The Official Re-Read of Book 1: A Game Of Thrones

[Avaleigh]

Book Renly is such an asshole about his own niece, that's my one big D&D whitewashing gripe. If this is how he talks about his own flesh and blood, then I totally believe that he was only good to Bri in person and sniggered with Loras about her looks behind her back.

As I believe Loras later tells Jaime.

All of the Baratheon bros are meant to be assholes, just like the three York bros were murdering assholes. If Bobby is Eddie IV, and Stan is Dickie III, then Renly is George of Clarence, and D&D making him a foolish pretender who only meant well is like Shakespeare turning Georgieboy into one of Gloucester's victims.

 

I'm glad the show nixed the Renly scheming to Anne Boleyn Margy with King Bob plot, since the thought of super fat and almost always aggressively drunk Robert with a 14yo squicks me out. I do wanna say that I think this plot means Book Renly did know about the twincest and was just waiting til Bob/Marg were a confirmed coupling before revealing it to him, because otherwise Mace and Loras are only signing on to make her stepmother to the real heirs, which is not a great gig for such a valuable bride.

 

The other thing I wanted to say about Renly is that his green-and-gold armor and green-and-gold doublets seem like the earliest hint of Renly/Loras. Wouldn't you expect the king's brother to wear the royal colors instead of his former squire's? At the very least, it shows obvious Tyrell sympathies.

 

I don't think it's just an issue of trust, so much as it being hard to undo a lie that big after years and years. When he first told it, he and Cat barely knew each other so he really couldn't trust her, and since then he's just been doing his best to repress and ignore this secret whenever the memory bubbles up in his mind. It's also hard to judge without knowing the terms of his promise to Lyanna, maybe she made him promise not to share Jon's paternity with another soul, and that's why he's so determined to take it to his grave.

 

I do think Ned needs to lighten the hell up about this tourney, but maybe the tourney at Harrenhal ruined the whole concept for him.

 

No, your memory's fine. It's mentioned at least once that he's from the Reach, but the Tyrells aren't namedropped as overlords.

 

I sometimes forget that book Margaery is only three years older than Sansa. Yeah, the idea of her being married to Robert doesn't exactly sound like a fun time for Margaery. 

 

I agree with you that Renly likely already knows about the incest. I'm pretty surprised about his comment on Shireen. I have to think that some of that is down to Renly's feelings about Stannis himself and so some of that spills over on to Shireen. Fair point though that it seems Renly likely made fun of

Brienne behind Brienne's back.

 

I guess it's possible too that after x amount of years lying that telling Catelyn the truth at that point might have been hurtful to her to the point of it damaging their relationship.  

 

Are you planning to do a Clash re-read after Game? No pressure, though, maybe some of us can alternate the chapter summaries since it feels like an unfair burden on you to do for multiple books

 

 

Re: Clash, I was planning on it but I feel like anybody who wants to do a summary should be able to if they want. I definitely don't want anyone to think that I'm trying to take over by doing it all. I would definitely love to read somebody else's take on chapter summaries if they're up for it. 

 

I basically thought it would be good to have summaries for the reread as something to give us a chance to look at the chapter in a different way and something that wasn't just ripped from the asoiaf wiki. I find it helpful to quickly skim just to remind me of what the main points were in the chapter. My hope was that doing the summaries might get me to notice things that I might not have otherwise caught so I'd totally be happy to read somebody else's interpretation of them if they're up for it. 

 

It might be a bit much for everyone but I was hoping to do a rearead of all five books and that this would hopefully (hopefully) lead us up to the release of TWoW. 

 

Right now I was down with maybe doing one chapter a day for AGoT unless that seems like too much for people. I guess if anybody wants to do a summary maybe PM me and then I won't do one for that chapter? 

[benteen]

I always hated Renly for his comment about Shireen.  You want to rip Stannis and Selyse, fine...those two make it really easy.  But the fact that he would talk about his harmless niece like that really revealed to me the true Renly.  He liked to cultivate a friendly "man of the people" image but he really could care less about them.  The show did whitewash his more negative aspects.

[Holmbo]

So, that moment with Renly and Ned where Renly is showing Ned Margaery's picture, for a second I was surprised that Renly was already apparently thinking about marrying Margaery but then I realized that Renly was trying to get Ned to say that the miniature looked like Lyanna so that Renly could go running to Robert saying that even Ned Stark says that Margaery looks like Lyanna so why don't you meet her and then we can see what to do about getting rid of Cersei.

Thanks for that clarification. I didn't get at all why Renly would ask Ned if his bride looked like Lyanna. But your take on it makes total sense.

I guess this chapter does indeed reveal Renly as an ashole. I didn't even think about what the comment ment about him because I was to busy being sad about the Stannis and Shireen mention.

Him rebelling against Stannis later shows his lack of affection for his niece though. He'd have to kill her in order to secure the throne for himself right? Or would it be enough to send her to the silent sisters or something? I'm thinking that would be risky.

I love all the clues the pot boy gives Ned.

Jon Arryn had taken an interest in the breeding of hunting hounds :)

On your first read how long did it take you to figure out what he knew?

I don't remember for sure myself but I don't think I got it before Ned did.

[Avaleigh]

I love how annoyed the armorer is when he realizes that Ned isn't going to be dropping any money at his place. Also liked the way he name dropped Loras and Renly. The best moment though was Ned sort of cheekily insulting the guy buy making that comment about how he knows where to go if he wants to get a helm that'll be frightening to a little kid. Lol that the guy didn't get how silly his comment was. 

 

I can't recall if I put together what Jon Arryn had been looking for or not but I feel like it might have clicked into place for me before it did for Ned. Specifically I feel like I knew before he had that moment with Sansa but I can't recall exactly when. My memory might be jogged at some point as we go on. 

 

Agreed that Renly seems like kind of a jerk. He's funny though. I'll give him that. The line about Stannis and the look of grim determination to do his duty--too funny because of the truth in it. Robert totally would have laughed his ass off if he'd been there to hear that one. 

[Avaleigh]

Catelyn V

 

Rodrik Cassel is fussing a bit over Catelyn and wants to make sure that her head is covered now that it has started to rain, but Catelyn wants to feel the rain on her face because it takes her back to her happy childhood at Riverrun where she and Lysa would make Littlefinger eat mud pies until he was sick.

 

Rodrik thinks they deserve a warm meal after all of their traveling so Catelyn suggests they go to an inn that is coming up at the crossroads. Rodrik think it's too risky for them to stay at an inn if they don't want to be seen but before they can discuss the matter further a party of Mallisters rides up.

 

Catelyn watches Jason Mallister for a bit and notes that he attended her wedding and had presented the couple with some lavish gifts. When Jason fails to recognize Catelyn after he nods a greeting to her, she decides that it'll be fine for them to stay at the inn after all.

 

It's dark by the time they reach the inn and after Catelyn has changed into some dry clothes, she thinks about how much she'd like to take the road to visit her father but ultimately decides against it since he's been bedridden for the past two years and probably shouldn't be troubled.

 

The road to the Vale is a more dangerous path than the road to Riverrun but Catelyn thinks that Lysa might have some of the answers that she and Ned are looking for in order to bring the Lannisters down.

 

Catelyn wants to travel to the Vale but she's concerned that she isn't traveling with enough protection with only Ser Rodrik serving as her official guard. She tells herself that the Eyrie and Riverrun both will have to wait and that her place is at Winterfell.

 

Catelyn thinks for awhile about the lords of the Riverlands and some of their history including how the "Late" Lord Walder Frey earned his nickname.

 

Catelyn thinks to herself that they can't let the situation come to war. She thinks that they should try to be as incognito as possible but Ser Rodrik can't help but slip and address her as he would address a noblewoman.
 
A singer starts talking with them and it seems he's bound for King's Landing so that he can see the tourney. The singer talks about how he wants to gamble and Rodrik chastises the kid, Marillion, saying that the gods don't like gambling.

 

It becomes clear that Rodrik has little patience with singers (or at least male singers) and he makes it clear to Marillion that there's no way in hell that he's going to pay him to hear any of his singing.

 

Seeing that he isn't getting anywhere with Ser Rodrik, Marillion's attention turns to Catelyn so he starts bragging and telling tall tales about all of the places and castles that he's visited in the realm. Not being aware of Catelyn's identity, he starts talking about how he's friends with her brother Edmure and Catelyn knows that he's totally full of shit but she just smiles and listens and then asks him if he's ever been to Winterfell. Marillion makes it clear that he doesn't think Winterfell is a place that is worth visiting and even goes so far to say that the Starks don't know anything about music. 

 

As Marillion continues to chatter away, Catelyn and Rodrik are unnerved to see that Tyrion Lannister of all people has just come into the inn in the company of three other men. The innkeeper tells Tyrion that they're totally booked up because of the tourney.

 

All Tyrion has to do is flash a gold coin and in seconds he has a freerider who is willing to give up his room to Tyrion.

 

Tyrion then asks the innkeeper about food and Catelyn thinks to herself that she hopes he chokes on it.

 

It seems like Tyrion isn't going to take notice of Catelyn's presence but then Cat's new friend Marillion has to jump up and offer to sing for Tyrion about Tywin Lannister's "great victory" at King's Landing. Tyrion is like 'yeah, not interested' and is just about to turn away when he sees Catelyn. He greets her warmly and tells her that he was sorry he missed her at Winterfell.

 

Catelyn rises to her feet and thinks to herself if only Tyrion had lingered at the Wall. She identifies herself, looks around the room, and starts calling out men who are loyal to her father and House Tully.

 

Tyrion tries to get cute and says that it's nice that Hoster Tully has a lot of friends but whatever mild amusement Tyrion was feeling pretty much dies on the spot once  Catelyn tells the men present that Tyrion came into her home and conspired to murder her seven year old son. She asks them to arrest Tyrion in the name of the King and bring him back to Winterfell so that he might face the king's justice.

 

After she says this about a dozen guys draw their swords on Tyrion.

Edited June 19, 2015 by Avaleigh

[WearyTraveler]

I think I guesses it before Ned too, but, off course, we had the benefit of knowing Jaime and Cersei were sleeping together in the very first chapter.  Aso, I think that had she been sleeping with anybody else, other than Jaime, the secret would have been harder to keep.  He's her brother and a King's Guard.  It's perfectly acceptable for him to be around her and/or in her chambers.

Edited June 19, 2015 by WearyTraveler

[Avaleigh]

Can we all just take a moment to appreciate the fact that one of Catelyn's fondest childhood memories are of the times she and Lysa had Littlefinger eating mud pies until he'd make himself sick? 

 

Another thing that I've been meaning to address with regard to the relationship of Littlefinger and Catelyn--I find it amusing that Catelyn insists that LF is like a brother to her because they grew up together so she doesn't see him in any other way. LF meanwhile is sexually attracted to Catelyn and basically thinks of her as the one who got away. Fast forward to LF's conversation with Cersei where he's talking about how "when boys and girls are in the same home awkward situations can arise...sometimes I've heard even brothers and sisters can develop certain affections..." I get that it isn't the same, obviously, they aren't related, I know, but I totally think that Littlefinger is the type of person who wouldn't let something like incest get in his way. Frankly, I think there's a part of him that is turned on by the hints of incest that come with his current relationship with his "daughter" Alayne. 

 

Lol, with Marillion and his comment about how the Starks don't know anything about music. So funny that he'll eventually meet Sansa only she won't be interested in hearing his singing at all whereas prior to Ned becoming Hand I feel certain that she would have thought Marillion was wonderful. 

 

What do people want to bet that Alia of Braavos probably moved Rodrik to tears once with her interpretation of a song? 

 

For a house that I don't think has been mentioned on the show at all we've already had a fair few mentions of members of House Mallister so far. 

[benteen]

Catelyn mentioned in he internal monologue that Littlefinger sent her one after Brandon's death that she promptly burned without opening.  I've wondered what was in that letter.  Something tells me LF might have learned subtlety by then.

Edited June 20, 2015 by benteen

[Lady S.]

 

Him rebelling against Stannis later shows his lack of affection for his niece though. He'd have to kill her in order to secure the throne for himself right? Or would it be enough to send her to the silent sisters or something? I'm thinking that would be risky.

 

There's never been a successful female heir to the throne, so idt she'd be a threat to him. Tywin didn't really have to kill Rhaenys for the same reason, that was just typical Reynes-style Lannister overkill. The solution to me would be to make her his ward and then marry her to his heir to join his line with the rightful claim. He definitely couldn't have her living independently from him the way Dany grew up in exile, so the risk is really just if she were spirited away from Dragonstone before he could make her an ~honored guest~ of his court.

 

Can we all just take a moment to appreciate the fact that one of Catelyn's fondest childhood memories are of the times she and Lysa had Littlefinger eating mud pies until he'd make himself sick? 

Ah, yes! I love that memory. I like to picture pre-world domination Petyr following her around like Milhouse going after Lisa Simpson, if I didn't know how he'd turn out I might have more pity for this chump. I guess I take her thinking of him as a brother as less about she can't think of him in a romantic way because they grew up together, and more that's just a polite way to put it when a girl has only platonic feelings for a guy. I mean, I do think she thought of him as another little brother because they grew up together, but I think her not having different feelings for him was down to just not feeling it rather than him being her foster brother. But, yes, I think Littlefinger seems to creepily get off on being surrogate father to his chosen replacement mate. It's also amusing to me that Catelyn thinks of him as Littlefinger when he's not all that fond of the nickname, I think Lysa always calls him Petyr. 

 

Whew, and here's the big turning point, just a few things I wanna get out about the main action here

• I think her thoughts about about the eastern road reveal why they take that road with Tyrion. She believes Lysa has the answers Ned is looking for and could maybe provide proof for Robert of whatever the Lannisters are up to. Unfortunately Lysa knows nothing about Jon Arryn's investigation and she's the one who actually murdered him, because she's a liar and mentally unstable.
• So Masha Heddle's different reaction to her has to be from thinking she's just another traveler, and when Tyrion outs her the whole inn must be wondering why Lord Tully's daughter showed up incognito. 
• When Tyrion enters and is being fawned over, she does think of Bran, but then makes no move to do anything and doesn't want him to notice her.
• The travel timeline really is insane here, she says she left King's Landing a fortnight ago, but her little interlude there happened before Tyrion returned to Winterfell, so he's made amazingly good time on the rest of his journey south. Either that or the rains really slowed down Cat and Rodrik.

 

I believe this chapter marks the first mention of the Late Lord Frey and his progeny-filled castles.

 

Another detail I love is Rodrik forgetting to stop calling her my lady and forgetting he no longer has awesome whiskers to tug on. I think if there's any character that I think most matches up with his book description onscreen, it's gotta be Rodrik and his awesome whiskers.

[Holmbo]

Oops I haven't had time to read this chapter yet. I think I'll have to read a few chapters at a time if I'm to keep up with this tempo. So far I've read only the chapter currently discussed.

[Holmbo]

There's never been a successful female heir to the throne, so idt she'd be a threat to him. Tywin didn't really have to kill Rhaenys for the same reason, that was just typical Reynes-style Lannister overkill. The solution to me would be to make her his ward and then marry her to his heir to join his line with the rightful claim. He definitely couldn't have her living independently from him the way Dany grew up in exile, so the risk is really just if she were spirited away from Dragonstone before he could make her an ~honored guest~ of his court.

When I think about it I believe Renly even comes before Shireen in the succession. Uncles comes before daughters for the iron throne don't they?

[WearyTraveler]

When I think about it I believe Renly even comes before Shireen in the succession. Uncles comes before daughters for the iron throne don't they?

 

Yes, they do.  After Robert, the heir is Robert's eldest legitimate son.  Since he didn't have any, the heir would be his next brother, in this case, middle child Stannis.  After Stannis, the heir would be Stannis' eldest legitimate son.  Since he didn't have any either, it goes back to Robert.  So, the next brother is heir, which would be Renly.  Only after all the legitimate males are dead, does the throne go to a legitimate female.  I think even a distant Baratheon cousin could come before Shireen, if he exists, but I don't believe the books talk about any other Baratheon.

 

And if there is no legitimate male heir and no legitimate female heir, then the eldest male legitimized bastard, and if there's none, the eldest male bastard (so, Gendry before Edric? I'm not sure who came first), and if there's none, the eldest legitimized female bastard, and if there's none, the eldest female bastard (Mya Stone).  At the rate the Baratheons are dying, maybe Mya will sit the throne when all is said and done :D

 

All of this without considering that someone could suggest that they revert back to Targaryens, in which case, Danaerys.  And if Jon is indeed the product of R+L, he'd come before Dany if Rhaegar married Lyanna before she gave birth.  If not, Dany comes first.

Edited June 21, 2015 by WearyTraveler

[ambi76]

As a big Renly/Loras girl I'm kinda cackling at all you folks being surprised that Renly was an asshole. I mean, have you met his boyfriend? But then I remember how the show really changed Renly's personality completely and show!Loras still doesn't even have one. *sigh*

Edited June 21, 2015 by ambi76

[Avaleigh]

When I think about it I believe Renly even comes before Shireen in the succession. Uncles comes before daughters for the iron throne don't they?

I'm slightly confused about this. I know we aren't there yet but doesn't Stannis essentially offer to make Renly his heir during their last conversation? If it's so cut and dried then shouldn't Renly already automatically be Stannis's heir? At the same time, Stannis is all about following the rules so I feel like he wouldn't jump around Shireen even to make a deal with Renly unless he felt that Renly did indeed come before Shireen lawfully.  

 

I also remember Cersei thinking to herself that if she'd had it her way that Stannis and Renly would have both died before Robert did because she knew that they could muddy up the waters for her. I always assumed that this was all about the incest but maybe the age factor played a part too since a lot of people seem to take issue with following a boy-king over an adult king who is also a warrior.  

 

 

As a big Renly/Loras girl I'm kinda cackling at all you folks being surprised that Renly was an asshole. I mean, have you met his boyfriend? But then I remember how the show really changed Renly's personality completely and show!Loras still doesn't even have one. *sigh*

Most of my surprise is from how I didn't really remember how funny and Littlefinger-ish Renly sounds when it comes to his comments. 

 

I mostly remember Loras being devoted to Margaery and the memory of Loras. I didn't get much of a sense of his personality in general but I got the impression that he was a good guy and that he probably would have been a good influence on Tommen despite of Cersei's ridiculous fears.

 

Oops I haven't had time to read this chapter yet. I think I'll have to read a few chapters at a time if I'm to keep up with this tempo. So far I've read only the chapter currently discussed.

I can post on Monday if you want more time to catch up. Maybe five or so summaries a week is a more reasonable pace for everyone.

[ambi76]

I mostly remember Loras being devoted to Margaery and the memory of Loras. I didn't get much of a sense of his personality in general but I got the impression that he was a good guy and that he probably would have been a good influence on Tommen despite of Cersei's ridiculous fears.

 

That's an uh very generous assessment of book!Loras, this fangirl has to say. Yes, he loves his sister (and she him) and seems to like little Tommen too (which always makes me puzzled that some folks are sure he will kill the poor boy). When it comes to Renly, Loras is also a hopeless romantic, but first and foremost he's a teenage brat. Tyrion thinks so, Jaime thinks so, Sansa of curse doesn't think so, although Loras is horribly rude to her when he doesn't give out roses. In Loras interactions with Jaime we learn the most I think. Narcisstic, impatient and cocky (which makes Jaime go: Okay, maybe there are men like me). And then there is that psychotic (murderous) break he had when he found Renly's body. All of this never happened on the show though and what puzzles me is that if that is because he is actually supposed to be a "Loras colored" Willas on the show now, then why that wasn't made quite clear so far either. (Still waiting for some actual Willas characterization from GRRM? Well, good luck with that D&D.)

 

Most of my surprise is from how I didn't really remember how funny and Littlefinger-ish Renly sounds when it comes to his comments.

 

Heh. On re-read I was also thrown that the "No honor, but quite a bit of gold" comment from Petyr re Loras "cheating" makes Renly laugh out loud.

 

ETA: Okay, it says "Lord Renly smiled" in the text but I can totally hear him LOL on the inside. ;-)

Edited June 21, 2015 by ambi76

[Lady S.]

I'm slightly confused about this. I know we aren't there yet but doesn't Stannis essentially offer to make Renly his heir during their last conversation? If it's so cut and dried then shouldn't Renly already automatically be Stannis's heir? At the same time, Stannis is all about following the rules so I feel like he wouldn't jump around Shireen even to make a deal with Renly unless he felt that Renly did indeed come before Shireen lawfully.  

 

I can post on Monday if you want more time to catch up. Maybe five or so summaries a week is a more reasonable pace for everyone.

Yeah, that part in their parley is why I'm sure the Baratheons do follow uncle-before-niece Targ order, because there's no way Stannis would make that offer to his treacherous and greedy brother if Renly didn't have a claim as his heir to begin with. The way I think of it, Renly chose to forgo that spot with his claim jumping, but Stannis was willing to "forgive" him and let him return to his place in line the same way he offered to let him return to his place on the council.

 

The World Book didn't really settle this issue, but it actually made me more sure that a distant male cousin would not come before a king's daughter/sister. It never mentions any official ban on royal heiresses after the Dance of the Dragons ended, it just says Viserys II took the throne after his nephew Baelor the Blessed died and no one batted an eye, in part because Baelor had locked all of his sisters in the Maidenvault so they didn't have any political power base. And then later at the Great Council where Egg became Aegon V, his eldest brother's daughter was discounted as well as Aerion Brightflame's infant son. But since his niece was "simple-minded", why even mention her at all if there was a "no girls allowed" rule? One of the Blackfyres tried to toss his hat into the ring, but no unlegitimized/unacknowledged bastards did, so it's not like it was a free-for-all. The fact that a dead prince's mentally handicapped daughter was a name that had to be checked off a list feels noteworthy to me. It's like the uncles over nieces precedent wasn't even that firmly established until that Great Council.

 

Sorry, this is all getting rather off the topic at hand, but 5 chapters a week sounds like a good pace. We'll probably still be done with the re-read before Winds is released. 

[Avaleigh]

Sansa II

 

Sansa gets to ride to the tourney in a stylish litter and is accompanied by Jeyne Poole and Septa Mordane. King's Landing is literally all shaded in gold to Sansa right now because she's looking at everything through the golden silk curtains in the litter.

 

Thousands of people have flocked to King's Landing to attend the tourney and Sansa is feeling pretty blown away at the splendor of it all. She thinks it's better than the songs and is focusing on checking out the knights in all their shining armor.

 

All of the knights of the Kingsguard are participating in the tourney and they're dressed in their usual white armor and cloaks with the exception of Jaime Lannister who is wearing the white cloak but has chosen to wear golden armor for the occasion. He even has a golden sword and a golden lion's-head helm.

 

Sansa, Jeyne, and Septa Mordane watch the arrivals of all of the participants while giving details about them and making snarky comments. Lord Yohn Royce is wearing bronze armor that is said to be thousands of years old and we find out that Lord Jason Mallister cut down three of the bannermen of Rhaegar Targaryen during the Battle of the Trident. The girls seem amused by the appearance of the red priest Thoros of Myr and openly giggle at him until Septa Mordane tells them that he once scaled the walls of Pyke with a flaming sword in his hand.

 

Jeyne is apparently alarmed by the appearance of exiled prince of the Summer Isles Jalabhar Xho, but whether the girl is unsettled by the massive amounts of feathers that are part of his elaborate costume or his skin color isn't entirely clear. Jeyne is in full on tween mode once she gets a glimpse of young Beric Dondarrion riding by and declares that she'd be willing to marry him right on the spot.

 

When they see Jory, Septa Mordane is pretty snotty and says that Jory looks like a beggar compared to everybody else. Sansa can't help but agree about his appearance but at least Jory does well for himself and manages to unseat a Redwyne and a Frey.

 

The jousting goes on all day and Jeyne is constantly covering her eyes whenever a man falls from his mount. Sansa is tougher than Jeyne and notes that she's receiving approval from Septa Mordane for maintaining her composure throughout the tourney.

 

Jaime is on fire with his tilts and even manages to unseat Barristan Selmy who'd unseated men thirty and forty years younger than he is. The Clegane brothers are bringing it too and Gregor Clegane actually kills some young knight from the Vale with a lance to the throat. The knight dies a few feet away from Sansa and her party and they watch as the guy's blood drains from his body.

 

Jeyne goes to pieces when this happens and begins crying hysterically so Septa Mordane decides that she needs to take her away so that she can regain her composure.

 

Sansa on the other hand is looking on the scene with a kind of macabre fascination.

 

She had never seen a man die before. She ought to be crying too, she thought, but the tears would not come. Perhaps she had used up all her tears for Lady and Bran. It would be different if it had been Jory or Ser Rodrik or Father, she told herself. The young knight in the blue cloak was nothing to her, some stranger from the Vale of Arryn whose name she had forgotten as soon as she heard it. And now the world would forget his name too, Sansa realized; there would be no songs sung for him. That was sad.

When they clear the body away the jousting resumes and Renly ends up being unseated rather violently by the Hound and basically does a somersault in the air before crashing down so hard that he breaks a tine off of his antlered helm. The Hound decides to thrown the piece of gold into the crowd and the people go nuts fighting over it until Renly walks out among them and restores order.

 

Septa Mordane finally returns without Jeyne and Sansa briefly thinks to herself that she'd forgotten all about her friend.

 

The semifinals for the jousting are down to the Cleganes, Jaime, and Ser Loras Tyrell. Loras Tyrell is sixteen and Sansa thinks to herself that she's never seen anyone more beautiful. After each of his victories in the tourney, Loras takes a white rose and gives it to some pretty girl in the crowd. After unseating Ser Robar Royce, Loras stops in front of Sansa and decides to give her a red rose and tells her that no victory is half so beautiful as she is.

 

Robar Royce is on the ground moaning and waiting to be taken away by a stretcher as all of this is going on but Sansa doesn't really notice. She has a major crush now on the Knight of Flowers and thinks his eyes look like liquid gold.

 

Sansa is feeling all dreamy and she's breathing in the scent of the rose Loras has given her when she notices that a man is standing over her. He tells her that she has a Tully look about her and seems to know that she is a daughter of Catelyn. She notes that his eyes don't smile when his mouth does.

 

Sansa introduces herself and Septa Mordane informs Sansa that she's speaking with Lord Petyr Baelish of the King's small council.

 

Littlefinger quietly tells Sansa that her mother was his queen of beauty once upon a time. Then, because the moment isn't quite creepy enough, Littlefinger tells her that she has her mother's hair and decides to stroke a lock of it and even brushes against her cheek as he does so. After this he slithers away without another word.

 

It's dark at this point so the King says that the other three matches will occur the next morning before the melee.

 

It's time for the feast and Sansa again has a position of high honor near the King and Queen. Joffrey sits next to Sansa and Sansa worries that he's going to continue to treat her coldly as he has ever since the episode at the Trident.

 

At first Sansa had wanted to blame Joffrey for what happened to Lady but Sansa convinces herself that it was all down to Cersei and Arya and that nothing bad would have happened that day if it hadn't been for Arya. Sansa even goes so far as to think that '"[Joffrey is] too beautiful to hate."

 

It seems that Joffrey is in a good mood tonight because he smiles at Sansa, kisses her hand, and seems willing to play the role of the gallant prince. He tells her that Loras has good taste for presenting her with the rose and Sansa wonders if Loras will win tomorrow. Joffrey tells her that the Hound or Jaime will probably beat Loras and then talks about what a winner he'll be when he's old enough to enter in the lists.

 

Joffrey pours Sansa some iced summer wine and then she looks at him pointedly for a moment and he takes the hint and fills Septa Mordane's cup as well.

 

Sansa feels like she's having the time of her life. The experience is as glamorous and thrilling as she hoped it would be. Everyone gets a kick out of the fool Moon Boy and when he tells some little song about the High Septon the dignified Septa Mordane laughs so hard that she actually spills wine on herself.

 

What's really amazing about the night is Joffrey's behavior. He's being nice. He's complimenting her, making her laugh, gossiping, explaining the jokes of Moon Boy's that she doesn't get, and making Sansa feel like he doesn't actually hate her. Sansa is so over the moon about all of this that she's completely put Septa Mordane on ignore for the bulk of the evening.

 

Joffrey feeds Sansa a snail and she likes it. He scores some more points with her for not complaining about the pain in his arm when he cuts off some meat for her.

 

The magical evening continues when the dessert course includes lemon cakes. As Sansa is contemplating stuffing her face with a third lemon cake, Robert starts to shout. He's been loud and intoxicated for the bulk of the evening and now seems to be in a drunken rage with his wife.

 

Robert yells at Cersei that she won't tell him what to do and says that if he wants to participate in a melee then damn it to hell, he's going to participate in a melee and it just so happens that one is occurring tomorrow in their backyard. He's fighting in it and that's that.

 

Sansa notes that the Queen's face looks like a mask after Robert's outburst and that she ends up leaving the room without saying a word. After Cersei leaves the room Jaime puts a hand on Robert's shoulder and Robert angrily shoves him away making him fall. Robert laughs at Jaime and mocks what a great knight he supposedly is telling him that he can still knock him into the ground if he wants to and that he should remember that. He then calls Jaime Kingslayer.

 

Jaime gets up, dusts himself off, and simply says "As you say, Your Grace."

 

Renly comes forward at this moment and tells Robert that he'll bring him a fresh goblet of wine since it's obvious to everyone present that what Robert really needs right now is more alcohol.

 

Joffrey says it's late and Sansa thinks he has an odd expression on his face. He asks her if she'll need an escort back to the castle and after some hesitation and after noticing that Septa Mordane is passed out and snoring to her left, Sansa agrees that it would be good to have some protection. Joffrey calls out to the Hound to come and escort Sansa and make sure that nothing bad happens to her.

 

The Hound mocks Sansa and can tell that she was thinking that Joffrey would personally escort her back to the castle. He tells her that they need to get going because Sansa isn't the only one who will need sleep. He comments that he may have to kill his brother tomorrow and this makes Sansa realize that she is afraid so she tries to wake Septa Mordane but the woman doesn't budge and continues to snore.

 

She feels like she's been snatched out of a dream and she can't help but feel horrified by how hideously scarred his face is. She forces herself to be polite and comments on how well he rode earlier that day. Sandor tells her that she can keep her empty compliments and informs her that he isn't a knight and that he has no interest in becoming one as his brother is one and he hates his brother.

 

Sandor tells Sansa that she reminds him of one of the trained beautiful birds from the Summer Isles who only repeat the pretty words that they've been trained to say.

 

He then brings Sansa up to speed on how Gregor deliberately killed the knight from the Vale and basically tells her that she's stupid if she can't see what's in front of her. He then forces Sansa to take a long, hard look at the monstrous looking scars on his face. He informs Sana that his brother Gregor was responsible for inflicting this misery on him because he'd once dared to pick up a toy that belonged to Gregor but one Gregor had long outgrown.

 

The fact that Gregor was still allowed to become a knight after this incident is clearly a matter of hideous injustice as far as Sandor is concerned and Sansa finds herself feeling sad for him. She whispers to Sandor that Gregor was no true knight and they remain in silence for the rest of the way back to the red keep and to the corridor outside of her bedchamber.

 

Sansa thanks Sandor but before she can turn to leave he grabs her arm and menacingly tells her that if she ever tells anyone about what he told her about his scars and Gregor that he'll kill her.

Edited June 22, 2015 by Avaleigh

[Lady S.]

Ah yas, the definitive early Sansa chapter.

 

Immediate thoughts:

• So, in addition to gross favoritism, Septa Mordane also gets drunk on the job at first opportunity.
  I'm struggling to remember a likable septa besides Septa Lemore, who may not even actually be one.

   

• Jaime's armor is pretty ridic, but I wish the show had at least included his gilded sword during the attack on Ned.
• I believe this Theo Frey is the only one of the jousters not to show up later in the story.
• Sansa thought she had used up all her tears for Lady and Bran, oh sweet summer child.
• I love your description of Littlefinger's first creepy meeting with Sansa.
• I remember being impressed the first time I read this that Joff could so readily turn the Prince Charming act back on. I didn't get that feeling when he gave her the necklace on the show.
• It's interesting to me that he bets on the Hound to win before mentioning Jaime. Sandor's probably the closest thing he has to a father/uncle/big brother figure even though he's in a subservient position, yet of course Sandor hates him too, just like almost everyone else.
• The moment when Joffers freezes up watching Robert/Cersei's fight is also very interesting to me. We know he admires the idea of younger war hero Robert, but it has to be embarrassing to see what that guy's turned into.
• Since we've been talking about the differences between book and tv Renly, his response of plying Robert with more drink is also very interesting. I don't think book Renly would ever have confronted Robert the way show Renly did on their last hunting trip, since his whole strategy was about placating Robert and playing matchmaker to remove the dangerous Lannister element.

 

This is something I hadn't given much thought to before, but does it seem contrived to anyone else that Sansa needs Joffrey to provide an escort back to the castle? Even if Mordane wasn't passed out, shouldn't she herself need an escort? The tourney grounds are outside the city gates, it's after dark, and there are all sorts of strangers around for the festivities. Shouldn't Jory, Alyn and Harwin be keeping an eye on their lord's daughter? The last time the girls were left alone, there were disastrous consequences.

 

It's like Ned is so wrapped up in his shoddy detective work, he can't spare much thought for his daughters. I don't really see any excuse for not even talking to Sansa about Lady's death afterwards, and he only talks more to Arya because she made a scene at dinner and he keeps running into her inside the castle. He can explain to Bran why he has to personally perform beheadings, but can't even try to talk to his daughters about issues much more relevant to their immediate situations unless one of them is running out of the room crying and openly denouncing the Lannisters. Good ol' Ned and his extreme compartmentalization and conflict avoidance, looking the perfect dad just because his contemporaries are Tywin Lannister and Balon Greyjoy and the rest.

Edited June 22, 2015 by Lady S.

[Avaleigh]

Lol at Septa Mordane being so drunk that she passes out on her charge. And poor Sansa thinks that the woman is asleep and I'm like 'Honey, no, that isn't what that is.' What's funny too is the way Septa Mordane's snores are described as "ladylike" lol as if there's anything ladylike about being passed out in public in a courtly setting. I wonder what Ned and Catelyn would make of that or if that was something that would happen at a feast at Winterfell too. 

 

Seriously too, how does she really go back to harshly criticizing Arya after that?

 

Good point about how Sansa really should have already had her own escort. I agree that Ned's men should have been on that. Heh, Maybe they heard Septa Mordane talking shit about Jory. What the hell though, why doesn't Jory at least have a better cloak? It's one thing to not be flashy but it's another to just have people thinking that the Northern lords aren't taking care of their men enough where they feel like they can't splurge for the occasional tourney.

 

I agree that Joffrey's reaction to his "parents" fighting was interesting. I don't think he ever suspected about Jaime like show Joffrey did but he does seem unsettled. 

 

I don't feel bad for Robert at all. God, he could be such an asshole. Who treats a man who is guarding him like that? A man whose father is propping up Robert's damned position? I was actually glad in that moment that Robert was being cuckolded by the very man that he's pushing into the dirt, laughing at, insulting, and going out of his way to make him feel like shit. And of course Jaime just stands there and takes it with an "As you say, Your Grace." Robert's lucky he lived as long as he did.

 

When Renly made the comment about getting Robert more wine I immediately thought of show Lancel saying "More wine, Your Grace?"

 

It's easier to see in the book how Sansa had a different impression of Joffrey. It's easy for us to see that Joffrey is 100% horrible but he's nice to her most of the time and makes her feel good about herself. Plus, as has been noted, Ned doesn't really talk to her about the Lady incident or try to put her on her guard at all about Joffrey. She's eleven years old, it isn't surprising to me that she's willing to overlook his nasty side at this point in the story. 

 

I thought it was funny that Sansa didn't care that Jeyne was so upset. She totally put her friend out of her mind the moment she was out of her sight. I liked too that she was interested in the sight of seeing Ser Hugh die. For any fans of Rome out there it reminded me of the reactions in the episode when Julius has the King of the Gauls executed. Octavia's internal reaction is closest to Jeyne's and she has to look away once it starts happening while Atia is more like Sansa and simply tilts her head in curiosity. 

 

The armor that sounds ridiculous to me is Loras's. No way would all of those roses and flowers just stay in place after every tilt like that. I laughed out loud when his eyes were described by Sansa as liquid gold. 

 

As many Lannisters and Tyrells as there are I'm surprised we didn't get an appearance from one or two minor ones just to note their presence. 

 

During my first read I definitely remember thinking that the Hound was going to have reason to think that Sansa had told somebody the story about his burns. 

 

I wonder why Littlefinger left so abruptly? He could have escorted Sansa back to the castle if he'd wanted.  

Edited June 23, 2015 by Avaleigh

[Lady S.]

Lol, now I have the image in my head of Mordane getting drunk at every Winterfell feast and everyone just ignoring her, but as funny as that it is, it makes Ned sending her with Sansa on their own even more irresponsible. So, more likely this is the first time she's indulged herself in a while.

 

Right, I can almost see how Sansa convinced herself that Joffrey's cruelty was abnormal and the Prince Charming act was his real self, instead of the other way around. And she thinks forgiving him is what she's supposed to do, because she's been promised to him for the rest of her life. Thinking about it, it reminds me both of her mother's honor and obey attitude toward Ned (although I think that would only go so far with a worse husband), and Ned's dutiful and unquestioning loyalty to Robert. Although, actually, Cat's unquestioning belief in Littlefinger just because she used to make eat mud is probably the best comparison here. I see little excuse for Ned letting Sansa go on believing in this betrothal without even having much supervision, when it was Joffrey and Sansa going off alone that led to the trouble with Mycah and the wolves. Getting Arya someone to practice with so she wouldn't enlist any more innocent peasant boys was not a cure-all for the real issues there.

 

The armor is all ridiculous, I just mentioned Jaime's because at least the gilded sword could have still made its way into the show. 

 

Robert is just too pathetic for me here, I dislike him for being an asshole with a weak will outside of battle, but not for being a depressing drunk. 

 

I don't really want to think of where Littlefinger slithered off to, since my first thought is that he went to go pleasure himself after fondling Sansa's hair.

[Holmbo]

I really enjoyed this chapter but I have a bit difficult commenting on it. So many interactions and character introductions. I don't know what to focus on.

I think what stood out to me the most was Robert pushing Jaime. That's like Joffrey level of asholishness.

I've seen some speculation that Joffrey was trying to roofie Sansa. Because he brought wine specially for her and only gave Septa when she beckoned him to. Sansa says she don't remember ever tasting the wine while Septa goes unconscious.

I don't think we're meant to think that though. Because what would he do to her there at the party?

I agree that it's weird she doesn't have an escort. Do you think GRRM meant to write Ned as neglectful of his daughters? Or did it just happen that way because he needed all the Starks to be isolated for the plot.

Edited June 23, 2015 by Holmbo

[Lady S.]

In this particular instance, I think it's just a contrivance to get Sansa to hear The Hound's origin story. Like how Tyrion showing up in the Riverlands so soon after Winterfell was a major contrivance. 

 

I don't think Joff would need to drug her if he could just get her drunk the old-fashioned way, as he was trying to do on their first little date. I'm now wondering if he's drawing on drunk women being seduced by drunk Robert.

[Avaleigh]

I really enjoyed this chapter but I have a bit difficult commenting on it. So many interactions and character introductions. I don't know what to focus on.

I think what stood out to me the most was Robert pushing Jaime. That's like Joffrey level of asholishness.

I've seen some speculation that Joffrey was trying to roofie Sansa. Because he brought wine specially for her and only gave Septa when she beckoned him to. Sansa says she don't remember ever tasting the wine while Septa goes unconscious.

I don't think we're meant to think that though. Because what would he do to her there at the party?

I agree that it's weird she doesn't have an escort. Do you think GRRM meant to write Ned as neglectful of his daughters? Or did it just happen that way because he needed all the Starks to be isolated for the plot.

I honestly blinked when I realized that he pushed Jaime so hard that he made him fall off his feet into the dirt. Honestly, isn't it just kind of tacky to do something like that if you're the king? I think Robert confesses to Ned at some point that his treatment of Cersei isn't worthy of a king in a particular moment but I'm constantly seeing that this guy just isn't fit to be king. 

 

Any normal kid and I'd think that they'd be a bit embarrassed but with Joffrey I feel like it's something else. It's like he probably knows that his parents can't stand each other but this isn't really something that he can verbalize. 

