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Will Selyse burn Shireen?


Impbread

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Everyone assumes that is will be Stannis that burns his daughter but as of right now he has no access to her. I think that it will be his wife in an attempt to save him from the cold and snows of winter.  Im sure this has been brought up a million times in between books. What does everyone think? 

 

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Shireen is Stannis's only heir. The last of the Baratheons. The heir to the iron throne. He won't obviously kill his heir.

However, if Stannis takes Winterfell he might summon Melisandre, Shireen and Selyse to Winterfell. And when the White Walkers come marching south, he may try to burn Shireen in order to get Lightbringer in a desperate attempt to halt the white walkers. But it fails and he realises he was not Azor Ahai after all and he burnt his daughter for nothing. 

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15 minutes ago, Falcon2909 said:

Shireen is Stannis's only heir. The last of the Baratheons. The heir to the iron throne. He won't obviously kill his heir.

True, I don't think that Stannis would ever go that far unless it gets REALLY desperate, but I think it's more likely that Selyse will allow Mel to burn Shireen as she's a bit of a fanatic.

It should be worth noting that as far as everyone at the wall is concerned, the only recent "news" they have of Stannis is from the Pink Letter which says Stannis is dead.

So if we are to theorise that Shireen gets burnt, it would only be to advance Stannis' cause, which means it's likely that they find out that he is NOT dead, or Mel see's something in her fire.

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I think he's going to do it because Mel filled his head with the idea that he is AA and he sees it as his duty to save the realm.

Stannis ground his teeth again. "I never asked for this crown. Gold is cold and heavy on the head, but so long as I am the king, I have a duty . . . If I must sacrifice one child to the flames to save a million from the dark . . . Sacrifice . . . is never easy, Davos. Or it is no true sacrifice. Tell him, my lady." (Davos VI, ASOS 63)

And it's almost like a Nissa Nissa situation in a way, when AA figures he has to sacrifice the person he loves most for the greater good. We don't know who Stannis loves most, but I'm assuming that Shireen should be up there on his list.

Burning dead children had ceased to trouble Jon Snow; live ones were another matter. Two kings to wake the dragon. The father first and then the son, so both die kings. The words had been murmured by one of the queen's men as Maester Aemon had cleaned his wounds. Jon had tried to dismiss them as his fever talking. Aemon had demurred. "There is power in a king's blood," the old maester had warned, "and better men than Stannis have done worse things than this." The king can be harsh and unforgiving, aye, but a babe still on the breast? Only a monster would give a living child to the flames. (Jon I, ADWD 3)

My question is will anyone try and stop Shireen being burned? 

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Eventually... yes, but it will be at the point where he realises that the only path for justice is to be Ahor Azai, but not a king (as it will of course be ending his dynastic line).

There is something poetic in the prospect of him having to commit to burning his own child after the incident with Edric, to try and sacrifice one child to save the world... but I don't think it will work, which is going to be even more tragic.

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1 hour ago, Alexis-something-Rose said:

I think he's going to do it because Mel filled his head with the idea that he is AA and he sees it as his duty to save the realm.

Stannis ground his teeth again. "I never asked for this crown. Gold is cold and heavy on the head, but so long as I am the king, I have a duty . . . If I must sacrifice one child to the flames to save a million from the dark . . . Sacrifice . . . is never easy, Davos. Or it is no true sacrifice. Tell him, my lady." (Davos VI, ASOS 63)

And it's almost like a Nissa Nissa situation in a way, when AA figures he has to sacrifice the person he loves most for the greater good. We don't know who Stannis loves most, but I'm assuming that Shireen should be up there on his list.

Burning dead children had ceased to trouble Jon Snow; live ones were another matter. Two kings to wake the dragon. The father first and then the son, so both die kings. The words had been murmured by one of the queen's men as Maester Aemon had cleaned his wounds. Jon had tried to dismiss them as his fever talking. Aemon had demurred. "There is power in a king's blood," the old maester had warned, "and better men than Stannis have done worse things than this." The king can be harsh and unforgiving, aye, but a babe still on the breast? Only a monster would give a living child to the flames. (Jon I, ADWD 3)

My question is will anyone try and stop Shireen being burned? 

Agree. There is a line in one of Jons last chapters in Dance where he sees Selyse staring into the fire with reverence. He says "she would gladly walk right into the flames if Mel asked her too". Just thought that it was an interesting line. Also how will Stannis gain access to Shireen for those who think that it will be him who does the dirty deed?

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For what it's worth, Shireen is not the only person with king's blood at the Wall. If they wanted to burn Mance and his son for their king's blood, then Gerrick Kingsblood is fair game too, as are his three daughters and his son who is one of the hostages Jon took when the wildlings crossed south of the Wall. He claims descent from Raymund Redbeard when he's from the line of a younger brother instead. 

Mel won't care about the truth. She burned people for a lot less than that.

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I'd say it's a strong possibility.

