Chapter 10 - Jon Snow - The King(?) Beyond the Wall is dead

Mance Rayder finally dies in this chapter.  He dies in one of the more horrific ways, too, as he is burned alive inside of a wooden cage.  Once again, this situation proves to me that Stannis is too unbending to be a good king.  Jon makes very valid points to him.  They need Mance Rayder.  He knows the area beyond the wall better than anyone and while he is a traitor, he is more valuable as a tool than as a dead man.  But, Stannis is too unwavering in his need to dish out justice.  I imagine Melisandre's desire to burn Mance as a king is also influencing him as well.

So, Mance dies as the flames engulf his cage.  Jon mercifully has his men put a few arrows into his chest to end his suffering.  Personally, I want to know more about Mance's actions as he is brought to his execution.  When he sees the cage, he freaks out and starts to beg and scream.  His words are: "No.  Mercy.  This is not right, I'm not the king, they-", but we never hear the end of that sentence.  What was he going to say?  Who is "they"?  Are these just the screams of a man panicking as his death approaches or was Mance not what he seemed?  Was someone controlling him perhaps?

Stannis then has the Wildlings choose to bend the knee to him or leave and return to the forest where they will most certainly die.  Stannis refuses to accept anything but a bent knee because he doesn't think that he needs the Wildling's love, just their swords.  I know that this is going to come back to bite him in the end.  Stannis is loved by no one and no one is going to care when it's time for Stannis to die.  I think that Stannis is going to meet his end at the hands of the Others.  He'll end up serving a noble purpose for the realm, but it will not be as it's king.  That's Dany's job.  I am still so interested in Melisandre's powers as Stannis reveals Lightbringer. The sword glows blazingly bright.  Where is this power coming from?

At the end, Jon continues his actions from the previous chapter as he "kills the boy" even more.  He sends his former friends to other parts of the Wall thereby removing the last remnants of his former life.  Things are going to keep getting harder for Jon, which is awful, because he's such a great character.  I think there are going to be more problems on the wall as the men think that he is being too friendly with Stannis.  But what is Jon to do?  He's stuck between Stannis and destruction.