 

I don't think we're supposed to think that Ned is a neglectful father so I'm inclined to go with plot device. 

 

I don't really want to think of where Littlefinger slithered off to, since my first thought is that he went to go pleasure himself after fondling Sansa's hair.

 

 

Well that hadn't occurred to me until reading this but yeah, I'd say that sounds about right lol. 

 

I'm mostly curious to see if Septa Mordane's behavior will be commented on or if it'll just be overlooked as though it were any other day. 

[Elkins]

I honestly blinked when I realized that he pushed Jaime so hard that he made him fall off his feet into the dirt. Honestly, isn't it just kind of tacky to do something like that if you're the king?

 

Very much so, yes. I wonder if Martin hoped that this event would still be forefront in the reader's mind during the scene (which is coming up soon, IIRC) in which Ned actually has to remind Robert that nobody would be willing to give the king a fair fight in the melee. I'm not sure whether that scene mitigates his dickishness to Jaime or not. On the one hand, it could be seen as evidence that his behavior is more insensitive than malicious. On the other hand, one could also read it as implying that Robert has a pattern of using this exact form of "obliviousness" to get away with shit.

I can't help but be reminded of Cersei's memories of how he would hurt her in bed and then pretend he had no idea what she was talking about later--but always with a sullen guilty expression on his face.

 

Anyway, I've just been lurking this thread, since I tend to be down on Martin's writing and have no interest in becoming, y'know, that guy, but I just wanted to chime in briefly to thank Avaleigh for all the work she's putting into these chapter summaries. Summarizing complicated fiction chapters like these is hard; doing so with any degree of brevity is even harder. You're doing a really great job, Avaleigh. Thanks!

Edited June 24, 2015 by Elkins

[WearyTraveler]

Anyway, I've just been lurking this thread, since I tend to be down on Martin's writing and have no interest in becoming, y'know, that guy, but I just wanted to chime in briefly to thank Avaleigh for all the work she's putting into these chapter summaries. Summarizing complicated fiction chapters like these is hard; doing so with any degree of brevity is even harder. You're doing a really great job, Avaleigh. Thanks!

 

Seconded!!! 

 

 

I have been reluctant to comment on this chapter because I so hated book Sansa in this book.... but I don't think it's very rational for me to do so, you know, because as someone pointed out upthread she's eleven.  But then, I think that Arya is even younger and they had the same parents and the same education. And yet, while Sansa is all immersed in the ridiculous medieval fantasies of knights and ladies and is deluding herself about Joffrey, Arya has the little sucker pegged for the psycho that he is and is off trying to learn how to fight with a sword.  I don't know, early book Sansa always seemed a little dim to me.

[Holmbo]

Seconded!!!

I have been reluctant to comment on this chapter because I so hated book Sansa in this book.... but I don't think it's very rational for me to do so, you know, because as someone pointed out upthread she's eleven. But then, I think that Arya is even younger and they had the same parents and the same education. And yet, while Sansa is all immersed in the ridiculous medieval fantasies of knights and ladies and is deluding herself about Joffrey, Arya has the little sucker pegged for the psycho that he is and is off trying to learn how to fight with a sword. I don't know, early book Sansa always seemed a little dim to me.

I agree. And IMO not only early Sansa seems dim.

She's still a child though, even in the latest chapter released. And my liking of her is more the character that she could become than the character that she is. She's one of the few character in the series that seem to have potential.

[ambi76]

I agree. And IMO not only early Sansa seems dim.

She's still a child though, even in the latest chapter released. And my liking of her is more the character that she could become than the character that she is. She's one of the few character in the series that seem to have potential.

 

And there I'm the extremely weird Sansa fan that just likes her exactly as she is in all her dimness and childish naivite*. I never wanted her to become some schemer, seductress, badass or otherwise heroic figure. But I guess in the end you folks will get your wishes of her "changing" and I will only have some memories.

 

*a character type no longer (never that?) popular in fiction it seems. At least from all the complaining about her I get that if she has to be that way they don't want to have to read about it at least.

[Avaleigh]

Eddard VII

Ser Barristan has just been telling Ned that he's been standing vigil for Ser Hugh who has no other family other than a mother back in the Vale. Ned looks down at Ser Hugh's body and can't help but wonder if the young man's death was brought about because Ned had been interested in speaking with him.

Ned feels pretty bitter too when he thinks that Ser Hugh's mother will be told that her son died because he was fighting in a tourney honoring the Hand of the King. Ned tells Ser Barristan to make sure that Ser Hugh's armor is returned to his mother and tells him that he'll see to any smith who needs additional payment.

Ned and Barristan then head over to the King's pavilion and Barristan starts talking about how the King is determined to fight in the melee. Ned has already been informed of this development by Jory who actually woke him up last night to let him know.

Barristan is hoping that it was only the alcohol talking and is keeping his fingers crossed that Robert will have better sense this morning now that he's sober. Ned says that there's no way that Robert is going to change his mind and says that he'll remember what he said the night before no matter how drunk he appeared to be.

Inside of the King's pavilion, Ned finds Robert drinking beer and yelling at his two squires so it seems that Ned has missed Robert's daily sobriety window. It also appears that His Grace has grown too fat for his armor but, instead of acknowledging this fact, he spends his time screaming at his two young squires (Lancel in particular) and then takes another moment to insult the two boys by talking about them poorly in front of Ned.

Seeing that Robert is being unfair on these young kids who aren't really doing anything wrong, Ned tells Robert that they aren't to blame and bluntly points out that he's simply too fat for his armor.

For a moment Robert's face darkens and he seems pissed but whatever anger he feels passes quickly and he ends up laughing it off, telling Ned that he has a way of always being right. Robert then roars at his two squires to find Aron Santagar and tell the man that the King needs the breastplate stretcher.

The two squires take off running and Ned, Barristan, and Robert all share a laugh over the boys basically being sent on a wild goose chase.

Ned notes the golden blonde hair of the squires and Robert confirms that they are indeed Lannisters and are cousins to the Queen. Robert comments that Cersei's family is very large and Ned thinks to himself that the main thing about them is that they're ambitious.

Ned mentions that people are talking about the argument that he had last night with the Queen and Robert gets upset again over the fact that Cersei told him not to fight in the melee. He says that Cersei is back at the castle pouting and tells Ned that Lyanna would never have shamed him in such a way. Ned tells Robert that he didn't know Lyanna the way that he did and that Lyanna would have told him the same as Cersei that he has no business fighting in that melee.

Robert is dismayed that Ned too is of the opinion that he shouldn't fight and Ned is forced to gently remind Robert that he's the King. Robert isn't getting it though and complains that he has the same urges as any other man. He likes booze, women, riding, and fighting and damn it, he really wants to hit someone.

Selmy decides to speak up now and tells Robert that it would no longer be a fair contest if he were to participate because who would dare strike the King? Robert still isn't getting it though and sincerely wonders why everyone wouldn't jump at the opportunity if they're able.

Ned has to spell it out for Robert and explain to him that Robert will easily win the melee and there essentially won't even be one if Robert decides to participate because there isn't a man in the Seven Kingdoms who is going to be willing to risk his wrath if they ended up really hurting him.

The situation is finally starting to click into place for Robert so he asks Ned if he's telling him that all of the men who are planning on participating in the melee would really let him win.

Ned tells him it's true and Selmy bows his head in confirmation.

For a moment Robert is so furious that he can't find the words and then he just starts having a tantrum and throws his breastplate at Selmy. He yells at Selmy to get out before he kills him and at first Ned thinks that Robert is talking to him as well but Robert asks him to stay behind and have a drink with him.

Ned isn't in the mood for beer this morning but Robert insists so they start having some together and Robert tells Ned that he thinks that he should have been King or maybe Jon Arryn. He seems depressed that he's too fat for his armor and wonders how it happened.

Ned tries to interrupt but Robert really just wants him to listen.

“Drink and stay quiet, the king is talking. I swear to you, I was never so alive as when I was winning this throne, or so dead as now that I’ve won it. And Cersei . . . I have Jon Arryn to thank for her. I had no wish to marry after Lyanna was taken from me, but Jon said the realm needed an heir. Cersei Lannister would be a good match, he told me, she would bind Lord Tywin to me should Viserys Targaryen ever try to win back his father’s throne.” The king shook his head. “I loved that old man, I swear it, but now I think he was a bigger fool than Moon Boy. Oh, Cersei is lovely to look at, truly, but cold . . . the way she guards her c***, you’d think she had all the gold of Casterly Rock between her legs. Here, give me that beer if you won’t drink it.” He took the horn, upended it, belched, wiped his mouth. “I am sorry for your girl, Ned. Truly. About the wolf, I mean. My son was lying, I’d stake my soul on it. My son . . . you love your children, don’t you?”

“With all my heart,” Ned said.

“Let me tell you a secret, Ned. More than once, I have dreamed of giving up the crown. Take ship for the Free Cities with my horse and my hammer, spend my time warring and whoring, that’s what I was made for. The sellsword king, how the singers would love me. You know what stops me? The thought of Joffrey on the throne, with Cersei standing behind him whispering in his ear. My son. How could I have made a son like that, Ned?”

Ned is super uncomfortable now and tries to tell Robert that Joffrey is only a boy and tells him to try to remember what he was like when he was Joffrey's age.

Robert says that he wouldn't be bothered if Joffrey were simply wild but to Robert it seems like there's something else about Joffrey that unsettles him. Robert then says that perhaps Ned is right and admits that Jon Arryn was certainly concerned about him when he was a kid and he grew into a good king so maybe it'll be the same for Joffrey. Ned is silent at this so Robert kind of glares at him and tells Ned that it might be nice to hear that Ned agrees that Robert has indeed been a good king.

Ned begins to speak but Robert cuts him off and basically says that he's satisfied with Ned thinking that he's a better king than Aerys. He says that he's still young and now that Ned is with him that they can turn things around and make Robert's reign one "to sing of".

Robert changes the subject back to the tourney and starts speculating about who will win. Robert seems pretty impressed with Ser Loras Tyrell and is especially happy that Ser Loras once knocked Jaime on his ass at a recent tourney. Robert still gets a kick out of the memory even now and tells Ned that he should have seen the look on Cersei's face when it happened.

Robert mentions that Renly has told him about the pretty fourteen year old Tyrell sister Margaery.

They go to have breakfast and Robert starts reminiscing about their time growing up in the Eyrie.

As Robert is talking Ned is thinking to himself that this is the Robert that he remembers and that if he can prove that the Lannisters were behind the attack on Bran and the murder of Jon Arryn then he'd be able to ensure the downfall of Cersei and Jaime. He thinks that if Tywin retaliates that Robert's army will be able to smash them.

Thinking about the downfall of House Lannister makes breakfast taste good for Ned Stark and he finds himself smiling easily as the morning progresses.

Ned goes with Robert to the jousting field and then goes to sit with Sansa since Septa Mordane is too hungover ill to attend. Ned is pleased to see that Cersei has chosen not to attend today and this gives him more chance to hope.

Sansa hardly notices her father's arrival and is concentrating on the day's first joust of Ser Jaime Lannister vs The Hound.

Littlefinger calls out one hundred golden dragons on Jaime and Renly takes up the bet saying that he thinks the Hound looks hungry.

Ned thinks to himself that he wants both men to lose.

Jaime almost unseats the Hound the first time around so Littlefinger asks Renly how he thinks he should spend Renly's money? The second time around however the Hound is hip to Jaime's technique so when their lances crash it's Jaime who ends up on his ass in the dirt.

Sansa says that she knew the Hound would win and Littlefinger tells her that she should tell him who is going to win the next match.

Renly mentions that he would have won twice as much money if the Imp Tyrion had been there because Tyrion would have bet on his brother.

Jaime's helm is all dented and he can't get it off so the people in the stands think it's hilarious and he ultimately has to be led away to the blacksmith because he can't see anything due to how twisted around the helm is.

Next up is Ser Loras Tyrell vs The Mountain.

Ned's mind goes to the bad stuff that he's heard about Gregor Clegane and seems to have heard whispers that he was involved in the deaths of his first two wives, a sister, and his father in addition to having something to do with his brother's disfigurement.

Ned thinks that the Mountain is so huge that his horse looks tiny when he's on it and the lance looks more like a broomstick handle.

Sansa sighs a bit over Loras Tyrell and then asks Ned not to let the Mountain hurt him. Ned explains to Sansa that tourney lances are made to splinter so that the riders don't get hurt but of course they both know what happened with Ser Hugh of the Vale when he rode against the Mountain so it's doubtful that Ned's words are all that comforting.

The common people are cheering loudly for Loras and it's clear that most everyone wants him to win. Gregor meanwhile is having trouble controlling his horse and this is making everything else difficult for him. Because of the difficulties he's having with his horse Loras is easily able to knock the Mountain to the ground and Gregor is so furious that he kills his horse right there in front of everyone.

People in the crowd are upset now and Sansa is crying but Gregor doesn't appear to be done. He takes his sword and advances on Loras. Ned shouts for somebody to stop him and Loras calls out to his squire to bring him his sword. The Mountain then knocks Loras off of his horse with his sword and is just about to kill him when the Hound steps in tells the Mountain to leave Loras alone.

The Mountain and the Hound are fighting now and while it seems like Gregor is fighting to kill, Sandor is refraining from going for Gregor's unprotected face.

It takes some bellowing from the King to finally break it up and the Hound instantly goes down on one knee. The Mountain snaps out of his rage and drops his sword. At first it seems like the guards aren't going to let him go but the Mountain glares at Robert so Robert tells his men to just let him go.

