selyse Queen's heart without any hindrance.
Celis's body froze.
She lowered her head and watched the dagger sink into her chest, and her exquisite clothes were quickly soaked with crimson liquid.
He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but only a mouthful of blood came out.
The assassin obviously did not expect this sudden change and stood there stunned.
"Get him!!!"
Stannis roared angrily, finally recovering from the extreme shock.
He didn't even have time to think, his body had already acted before his consciousness, he took a big step forward and kicked the assassin hard in the abdomen!
Bang!
The assassin was kicked off the ground by this powerful and heavy kick, and fell heavily on the stone ground a few meters away. The dagger in his hand also flew out, and when it landed not far away, there was still warm blood on the tip of the blade.
Several Kingsguard and knights who reacted immediately swarmed forward, unsheathed their swords, and held down the struggling assassin who fell to the ground.
Stannis did not look at the assassin. All his attention was on the slowly falling figure.
Almost instinctively, he stretched out his arms to catch his wife's falling body.
Selyse Florent, his Queen, his legal partner, Shireen's mother, fell in his arms.
Not as light as an adult.
Her face turned gray at a speed visible to the naked eye, but her eyes were unusually bright. She looked over Stannis's shoulder and looked at Melisandre, who still looked calm.
"Please help... Stannis wins... He needs you... need... My king."
"I... I have...
Selyse's voice was weak, but she spoke very clearly, "I express my loyalty to my king..." She used her last strength and turned her eyes to Stannis: "Please don't... hurt..." Shireen..
The last syllable dissipated in the air like a sigh.
The light in her eyes was completely extinguished, her head tilted to the side weakly, and her arms dropped.
Selyse Florent, Queen, died in the arms of the king, in order to push away the priestess who might want to harm her daughter.
Stannis held his wife's still soft body and froze on the spot.
His mind seemed to go blank as he looked down at the familiar yet unfamiliar face in his arms, the hideous wound on her chest and the blood all over her body.
After an unknown amount of time, he slowly laid his wife's body flat on the cold ground.
The movements were even much gentler than when they had sex before.
Then Stannis turned around.
One step, two steps.
He walked up to the assassin and looked at him condescendingly. The armor was very common and no special markings could be seen.
The assassin's face was blocked by his visor and could not be seen clearly.
Without any intention of interrogating, Stannis raised his foot and kicked the side of the assassin's helmet as hard as he could!
Bang!
The huge force deformed the helmet and made the assassin dizzy.
Stannis leaned down, grabbed the edge of the helmet and pulled hard!
The helmet was violently lifted off.
A familiar face was exposed in the dim light, weather-beaten and wrinkled, with eyes full of hatred and regret.
This is a face that should never appear here, let alone be assassinated while wearing armor.
The air seemed to have completely solidified at this moment.
Stannis's pupils suddenly shrank to the extreme, and the muscles on his face twitched uncontrollably.
All the anger was hit by a huge sense of absurdity at this moment.
"Davos!!!"