Sansa has learned from Tyrion the fate of her brother and mother at the Red Wedding. She and her husband join many other guests at the Queen’s Ballroom to give Joffrey his wedding gifts. It is a new year, the 300th since Aegon's Conquest, and Joffrey’s wedding is that night. Tyrion presents his nephew with a copy of Grand Maester Kaeth’s Lives of Four Kings, one of only four copies in existence written by Kaeth himself. Kevan tells the King it is "A book every king should read." Joffrey is disappointed with the gift, and hacks the book in half with the Valyrian sword his grandfather had just given him. Joffrey remarks that he is no stranger to Valyrian steel, and also that Tyrion owes him another gift. Tyrion suggests a Valyrian dagger with a a dragonbone hilt, which seems to unsettle Joffrey for a moment before he says it is a good idea but wants one with a gold hilt instead.
Later, back in their rooms, Sansa tells Tyrion that she would rather not know how Robb and her mother had perished, and Tyrion promises that he will say no more.
by mustamirri ©
Sansa is invited to dinner by Margaery and her grandmother, the Lady Olenna. She is escorted to the party by Loras, and unknowingly upsets him by talking of Renly’s death. The party is held in the Maidenvault, where King Baelor the Blessed confined his sisters so they would not tempt him, as he had sworn a vow of celibacy. She is introduced to all of Margaery’s cousins and companions, but it is the Queen of Thorns who takes the most interest in Sansa.
Lady Olenna reveals that the Baratheons have Targaryen blood, and that the Tyrell claim to Highgarden has always been shaky since several other houses in the Reach can claim descent from Garth Greenhand as well. The old woman makes it known that her son is an oaf for making this alliance with the Lannisters, and she wishes to learn from Sansa the truth of what Joffrey is. Sansa fears that Varys is listening, but Lady Olenna commands Butterbumps to sing at the top of his voice. Sansa reveals the truth about Joffrey to the Queen of Thorns and Margaery, telling them that the King is a monster and that she fears for Margaery. Lady Olenna assures Sansa that the wedding will still go on, as Mace is determined that his daughter wed the King. The Queen of Thorns offers Sansa a proposal to visit Highgarden after the wedding, and wishes Sansa to marry her grandson Willas.
Tyrion puzzles out how his nephew must have found Littlefinger’s Valyrian dagger amongst Robert’s possessions, assuming that the king had probably forgotten he even owned it. Joffrey must then have paid some unsavory freerider to open Bran’s throat, though Tyrion still cannot figure out why, attributing it to Joffrey's innate cruelty for the moment. Tyrion is slightly drunk while Joffrey and Margaery are wed in the Great Sept of Baelor, and continues to drink until night falls and it is time for the great wedding feast. As they enter the ballroom, Olenna, the Queen of Thorns, comes over to tell Sansa how beautiful she looks, and the old lady straightens out the hairnet that Dontos gave her. Many at the wedding offer their condolences to Sansa on the loss of her mother and brother; watching his wife's courteous and friendly nature to the other guests, Tyrion muses she would have made Joffrey a great queen and wife if he'd had the sense to love her, something Tyrion believes his nephew incapable of.
During the feast, Joffrey calls for the royal jousters, and the party is entertained as two dwarfs battle each other. Joffrey then mocks his uncle, commanding Tyrion to fight the dwarfs as the king’s champion. Tyrion rebuffs him, but the King dumps a huge goblet of wine over Tyrion’s head. Joffrey commands Tyrion to serve him wine, and the hall erupts in laughter. Tyrion refills the goblet, and then the pigeon pie is brought out, and Joffrey calls for Ser Ilyn’s sword. Sansa is horrified to learn that the King’s Justice no longer holds her father’s greatsword, Ice.
Joffrey calls for more wine, Margaery at his side, and then begins to eat some of Tyrion’s pie. He commands Tyrion to serve him more wine, which Tyrion does. The King then begins to cough, unable to breathe as he claws at his throat. Lady Olenna and Margaery call out for help, but the Kingsguard are powerless to do anything. As Grand Maester Pycelle calls for his potions, Tyrion dumps the rest of the wine out on the floor, and Joffrey, now turning black, seems to either reach for--or point at--his uncle. Sansa has slipped off during the confusion, but when Cersei finally lets go of her son’s lifeless body, she commands the Kingsguard to arrest Tyrion for murdering the King.
Sansa has fled to the Godswood, and when she removes her hairnet, she notices that one of the black amethysts is missing. Dontos told her she must wear it for the wedding feast, but she now remembers that the amethysts are from Asshai, and that Dontos called the hairnet “magic”. Dontos then appears in the godswood, and Sansa accuses him of murdering the King by using one of the amethysts. Dontos denies it, telling her Tyrion has already been arrested for poisoning the King. She dresses under a heavy cloak, and Dontos leads her to a secret stairway down to the river. They are rowed out to a ship, and Sansa is shocked to find Littlefinger on board. When Dontos calls for his reward of ten thousand gold dragons, Littlefinger commands Lothor Brune to kill the drunk.
Littlefinger explains to her that the fool sold her for a promise of gold, and once he drank that up he would sell her whereabouts to the Queen for more gold. He reveals that it was he who wrote the note so long ago, asking her to go to the godswood. Littlefinger also planned for the dwarf jousters at the wedding, and Sansa asks him why he should wish Joffrey dead. Littlefinger responds, "I had no motive. Always keep your foes confused. Sometimes the best way to baffle them is to make moves that have no purpose…Remember that when you come to play the game of thrones." He claims he had her mother's maidenhood and tells her that she could have been his daughter, had he and Catelyn wed, and therefore he must look out for Sansa.
At an unnamed inn on the road to King's Landing, Jaime hears that the king is dead, his firstborn son, but he is more concerned about Cersei. Jaime and Brienne have already learned of Robb Stark’s demise, and found out that Lord Clement Piper rode to King’s Landing to bend the knee since his son Marq is held captive at the Twins. When they arrive at the Red Keep, Ser Loras confronts Brienne, accusing her of killing Renly. Jaime reminds the Knight of Flowers that he is his Lord Commander and orders him to sheathe his sword, but has Brienne arrested and taken to a tower cell.
Jaime finds Cersei in the castle sept, where Joffrey is lying in state, and shows her his stump. She asks him to kill Tyrion for murdering Joffrey. Despite Cersei’s words that Tyrion threatened her when she held Alayaya prisoner, Jaime tells her he wishes to learn more about what happened. He has sex with her on the Mother's altar, and afterwards Cersei calls it folly, saying that they must be more careful with their father in the castle. He responds that they should stop hiding their love and wed, even if Tommen would lose the Iron Throne, he would still be heir to Casterly Rock, but she sends him away in anger.
Jaime then visits his father, and Lord Tywin is furious when he learns that Vargo Hoat maimed his son. The Hand of the King reveals that the Bloody Mummers were routed at Harrenhal, and that Gregor Clegane will kill the Goat soon but is using him for amusement in the meantime. Tywin then speaks of his plans to bribe the High Septon to release Jaime of his vows to the Kingsguard, find a new husband for Cersei, and perhaps marry Jaime to Margaery. Jaime vehemently refuses to hear of it, stating that he is a knight of the Kingsguard, and that’s all he means to be. Lord Tywin turns from his son in disgust, saying, "You are not my son. You say you are Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Very well, ser. Go do your duty."
Davos and a few hand-picked men he knows to be loyal only to Stannis begin their mission in the dark of night. They find Edric Storm in Pylos' solar, and the maester tells the boy to listen to Davos, as he is the King's Hand. Davos and his men bring Edric in secrecy to a ship of Salladhor's, and Davos tells the boy that he must go with Ser Andrew Estermont on an adventure. With the boy safely away from Dragonstone, Davos goes to face Stannis. He tells the King that Joffrey is dead, and Melisandre states that Tommen will be named king. When she asks Stannis for the boy, the King warns her that she will pay with her life if she is wrong. Melisandre is sure that Stannis is the one prophesied 5,000 years ago, that the comet was his herald. But Davos reveals that Edric Storm is gone, and judges based on her reaction that Melisandre has not foreseen this in her flames. Davos tells Stannis that a king must protect his people or he is no king at all. When Stannis draws Lightbringer to behead Davos, the Onion Knight begins to read out the letter that Maester Pylos received from the Night's Watch.
The remaining members of the Night's Watch from Castle Black and several people from Mole's Town man the Wall as Mance’s army approaches. As the Watch repels attack after attack from their great vantage point, some of the wildlings have reach the gate. To his surprise, Jon is left in command as Donal Noye leaves to defend the gate. Jon orders fire arrows and oil casks dropped on the giants and mammoths, and the defenders once again repel the wildling attack. In the aftermath of the fighting, Jon goes down into the gate tunnel, to find Donal Noye dead alongside Mag Mar Tun Doh Weg. When Jon tells Maester Aemon the news, the ancient maester tells him that he must lead the Watch now.
The Battle beneath the Wall by Giliberti
Arya dreams that she is running with a pack of wolves every night, but by day she is still Sandor’s captive. The Hound hit her with the flat of his axe to keep her from entering the Twins. Sandor now intends to take her to the Eyrie and ransom her to Lady Lysa. That night, Arya dreams the wolf dream again, and she watches as the other wolves feast on corpses by the river. She follows a scent that leads her to her mother’s body, and pulls it from the river. Looking at the corpse, Arya’s wolf-self thinks "Rise. Rise and eat and run with us." Then, the pack notices men approaching and flees. Arya wakes up. At some point they encounter a survivor from the Red Wedding, a bowman in service to Ser Marq Piper. The man is injured, and they give him water, then Sandor gives him the gift of mercy. Later, she and Sandor take on work in a village in the foothill of the Mountains of the Moon, and learn that the Vale mountain clans have grown bolder and now carry steel. Realizing they will never reach the Eyrie, Clegane decides to head back to Riverrun and attempt to ransom Arya to the Blackfish. Arya tells the Hound that he has lost his belly for fighting since he ran from the Battle of the Blackwater, but he just laughs at her.
Tyrion Lannister is imprisoned in a tower cell of the Red Keep. His uncle Kevan tells him that Tywin, Mace Tyrell, and Oberyn Martell will stand in judgment of him. When Tyrion claims he may demand trial by combat, his uncle replies that Cersei will name Gregor Clegane as her champion. Tyrion sends for Bronn, but finds the former sellsword to be a changed man, soon to marry Lollys Stokeworth, and now being paid well by the Queen. The mercenary leaves Tyrion to fend for himself, unwilling to stand for the dwarf against the Mountain.
At the trial, Tyrion declares his innocence, and claims that Sansa was not responsible either. The witnesses that Cersei has brought forth are numerous, and since Tyrion has no witnesses of his own, their word is without refute. Pycelle notes that Tyrion stole poisons from his solar, and Taena Merryweather claims to have seen Tyrion drop something into the King’s wine.
That night, Kevan tells Tyrion that his only hope is to admit his guilt and he will be permitted to take the black, though Tyrion, remembering what happened to the last man to be made such an offer, is dismissive. They talk about Tyrion's father. Kevan is fiercely loyal to his brother, for it was Tywin who made the Lannisters' enemies pay for their abuse of their father Tytos Lannister, who was a peaceful but weak man. The next morning, Varys nearly seals Tyrion’s fate with damaging evidence against the dwarf.
Later, Oberyn Martell visits Tyrion, and makes it clear that Cersei has tried to buy his vote in the judgment, mentioning marriage. But the Red Viper has other ideas, and even brings up the point that according to Dornish law, Myrcella is the heir, and that his brother may well crown his ward. Oberyn relates the story Tywin had told him that it was Amory Lorch who killed Elia and her children, but Tyrion tells him the truth--that Lorch only killed Rhaenys, and it was the Mountain who killed Aegon and raped and murdered Elia. The Red Viper speaks of saving Tyrion, not as his judge, but as his champion.
Jaime is looking through the White Book, the history of the Kingsguard, updated throughout the ages by the Lord Commander. We learn much about Barristan Selmy, who gained the title ‘the Bold’ when he was just ten, riding as a mystery knight in a tourney at Blackhaven, where he was unmasked by the Prince of Dragonflies. Barristan was knighted at sixteen by King Aegon V, and named to the Kingsguard in his 23rd year by Gerold Hightower.
