Stannis and his future: Textual Evidence supporting his next moves

[Irelands Gemstone]

Thread Revival: The original post was made by myself in 'Winds of Winter' part of the forum. It gained just over 23,000 views and 230 replies before going seemingly extinct.

The basis of this thread is to give parts of the text, particularly a prophecy by Patchface, seemingly a gibberish prediction context with some clever snippets of information.

''we will march into the sea and out again. Under the waves we will all ride seahorses and mermaids will blow great seashells to announce our coming, oh, oh, oh.''

This dosent make sense until you take it in one of two contexts.

a.) We will all ride seahorses means ... what? Velaryon ... remember him, Aurane Waters the bastard of Driftmark is the bastard son of a Velaryon (Stannis' high admiral) whose sigil is a seahorse.

- Spoilers for WoW but essential to the topic -

Aurane Waters has recently gone rogue with Cerseis new warfleet. Where he will end up is a mystery, but this suggests he will go to stannis.

OR

b.) this is the more unusual of the two options. The ship Sansa Stark and Petyr Baelish left kings landing on, its flag bore a Mermaid blowing a great seashell.

This seems to hint, that maybe Stannis, who needs to get his rumpus South, will do so on Velaryons stolen fleet ... with what army after his is caught in a battle of ice up North and nearly destroyed ... why a Vale army. Perhaps backing the rightful lady of the North, who will back Stannis as rightful King in the south. Littlefinger is devious and Stannis didnt care for him much however. This last part is simply my analysis, please offer any theories on it you make construe and post any information you might find.

c.) Contributed by Lost Melnibonean

who suggest that the Merling King is a braavosi galley carrying Justin Massey to hire sellswords in Essos with money from the Iron Bank. This makes a great deal of sense considering that this sellsword army would trumpet Stannis' presence, the question with this theory being where Stannis would land that the sellswords would be welcoming him.

[Lord Egeman]

I haven't read it yet, but in a sample Arianne Chapter from TWoW, Aurane Waters is reported to have become a pirate in the Narrow Sea. His "Bastard blood" in effect probably. I do not think he will join with Stannis, but there may be a chance that he can be hired by Justin Massey.

Option B is a nice catch, maybe Sansa will reveal herself when Rickon is revealed, and join with Stannis once LF is out of the picture.

[Señor de la Tormenta]

I always took the Velaryon part for granted. But always thought the marmaid was refering to manderlys ships... This is mind blowing

[E-Ro]

I think both of these things could happen tbh. Both the fleet and the vale joining him.

[Tristifer Blackwood]

Very interesting. I can see the Lords Declarant bending to Stannis, easily, but Littlefinger? Stannis is the last guy he'll be able to pull strings, there's no point. Sansa might do something good after all.

[Phonzadellika]

Sansa would have to kill Littlefinger first, which I think that she would do to protect Robert Arryn. I'm sure, by end of DWD, that the thought that Littlefinger might kill Robert to get Harry the Vale has crossed her mind.

So, she kills Littlefinger and then tells Robert Arryn to declare for Stannis, which he does because she is now his de facto mother?

[aFeastForDragons]

One of the best theories I've ever heard.

[aware_of_thrones]

Completely onboard with this theory, the problem is that we have to lend great weight to prophesy and we still are not quite sure of the ''Blue Eyed King who Casts no Shadow'' prophesy.

[Night's Ranger]

I love Stannis but he will have some heroic,last stand battle against Others,so no,he wont leave North,and no,Vale wont join him

[E-Ro]

I love Stannis but he will have some heroic,last stand battle against Others,so no,he wont leave North,and no,Vale wont join him

What if he needs the vales help to fight others? Them joining him doesn't have to be for a march on the south.

[TalalOfDorne]

What if he needs the vales help to fight others? Them joining him doesn't have to be for a march on the south.

My Crackpot Mode is on, but something tells me that the Vale could possibly join the war against the Others. One of the first death we see by an Other is the death of Waymar Royce. Maybe this coukd signal some unfinished business between Yohn Royce, and possibly by extension, the rest of the Vale.

[King of Winters]

I think Aurane will help Stannis' army across the Bite and to the South quickly. Stannis will then be at the Trident when he meets Dany :frown5:

[E-Ro]

My Crackpot Mode is on, but something tells me that the Vale could possibly join the war against the Others. One of the first death we see by an Other is the death of Waymar Royce. Maybe this coukd signal some unfinished business between Yohn Royce, and possibly by extension, the rest of the Vale.

Agreed. Stannis and the 5k men he has won't be nearly enough to even slow the others down. If the vale brings another 15k(the most likely amount to be able to get there) they can be transported on manderlys fleet to the north.

[Lord of Beyond the Wall]

Thread Revival: The original post was made by myself in 'Winds of Winter' part of the forum. It gained just over 23,000 views and 230 replies before going seemingly extinct.

The basis of this thread is to give parts of the text, particularly a prophecy by Patchface, seemingly a gibberish prediction context with some clever snippets of information.

