Game Of Thrones: George R.R. Martin Talks Stannis’ Arrival At The Wall

One the surprises of last night’s Season 4 finale of Game of Thrones was the resolution of the conflict between the Wildlings and the men of the Night’s Watch. Rather than having another battle like the one in Episode 9, Stannis Baratheon arrives on the scene with an army of mounted knights and quickly puts an end to the situation.

In a new video released by HBO, creator George R.R. Martin discusses Stannis’ march north, saying that it all began with that letter that Davos found and marks a change in tactics for Stannis Baratheon.

“The letter that Davos found is the letter that Maester Aemon sent out from the wall,” says Martin, “calling on all of the five kings who were then fighting to send help to the Wall because the cold winds are rising, the White Walkers are moving, the wights, the dead are coming back to life…Stannis has realized that he’s going about this all wrong, that he’s been trying to become king to save the realm when he should have been saving the realm to become king.”

You can see the full interview embedded below.