KINGDOM FALL | ROBB STARK [1]

11

KINGDOM FALL
— 11. Lion's Den

Stannis Baratheon stood in the war room at Dragonstone, staring at Melisandre, who stared deeply into the flames of the hearth. They had just returned from saving Annalys and Robb at the Red Wedding and Stannis was still confused, "What do you see in the flames?" He asked Melisandre curiously, "What is it about Annalys that has you wanting me to side with her? That girl is just a bastard. She isn't my blood. What's so special about her?"

Melisandre smiled slightly, turning to face her king, "That girl is the key to winning the Iron Throne and winning the wars yet to come." She informed Stannis, who frowned in confusion.

"Wars?" He questioned, wanting to why she was being plural.

"Yes, wars," Melisandre responded calmly, "Annalys is the key to the future of Westeros."

"You see that in the flames?" Stannis questioned, still skeptical about Annalys.

Melisandre was silent for a long moment as she nodded her head, "There's a darkness in Annalys Stark...Darkness that battles with the light inside her constantly. There's a war inside her as she is unable to pick between her lover and her family. The War of the Queen and Five Kings is over, but another will start soon enough because of Annalys. She will cause the deaths of thousands when she chooses between the two. I see a battlefield in the south, numerous bodies scattered across it with Annalys being the only one standing upright. They will all die at her hand. She will be the reasons kings rise and fall." She explained and Stannis furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"She sounds like a threat," Stannis replied in a cold tone, "We should eliminate her before it's too late."

"We can't. She's far too powerful," Melisandre confessed, leading to a concerned look growing on Stannis' face, "She carries the future of the world in her womb," She paused, Stannis immediately realizing she meant Annalys was pregnant, "Her children will be the ones to reunite the kingdoms, but not before a war starts soon after their births. The war will start because of a decision she makes and if we want to survive it, we must side with her, for by the time her children are born, Annalys will have more than half of the kingdoms on her side. She will be unstoppable."

"What of her husband?" Stannis asked Melisandre curiously, "Robb Stark. Will he be on her side?"

Melisandre sighed in defeat, turning toward the fireplace. She stared intently into the flames. She could see Robb standing in front of an army with the banners of a direwolf, Grey Wind standing beside him. Across the field, Annalys stood on the frontlines of an army with the lion sigil, her father standing alongside her, both of them carrying their Valyrian Steel swords.

"No," Melisandre simply stated, much to Stannis' horror, "Robb Stark will be the one leading the war against her. He will win many battles, but Annalys will win this war. She'll have the greatest army the world has ever seen and only a love-struck fool would stand against her."