Selyse is a pretty hardcore follower of her chosen god. With all her recent religious teachings telling her that Stannis is Azor Ahai, the Lady of Storm's End might have come to view her husband's success as more important than the life of her daughter. If she really believes the Mannis is supposed to be the saviour of humanity, it's possible Selyse would consider sacrificing Shireen, a princess who has king's blood.

It's also worth noting how Shireen's greyscale related history might come into play. The illness apparently comes from damp, watery conditions, and water is obviously the natural enemy of fire. Should Selyse's mind become more warped,one could imagine her looking at Shireen's face and seeing something "ungodly", followed by a potential sacrifice to placate the Red God and turn the tides in Stannis' favour.

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I am in total agreement with the OP - Selyse will give Shireen to Mel to be sacrificed.

Stannis has already implied that he intends to fake his own death to gain an advantage against Roose and Ramsay. Actions, unfortunately, have consequences.

Mel will hear of his death and demand a sacrifice to resurrect Stannis  "Only death can pay for life." Selyse will gladly comply.

Faking your own death is like turning into a snake - it never works. (Evil Overlord List #34.)

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Absolutely...

Is it possible that the fate of Serala, the Lace Serpent of Duskendale foreshadows the fate of Melisandre? Melisandre is loved by only a few...

  Quote

The queen's men might remain fervent followers of the Lord of Light, but the lesser folk of Dragonstone were drifting back to the gods they'd known all their lives. They said Stannis was ensorceled, that Melisandre had turned him away from the Seven to bow before some demon out of shadow, and ... worst sin of all ... that she and her god had failed him. And there were knights and lordlings who felt the same.

Davos V, Storm 54

Here's what happened to the Lace Serpent...

  Quote

"In Duskendale they love Lord Denys still, despite the woe he brought them. 'Tis Lady Serala that they blame, his Myrish wife. The Lace Serpent, she is called. ... The Lace Serpent filled her husband's ear with Myrish poison, they say, until Lord Denys rose against his king and took him captive. ...

... "Once Lord Denys lost his hostage, he opened his gates and ended his defiance rather than let Lord Tywin take the town. He bent the knee and begged for mercy, but the king was not of a forgiving mind. Lord Denys lost his head, as did his brothers and his sister, uncles, cousins, all the lordly Darklyns. The Lace Serpent was burned alive, poor woman, though her tongue was torn out first, and her female parts, with which it was said that she had enslaved her lord. Half of Duskendale will still tell you that Aerys was too kind to her."

Brienne II, Feast 9

I suppose being burned alive would be a fitting end for Melisandre.

  Quote

At the top of the steps Davos heard a soft jingle of bells that could only herald Patchface. The princess's fool was waiting outside the maester's door for her like a faithful hound. Dough-soft and slump-shouldered, his broad face tattooed in a motley pattern of red and green squares, Patchface wore a helm made of a rack of deer antlers strapped to a tin bucket. A dozen bells hung from the tines and rang when he moved . . . which meant constantly, since the fool seldom stood still. He jingled and jangled his way everywhere he went; small wonder that Pylos had exiled him from Shireen's lessons. "Under the sea the old fish eat the young fish," the fool muttered at Davos. He bobbed his head, and his bells clanged and chimed and sang. "I know, I know, oh oh oh."

Davos V, Storm 54

Under the sea is a metaphor for death. Melisandre is old...

  Quote

... Strange voices called to her from days long past.

...

... Melisandre had practiced her art for years beyond count, and she had paid the price.

Melisandre, Dance 31

Shireen is young...

  Quote

Her name was Shireen. She would be ten on her next name day, and she was the saddest child that Maester Cressen had ever known.

Prologue, Clash

Melisandre wants king’s blood...

  Quote

Melisandre moved closer. "Save them, sire. Let me wake the stone dragons. Three is three. Give me the boy."

...

... He turned back to Melisandre. "You swear there is no other way? Swear it on your life, for I promise, you shall die by inches if you lie."

... Melisandre went to him, her red lips parted, her ruby throbbing. "Give me this boy," she whispered, "and I will give you your kingdom."

"He can't," said Davos. "Edric Storm is gone."

Davos VI, Storm 63

She can't have Edric, but Shireen has king’s blood, and Shireen is a dead girl...

  Quote

"If Stannis wins his war, Shireen will stand as heir to the Iron Throne."

"Then I pity your Seven Kingdoms."

"The maesters say greyscale is not—"

"The maesters may believe what they wish. Ask a woods witch if you would know the truth. The grey death sleeps, only to wake again. The child is not clean! "

"She seems a sweet girl. You cannot know—"

"I can. You know nothing, Jon Snow." Val seized his arm. "I want the monster out of there. Him and his wet nurses. You cannot leave them in that same tower as the dead girl."

Melisandre is going to burn Shireen with Selyse’s blessing, since they will both be desperate having seen Jon Snow betrayed and wounded or dead, and having come to believe that Ramsay has defeated and killed Stannis.

