When Shireen and...someone were discussing how she was cured, I think it was mentioned that "nobody knows" what worked on her (because they were trying so many things at once? Not sure) and that's why she's the only one who has ever been cured. I'm 85% sure I'm remembering that from the show and not the books, mostly because my memory of the books is getting hazy and I remember visuals.
I think you are both right about Stannis. He believes Melisandre is his path to the throne, and the throne is his destiny, so he will do whatever she says. But I agree that sacrificing Shireen is a watershed and now he might be more willing to do terrible things (or even break rules which really fucks with my understanding of who Stannis is but I would think "don't kill your daughter" would be as vital a rule for him as "don't steal" and "don't claim thrones your brother has more right to" so who knows what he's about anymore?!) even before Melisandre tells him he must.
Didn't Stannis already kill his brother?
Technically, his shadow killed Renly. It's unclear exactly how much Stannis knew about how that was going to happen -- my impression is that he had some idea, but chose to not ask about the details. And that was in the context of war -- Renly was challenging his claim to the throne.
Yeah, but that's my point, Renly was in the wrong in Stannis' mind. His getting killed was on a par with Davos losing his fingers. Just.
From another forum: "Stannis is so Lawful Neutral he shits Modrons".
Yeah, I'm not sure how much Stannis knew about what Melisandre was planning to do with the shadow baby they made. That said, I also think he'd definitely chalk Renly's death up to a casualty of war. I mean, had they met on the field of battle and Renly not surrendered to him, I don't doubt Stannis would've cut him down if he'd had the chance. That falls in line with who I thought he was. Killing Shireen, though. I mean, she's not an enemy combatant. She's not a criminal. She's not even an adult. She's a child and his daughter and he loved her (I never got the sense that he cared much for his brothers). That's cold, man.
Stannis was actively at war with his brother, wasn't he? Killing him seems par for the course.
Stannis was actively at war with his brother, wasn't he? Killing him seems par for the course.
Well, Stannis going by Stannis's rules would have killed him on the battlefield, not in his tent.
