Game Of Thrones Season 5 Shireen
"Game of Thrones" Season 5, episode 9, "The Dance of Dragons," featured a heartbreaking death. HBO

"Game of Thrones" Season 5, episode 9, "The Dance of Dragons" was an emotional roller coaster. Daenerys opened the fighting pits in Meereen, but the festivities were interrupted by the Sons of the Harpy. On the other side of Westeros, Stannis made the difficult decision of sacrificing his daughter, Shireen Baratheon, to the Lord of Light. Let's take a look at how these storylines have changed and what's next after "The Dance of Dragons."

The Sacrifice Of Shireen Baratheon

Stannis Baratheon and his quest for the Iron Throne was not looking too good after a fire destroyed much of his supplies and horses. Melisandre previously advised Stannis of providing a sacrifice to the Lord of Light; someone with a bit of king's blood running through their veins. He quickly understood what she was hinting at, but it seemed as if the only thing Stannis cared about -- beside the Iron Throne and grammar -- was Shireen.

In "A Song of Ice and Fire," Shireen is very much alive. Accompanied by an odd and possibly prophetic court jester named Patchface, Shireen is last seen at Castle Black in George R.R. Martin's "A Dance with Dragons." Stannis is marching toward Winterfell while seemingly planning to have Shireen serve as Queen of Westeros if he were to be defeated or killed in combat. There's still some confusion about Stannis' fate based on the Pink Letter and Theon/Reek's "The Winds of Winter" chapter sample. Melisandre remained at Castle Black, but was it always Martin's plan to sacrifice Shireen to R'hllor?

"Game of Thrones" creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss discussed the tragic scene in an "Inside the Episode" feature. "When George first told us about this, it was one of those moments where I remember looking at Dan and it was just like 'Gah, that's so horrible,' and so good in a story sense because it all comes together," Benioff said. He noted that the first time we see Stannis and Melisandre in "Game of Thrones" it was during a sacrifice to the Lord of Light. Benioff and Weiss also talked about Selyse's dedication to the Lord of Light and how the sacrifice of her daughter was too much to bear.

While Shireen's death was not well-received by fans, it was one that the series' creators said has been justified by the actions of Stannis and Melisandre. These are the same people who killed his brother, Renly Baratheon, in "Game of Thrones" Season 2. Weiss elaborated further in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, saying it was meant to be awful and opens up a larger discussion about morals and ethics. Liam Cunningham talked about the scene with Vulture and said his jaw was on the floor as he read the scripts of the last episodes of "Game of Thrones" Season 5.

The Return Of Drogon

Many "ASOIAF" fans figured they were going to see Daenerys riding Drogon by the end of "Game of Thrones" Season 5. It was a dramatic moment and created an intriguing wrinkle to her storyline. Daenerys' character was pretty stagnant in the novels as she thwarted attempts from the Sons of the Harpy and growing unrest in Yunkai, which eventually would lead to civil war. Weiss and Benioff sped through her storyline in one season and swapped Ser Barristan for Tyrion.

The scene in the fighting pit is a bit different from "ASOIAF." Drogon returned after hearing the screams and was possibly attracted by the blood being spilled during combat. The Sons of the Harpy also returned in "The Dance of Dragons" and served as a reminder to the looming threat around Daenerys and her reign as queen. Daenerys rode Drogon to safety and now it's up to Tyrion, Daario and Jorah to figure out what's next in the city.

Martin's "The Dance with Dragon" ends with Daenerys and Drogon landing in the Dothraki sea and later being discovered by Khal Jhaqo's khalasar. In Meereen, Ser Barristan and Greyworm are busy fighting a war with Yunkai and a plague within the city. It looks like "Game of Thrones" is setting up Tyrion to fill that role and give viewers a familiar face in Meereen while Daenerys is away.

Interestingly, "Game of Thrones" made the decision to kill Hizdahr zo Loraq. Daenerys' husband was believed to be behind a possible poisoning plot that nearly kills Strong Belwas. Hizdahr tries to rule Meereen in Daenerys' absence, but he is later imprisoned by Ser Barristan and Grey Worm. If his death on the show was informed by an understanding of his fate in the novels, it appears that Hizdahr could be innocent and a red herring.