Chapter 37 Chapter Thirty-Six Davos

Earl Alister suddenly looked up. "There is a voice," he said. "Do you hear that, Davos? Someone is coming for us." "It's the 'eel,'" said Davos, "and it's almost dinner time." The night before, the "eel" had brought them half a beef and bacon pie, and a jug of mead.Thinking of this, his stomach growled. "No, more than one person." He is right.Davos heard at least two voices and footsteps, louder and louder.He stood up and walked over to the railing. Earl Alister brushed the straw off his clothes, "The king sent someone to release me, or the queen sent someone, yes, Selyse will never let me rot here, I am her uncle after all. "

"Eel" appeared outside the cell holding a bunch of keys, followed by Sir Axel Florent and four guards.They went to the torch and waited for the "eel" to find the key. "Axel," said Earl Alister, "Gods bless you. The king sent you to set me free? The queen?" "No one will let you go, traitor," Ser Axell said. Lord Alister flinched back as if he had been slapped. "No, I swear, I am definitely not a traitor. Why don't you listen? As long as Your Majesty listens to my explanation—" "Eel" inserted the huge iron key into the lock and twisted it, opened the cell door, and the rusty hinge made a sharp sound. "You," he said to Davos, "come here."

"Where?" Davos looked at Ser Axell. "By the truth, ser, are you going to burn me?" "Someone is looking for you. Can you walk?" "Yes." Davos stepped out of the cell. The Eel closed the door again, and Earl Alister let out a cry of frustration. "Take the torch," Ser Axell ordered the guards, "and leave the traitor to darkness." "No," his brother begged desperately, "Axel, please, don't take the fire...Gods be merciful..." "Gods? Treason! There is only one Allah...and the ancient gods." Sir Axel quickly gestured, and a guard quickly pulled the torch from the ledge and led the way to the stairs.

"You're taking me to Melisandre?" Davos asked. "She is present," said Ser Axell. "She has been with the king. But it is His Majesty himself who has summoned you." Davos reached up to his chest, where his lucky charm had once been in the little leather pouch hung by the strap.Gone, he remembered, four phalanges gone.But his hands were still long enough to pinch a woman's neck, he thought, especially one as thin as hers. They walked up single file, up winding stairs.The walls are rough black stone, cool to the touch.The light of the torch shines ahead, and the shadows of people walk on the wall.At the third turn they passed an iron gate into darkness, and at the fifth there was another gate.Davos guessed it was near the surface, even above it.Next came a wooden door, which they climbed on.There were arrow holes in the wall, but no sunlight came through the thick stone—it was night.

By the time Sir Axell pushed open a heavy iron door and signaled entry, his legs were already sore and sore.On the other side of the gate is an elevated volley stone arch bridge leading to the magnificent central tower - "Stone Drum Tower".The sea wind kept blowing through the arches that supported the bridge's roof, and Davos could smell the sea.He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with freshness and coolness.Wind and water, give me strength, he prayed.In the courtyard below a great night fire burns against the evils of the long night, and the Queen's party gather around it to sing praises to their red god.

At the middle of the bridge, Ser Axell stopped suddenly.He made a curt gesture, and his men all backed away. "I would burn you and my brother," he told Davos. "You are both traitors." "You can say what you want, but I will never betray King Stannis." "You will, you want to betray, I can see it in your face, and I saw it in the holy fire. This is the ability that R'hllor has given me--as it was given to Lady Melisandre--in the holy fire Foreseeing the future. I saw Stannis Baratheon sitting on the Iron Throne, and knew the way I should go. To do this, Your Majesty must make me his Hand, instead of my traitor brother. And you, will advise him so."

Is that so? Davos said nothing. "The queen urged him to appoint me," continued Ser Axell, "even your old friend Lys, the pirate Thorn. I made a plan with him... His Majesty would not act. Failure is like a soul The black worm that gnaws at him, we loyal men should act. If you are a loyal subject, a smuggler, as you claim to be, you should join us. Tell him that I am the only suitable prime minister for him. If you Do, and when we set sail, I promise you a new ship." new boat.Davos looked at the other's face.Like the queen, Ser Axell had the famous Florents' protruding ears, with thick hair growing out of the ears and nostrils, and here and there under the double chin in tufts.He had a broad nose and protruding eyebrows, and his eyes were set close together with hostility.He'd rather burn me than give me a boat, and that being said, if I do him that favor...

