Hello everyone,

It's been a long time since I last uploaded a chapter, and I'm truly sorry about that. I'm afraid I just crashed against a wall of lack of motivation. I think I understand better how other fellow fanfiction writers like SerGoldenhand and pellaeonthewingedlion felt as their stories' updates got more spaced over time. It's like a situation where you love your own story, you want to continue to work on it, but at the same you just lack the motivation to continue it. This also happened to me while I was reaching the end of my other fanfiction, "A Shadow and a Wolf", and perhaps that's what's happening to GRRM (though I hope not).

Still, I'm not going to abandon ARAAL. I can't make any more promise of having a new chapter every two weeks because I couldn't guarantee they would be there, but I'm going to bring this fic to its end. It will take longer, but I will complete it. And then I can move to this Mass Effect fanfiction I planned years ago and that is gathering dust somewhere.

But now, to the story itself, because that's why you're coming here after all. After the Battle of Riverrun where Stannis died, the Starks and the Lannisters joined their forces and are now allies. We saw in the previous chapter how this affected Sansa at Casterly Rock. Now, we get to see how things are faring on the side of Stannis's supporters.

DAVOS VI

When Davos was sent to Tarth a long time ago, back when the brother of his king robbed him from most of his bannermen, he had met Lord Selwyn in a secret grove, at night. The Lord of Tarth had refused to join Stannis. Davos remembered entering the grove, advancing in the dark only at the light of a simple torch. Deep into the grove, finally he had met him, Selwyn Tarth, flanked by two of his knights. He didn't lose time and told Davos right away that he could not support Stannis.

The silence that had followed was as deep and heavy as the one that settled in the small council chambers now. It had been one day now, one day since the news reached King's Landing. A raven signed and sealed by Alester Florent had arrived and shattered Davos' world. The worst part had not even been to learn the truth. The worst had been to announce it to the first person who deserved to learn about it.

But first, he had warned the men he trusted the most among the City Watch and the guards of the Red Keep to stay on alert and to be ready to go into action the moment he would ask. He reminded them that Stannis was their king, and to never forget that. Many seemed puzzled with his demeanor, but Davos managed to downplay it, saying they never knew with the fanatics currently infesting the city, and they didn't question him further. When he was done with it, he went to do one of the most difficult tasks in his life.

She was reading when he had entered the room. Like always, she smiled when he walked in. Even worse, her smile was brighter than ever.

"Ser Onion Knight! You managed to free yourself. I found something else for you to read. I think you'll like it."

"Princess…" It was so weird to call her this way now. The title was no longer appropriate, but in Davos' mind, he couldn't call her otherwise, nor call her by her true title. "Princess, I'm afraid we won't have any time for lessons today. In fact, I wish I never learnt to read today."

If he hadn't learned to read, he wouldn't have read these words. He could have lived a little while longer ignoring the truth, just like Shireen. As a result, not knowing the deeper meaning of his words, she only scolded him.

"It's not by complaining that you'll get any better. You should have learned when you were younger, anyway. It's so easy when we're young to learn to read."

Davos never had the chance to learn reading and writing in his childhood, not in a house that collected all the shit from the upper streets of King's Landing.

"Princess, please. I have something to tell you. Please sit."

She did as he told her. In the meantime, he approached a chair and put a hand on the chairback, giving him some support to keep himself on his feet while he tried to find the force to tell the truth.

"Are you hurt?" the princess asked.

Now she was worried about him.

"No, princess. Not physically, at least." He rubbed his eyes. And then he let a sob, and another escape.

"Are you sad?"

Davos tried to regain his composure. He wasn't the one who should be crying, and yet tears began to fall. He held them the best he could, but it was obvious Shireen noticed them.

"Yes, I am. I am very much."

"What happened?"

He hesitated once again. Taking all the courage he could muster, he looked at her. And then he couldn't do it again. "Something terrible happened, princess."

He opened his lips several times, but no word could come out. All he could was look at her, despairing. This little girl was looking at him in return, and time went on, her eyes grew more worried. And in the end, she spoke in his stead.

"Is Father dead?"

Her voice was so pure, so innocent, so weak, so low, so fragile when she asked. And it broke Davos. He looked to the ground, fighting to keep his tears.

"Father…"

She said the word even lower. And then stupidly, without looking, Davos got on his feet, then knelt.

"My queen."

He said it too in such a low tone that he wasn't sure she would hear him, and he didn't even really want her to hear him. She was only a child, too young to be called this way.