And the old fish will eat the young fish. Poor Shireen.

Stannis is gonna be pissed. 

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15 hours ago, Impbread said:

Everyone assumes that is will be Stannis that burns his daughter but as of right now he has no access to her. I think that it will be his wife in an attempt to save him from the cold and snows of winter.  Im sure this has been brought up a million times in between books. What does everyone think? 

Shireen will burn. Mel will do it. I doubt her parents will be the one to light the match

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Don't see Stannis doing this in the least. But lots of things are already in place for Selyse to go this way, though.

Jon notes that Selyse only kisses Shireen on her non-greyscale side despite assurances that she’s safe and she’s hardly a loving mother.

Selyse gets told that Shireen isn’t safe at all (Val & Wildlings) + Selyse really wants to be a good sacrificy R’hllorist + Val tells Selyse she’s really doing good by Shireen to kill her + Mel tells Selyse she’s really doing good by R’hllor by sacrificing her + Selyse would be saving a lot of lives from greyscale and via sacrificing to R'hllor.

Hell of a lot of ways to rationalize it and it lines up with Selyse's doubts about her greyscale as observed by Jon. 

 

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9 hours ago, The Mother of The Others said:

I get it, that a crispy Shireen is in the cards as something we could see, but it's still buried deeper in the deck.  There's no sense of nearness about it. 

I agree.

12 hours ago, Lost Melnibonean said:

Melisandre is going to burn Shireen with Selyse’s blessing, since they will both be desperate having seen Jon Snow betrayed and wounded or dead, and having come to believe that Ramsay has defeated and killed Stannis.

Possibly to warm Jon's cold body?  I am asking.

12 hours ago, Dorian Martell's son said:

Shireen will burn. Mel will do it. I doubt her parents will be the one to light the match

I agree Shireen's parents will not be the ones to light the match.

_________________________________

They are burning the dead at CB due to the fear of the dead rising as wights.

:idea:if word gets out via Val, the wildling princess, that Shireen has greyscale or grey death someone may give the child the gift of mercy.

A Dance with Dragons - Jon XI   "It is not always mortal in children."   "North of the Wall it is. Hemlock is a sure cure, but a pillow or a blade will work as well. If I had given birth to that poor child, I would have given her the gift of mercy long ago."/

If Shireen is given the gift of mercy her body might end up being burned so Shireen doesn't return as a wight.

13 hours ago, Lost Melnibonean said:

And the old fish will eat the young fish. Poor Shireen.

Stannis is gonna be pissed. 

Yep.

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13 minutes ago, Lost Melnibonean said:

If Melisandre realizes that Jon is the promised prince, then yes, but I don't think she would give that reason to Selyse. 

Thanks.

__________________

Just to be clear I was referencing Bran's comma dream from the first book.

1 hour ago, Clegane'sPup said:

Possibly to warm Jon's cold body?  I am asking.

A Game of Thrones - Bran III    He lifted his eyes and saw clear across the narrow sea, to the Free Cities and the green Dothraki sea and beyond, to Vaes Dothrak under its mountain, to the fabled lands of the Jade Sea, to Asshai by the Shadow, where dragons stirred beneath the sunrise.                   Finally he looked north. He saw the Wall shining like blue crystal, and his bastard brother Jon sleeping alone in a cold bed, his skin growing pale and hard as the memory of all warmth fled from him. And he looked past the Wall, past endless forests cloaked in snow, past the frozen shore and the great blue-white rivers of ice and the dead plains where nothing grew or lived. North and north and north he looked, to the curtain of light at the end of the world, and then beyond that curtain. He looked deep into the heart of winter, and then he cried out, afraid, and the heat of his tears burned on his cheeks.                  Now you know, the crow whispered as it sat on his shoulder. Now you know why you must live./

 

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19 minutes ago, Clegane'sPup said:

Thanks.

__________________

Just to be clear I was referencing Bran's comma dream from the first book.

A Game of Thrones - Bran III    He lifted his eyes and saw clear across the narrow sea, to the Free Cities and the green Dothraki sea and beyond, to Vaes Dothrak under its mountain, to the fabled lands of the Jade Sea, to Asshai by the Shadow, where dragons stirred beneath the sunrise.                   Finally he looked north. He saw the Wall shining like blue crystal, and his bastard brother Jon sleeping alone in a cold bed, his skin growing pale and hard as the memory of all warmth fled from him. And he looked past the Wall, past endless forests cloaked in snow, past the frozen shore and the great blue-white rivers of ice and the dead plains where nothing grew or lived. North and north and north he looked, to the curtain of light at the end of the world, and then beyond that curtain. He looked deep into the heart of winter, and then he cried out, afraid, and the heat of his tears burned on his cheeks.                  Now you know, the crow whispered as it sat on his shoulder. Now you know why you must live./

I see. 

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