The deeds and legends of Barristan the Bold are not lost on Jaime. He recalls the awesome fight between the Sword of the Morning and the Smiling Knight of the Kingswood Brotherhood, and thinks of his own childhood wishes: That boy had wanted to be Arthur Dayne, but someplace along the way he had become the Smiling Knight instead.
Jaime then receives the five Kingsguard currently under his command, and tests each of them. He mocks Boros Blount for his cowardice and inability to protect Prince Tommen, and tells him that from here on in, Blount will taste all the King’s food. Blount storms from the room, and Jaime goes after Osmund Kettleblack. Disgusted that an upjumped sellsword with no reputation has been named to the Kingsguard, Jaime at least concedes that the man probably knows how to fight.
Having heard the details of the Kingsguard's willingness to beat Sansa Stark on Joffrey's orders, Jaime commands Meryn Trant to temper his obedience to the king while the king remains a boy, and to obey the Queen Regent, the Hand, and the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard instead. He gets Balon Swann to swear he will remain true to the Crown, even though his father and brother’s allegiance are in question.
Lastly, he questions Loras Tyrell, and finds the Knight of Flowers as cocky as he himself was in his youth. Jaime asks Loras about the supposed ghost of Renly Baratheon that fought at the Battle of the Blackwater at the van of his father's forces, obtaining an admission that it was Garlan Tyrell inside the armor. Then he confronts Loras about Brienne, and commands him to judge the woman fairly, on his honour as a knight.
Considering Jaime’s words about Renly’s death, Ser Loras nearly breaks down, stating, "When I saw him all bloody, with her fled ... if she’s innocent, then Robar and Emmon…" Jaime absolves him of killing the two Rainbow Guard in a rage, and then sits alone in the room, contemplating the other debts he still has to pay.
Alayne Stone. © Morgaine le Fee
Sansa is alarmed to discover that Littlefinger has no intention of bringing her home; instead she is being taken to the Vale of Arryn. They land at the tiny tower of House Baelish that Petyr is lord of, and he stresses that Sansa must use a new name, calling her Alayne Stone so that no one will know who she really is.
She learns that Oswell is actually the Kettleblacks' father, and Littlefinger leads her to discern that it was the Queen of Thorns who poisoned Joffrey when she took one of the amethysts from Sansa's hair net. All the plans were arranged by Littlefinger, who met Lady Olenna when he brokered the alliance that joined Highgarden and House Lannister.
Soon after, Lysa Arryn arrives with a small retinue, and she insists that Petyr wed her now at his tower instead of the Eyrie. Lysa wants to make another child with Petyr, after her father aborted the first child years ago. A drunken Marillion tries to seduce Sansa that night, but Lothor Brune forces him away. The next morning, Petyr tells Alayne that Lysa now knows the girl's identity. Lysa does not like having Sansa around, although she does wish to marry her niece to her son, Robert.
Mance’s raiders advance under the protection of a giant fortified turtle but the Night's Watch is able to destroy it. Afterwards, Jon tries to get some sleep, but is pulled out of bed by some men from Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. They bring him before Alliser Thorne, and his new friend Janos Slynt. The two accuse Jon of being a turncloak and oathbreaker, and they even use the captured Rattleshirt to support their accusations. Even Maester Aemon cannot persuade Slynt to relent, and the former Commander of the City Watch has Jon thrown into an ice cell, relishing the thought of punishing one of Ned Stark’s sons.
Jon is brought before Mance Rayder, since Rattleshirt doesn’t trust him. In the King’s tent, Jon mistakes Styr for Mance Rayder. But it is the gray-haired man playing the lute who is the King-Beyond-the-Wall. Rattleshirt reveals his misgivings about Jon to the king, but Mance wishes to speak with Jon alone.
Mance indicates that he has seen Jon twice before, once when he was still a black brother and Jon just a boy, and again during King Robert’s visit to Winterfell. Mance had disguised himself as a singer in order to see King Robert and get the measure of Benjen Stark, who was a bane to the wildlings. Testing Jon, he asks why he deserted the Night’s Watch, but Jon asks him to tell his story first. The king explains that he had been wounded in a hunt and treated by an old wildling woman. She mended his cloak with burgundy fabric which was rare for wildlings to have and hence very valuable to part with. When Mance returned to the Watch, they replaced his cloak with a new black one emphasizing the importance of the black uniform and not recognizing the symbolism of her gift. Mance came to resent the restriction to the new black cloak of the Night’s Watch.
Jon, knowing now that Mance was at Winterfell, asks, "And did you see where I was seated Mance? Did you see where they put the bastard?" The king then accepts Jon as member of the free folk.
Ser Gregor Clegane vs Oberyn Martell - © 2012 John Picacio
Tyrion wakes up in the morning and readies himself to go to the trial. He considers admitting guilt or demanding a trial by battle. He asks his squire if he thinks that Tyrion did it. Podrick hesitates and sputters.
Cersei's last witness turns out to be Shae. She accuses Tyrion and Sansa of the murder. She tells the assembled court that she was an innocent girl before Tyrion abused her and turned her into his whore. When Shae lies how Tyrion made her call him *"Giant of Lannister"*, the public starts to laugh. Furiously, Tyrion tells them to take Shae away and let him confess. Instead he demands a trial by battle. As Cersei's champion is the formidable Ser Gregor Clegane, she insist that the judges grant Tyrion's request. Mace Tyrell, one of the judges, asks Tyrion who his champion is. To the consternation of the court it is Oberyn Martell, another judge. Tywin is angry but grants Tyrion's request and sets the date for the battle on the next morrow.
The next morning Tyrion is given leave to visit his champion. Oberyn plans to fight with a spear and use only light armor. He specifically warns Tyrion not to touch the weapon..
His mother and Tyrion's mother were friends and were planning on marrying Jaime to Elia and/or Cersei to Oberyn. When they arrived at Casterly Rock, Joanna had died and Tywin refused both suggestions and said that Cersei was intended for Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. Later Elia married prince Rhaegar. Oberyn thinks that this is why Tywin had Elia killed. Oberyn proclaims that today he will have justice for Elia and her children.
The combat is held in the outer ward. As soon as the fight begins, Oberyn starts to accuse Gregor of Elia's rape and murder. By using a spear as his weapon Oberyn has the advantage of being able to reach his enemy, and because he is only lightly armored he is fast enough to remain out of Gregor's reach. Oberyn manages to wound his enemy severely, disarming him and knocking him onto the ground. Before Oberyn can finish his opponent, Gregor grabs Oberyn by the leg and drags him down. With his bare hands Gregor smashes Oberyn's teeth, crushes his head, and kills him, all while admiting to the murder and rape of Elia and the murder of her children. Tyrion realizes that he is condemned when the Gold Cloaks take him to the black cells.
Daenerys sits in the great pyramid of Meereen, her troops having conquered the city after the men she sent into the sewers opened the gates. She meets an envoy from Astapor, who represents King Cleon the great, a former butcher who now rules Astapor, supposedly in Dany’s name. But the envoy suggests that King Cleon wishes to marry Dany, and that the men she left to rule Astapor have all been deposed. Cleon has amassed new slaves, and is beginning to train them as Unsullied, and Daenerys is dismayed that all she has done to free Astapor of slavery is coming undone.
Finally, she sends for Ser Jorah and Ser Barristan, wishing the two had died in the sewers, but the two knights are greater warriors than even that suicide quest. Barristan speaks of things Daenerys was never aware of, that her father was mad, and that Viserys, even as a young boy, seemed to be more like his father than his brother Rhaegar. The old knight tells her,
The Targaryens have always danced too close to madness. King Jaehaerys once told me that madness and greatness are two sides of the same coin. Every time a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin in the air and the world holds its breath to see how it will land.
She absolves Barristan, and he swears his sword to her cause. But Ser Jorah does not beg forgiveness, and remains defensive, insisting that he has done nothing wrong. Daenerys then exiles the knight who was once her closest friend and protector, threatening to kill him if she ever sees him again.
Later, Daario warns her that she should not have banished Jorah, and that she may come to regret not keeping him near or having him killed outright. When her advisors urge her to move on, Daenerys decides that she must learn to rule if she ever wishes to sit the throne of Westeros, and she declares that she will stay in Meereen and rule as queen.
Jaime is seated with the small council, as King Tommen signs all the papers brought before him by Ser Kevan. The Lannisters are granting Riverrun to Ser Emmon Frey and Kevan's sister Genna, once the Blackfish has surrendered. They legitimize Ramsay Snow and name Roose Bolton Warden of the North. Ser Rolph Spicer is granted Castamere, and raised to lord, and Lord Gawen Westerling, his wife, and daughter Jeyne are all granted a royal pardon, along with Lord Jonos Bracken, Lord Vance, Lord Goodbrook and Lord Mooton for entering King Tommen's service. Jaime had recently lost during a spar with Ser Addam Marbrand, and is disgusted that he cannot fight left-handed, especially after receiving the new Valyrian sword from his father.
Outside, Jaime watches Steelshanks Walton and his men prepare to leave King's Landing, and sees a girl who claims to be Arya Stark. Jaime is pretty sure she is not the real Arya, yet she is to be presented to Roose Bolton and Ramsay Bolton at the Dreadfort. Ser Gregor's screams from Pycelle's solar can be heard throughout the Red Keep, for Lord Tywin has demanded that the Grand Maester heal him so that the King's Justice can execute him (rather than dying from a poisoned spear) in the hopes of placating Dorne and House Martell, who are likely to be outraged by Prince Oberyn's death. Jaime recalls his father mentioning that Stannis and his fleet have left Dragonstone, leaving only a token force to guard the island. Unlike Pycelle, Tywin believes Stannis has not conceded defeat; he has only left Dragonstone because he intends to continue fighting elsewhere. He will likely fail if he goes to Storm's End and tries to rally the Stormlands, but if Stannis wins Dorne to his cause, he can prolong the war for months or even years, so Tywin will not give Dorne any reason to side with Stannis.
Later, Cersei visits him in the White Sword Tower, and reveals that their father plans to send her back to Casterly Rock so that he will have a free hand in raising Tommen, in addition to marrying Tommen to Margaery Tyrell, but Jaime refuses to talk to their father to convince him otherwise. Their conversation turns to the subject of Bran Stark; Cersei berates him again for throwing the boy from the tower, but when Jaime questions her about the assassin Catelyn Stark accused them of sending after the boy, Cersei denies it. When Cersei mentions that Robert himself, at Winterfell, said it would be kinder to put the boy out of his misery while alone with her and their children, Jaime figures out that it was Joffrey, 'desperate for a pat on the head from that sot', who sent the assassin to kill Bran, even though Cersei does not believe him when he tells her his suspicions, just as Jaime does not believe her when Cersei insists again that Tyrion is responsible for Joffrey's death. When she begins to unlace Jaime's breeches, he sends her off in anger.
Jaime then has Brienne and Ser Loras brought before him, and the Knight of Flowers reveals that after speaking with the woman, he now believes she may be innocent. Ser Loras is dismissed, and Jaime reveals his belief that Tyrion is innocent, and that the girl sent north with Steelshanks was not the real Arya Stark; his father has found some northern girl of a similar age and appearance, and with her immediate family dead or missing, there is no one to say otherwise. Ser Jaime then commands Brienne to find and protect Lady Catelyn's daughters, as they had both pledged to do, and gives her the Valyrian sword he had so recently received from his father, explaining that it was forged from the metal taken from Eddard Stark's greatsword Ice, melted down after his execution, saying, "A sword so fine must bear a name. It would please me if you would call this one 'Oathkeeper'....You'll be defending Ned Stark's daughter with Ned Stark's own steel... Sansa Stark is my last chance for honor."
Jon is taken out of his ice cell and brought once again before Janos Slynt, and told that only Maester Aemon is preventing Janos from hanging Jon. Janos reveals that he will give Jon one last chance to prove his innocence, sending him to meet Mance Rayder as an envoy, but Jon must kill the wildling king. Beyond the Wall, Jon meets Tormund who treats him with respect, almost as a friend. Jon is brought before Mance, and the king reveals that he is aware that the Night's Watch is nearly out of provisions and cannot hold out much longer.
