Editing Stannis Baratheon (section)

===''A Clash of Kings''===
[[File:Stannis Melisandre Lightbringer Dragonstone.jpg|350px|thumb|Stannis holding [[Lightbringer]] with [[Melisandre]] at [[Dragonstone]], by Amok ©]]

Stannis declares himself king on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]]. He sends Ser [[Davos Seaworth]] to gather support for him among the [[stormlords]], but none are willing to join him. His supporters from the [[narrow sea]] include Lords [[Ardrian Celtigar]], [[Monford Velaryon]], [[Duram Bar Emmon]], and [[Guncer Sunglass]].{{ref|ACOK|Appendix}} Stannis hires [[sellswords]] from [[Myr]] and [[Lys]],{{ref|ACOK|Prologue}} and he also has the support of the sellsails [[Salladhor Saan]], self-styled as the [[Prince of the Narrow Sea]], and [[Morosh the Myrman]].{{ref|ACOK|Appendix}} The older [[maester]] at Dragonstone, [[Cressen]], suggests to Stannis that he makes an alliance against the [[House Lannister|Lannisters]] with [[Robb Stark]], who has been declared [[King in the North]], but Stannis objects to ruling only half a kingdom. Cressen then proposes that Stannis sends [[Shireen Baratheon|Shireen]], his only child and heir, to the [[Eyrie]], to make an alliance with Lady [[Lysa Arryn]]. Stannis's wife, [[Selyse Florent]], objects, stating that Stannis should not have to beg for help, and Stannis sides with her.{{Ref|ACOK|Prologue}}

Selyse has converted to the faith of [[R'hllor]], the Lord of Light, giving [[Melisandre]], a [[red priest]]ess, a base of power on Dragonstone. Selyse tells Stannis that the [[red comet]] is a sign that Stannis's time has come, and that he must sail from Dragonstone now to conquer.{{Ref|ACOK|Prologue}} Selyse claims that [[Renly Baratheon]]'s men will join Stannis once Renly dies, and that Melisandre has seen Renly dead in her flames. Cressen is horrified by the thought of fratricide and objects, but Stannis dismisses him. Cressen attempts to poison Melisandre with the [[strangler]], but he does and she survives unscathed.{{Ref|ACOK|Prologue}} [[Pylos]] henceforth serves as Stannis's sole maester at Dragonstone.{{ref|ACOK|10}}

Though Stannis is not a follower of R'hllor,{{Ref|ACOK|Prologue}} he renounces the [[Faith of the Seven]] for the Lord of Light. [[Queen's men]] ruin the [[sept at Dragonstone]], and statues of the Seven are publicly burned before Dragonstone's gates. During this sacrifice, Melisandre proclaims that Stannis is [[Azor Ahai]] reborn, and has him pull a sword, [[Lightbringer]], out of the burning carving of [[Mother (the Seven)|the Mother]].{{Ref|ACOK|10}} In private, Sallador tells Davos that the sword is not the real Lightbringer. The pious Lord Sunglass renounces Stannis for having destroyed the sept, and he is imprisoned with the surviving sons of Ser [[Hubard Rambton]], who fought the queen's men in defense of the sept.{{Ref|ACOK|10}}

Stannis writes a letter announcing his claim to the [[Iron Throne]] and the [[bastardy]] of [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrecella]] and [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]], which he plans to send to the lords of the [[Seven Kingdoms]] by raven, and to the ports of [[Westeros]] and the [[Free Cities]] by ship.{{Ref|ACOK|10}} Davos tells Stannis that he has no proof of the [[incest]] between Queen [[Cersei Lannister]] and her brother, Ser [[Jaime Lannister]], but Stannis claims that Robert's [[bastard]] son [[Edric Storm]] is proof, though he does not have access to boy at [[Storm's End]]. Davos further informs Stannis that it would be unwise to declare for the Lord of Light, if he wishes to win over the followers of the Seven, but Stannis rejects the notion, as he believes Melisandre has power.{{Ref|ACOK|10}}

[[File:Joshua Cairós StannisMel.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Melisandre]] and Stannis at [[siege of Storm's End (299)|Storm's End]], by Joshua Cairós © Fantasy Flight Games]]

Having already declared for the throne, [[Renly Baratheon]], Stannis's younger brother, slowly marches with a huge host on the [[roseroad]] from [[Highgarden]] toward [[King's Landing]].{{Ref|ACOK|10}}{{Ref|ACOK|17}} King Robb Stark sends his mother [[Catelyn Stark|Catelyn]] south as an envoy. When Catelyn meets Renly at [[Bitterbridge]], Renly tells her he will have Stannis's support against King Joffrey. Catelyn reminds Renly that Stannis has a stronger claim as the elder brother, but Renly scoffs at the idea of the unpopular Stannis becoming king. As Renly and Catelyn converse, Renly is surprised when a rider brings words that Stannis has [[Siege of Storm's End (299)|besieged Storm's End]], which is held for Renly by Ser [[Cortnay Penrose]].{{Ref|ACOK|22}}

From Bitterbridge, Renly rushes to Storm's End with ten thousand{{Ref|ACOK|33}} of his host to meet Stannis, claiming that he has another hundred thousand on their way.{{Ref|ACOK|31}} Stannis and Renly parley, and Renly offers Stannis a chance to swear him his fealty, which Stannis angrily rejects. He calls Renly a traitor, as well as threatens [[Robb Stark]] to his mother, Lady [[Catelyn Stark]]. When it becomes clear that Renly, who does not care about Stannis's letter and is confident in his own strength, will not swear to him, Stannis leaves, promising a battle at dawn.{{Ref|ACOK|31}} 

