During last Sunday's Game of Thrones episode "The Dance of Dragons," fans of the series watched in horror as Stannis allowed his daughter, Shireen, to be burned alive, hoping that the sacrifice of King's Blood would appease the Lord of Light and turn the tide in his favor. Now, granted, this show has never shied away from brutal scenarios (i.e. Ned Stark's beheading, The Red Wedding, etc.), but watching a father willingly sacrifice his own daughter for political gain was truly one of the most grotesque things I've yet to witness on the series thus far. (Which is really saying something.) This horrible crime cannot go unpunished, which is why I think it's only a matter of time until someone kills Melisandre on Game of Thrones .
Because let's not kid ourselves — Stannis may have carried out this unforgivable sentence, but she's the true puppet master behind this whole ordeal. For years, the Red Woman has been filling Stannis' mind about the Lord of Light's power, convincing him that sacrificing innocent lives is all in part of the greater good. It was she who truly lit the match (both literally and figuratively) for poor Shireen's demise. We know it. The characters know it. And I have a feeling vengeance is about to be paid. The only question that remains is… by whom? At this point, there are plenty of candidates who would like to see Melisandre dead, but here are the prime suspects who I believe could (and should) take her down. For the night is dark and full of terrors…
1. Ser Davos
There's no denying how much Davos cared for Shireen. In fact, he was more of a father figure to her than Stannis ever was, so can you imagine how furious he'll be when he inevitably learns of her gruesome fate. There's never been any love loss between Davos and Melisandre, but this unforgivable act could help give Davos the push he needs to not only sever his allegiance to Stannis, but give this high priestess the comeuppance she deserves.
2. Queen Selyse
She may have been a horrible mother 99.9 percent of the time, but after listening to her daughter's terrified screams during her final few moments, Selyse tried (in vain) to save Shireen's life. The love for her child turned out to be stronger than her precious religious beliefs — a fact that I think surprised even Selyse herself. Melisandre may have underestimated the power of a mother's love, which could very well lead to her undoing.
3. Stannis
As much as Stannis' beliefs mean to him, the guilt of his daughter's death may become more than he can bear. So much so that he could decide to exact vengeance on the little birdie that's been constantly whispering in his ear. Now that would be a twist that even Melisandre wouldn't see coming in the flames.
4. Gendry
We haven't heard from this handsome character since Ser Davos saved him from the Red Woman's grasp. Having him show up and kill her would be the perfect way to re-introduce him into the plot. Plus, this guy deserves the sweet taste of revenge after that whole unfortunate leech situation. Let's give the boy his due.
5. Sansa
For some reason I just love the idea of these two characters meeting. Maybe it's because they both have gorgeous red hair? I'm not entirely sure. But what I do know is that it's high time Sansa started calling the shots around Winterfell. And since Melisandre & Co. just so happen to be headed in that direction, now would be the perfect opportunity for Sansa to take charge of her homeland and punish this witch for her many crimes: red head vs. red head. (That is, right after she's done giving Ramsay a taste of his own medicine, of course.)
6. Jon Snow
Though there's a great deal of speculation regarding Jon's fate during the GoT Season 5 finale, I personally would love for him to make his way toward Winterfell and have Melisandre go up against Longclaw. (It's been known to take out White Walkers in a single swing, so I doubt there's anything she'll throw at it that the sword can't handle.) Jon Snow may not know much (or sometimes anything at all), but he is handy to have around in the face of danger. And given that the Red Woman just murdered an innocent young girl, I'd say she more than qualifies as a big bad villain.
7. Drogon
Not even the Lord of Light could save Melisandre from a fire-breathing dragon. I believe this is what they would call getting a taste of your own medicine. Sure, this scenario seems rather unlikely, but you can't help but appreciate the sense of karma this twist would provide. All those years she spent staring into the flames for answers and yet she never saw Drogon coming. It'd be pretty poetic and the perfect way to stop this heinous woman in her tracks before she hurts anyone else.
Images: Helen Sloan/HBO (6); HBO (2)