Loras Tyrell agrees that he owes the Hound his life so the Hound ends up being the winner of the jousting portion of the tourney in addition to winning the love that day of the common people.

Renly thinks that Loras had to have known that his mare was in heat and Barristan grumbles that there is little honor if a person has to resort to tricks. Renly points out that the honor may be small but twenty thousand dragons is probably worth it.

A commoner from Dorne named Anguy ends up winning the archery portion of the tourney and he does this by beating Ser Balon Swann as well as the prince from the Summer Isles whose appearance frightened Jeyne Poole.

Ned is impressed enough with Anguy to send Alyn to him with an offer of a position with the Hand's guard but Anguy is more interested in enjoying his victory and winnings afterward and consequently refuses the offer.

The victor of the melee is the red priest Thoros of Myr who fights with a flaming sword. Nobody dies in the melee but two horses have to be put down and there are plenty of injuries so Ned is feeling pretty thankful that Robert didn't participate.

During the feast later that evening, Ned is in a good mood because the Lannisters are MIA for the feast. Robert is in high spirits, and even Arya and Sansa are behaving themselves. Sansa tells Arya that she ought to have come to the tourney and inquires about her dancing lessons. Arya happily replies that her lessons are going well and says that she is bruised all over so of course Sansa is confused and tells Arya that she must suck as a dancer.

Ned sees the bruises on Arya and wonders if Syrio Forel is being too hard on her but Arya simply replies that Syrio has taught her that every hurt is a lesson. Ned is a little skeptical of Arya's training and asks her if she's sure that she wants to carry on and Arya makes it clear that she has no intention of quitting. She adds that she and Syrio plan on catching cats the next day.

At hearing this Ned thinks it might have been a mistake to hire this Braavosi and wonders if Jory oughtn't to take her training over instead. He even considers asking Ser Barristan to train Arya but Arya tells Ned firmly that she wants to continue to take lessons from Syrio.

Ned runs his fingers through Arya's hair affectionately and thinks to himself that there is no sense in arguing with her once she's made up her mind. He also seems to feel that she'll grow out of this stage. He tells her to be careful and she says that she will.

Later in his own chambers Ned takes out The Dagger to look at it again and then wonders about why anyone would try to kill Bran. Ned is convinced that Bran's fall is somehow linked to Jon Arryn's death but he still isn't able to put the pieces together.

He knows that Gendry is a bastard of Robert's but he doesn't see what's especially significant about this. Ned thinks back to Robert's first child, a little girl born in the Vale who would be about seventeen or eighteen now. He thinks to himself that Cersei can't have been pleased to learn about Robert's bastards but thinks that they shouldn't be a threat to her since baseborn children are given few rights in the Seven Kingdoms.

Lord Varys ends up coming to visit Ned in disguise and Ned is pretty shocked at how unrecognizable Varys is. Ned pours them both some summerwine and Varys tells Ned that Robert is in danger and that he probably would have been killed in the melee if he'd participated.

Ned asks who is trying to kill Robert and Varys tells him that if he can't figure that out by now then Varys should probably reconsider which side he's on.

Ned automatically thinks it must be the Lannisters but then points out that Cersei didn't want Robert to fight in the melee. Varys corrects Ned and says that Cersei forbade Robert to participate which was obviously the best way of making sure that he would want to do it. Ned is still doubtful and wonders who would strike the King if he'd fought in the melee.

Varys basically shrugs and says that in a melee with forty something people and madmen like Thoros of Myr running around anything can happen and that it might have been chalked up to an accident.

Ned starts to get annoyed and says that Varys knew about this plot but did nothing about it. Varys points out that there wasn't really anything he could do. Ned says that he could have come to him earlier and Varys says that if he'd done that then Ned would have gone straight to the King and then Robert would have simply fought anyway.

Varys also confesses that he wanted to see what Ned would do and admits that he didn't trust Ned. Ned is pretty blown away that somebody like Varys would think that Ned is the one who is untrustworthy.

Varys says that in King's Landing there are two kinds of people: people who are out for themselves and people who care about the realm and he wasn't sure at first but now he feels confident that Ned is the latter sort of person. He also adds that he can see why the Queen is so unsettled by Ned's presence in the capital. Ned tells Varys that it's Varys Cersei should fear but Varys says that this isn't true and makes it seem like he's a lot more vulnerable than Cersei.

Varys thinks that there's great value in the fact that it's extremely unlikely that Robert would ever be willing to kill Ned and that might end up working in the favor of the realm.

Ned starts to protest that Robert must have other friends or people that he trusts and Varys makes it clear that Ned is the last true friend that Robert has. Ned thinks that Robert needs to be told about all of this and Varys basically says there's no sense in doing that without proof. Ned points out that if what Varys is telling him is true then the people who want Robert dead are just going to try again. Varys acknowledges the truth of this and says that it'll probably happen sooner rather than later. He adds that Ned is likely making certain people feel rather anxious.

Varys goes to leave but before he and Ned part he reminds Ned to be sure to treat him in the contemptuous way that he usually does when they see each other at the next Small Council meeting. When Varys is at the door Ned suddenly asks him how Jon Arryn died and Varys says that it was from Tears of Lys. Varys mentions that he'd encouraged Lord Arryn to hire a food taster but Jon wouldn't hear of it and the implication is that Jon thought it would be unmanly to have one.

Ned asks Varys who gave Jon the poison and Varys says that there a many people who might have had the opportunity but implies that it might very well have been Lord Arryn's dead squire Ser Hugh of the Vale.

Ned wants to know why Jon would be killed now when he'd been Hand for fourteen years and Varys says that it's because Jon had started asking questions.

Edited June 25, 2015 by Avaleigh

[benteen]

I really did like that scene where Robert is honest with Ned about what a nightmare his son is.  Probably the best human moment for Robert in the books.

 

I remember reading an article about people you couldn't buy as friends and Ned and Robert were brought up.  They really do seem an odd couple.  Robert was always a loud, whoring, hot-headed brute and Ned was the Quiet Wolf.  I wonder what Ned saw in Robert that made him consider the man a brother.

Edited June 24, 2015 by benteen

[Constantinople]

Eddard VII

 

Littlefinger calls out one hundred golden dragons on Jaime and Renly takes up the bet saying that he thinks the Hound looks hungry.

 

Ned thinks to himself that he wants both men to lose.

 

Jaime almost unseats the Hound the first time around so Littlefinger asks Renly how he thinks he should spend Renly's money? The second time around however the Hound is hip to Jaime's technique so when their lances crash it's Jaime who ends up on his ass in the dirt. 

 

Sansa says that she knew the Hound would win and Littlefinger tells her that she should tell him who is going to win the next match.

 

Renly mentions that he would have won twice as much money if the Imp Tyrion had been there because Tyrion would have bet on his brother.

Oh Neeeeeeeeeeeeedddddddddddddddddddddddd

I hope you're paying attention.

If you were, you should have been shooting daggers in Littlefinger's direction.

 

Eddard VII

 

A commoner from Dorne named Anguy ends up winning the archery portion of the tourney and he does this by beating out the likes of Ser Balon Swann of the Kingsguard...

I don't think Balon Swann was a member of the Kingsguard yet.

[Avaleigh]

Oh Neeeeeeeeeeeeedddddddddddddddddddddddd

I hope you're paying attention.

If you were, you should have been shooting daggers in Littlefinger's direction.

 

I don't think Balon Swann was a member of the Kingsguard yet.

Thanks for catching that, I'll edit it. I guess because he's currently a member I didn't remember that he didn't get his spot until after Robert died. 

 

Well I guess we know what Selmy would think about Stannis employing shadow assassins to do his dirty work.

 

I find the Littlefinger/Renly dynamic to be interesting. I feel like they get each other in a way and share a similar sense of humor. Littlefinger might very well have been able to eventually land a position as Hand with Renly as King IMO. 

 

 

I really did like that scene where Robert is honest with Ned about what a nightmare his son is.  Probably the best human moment for Robert in the books.

 

I remember reading an article about people you couldn't buy as friends and Ned and Robert were brought up.  They really do seem an odd couple.  Robert was always a loud, whoring, hot-headed brute and Ned was the Quiet Wolf.  I wonder what Ned saw in Robert that made him consider the man a brother.

Robert was incredibly fortunate to have somebody like Ned as a friend. I feel like there's a reason that Robert doesn't have any close friends anymore other than Ned and it has little to do with the fact that he's a king. The guy treats the people who surround him like crap and as fun loving as he is he also seems to do a fair amount of whining. He isn't fun to be around

 

I'm still kind of shocked at the way he speaks to Selmy. I thought Robert treated Jaime like shit cause, you know, reasons, but it's becoming clear to me that Robert treats people like crap in general. I know he didn't mean it literally but seriously--he tells Selmy that he's going to kill him if he doesn't get out of his sight? He's incredibly disrespectful when I think of how Selmy is the cream of the crop when it comes to knights. He treats his two young squires poorly too and it's like it's supposed to be okay or something because they're related to Cersei.

 

I will say though that I like that Robert was able to spot that Ned can't just lie and say that he thinks Robert is a good king. 

 

It's hard to believe that Gregor would be stupid enough to attack the son of a great house like that. 

 

ETA

 

An interesting what if is what if Arya had trained with Selmy rather than Syrio?

Edited June 25, 2015 by Avaleigh

[benteen]

Ned was Robert's only true friend and it's hard to understand why Ned even likes him.

Edited June 25, 2015 by benteen

[Avaleigh]

Another funny moment is Jaime's fall and exit from the tourney. I totally giggled at the way his helm was all dented and twisted to the point where he couldn't see or remove it. Not to mention all of the people in the stands laughing and pointing.

 

I also laughed at the way Ned can't decide who he wants to lose more. 

 

Ned overall seemed like he was in a pretty good mood in this chapter. I liked how he and Robert had a good time at breakfast going down memory lane and everything. I don't think there will be too many more moments like that from here on out. 

[Lady S.]

I really did like that scene where Robert is honest with Ned about what a nightmare his son is.  Probably the best human moment for Robert in the books.

It is, but then it makes me even more frustrated that Robert was so spineless about Cersei killing Lady. Anyone who knew Joffrey would have to know he was lying and that Arya's account was more plausible. When you think about it, Arya and a commoner just jumping out of nowhere to attack the Crown Prince is an even more ludicrous story than Cersei's later story about Ned attacking Jaime after getting drunk in a brothel.

I find the Littlefinger/Renly dynamic to be interesting. I feel like they get each other in a way and share a similar sense of humor. Littlefinger might very well have been able to eventually land a position as Hand with Renly as King IMO.

Tbh, I think Mace was a shoo-in for Hand if Renly took the throne. Maybe Littlefinger could keep his job as copper counter, but I'd hope Renly would know better than to give him more power. They banter, but no one except the Tully sisters actually considers Littlefinger a friend.

 

Speaking of friendship, I have to echo the Robert/Ned thoughts, these are two people who would never be friends if they weren't raised together, practically as brothers. The memory of li'l Petyr is eating mud until he got sick is funny, but I also like it because it shows a weird kind of devotion in his friendship, that he'd follow Cat around like a puppy and do whatever she wanted. I think Littlefinger is a sociopath, but it does sound like he was more likable when he was younger. Or with Robb/Theon, Theon was always an ass but he was a good friend to Robb before their split, holding him back when he was fuming at Joffrey and later saving Bran's life. With Robert, he may have been the source of tons of fun hijinks at the Eyrie, but there's no sign he was ever not a fundamentally selfish guy. It's just that his bullying fratbro-type asshole ways have gotten way worse over the years with his alcoholism and bitterness. I guess I'd forgotten his threat to Selmy, I thought his bullying of Lancel and Tyrek just for being Cersei's cousins was bad, but threatening your most most honorable bodyguard is really crossing a line.

 

Other thoughts:

• I really like Ned and Selmy's conversation about death over Ser Hugh's corpse.
• "You never could lie for love nor honor, Ned Stark." Yeah, that's what you think, Bob. 
• So, that's some fun exposition about Gregor, huh? I wonder what lucky lady was going to become Lady Clegane #3, that's never mentioned again in subsequent books.
• Sansa clutching Ned's arm and thinking he could somehow protect Loras was cute.
• I wish the show had included Sandor's raucous laughter when Gregor fell.
• Anguy wins the archery competition and that's three future outlaws accounted for in this tourney.
• Surely Arya would grow tired of waterdancing soon? Think again, Ned. I bet he thought the same about Bran's squirrel act. I wonder how he even found Syrio in the first place.
• "Gendry, the girl in the Vale, the boy at Storm's End, none of them could threaten Robert's trueborn children . . ." Getting close there, Ned.

Ok, so here Varys says Robert is doomed unless Ned can save him, and that Cersei is already trying to kill him. But later he says Ned's mercy killed Robert even though Robert was already doomed and Cersei would have wanted him dead with or without Ned's warning. Varys is just full of contradictions and it's easy to see why people don't trust him, though there's also a lot of macho prejudice involved there with his being a powdered eunuch. If Varys really believes Ser Hugh was Cersei's catspaw, as he seems to, then score one in Littlefinger's column. Also, I'm guessing this melee plot was one of Cersei's secrets from Jaime, since he'd want to kill Robert himself and later tells Cat he wouldn't hire a man to do his killing. Edited June 25, 2015 by Lady S.

[benteen]

How much does a lord have to hate his daughter to marry her off to Gregor Clegane?

 

Yeah, I suspect Littlefinger wasn't a sociopath when he was younger.  I think there was a passage too that not only the Tully kids but even he would run to Blackfish if he had a problem with something.  I think whatever childhood innocence/decency he might have had was gone when he lost that duel to Brandon.

