"Have you noticed the change in Stannis?"
After the "Battle of Winterfell Summary Conference" ended, Dany immediately sought out Melisandre and invited her to a corner of the castle corridor.
"What are you trying to say?" The red-robed woman's attitude was cold.
Dany pressed her pink lips together, the expression on her pretty face turning serious. "When R'hllor resurrects the dead, He takes away the most precious trait from that person's soul.
I saw Lady Stoneheart in the Riverlands, and I also heard the Myrish priest Thoros talk about the experience of 'the Lightning Lord,' Beric Dondarrion.
After being revived, neither of them was the same as before.
Lord Beric even forgot the name and appearance of the fiancée he loved most. Lady Stoneheart committed every crime she once hated the most.
I do not know what the Lord of Light intends to do with the traits He takes from people's souls, but it is clear that He did not spare even the savior He chose.
Before, Stannis would stop at nothing for the Iron Throne and power, but he at least understood one thing: power is also responsibility.
He pursued the Iron Throne with fanatic determination, yet he also fulfilled the responsibility of the King of the Seven Kingdoms to protect them.
For the greater good, he could temporarily set aside the Iron Throne and work together with me against the Night King.
Now, he has changed."
Melisandre raised her head. Her beautiful red eyes fixed on Dany as she questioned, "Do you know that Stannis knowingly walked toward certain death in order to create an opportunity for you?"
Dany shook her head. "He knew his ending?"
"Before challenging the Night King, he and I saw our respective fates in the flames of the bonfire, a shared destiny.
He knew exactly how he would die under the Night King's sword. That is why you were able to obtain such a good opportunity." There was sorrow in the red-robed woman's gaze, along with resentment.
Dany froze for a moment. She had truly not expected Stannis to be so fearless.
Sighing quietly in her heart for the fallen king, she said calmly, "A damned good opportunity. Do you know that your prophecy had already been known by R'hllor?"
The red-robed woman was stunned for a moment. "What do you mean?"
"The Lord of Light you worship is not a good being. He knows you are heroes and probably guessed that I am humanity's hero. That old, cunning fellow understands very well the choices heroes make at crucial moments and is skilled at using righteousness against them.
So, seeing through everything, He set a trap on the Red Sword to lure me in.
He guessed the beginning but failed to predict the ending. You are a hero, and Stannis is also a hero, but I only look like one." The Dragon Queen showed an unprecedented sincerity.
"What did the Lord of Light lure you to do?" Melisandre asked in confusion.
"He wanted to seize my talent, soul, and magic when I held Lightbringer."
Dany then recounted everything that happened that day in full detail. As if worried that the red-robed woman would not understand R'hllor's malice, she also told her about the fate of Azor Ahai and Nissa Nissa.
"Let me tell you plainly. The true prophesied savior is Jon Stark. Stannis was only the backup.
The last time you resurrected Jon, the Three-Eyed Raven and I interfered, reversing the fate in which R'hllor would place His will within him. That indirectly changed Stannis's destiny. He went from being the backup to the real one."
As if that were not enough, Dany kept talking, revealing everything she possibly could.
Melisandre's expression wavered for a moment, but she finally bit her red lips lightly and said firmly, "If the great Lord of Light requires your talent and traits, then offer them to Him. To merge with Him is the highest honor in this world."
Dany widened her eyes in disbelief. "You usually seem quite clever. How could you say something so foolish?
So-called gods are merely beings with immense power and extraordinary knowledge.
We may revere their strength and learn from their teachings, but we must never lose ourselves and worship them without limits."
"Sure enough, only someone who blasphemes the gods like you would commit the sacrilegious crime of usurping the seats of the Seven."
There was obvious disdain and disgust in the red-robed woman's eyes as she looked at Dany.
Dany studied her for a long time, from top to bottom, from left to right, her gaze seeming to peer into her soul through her eyes.
Finally, she was certain. The red-robed woman was simply a native fanatic who had never been exposed to modern thought.
Well, this conclusion did not really require such careful observation. After all, Aunt Melisandre was indeed a native.
The reason Dany found it hard to understand was that Melisandre herself was also a transcendent being, even a top figure among them, practically a demigod.
"You possess such power. In the eyes of mortals, you are no different from a god. Why are you still obsessed with faith?" she asked curiously.
Melisandre smiled with calm wisdom and replied with a question. "One day, a noble of slave origin under your rule may rise to become a duke of a kingdom. In the eyes of ordinary people, a duke is not much different from a king. Does that mean he can despise you and betray you?"
That question truly stumped Dany.
"All right. You have a point. I cannot force my own beliefs on you. You may choose to sincerely believe in the Lord of Light, but you cannot demand that I sacrifice everything to Him."
Melisandre clasped her hands together at her abdomen, her wide sleeves covering them. With graceful poise, she walked to the window and looked down at the busy Stannis below.
"If you were willing to sacrifice yourself, countless others would be spared from sacrifice," she said calmly.
"You do not understand. This is the era of human civilization. Humanity is the protagonist. Our fate should not be controlled by the hands of gods.
As the child of this era, I represent humanity's future. If I die, humanity will truly lose its hope."