"If you betray me," said Ser Axell, "remember that I have been castellan of Dragonstone for a long time, and the guards are all mine. I may not burn you without the king's permission, but who says you Won't you fall?" He put a thick hand on the back of Davos' neck, and pushed him against the waist-high edge of the bridge, forcing his face out, looking down at the yard below. "Understand?" "Understood," Davos said.You still call me a traitor? Ser Axell let him go. "Very good," he said with a sinister grin, "Your Majesty is waiting for us, don't keep him waiting."

The wide circular room at the top of the Stone Drum Tower is called the Hall of the Chart Table, and Stannis Baratheon is standing behind a huge wooden table carved with Wester in the time of Aegon the Conqueror. Lo, that's how the room got its name.An iron brazier stood beside the king, and the charcoal fire in it was shining orange-red. Four tall and narrow windows faced east, west, north, south, and the starry sky outside.Davos heard the wind and the faint sound of water. "Your Majesty," said Ser Axell, "I have brought the Onion Knight, as you wished." "I see." Stannis wore a gray wool tunic, a dark red cloak, and a plain black belt with a sword and dagger hanging from it, and a crown of red gold in the shape of a flame crowned his head.But his manner surprised Davos.He seemed ten years older than when he left Storm's End, sailed for the Blackwater, and sailed for the Battle of Destruction, with gray hairs all over his short-shaven beard, and lost at least two pounds—he had never been fat .Now the bones moved under the skin as if spears were poking out, and even the crown seemed too big.His eyes were sunken blue sockets, and the shape of a skull could be seen beneath the skin.

Yet when he saw Davos, a smile flitted across his lips. "Looks like the sea has returned my salted fish and onion knight." "Yes, Your Majesty." Did he know he had me in the dungeon? Davos dropped to one knee. "Get up, Ser Davos," Stannis ordered, "I miss you. I need advice, and you always tell the truth. So tell me the truth—what's the penalty for betrayal?" This sentence hangs in the air.A dreadful question, Davos thought, is the king executing his fellow prisoner? Or himself? Kings know the punishment of treachery better than anyone. "Betrayal?" He repeated weakly after a long time.