Rayder then brings him to see the Horn of Winter, which Mance claims they found back in the Frostfangs, but only he and his trusted lieutenants knew about it. However, Mance does not wish to use the Horn, for if the songs can be believed, it will cause the Wall to collapse. The wildlings have come south not to conquer, but to escape the Others. Without the Wall, Mance’s people would find no safe haven, even in the south, and that is something he does not wish to happen. Mance offers Jon the Horn of Winter if the Night’s Watch will let his people pass the Wall and settle the lands to the south, although he will not abide the laws or taxes of the Seven Kingdoms. If the Watch refuses, Tormund Giantsbane will sound the Horn of Joramun in three days time.
However, the parley is interrupted, as the wildlings have come under attack from the east by rangers from Eastwatch. Mance believes that it must be Cotter Pyke, but a scout and Varamyr, who is skinchanged inside Orell's eagle, tell Mance there are more iron-clad attackers coming from the north and east. When Orell's eagle bursts into flames, Varamyr runs screaming from the fray. Harma Dogshead's raiders charge through the rangers, but they are overwhelmed by knights on heavy horse. Amongst their banners, Jon sees a seahorse, a field of birds, and a ring of flowers. Mance is surrounded and captured, and Harma's head is waved on a pole. After hearing the knights shout "Stannis!", Jon enters Mance’s tent where Dalla is giving birth with the assistance of Val.
Arya Stabbing the Tickler
by Tribemun©
Sandor and Arya come to the Inn at the Crossroads. To her dismay, she recognizes Polliver and the Tickler and a squire. The squire tries to bait Sandor with insults about fleeing King's Landing and the room is very tense. The Hound demands wine, which the innkeeper brings and Sandor gulps down. Sandor warns the innkeeper that Polliver and the Tickler will kill him instead of paying for their drinks, and the innkeeper and the other people in the room leave.
The Tickler tells Sandor what has happened in the realm, including Tyrion's marriage, Joffrey's death and Tyrion's imprisonment. He claims that Sansa's sister has been found and is to marry Ramsay Bolton, Harrenhal has been taken by Gregor Clegane, Riverrun is under siege by the Lannisters and Randyll Tarly has taken Saltpans. He says only the Blackwoods are still holding out, and the Brackens are fighting them around Raventree Hall.
The Tickler says Gregor would prefer that Sandor come back with them to Harrenhal, but when Sandor refuses, the Tickler throws a knife at him. Sandor, the Tickler and Polliver all draw swords and begin to fight. The squire tries to join in but Arya throws a cup at him and knocks him down. Sandor is not fighting his best and Arya realizes he drank his wine too fast and is drunk. During the fight Arya stabs the squire in the belly and then sneaks up behind the Tickler and stabs him over and over again in a rage until Sandor stops her. The squire is still alive but was mortally wounded and asks for mercy. Sandor tells Arya to give him mercy, and asks if she remembers where the heart is. She does. She recovers Needle, which was carried by Polliver, and kills the squire.
Sandor, seriously wounded, says Gregor must hold the ford and that they will make for Saltpans and find a ship to the Vale. They leave the inn to travel on but the Hound is so wounded that he needs tending and they stop. The next day he is so weak that he falls out of his saddle. While he lies in a fevered sleep, Arya thinks about killing him. He wakes to see what she is contemplating and urges her to do it - to give him mercy - but Arya leaves him and rides on to Saltpans.
She tries to find a boat that goes to the North but only finds a trading ship Titan's Daughter with Braavos as its destination. She doesn't have enough money to get on board but then she shows the captain the coin she got from Jaqen H'ghar and says "Valar Morghulis", which causes him to give her both a cabin and passage.
Arya gets her Needle back © Josu Hernaiz
At Castle Black, Gilly is nursing both her own son as well as Mance Rayder's, as Dalla died giving birth. Sam and Gilly have recently returned to Castle Black, meeting up with Ser Denys Mallister and the men from the Shadow Tower. They also joined with Dywen, Edd and Giant, survivors from the Bridge of Skulls where Bowen Marsh held back the Weeper's advance. Sam is happy to be reunited with Jon, although he is wary of King Stannis's army being present at Castle Black. It was the king who defeated the wildlings, scattering their remnants back into the haunted forest. Val wants to bring her sister's baby to Mance, but Jon tells her that only Maester Aemon is permitted to see the imprisoned wildling king. Alone, Sam asks Jon, "Could there be honor in a lie, if it were told for a good purpose?" Sam is considering sending Gilly and her son to Horn Hill, with a letter claiming that he fathered the boy.
Jon reveals that Slynt still considers him a traitor, because he did not kill Mance as he was sent to do. Sam remembers swearing to Bran and Jojen Reed not to reveal to anyone, even Jon, that Bran is still alive. Coldhands' last words to Sam were, "Let the world believe the boy is dead. We want no seekers coming after us. Swear it, Samwell of the Night's Watch. Swear it for the life you owe me." And Sam has kept his vows to all three. Later, Sam considers the last vote for a new Lord Commander, with Ser Denys Mallister still leading, but no one near the majority. At dinner, Bowen Marsh withdraws his name from the voting, and backs Janos Slynt. When the votes are tallied that night, both Ser Denys and Cotter Pyke have lost votes, and Slynt has gained on both of them. Sitting with Grenn, Pyp and Dolorous Edd, Pyp suggests that if Sam were to persuade either Ser Denys or Cotter Pyke to set aside their quarrels and back the other, a new Lord Commander could be decided. Preferably one who would be beneficial to the Watch, so long as it was not Janos Slynt.
Jon is training with Satin in the yard, when Melisandre arrives to take him before Stannis. The King does not believe Jon is a traitor, for he knew Janos Slynt as well as Ned Stark. Stannis knew Ned to be a man of honor, and trusts Jon, saying it was Jon who found the dragonglass dagger that Samwell Tarly used to kill the Other, and Jon who brought them the Horn of Winter and captured Mance’s son. At every step of Stannis' speech, Jon clarifies whom he credits with doing the actual deeds. Stannis asks Jon if there is honor in Mance Rayder, and the young man claims there is. The King speaks of the war that Melisandre has seen in her flames, and he confides that Jon may have a part in the upcoming battle. Stannis offers to legitimize Jon and name him Lord of Winterfell, a goal he considers especially important due to all the strife occurring in the North. Stannis intends to let the wildlings through the Wall, and settle them in the Gift, should they pledge fealty and accept the Lord of Light as their god. He also presumes to marry his loyal Lord of Winterfell to Val to solidify his peace with the wildlings, however Jon would have to adopt Stannis' faith and burn the godswood of Winterfell. Jon asks for time to consider the offer, and Stannis agrees.
Tyrion, locked in the black cells beneath the Red Keep, is rescued by Jaime. His brother tells him that he is to be beheaded on the morrow, and informs him that he coerced Varys into helping him charter a ship to take Tyrion from King's Landing. When Jaime tells him that the rescue was a debt he owed him, Tyrion presses his brother, and learns that Tysha was not a whore, but a crofter’s daughter, just as she appeared. Lord Tywin had forced Jaime all those years ago to lie about Tysha so as to teach Tyrion a lesson. Tyrion is infuriated that his brother never told him the truth, and punches Jaime in the face. Tyrion warns him that he will exact revenge against him, their father, and Cersei, as a Lannister always pays his debts. Jaime then asks if Tyrion poisoned Joffrey and, lying in his anger, Tyrion admits to doing so. He also tells Jaime that Cersei is sleeping with Lancel and Ser Osmund and perhaps others, and that Joffrey would have been a monster worse than Aerys if he remained king.
Tyrion stalks off without a further word, and confronts Varys for his betrayal. The eunuch concedes that he cannot find a trace of Sansa, then leads him deeper down, to the fourth level where Maegor had built torture chambers. When they come to a circular tower chamber with a ladder leading up, Tyrion realizes it leads up to the Tower of the Hand. Commanding Varys to wait for him, Tyrion ascends the wickedly high ladder. It leads to a secret passage behind the rooms in the Tower, perfect for Varys’ "little birds" to overhear everything going on in the Hand’s quarters. He opens the secret door to his old chamber, and finds Shae naked in his father’s bed, with the Hand’s chain of office around her neck. The whore pleads that the Queen made her say all those things against him in court, but Tyrion strangles her with the chain he once wore. Grabbing a crossbow off the wall, he finds his father in the privy. Tywin commands him to put down the crossbow, promising that he had no intention of carrying out the sentence, and would allow Tyrion to take the black. Disbelieving his father, Tyrion questions him as to what became of Tysha. Lord Tywin reveals he did not have her killed, and doesn't know exactly what became of her. Tywin says he supposed the steward sent the "whore" on her way. Tyrion then asks where the steward might have sent her and Lord Tywin replies "Wherever whores go". Tyrion fires the crossbow sending the bolt into his father’s pelvis, killing Lord Tywin.
King Stannis has brought several of the black brothers before him to make known his anger about them taking too long to select a new Lord Commander. Stannis sees through Janos Slynt’s fawning, having known the man as a bribe-taker in King's Landing. The king makes it clear that after they finally vote in a new Lord Commander, he plans to take all the castles along the Wall, except for the three currently occupied by the Watch, to garrison his forces. He also plans to either take or be granted the Gift, stating that he intends to help the Watch guard the Wall. He commands the builders to deliver reports on the conditions of the abandoned castles, and informs the men gathered that nightfires will be lit before the gates of all the castles. When Melisandre mentions the impending war, Maester Aemon is aware that she speaks of the prophesied War for the Dawn. After the others have left, Aemon asks to see the fabled sword Lightbringer through Sam’s eyes. Sam describes the sword as glowing, yet there are no flames.
Stannis questions Sam about dragonglass, making it known that there are great deposits of obsidian beneath Dragonstone, and that he intends to have it mined and brought to the Wall. The king asks Sam to show him the Black Gate, as he intends to make the Nightfort his seat, and Sam agrees although he is not sure if the gate will open for a man not of the black. When they leave, Maester Aemon asks Sam if he felt any heat emanating from the sword, and he realizes that he did not. Aemon speaks of the choosing, subtly implying that Sam could do something to help speed the process. Determined to put aside the bickering between the two leading candidates, Sam speaks with both Cotter Pyke and Ser Denys Mallister individually. Both are aware they will not be elected and agree that Slynt would be a bad choice. So Sam asks them if they would step aside if the right candidate were to be named. Playing one off the other, using their dislike for each other, Sam sets it up so that each man will lend his support to Jon that night.
Jon practices swords in the yard with Iron Emmett, another brother of the Night's Watch. Emmett hits Jon hard and Jon is knocked into thoughts of Winterfell and his boyhood rivalry with Robb. Part of him always wanted to become Lord of Winterfell and resented that it was impossible for him. These feelings come up so strong that he beats Emmett mercilessly and has to be pulled off him. Jon goes to the bathhouse, and overhears Ser Alliser and Bowen Marsh mentioning that Lord Tywin sent a letter backing Janos Slynt’s rise to Lord Commander. They show it to Othell Yarwyck, seeking to have the First Builder withdraw and back Slynt. Jon is disturbed by the prospect of Slynt becoming Lord Commander, and goes off through the gate beyond the Wall. He is torn between his duties to the Watch, and the chance Stannis has given him to become Jon Stark, Lord of Winterfell. As he is considering that he has always wanted this, his thoughts change to a hunger for food. No, not food but prey - deer or elk. When he looks up, Ghost comes padding over. He is overjoyed to see his old friend.
Jon looks at the direwolf’s red eyes. Recalling what Melisandre said about there being no old gods, only the Lord of Light and the Other, Jon realizes that while Ghost's eyes are red, they are not like Melisandre’s. He has a weirwood’s eyes and belongs to the old gods. His mind made up, he attends the voting council for the first time. He is greeted with shouts of disapproval from Slynt and Thorne, learning that his name has been put forth as Lord Commander. Seeking to end the voting, Ser Alliser mentions that Othell Yarwyck has something to say, but the First Builder abandons their plotting, and withdraws in favor of Jon. When Sam and Clydas go to fetch the voting kettle, a large raven flies out and lands on Jon’s shoulder, cawing, "Snow. Snow." The Black Brothers are amazed when they realize the bird is Mormont's raven. Jon Snow wins the vote in a landslide victory and is named the 998th Lord Commander, but he must soon confront Stannis with the news.
