Chapitre 371: Chapter 372: Shireen
Storm's End, Audience Chamber
Ser Alekyne Florent sat nervously on a plush sofa, his fine linen tunic bearing the sigil of a fox surrounded by flowers. His expression betrayed his growing unease.
Beside him sat a petite girl clad in a plain gray servant's dress. Her face was partly concealed by a black veiled hat, revealing only a pair of curious blue eyes that roamed the opulent decor of the chamber.
The tea on the table before them had long gone cold, and the platter of cheese and pastries was empty, yet they had not been summoned to meet their host.
Time dragged on until the sound of approaching footsteps broke the silence. Ser Alekyne leapt to his feet, his hopes rekindled—only for a young maid to enter the room instead.
"When will His Grace see us?" Ser Alekyne asked, barely concealing his impatience.
"I'm afraid I don't know, Ser," the maid replied with a polite bow. She refreshed the tea, replaced the spent incense candle, and then departed as quietly as she had come.
Ser Alekyne sighed and began pacing the room, his boots clicking sharply against the polished hardwood floor.
"Uncle," the girl said hesitantly, her voice tinged with worry, "does Cousin… not want to see us?"
"He will," Ser Alekyne forced a smile. "He's likely occupied with other matters."
The girl said no more but lowered her head, her gaze clouded with unease.
Ser Alekyne, however, was far less confident than he pretended to be. Though the man now known as the Storm King was indeed his nephew by blood, their relationship had long been strained.
After all, loyalty had pulled them in opposite directions.
Following King Joffrey's death, House Florent had thrown their full support behind Stannis Baratheon. At first, they even sought to ally with Samwell, hoping to bring the Reach under Stannis's banner. But when Samwell seized control of the Reach's resources with the strength of the Horse forces, he turned on the Stormlands, angering Stannis and severing ties with the Florents.
Things only worsened after Samwell crushed the rebellion of the Reach's stag-loyal houses and granted Brightwater Keep, the ancestral seat of House Florent, to Dickon Tarly.
It was no secret that Alekyne's father, Alester Florent, had contemplated aligning with the Lannisters to reclaim their lands. However, Stannis's unwavering refusal to negotiate with the Lannisters had derailed that plan.
Now, Stannis planned to march north to aid the Wall—an act that, to Alekyne, seemed utterly senseless given their dire circumstances.
Realizing the Baratheon cause was doomed, Alekyne had decided to approach Samwell under the guise of a trade mission to Pentos, hoping to explore the possibility of reconciliation.
However, just before his departure, "The Onion Knight" Ser Davos Seaworth had found him and entrusted him with the girl now seated beside him.
The sound of footsteps came again. Ser Alekyne stopped pacing, turning to face the door.
This time, it was no servant.
"Uncle," Samwell greeted warmly as he entered the room. "Apologies for the delay—I just received the wonderful news that Daenerys is with child."
"Daenerys? The Targaryen princess?"
"Yes."
"Congratulations," Ser Alekyne said, though his emotions were mixed. He couldn't help but marvel at his nephew's meteoric rise. Just a few years ago, Samwell had been cast out by Randyll Tarly, widely expected to amount to nothing. Now, he was not only king of the Stormlands but also husband to the last Targaryen princess—a potential heir to the Iron Throne.
Taking his seat at the head of the chamber, Samwell's eyes fell on the veiled girl.
"And who might this be?"
"This is Shireen Baratheon," Ser Alekyne said, gesturing for the girl to remove her veil.
"Stannis's daughter?" Samwell asked, his brow furrowing.
"Yes, Your Grace." Shireen began to rise but hesitated under Samwell's scrutinizing gaze. Nervously, she adjusted her veil and greeted him formally.
She removed her hat and veil, revealing a sweet, delicate face marred by patches of gray, hardened skin covering her left cheek and neck.
Samwell recognized it immediately—the lingering scars of greyscale.
"Why has Stannis sent his daughter here? Does he wish for peace?"
Ser Alekyne's expression became awkward.
"Actually, I doubt Stannis even knows she's here…"
He proceeded to recount how the red priest Thoros had suggested sacrificing Shireen to R'hllor in hopes of awakening the dragons slumbering within the stone of Dragonstone. Horrified, Ser Davos had smuggled Shireen out and entrusted her to Ser Alekyne.
"Thoros truly suggested this?" Samwell asked, his fingers drumming thoughtfully on the armrest.
"Yes," Ser Alekyne replied. "That's what Ser Davos told me. He originally wanted me to take her to Pentos, but…"
"But you brought her here instead," Samwell said with a faintly amused smile.
"I thought she'd be safer with you," Ser Alekyne said hastily. "She's your cousin, after all."
Samwell turned to Shireen, softening his expression.
"Shireen, do you wish to stay here?"
The girl lowered her head, instinctively hiding the scarred side of her face.
"As long as you don't send me away…"
"And if your parents demand you return to them?"
Tears welled up in Shireen's blue eyes.
"My mother wants to burn me alive… She says I'm cursed, unclean, and that only holy fire can purify me. But… I don't want to die."
"What kind of mother would do such a thing to her own child?" Ser Alekyne muttered angrily.
"Understood," Samwell said, nodding decisively. "In that case, Shireen, you may stay here in Storm's End."
"Thank you, Your Grace!" Shireen's face lit up with a radiant smile, pure and innocent despite the scars.
Samwell summoned a maid to escort Shireen to a room where she could rest. Once the girl had left, he turned his attention back to Ser Alekyne.
"Now, Uncle," Samwell said, his tone growing serious, "tell me your true purpose for coming to Storm's End."
(End of Chapter)
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone