[Aegon the Unworthy]

My prediction on Stannis is as follows....Ive uttered this before but theres new people around now....

1) He recently moved his command into the Nightfort, thats the equivalent of hanging out a sign "Demonic Possession Desired--Inquire Within".....

2) Melissandre claims he is Azor Ahai reborn. To that end she has practiced "blood" magic and given him a flaming sword that doesnt actually flame. Lady M lies, she is a wierd kind of evil. She is the evil that comes when someone is militantly religious and devout. She is attempting to bring forth whatever nameless entity that leads the others so she can destroy it. She believes Stannis is the instrument that will help her.

3) Stannis had the most appropriate response to the Wildlings coming. Instead of looking for loyalty from the North in return for aid (ala Tywin and his let them overrun the wall policy, then the northman will have to deal with them). You defend the kingdom so you can rule it, you dont rule the kingdom so you can defend it.

4) Stannis is going to be possessed and killed by Jon. In the end it will be his brittleness and sense of honor that doom him and his possessor, so in a sense it will be Stannis who defeats the other, not Jon and not Melisandre (whom he eats alive or something sufficiently gruesome)

There ya go, now you dont even have to read the next couple of books....