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Stannis had changed. Cressen wasn’t sure what to think. He supposed the siege was changing them all, but it seemed like Stannis had grown up between one day and another. Almost overnight, his plans had become sharper, harder, more practical.
Stannis had learned to hide his fear. Cressen had seen him get better at that over the years, but the siege had left him floundering. Not anymore it seemed. Any fear Stannis still felt, which he must, was hidden behind uncompromising seriousness. He regarded Cressen with far less affection than he once had. It was worrying.
It was true that they were managing better than they had been. Still starving, of course, but Stannis had a sharper eye for anything they could possibly use or take advantage of. Cressen supposed he shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, but it was strange. He couldn’t understand how and why Stannis had changed so much.