Editing Stannis Baratheon (section)

===''A Storm of Swords''===
While Stannis is away, Melisandre and Queen [[Selyse Florent|Selyse]] burn Lord [[Guncer Sunglass]] and Ser [[Hubard Rambton]]'s sons.{{ref|ACOK|10}} Defeated on the [[Blackwater]], Stannis returns to Dragonstone on the [[Lys]]ene ships of [[Salladhor Saan]]{{Ref|ASOS|4}} with the few men that remain to him, most of them [[queen's men]] from [[House Florent]].{{Ref|ASOS|10}} Stannis names Lord [[Alester Florent]] as his [[Hand of the King]], but refuses to see anyone but Melisandre, brooding in the [[Stone Drum]] instead. He does not eat, and tales are told claiming that Stannis and Melisandre go down into the [[Dragonmont]] to watch the fires inside.{{Ref|ASOS|10}}

After Ser [[Davos Seaworth]] is arrested for his plan to kill Melisandre,{{Ref|ASOS|10}} Melisandre visits him in the dungeon. The [[shadowbinder]] informs the Onion Knight that she dare not make another [[Shadow assassin|shadow]] with Stannis as his "fires burn so low" that doing so might kill him.{{Ref|ASOS|25}} Lord Florent, losing faith in Stannis's chances for success, prepares to offer peace to Lord [[Tywin Lannister]], now King [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey's]] Hand. In exchange for giving up his claim to the Iron Throne and retracting all he said regarding the [[bastardy]] of [[Cersei Lannister]]'s children, Stannis would be accepted back into the [[king's peace]] and allowed to rule as [[Lord of Dragonstone]] and [[Lord of Storm's End]]. Alester wishes to seal the bargain by offering Princess [[Shireen Baratheon]] in marriage to Prince [[Tommen Baratheon]]. However, before Alester can give the letter to Sallador and have it secretly delivered to King's Landing, Lord Florent is arrested for treason and imprisoned with Davos in the dungeon.{{Ref|ASOS|25}}

[[File:Davos Kneeling King Stannis.jpg|thumb|350px|Ser [[Davos Seaworth]] kneeling before Stannis, by Amok © Fantasy Flight Games]]

Melisandre asks Stannis to relinquish [[Edric Storm]], the [[bastard]] son of the late King [[Robert I Baratheon]], over to her, claiming that king's blood will allow her to wake a stone [[dragon]]. Stannis refuses, however.{{ref|ASOS|25}}{{ref|ASOS|36}} The priestess believes that Stannis is [[the prince that was promised]].{{ref|ASOS|36}}

Stannis has Davos released from the dungeon and brought before him. While escorting Davos to Stannis in the [[Chamber of the Painted Table]], Ser [[Axell Florent]] tries to make Davos tell Stannis that Axell should be named the King's Hand to succeed his elder brother, Lord Alester. When Davos sees Stannis, the king appears ten years older, shrunken and beginning to be grey-haired. Stannis agrees with Davos that Axell's plan to attack [[Claw Isle]] should be rejected, and he names Davos as [[Lord of the Rainwood]], [[Admiral of the Narrow Sea]], and his new Hand of the King. Stannis reveals that he has seen [[Fist of the First Men|a high hill in a forest]], where [[Night's Watch|men in black]] had made a ring of torches, and where [[wights|shapes]] were [[Fight at the Fist|moving through the snow]]. Melisandre again asks for Edric, but Stannis refuses, ordering her to use leeches which had been feeding on the boy instead. Stannis throws three leeches into a fire one by one, stating the names of the other three surviving kings ([[Joffrey Baratheon]], [[Balon Greyjoy]], and [[Robb Stark]]) of the [[War of the Five Kings]].{{Ref|ASOS|36}}

Balon falls to his death at [[Pyke]]{{ref|ASOS|45}} and Robb is killed in the [[Red Wedding]],{{ref|ASOS|51}} leading to a discussion among Stannis's counselors whether Edric should be sacrificed to wake a dragon from stone, as Melisandre claims will happen. Davos attempts to convince Stannis not to sacrifice Edric once they are alone, but Stannis admits that, should Joffrey die as well, he is willing to consider doing it.{{ref|ASOS|54}}

Upon hearing the news of Joffrey's death at his [[Purple Wedding|royal wedding]], Stannis is willing to sacrifice Edric, though he still does not like the idea.{{Ref|ASOS|63}} Several knights and lordlings have greater loyalty to Stannis and the Faith than to Melisandre and R'hllor.{{Ref|ASOS|54}} These [[king's men]] are willing to help Davos smuggle Edric to safety from Dragonstone under the care of Ser [[Andrew Estermont]].{{Ref|ASOS|63}} Stannis is furious, but Davos urges Stannis to sail for the [[Wall]], claiming that "a king protects his people, or he is no king at all", and the Onion Lord presents his king with Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]]'s letter asking for aid for the [[Night's Watch]], of which Stannis had been unaware.{{Ref|ASOS|63}}

[[File:Donato Giancola Stannis Baratheon.jpg|thumb|350px|Stannis in the [[battle beneath the Wall]], by Donato Giancola ©]]

Melisandre sacrifices Lord Florent to R'hllor to gain favorable winds for the journey north,{{ref|ADWD|9}} and Stannis sails on Sallador's ships from Dragonstone to the Wall. He leaves Selyse and Shireen at [[Eastwatch-by-the-Sea]] while marching west with all his forces.{{Ref|ASOS|75}} Guided by [[Cotter Pyke]] and his men from Eastwatch,{{ref|ASOS|75}} Stannis's army arrives in time to defeat the [[free folk|wildling]] host gathered by [[Mance Rayder]], [[King-Beyond-the-Wall]], during the [[battle beneath the Wall]].{{Ref|ASOS|73}}

Stannis occupies the [[King's Tower]] at [[Castle Black]].{{Ref|ASOS|75}} Though he plans to burn Mance, once a deserter from the Night's Watch, for treason, he is willing to allow the other free folk through the Wall if they swear to R'hllor, settling them in the [[Gift]]. He has [[Jon Snow]], the bastard son of the late Lord [[Eddard Stark]] and the half brother of Robb Stark, brought to him, and the king offers to legitimize the youth and name him [[Lord of Winterfell]] in exchange for Jon's help in winning the [[north]] to his side. Stannis allows Jon time to think about the offer, which Jon is reluctant to accept because it would require the burning of the [[godswood of Winterfell]].{{Ref|ASOS|76}}

As Stannis needs to negotiate with the [[Lord Commander of the Night's Watch]], he is displeased that after ten days of voting, the black brothers still have not yet chosen a new commander to succeed the late [[Jeor Mormont]], and calls several of the higher ranking men to him to inform them that he will choose a Lord Commander for them, if they do not come to a decision that same day.{{Ref|ASOS|78}} Stannis informs Maester Aemon and [[Samwell Tarly]] that he has sent word to his castellan, Ser [[Rolland Storm]], to begin mining [[dragonglass]] at Dragonstone to fight the [[Others]], and he confirms that he is aware of Aemon's [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] ancestry. Aemon requests to see Lightbringer, and Stannis grants the request.{{Ref|ASOS|78}} Thanks to Samwell's involvement,{{Ref|ASOS|78}} Jon Snow is elected as Lord Commander,{{Ref|ASOS|79}} preventing him from accepting Stannis's offer.