"What else can it be called? Denying a legitimate king, attempting to steal his rightful throne. I ask you again—what is the punishment for treachery according to the law?" Davos had no choice but to answer "Death," he said. "The punishment is death, Your Grace." "Always. I am not... I am not a cruel lord, Ser Davos, you know me, you always knew me. It is not my decree. It has always been, since the days of Aegon, from the world Daemon Blackfyre, Brother Toyne, the Vulture King, Maestro Harris... Traitors always pay with their lives... Even Rhaenyra Targaryen. She is the old king's Daughter and mother of the new king, but also put to death as a traitor for trying to usurp his brother's throne. It's the law, the law! Davos, not cruelty." "Yes, Your Majesty." He wasn't referring to me.Davos felt a moment's pity for his cellmates in the dark cell.He knew he should keep silent, but he was tired and sick, and he heard himself say, "My lord, Count Florent is not a traitor." "Smuggler, what else can you call him? I made him Prime Minister, but he would sell my rights for his own job, even give them Shireen! Marry my only child to an incestuous bastard!" King's His voice was full of anger. "My brother has a gift for inspiring loyalty, even for the support of his enemies. At Summerhall, he won three victories in one day, captured Lords Granderson and Lord Caveron alive, brought them back to Storm's End, and carried their banners Hanging in the Great Hall as trophies. Kavron's White Hart banner was smeared with blood, and Granderson's sleeping lion was almost torn in half, but they would sit under the banner all night drinking with Robert. He even took them hunting.'These men are going to hand you over to Aerys to be burned,' I told my brother when I saw them throwing hatchets in the yard, 'You shouldn't have put your weapons into their hands.' Robert just laughed. I would put Granderson and Cavoron in a dungeon, he considered them friends. Later, Lord Cavellon died fighting for Robert at Poplar Bank and at Randyll By Tarly's Heartbreaker. Granderson was wounded at the Trident and died a year later. My brother could win the love of men, but I seemed to invite only betrayal, even my family... brother, Grandfather, family relatives, in-laws..." "Your Majesty," said Ser Axell, "I implore you, give me a chance to prove that not all Florents are so weak." "Ser Axell wants me to continue the war," King Stannis told Davos. "The Lannisters think I'm broken. Who can blame that? Nearly every lord who swore allegiance to me has deserted me. Even Lord Ismond, my maternal grandfather, has bowed the knee to Joffrey. A few remain loyal People who lose faith drink and gamble to pass the time and lick their wounds like a defeated dog." "Battle will revive them," said Ser Axell. "Failure is the disease, victory is the cure." "Victory." The king's mouth twisted. "We need many victories, ser. Tell Ser Davos your plan, and I will hear his opinion." Ser Axell turned to Davos. "Baelor the Beloved of God" once made the proud Earl of Bergliver wash the feet of beggars-the expression on the face of the future prime minister was probably similar to that of Berglever at that time.Yet he obeyed the order. Sir Axell and Salado Sann's plan was simple.Crab Isle, a few hours' sail from Dragonstone, was the ancient seat of the Celtigars in the sea.On the Blackwater River, Count Adrian Celtigar fought under the banner of the Flaming Red Heart, but after being captured, he fell to Joffrey immediately, and even stayed in King's Landing to this day.Frightened by His Majesty's power, he dare not go near Dragonstone," Ser Axell declared, "he is wise, this man has betrayed the true king. " Ser Axell planned to use Sallador Thorn's fleet to carry those who had escaped across the Blackwater—Stannis still had some fifteen hundred men at Dragonstone, more than half of them Florents— —Revenge on Earl Celtigar's betrayal.Crab Isle is laxly guarded, and its castle is said to be crammed with costly Myrish rugs, Volantene glass, vessels of gold and silver, jeweled goblets, a magnificent falcon, a Valyrian steel axe, a The horn that awakens the sea monster, countless crates of rubies, and endless wine.Celtigar has always been stingy, but he has never been frugal. "Burn his castle and kill his men," concluded Ser Axell, "and reduce Crab Isle to a barren waste of ashes and bones, where only carrion crows dwell, so that the whole nation will know that those who are with the Lannisters end." Stannis gritted his teeth slowly from side to side as he listened to Ser Axell's retelling in silence.When the other had finished, he said, "I believe the plan can be done. The risk is small. Joffrey has no navy—unless Lord Redwyne sends reinforcements from the Arbor; Do Son is relieved for the time being. Crab Island has no strategic value, but its fall can tell Lord Tywin that I am not dead." The king looked back at Davos. "Honestly, sir, what do you think of Sir Axell's proposal?" Tell the truth, sir.Davos thought of the dungeon he had shared with Lord Alister, of "eels" and "porridge," of the arched bridge over the courtyard, of Ser Axell's promise. 