Illyrio’s three ships are sailing for Pentos, and Daenerys is watching her dragons fly over the ocean. Arstan tells her that Balerion was 200 years old when he died during the reign of King Jaehaerys the Conciliator. Arstan then speaks of Rhaegar, how bookish he was as a child, always reading. Then one day he read something in a scroll that made him want to be a warrior, and he began training fiercely. Arstan admits that Rhaegar was a great warrior, but he won no battles.
Later, Jorah tells her that Arstan is more than he seems, and warns her not to trust him. The knight advises her to sail for Astapor and buy Unsullied, the best trained fighting force in the world. He tells the tale of the Three Thousand of Qohor, where a small army of Unsullied defeated a huge *khalasar* trying to pillage Qohor. The Unsullied are eunuch slaves trained to obey orders absolutely, and they feel no pain. Daenerys agrees that she will force Captain Groleo and Strong Belwas to change course. Ser Jorah then grabs her by the waist and kisses her. Dany tells him he should not have done so, but Jorah talks of her vision in the House of the Undying, and how the dragon having three heads may mean that she should take two more husbands.
Sansa making a snow castle by M.Kormack
At the Eyrie, Sansa awakens to find it snowing outside. She wanders outside and begins to sculpt a snow castle, slowly forming it into a replica of Winterfell. Littlefinger finds her in the garden and helps her finish the castle. He tells her she is even more beautiful than her mother was at her age, and then proceeds to kiss her. Sansa is shocked by Lord Baelish’s action, but for half a heartbeat she yields. She tries to make him stop and then young Robert approaches interrupting them. Robert begins to destroy the snow castle with his ragged doll. Sansa reacts by grabbing the doll which causes it to tear in half. This in turn causes her cousin to begin shaking violently. Maester Colemon is called to bring the boy for a leeching, in an attempt to cure the fit.
Sansa is brought before her aunt, but Lysa is not concerned about her son’s seizure, but rather Sansa kissing Petyr. Lysa accuses her of trying to seduce her husband, just like her mother had tried to "steal" Petyr from her. Lady Arryn then relates the story of how one night when they had all gotten drunk, Catelyn spurned Littlefinger, and Lysa had gone to his bed afterward to comfort him, even though he had called her Cat. Lysa continues to rant about how her father took their baby away from them, and then grabs Sansa and drags her before the Moon Door while calling for Marillion. Lysa pushes her closer and closer to the edge, until Littlefinger arrives and tells his new wife to release her.
Lysa, bordering on insanity, reveals how she had persuaded Jon Arryn to get Littlefinger his first post, and how she had done as he said when Petyr told her to put the Tears of Lys in her husband’s wine. He also had her write the letter to her sister falsely naming the Lannisters as Jon Arryn’s murderers. Petyr promises never to leave her side again, and as she falls into his arms, he tells her he has only ever loved one woman... Cat. He then shoves her out the Moon Door. He calls for the guards, accusing Marillion of killing his wife…
While hiding in the Tumbledown Tower, Bran gains the ability to open his third eye at will, and become Summer. Jojen again warns him not to spend too much time as Summer, neglecting his body and forgetting what he should do when in contact with his direwolf. They have been traveling north; staying away from civilization for fear that Bran might be seen, especially by the ironmen or Bolton men. Jojen insists they make for the Wall so that Bran can find the three-eyed crow, because Jojen can teach him no more.
Merrett Frey is approaching the ruins of Oldstones with the ransom for his half-brother's (Stevron Frey's) grandson Petyr Pimple. He is considering all the ill luck throughout his life, starting as a squire, where in a battle against the Kingswood Brotherhood he got hit on the head so hard he was unable to ever truly fight again, which left him unable to reach knighthood. His father has always mocked him as "Merrett Muttonhead", and all he was good for during the Red Wedding was to drink the Greatjon under the table.
Merrett recollects how his father ordered the massacre of the Starks at Edmure Tully’s wedding, but it was Lame Lothar and Roose Bolton who had masterminded the whole affair. He considers how things at the Twins will turn worse for him when his father dies, as Ryman stands to inherit, and his sons Edwyn and Black Walder after him. Merrett feels that if he could accomplish this task, maybe his luck would change for the better, considering that Petyr is Ser Ryman’s son. However, he has failed at everything in his life, including his role in keeping the Greatjon too drunk to fight. The man killed or maimed four men, and it took eight to finally get him in chains.
When he reaches the site of King Tristifer’s sepulcher, he finds the outlaws who captured Petyr. They surround him and take the gold he carried for the ransom. Merrett demands to see Beric Dondarrion, but Lem and Tom inform him that the Lightning Lord was needed elsewhere. They lead him to the tree from which Petyr Pimple is hanging, and then Lem ties a noose around Merrett’s neck. Sick with fear after they have lied about the ransom and now mean to hang him, Merrett pleads that he had nothing to do with the Red Wedding, and that they have no witness. However, Tom Sevenstrings steps aside to reveal a woman with grey skin and a hideous scar across her neck, a woman Merrett knows to be dead, having seen his brothers slit her throat and dump her naked body in the river. Her eyes are terrible to behold: they see him, and they hate him. Lem tells him that she can’t speak, but she nods when Lem asks if Merrett was involved. Merrett opens his mouth to plead, but the noose chokes off his words.
Copyright ©Round house, Drawn by James Sinclair
The Map of Beyond the Wall in *A Storm of Swords* consists of all the geographical information given land north of the Wall. It was drawn by James Sinclair.
Copyright ©Round house, Drawn by James Sinclair
The Map of Slaver's Bay in A Storm of Swords consists of all the geographical information given of Slaver's Bay and its surrounding area. It was drawn by James Sinclair.
Copyright ©Round house, Drawn by James Sinclair
The Map of the North in A Storm of Swords consists of all the geographical information given north of the Neck. It was drawn by James Sinclair.
Copyright ©Round house, Drawn by James Sinclair
The Map of the South in *A Storm of Swords* consists of all the geographical information given south of the Neck. It was drawn by James Sinclair.
Chett's hatred of Jon Snow and Samwell Tarly for usurping his comfortable position as steward to Maester Aemon has boiled over. He and Lark the Sisterman are conspiring to desert the Night's Watch, along with Small Paul and about a dozen other sworn brothers. The traitors plan to kill Lord Commander Mormont and several other officers to prevent anyone from actively seeking them out after they desert.
Thoren Smallwood and his party are the only of the three rangings to return so far, and they have seen the size of Mance Rayder’s army. Thoren wishes to give battle to Mance’s army, mainly because there are so few warriors in it, it's composed of mostly women and children. Chett and his men plan to kill in the dead of night, and flee to places of safety, leaving Thoren Smallwood and Ottyn Wythers as senior rangers. Thoren won’t search for them because he wants to lead the attack, and Wythers would rather flee to the Wall and could not care less about deserters. That evening, the Watch gathers before Mormont and his senior men, who announce that they will march in force against the wildling army, which is about ten days away. Mormont acknowledges that they might all die and has his men reaffirm their oaths to the Night's Watch. Meanwhile, Chett worries that some of his deserters may lose their resolve.
Late in the night, Chett awakens to find it snowing. The desertion plans are ruined because the turn cloaks can be easily tracked in the fresh snow. Chett still seeks to get some satisfaction from the night and creeps over to the sleeping Samwell Tarly, with the intention of murdering him. He is interrupted as a ranger in the distance sounds his horn. Sam awakens, and he and Chett hear the horn blow three times. Both men are shocked at the realization of what three horn blows mean, a signal that has not been used in hundreds and thousands of years. Three horn blows mean Others. Chett looks down and realizes he has wet himself.
"A Thousand Eyes, and One" is a song about one of the Great Bastards, Brynden Rivers.
The name of the song comes from a traditional saying of his time as Hand of the King: How many eyes does Lord Bloodraven have? A thousand eyes, and one. The saying is a reference to Rivers' extensive network of informants (a thousand eyes), and the loss of one of his own eyes to his halfbrother, Aegor Rivers, making it "a thousand eyes, and one".
Not to be confused with The World of Ice & Fire, a companion book released in 2014
Not to be confused with A Wiki of Ice and Fire.
A World of Ice and Fire, sometimes titled George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire — A Game of Thrones Guide,
The app is designed by Smashing Ideas and is published by Random House. It contains illustrations from Fantasy Flight Publishing. According to Apple's App Store, version 1.0 was released on November 25, 2012; version 1.3 from September 20, 2013, added six of the maps from *The Lands of Ice and Fire*.
The free basic version of the app contains dozens of sample entries from the People and Places subject categories which cover both historical and current events from throughout the timeline of the books, as well as selected preview chapter excerpts from *The Winds of Winter* and *The World of Ice & Fire, and an option to download portions of the "Westeros" and "Journeys" maps from *The Lands of Ice and Fire.
Additional content including more detailed and exclusive guide items, the full interactive maps, and several hundred more informational entries, which extends the coverage subjects to Houses, Groups, Religions, Creatures, and Things, is unlocked via in-app purchases as "InfoPacks" corresponding to each novel, which can be paid for separately or as a bundle. The app can be set to hide or reveal spoilers for novels as-yet unread by the user.
A certain man is the man who made Varys a eunuch. His true name is not mentioned, he is a sorcerer.
When Varys was an orphan boy he was apprenticed to a travelling folly. The folly’s master owned a fat little cog and they sailed up and down the narrow sea performing in all the Free Cities and from time to time in Oldtown and King’s Landing.
One day at Myr, a certain man came to the folly. After the performance, he made an offer for young Varys that his master found too tempting to refuse. Varys was in terror. He feared the man meant to use him as he had heard men used small boys, but in truth the only part of Varys the man had need of was his manhood.
The man gave Varys a potion that made him powerless to move or speak, but did nothing to dull his senses as his manhood was cut off at the stem, then burnt in a brazier in a bloodmagic ritual.
With the ritual complete, the man had no further use for Varys and tossed him out on the streets. Varys asked the man what he should do, to which the sorcerer replied he supposed that he should die. Varys, to spite him, vowed to live.
Varys tells Tyrion Lannister how he was made a eunuch, telling him of a certain man.
A life of the Grand Maester Aethelmure is a biography about the life of the Grand Maester Aethelmure, a Grand Maester of the Citadel, long since dead. A copy of the biography exists in the library at Winterfell.
As Tyrion Lannister gets up to leave the library at Winterfell he notices Septon Chayle has fallen asleep at a table, his head pillowed by the open book A life of the Grand Maester Aethelmure.
Ser Abelar Hightower was a knight of House Hightower during the reign of King Daeron II Targaryen.
He took part in the tourney at Ashford Meadow in 209 AC, where he was overcome by Prince Valarr Targaryen in the first tilt.
Account of the War of the Ninepenny Kings is an account written by Maester Eon about the War of the Ninepenny Kings. It is one of the finest of its kind, and a splendid source for details on the fighting that occurred in the many battles on land and sea and the notable feats of arms.
Acorn Hall
The riverlands and the location of Acorn Hall
Acorn Hall is the seat of House Smallwood in the riverlands. It is located southeast of Riverrun, northeast of Pinkmaiden, and north of Stoney Sept. High Heart are nearby.
Acorn Hall is a small castle with stone curtain walls and a large oak keep. Near the kennels is a smithy whose forge has not been used for a considerable amount of time.
During the War of the Five Kings, Lord Theomar Smallwood is away fighting for his liege lord, Karyl Vance, and in his absence, the gates of the keep are closed and barred and few men remain to hold it.
Arya Stark and the brotherhood without banners—including Tom Sevenstrings, who had once been Lady Ravella Smallwood's lover—travel through Acorn Hall where Lady Smallwood welcomes them, opening the keep's gates for them to rest there. Ravella notices Arya's dirtiness and forces her to take a bath and clean herself, without knowing Arya's identity. Afterwards, Ravella chats with Arya discussing tastes and the courtesies of a lady after discovering that Arya is highborn.
