After Melisandre burns Alester Florent as a sacrifice to R'hllor to ensure favorable winds, Stannis takes most of his remaining army and sails north to the Wall to relieve the Wildlings' threat on Castle Black. Stannis' sudden arrival at the Wall catches Mance Rayder, the King-Beyond-the-Wall, by surprise, and his cavalry routs the whole Wildling host with few casualties. Afterwards, he remains at Castle Black to negotiate settlement over the Wildling prisoners, and offers to legitimise Eddard Stark's bastard son Jon Snow as the new lord of Winterfell if Jon swears loyalty to him and joins the fight against House Bolton. Despite being tempted, Jon declines the offer as he has made an oath binding him to serve the Night's Watch, and does not want Winterfell's godswood to be burned by Melisandre. Later, Stannis pressures the Night's Watch to finish electing a new Lord Commander, and Jon is eventually elected through secret lobbying by Samwell Tarly.