A/N: It's short. I know. It's very late. I know. I'm a piece of shit. I know.

Stannis

"I am not the rightful King. I am not the rightful King. I am not the rightful King."

It is the only thought running throughout my mind.

Draedon needs me to support him, to support his claim to the throne. Renly can beg me if he wishes, but the stronghold of Storm's End will not kneel to him anymore. That stopped when Draedon brought Robert's wrath upon himself to give me back my rightful Lordship.

My singular thought is broken when her melodical voice reaches my ears.

"You are Azor Ahai reborn, the fire that burns against the dark. The flames have shown me a great number of things." She places her hand upon my shoulder and drags it across to the other side, caressing my neck as it passes. "You riding a white steed, Lightbringer ignited and raised high into the sky as you charge through the darkness, army following behind, while a gold crown sits on top of your head, is just one of the visions they have shown me."

Her foreign voice sounds like a fine melody to my ears. Her scent is as intoxicating as the finest of wines, married man or not, it is undeniable. Breathing her in, while listening to her voice, makes time seem to slow. Which is fine, as I am in no rush.

I shiver slightly as the feelings of her long fingers leave my body. She has been touching me more and more as the days have passed. Some touches are less subtle than others, even a few times in front of my wife. Those times have made me uneasy with her. Especially when we are alone.

Luckily, there is a knock on the council door stopping her from continuing her speech. I gratefully call for them to enter. Davos steps inside the room, thank the Gods for loyal Davos, always saving me from tense situations.

"Pardon me, m'lord, but me and the rest of your advisors were wondering if we were still having a war meeting."

"Of course we are, at midday." I reply, confused. Did they forget the time of meeting?

Davos returns his words with a confused expression.. "M'lord, it is past midday. The sun will begin to set in just a few hours."

No, it can not be. I rush to the window and open the heavy drape that covers it. The opening shows me the sun nearing the water, signifying the ending of the day is coming.

I look away from the window and towards the Red Woman. This is her fault. This is what she does to me. Days grow shorter when I am with her, the nights are filled with dreams of thrones and fire, all because of her. She must be stopped, she must go.

Her eyes meet mine. Her lips slowly upturn into a smile. The words die on my tongue.

I can not send her away.

I turn back to Davos, good, loyal Davos. "Send for the rest of he council, meeting starts now."

Davos looks to the Red Woman for a blink, and then bows his head and retreats from the room. Leaving me and the priestess alone together again.

If I don't look to her, perhaps the time will pass more quickly. I move to the head of the painted table, a gift from Draedon, I idly realise. He has given me much, shown me nothing but loyalty and respect, treated Shireen no different than he has any one else, has asked for little in return. Now he calls for his rightful support, and I have hesitated.

Every day I drift further away from sending him my men, and closer to declaring myself King. All because of her. I must cease his nonsense and send word to my nephew.

My arm feels fingers wrap around it, I look up and into the dark eyes of Melisandre. My mind goes blank, focusing on the warmth of her hand.

I hate it.

I love it.

"My Lord, you seem distressed." Her deep melodic voice fills my ears with soothing pleasure. "Trust in R'hllor. Look into the fire, and all will be revealed to you." She points to flames flickering.

Sighing, I turn to the brazier she has pointed to.

The glow being produced is enticing to stare at. I watch the flames dance among each other, never touching one another. I walk closer to it, the warmth caressing my body as I near. Sparks jump around at random times, ensuring that the fire does not die.

Looking to the burning wood, I try to find the path I should take. Looking through the flames, I see something. I cannot make it out though.

Closer I peer down into the brazier. I can not turn away, I am stuck, gazing at the flames that lick one another. My face has begun to heat up as I stay close to the fire. I figure it out. I see it.

It is a beautiful sight.

It is right.

"M'lord, are you ready?" Words break my view.

Turning, I see the council has assembled. I didn't not hear them come in.

