The 30 most heartwarming moments on Game of Thrones

15. Stannis shows Shireen some fatherly affection (“Sons of the Harpy”)

KATIE: In her short run on the show, Shireen Baratheon gives the audience the impression that she’s not particularly well-treated. When she’s not being neglected, she’s being scolded by her mother for her lack of faith in the Lord of Light, and her father is a cold, unsentimental sort of man not given to displays of affection. That’s why this scene, where Stannis gives her some validation, is so pleasant.

It’s heartbreaking to see Shireen—one of the few wholly good-natured characters on Game of Thrones—express self-doubt in this scene, asking her father if he’s ashamed of her. However self-sufficient she is, she needs love and support. When Stannis recalls how Shireen was overtaken by greyscale, it’s made clear that he’s not ashamed of her, but of himself for his inability to keep her safe. He may keep her hidden away now, but his tale suggests that he does so in an attempt to keep her from further harm.

Of course, it turns out that Stannis’ devotion to duty eventually overrides his love for his family. But for the time being, he expresses pride in and adulation of Shireen. “You are the Princess Shireen of House Baratheon,” he tells her. “And you are my daughter.” Stannis does not deny Shireen the position she was born into, or a place in his heart. In this moment, Shireen is offered the happiness and sense of purpose that she deserves, and is granted the unconditional love she so craves.