'A ship or a push, which? But it was Stannis asking. "Your Majesty," he said slowly, "I think that's stupid . . . yes, and cowardly." "Cowardly?" Ser Axell almost cried. "No one dares call me a coward before the king!" "Be quiet," Stannis ordered. "Go on, Ser Davos, and I want your reasons." Davos turned to Ser Axell. "You said that you want the whole country to understand that we are not dead, so you have to take the initiative to find a fighter, which is true...but who will you fight? There are no Lannisters on Crab Island." "There are traitors there!" cried Ser Axell. "Perhaps there are here too, in this very room." Davos ignored the sarcasm. "I have no doubt that Lord Celtigar bowed his knee to that boy Joffrey, an old man whose days were numbered, whose only wish was to die in his own castle, drinking from bejeweled cups." He turned to St. Tanis. "But when you called, he came, my lord, and he came to your support with his fleet and soldiers. He fought by your side at Storm's End in the face of Lord Renly's oppression; The fleet sailed into the Blackwater River. His men fought for you, died for you, and burned for you. Crab Island guarded laxly, yes, only women, children, old people. Why? Because their husbands, sons and Father died on the Blackwater, and that's why. They died by the oars, by the sword, and by our banner. And yet Ser Axell suggested that we rush home behind them, and rape their Widows, kill their children. These people are not traitors..." "Many are," Ser Axell insisted. "Celtegar's men were not completely wiped out on the Blackwater River. Hundreds of them were captured with their lords and bowed their knees together." "With him," Davos repeated, "he is their lord, and they swear their fealty to him. What choice is there?" "Everyone has a choice. They can say no, and die because of it, a heroic death, a true loyalist." "People are different, some are strong and some are weak." This was a feeble answer, and Davos knew that Stannis Baratheon was a man of iron, neither understanding nor forgiving weakness.I've lost, he thought desperately. "Loyalty to the rightful king is every man's duty, above that to his lord," said Stannis in a tone that could not be disputed. A desperate and absurd idea seized Davos, a recklessness bordering on madness. "Why don't you remain loyal to King Aerys while your brother rises?" he blurted out. There was a moment of silence in awe, until Sir Axell finally shouted, "Traitor!", drawing his dagger from its scabbard, "Your Majesty, he speaks evil words in your presence!" Davos heard Stannis grinding his teeth.A swollen vein appeared on the king's forehead.Their eyes met each other. "Dagger down, Ser Axell. Stand back." "If Your Majesty is pleased—" "I'm glad you're back," said Stannis. "Go away and fetch Melisandre." "I obey." Ser Axell put away his dagger, bowed, and walked quickly to the door.His boots thumped angrily on the ground. "You always presume my endurance," Stannis warned Davos when they were alone. "I can shorten your tongue too, just like your fingers, Smuggler." "I am your man, Your Majesty, and the tongue is yours too, and it is up to you to dispose of it." "Yes," he said, calming down a little now. "I'm going to keep it to tell the truth, even though the truth is often very bitter. "Aerys? I hope you understand . . . it's a difficult choice, house or lord, brother or king." He grimaced. "Have you ever seen the Iron Throne? The back of the chair is covered with sharp teeth, strangely twisted metal, countless steel knives and daggers are tangled and fused together... It is not a comfortable chair, ser. Aerys is often bloody Dripping, even known as the 'King of Bloodscab', and if the legend is true, Maegor the 'cruel' died on this chair. One cannot rest comfortably on it, and I often wonder why my brother desperately wants to to get it." "And you, why would you want it?" Davos asked. "It's not a question of whether or not. As Robert's heir, the throne is mine. It's the law. After me, it must pass to my daughter, unless Selyse finally bears me a son." He pointed three fingers. Across the tabletop, the smooth and hard varnish on the surface becomes darker with age. "I'm king, whether I want to or not. I have a duty, to my daughter, to the country, even to Robert. He doesn't love me much, I know, but he's my brother. The Lannister woman cuckolded him, Play him like a monkey, maybe murder him, like murdering Jon Arryn and Eddard Stark. Such a heinous crime must have a fair trial, starting with Cersei and her spawn. Just the beginning. I To clean up the court, that's what Robert should have done after the Battle of Three Rivers. Ser Barristan once told me that King Aerys's stupidity started with Varys, and the eunuch will never forgive him! And the kingslayer. Robert should at least Stripped Jaime of his white robes and sent him to the Wall, as Lord Stark had requested, only to take Jon Arryn's advice. I was still trapped in Storm's End and could not comment." He turned abruptly Come and stare at Davos shrewdly and sternly. "Now, honestly, why would you murder Lady Melisandre?" He knows everything.Davos could not lie to him. "My four sons were burned in the Blackwater River, and she dedicated them to the flame." "You misunderstood her. Those flames are not her product. Curse the little devil if you want, curse the fire magic earth, curse the fool Florent who led my fleet into a trap, or curse me, because of blind self-esteem, I Take her away at the most critical moment. But don't curse Melisandre, she is still my faithful servant." "Maester Cressen was your faithful servant, and she killed him as she killed Ser Cortnay Penrose and your brother Renly." "You sound like a fool now," the king lamented. "She foresaw Renly's death in the holy fire, yes, but she was no more involved than I was. The priestess was with me when my brother died, and your Devan can testify. If you doubt, ask Ask him. She didn't intend to kill Renly, it was she who urged me to meet him and give him one last chance to correct his treason... It was