The next thing he knew was that she ran to him and buried her face into his clothes, crying just like he was. Strangely enough, Davos felt better, hugging her against his shoulder, listening to her sobs. It was fine that she cried. She was a child who just lost her father. She should cry. And yet, she was his queen now. Were queens supposed to cry? He had never seen Queen Selyse cry. Anyway, he let her cry like the little girl she was.

That was yesterday. Today, the small council was assembled, and none dared to speak. Stannis' absence had never been felt like this before. However, there was one member of the small council missing : the Red Woman. Melisandre would not leave her chambers since she learned about Stannis' death. She seemed as surprised as all of them had been when they learned the truth.

"We…" Davos began. "Lord Alester Florent has gathered a large part of the survivors. They're now heading to Harrenhal. Another group is heading to the east. Hopefully to Saltpans. If we send ships there, and if they reach it, we could save hundreds, thousands of men…"

"For what? So they may die here, in King's Landing?"

Ser Foote had almost exploded. The man was exhausted. They had been enduring a siege for too long, and their numbers were too few. The forces of the Reach and the Westerlands surrounded King's Landing and starved a population that was already eating the bones of their dogs to survive. What few men Stannis left behind and the few they recruited in the meantime were barely enough to defend the city. Fortifications could not be fully repaired, and weak points had to be reinforced, leaving them with almost no force in reserve. As if it could get worse, lords and landed knights from the Crownlands who had sword allegiance to Stannis turned on him the moment he was gone when the Tyrells and the Lannisters came to besiege the city.

"We cannot let them die. After… what happened at Riverrun…" Davos didn't dare to say directly that Stannis was dead. It still seemed so unreal. "We still need men to fight this war. Stannis might be dead, but this war is not over. He would want us to fight for his daughter, for her rightful place on the Iron Throne."

Davos put as much emphasis as he could on those words. He had to convince those men that Shireen was worth fighting for. If he couldn't convince them, then he wouldn't be able to convince anyone.

The frail voice of the old Grand Maester was heard, interrupted at first by a cough. "I beg your pardon, Ser Davos, but since the Great Council of 101 After the Conquest, it has been considered that the Iron Throne could not pass to a woman, no matter her relation to the previous king. I'm afraid… I'm afraid Princess Shireen has no right on the Iron Throne."

"Fuck the Council!" Ser Axell's outburst made everyone jumped in the chambers. "Are we to leave a reunion of heretic nobles that took place two centuries ago decide what we should and should not do? I say we defend our king's legacy. And don't begin to tell me this bastard at Casterly Rock is the rightful heir. If you do, then you're either a fool or a traitor, and we have no need of neither of them."

"I agree with Ser Axell that this is out of question that we recognize Tommen as a king. He shares no blood with Stannis. He is the result of an incest. That's not what the king would have wanted us to do," Davos said on a calmer tone.

"Then what would the king wants us to do? Keep fighting for a city in ruins?" Ser Foote spat. "For now, very few people know it, but the moment we tell them the king is dead, my men will drop their swords and allow our enemies to enter the city."

David knew the knight was right. They had been under for siege for weeks now. Stannis had barely left the capital that the Lannisters, and then the Tyrells had marched on the city they abandoned not long ago. The supply problems of the city, already a disaster, had turned into a nightmare. Riots were now common, as were fires. Sparrows and other troublemakers kept calling for the population to revolt. The City Watch had its hands full. In the meantime, outside the walls, a full army of Lannisters and Tyrells surrounded the city, closed all roads, stopped all wagons. The supplies they received from the islands of the Narrow Sea were limited, and Essos barely provided anything, and at great cost. The people were hungry, and angry. And the worst was Davos understood them. Stannis was a harsh, but just man. However, right now, the people only saw how harsh he was. How could they understand their sufferings were justified by the right of Stannis to rule over their country when their stomachs were empty, when their children died of disease or just because they couldn't eat? And Davos' situation, where he had to defend his king's legacy, only made it worse while he had to witness the people he once belonged to perish.

"We will announce the truth when the time is right, Ser Foote," Davos promised.

"And when will that be? I'm not stupid, my lords. I know you're trying to hide it as long as you can, but if Lord Alester was able to inform us, it may only be a matter of hours now before the news reach my men on the battlements. And when this happens, they will drop their swords, and the people of the city will revolt for good, led by these Sparrows and the High Sparrow who command them," the Commander of the City Watch said, desperate.

"There are many who follow R'hllor here. Whatever these Sparrows have in stock for us, they will be dealt with swiftly," Ser Axell declared. "Don't expect them to last very long."

