Game of Thrones season 7 fanfiction

MELISANDRE

The path wasn't decent at all. The grass was waist high and small pebbles and stones were scattered around. It was her choice to avoid the Kingsroad. A decision which she regretted.

The winds of winter blew fierce and strong making her want to give up. Yet Melisandre knew that she must go on.

Her black mare was wearing out every day. Its pace was getting slower and its body incredibly frail. No matter what, it wouldn't eat the grass. She herself hadn't eaten in many days and was just as strong as her horse. The only thing that kept her going was the fire inside her.

The rays of the morning's sun reflected on her ruby as she saddled her horse to a tree. Leaning against it, she closed her eyes. Where am I going? she thought. You are worthless, a voice inside her head said.

Melisandre opened her eyes for a second and then shut them again. No, she replied to the voice but her heart knew the truth. You failed your king, the voice said. Burned his only daughter thinking that the Lord of Light would favour you. And what was the result? Defeat and death.

I should have stayed with Godfred, she realized. I would have spent the rest of my days in peace. But no, the Lord of the Light told me to head west and I obeyed my false god. Godfred was always right. 'The only god present is the one that resides in your heart' he used to say. She stroked the ruby in her necklace. It felt warm on her fingers.

There was a sound. Horsebeats, she knew. They were coming closer every second. Swiftly, she unsaddled her horse. "Wait," a voice called. She turned around. Two men wearing grey armour were horsed.

"Who goes there," one of them spoke.

"A weary traveller," she replied. "Leave me be and I will let you live."

"She's tough," the other man snickered.

The first one got down from his horse. "Our king will decide what to make of her." He grabbed her hands and fastened a hempen rope around them.

"Now come!" he ordered her. Melisandre was too weak to fight back.

She could not say for how much time they travelled but it certainly wasn't a pleasurable experience. The horsed soldier dragged her through the rocky grasslands till her legs were sore.

A camp loomed just ahead of them. A gigantic tent was set up in the middle surrounded by many others. A few people laughed at her as they made their way into the big tent.

A bearded man sat on a featherbed surrounded by a handful of soldiers. He was polishing his longsword. His eyes glinted as he saw the Red Woman enter.

"Well," he said in a gruff voice. "A brief introduction won't hurt. I'll begin if you like." He put away the sword. "I am Euron Greyjoy, King of the Iron Islands and the Greyjoys. Of course, you must have seen the banners outside."

"I didn't care to look," she replied coldly.

"Is it?" the man laughed. "And you are..."

"Melisandre."

She saw Euron's jaw drop. "I know her! She is Stannis' Red Priestess!! Stannis won half of his wars because of her!!"

"Now that we have cleared it," Melisandre said icily. "Let me go."

Greyjoy snickered. "I've struck gold and I won't be giving it away that easily."

Melisandre sighed with frustration. "What do you seek?"

"They say you can see the future in the flames." Greyjoy pointed at the brazier closest to him. "Tell me what you see in those?"

She gazed into the flames.

"My niece and nephew," Euron said massaging his forehead. "They ran away before I could kill them. My nephew Theon has the best claim to the Saltstone chair. Help me find them and I'll keep you alive. Fail me and your blood will be dripping off my sword's end."

"The kraken is heading home," she replied after a while. "I'm positive of it."

Euron Greyjoy shook his head and raised his sword. Melisandre shut her eyes tightly and waited for the bite of the cold steel. But nothing happened. When she opened them, she saw him cutting the rope around her hands.

Melisandre flexed her wrists and turned her gaze to the flames again. She nearly jumped out of her skin.

She saw Godfred getting attacked. The vision faded away in a second but her heart was left pounding at full throttle.

"I will fight for you," she told Euron. "If you grant me a favour."

"Ironborn don't do favours," Greyjoy said scornfully. "But you are an exception."

She told him about the vision.