Catelyn informs Renly about [[catspaw|the murder attempt]] on her son [[Bran Stark|Bran's]] life, which she blames on the Lannisters. Catelyn now believes that Bran saw Cersei and Jaime having sex. She asks leave to go to Stannis to tell him of her suspicions, suggesting that Stannis, Renly, and Robb all cast aside their crowns to call a [[Great Council]], but Renly refuses. As the would-be king prepares for battle, [[shadow child|a shadow]] kills him; Stannis's shadow, according to Catelyn.{{Ref|ACOK|33}} Most of the forces Renly had brought with him to Storm's End join Stannis, though Ser [[Loras Tyrell]], and Lords [[Randyll Tarly]] and [[Mathis Rowan]] do not.{{Ref|ACOK|36}}

Following Renly's death, Stannis is troubled by terrible nightmares, and only Melisandre, who now shares his pavilion, can soothe him to sleep.{{Ref|ACOK|42}} He confides in Davos that he sometimes dreams of Renly's death, but that he is innocent, as he had been in his bed when Renly was slain, and that his [[squire]], [[Devan Seaworth]], had been unable to wake him. Stannis is vexed by Renly having offered him [[Renly's peach|a peach]] during their parley.{{Ref|ACOK|42}}

Stannis has surrounded Storm's End by land and sea, and he promises that the garrison might go free unharmed is the castle is yielded up to him in a fortnight.{{Ref|ACOK|39}} The castellan, Cortnay Penrose, continues to refuse, however, even during the last parley a fortnight later, as yielding requires giving the boy Edric to Stannis. Cortnay challenges Stannis to single combat to decide the matter, but Stannis refuses. Melisandre tells Stannis that she has seen Cortnay's death [[nightfire|in her flames]]. Unwilling to leave Storm's End untaken out of fear that it will be viewed as a defeat, and determined to get a hold of Robert's bastard to prove the incest, Stannis orders Davos to land a small boat beneath the castle, unseen in the black of the night, without anyone else knowing about it, taking Melisandre with him.{{Ref|ACOK|42}} Davos rows Melisandre beneath Storm's End, where she gives birth to [[shadow assassin|a shadow]] which resembles Stannis and enters the castle.{{Ref|ACOK|42}} That same night, Cortnay falls off a tower of the castle to his death,{{Ref|ACOK|44}} and his lieutenant, Lord [[Elwood Meadows]], yields the castle to Stannis,{{ref|ACOK|45}} who subsequently burns the [[godswood at Storm's End]].{{Ref|ACOK|49}} It is said that Cortnay threw himself off the tower, and his guards could not find anyone else in the room, nor had they seen anyone else enter. However, Lord [[Varys]] believes Cortnay to have been killed with [[magic]].{{Ref|ACOK|44}}

[[File:Stannis Baratheon with Lightbrighter at Blackwater by WillHarrisArt.jpg|380px|thumb|Stannis at the [[Battle of the Blackwater]], by Will Harris ©]]

With Storm's End fallen, Stannis is free to march for King's Landing, which has been preparing for his arrival.{{Ref|ACOK|49}} Stannis's bannermen convince him that Melisandre should not join him on the campaign, as a battlefield is no place for a woman and she might get credit for his victory as a sorceress. Stannis sends Melisandre and Edric to Dragonstone, and he begins marching north from Storm's End toward the [[kingswood]] and the southern shore of the [[Blackwater Rush]]. Meanwhile, Ser [[Imry Florent]] leads Stannis's fleet north along [[Massey's Hook]] toward [[Blackwater Bay]].{{ref|ACOK|58}}

To prevent people in the city from joining Stannis, [[Tyrion Lannister]], the acting [[Hand of the King]], has the [[High Septon (Tyrion's)|High Septon]] spread the news that Stannis means to burn to [[Great Sept of Baelor]].{{Ref|ACOK|49}} Tyrion has his [[Vale mountain clans|Vale clansmen]] light fires to burn the grass which would be consumed by Stannis's [[horse]]s, while killing his scouts and raiding his baggage train. In response, Stannis's vanguard sets the kingswood afire, to smoke the clansmen out.{{Ref|ACOK|52}}

Stannis attacks King's Landing during the [[Battle of the Blackwater]], with most of Stannis's ships entering the harbor to land soldiers and face the smaller fleet of King Joffrey. The Lannisters light [[wildfire]] and raise a giant iron chain to prevent ships from sailing out of the harbor, and most ships in both fleets are destroyed. Stannis's soldiers use the destroyed ships as a bridge to reach the gates of the city, however, and they come close to victory. The forces of Lords [[Tywin Lannister]] and [[Mace Tyrell]] arrive unexpectedly, led by the "ghost" of Renly Baratheon (who is later revealed to have been Ser [[Garlan Tyrell]], dressed in Renly's armor),{{Ref|ACOK|62}} and Stannis's soldiers are overwhelmed or surrender. Ser [[Richard Horpe]] and Ser [[Justin Massey]] convince Stannis to retreat.<ref name="theon1">''[[The Winds of Winter]]'', [[Theon I (The Winds of Winter)|Theon I]]</ref>