"This is getting us nowhere, good sers," Davos said. "Look, we still need some time. Ser Foote, wait before you announce the death of our king to your men. We will have to move carefully if we are to avoid an insurrection, and to prevent riots from overpowering our forces. For now, remind your men that if the Lannisters come in, the same will happen as when they sacked this city twenty years ago. Remind them these are the same men outside our doors. They don't want them inside the walls of their city."

The small council meeting ended pretty soon afterwards. Davos followed Ser Axell on his way out, while the old Grand Maester struggled to advance behind.

"Ser Axell, look, we had our disagreements, but I never doubted that you were loyal to the king."

"Coming from you, this sounds like a compliment, Onion Knight."

"The truth is… we cannot trust anyone here. It's useless to be delusional. The moment they learn that Stannis is dead, they will turn on us. We'll lose the city. That's why Queen Shireen must immediately…"

"Queen Shireen?" He turned to Davos, a surprised and angry expression on his face at the same time. "What? You think a child with greyscale can be a queen?"

"She is Stannis' daughter. As such…"

"Shireen is no queen. Queen Selyse is. And she already ordered me to deal with those Sparrows, once and for all."

"Wait. What are you gonna do?"

"Whatever is necessary. I'll bring as many men as I can and I'll deal with those Sparrows and their High Sparrow once and for all." Davos' eyes went wide.

"Wait. You cannot unman the battlements too much. If there aren't enough men on the walls…"

"Our enemies dare not attack us. They're afraid to fight us. They just sit outside, thinking we'll leave us to die. And I understand military matters much better than you do, Onion Knight. We're going to end this with the Sparrows once and for all, and then I'll take care of the army we have outside our walls. The people will rally to us once we get rid of those beggars. And they will rally to Queen Selyse."

"Ser Axell, as Hand of the King, I cannot…"

"You're no longer Hand of the King. The king is dead. We have a queen now. And she named me her Hand. This small council was the last one you presided, and the last one you attended to. The queen will decide what will happen to you, once she's had time to examine your failures."

And with that, the arrogant knight left Davos behind. Davos ran everything that just happened in his mind. This was pure madness. Queen Selyse had absolutely no right to the Iron Throne. She wasn't of royal blood. At best, she could be Queen Regent while Shireen grew up, but the orders she just gave... If their men attacked the Sparrows, Davos knew of only two ways this could end. Sparrows were scattered, hidden. They never took part to riots, at least not in appearance. They only started them with public speeches, but never threw the first rock. In the first scenario, the best, their soldiers would lose their time and their way chasing the Sparrows through the streets of the city for days, weeks, even months. In the second scenario, the worst, riots would start again once the people knew the soldiers were looking for the fanatics, and their men would be butchered by the crowd. Maybe the result would be somewhere between the two. No matter what they did, the people would rebel once they learned that Stannis was dead.

Davos had no time to lose. He rushed to prepare everything. By nightfall, they were ready.

He walked into the chambers of Shireeen when the sun was long gone. The poor child was laying on her bed, face to the covers. Davos slowly approached, then shook her shoulder. She turned to look at him, her eyes swollen and reddened by the tears.

"I don't want to read tonight," she said weakly.

"I did not come to read, princess. But you must follow me, quickly." He removed the sheets that covered her little body, and dressed her with plain clothes.

"What's going on?" she asked, confused, as Davos led her to the door.

"I'm doing what your father would have wanted me to do."

"What's going on?"

She broke the hold he had on her. Sighing, Davos knelt, and took her little hands into his. "Listen to me. You used to tell me about all the history of the Seven Kingdoms. Do you remember the Dance of Dragons, when the city fell into chaos, a squire was crowned king and a shepherd led people to slaughter dragons?"

"Yes."

"Well, something similar might be preparing. And I cannot let you stay here when it happens."

"We're leaving?"

"Yes."

"What about Mother? And all the others?"

Davos hesitated before he answered. "Your mother will be fine. She has many men to protect her. For now, the priority is protecting you. You're my king's daughter. Come now. And stay silent."

He didn't allow her to answer, grabbed her arm and brought her with him. Davos had a ship waiting for them at the harbor, under the watch of his son. A few men loyal to him and the memory of the king, men he trusted, or who mistrusted Selyse more than they mistrusted him, were waiting for them at the portcullis. Davos knew the city very well. He knew the paths to take in order to avoid bad surprises, and his friends were not dressed in any way that could attract the attention. Even Shireen would not bring eyes on her in the dark, not clothed like she was.