The brotherhood feast with Arya and Lady Smallwood in the keep's hall. They ask the lady if she has word of Lord Beric Dondarrion and soon everyone begins chatting with each other. Ravella mentions that Ser Jaime Lannister escaped Riverrun and some Karstark men had gone through Acorn Hall looking for Jaime.
After the feast, Gendry and Arya go to the forge where they talk about Thoros of Myr, and Gendry compliments Arya for her new, more highborn looks. The day afterwards, Lady Smallwood makes Arya take another bath before parting ways with the little lady and the brotherhood without banners, who proceed with their journey to find Lord Beric.
The Acorn Water is a small river near Winterfell in the North. There is a mill located on it.
After Ser Rodrik Cassel captures Reek, his party stops at the mill for a while before continuing to Winterfell. The miller's wife sold them hay.
After the capture of Winterfell, Bran and Rickon Stark disappear from the castle. At the request of Reek, who is now Theon Greyjoy's servant, Theon searches for the Stark children near the mill.
The phrase across the narrow sea is used by people of Westeros to describe locations outside of it.
The narrow sea separates Westeros and the lands to the east. In the north of the sea lie the islands of Ibben and in the south the hot Summer Isles. The lands to the east of the narrow sea are mostly consolidated into a large eastern continent called Essos. Being roughly the size of Eurasia, this continent's geography and climate vary greatly. The western coastline is characterized by green rolling hills, the massive Forest of Qohor, and extensive island chains such as Braavos and Lys. The middle of the continent is covered by the flat grasslands of the Dothraki Sea and the arid red waste to the east. Beyond the red waste, the city of Qarth sits beside the straits that lead to the Jade Sea. The south is dominated by dry rolling hills and has a Mediterranean climate, with a coastline along the Summer Sea and Slaver's Bay.
The north coast of mainland Essos is separated from the polar cap by the Shivering Sea. To the south, across the Summer Sea, lies the uncharted continent of Sothoryos, containing the cities of Yeen and Zamettar. In the extreme east, past the Bone Mountains, sit Asshai, Yi Ti, and the mysterious region called the Shadow Lands.
The known continents in the world are:
Main article: Asshai
A mysterious port city beside the equally mysterious Shadow Lands, Asshai holds many secrets, including dragon lore and the prophecies of Azor Ahai. It is often called "Asshai-by-the-Shadow" or simply "the Shadow" when grouped with the Shadow Lands.
Main article: Ibben
Ibben is an island nation in the Shivering Sea often referred to as Ib, after its largest island. Its major port and capital is the Port of Ibben. The Ibbenese are a hairy race of people who often wear sealskins and favor axes and shaggy brown shields in battle. They populate the island of Ib as well as colonies on Essos. The Ibbenese are predominantly whalers, sailing fat-bellied whaling ships covered in black tar. They chew blubber and use whale oil to light their lamps. Their trading range extends to the Iron Islands in Westeros.
Main article: Shadow Lands
A land to the extreme east, the Shadow Lands reside at the edge of the known world, beside or around Asshai. In the western world, there are many tales about the Shadow Lands, though how much fact they hold is unclear. It is said that petrified dragon eggs come from the Shadow Lands, and that dragons themselves originated there. The Dothraki believe that ghost grass covers the land, with stalks that glow in the dark and grow taller than a man on horseback. Natives of this place, called Shadow Men, cover their bodies in tattoos and wear red lacquered wooden masks. They are described as "dour and frightening". Some of them practice bloodmagic, using spells that require blood sacrifices. The area of the Shadow Lands and Asshai are sometimes referred to simply as "the Shadow".
Main article: Stepstones
The Stepstones are a chain of islands in the narrow sea, to the east of Dorne and the Storm Lands. Once the Stepstones were part of the Arm of Dorne, which connected Westeros to the eastern continent. The First Men crossed the Arm of Dorne to begin their invasion of Westeros. Legends describe the greenseers of the children of the forest using magic to shatter the Arm into an archipelago. Various Free Cities engage in almost constant war over possession of the Stepstones. Several times in its history, the Seven Kingdoms have also fought for control of them.
Main article: Summer Islands
The Summer Islands are a number of islands in the Summer Sea, to the south of Westeros, that form a single nation. The port of Tall Trees Town serves as its capital. The natives of the islands are a dark-skinned people who speak their own language and often wear capes of brightly colored feathers. Archery is an important cultural skill to the Summer Islanders. Their special bows have a longer range than most others, giving their merchant boats added defense against pirates. During the events of A Song of Ice and Fire, an exile prince of the Summer Islands, Jalabhar Xho, lives in Westeros. For many years he unsuccessfully attempts to convince the kings of the Seven Kingdoms to invade the Summer Islands and install him as their ruler.
Main article: Yi Ti
Yi Ti is a coastal city on the Jade Sea, southeast of Qarth. The people of Yi Ti are said to be dark skinned and bright-eyed, and some wear monkey-tail hats. The jungles of Yi Ti are infested with basilisks. In Westeros, it is considered to be a fabulous city, though little is known about it. Somewhere beyond the city is thought to lie a "legendary dreaming city" of poets.
Adakhakileki
Essos west of the Bone Mountains and the location of Adakhakileki
Adakhakileki is a ruined city that lies at the northern edges of the red waste in Essos, on the northernmost shore of the Poison Sea by the Stone Road. Vaes Jini is northeast of the city. Adakhakileki is located in the foothills of the western Bone Mountains.
Addam is a given name in Westeros. Characters named Addam include:
Ser Addam Frey was a knight of House Frey during the reign of Aerys I Targaryen. He was distantly related to the main branch, being only a cousin to the daughter of Lord Frey. He was considered a promising lance in his youth.
Addam attended the marriage of his cousin to Lord Ambrose Butterwell. He participated in the Whitewalls tourney, where he was unhorsed by Ser Uthor Underleaf.
Ser Addam Marbrand is a knight of House Marbrand and the son and heir of Lord Damon Marbrand of Ashemark. He is one of the chief knights in the service of Tywin Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock.
See also: Images of Addam Marbrand
Addam is rangy, with dark, shoulder-length copper hair.
Gallant
Addam wears burnished bronzed armor, and the burning tree of the Marbrands is etched upon his breastplate.
During his youth, Addam was a page at Casterly Rock and a childhood friend of Ser Jaime Lannister.
Addam Marbrand by Roman V. Papsuev © Fantasy Flight Games
When Tyrion Lannister is taken captive by Catelyn Stark, his father, Lord Tywin Lannister, calls his banners and raids the riverlands. Commanding Tywin's outriders,
When Addam commands Tywin's right wing at the battle on the Green Fork, his force numbers four thousand mounted men and three quarters of Tywin's knights, amongst them Ser Flement Brax and men from Crakehall and Cornfield.
Tywin holds a council following the defeats of the Whispering Wood and the Camps. Addam counsels against seeking a truce and advises marching on the Stark host. Tywin orders his host to Harrenhal, dispatching Addam's outriders to screen their movements. When Tywin makes Tyrion the acting Hand of the King, Addam is among the alternatives that Tyrion suggests.
Addam is the first to depart when Tywin's forces leave Harrenhal during the War of the Five Kings, a day ahead of his liege lord. Well-liked by the women of the castle, Addam is considered by Weese to be Tywin's most daring commander.
After the Blackwater, Addam is made Commander of the City Watch of King's Landing by Tywin. Tyrion considers him a shrewd choice despite being an outsider because he is a natural leader. Addam receives an ornate black breastplate and a cloth-of-gold cloak.
Addam is concerned about paying the forty-four hundred gold cloaks, but he is not allowed to dismiss any by order of Queen Cersei Lannister. Tywin is also angry that Addam has not been able to find the missing squire Tyrek Lannister, lost in the riot of King's Landing.
Addam attends the wedding of Sansa Stark and Tyrion Lannister,
Addam's men take Tyrion, his squire Podrick Payne, and Sansa's maids into custody on suspicion of poisoning Joffrey. He is assigned to search for the missing Sansa and is responsible for guarding Tyrion while he is brought to trial. Tywin did not send the Kingsguard because the majority of them will testify against Tyrion and he did not think it proper.
When Ser Jaime Lannister returns to King's Landing, he asks Addam to help him practice fighting with his left hand, as Vargo Hoat had Zollo cut off Jaime's sword hand.
Ser Addam and the City Watch stand guard during the funeral of Tywin Lannister after his death at the hands of his son Tyrion. Trying to discover how Tyrion escaped, Addam and Jaime link him to Rugen, a missing gaoler,
While dining at Hayford, Addam reports his inability to find Tyrek Lannister, the Lord of Hayford by marriage to the infant Lady Ermesande Hayford. Jaime replaces Addam with Ilyn as a sparring partner, preferring the tongueless King's Justice, but Addam does not reveal his friend's secret to others. The outriders are troubled by wolves and one of Addam's men has his horse run off and killed by a pack.
When Jaime's group arrives at Riverrun, Ser Daven Lannister reports several foraging parties have gone missing. Jaime tasks Addam with inspecting the perimeter of their camp.
After the Blackfish's escape from Riverrun, Addam commands the search to the south of the Red Fork of the Trident.
Harys: How could it happen? Ser Jaime taken, the siege broken ... this is a catastrophe!
Addam: I am sure we are all grateful to you for pointing out the obvious, Ser Harys.—Harys Swyft and Addam
Two battles do not make a war. We are far from lost. I should welcome the chance to try my own steel against this Stark boy.
—Addam to Tyrion Lannister after the Whispering Wood and the Battle of the Camps
Addam: Storming the walls will be a bloody business. I propose we wait for a moonless night and send a dozen picked men across the river in a boat with muffled oars. They can scale the walls with ropes and grapnels, and open the gates from the inside. I will lead them, if the council wishes.
Walder: Folly. Ser Brynden is no man to be cozened by such tricks.—Addam and Walder Rivers
Ser Addam Marbrand was a shrewd choice. Like Jaime, he was the sort of man other men liked to follow.
—thoughts of Tyrion Lannister
Another good man who thinks me a kinslayer.
—thoughts of Tyrion Lannister
Addam Marbrand on the Game of Thrones wiki.
Addam Osgrey was the third son of Ser Eustace Osgrey. He died in the Battle of the Redgrass Field.
Addam served as a page and then as a squire at Coldmoat, the seat of Lord Wyman Webber. During his time at Coldmoat, a certain fondness grew between him and Wyman's daughter, Rohanne. Osgrey's father, Ser Eustace, proposed a marriage between the two children. The Lord of Coldmoat, however, refused him.
Addam died during the Battle of the Redgrass Field when he was a twelve-year-old squire. He was killed by a knight of House Smallwood, trying to defend his brother, Ser Harrold. Despite the marriage proposal previously having been refused, Addam and Rohanne had an innocent romance, which never went beyond a kiss. After Addam died, Rohanne held a grudge against Eustace for Addam's death for more than fifteen years.
Addam was buried at Standfast.
Ser Addam Rivers was a knight and a bastard of the Riverlands who claimed the title of river king or King of the Trident in the generations after the riverlands were conquered by the Storm King Arlan III Durrandon. Addam had a brief, inglorious reign, before being put down by the might of Storm's End.
Ser Addam Velaryon, formerly known as Addam of Hull, was a legitimised bastard from Driftmark of dragonseed descent, like his brother Alyn. During the Dance of the Dragons, Addam became a knight and the heir to Driftmark and House Velaryon. He was a dragonrider whose dragon was Seasmoke.
Addam was fifteen years old at the outbreak of the Dance of the Dragons. He was relentless, determined, glib of tongue, and loyal.
According to Archmaester Gyldayn, Addam's origins remain a matter of dispute among historians to this day.
When Prince Jacaerys Velaryon decided that the blacks needed more dragonriders during the Dance of the Dragons, many men on Dragonstone came forward to answer the prince's call. One of them, Addam of Hull, managed to bond with Seasmoke. When his younger brother Alyn tried to tame Sheepstealer, the dragon set fire to his cloak. Seasmoke drove off Sheepstealer as Addam used his own cloak to beat out the flames.
