Unforeseen Problems

The commander led us through a series of corridors, leading into a big open room. It had a throne, carved straight out of the rock the fortress stood on, and I have to say, it looked pretty nice, in an evil overlord kinda way. In the middle of the room stood a giant, and I really mean giant, map of Westeros.

Before the throne stood a woman, Selyse Baratheon, most likely. She watched us approach with a blank face, but there was something else behind the vacant stare. Something I've seen before, fucking reverence. She looked at me in pretty much the same way the Red Priests did, and I already knew that this was going to be a headache. 

"Hello, Lady Baratheon." I spoke first because it didn't look like she was going to. 

"Welcome to Dragonstone, my Lady." She said, and I could hear that she really meant it.

"Uncle, leave us." She turned to the commander and ordered him in a clipped voice. He looked like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he seemed to change his mind and obeyed. 

"I've been praying to the Lord of Light for a sign since Melisandre left. And my prayers have been answered." She said once the man left the room. 

"Okaaay?" I said unsurely, and shot a look at Kinvara, who, much to my surprise, looked annoyed.

"Who is Melisandre?" I whispered cluelessly to Kinvara, she mouthed back the word priestess. Okay, so this woman was another one of those fanatics. Great.

"Look, lady. I don't think you understand what is happening here. I'm here to take your fortress, and that's it. This is not a sign, and I'm not answering your prayers. I'm just stealing because I feel like it." I said with a sigh. I really didn't want to deal with this woman. 

"B-but Melisandre's visions—" She stuttered out.

"Were they about me?" I asked curiously. 

"N–no, they were about my husband…" 

"My lady, let me handle this." Kinvara whispered to me, and I helplessly shrugged and stepped aside. Mostly because I had no idea what was going on, and she seemed like she knew what this was about.

"Your husband was merely a candidate for the Lord's chosen, Lady Baratheon, among many others. In fact, before you stands one, and I've met another in the North. But that was before Lady Emily arrived on these shores. Whatever Melisandre saw, whatever destiny those people may have had, it's all null and void now, because the fight has already been won." She said resolutely, and with each word, Selyse looked more and more like she was about to cry. 

"The fight… is already won?" she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"B–but Stannis… the prophecy… he was supposed to be a king…" 

"Were you not listening just now? The prophecy has already been fulfilled. The fate of you and your husband is now completely in your own hands." 

"What are we supposed to do without guidance then?" 

"Dunno, but you can start by leaving Dragonstone." I said with a lazy wave of my hand. This whole conversation was getting on my nerves for some reason. I think it was the woman herself. Something about her just didn't sit right with me, maybe it was the way she was looking at us.

"L–leave?" She asked confusedly.

"Of course. Or did you somehow forget that I just took this place? Gather your things and go." Her mouth opened and closed a few times, but no words came out for a while. 

"V–very well. L–Let me gather my children, and I'll go." She resignedly said.

"Good. Take soldiers with you too." I dismissed her with a wave toward the door. But when she left the room, something hit me.

"Wait. Did she say, children? As in multiple? I thought Stannis had just a single daughter." I asked the girls.

"He does." That was the confused reply I got.

—

"I don't see any kids with her. What the hell is going on?" I asked when I finally saw Selyse step into the courtyard, accompanied by all the soldiers who were at Dragonstone. Of course, they'd leave.

"I don't even want to know. That woman seemed deeply unwell. Maybe she's just delusional or something." Pyra said as she shook her head. 

"Oh, she totally is. Gave me the heebie jeebies the whole time we were talking." I said with a grimace.

"And she took all of the soldiers with her, my lady." Was Kinvara pouting? Jesus Christ, she was.

"Good." I watched as Selyse boarded the ship and took a last look at the fortress. Her eyes briefly drifted to a nearby window, where I noticed a girl just staring. Not good at all.

"Umm… not to alarm you girls, but I think that she left her daughter here." I said carefully, and pointed with my chin in her direction. 

"Wha— Goddamnit." Pyra groaned. I opened the window and started yelling at her.

"HEY! YOUR DAUGHTER IS STILL HERE!" The soldiers flinched, but the woman? No reaction at all. 

"What in the absolute fuck is she doing?!" I cursed and opened a portal directly on the ship's deck. The soldiers cried out in surprise and took a few steps back. Selyse, however, just stood there like a statue.

"You mad or something? Why did you leave your kid behind?" I yelled as I marched straight to her, grabbed her by her hair, and pulled her down to my eye level. She was eerily calm.

"I have my children with me." She gestured at a large wooden chest next to her. 

"What?" I just kicked the lock and opened it. The sight that greeted me was something I won't forget for a long time. Dead babies in jars. I let go of her hair and immediately closed the chest. 

"They are dead. Your daughter is alive, and you just left her there?" I asked incredulously. 

"She should be here, with the rest." She said, her voice emotionless and detached.

"Wha– How can you say that?" I was on edge right now. 

"I speak only the truth."

"Oh… okay. You've lost it… You're absolutely gone, aren't you? " I took a step back, almost as if she could somehow infect me. She was broken in a way that not even magic could fix.

"..."She said nothing and just stared at me unnervingly. Something about the empty way Selyse spoke, the weird stillness in her posture, made my skin crawl.

"If you ever come back to Dragonstone, I'll slaughter you like an animal." I spat her way, turned on my heel, and went back through the portal. The moment I was back inside, I slumped onto the ground. 

"You all heard her, right? Fuck!" 

"You're worried about the child." Kinvara said.

"Of course I am. I didn't think that she would just leave her here for fucks sake." I was already standing up and was starting to make my way to where the little girl was. I walked through the corridors, my mind still lingering on the vacant look Selyse had. 

I found the room she was in easily, and when I opened the door, she was still there, in the window, staring at the disappearing ship. Her shoulders were stiff, but she wasn't crying. Next to her was an ancient-looking man who was gently holding her hand. That must have been the maester.

"Hey, kiddo…" I said gently, and to her credit, she flinched only a little bit. Then she slowly turned around, and almost involuntarily, my eyes immediately drifted to the strange patch of grey skin on her face. 

"She's gone." 

"I know…" She murmured so softly, I had to strain my ears just to hear her. 

"Look, I thought she would take you back to your dad, your grandparents, or something… I didn't expect this." I said, and ran a hand through my hair. What the hell am I supposed to say here? Sorry, your mom lost her mind and only took the jar babies with her? 

"I–I… What happens to me now?" 

"Hopefully, your dad will come back for you." I said, shifting my eyes to the maester.

"Write to Stannis. Tell him to return." 

"I will write to him immediately… but I do not know if he will return." He nodded slightly, but his expression was solemn. That made the girl swallow hard.

"You think he won't come back?" She said fearfully. 

"Your father is a man of duty." He sighed, his grip on her hand tightening ever so slightly.

"His priorities may lie elsewhere, and not with sentiment." He finished apologetically. 

"Goddamnit… If he returns, you go with him, and if not… I guess you'll stay here. I caused this, I'm not gonna kick you out into the world alone. I'm not that big of a bitch." 

"I will ensure Lady Shireen is comfortable. And I will write to her father." The aging maester said.

"Yeah, do that." I muttered and rubbed my eyes. 

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Initially, I wanted Selyse to have a bigger role in this, but I just can't bring myself to write that. 

I've always felt so sorry for Shireen. The only person who truly loved her was Davos, and she deserves so much more.