she who asked me to bring you, Ser Axell intends to dedicate you to Ra Hello." He smiled faintly. "Does this surprise you?" "Yes. She knows I'm no friend to her and her red god." "But you're my friend, and she knows that." He moved Davos closer. "The boy was sick, and Maester Pylos bled him." "The boy?" He thought of his own Devan, the king's squire. "My son, Your Majesty?" "Davan? He's a good boy, like you. The sick one is Robert's bastard son, whom we brought from Storm's End." Edric Storm. "I spoke to him in Aegon's Garden." "That was her will, too. She saw it in the flame, too." Stannis sighed. "Did that boy fascinate you? He had the gift, the charm that came in his father's blood. He knew he was the king's son, but he didn't want to think about being a bastard. He adored Law as a boy Renly did." Bob. Back then, every time my brother visited Storm’s End, he would play the role of father and bring gifts... long swords, ponies, fur capes... everything was selected by eunuchs. The child would Writing a grateful letter to the Red Keep, Robert laughed and asked Varys what he was planning to give this year. Renly was not much better, and he left the task of raising the child to the deputy castellan and the apprentice, and it turned out that All fell prey to his charms. Penrose would rather die than hand him over." The king gritted his teeth. "It pissed me off. Why did he think I was going to hurt the boy? I chose Robert, didn't I? I chose family over honor in that difficult time." He doesn't use the boy's name.This made Davos very uneasy. "I wish little Edric a speedy recovery." Stannis waved his hand, signaling not to worry. "It's just a cold. He's coughing, shaking, and having a fever, and Maester Pylos will be cured in no time. You know, the boy will be all right, he has my brother's blood in his veins. King's blood has power in it, and she's so Say." Davos knew who "she" was without asking. Stannis touched the Painted Table. "Look, Onion Knight. By law, this is my country, my Westeros." He swept a hand over it. "The Seven Kingdoms talk is stupid. Three hundred years ago, Aegon knew it when he stood where we are today. This table was made at his behest, depicting rivers and bays, Hills and mountains, castles, towns, lakes, swamps and forests...but no borders. It is one whole, one country, ruled by one king." "A king," agreed Davos, "a king means peace." "I will bring justice to Westeros. Ser Axell knows as little about justice as he knows about war. The Isle of the Crab has done me no good...and, as you say, an act of evil Celtiga must pay the price of treason, but I should pay it back. In the future, when I rule the world, I will punish him. It has nothing to do with harassing the common people. No matter whether the high-ranking nobles or the lowly and humble people, they have their own behaviors. Nemesis. There will be men who will lose more than the tip of their fingers, and I assure you, they have bloodied my kingdom, and I will never forget." Stannis turned away from the table. "Kneel down, Sir Onion." "His Majesty?" "Because of the salted fish and onions, I made you a knight. For this, I plan to promote you as a lord." Why? Davos didn't know why. "I am very satisfied to be your knight, Your Majesty... I cannot be a lord." "Very well. Dominion is first and foremost hypocrisy. I have learned that lesson, and it has cost me dearly. Now kneel. Your king commands you." Davos knelt, and Stannis drew his sword.Melisandre called it the "Brightbringer", the red sword of the hero, which has been tested by the flames that devoured the seven gods.When the sword was unsheathed, the room seemed to suddenly become brighter, and the sword body shone with a strange light, orange for a while, yellow for a while, red for a while, and the surrounding air also changed and glowed accordingly. No jewelry can be so gorgeous.But when Stannis put it on Davos' shoulder, it felt like any other longsword. "Ser Davos of House Seaworth," said the king, "are you my loyal subject, today and forever?" "Yes, Your Majesty." "Will you swear to serve me all your life, to give me honest advice and absolute obedience, to protect my rights and my country, to fight by my side no matter the dangers ahead, to take care of my people, to punish my enemy?" "I will, Your Majesty." "Arise, then, Davos Seaworth, Lord of the Rainforest, Admiral of the Narrow Sea Fleet, and Hand of the King." For a moment, Davos was too startled to move.I was still in the dungeon this morning. "Your Majesty, you can't... I'm not fit to be prime minister." "There is no one more suitable than you." Stannis sheathed the "Lightbringer" and stretched out his hand to pull Davos up. "I am from humble birth," Davos reminded the king, "from a smuggler to my rise, and your lords will not be satisfied." "Then abolish them and rebuild." "I... I can't read and write..." "Maester Pylos can read for you. As for writing, my former Prime Minister had his head written off. All I want is what you have always given me: honesty, loyalty, and service." "There must be a better candidate...some noble lord..." Stannis snorted. "The boy of Baal Emmon? My treacherous grandfather? Celtigar abandoned me, Velaryon's new master was only six years old, and the new Lord Sanglath sailed for Volantis after I burned his brother. "He gestured angrily. "Only a few good men remain. Ser Gilbert Farring guarded Storm's End for me with two hundred dead men. And Lord Morrigan, bastard son of Nightsong, young Lord Zittering, and I My cousin, Sir Andrew...but I trust you more than any of them. My Lord of the Rainforest, you will