[Holmbo]

Another funny moment is Jaime's fall and exit from the tourney. I totally giggled at the way his helm was all dented and twisted to the point where he couldn't see or remove it. Not to mention all of the people in the stands laughing and pointing.

Yes it's a very funny image. The recap podcast of the show I was listening to read this book after season 1 and they took a lot of notice of that particular paragraph and how much they would have loved to see it on the show.

They also called Robert bro-king which I thought of in this chapter because here he's especially frat-boyish.

"Drink! Your king commands it"

If Gregor killed Loras he would have been executed right? I wouldn't want to be the guard who'd have to arrest him.

Edited June 25, 2015 by Holmbo

[Avaleigh]

I understand the these were the times argument when it comes to drinking something like beer for breakfast but the fact that Robert was deep into drinking it by the time Ned saw him for breakfast the next morning given how blasted he'd been the night before is truly astonishing to me. Even making adjustments for size and everything I feel like Robert could outdrink Tyrion and that's quite a feat. Is there any other character that is this deep of a booze hound? I guess Cersei qualifies but even she isn't that far gone yet and definitely not at this stage in the books. I don't think she goes off of the deep end with the wine until the double punch of Joffrey and Tywin.

 

Thinking about Barristan training Arya and how much he seemed to enjoy training his Unsullied made me feel like this was such a missed opportunity. If Barristan had got to know Arya and had been with her during Ned's takedown, I wonder what he would have done? The idea of Barristan never making it to Dany but instead bringing Arya to her brother the King in the North after Ned's execution is something that I am totally in love with and would have liked to see as much as I appreciate his presence in Dany's story. I think the fact that he's dead on the show is what made me want to explore some what if scenarios with the character. 

 

How much does a lord have to hate his daughter to marry her off to Gregor Clegane?

I guess Gregor and Sandor's father was paid back for his awful decision to shield Gregor after what he'd done to his younger brother since it appears that Gregor killed their father too eventually. Yikes, what a family. With that sister I can't help but think of Merope Gaunt.

With Robert, he may have been the source of tons of fun hijinks at the Eyrie, but there's no sign he was ever not a fundamentally selfish guy. It's just that his bullying fratbro-type asshole ways have gotten way worse over the years with his alcoholism and bitterness. I guess I'd forgotten his threat to Selmy, I thought his bullying of Lancel and Tyrek just for being Cersei's cousins was bad, but threatening your most most honorable bodyguard is really crossing a line.

 

I'd forgotten it too. I wasn't expecting to dislike the character of Robert so much on this reread but I think he's awful. Just an ungrateful lush with an enormous ego who is still basically cashing in on a victory he had some fifteen years ago. 

 

Regarding how Ned found Syrio--I can't explain it but I feel like Varys might have had a hand in making this happen. 

Edited June 25, 2015 by Avaleigh

[benteen]

I think Arya would have gotten along well with Barristan.

[Avaleigh]

Tyrion IV

 

As he's watching his horse being butchered, Tyrion is fuming and thinking about his current debt toll with the Starks. Even more galling for Tyrion is that his horse is on the menu for everyone for dinner.

 

A sellsword named Bronn points out to Tyrion that the Dothraki like horse meat well enough and Tyrion thinks to himself that the Dothraki also leave deformed children out to be eaten by wild dogs so he isn't exactly feeling enthusiastic about having a Dothraki inspired meal especially when it'll be from the horse that was a gift to Tyrion from his brother Jaime for his twenty third birthday.

 

Chiggen, another sellsword, deliberately grosses Tyrion out by eating some of the raw horse meat as he's butchering it. Bronn tells Chiggen that the meat will taste better if he fries it up with onions so at this point Tyrion decides to walk away further up the road to rejoin his other captors.

 

Tyrion is thinking about how everything at the Inn went to hell so quickly. One minute he'd been ready to enjoy some dinner and the next minute he has a bunch of swords pointing at him because of the words of Lady Stark. He'd tried to defend himself to her early on by telling her that he had no part in what happened to Bran but, Lady Stark is clearly under the impression that a Lannister's word cannot be trusted so, she ignores him and starts telling the room about how Tyrion is to blame for the scars she bears on her hands and insists that Tyrion tried to have her son's throat cut.

 

There are calls for Tyrion's death right there and then after Catelyn makes these claims so Tyrion tells the room that he's willing to go quietly with Catelyn to answer for anything he might have done. Tyrion knows that he and his two guards would die if they tried to fight their way out of the situation because they're too outnumbered. He also knows that while he and Yoren are friends that Yoren's position as a brother of the Night's Watch means that he won't be able to help Tyrion out because men of the Night's Watch don't take sides when it comes to matters like this due to the nature of their vows.

 

The innkeeper begs Catelyn to not have Tyrion and his men killed in her inn so Catelyn assures the woman that they'll be taking Tyrion and his guards to Winterfell.

 

Tyrion notices that there are many men in the inn who didn't rise to Catelyn's call for swords and takes particular note of the fact that there are some Freys who are present who aren't going to be part of the group taking Tyrion back to Winterfell.

 

Tyrion loudly says that his father Tywin would gladly reward any man who brings him information about Tyrion's abduction from the inn. Tyrion knows perfectly well that Tywin would do no such thing but thinks that he would make it up by paying anyone who helps to secure his freedom.

 

Ser Rodrik seems concerned after Tyrion says this and tells the room to be silent about what they've seen take place that evening. Tyrion almost laughs in Rodrik's face for sounding so naive and knows that it's an impossibility that multiple people won't talk about seeing Catelyn Stark taking Tyrion Lannister as her prisoner.

 

By traveling in the direction of Winterfell, Tyrion thinks he has a chance of being rescued within the next day or so especially if some river lord decides that he wants to gain favor with House Lannister. Just as Tyrion is feeling confident that he's handled the situation as best as he could and is thinking that riders will probably come upon them well before they make it to Winterfell, he ends up having a hood pulled down over his head as somebody lifts him onto a horse.

 

The ride is rough and painful and it's made worse for Tyrion since he can't talk or see with the hood over his face nor can he really hear what is being said around him. It's also raining so all in all not a fun time for the guy who seems to spend a fair amount of time enjoying himself.

 

The singer Marillion is also one of their party and Tyrion can't help but blame Marillion too for his current predicament. Tyrion is kind of looking forward to what the boy will sing about once he comes into contact with any Lannister guards coming to rescue Tyrion. 

 

The rain has finally stopped and Catelyn calls for the group to come to a halt. Tyrion is then untied and the hood is lifted off of his face and he is furious to see that they aren't on the road to Winterfell at all; they're headed for the Eyrie in the Vale and everyone who is looking for Tyrion is going to be riding in the direction of Winterfell.

 

Tyrion's thought process after realizing what's happening is something like 7#FML#fucked*^%1!&D@MN+43$+@Rk$7xs//really?7hells298!!111R0AR!!!#more_debts777!! and he's especially angry that Catelyn was able to outwit him since he takes pride in his intelligence seeing this intelligence as one of the few gifts that the gods were willing to bless him with.

 

After a couple of days Tyrion is spared the hood and no longer has his hands bound. They're in dangerous territory and there are all kinds of dangers lurking around like mountain clans and shadowcats so Catelyn doesn't fear Tyrion being tempted into running off.

 

Tyrion isn't looking forward to meeting with Catelyn's sister Lysa and thinks to himself that she's certainly no friend to the Lannisters.

 

Marilion whines for a bit that the damp weather is messing up his harp.

 

Some of the knights are trying to talk Catelyn into slowing their pace since they've already lost three horses but she's determined that they keep going reasoning that they'll lose a lot more than horses if they're over taken by the Lannisters.
 
Tyrion speaks up and tells Catelyn that whoever is pursuing them is headed in the wrong direction and says that Tywin doesn't really care for him all that much anyway so maybe he won't send any of his own men. Tyrion thinks to himself that this isn't a total lie and knows that while Tywin would definitely want to have Tyrion rescued, it certainly wouldn't be for feelings of fatherly affection. He adds that each mount they lose is going to make their journey more dangerous. Not only that but at this pace Tyrion is honestly not sure how much more of this rough riding his body can take. He asks Lady Stark what the point would be in her journey if she loses Tyrion along the way?

 

Tyrion goes on to say that if this were just about wanting him dead then that could have been handled back at the inn. Catelyn says that Starks don't just go around murdering people in their beds and Tyrion insists that he doesn't think that sort of thing is cool either and again speaks to his innocence on the matter of Bran.

 

Catelyn says that the assassin was armed with Tyrion's dagger and Tyrion is like for fuck's sake, how many times do I have to say that it wasn't my dagger? He points out that only a first rate block head would arm an assassin with a weapon that could easily be traced back to him and Tyrion might be many things but stupid isn't one of them.

 

When Tyrion says this he can see the doubt in Catelyn's eyes but she can't see why Petyr would lie to her about something like this. Tyrion tells Catelyn that Littlefinger is a practiced liar and she of all people ought to know that. Catelyn doesn't know what Tyrion is referring to and he tells her that every man at court has heard the story of how Littlefinger took the virginity of Catelyn Tully. Catelyn seems genuinely shocked by this and immediately says that it's a lie.  

 

One of the Bracken's men threatens to cut out Tyrion's tongue after Tyrion makes this comment and Catelyn goes into Ice Queen mode with her facial expression and tells Tyrion that Petyr loved her once when he was a boy, says that it was a tragedy for everyone involved for his feelings to go in that direction, but insists that it was a pure love that shouldn't be mocked and tells Tyrion that he really is a horrible man to twist something like that in order to make some sort of sick point.

 

Tyrion tells Catelyn to get real with all that talk about how pure Littlefinger's love was and that Littlefinger just wanted to fuck her and that she's too much of a fool to see this fact.

 

The same guy who has been giving Tyrion shit throughout the journey asks Catelyn if he should open Tyrion's throat for his last comment but Catelyn wants to continue to hear what he has to say.

 

Tyrion wants to know how Littlefinger told Catelyn that Tyrion ended up in possession of the dagger in the first place. Catelyn repeats the story of how Tyrion won the dagger after a tourney bet and Tyrion guesses that Littlefinger told her about the time Jaime was unseated by the Knight of Flowers. Catelyn admits that Tyrion is right but their conversation is interrupted by a shout that riders are coming.

 

About twenty five men from one of the mountain clans are headed their way. Tyrion tells Catelyn to arm him and his men if they want a better chance of surviving so Catelyn asks Tyrion to give her his word that he'll disarm once the conflict is over. Tyrion smirks a bit that she's willing to take his word now and says that she has his word 'on his honor as a Lannister.'

 

Tyrion thinks for a moment that Catelyn wants to spit on him or maybe punch him in the face but whatever it is that she wanted to do she ultimately resists the urge.

 

Bronn rides up to toss Tyrion a double bladed axe and advises Tyrion to just pretend that he's chopping wood. Tyrion thinks about how vulnerable and naked he feels without armor.

 

Tyrion goes to find a rock to station himself behind and finds one where Marillion is all scared and hiding. He tells Tyrion to go away and says that he doesn't want any part of the fight. Tyrion asks him if he's lost his taste of adventure and then kicks at the guy until he moves over.

 

The clansmen are at their camp now and the fight has started.

 

There were no heralds, no banners, no horns nor drums, only the twang of bowstrings as Morrec and Lharys let fly, and suddenly the clansmen came thundering out of the dawn, lean dark men in boiled leather and mismatched armor, faces hidden behind barred halfhelms. In gloved hands were clutched all manner of weapons: longswords and lances and sharpened scythes, spiked clubs and daggers and heavy iron mauls. At their head rode a big man in a striped shadowskin cloak, armed with a two-handed greatsword.

Ser Rodrik shouted "Winterfell!" and rode to meet him, with Bronn and Chiggen beside him, screaming some wordless battle cry. Ser Willis Wode followed, swinging a spiked morningstar around his head. "Harrenhal! Harrenhal!" he sang. Tyrion felt a sudden urge to leap up, brandish his axe, and boom out, "Casterly Rock!" but the insanity passed quickly and he crouched down lower.

A rider jumps over their rock forcing Tyrion and Marillion into the action. Marillion screams and it's up to Tyrion alone to kill their attacker. He first kills the rider's horse as the rider charges back at them. The rider and horse fall on top of Marillion and Tyrion is then able to bury the axe in the clansman's neck.

 

Marillion is on the ground freaking out and thinks that he's bleeding but Tyrion assures him that it's horse blood and then advises the singer to pretend to be dead until it's all over.

 

Bronn sounds like kind of a badass and is fighting with a blade in each hand.

 

Tyrion helps himself to the helm of a dead clansman and picks up a dirk when he hears the screaming of Catelyn.

 

Three men have Catelyn pinned up against a rock and she's holding a dagger in her wounded hands. Even as Tyrion is thinking to himself that he's fine if these men take her, he finds himself moving over to help defend her.

 

Tyrion kills one of the men before the other two realize that he's even there and then Tyrion and Catelyn go tag team to take out another of the men. The third man thinks twice about attacking them and turns around and quickly rides away.

 

The fighting is suddenly over and the surviving clansmen seem to have fled.

 

Bronn helps himself to the boots of one of Tyrion's guards and wonders if this was Tyrion's first taste of battle. Tyrion confirms that it is and Bronn tells him that what he needs now is to be with a woman. Tyrion looks over at the only woman in their group and says that he's willing if Catelyn is. The freeriders who are traveling with them laugh at this and Tyrion seems like he's back to hoping that he can maybe win one or more of these men over when the time comes.

