GOT/ASOIAF: Ruler Beyond The Ice Chapter 220 - 221: Parting Ways

Veins bulged on Stannis's forehead, and his face turned slightly red. The atmosphere was tense, like the calm before a storm. Everyone waited to see how the king would deal with lisandre's public provocation... But to everyone's surprise, Stannis did not erupt in anger.

"Everyone, today's eting ends here. I have sothing to discuss privately with my priestess."

The king issued the command, and all the lords complied. The participants of the war council stood up, casting varied looks at Stannis and the red-robed woman, then quickly filed out of the tent.

There were already rumors that the Red Woman had used dark magic to assassinate Renly Baratheon, and so even whispered that she was Stannis's true queen. After today, such rumors would likely beco even more rampant.

…

"Your Grace," said Brynden Tully before departing, "we respect your faith and your gods, but no matter how devout you are, your priestess should not be involved in matters of state. After all, most of your vassals and allies do not believe in the Lord of Light."

Brynden the Blackfish had no real authority to speak so bluntly, but as Robb Stark's great-uncle and the guardian of the young Lord of the Vale, his seniority and role lent him weight. In a way, he represented the Vale itself. Stannis could hardly bla anyone for speculating, he was a king, and yet he endured a public rebuke from a priestess from across the Narrow Sea. Just that alone was enough to make people question his resolve. He rely nodded, signaling he understood.

---

"Woman… you've overstepped your bounds. I am the king!" Once the tent was clear, Stannis gritted his teeth and growled, "Couldn't we have discussed this in private? Can you imagine what those Northerners will do now? They'll go straight to the maester to request aid from the Night's Watch. I'll have to waste more ti placating them!"

"You are wasting your precious ti in the wrong place. As your loyal servant, I must offer you honest counsel. Turn around and head north now. There is still ti!"

"I let that so-called dragon run rampant, seizing cities and humiliating my vassals in the land where I was born, where House Baratheon has ruled for generations. With Tyrell support, he's securing his foothold... And you want to ignore the enemy before and instead march north to face a bunch of peasants and goblins?" Stannis's expression hardened. "Because of Robert's dying command and the lure of gold from the West, the armies of the North, Riverlands, and Vale have all gathered under my banner! What better ti is there to use them? I don't have Robert's charisma or prestige. If I squander this opportunity, I may never get these three houses to fully commit again! If I go north now, by the ti I'm done dealing with the wildlings, the red dragon banner might already be flying over the walls of King's Landing. If that's the command your god gave through the flas, then I'm sorry, but I cannot obey this ti!"

"My god?"

Why does she always get caught up in words? Stannis forced himself to correct it. "Our god."

"Do you know what I just rembered?" lisandre looked at him, displeased. "A very vulgar saying: 'After going to bed, you find the person ugly.' All signs and ons point to you. As the prince that was promised, you can't accept R'hllor's aid but then ignore your duties!"

"Not fulfilling my duties? I allowed you to spread the Lord of Light's faith throughout the Seven Kingdoms. I let you, a woman, accompany my army into war. I tolerated you interrupting my war council without consequence. I ordered half of the royal fleet to sail north and support Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. I sent the Ironborn to help defend the Wall. I gave hundreds of Lannister prisoners, royals, and even prisoners from the Stormlands to the Night's Watch. I even approved tax exemptions for the Night's Watch industries. What more do you want from ?"

"You think you've done enough, but it is not. The prophecy states only the true king can go to the Wall in person to prevent the darkness from breaking through the final line of defense and consuming the world. If you do not go, all your efforts and support will be for nothing."

It was always difficult to reason with the red-robed woman. She ignored others' concerns and spoke only her own mind. Stannis realized he was losing the argunt and snapped. "Fine. Kill that false king calling himself Aegon Targaryen. Take Storm's End. Punish the Tyrells. Once you've done all that, I won't say another word. I'll turn north and fulfill this cursed prophecy!"

"You may ask R'hllor for a gift, but you cannot command him—"

"Enough with that damned rhetoric!" Stannis finally lost his temper. "I've seen no gifts from R'hllor, only your shadow magic! You, a shadowbinder from Asshai! If R'hllor is the Lord of Light, why does he rely on such darkness?"

"Shadows are servants of light, children of fla. R'hllor summoned the shadows to help you claim the throne."

"Oh, you always have so explanation that sounds just reasonable enough."

"As you wish, Your Grace. I will set aside the religious phrases." lisandre's expression remained calm as she switched to more worldly language. "R'hllor has not shown the deaths of those people in the flas. They may die, but not anyti soon."

The cost of any spell far exceeded what ordinary people could imagine. lisandre had never seen this Aegon Targaryen. She didn't know his voice, his appearance, or even where exactly he lived—whether he was in Storm's End or which room he stayed in. In such a situation, she had no ans of killing him. But if she said that aloud, it would damage people's fear and reverence toward R'hllor. Even if Stannis truly was the prince that was promised, she could not afford to fully admit such limitations.

"This magic requires power. If you insist on killing them, sacrificing king's blood remains a viable thod. But your fla is too weak, Your Grace. I dare not draw upon it further, or it may cost you your life." She wasn't lying, rely embellishing. But indeed, there was another option. "Your brother's bastard is a good candidate."

"Enough!" Stannis understood all too well. Renly's mysterious death had already stirred widespread suspicion across the Seven Kingdoms. If sothing similar happened again, his reputation as king would suffer a devastating blow. "I won't beco a kinslayer again and again. I have the strength to win without your cursed sorcery. I will take Storm's End with honor, and hang those you say still live from the battlents myself. Then you'll see that even you can't see everything in the flas!"

"Your Grace—"

"Either you use your skills to eliminate my enemies, or you remain silent. You've helped before, and I've tolerated you because of that. But I swear this—if you ever undermine before my vassals again, you will learn firsthand that a king's patience is not limitless!"

lisandre fell silent, simply staring at Stannis. The tent was filled with a heavy silence.

Stannis could no longer bear her presence. He turned away and slumped back into his chair, not sparing her another glance. "Leave. Get out of my sight. Go back to King's Landing, go back to Dragonstone... go anywhere. Go preach, go rest, I don't care. Just stop lecturing on where to go and what to do! I must stabilize the kingdom before I can gather the strength to fight this damned 'enemy' in your prophecy. I promise you, once the matters in the south are settled, I will head to the Wall myself!"

lisandre knew there was no going back. Stannis feared her, but that fear… was not enough to overco his stubbornness and pride. She stood at the entrance for a mont, then turned, pulled open the flap, and walked out of the tent.

…

Night had fallen, and campfires burned throughout the coalition camp. Soldiers along the path saw the red-robed woman leaving the king's tent alone, and they whispered and pointed as she passed.

lisandre paid them no mind. As she walked toward her own tent, her thoughts were racing. She had prayed to the sacred fla for guidance, but again and again, the image that appeared was the towering cold Wall. Before Stannis, she had interpreted it as, "The prince must get to the Wall as soon as possible." But could it have ant sothing else—like, "The prince is already at the Wall"? Or, "I must go to the Wall as soon as possible"?

Have I misunderstood the visions from the Holy Fla?

Once this doubt entered her mind, it was difficult to cast aside. And to resolve it, there was no clearer path than to go to the place shown in the flas herself, and see what was truly there.

(To be continued.)