Editing A Clash of Kings-Chapter 42 (section)

==Synopsis==
[[Davos Seaworth|Davos]] has recently returned to [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]]'s fleet after delivering the king's message throughout [[Seven Kingdoms|the realm]]. Stannis looks like he has aged years since Davos last saw him. Davos learns that Stannis has been having terrible nightmares, and that only Lady [[Melisandre]] can soothe him to sleep. She has been sharing his pavilion of late, and he wonders how she soothes him to sleep. 

Ser [[Cortnay Penrose]] arrives to parley with Stannis, and scorns the king and all his new-found allies who were so recently sworn to [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]]. He especially mocks Lord [[Alester Florent]], for not only changing sides, but changing gods from the [[Faith of the Seven]] to [[R'hllor]] as well. While many of Renly's followers joined Stannis, Cortnay mentions important nobles who did not, including Ser [[Loras Tyrell]]. 

Cortnay will not accept Stannis's demands, and will not surrender [[Storm's End]] nor the late King [[Robert I Baratheon]]'s bastard, [[Edric Storm]]. The castellan throws his gauntlet in Stannis's face, and proposes single combat to settle the issue. Stannis rejects him, stating he will take the castle by storm if he must, to which Cortnay responds, "Bring on your storm - and recall, if you do, the name of this castle."

Stannis dismisses all his men save Davos, seeking the former [[smuggler]]'s advice. Davos states his respect for Cortnay, who kept his faith, unlike all these new lords in Stannis’ army. Stannis dislikes them as much, but he needs their strength in order to win his throne. Stannis sent Ser [[Parmen Crane]] to [[Bitterbridge]] to gather the rest of Renly's army, but there has been no word since. He tells Davos that he grieves for his brother Renly, and dreams of a green pavilion and [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 33|the manner of Renly's death]], even though he was in bed at the time of Renly's demise. Stannis says, "…but I did love him, Davos. I know that now. I swear, I will go to my grave thinking of [[Renly's peach|my brother's peach]]."

[[File:Shadow baby birth.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[Melisandre]] gives birth to a [[shadow child|shadow]].<br>art by Anja]]
Davos advises him to strike for [[King's Landing]] at once, but Stannis will not leave Storm's End untaken in his rear, for men will consider him defeated there. Stannis then tells Davos that he must have the boy Edric Storm, as Melisandre has seen it in her flames; and she has also seen Cortnay's death, as she saw Renly's at [[Dragonstone]]. The king commands Davos to bring Melisandre by boat under the cover of darkness beneath Storm's End, as he did some fifteen years before. 

That night, Davos is sickened by what he must do for his king. He asks Melisandre if she is good or evil, and she responds, "Oh, good. I am a [[knight]] of sorts myself. A champion of light and life." Davos calls her a liar, for she means to kill a man this very night, as she killed Maester [[Cressen]] and Renly. The red woman responds that the maester poisoned himself, and that she had nothing to do with Renly's death. However, Melisandre later admits that Renly was unprotected, while the walls of Storm's End have [[spells]] woven into the stones, and that no shadow can pass from the outside. When Davos proclaims that a shadow is a thing of darkness, Melisandre rebuffs him, stating that shadows do not exist in the dark; they are servants of light and fire, provided by her god, R'hllor.

Davos rows Melisandre through a tunnel to a cavern beneath the walls of Storm's End. Melisandre disrobes when they reach a portcullis, and Davos watches in horror as the now pregnant woman gives birth to [[shadow child|a shadow]] which twists between the bars of the portcullis. Davos recognizes the shadow and the man who cast it.