 

Catelyn wants to bury the dead or put cairns on their bodies but Bronn is like no fucking way, and says that if they linger there then they're dead men. He says that anybody who plans on living can accompany him but he's not staying around to bury some men he barely even knew when the clansmen could come back to attack at any moment. 

 

Ser Rodrik speaks up to support what Bronn is saying and Tyrion sees that Rodrik was wounded in the fighting.

 

Knowing that she's outnumbered and has no choice, Catelyn hopes that the gods will forgive them and agrees that they'll ride forward immediately.

 

One of the men moves to relieve Tyrion of his weapons but Catelyn says that Tyrion can keep them arguing that they might very well be attacked again so they'll need all the help they can get if that happens.

 

Tyrion thanks her but she tells him to save it and says that things haven't changed and that she still trusts him just as much as she did before.

 

Tyrion thinks for a bit about how he started this journey bound, hooded, and unarmed and now he has a little bit of armor and even a couple of weapons. He decides that things are looking up.

 

Marillion is pretty beaten up with broken ribs and fingers and he throws the occasional resentful look in Tyrion's direction as though his injuries are somehow Tyrion's fault. It seems that Marillion also did some scavenging among the dead men and is now wearing a fairly impressive shadowskin cloak so the day wasn't a total loss even with the incident of a horse and rider falling on top of him. Tyrion notes that for once Marillion has nothing to say.

 

Marillion also goes all pale when they hear the sounds of the shadowcats eating the dead bodies that were left behind so Tyrion rides up to him and reminds him that the word craven rhymes with raven. Marillion has no reply.

 

Tyrion then rides up to Catelyn so that they can continue the conversation they were having before they were so rudely interrupted by the clansmen. He tells Catelyn that Littlefinger's story has one huge flaw in it and it's that Tyrion never, ever bets against his family.

[WearyTraveler]

This chapter always makes me wonder what was in that letter that LF sent Cat.  Given that Petyr seemed to have been a pretty reckless youth with a lot of passion, one of my guesses is that the letter was something along the lines of "I hate you, I'll make you and your family pay for this, I will not rest until House Tully and House Stark are but ashes in the wind".

 

Later, LF learned to play the game and tamed his youthful impulses.  When Catelyn showed up in KL and readily trusted him, Petyr guessed she hadn't even read the letter and set in motion the events that would start the destruction of both houses.

 

I remember upon first read that I never thought Tyrion had anything to do with Bran's assassination attempt.  One of my most pressing questions in AGoT always was: who did it?  And while I had guessed at Robert's children not being his, I never guessed who had so clumsily planned the attack on Bran.

Edited June 26, 2015 by WearyTraveler

[Holmbo]

My thought is that it was still a deceleration of love. "I will always love you. In leaving for Gull Town. If you ever need a friend there's where you'll find me"

Or something like that. I'm not sure what his plan would be. If he planned to still get her one day or if he was more like I lost her forever and my revenge will be to become the most powerful person in the land.

I'm very confused about book LF because I've seen so many people, the author among them, state that other people see him as friendly and like him. I find him super creepy. Like now when Tyrion talks about him telling anyone who will listen that he and Cat had sex.

Edited June 26, 2015 by Holmbo

[Avaleigh]

My favorite part is definitely Tyrion feeling all pissed off that Cat outwitted him. That and Tyrion's line about how he's willing if Cat is. 

 

Catelyn comes across as a bit arrogant. She simply won't entertain the idea that she could be wrong. Even when Tyrion makes sensible and logical arguments she can only go into I-hate-Lannisters! mode and it completely clouds her judgement. At this point I still don't think that enough has happened in the story for her to hate all Lannisters anyway. 

 

I can't recall what my initial thoughts were about dagger!gate but I do know that I by the time we make it to the Eyrie I knew Tyrion hadn't done it. 

 

I have to say that Tyrion is pretty brave here even with that moment when he sort of wants to shout Casterly Rock and decides not to. Having Marillion be a sobbing wreck next to him kind of drove home the point but picturing small Tyrion taking down some mountain clan guy as he's charging at him on some huge horse seems like a pretty mean feat so I was pretty impressed.

 

Marillion is obnoxious for sure but how exactly is the guy supposed to behave after he's had a horse and rider fall on top of him? I'm amazed that he managed to ride silently at all with all of those broken ribs. Surely he should be moaning in pain. Who can bear to ride over rough roads when their ribs are broken? Even if he were traveling in a wagon that shit would be no end unpleasant and a guy like him would totally be crying the blues. 

 

Actually reading about Marillion made me wonder what ever happened to him. He was allowed to keep his life but now that the Eyrie has been closed down for winter what happens to all of the people in the sky cells? It kind of irritates me if they were left there to die when they could have been sent to the Wall. Not that Marillion would be helpful to the Wall necessarily but his fate made me wonder about the fate of others. Who knows too how many innocent men end up imprisoned all over the various castles in the realm? 

 

My thought is that it was still a deceleration of love. "I will always love you. In leaving for Gull Town. If you ever need a friend there's where you'll find me"
Or something like that. I'm not sure what his plan would be. If he planned to still get her one day or if he was more like I lost her forever and my revenge will be to become the most powerful person in the land.

I'm very confused about book LF because I've seen so many people, the author among them, state that other people see him as friendly and like him. I find him super creepy. Like now when Tyrion talks about him telling anyone who will listen that he and Cat had sex.

I think the letter said something about how he was working on becoming a man who will one day be powerful enough to be worthy of her love. 

 

I do think that Littlefinger is supposed to be that phony kind of person who is fun to be around in that he's often saying something witty or pointing out the absurd. He was definitely fun to have on the Small Council. Renly is considered likeable too and he and Littlefinger give off a similar vibe when it comes to being surface friendly if snarky and sometimes downright rude. 

 

Tbh, I think Mace was a shoo-in for Hand if Renly took the throne. Maybe Littlefinger could keep his job as copper counter, but I'd hope Renly would know better than to give him more power. They banter, but no one except the Tully sisters actually considers Littlefinger a friend.

I agree that's why I said eventually wrt Littlefinger. Since we know that Mace is a fool I can see Renly replacing if he needs to or I could see him dying in the office (LF maybe even making that happen while he's master of coin or something). I feel like Littlefinger would have flourished if he'd been on the council with Renly as King. 

[benteen]

This chapter always makes me wonder what was in that letter that LF sent Cat.  Given that Petyr seemed to have been a pretty reckless youth with a lot of passion, one of my guesses is that the letter was something along the lines of "I hate you, I'll make you and your family pay for this, I will not rest until House Tully and House Stark are but ashes in the wind".

 

Later, LF learned to play the game and tamed his youthful impulses.  When Catelyn showed up in KL and readily trusted him, Petyr guessed she hadn't even read the letter and set in motion the events that would start the destruction of both houses.

 

I remember upon first read that I never thought Tyrion had anything to do with Bran's assassination attempt.  One of my most pressing questions in AGoT always was: who did it?  And while I had guessed at Robert's children not being his, I never guessed who had so clumsily planned the attack on Bran.

 

It would be hilarious if Petyr gave away his evil plans for the future, only to be saved by the fact that Catelyn never read it.  It would be Catelyn's luck to do so.  The letter was sent after Brandon's death so I don't see it being "I hate you!"  Either it was another declaration of love or perhaps LF tried the whole "I'm here if you need me" line.  He might even have started it by saying how sorry he was for Catelyn's loss.  He probably wanted to keep the lines of communication open but since Catelyn never responded, that ended that line of thinking.

 

The bit about LF's letter is only mentioned once but I'd still love to know what he wrote.

[Lady S.]

Yeah, I suspect Littlefinger wasn't a sociopath when he was younger.  I think there was a passage too that not only the Tully kids but even he would run to Blackfish if he had a problem with something.  I think whatever childhood innocence/decency he might have had was gone when he lost that duel to Brandon.

Well, sociopaths are born not made, as I understand it, I just think he at least tried to hide it growing up. IA with Holmbo and Avaleigh that his letter was probably more romantic drivel, based on some things he said to Sansa, I don't think that part of him ever truly died, he just realized that only trying to live out heroic stories wasn't the way to land his dream girl. I've recently come around to the theory that he genuinely believed it was Cat when he and Lysa deflowered each other, since she

basically raped him that first time, coming to his room in the dark, after he got so drunk that the Blackfish carried him up there, which adds a certain level of tragedy to the duel. But not too much, since he does later prove himself a pretty evil guy.

 

Can we talk about the fact that Cat just achieved her first kill without a second thought? This is interesting to me because Brienne

worries over her first kill through Feast

, and Arya later remembers that stupid stable boy, but I don't remember this dead clansman ever coming up in Catelyn's own PoV. I'm betting this is a detail most of us had forgotten, since it was cut from the show, but it's going in my memory file on why Cat's personality actually has more in common with Arya's.

 

Another detail cut from the show is Tyrion breaking Marillion's fingers, which is actually pretty petty when you consider that Marillion needs his hands to earn a living and his only crime so far is being annoying and writing a song which mocked Tyrion. I don't bring this up to bash him or complain about whitewashing, but because I've seen it claimed that early Tyrion or Jaime is the non-vengeful Lannister and I don't think that's true of either of them.

Edited June 27, 2015 by Lady S.

[benteen]

Catelyn killing the clansman is something I had forgotten about.  That was another cut I didn't like.

[Lady S.]

I think that cut was just to make her later Red Wedding kill more meaningful, but I believe there's a later action moment for her in Clash that I am sorry was cut. Cutting both and just having her ineffectually point knives at people just adds to the Catelyn can't do anything right vibes.

 

Tyrion saving her here before she slits the other guy's throat herself reminds me of Jaime first helping Brienne without really understanding why he was doing it. (I mean, not the bear pit, but the stuff before that.) I wonder if part of it is the same feeling of respect for a worthy adversary because she outwitted Tyrion, certainly there's the same feeling of suddenly being on the same side when faced with a mutual opponent

 

Catelyn comes across as a bit arrogant. She simply won't entertain the idea that she could be wrong. Even when Tyrion makes sensible and logical arguments she can only go into I-hate-Lannisters! mode and it completely clouds her judgement. At this point I still don't think that enough has happened in the story for her to hate all Lannisters anyway. 

 

 

Tyrion starts off the chapter cursing all the Starks even though he befriended Jon and made a gift for Bran, so I'm not sure why her saying she still doesn't trust Tyrion should be taken more seriously. Even Tyrion knows she's not sincere about his death being the point. Let's hold off on evaluating her true opinions until her upcoming Vale PoVs. It's significant that Tyrion's sensible defense is interrupted by the clansmen attack. She's the one who commands them to let him speak, and he's the one who says they have to continue on to the Eyrie (and unlike the show, does not mention how Lysa has changed). After the attack, it's really the point of no return because they've traveled a lot of ground and shelter past the Bloody Gate is probably closer than the Crossroads Inn. Plus it'd probably be pretty awkward to explain to these men that some of them just died because she made a mistake, if the survivors deserted her, she'd just be left with the injured Rodrik. And if she really didn't trust him she wouldn't have unbound Tyrion when he could have just as easily killed her if he so chose, after all, Jaime was still chained and on a leash held by Brienne when she released him. She does have a definite blind spot for her li'l Petyr, but saying he bragged about nailing her wasn't the best remedy for that, she takes it as Tyrion mocking both of them, and it's not a reasoned and logical argument like the rest of what he says about the dagger, just another unsubstantiated claim.

 

The thing about Ned and Cat's bias against Tywin and his kids is that they're not completely wrong, just vastly overestimating family unity in this scheming. Cersei did want Jon Arryn dead, she just never got around to doing anything about it. Now she is trying to kill Robert, but likely imo without Jaime's knowledge. Jaime did push Bran, they just don't know why, but he has been committing treason with Cersei for years, and would have gladly become a Kingslayer twice over if she'd let him--even without knowing the abusive nature of their marriage. Tyrion has no direct role in their treason but he is an accomplice by knowing about it, and at this point he has to know his suspicions about Bran's fall are true, and can't rule out yet that Cersei sent the fumbling assassin to finish Bran off. And who knows how well informed Cersei and Pycelle are keeping Tywin himself? He's obviously in deep denial about the twincest but he could still know about Renly's scheming to put a younger rival in Robert's bed or Stannis's sudden and suspicious flight back to Dragonstone or how weird and suspicious it is for Ned to accept the job of Robert's Hand. However, we can try to analyze Tywin's actions better once he actually starts acting in the plot.

[Avaleigh]

Arya III

 

Arya is running around the Red Keep in bare feet chasing a black cat with one ear.

 

The cat is watching and hissing at her and Arya thinks about how difficult it is to catch these animals. Syrio tells her that she has to keep at it until she manages to do it reminding her that her enemies will give her more than scratches.

 

The cat that Arya is chasing has a bit of a reputation. One of the gold cloaks tells Arya that the cat is super old and mean and then tells her about the time the cat was bold enough to hop on the high table and snatch a roasted quail right out of Lord Tywin's fingers. The incident greatly amused the King at the time but the gold cloak advises Arya to stay away from the cat.

 

It takes some time and a fair bit of running but eventually Arya is able to catch the black cat that she's been pursuing and even manages to give it a kiss before it can claw at her face in retaliation. As she's holding the struggling animal, Arya runs into Princess Myrcella and Prince Tommen who don't recognize her and seem to think that she's some common boy.

 

Myrcella calls out to Arya and asks her what she thinks she's doing to the cat. She also giggles to Tommen about how ragged looking the "boy" Arya is. Tommen agrees that the "boy" looks ragged and their septa wants to know how this boy got into this part of the castle anyway and asks Arya who she belongs to.