The Dragon Queen's expression was pained, as though the responsibility far beyond that of a savior weighed heavily upon her.
Melisandre's small mouth opened wide. Her heart-shaped face was filled with stunned disbelief.
"You are truly arrogant," she said after a long moment.
"No, it is not arrogance. I thought you would understand me." The Dragon Queen's face showed the hurt of being misunderstood.
"Sorry, I really cannot understand it." The red-robed woman's lips twitched.
"Aren't you and Stannis using the same way of thinking?" Dany suddenly switched to a cheerful smile. "Stannis believes he is the savior and bears the responsibility of saving the world, so he can allow Renly to sacrifice himself for the greater cause and let Aegon light the path forward for him.
Compared to him, I can go one step further.
As the most powerful human and the one most likely to ascend to true godhood, I have every reason to believe I represent humanity's future. I am the child of the world.
Therefore, I can refuse any demand from any person or any god that asks me to sacrifice myself.
On the contrary, they should sacrifice for me. I am destiny itself!"
This time, it was Melisandre who fell silent.
"I should go now. Do you have anything else to say?"
When paths differ, people cannot work together. The red-robed woman intended to leave.
"Advise Stannis. If you truly care about him, do not let him squander the honor he earned at the Battle of Winterfell.
To be honest, you may not like hearing this, but dying beneath the walls of Winterfell would have been his best ending. You really should not have resurrected him." Dany sighed.
A shadow flashed in Melisandre's red eyes. She turned her head aside and said firmly, "Under the guidance of the great R'hllor, he and I walk upon a path of glory."
"Believe whatever you like, but do not go too far. I swear to you, I really do not want to personally kill the two of you.
I must admit that in this muddy pit called Westeros, you and he are among the least annoying people." Dany gave a bitter smile.
"You—" Melisandre's face flushed with anger, her body trembling slightly.
"You understand. It would not be difficult for me to kill both of you by force," Dany said with a sigh.
"That is not necessarily true," the red-robed woman replied coldly.
Dany shook her head. "I have warned you, which means I have repaid our slight past friendship. As for what you choose, that is your decision.
Let us drop that topic and talk about one last matter."
At this point, Dany's face showed a trace of embarrassment.
"During the Battle of Winterfell, the Night King had a domain that suppressed fire, and you created a domain of fire. Could you teach me that technique?"
Melisandre widened her eyes and looked at her as if she were a little mouse stealing cat food.
"Do you have memory problems? Have you forgotten the threat you made earlier?"
Dany's pretty face scrunched up helplessly. "You should understand how helpful a 'domain' would be to me. The Lord of Light has chosen to stand aside and play tricks in the shadows. The one who must confront the Cold God next time will only be me.
The reason I made this request after revealing the truth about my relationship with you, Stannis, and R'hllor is simple. I did not want to deceive you."
"You want to move me with sincerity? Unfortunately, you failed," the red-robed woman mocked.
Dany shook her head. "I only want to live with a clear conscience."
Melisandre looked at her deeply, then turned and left.
Dany shrugged, opened the window, and leaned against the windowsill, admiring the beautiful crystal city.
At this moment, Winterfell was embedded within an iceberg. The sky above was a massive, clear crystal of ice. Firelight shone upon it, refracting rainbow-colored beams within the ice while reflecting crimson clouds across the surface. With only a few torches, the place resembled a dazzling scene from a fairy tale.
"Winterfell has truly benefited from misfortune. This iceberg not only blocks the White Walkers but also transforms a shabby gray-stone castle into the most beautiful structure in the Seven Kingdoms.
If 'Longlegs' Lomas were still alive, he might list the current Winterfell as the 'Tenth Wonder of the World.' You should thank me."
"Unfortunately, I really do not know the technique for a fire-element domain. As for wind element… a wind domain is not urgent for you. I suggest you spend time comprehending it yourself through the 'Wind of the Realm.' The path of a greenseer is different from yours." The large raven paced into the room, cawing.
"I also need to leave Winterfell. A week ago, urgent reports arrived from Slaver's Bay. Several dragonworms have been burning the manors and granaries south of Meereen. Perhaps I will also need to visit the Smoking Sea."
The sound of iron boots running across the stone corridor approached rapidly.
Dany turned around and saw the pockmarked knight hurrying toward her through the dim hallway.
"Your Majesty, we are about to depart. Melisandre asked me to give this to you." Without waiting for Dany to ask, Ser Richard handed her what looked like a sausage.
It was as thick and long as a 200-gram sausage, wrapped in a layer of gray lambskin.
When she took it, Dany immediately realized it was a rolled parchment.
"What is this?" She weighed it thoughtfully. It felt quite heavy.
Richard shook his head. "She only asked me to tell you this: You have the right to take on responsibilities and missions that were never originally yours. But when those responsibilities truly arrive, she hopes you will not retreat."
A joyful smile appeared on Dany's face. She had already guessed the contents of the parchment.
"Tell her this: Who else but me dares stand firm with sword in hand? To save the world and bring peace to the realm, none but I can do it!"
(End of Chapter)
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