Not long after Addam had proven himself by flying Seasmoke, Lord Corlys Velaryon petitioned Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen to remove the taint of bastardy from Adam and Alyn. The queen complied, and legitmized the brothers. Addam of Hull, dragonseed and bastard, became Addam Velaryon and Corlys's heir to Driftmark.
When King's Landing fell to Rhaenyra, her dragonriders made their descent one by one. Once Prince Daemon Targaryen was certain there would be no harm, he signaled to his wife to descend upon Syrax. Addam remained aloft, flying Seasmoke around the city walls, the beat of his dragon's wide leathern wings a caution to those below that any defiance would be met with fire.
Once it was decided that Queen Rhaenyra would remain in King's Landing, Addam Velaryon remained with Seasmoke and Prince Joffrey Velaryon. Syrax, Seasmoke, and Tyraxes were expected to suffice for the defense of the city, and the rest of the dragonriders went to battle. Apart from Syrax, Seasmoke and the other dragons were kept in the Dragonpit. It had long been the custom for at least one dragonrider to reside in the pit, so as to be able to defend the city should it come under attack. Because the queen preferred to keep her dragon by her side, that duty fell to Ser Addam Velaryon.
After the treachery of the Two Betrayers in the First Battle of Tumbleton, many voices in the black council questioned Addam's loyalty. Only Lord Corlys, the Hand of the Queen, spoke in defense of the dragonseed, remarking that Addam and Alyn were "true Velaryons" and worthy of Driftmark. The Hand's impassioned protests were in vain, and Queen Rhaenyra, suspecting a turncloak, commanded Ser Luthor Largent to arrest Addam in the Dragonpit. Addam, who had been forewarned, managed to make his escape flying away with Seasmoke, fleeing before he could be put to the question. By ordering the arrest of Addam, the queen lost not only a dragon but her Hand as well. Corlys was beaten and imprisoned for warning Addam.
As the Second Battle of Tumbleton was put into motion, Addam was determined to prove that all bastards need not be turncloaks. The singers say that Addam flew from King's Landing to the Gods Eye where he landed on the sacred Isle of Faces and took counsel with the Green Men. Known fact says that he flew far and fast descending on castles great and small whose lords were loyal to the queen to piece together an army. By the time Addam was ready to descend on Tumbleton, he had almost four thousand men at his back.
Ser Addam attacked Tumbleton at night, taking the greens completely unawares. As chaos ensued, Addam could see the battle turning into a rout below him. By this time, two of the enemy dragonriders, Hugh Hammer and Prince Daeron the Daring, were dead; although Addam could not have known that, he could see the dragons Vermithor, Silverwing, and Tessarion. The riderless Tessarion took flight and Addam turned his dragon Seasmoke to meet her. Both being young dragons, they moved fast and nimbly as they fought. The fight ended when the riderless, enraged Vermithor rose into the sky and set about indiscriminately killing those on the ground.
As Vermithor wreaked carnage, Seasmoke fell upon him, driving him shrieking into the mud. According to Archmaester Gyldayn, Addam must have felt duty-bound to protect his men on the ground, though surely he knew in his heart Seasmoke could not match the older dragon. The riderless Tessarion soon joined the fray and all three dragons fought to the death on the ground amidst mud and blood and smoke.
After the battle, Lord Unwin Peake bowed to defeat and ordered a retreat, taking the remnants of the great host that Prince Daeron and Lord Ormund Hightower had led from Oldtown. Addam, the accused turncloak, had saved King's Landing from Rhaenyra's foes at the cost of his own life.
In 138 AC, the bones of Addam were returned to Driftmark from Raventree Hall. His brother Alyn, by then Lord of the Tides, put only the word "LOYAL" as the epitaph on Addam's tomb.
Ser Addam Whitehead is a knight from House Whitehead and the son and heir of old Lord Whitehead.
Arianne Martell's embassy to Jon Connington and the Golden Company lands at the Weeping Town, heading north to meet them at Griffin's Roost. While staying there, they overhear that half a hundred men and boys from the Weeping Town already left to join Jon at Griffin's Roost, including Ser Addam, old Lord Whitehead's son and heir.
George R. R. Martin apparently named the character after longtime *A Song of Ice and Fire* blogger Adam Whitehead.*.
Addam was a merchant of Duskendale and the subject of the *True Account of Addam of Duskendale's Journeys*.
Ser Addison Hill, known as the Bastard of Cornfield, was a knight from House Swyft who became Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.
Addison was chosen by Queen Visenya Targaryen to be one of the first knights of the Kingsguard when the order was founded in 10 AC by King Aegon I Targaryen.
Admiral of the Narrow Sea is a title devised by Stannis Baratheon and granted by him to Ser Davos Seaworth, along with that of Lord of the Rainwood, when he names the former smuggler as his Hand of the King.
Adrack Humble is an ironborn raider and a member of House Humble.
Adrack lost one of his arms in battle. He reportedly has a rock wife and three salt wives, three of whom were fat when Adrack left the Iron Islands.
During the siege of Moat Cailin, Ramsay Bolton sends Theon Greyjoy to give peace terms to the ironborn garrison, promising them food and safe passage. Adrack wants to surrender and kills Dagon Codd with a throwing axe when the latter objects. When he and the other ironborn march unarmed to the Bolton camp, Adrack tells Theon he will name a son after him in gratitude once he returns to the Iron Islands. That night, Theon hears Adrack screaming along with the other ironborn. The next day, Theon notices that, among the sixty-three flayed bodies of the ironmen displayed on pikes along the causeway, one of the bodies is one-armed.
Ser Adrian Redfort was a knight of House Redfort. He became a member of Rhaenyra Targaryen's Queensguard.
Adrian was killed in defense of Rhaenyra by the men of Ser Alfred Broome at Dragonstone. He was stabbed in the back by a spear.
Ser Adrian Tarbeck was a knight from House Tarbeck.
During the Dance of the Dragons, Adrian took control of the Lannister host after Lord Jason Lannister fell in the Battle at the Red Fork. Adrian was eventually succeeded as the host's leader by Lord Lefford, but it is unknown if Adrian died in battle or if he was removed for other reasons.
The captain of the Adventure. © FFG
The Adventure is a Volantene ship of sixty oars and a single sail. It has a long, lean hull which makes it fast. The captain of the ship uses it for smuggling. Prince Quentyn Martell notes that the ship stinks of rotten flesh.
While anchored in Volantis, Ser Gerris Drinkwater and Prince Quentyn Martell attempt to hire the ship to take them to Meereen. The captain agrees but only at three times the usual fee. Gerris and Quentyn realize that the captain will only take them far enough out to sea to kill them and make them disappear while keeping their gold.
Adventure stank.
- thoughts of Quentyn Martell
Gerris: How swift is your Adventure?
Captain: There is none swifter, honored lord. Adventure can run down the wind itself. Tell me where you wish to sail, and swiftly I shall bring you there.
- Gerris Drinkwater and the captain of the Adventure
Aegon is a first name of Valyrian origin. Characters named Aegon include:
Aegon's Conquest, and others submitted voluntarily.
The first and most prominent of the Wars of Conquest, Aegon's initial campaign lasted two years.
Lord Aenar Targaryen had moved his family to Dragonstone, the westernmost outpost of the Valyrian Freehold, twelve years before the Doom destroyed Valyria.
During the Century of Blood, multiple factions struggled for power in Essos. Towards the end of the Century of Blood, the young Lord Aegon Targaryen, rider of the dragon Balerion, was approached by the Free Cities of Pentos and Tyrosh to form an alliance. Aegon aided the alliance in defeating the Volantene fleet, after which he returned to Dragonstone. With the struggles for power in the east to an end, Aegon instead turned his attention to the west, to the lands that had always interested him.
Some believe that Aegon had never visited Westeros before his invasion, but there are reports of him having visited the Arbor and the Citadel and possibly Lannisport.
Harren Hoare, the King of the Isles and the Rivers, was nearing completion of his vast castle, Harrenhal, and was said to be looking for more conquests. Argilac had grown afraid of Harren and so proposed an alliance with Aegon to create a buffer zone between him and Harren. He offered the hand of his daughter, Argella, in marriage as well as dowry lands, though much of the lands were in the possession of Harren the Black. Aegon refused and instead offered the hand of his best friend and rumored bastard brother, Orys Baratheon. Argilac took this as a grave insult and had the hands of the envoy cut off. He sent them to Aegon with the message "These are the only hands you will receive".
Aegon called his banners and took counsel with them and his sisters, after which he sent ravens to the rulers in the Seven Kingdoms. He informed them that he would be the only king in Westeros and that those who bent the knee would keep their lands and titles, while those that did not he would destroy.
Meria Martell, Princess of Dorne, replied she would be Aegon's ally against the Storm King Argilac, but would not yield; Aegon rejected her offer. The Lord of Dragonstone also rejected Sharra Arryn, the Queen Regent of the Vale, who desired the eastern bank of the Green Fork from Harren, since Sharra offered Aegon an alliance and not submission.
The seven rulers at the time were:
Torrhen Stark, King in the North.
Ronnel Arryn, King of Mountain and Vale, a young boy whose mother, Sharra Arryn, ruled as Regent.
Harren Hoare, King of the Isles and the Rivers, known as Harren the Black.
Loren I Lannister, King of the Rock.
Mern IX Gardener, King of the Reach.
Argilac Durrandon, the Storm King, known as Argilac the Arrogant.
Meria Martell, Princess of Dorne, a blind, balding woman of 80. Known as the Yellow Toad.
Main article: Aegon's Landing
The war began in 2 BC when Aegon Targaryen and his two sister-wives Rhaenys and Visenya landed with fewer than 1,600 men
House Rosby yielded Rosby to Rhaenys, while House Stokeworth surrendered to Visenya after Vhagar used dragonfire on the roof of Stokeworth.
Aegon's first test came form Lord Darklyn of Duskendale and Lord Mooton of Maidenpool, who joined their power and marched south with three thousand men. Aegon sent Orys Baratheon to meet them on the march, whist he descended on them from above with Balerion. After both lords were slain, Darklyn's son and Mooton's brother, Jon Mooton, yielded their castles and swore their swords to House Targaryen.
Queen Visenya placed a Valyrian steel circlet, studded with rubies, on her brother's head and Queen Rhaenys hailed him as "Aegon, First of His Name, King of All Westeros, and Shield of His People."
See also: Battle in the waters off Gulltown
Aegon sent his fleet commanded by Daemon Velaryon to take Gulltown with Visenya and Vhagar. A hastily assembled Arryn fleet, augmented by a dozen Braavosi warships, met and defeated the Targaryen fleet in a battle in the waters off Gulltown. Among the dead was Aegon's admiral, Daemon. Visenya descended on the Arryn fleet and burned their ships.
Rebellion broke out on the Three Sisters, when the Sistermen renounced their allegiance to House Aryn of the Eyrie and declared their queen to be Lady Marla Sunderland.
See also: Burning of Harrenhal
Aegon used his dragons to overcome Harrenhal's defenses (depiction by Rene Aigner©)
Aegon marched northwest to the Gods Eye and Harrenhal, but he was attacked by House Hoare twice on the south shore of the Gods Eye. The Battle of the Reeds was a Targaryen victory, but they suffered heavy losses at the Wailing Willows when two of King Harren the Black's sons crossed the lake in longboats with muffled oars and fell upon their rear. Balerion fell upon the victors as they were crossing back across the lake, burning Harren's longboats and sons as well.
Harren summoned the river lords to defend Harrenhal, but they rose against the Hoares under the leadership of Lord Edmyn Tully of Riverrun. One by one the river lords joined their strength to Aegon, with Edmyn being the first to do so. Suddenly outnumbered, King Harren the Black took refuge in his supposedly impregnable stronghold. Aegon met Harren at the gates, under a peace banner to parley.
Aegon: Yield now, and you may remain as Lord of the Iron Islands. Yield now, and your sons will live to rule after you. I have eight thousand men outside your walls.
Harren: What is outside my walls is of no concern to me. Those walls are strong and thick.
Aegon: But not so high as to keep out dragons. Dragons fly.
Harren: I built in stone. Stone does not burn.
Aegon: When the sun sets, your line shall end.
Descending from the sky atop Balerion, Aegon used dragonflame against the great castle, and Harren and his sons died in the burning of Harrenhal.