''we will march into the sea and out again. Under the waves we will all ride seahorses and mermaids will blow great seashells to announce our coming, oh, oh, oh.''

This dosent make sense until you take it in one of two contexts.

a.) We will all ride seahorses means ... what? Velaryon ... remember him, Aurane Waters the bastard of Driftmark is the bastard son of a Velaryon (Stannis' high admiral) whose sigil is a seahorse.

- Spoilers for WoW but essential to the topic -

Aurane Waters has recently gone rogue with Cerseis new warfleet. Where he will end up is a mystery, but this suggests he will go to stannis.

OR

b.) this is the more unusual of the two options. The ship Sansa Stark and Petyr Baelish left kings landing on, its flag bore a Mermaid blowing a great seashell.

This seems to hint, that maybe Stannis, who needs to get his rumpus South, will do so on Velaryons stolen fleet ... with what army after his is caught in a battle of ice up North and nearly destroyed ... why a Vale army. Perhaps backing the rightful lady of the North, who will back Stannis as rightful King in the south. Littlefinger is devious and Stannis didnt care for him much however. This last part is simply my analysis, please offer any theories on it you make construe and post any information you might find.

One little question: How is Sansa the rightful Lady of the North when she is four in the line of succession after Bran, Rickon and Jon (legitimized by then Lord Paramount of the North, Lord of Winterfell and KitN Robb Stark). That would make the Lord of Dragonstone a bigger hypocrite than he currently is?, i mean isn't that the argument against Renly, that he usurped Stannis right?

[Irelands Gemstone]

Bran and Rickon are considered dead, Jon has just been Julius Ceasered out of the picture (maybe he dies, maybe he dosent, nobody knows about Robbs Will yet) Arya is missing, Robb is dead .... how is Sansa not Lady of the North?

Even if Rickon is presented, he is young and wont be taken at face value.

Also, Sansa has an army :) Armies make succession so much easier to understand.

[Lord of Beyond the Wall]

Manderly know where Rickon is and he knows that Bran is alive but more importantly the will of Robb have to be known by some key northern lords, this news will be spread before anyone get to The Vale.

[Zell Holland]

One little question: How is Sansa the rightful Lady of the North when she is four in the line of succession after Bran, Rickon and Jon (legitimized by then Lord Paramount of the North, Lord of Winterfell and KitN Robb Stark). That would make the Lord of Dragonstone a bigger hypocrite than he currently is?, i mean isn't that the argument against Renly, that he usurped Stannis right?

Pretty much everyone believes Bran and Rickon to be dead whilst Jon Snow has chosen the Night's Watch over becoming Robb's heir which makes Sansa next in line.

eta; beaten to it

[TyrionsFlagon]

I have two thoughts that I'd like to add.

One is that I don't think that this prophecy necessarily needs to apply to Stannis. It could be someone else that leads the Seahorses and Mermaids.

If this prophecy does apply to Stannis, some people are saying that Littlefinger will have to be dead, which I don't agree with. If there's any way for Littlefinger to take advantage of something, he will.

I can see the Lords Declarant bending to Stannis, easily, but Littlefinger? Stannis is the last guy he'll be able to pull strings, there's no point.

Stannis is the perfect person for Littlefinger to control because Stannis is bound to duty and he's iron through and through. This makes him extremely predictable, sorta like Ned :( and we all know how Littlefinger played Ned dirty.

[Dicer]

Bran and Rickon are considered dead, Jon has just been Julius Ceasered out of the picture (maybe he dies, maybe he dosent, nobody knows about Robbs Will yet) Arya is missing, Robb is dead .... how is Sansa not Lady of the North?

Even if Rickon is presented, he is young and wont be taken at face value.

Also, Sansa has an army :) Armies make succession so much easier to understand.

But should not some things happen before Stannis is ready to accept Sansa? Like her getting to KL and getting her marriage to Tyrion annulled or Tyrion dying and making her a widow?

Because otherwise Stannis had this to say when Jon tells him thet WF belongs to Sansa

“By right Winterfell should go to my sister Sansa.”

“Lady Lannister, you mean? Are you so eager to see the Imp perched on your father’s seat? I promise you, that will not happen whilst I live, Lord Snow.”

[Petyr Patter]

Aurane Waters joining Stannis makes a lot of sense. While we don't know much about him, he did hint to Cersei that he would like his own lordship. No one in King's Landing is going to give him one now. However, once he hears how Stannis has not only beaten the Frey-Bolton alliance and is now backed by the lords of the North, but also has an open line of credit from the Iron Bank of Braavos... he's going to show up and pledge fealty. Worse case scenario for him, he just sails away.

Now, the wording says the mermaids blowing the sea shells will announce their arrival. We know Stannis would just hang Baelish, and Baelish knows this as well. So, it is hard to picture how his ship will show up and herald the coming of Stannis and/or Queen Selyse and/or Shireen and/or the Night's Watch.