Davos didn't have the chance to get acquainted with the Red Keep as much, however. His job as Hand didn't leave him a lot of time to explore the castle. More than once, he avoided being sighted by an inch. They were finally in the last corridor leading to the outside when the voice he dreaded the most called him behind.

"Hey, Onion Knight!"

Davos looked before him, on his right and on his left. There was no way out. He heard several footsteps coming from behind. There was more than a single pair of boots. When he turned, he saw the new Hand of the Queen with half a dozen men. Davos didn't recognize all of them, but those he did were clearly the queen's men, fanatics who embraced the foreign religion.

"What are you doing here at this hour, and with the princess?"

Davos positioned himself between Shireen and the queen's men. "I'm afraid it doesn't concern you."

"Oh, I think it does," the knight said, a dark shade in his eyes. "Because it's obvious you're trying to kidnap her. What else to expect from a pirate?"

How many times would he have to explain he was no pirate, but a smuggler. He brought his left hand to his sword.

"Princess…" he began, but he never finished.

"Ser Axell!"

The soft and high voice of the Red Woman resonated from the other side of the corridor, behind Ser Axell and his men. Their demeanor changed immediately at the sight of the red robes.

"Lady Melisandre. We have just surprised the Onion Knight…"

"I know. You just surprised him as he was trying to save the blood and flesh of your king."

Davos tightened the grip around the handle, ready to draw his sword at the first opportunity. If Melisandre was there, then who knew what could happen next.

"Saving her, my lady?" Ser Axell asked, sounding confused. "He's trying to kidnap her. To take her away from the queen…"

"… under her orders."

Davos was taken aback by those last words. The Red Woman had kept advancing on the guards until she was where they stood. They stepped away and let her pass among them, until she stood before Davos, staring straight in his eyes.

"You could have given me a few moments, Ser Davos. I didn't have time to warn them."

Davos wasn't sure of what to do, and he wasn't sure either of what this woman was talking about.

"My lady, this man is a traitor. A heretic," Axell Florent said behind her back. She turned to face him.

"He served Stannis, the Lord's Chosen One, and now he keeps serving him, protecting the blood of your king."

"But he tried…"

"The Lord of Light has spoken. The blood of the one true king must leave this city, so that a savior may emerge from fire, be born amidst salt and smoke." The knight hesitated. He didn't move, nor any of his men.

"We must listen to the words of our Lord, Ser Axell, and follow his will, as our queen does," she said sweetly.

"Yes, my lady." He finally lowered his sword and sheathed it. Slowly, he turned away.

"Follow me, men."

Their frames slowly got smaller until they disappeared when turning a corner, not without shooting a last look at the unusual group of three people they left behind. The Red Woman turned to look at Davos, her expression even, though a little severe. He didn't remove the hand from his sword.

"Why have you done this?" he asked.

"Because Queen Selyse truly ordered her daughter to leave the city, and under your care. If you had waited a little more time, your clumsy attempt to escape would never have needed to take place."

Davos had never been more confused in his life. "Why? Why help us?"

"For the reasons I already spoke. King's blood runs through the veins of Princess Shireen. She must live. Her father might not have been the Prince Who Was Promised, but if any of my visions were true, then you still have a part to play in the war to come, Ser Davos. Now go, while you still can."

She turned on her heels and walked away from him, going back deep into the castle Davos was eager to leave. However, he didn't remove his eyes from the red frame until a small voice called him from behind.

"Ser Onion Knight." Davos looked at the little girl behind him. It was as if Shireen had not been there the whole time of the altercation. All this seemed so unreal. "We should go."

Davos nodded. He looked a last time behind him, only to see the corridor was now empty, then stared back at Shireen.

"Follow me, your Grace."

They progressed to the portcullis where his men waited him as planned. They reached the ship not long after a trip through the streets of King's Landing, and they set sail for a place where the Lannisters could not reach them. At least, where they could not reach them yet.

Melisandre's character is really one who fascinates me, especially after Stannis actually died in canon, at the end of Season 5. GRRM may not be a religious person, but I think he offers us a unique perspective on religion and the people who follow one, getting deep into religious characters, even fanatics, and showing they're not that different and are just grey people like all the others. When I think about it, it's even particular that an ascetic author (but also the showrunners) made fanatic religious like Melisandre, Thoros and even the High Sparrow more likeable than ascetic characters like Petyr Baelish and Ramsay Bolton.

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Next chapter : Jon