The next day Aegon accepted an oath of fealty from Edmyn Tully, and named him Lord Paramount of the Trident. The other river lords did homage as well, to Aegon as king and Edmyn as liege lord of the riverlands. The melted swords of Harren's ironborn were sent to the Aegonfort.
See also: Last Storm
While Aegon dealt with Harrenhal, the greater part of his host crossed the Blackwater Rush heading south for Storm's End under the command of Orys Baratheon, with Queen Rhaenys Targaryen accompanying him astride Meraxes. While the Storm King Argilac Durrandon gathered his bannermen to Storm's End, pirates from the Stepstones raided Cape Wrath and Dornishmen from the Red Mountains attacked the Dornish Marches.
Lords Errol, Fell and Buckler, bannermen of Argilac the Arrogant, surprised the advance elements of Orys's host as they were crossing the Wendwater, cutting down more then a thousand men before retreating back into the trees. Rhaenys unleashed Meraxes and set the forest ablaze, killing Lord Errol.
Word of King Harren's end having reached Storm's End, Argilac rode north to meet his foes in the field. After being advised through Rhaenys's reconnaissance, Orys fortified a strong position on the hills south of Bronzegate and waited for Argilac's stormlanders.
In what became known as the Last Storm, Argilac attacked the Baratheon and Targaryen forces during a howling gale. The Storm King and his knights broke through Orys's center during their third charge, but they then faced Queen Rhaenys. Meraxes's dragonflame killed the personal guard of Argilac, who was thrown from the saddle. Orys offered him to yield, but Argilac cursed him instead. After Orys slew the wounded Storm King in single combat, the stormlanders threw down their swords and fled.
Argilac's daughter, Argella Durrandon, barred the gates of Storm's End and declared herself Storm Queen. The castle's soldiers, however, eventually delivered her to Orys's camp.
Following the death of Harren the Black at Harrenhal, Aegon sent his sister-queen Visenya to demand the submission of Crackclaw Point. Its lords understood they had no chance, so they laid their swords at her feet. Visenya took them as her own men and they would owe no fealty but to the Iron Throne. They bent the knee to her without qualm, and in return she promised them that they would be direct vassals of the Targaryens.
See also: Field of Fire
Meanwhile, the two great western kings made common cause and assembled their own armies. From Highgarden marched Mern IX Gardener, King of the Reach, with a mighty host from the Reach. Beneath the walls of Goldengrove he met Loren Lannister, King of the Rock, leading his own host from the westerlands. Together they commanded the mightiest host ever seen in Westeros: an army fifty five thousand strong, including over five thousand knights. The two kings did not linger at Goldengrove, marching north.
The Host of the Two Kings, numbered 55,000
Advised of their coming in his camp beside the Gods Eye, Aegon gathered his own forces and advanced to meet them. He commanded only one fifth the men and was able to more quickly move his host. At the town of Stoney Sept, both his queens joined him with their dragons, Rhaenys from Storm's End and Visenya from Crackclaw Point.
The two armies came together amongst the wide open plains south of the Blackwater Rush. House Gardener commanded the center of the allied army, with House Lannister the right and House Oakheart the left. The charge of their knights began to break the Targaryen army, but Aegon and his sisters attacked from the air with their dragons. Over five thousand died in this Field of Fire, while tens of thousands were wounded. Mern and his kin all were all mortally wounded from the battle, ending House Gardener. Loren managed to escape, but he and the Lannister bannermen yielded to Aegon after being captured the following day. Loren was named Aegon's Warden of the West.
Aegon marched at once for Highgarden, hoping to secure its surrender. He found the castle in the hands of its steward, Harlen Tyrell, who yielded the castle without a fight and pledged his support to Aegon. In reward Harlen was granted Highgarden and named Warden of the South and Lord Paramount of the Mander.
Torrhen Stark bended the knee
Aegon's next planned to secure Oldtown, the Arbor, and Dorne, but while at Highgarden he learned that Torrhen Stark, King in the North, had crossed the Neck with an army of northmen some thirty thousand strong. In response, Aegon and his queens gathered the lords and knights who had already yielded to House Targaryen.
When Torrhen's northmen reached the Trident, they found a Targaryen host half again their size south of the river, including men from the Reach, riverlands, stormlands, and westerlands. Some northern lords wanted to attack, while others wanted to fortify Moat Cailin. Brandon Snow offered to assassinate the sleeping Targaryen dragons. With Harrenhal and the Field of Fire in mind, however, Torrhen instead sent Brandon with maesters to negotiate a peace. The following day Torrhen crossed the Trident and yielded to Aegon, becoming Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. Torrhen has subsequently been known as the King Who Knelt.
In response to the Targaryen successes, Sharra Arryn, Queen Regent of the Vale, strengthened the defenses at Gulltown, moved a host to the Bloody Gate, and tripled the garrisons at the way-castles which guard the Eyrie. Sharra made Aegon an offer of marriage and alliance if he named as his heir her son, Ronnel Arryn, the young King of Mountain and Vale, but was refused.
Despite Aegon's refusal, House Arryn felt secure in the Vale. Visenya Targaryen, however, flew Vhagar to the Eyrie's inner courtyard, and Sharra found sitting on the knee of Aegon's queen her son Ronnel, who asked to fly on the dragon. After flying three times around the Giant's Lance on Vhagar, Ronnel became Lord of the Eyrie and Aegon's Warden of the East.
Rather than confront the Dornish spearmen guarding the Prince's Pass in the Red Mountains, Rhaenys Targaryen flew above the pass on Meraxes to Vaith and Godsgrace, but found the castles abandoned. When Rhaenys reached the Planky Town, she found only women and children. At Sunspear, seat of House Martell, she found Meria Martell, the aged Princess of Dorne, waiting in her abandoned castle.
Meria: I will not fight you, nor will I kneel to you. Dorne has no king. Tell your brother that.
Rhaenys: I shall, but we will come again, Princess, and next time we shall come with fire and blood.
Meria: Your words, Ours are Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken. You may burn us, my lady, but you will not bend us, break us, or make us bow. This is Dorne. You are not wanted here. Return at your peril.
Thus queen and princess parted and Dorne remained unconquered.
When word of Aegon's Landing reached Oldtown, the High Septon locked himself in the Starry Sept for seven days and nights, seeking after the guidance of the Seven. On the seventh day, the Crone allegedly lifted her golden lamp and showed that Oldtown would burn if the city opposed the Targaryens. Manfred Hightower, Lord of the Hightower, decided not to oppose Aegon by force of arms and House Hightower therefore was not involved with the Field of Fire.
When Aegon and his host approached Oldtown they found the city gates open and Lord Hightower riding forth in submission. Three days later in the Starry Sept, the High Septon anointed Aegon with the seven oils, placed a crown upon his head and proclaimed him Aegon of House Targaryen, the First of His Name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm. This marked the official beginning of Aegon's reign.
Now in control of six of the Seven Kingdoms and known as the Conqueror, Aegon I Targaryen announced he would rule not from Dragonstone or Oldtown, but from the Aegonfort and the new city growing around it, King's Landing. Aegon had melted the swords of those who had opposed him into the Iron Throne, a reminder of their submission to the Targaryens.
The Iron Islands fell into chaos after the death of Harren the Black, leading Aegon to invade in 2 AC and force the surviving lords of the ironborn to submit. Aegon allowed them to choose Lord Vickon Greyjoy as the new Lord of the Iron Islands.
Aegon Targaryen conquered Westeros with dragons.
Aegon's Hill, illustrated by Franz Miklis © Fantasy Flight Games
Aegon's High Hill
When Lord Aegon Targaryen sailed from Dragonstone at the start of the War of Conquest, he chose the mouth of the Blackwater Rush as the site of his first base of operations. The Aegonfort, a crude wood-and-earth fortifications, was built on the tall hill that would later be given his name.
Aegon's Landing, in 2 BC, was the event in which Aegon Targaryen, Lord of Dragonstone, arrived at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush on the mainland of Westeros with the intention of conquering the continent. Aegon landed in Westeros on the same day that Harren the Black took residence in the finally-completed Harrenhal.
Aegon's Conquest, the first of the Wars of Conquest, lasted for more than two years and ended with Aegon I anointed king by the High Septon in Oldtown. remaining independent.
Aegon's first test marked the first substantial hostilities during Aegon Targaryen's war of conquest toward the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. It was a one-sided battle, however, due to the presence of Aegon's dragon, Balerion.
Aegon Targaryen, Lord of Dragonstone, landed at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush, where he built the Aegonfort on the northern bank of the river. Aegon's manpower varied from hundreds to three thousand depending on the source. Nearby Rosby and Stokeworth submitted to House Targaryen after minimal resistance.
Opposition came from Lord Darklyn of Duskendale and Lord Mooton of Maidenpool, who joined their power and marched south with three thousand men. Aegon sent Orys Baratheon to meet them on the march with the Targaryen soldiers, whilst he descended on them from above with Balerion. Lords Darklyn and Mooton were both killed in the overwhelming Targaryen victory.
After the deaths of their lords, Mooton's brother, Jon, and Darklyn's son yielded their castles and swore their swords to House Targaryen. Visenya, one of Aegon's sisters, claimed the riches of Duskendale, which at the time was the principal port on the narrow sea, greatly expanding the Targaryens' resources. After the submission of a dozen local castles, Lord Aegon was proclaimed King Aegon I Targaryen at the Aegonfort.
Ser Aegon Ambrose was a knight of House Ambrose and a member of the Warrior's Sons at the start of the reign of King Maegor I Targaryen.
In 42 AC, Ser Aegon stationed at the King's Landing chapter of the Warrior's Sons, based in the Sept of Remembrance. He fought in the trial of seven in which seven of the Warrior's Sons faced King Maegor I Targaryen and his six champions. Ser Aegon died during the fight.
Aegon Blackfyre was the eldest son of Daemon Blackfyre and the twin of Aemon Blackfyre. Aegon was Daemon's heir and squired for his father.
Aegon was the oldest of the children of Daemon I Blackfyre. He had a twin brother, Aemon, and five younger brothers, Daemon, Haegon, Aenys, and two whose names are currently unknown. He also had at least two sisters.
The twins liked to bully their younger brother Daemon and Daemon's friend, Alyn Cockshaw.
The Raven's Teeth had gained the top of Weeping Ridge, and Bloodraven saw his half brother's royal standard three hundred yards away, and Daemon and his sons beneath it. He slew Aegon first, the elder of the twins, for he knew that Daemon would never leave the boy whilst warmth lingered in his body, though white shafts fell like rain.
- Eustace Osgrey to Duncan the Tall
Aegon and Aemon. Wretched witless bullies, just like you. When we were little, they took pleasure in tormenting me and Daemon both.
- Alyn Cockshaw to Duncan the Tall
I dreamed it. This pale white castle, you, a dragon bursting from an egg, I dreamed it all, just as I once dreamed of my brothers lying dead. They were twelve and I was only seven, so they laughed at me, and died. I am two-and-twenty now, and I trust my dreams.
- Daemon II Blackfyre to Duncan the Tall
Aegon Frey can refer to:
For other articles sharing the same title, please see this disambiguation page.
Aegon Frey, better known as Aegon Bloodborn, is the eldest son of Ser Aenys Frey and Tyana Wylde. He became an outlaw.
For other articles sharing the same title, please see this disambiguation page.
Aegon Frey, called Jinglebell, is the lackwit son of Ser Stevron Frey, and the fool of the Twins.
See also: Images of Aegon Frey (Jinglebell)
Aegon is about fifty, thin and stooped. He has long grey hair.
Aegon wears fine blue wool and grey satin, as well as a crown and collar decorated with small brass bells.
Lord Walder Frey claims to have hosted three kings at the Twins,
Jinglebell is not in attendance when Catelyn Stark negotiates with his grandfather, Lord Walder Frey, at the Twins.
Ser Stevron Frey, Aegon's father and the heir of Lord Walder, dies after the Battle of Oxcross. but Jinglebell is not known to have any offspring.