Ser Davos is the one to have spoken it seems, the rest seem hesitant for some reason or another. I assume the reason is Melisandre, as she sits at the council table with a knowing smile on her face. Could she have seen what I saw?

I clear my throat, and my head, I respond. "Yes, hurry and take a seat. We have much to discuss."

More than they know.

Draedon

I do not know where I am.

Standing in a field of white. Woods to one side of me. Snow falling gently all around me. Strangely, I feel no sense of cold despite the weather. My feet easily maneuver through the surprisingly deep snow.

If I keep walking, surely I will come to something familiar. The snow never ceasing from falling from the darkened sky. No moonlight shines upon the ground on this night. Despite seeing woods to my left, no sounds can be heard. No animals, no wind, nothing. The air is beginning to feel heavy around me. This night feels strange.

It feels... wrong.

The snow is now up to my knee in height. Trudging through the thickening land is becoming a hassle, my legs have grown tired through the walk. Where am I?

I need to find my way to... somewhere. Somewhere I know. Where I am safe.

It is getting hard to breathe, the air is too thick for me. It is clogging my throat, refusing to go down. I swallow as best as I can, but it refuses to stay down. Immediately my body rejects the air and hacks it up, sending me into a coughing fit. My throat feels like I just drank wildfire. Just a burning sensation.

My lungs hurt from the coughing, my body aches. I have to leave.

My legs burn from exhaustion, I push them harder through the snow. I can not stop.

I can feel my ribs rub against each other, pain shoots through me. I have to find help.

It hurts to think. It hurts to breathe. It hurts to walk.

I can not stop. Keep walking.

Left foot.

Right foot.

Left foot.

Right foot.

Left foot.

What was that noise? Stopping to listen, it is coming from the trees.

Looking to the woods, I see nothing. Stopping a cough from breaking my lips, I need to hear it again. My legs shaking in unsteadiness, my head throbbing in pain, I stand unmoving. Silence all around me, even the falling flakes are silent as it lands upon the snow already on the ground.

Was there even a sound? Have I gone mad now?

I continue my trek through the field, the surrounding air is longer clear, as fog has begun to take its place. The darkness made it hard to see, but now I have no chance to see anything.

My legs and ribs punish me for not resting, for not helping in some way. I want to help, but I do not know how.

There it is again. The sound has me spinning to the woods, the snow refuses my feet balance. I go tumbling into the snow beneath me. The wind has begun to blow.

I stare at the woods, I know I heard it. I heard something.

There it is. It's a thumping sound. I can hear it clearly now. It is one thumping every few seconds, consistent. It is deep in the woods, but it sounds like it is getting closer. I try to stand, but fail. I can not stop the cough from wracking my body with shudders of pain. My ribs tighten, my throat closes, my eyes water. Hunched over in the snow, heaving heavy shallow breaths, attempting to right my breathing.

The thumping does not stop.

Wiping my eyes of the unshed tears with my hands, does nothing but burn. Staring through unclear vision, I realise why. This is not snow at all.

It is ash.

Kneeling in the now ash covered ground, wind whistling through the leaves of the half dead trees, vision blurred, something walks out of the woods.

Someone, rather.

A big someone.

A massive wooden shield in front of him. Helm covering his face, except his eyes. Eyes lit up like blue flames, unwavering as he stares ahead. Straight at me.

The thumping is him clashing his shield with his fist. He is standing at the edge of trees, staring my way. The thumping grows louder.

Looking down the line to the right sees someone else exit the trees. Fist smashing against their shield in unison with each other. My heart is hammering in my chest at the sight and sounds.

I look back to the original man, only to find him not alone anymore. Bodies on either side of him, clashing fists with shields. I need to leave.

More people emerge from the far left, the far right, as well. So many bodies, I can not even see the openings of the treeline anymore. The thumping continues, a deafening sound. My ears hurt from having to listen to it. The wind is stronger now, picking up speed, whipping ashes across my face. I need to leave.

I can not think, everything is too loud. My body hurts, as I try to move. The air is wrong. This place is wrong, I do not want to be here anymore. I need to leave.

