Selyse Baratheon

Selyse marries Lord Stannis Baratheon in 286 or 287 after the Conquest. Their wedding night is marred by scandal: Robert Baratheon, the groom's brother, beds Delena Florent, the bride's cousin, in the very bed made ready for the newlyweds. Delena is left with child and bears a son, Edric Storm.

Selyse believes that insult cursed her marriage, and that it is why she will never bear a son. Stannis, who never held much affection for his wife, seldom shares her bed; their union produces only one daughter, Shireen.

When Melisandre arrives at Dragonstone, Selyse becomes her most devoted champion and embraces the faith of R'hllor. Stannis sails for Storm's End and leaves the castle in the hands of his wife and her uncle, Ser Axell Florent.

After Renly Baratheon's death, Selyse's hold over her husband grows, and with it the standing of her whole house: Lord Alester Florent becomes Hand of the King, and her brother, Ser Imry Florent, takes command of the fleet. Defeat at the Battle of the Blackwater ruins those hopes.

After the defeat and the flight back to Dragonstone, Stannis shuts himself away and refuses to see anyone; Selyse, backed by her uncle Alester, holds the court together through his silence. Together with Melisandre, she presses her husband to allow the sacrifice of Edric Storm, convinced his blood would wake the castle's stone dragons.

Davos Seaworth acts first and sends the boy by ship to the Free Cities before that can happen. Later persuaded by Davos of who the true enemy is, Stannis marches to the Wall with Selyse and his army, where he defeats the forces of the Free Folk.

While Stannis marches his army toward Castle Black, Selyse stays behind at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, unhappy with Cotter Pyke's treatment of her. On learning that the Nightfort — already granted to her husband — is still uninhabitable, she travels to Castle Black with her daughter, the fool Patchface, her ladies, and a retinue of knights, and takes up the royal chambers in the King's Tower.

She arranges the marriage of Gerrick Kingsblood's three daughters to Ser Axell Florent and the knights Brus Buckler and Malegorn, convinced that Gerrick is the true King-Beyond-the-Wall through his descent from Raymun Redbeard. She also tries to marry Val to Ser Patrek of King's Mountain, but the offer is refused. Jon Snow observes that the flaming crown she wears is the only trace of warmth about her.