When Robb Stark, King of the Trident, comes to the Twins to apologize for breaking his marriage vows, Lord Walder Frey has Jinglebell present when he receives Robb. The king's mother, Catelyn Stark, interprets this as an intentionally insulting breach of courtesy. Regardless, Robb compliments the bravery of Aegon's late father, Ser Stevron.
During the wedding feast of Lord Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey, Aegon prances to "Alysanne", and he covers his ears when the Greatjon sings "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" while musicians play "Flowers of Spring".
After the killing begins in the Red Wedding, Aegon hides under a table. Catelyn seizes Jinglebell, however, and threatens to kill him if Walder does not release Robb, who has been struck by arrows. Walder replies that he would readily trade a half-wit grandson for a son. After Robb is stabbed by Lord Roose Bolton, Catelyn saws through Aegon's throat, killing him.
Before being hanged by the brotherhood without banners, Merrett Frey uses the murder of Aegon as a justification for the Red Wedding.
Ser Jared Frey claims to the Merman's Court that Robb was a warg who tore out Jinglebell's throat.
Did he always wear a fool's crown, or is that meant as mockery of Robb?
– Catelyn Stark's thoughts
Walder: Sire, forgive my Aegon the noise. He has less wits than a crannogman, and he's never met a king before. One of Stevron's boys. We call him Jinglebell.
Robb: Ser Stevron mentioned him, my lord. Well met, Aegon. Your father was a brave man.
– Walder Frey and Robb Stark
Catelyn: On my honor as a Tully, on my honor as a Stark, I will trade your boy's life for Robb's. A son for a son.
Walder: A son for a son, heh. But that's a grandson ... and he never was much use.
- Catelyn Stark and Walder Frey
Aegon, we called him Jinglebell, a poor lackwit never hurt anyone, Lady Stark cut his throat.
– Merrett Frey to Lem
The Red Wedding was the Young Wolf's work. He changed into a beast before our eyes and tore out the throat of my cousin Jinglebell, a harmless simpleton.
- Jared Frey to Wyman Manderly
For other articles sharing the same title, please see this disambiguation page.
Aegon III Targaryen, also known as Aegon the Younger, and later Aegon the Dragonbane, was the seventh Targaryen king to sit the Iron Throne.
Aegon had dark purple eyes and pale silvery hair.
After the Dance of the Dragons, Aegon became brooding, cold, and melancholy. He always dressed in black.
Born in the last days of 120 AC, Aegon was the first-born son of his father, Prince Daemon Targaryen, and the fourth-born son of his mother, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. As per Targaryen tradition, a dragon's egg was placed in his cradle, and Stormcloud eventually hatched from this egg.
Aegon was named after Aegon the Conqueror.
Aegon the Younger had three older half-brothers, Princes Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey Velaryon, from his mother's first marriage, to Ser Laenor Velaryon, and two older half-sisters, Princesses Baela and Rhaena Targaryen, from his mother's second marriage, to Prince Daemon. Two years after Aegon's birth, Rhaenyra gave birth to another boy, Viserys, named after the boys' grandfather.
Aegon lived with his mother, father, brothers, and half-sisters on Dragonstone, the ancestral seat of House Targaryen and his mother's seat as the Princess of Dragonstone. When his grandfather died in early 129 AC, Aegon and his family were away from the capital, as Rhaenyra was pregnant for the sixth time. This led to the birth of Aegon's sister, Visenya, but the girl was stillborn.
Main article: Dance of the Dragons
A war of succession began with the death of Aegon's grandfather, King Viserys I Targaryen. Though Aegon's mother, Rhaenyra Targaryen, had been named heir to the Iron Throne by Viserys, Aegon the Younger's half-uncle, Aegon the Elder, was crowned King Aegon II in King's Landing. This resulted in the Dance of the Dragons.
In 129 AC, at the behest of their half-brother Jacaerys Velaryon, Aegon and his younger brother Viserys were sent to Essos while their mother Rhaenyra secured the Iron Throne.
Upon learning what had happened, fearing for the life of their brother Viserys, Prince Jacaerys flew to the fleet on his dragon, Vermax, but both died in the Battle of the Gullet that ensued.
When Queen Rhaenyra took King's Landing in 130 AC, she named Aegon the Younger her cupbearer after he joined her from Dragonstone. Aegon hardly spoke a word during this time. After the Storming of the Dragonpit, he and Rhaenyra were forced to flee the capital. Rhaenyra, nearly mad with grief from losing her dragon Syrax and all her children except Aegon, refused to be parted from him at any time, and he became a "small pale shadow" to his mother.
Unaware of the fall of Dragonstone, mother and son returned to see the charred corpses of the castellan, Ser Robert Quince, and some others who had been loyal to Rhaenyra hanging from the gates. Aegon was the first to realize what it meant and cried *"Mother, flee!"* but it was too late. They were brought into the courtyard, where Aegon II was waiting. Young Aegon watched in horror as his uncle's dragon, Sunfyre, devoured his mother. advised King Aegon II to kill the young Aegon, but the king decided to keep his nephew captive in the dungeon of Dragonstone.
The death of Rhaenyra did not end the war. Following the victory of Lord Kermit Tully and the Lads over the greens of Lord Borros Baratheon at the Battle of the Kingsroad half a year later, Aegon II was murdered by his own men.
See also: Regency of Aegon III
Since Aegon came to the Iron Throne aged eleven, several regents and Hands ruled in his name at the beginning of his reign. Numerous political schemes, plots, and assassinations happened in those five years as the regents fought one another for political power. Aegon's only companion in these first years was Gaemon Palehair, a former pretender to the throne, and now Aegon's servant, friend, whipping boy, and eventual food taster.
Aegon was married to his cousin, Princess Jaehaera Targaryen, in 131 AC. As Jaehaera was the only surviving child of the late Aegon II Targaryen, the match was a political one, so both bloodlines could be seen to hold the throne in the hope of uniting the Seven Kingdoms and the factions who fought for each side. Since Jaehaera was eight years old at the time of the marriage, and Aegon was eleven, it was not consummated. Two years later, the marriage ended childless when Jaehaera died, of suicide or perhaps murder.
Aegon later married Lady Daenaera Velaryon. She was only six years old when Aegon's half-sisters, Rhaena and Baela, presented her to him, the last of a thousand maids at the great ball of 133 AC. This ball had been declared by the Hand, Lord Unwin Peake, after the regents stopped his efforts to betroth his own daughter to the king. However, Lord Peake did not give up his attempts, and was greatly frustrated by Aegon's choice of Daenaera. His efforts to have the marriage put aside were opposed by both Aegon and the other regents, and resulted in his resignation as Hand in 134 AC. Later, an attempted poisoning was made on Aegon and Daenaera, which resulted in the death of Aegon's friend and food taster Gaemon Palehair.
Aegon had only one true joy during the years of his regency: the return of his younger brother, Prince Viserys, in 134 AC or 135 AC. It was thought that Viserys had been killed at the Battle of the Gullet, and Aegon had never forgiven himself for abandoning his brother when he fled on Stormcloud. Viserys was eventually recovered from Lys by Admiral Alyn Velaryon, where he had been held in secret by merchant princes. The ransom was enormous, but Viserys's release was a joy regardless, and for the rest of his days he was the only person Aegon ever fully trusted.
Viserys came to King's Landing with his new wife Larra Rogare and several of her kin. The ambitious Rogare family soon became embroiled in the conflicts of Aegon's regency. Although the Rogares at the Red Keep were apparently guilty of some crimes, their rivals in King's Landing blamed them for many more. In 135 AC, Lord Thaddeus Rowan was tortured in an attempt to find evidence against the Rogares, and Ser Marston Waters, the Hand of the King, sent men to capture Larra after arresting her brothers. Aegon and Viserys refused to surrender Larra, however, and the case against the Rogares collapsed.
After Aegon came of age in 136 AC, he dismissed the regents and his Hand of the King, and named Prince Viserys as his Hand. Viserys served as Hand during the remaining years of Aegon's reign, and during the reigns of both of Aegon's sons. The crown dealt with several pretenders claiming to be Daeron the Daring, who perished during the Second Battle of Tumbleton but whose body had never been found or identified.
As king, Aegon III strove to give the realm peace and plenty, but his coldness kept him from courting his lords and people. Aegon is often blamed for the death of the last dragon, having had a great distaste for dragons after the tragic death of Stormcloud and because he witnessed his mother being devoured by Sunfyre.
Aegon was regarded as a broken king who ruled over a broken reign. His brother Viserys did the majority of the ruling as his Hand. Aegon was melancholy to the end of his days, found pleasure in almost nothing, and locked himself in his room to brood for days on end. He likewise came to dislike being touched, even by his beautiful wife and queen, Daenaera. Though their marriage was eventually fruitful, it was said Aegon took a long time to come to her bed, even after she flowered. His marriage to Daenaera gave him two sons, Daeron (born 143 AC) and Baelor (born 144 AC), and three daughters, Daena (born 145 AC), Rhaena, and Elaena (born 150 AC).
The reign of the Broken King ended with the Aegon the Younger's death at thirty-six years of age, from consumption, in 157 AC. Many of his subjects thought him far older, for his boyhood had been cut short, and the melancholy king is not remembered fondly.
Aegon III was succeeded by his fourteen-year-old son Daeron. Aegon was said to have always walked with a great grief, and the folly of his sons nearly tore the realm apart. After both Daeron and Baelor died childless, Aegon's brother Viserys II was crowned king. Viserys was followed by his own son, Aegon IV Targaryen.
Aegon's line did not discontinue altogether. Aegon's daughter, Daena the Defiant, had a bastard child, with her cousin, Prince Aegon. This bastard, eventually known as Daemon Blackfyre, became the first of the Blackfyre Pretenders, and contested his cousin Daeron II Targaryen, the legitimate son of Aegon IV Targaryen, for the Iron Throne. Daemon created his own House, House Blackfyre, and had seven sons and at least two daughters. The Blackfyre line continued for quite some time, until Maelys Blackfyre was slain during the War of the Ninepenny Kings in 260 AC.
Princess Elaena Targaryen also continued Aegon's line. She was married three times, and gave birth to seven children. Her first two children were illegitimate, fathered by Lord Alyn Velaryon: Jon and Jeyne Waters. Descendants of Jon live until this day, under the name Longwaters. Subsequently she married Lord Ossifer Plumm, by whom she had one child, Viserys Plumm (though he is rumored to have actually been fathered by King Aegon IV); and Lord Ronnel Penrose, by whom she had four children (Robin Penrose, Laena Penrose, Jocelyn Penrose, and Joy Penrose). Her third and final marriage, to Ser Michael Manwoody, was childless.
During the reign of King Aegon his small council had the following known members:
The regency council of Aegon III, as originally constituted, consisted of:
Subsequent replacements:
Regents chosen by lot at the Great Council of 136 AC:
On the Dothraki sea, Daenerys Targaryen thinks about dragons and what her brother Viserys told her of the last dragons. He had said that they died during the reign of Aegon III, the Dragonbane, no more than a century and a half ago, which does not seem so long ago to Daenerys.
After King Joffrey I Baratheon has ended his betrothal to Sansa Stark and has become engaged to Margaery Tyrell, he informs Sansa that he can still sleep with her, if he wants to. He tells her that *"One of the Aegons"* had a lot of whores, but fails to remember which Aegon it was, exactly, causing him to (incorrectly) list Aegon III as a possibility.
While discussing dragons, the acolyte Armen tells the nocive Roone that the last dragon died during the reign of King Aegon III Targaryen. However, Mollander, another novice, insists it was only the last dragon in Westeros who had died during Aegon's reign, against which Armen argues that the last dragon in Westeros had been the last dragon anywhere.
Daenerys Targaryen remembers the stories her brother Viserys had told her, including the story about how Aegon III had seen his own mother, Rhaenyra Targaryen, devoured by the dragon of King Aegon II Targaryen.
I mean to give the smallfolk peace and food and justice. If that will not suffice to win their love, let Mushroom make a progress. Or perhaps we might send a dancing bear. Someone once told me that the commons love nothing half so much as dancing bears. You may call a halt to this feast tonight as well. Send the lords home to their own keeps and give the food to the hungry. Full bellies and dancing bears shall be my policy.
– the account of Grand Maester Munkun on the king's words to Torrhen Manderly upon ending the regency