 

Arya is afraid to answer because she thinks that Tommen and Myrcella will recognize her if she speaks so she turns and runs for it, knocking Tommen over as she leaves.

 

She thinks she's able to escape without having been recognized and hides for awhile in a dark area of the castle. She isn't sure where she is and thinks back to the dreams she'd have when she first came to King's Landing where she'd get lost in the castle and Ned tried to make her feel better by telling her that the Red Keep is actually smaller than Winterfell. She tells herself she'll count to ten thousand and then hopefully by then it'll be safe for her to come out.

 

Once her eyes adjust to the darkness Arya sees that she's surrounded by large monstrous looking shapes. At first she seems to think she might be imagining them but when she blinks they're still there so she decides to touch one to see if it's real. After touching one she realizes that the monster is in fact a skull and even though she knows that the skulls are dead, and can't harm her, she feels uneasy being in the room and feels like the monster knows that she's there. She bumps into a second skull that is even bigger than the one that she touched and its teeth briefly dig into her shoulder so she turns around and the teeth are still sharp enough to tear into her jerkin.

 

Arya gets scared and takes off running and her only concern seems to be to get out of this den of monstrous skulls. She even races through the mouth of the largest skull in the room and this brings her to a door which takes her into a hall that is pitch black. She can't see anything so she has to feel her way along and tells herself that a water dancer should be able to see with all of their other senses. She tells herself that the hall has to lead somewhere and also thinks that 'fear cuts deeper than swords'.

 

Eventually, she begins to hear voices and can finally see the light of a single torch. She sees two men and begins to listen in on their conversation.

 

She hears talk about how a bastard has been found and that it's only a matter of time before 'the rest' comes. She hears that the wolf and the lion will be at each other's throats before long and one of the men feels that it's too soon for any of this to happen. The other man insists that there isn't anything he can do about it and Arya begins to think that there's something familiar about this man.

 

Arya is certain that she hasn't seen the other man before and notes that he's fat and wears flashy rings on all of his fingers. This man asks if one Hand can die why shouldn't another? He also says that they need time because the princess is going to have a baby and the Khal won't do anything until his son is born.

 

The familiar looking man thinks that if the Khal doesn't move soon it might very well be too late.

 

"This is no longer a game for two players, if ever it was. Stannis Baratheon and Lysa Arryn have fled beyond my reach, and the whispers say they are gathering swords around them. The Knight of Flowers writes Highgarden, urging his lord father to send his sister to court. The girl is a maid of fourteen, sweet and beautiful and tractable, and Lord Renly and Ser Loras intend that Robert should bed her, wed her, and make a new queen. Littlefinger . . . the gods only know what game Littlefinger is playing. Yet Lord Stark's the one who troubles my sleep. He has the bastard, he has the book, and soon enough he'll have the truth. And now his wife has abducted Tyrion Lannister, thanks to Littlefinger's meddling. Lord Tywin will take that for an outrage, and Jaime has a queer affection for the Imp. If the Lannisters move north, that will bring the Tullys in as well. Delay, you say. Make haste, I reply. Even the finest of jugglers cannot keep a hundred balls in the air forever."

The bling guy tells the familiar looking guy that he really is kind of wizard and asks him to work his "magic" for a little while longer.

 

The familiar looking guy says that he'll need fifty "birds" in addition to money and the bling guy says that he's surprised that he'll need so many.

 

They talk for a bit more and then Arya allows them to get ahead of her. She follows them from a distance and pretends that Nymeria is there beside her.

 

Eventually the two men fade from view and Arya soon finds herself knee deep in a sewer. She's right at the mouth where it empties into the river so she strips off her clothing and goes swimming until she feels clean. She washes her clothes in the river and is naked when riders go past but they take little or no notice of her.

 

Arya is miles away from the castle but she can still see the Red Keep so she knows that she'll be able to find her way back.

 

It's dark by the time she arrives at the gatehouse and when the gold cloaks stop her they take her for a beggar. She tells them that she in fact lives there but they tell her again to get lost and ask if there's something wrong with her hearing. She says that she wants to see her father so they mock her by making vulgar remarks about the Queen and rude assumptions about her father. She tells them that her father is the Hand of the King but the gold cloaks only laugh at her and then one of them actually tries to take a swing at her.

 

She dances out of the way, tells them who she is, and says that if they touch her that her father will have both of their heads mounted on spikes. She adds that Jory or Vayon Poole can vouch for her. She then asks if they are going to open the gate or are they going to need a smack on their ears to help their own hearing?

 

When she goes to see her father, he is cross with her and tells her that he had half of his guard out looking for her. He tells her that even Septa Mordane has been praying for her return. He says that Arya knows that she isn't to go outside of the castle without his permission.

 

"I didn't go out the gates," she blurted. "Well, I didn't mean to. I was down in the dungeons, only they turned into this tunnel. It was all dark, and I didn't have a torch or a candle to see by, so I had to follow. I couldn't go back the way I came on account of the monsters. Father, they were talking about killing you! Not the monsters, the two men. They didn't see me, I was being still as stone and quiet as a shadow, but I heard them. They said you had a book and a bastard and if one Hand could die, why not a second? Is that the book? Jon's the bastard, I bet."

Ned doesn't know what the hell she's talking about and wants to know who she was listening to. Arya describes the men as best as she can but even as she's saying everything that she can remember she can tell that it sounds mixed up and a little fanciful.

 

Ned warns her that she'd better not be telling him some wildly untrue story and then comes to the conclusion that Arya must have come across a couple of mummers.

 

Arya doesn't think that they were mummers but it's no use trying to convince her father. He seems more concerned about the idea of his daughter following and spying on people. He also isn't too enthused with the idea of her chasing cats and is upset to see that her arms are covered in scratches. He tells her that he wants to have a word with Syrio Forel.

 

Arya's conversation with her father is interrupted by Desmond telling Ned that there is a man from the Night's Watch who urgently needs to have a word with him. Ned says that he always has time to listen to a man from the Night's Watch so he ends up greeting Yoren who apologizes for how late it is.

 

Yoren bows to Arya and assumes that he's looking at one of Ned's sons; he says that Arya looks like Ned. Arya corrects him and tells him that she's a girl and then asks him if he knows her brothers. She wants to know if Jon is a ranger yet and asks if he'll bring Jon a letter from her. She thinks to herself that Jon would believe her about everything she'd seen that day if she were able to talk to him.

 

Ned tells Yoren that Arya often 'forgets her courtesies' and wonders if Yoren was sent to talk to him by Benjen. Yoren says that if anyone sent him it was Mormont and mentions that he wants more men to bring with him back to the Wall even if that means grabbing some of the scum from the dungeons of King's Landing.

 

He goes on to say that it is indeed because of Benjen that Yoren rode hard from an inn to get to Ned as fast as he could although he wagers that Tywin might have already heard the news by now. 

 

Ned wants to know what news he's talking about so Yoren looks at Arya and says that he thinks it's probably better if they speak in private. Ned kisses Arya on the forehead, tells her that they'll finish talking the next day, and has Desmond escort her back to her chambers.

 

Before Arya leaves she wants to make sure that Jon and her Uncle Benjen are okay. Yoren admits that he isn't sure what's up with Benjen but says that Jon was fine the last time he saw.

 

Desmond urges Arya to come along so that Ned and Yoren can be alone to talk so she reluctantly goes with him and wishes that Fat Tom had been made to be her escort instead. If it had been him she'd have had a chance of doing a bit of eavesdropping, but she knows that Desmond isn't going to be susceptible to any of her usual tricks.

 

Arya asks Desmond how many guards her father has in King's Landing and Desmond tells her that he has fifty. She wants assurance that Desmond wouldn't let anyone kill her father. Desmond laughs and tells her that there's little chance of that happening as her father is guarded night and day. Arya tells him that the Lannisters certainly have more than fifty men. Desmond says that may be true but claims that every northerner is worth ten southron men so they shouldn't have anything to worry about.

 

Arya then wants to know what would happen if a wizard were sent to kill her father and Desmond tells her that wizards die just like other men once their heads are cut off.

[Lady S.]

Ah, the introduction of my fave minor character, Balerion the black cat. I had an one-eared black tomcat in early childhood, so he brings back fond memories, but really I just love the idea of Rhaenys's old cat harassing the Lannisters and being too fast for anyone to stop him. The image of him snatching food right out of Tywin's fingers is just golden.
 
Arya's chase and finding of the dragon skulls is so much more elaborate here, it's easy to see why they dialed it way down for the show. But would it have been that hard to find an actually black cat?
 
I think this my first really big "OH C'MON, NED!" (as Hand/very slow private investigator, I know I've already critiqued his parenting skills plenty) moment if he actually believes there were just harmless mummers wandering around the tunnels, especially so soon after learning Varys is both a master of disguise and knows secret ways to navigate the castle. We'll have to see in his own PoV chapters, but idr this warning from Arya ever coming up in his inner monologue. Then again, the Littlefinger/Renly exchange about Tyrion's betting habits in Ned's previous chapter, which Constantinople already pointed out, is also a pretty terrible miss. But really, mummers just happening to wander around in the castle's secret passageways? Sure, Ned.
 
Other items of note here:

• Something cut (pun unintended) from the show is the implication that Varys has the tongues removed on most of his little birds, or at least the small children he sends scurrying through the walls. The snippets about older children maybe not dying so easily and " . . . .if they kept their tongues . . . " " . . . the risk . . . " can be taken as more ambiguous riddles, but it's pretty much confirmed for me when Tyrion is crashing at Illyrio's in Dance. 
  He notices that some of the servants seem to understand him but never speak to him, and I got the feeling this was the Varys's birds retirement package, for those who survived but grew too big to climb around in the walls.
  

• Something I'm still wondering about is Illyrio's "You have danced the dance before, my friend." line when suggesting just offing Ned. Is he implying Varys played a role in the ends of any of the Mad King's post-Tywin Hands? Or just that he watched them all rise and fall?
• Yoren riding so fast to deliver this news to Ned belies Benji's claim to Jon that he was no longer Ned's brother when he was on the clock at Castle Black, and shows that no one really gives up their family ties up there. Also, that staying out of 7k affairs is also an unsustainable ideal since Yoren was riding to court anyway but expressly says it's not official NW business that brought him to Ned at this late hour. 
• Arya asking after her brothers and later Uncle Benji reminds me of Bran and Robb with Yoren earlier, it's cute that Arya also tries to sends a message to Jon.
• "Lord Eddard's guarded night and day. He'll come to no harm." has to be one of the best Tempting Fate lines in a series that's pretty filled with them.

[Avaleigh]

Ah, the introduction of my fave minor character, Balerion the black cat. I had an one-eared black tomcat in early childhood, so he brings back fond memories, but really I just love the idea of Rhaenys's old cat harassing the Lannisters and being too fast for anyone to stop him. The image of him snatching food right out of Tywin's fingers is just golden...

Balerion is definitely one of my favorite minor characters. Not my favorite of the animals (I have a soft spot for Ghost and Mormont's raven) but definitely in my top four. Ghost and Summer are my favorite direwolves. I like Nymeria in a way but I can see how she might end up being a menace to society in general. I liked Grey Wind. I might have liked Lady best if she'd lived. Shaggydog is and has always been a menace.

 

The image of a cat of poor Rhaenys stealing Tywin's dinner is too precious and is weirdly satisfying. 

 

I wish that Arya had said to Ned that one of the men she was listening to looked familiar to her.

 

Ned has his own little bird in his daughter but of course wouldn't know that she'd be close to perfect for sniffing out useful information nor would he want her to even if he did know. 

 

What struck me most in reading this is how much Arya seems like she's in training already to becoming a faceless man. Needing to use her other senses because she can't see in the darkness, blending in, collecting information, etc.

 

I have to agree that there seem to be a few things that Ned isn't picking up on. I don't see how he jumps to the mummer conclusion without at least asking a few more questions. 

 

With Yoren I thought it was more about Yoren somehow feeling like Ned was a kind of brother to him via Benjen. He felt like he owed him loyalty even though we know they aren't supposed to take sides and blah, blah. He totally chose a side and to me in a way it was out of loyalty to Benjen. 

 

I love that Arya wants to write to Jon. It's like Jon wanting to send word with Tyrion to me. (Although with Tyrion going to KL I sort of wish Jon had thought to have Tyrion give her some sort of message. She would have loved that.)

 

 I didn't pick that up about Illyrio's servants. That makes sense. It's crazy how many things I've missed. 

Edited June 29, 2015 by Avaleigh

[Lady S.]

Ned has his own little bird in his daughter but of course wouldn't know that she'd be close to perfect for sniffing out useful information nor would he want her to even if he did know. 

What struck me most in reading this is how much Arya seems like she's in training already to becoming a faceless man. Needing to use her other senses because she can't see in the darkness, blending in, collecting information, etc.

 That's another tv vs. books difference, I feel like book Arya is much better at being stealthy when she wants to be. Just look at the comments about her very unsubtle stalking of Meryn Trant.

 

With Yoren I thought it was more about Yoren somehow feeling like Ned was a kind of brother to him via Benjen. He felt like he owed him loyalty even though we know they aren't supposed to take sides and blah, blah. He totally chose a side and to me in a way it was out of loyalty to Benjen.

It's a nice parallel with Sam later helping Bran because of Jon. But by the time Yoren's rescuing Arya and giving her a forced haircut, he is really, really breaking neutrality.

 

I didn't pick that up about Illyrio's servants. That makes sense. It's crazy how many things I've missed.

As a show fan first my memory is probably fresher, but I confess one of my fave threads to lurk on w.org was the "things you missed" thread or whatever. It cleared up a lot of shit for me but there's likely still plenty of details to be caught on re-reads.