The thumping ceases, all at once. The wind dies, the ashes stop falling. Everything just ends.

Sparing a glance up, none of the tree people have moved. I come up slowly to my feet, sudden movements might do something. I stare back at them, as I gently step backwards one time.

Twice.

No torches, how can they see?

Three steps back.

My legs burn.

Four.

My ribs hurt.

Five.

My throat is raw.

Six.

I don't want to die here.

Seven steps.

Seven steps, that is what it takes for the tree people to charge.

Full force, and more follow them out of the trees. No hesitation, I twist my body and run as quickly through the thick ash as I can. Legs shaking as I push hem harder than before. I need to make it to safety.

Is there safety?

They are moving faster than me, I can hear them getting closer. The sound of an army in unison as they rush through a field of ash, is all I can hear. I am sweating, this is the end for me.

I can not stop, have to keep going. Their footsteps echo in my head as I continue barreling through this land. Do not look back. Do not look back.

I see something ahead. There is a clearing. No ash covers the ground, can I make it to there?

Powering through the knee high ash, I know I can make it. I have to make it there. I have to.

It is right there, they can not catch me. I am going to make it. I hope this is safety, I am tired of moving.

The ashes hide a root, my foot can not miss it. Upon the ground, crawling like an animal towards he clearing. I do not reach it in time.

Hefted up off the ground, like a child's toy, I can't even struggle. I have no fight left in me. No fight is needed though, I am set on the ground, and left more confused than anything else that has happened this night. I look up and straight into the man with blue fire eyes.

His eyes pierce me like a sword, and yet, I can not look away. I have seen these eyes. I know these eyes.

"Father?" My raw throat croaks out.

I receive no word, but a shove. My legs weak from tonight, that come from underneath me. Flat on my back in the clearing, breath knocked my wrecked chest, only coughs come from me. I struggle to roll to my knees, pain wracks my body at the movement. I begin to choke on my hands and knees, throat tight.

"Brother." A quiet raspy voice says.

I do not want to look up, I do not want to see him. Despairingly, I look up to see my little brother. My dead little brother. I look into his eyes, and what a mistake that is. His usually green eyes, are now a pale cloudy grey. This isn't Joffrey.

His throat is missing, ripped out actually. Fresh blood running down his body. Clothes ruined with it. His golden curls, now dirty and matted with blood. I want to look away from him, to leave. But my body denies me. My legs refuse to move me away from here, my mouth will not open to let me apologize, all I can do is stare.

He inches closer to me."Protector." He gurgles out.

His sweet voice, now a mash of garbles and quietness, almost like it hurts him to speak.

"King." He says as he stalks closer.

It is only me and him inside the small clearing. Father and the tree people stand all around it, impossible to escape, but none dare to move in.

"Brother."

The tree people thump the shields.

"Protector." Closing the distance between us slowly.

Thump.

"King." I can touch him.

Thump.

"Brother." He is standing over me.

Thump.

"Protector." I am so sorry.

Thump.

"King." I failed you.

Thump.

"Brother." He grabs me by the shoulders.

Thump.

"Protector." Pulls me to a kneeling position and cradles my face.

Thump.

"Brother." Blood splatters my face as he roars this.

My eyes open in an instant. I listen to the sounds around me, wood creaking, waves splashing. I am on a ship, coming back from Dorne. I am the King of the Seven Kingdoms. I am a good brother and son.

The mantra repeats in my head. Listen to the sounds, where am I, who am I. I have to force myself to remember these things, as my mind is working against me sometimes.

I hate those dreams, they come too often now.

I sit up in my bed. Ruby is sitting by my bedside, staring at me. Breathing heavily, I pat her head, rubbing behind her ears.

Swinging my legs to the side of the bed, I lean closer to her. My forehead on hers, I breathe in once.

"Please, don't ever let me be alone." I say aloud.

I don't know if I am saying it to Ruby, myself, or to the Gods I do not believe in. I fear the answer.