be my Hand, and I need you in the battles to come." One more fight and we're all over, Davos thought, and Lord Alister sees that very well. "Your Majesty demands honest advice, and then, honestly... we are powerless to fight the Lannisters any longer." "Your Majesty is referring to the real war," a woman answered with a thick oriental accent.Melisandre was standing in the doorway, wearing a shiny silk gown, carrying a covered silver tray. "Compared to the upcoming war, your so-called scramble is nothing more than children's slapstick. The ancient alien gods unknown to mortals are gathering strength, Davos Seaworth, a terrifying, evil and powerful force, it is difficult to contend. Cold wind It has blown, and soon comes the night that will never end." She put the silver platter on the paint table. "Unless righteous men muster the courage to live up to the faith of the Flaming Heart." Stannis stared at the silver platter. "She showed me herself through the holy fire, Lord Davos." "You see, Your Grace?" Stannis Baratheon could not have lied like that. "I saw it with my own eyes. After the Battle of the Blackwater, I fell into despair and Lady Melisandre made me stare into the fireplace. The draft in the chimney was strong, and little ash rose up, and I looked at them and felt like a fool , but she made me look deeper, deeper... The dust was white, rising in the air currents, but for a second, it seemed to be falling again. That was snow, I thought. Then, the sparks in the air formed a circle The circle, becoming a ring of torches, through which I looked down on a high hill in the forest. Behind the torches, the logs became black peasants, and figures moved in the snow. Despite the heat of the flames, I was still so chilled that I shuddered, and then the sight was gone, and the fire was a fire again. But what I saw was true, and I swear it in the name of my kingdom." "Your kingdom is hanging by a thread," said Melisandre. The certainty in the king's words struck Davos with fright. "Hills in the forest... figures in the snow... I don't..." "That means the battle has begun," Melisandre said. "The sands of the hourglass flow faster, and the time of man is running out.We must act boldly, or all hope is lost.Westeros must unite under one rightful king, the foretold Prince, Lord of Dragonstone, Chosen of R'hllor," "R'hllor's choice is very strange." The king showed a painful expression, as if he had eaten something corrupt. "Why me, and not my brothers? . . . Renly and his peaches. In my dream, the juice dripped from the corner of his mouth, and the blood gushed from his throat. If he had done his duty to his brother, we would have fought Defeat Lord Tywin, that would be a victory that even Robert would be proud of. Robert..." he gritted his teeth, "he was in my dreams too. Laughing, drinking contests, boasting. These are the things he is good at Yes, and fighting. I never beat him in any way. The Lord of Light should make Robert his champion. Why me?" "Because of your integrity," said Melisandre. "The upright man." Stannis touched the lid of the silver platter with a finger. "With leeches." "Yes," said Melisandre, "but I must remind you again that this is not the right way." "You promise." The king looked annoyed. "Maybe...maybe not." "Is it okay?" "Both are possible." "Say something meaningful, woman." "The fire speaks clearly, and I speak clearly. There is truth in the flame, but it is not always easy to grasp." The big ruby ​​in her throat sips the flickering light from the brazier. "Give me the boy, Sire. That is a surer, better way. Give me the boy, and I will awaken the dragon in the stone." "I told you, no." "He's just a bastard boy, and we're saving all Westeros, men and women, and children who might be born in all the nations of the world." "The boy is innocent." "That boy polluted your marital bed, otherwise you must have many sons. He disgraced you." "It's not the boy's fault that Robert has dishonored me. My daughter has taken a liking to him, and besides, he's my blood." "Yes, he has your brother's blood," said Melisandre. "King's blood. Only a king's blood can wake the dragon from the stone." Stannis clenched his jaw. "I don't want to hear that anymore. The dragons are long gone. The Targaryens have tried to bring them back several times, and they've either been made jesters or died. On this deserted island abandoned by the gods, All we need is a clown to 'patch the face'. You'll have leeches. Do it." Melisandre bowed her head stiffly, "As Your Majesty orders." She reached into her left sleeve with her right hand and sprinkled a handful of powder into the brazier.The charcoal screeched, pale flames billowed on it, and the woman in red took up the silver tray and brought it to the king.Davos watched her lift the lid.Below are three large black leeches, swollen with blood. The boy's blood, Davos knew, the king's blood. Stannis reached out a hand and squeezed a leech tightly. "Say the name." Melisandre instructed. The leech writhed in the king's hand, trying to cling to his fingers. "The Usurper," he said, "Joffrey Baratheon." He threw the leech into the fire, and it curled up among the charcoal like an autumn leaf and burned. Stannis grabbed the second. "The Usurper," he announced, louder this time, "Balon Greyjoy." He tossed the leech lightly into the brazier, where blood gushed from it, hissing and puffing up a puff of smoke. . The last leech was pinched in the king's hand.He studied it carefully for a moment, watching it struggle between his fingers. "Usurper," he said at last, "Rob Stark," and threw it into the flames.