Melisandre appeared at the doorway, dressed in a flowing red silk robe, carrying a silver platter with a cover.
Her steps were light, and as she walked, she said, "Compared to the coming great war, your so-called battles are but child's play. The ancient gods, unknown to mortals, are gathering strength… a terrifying, evil, and powerful force, difficult to resist."
She placed the silver platter on the map table and continued, "The cold wind has already begun to blow, and soon an endless night will arrive."
She looked at Onion Knight, her eyes seemingly burning with fire: "Unless righteous people summon their courage and spread the faith of the Lord of Light."
Duke Davos's eyebrow arched, and he said, "So… our next battlefield is to spread your god, Lady Melisandre?"
Hearing Davos's sarcastic words, Melisandre merely smiled faintly, her gaze shifting to King Stannis.
Stannis gazed at the silver platter on the map table and said, "She speaks the truth; she showed me through the holy fire. I saw it with my own eyes."
Duke Davos's eyes trembled; he knew his "god" couldn't lie like that.
After a pause, he couldn't help but confirm, "King Stannis, you saw it?"
Stannis nodded slightly, repeating, "I saw it with my own eyes."
He looked at the disbelieving Duke Davos: "After the Battle of King's Landing, I was in despair. Lady Melisandre had me stare into the fireplace. The draft in the chimney was strong, and specks of ash flew upwards. I watched them, feeling like a fool, but she told me to look deeper, and deeper… The dust was white, rising in the draft, but in an instant, they seemed to be falling again."
He seemed to see the scene of that day again: "It was snow… Then, the sparks in the air formed a circle, becoming a ring of torches, and I looked down through the fire at a high hill in the forest."
His eyes deepened: "Behind the torches, a large group of black figures moved in the snow. Despite the heat of the flames, I felt an intense cold that made me shiver, and then the vision disappeared, and the fire was just a fire again."
Finally, he added, "What I saw is real. I swear it as King and by the Kingdom."
The conviction in Stannis's words filled Davos with a deep sense of dread. He murmured, "A hill in the forest… figures in the snow… This… this…"
Melisandre interjected, "This means the true great war has begun."
Spreading her hands, she chanted in a low, husky voice: "The sands of the hourglass flow faster; humanity's time is running out. We must act boldly, or all hope will be lost. Westeros must unite under the one true King, the Prince That Was Promised, the Lord of Dragonstone, the chosen of the Lord of Light."
Stannis's brow furrowed into a knot: "The Lord of Light's choice is strange."
He continued, "Why me, and not my older or younger brother? Renly and his peach… In my dream, juice flowed from his mouth, and blood gushed from his throat. If he had been loyal to his brother, we would have already defeated Tywin Lannister, and that would have been a victory even Robert would have been proud of."
"Robert…" His jaw worked, then he continued: "He also appeared in my dreams. He laughed heartily, drank in contests, boasted… these were the things he was best at… yes, and fighting. I never surpassed him in anything."
He again expressed his confusion: "The Lord of Light should have chosen Robert as his chosen one. Why me?"
Melisandre placed her hands over her chest, bowed slightly, and replied, "Because of your righteousness, King."
"Righteousness…"
Stannis touched the cover of the silver platter with a finger and added, "Righteous people use leeches?"
Melisandre nodded gently, saying, "The King needs to save Westeros… but I must remind you again, this is not the right way."
Stannis's expression looked angry: "You said it was guaranteed to work."
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