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Jaime takes control of the debacle that is the siege of Riverrun. He gets only scorn from the Blackfish, but he makes Edmure Tully an offer that would be hard to refuse. Simon and Mackelly consider the intestinal fortitude of the tormented Lord of Riverrun.

Chapter Review:
Jaime parlays with Brynden Blackfish Tully. He makes zero progress. The older man is resigned to Edmure’s death, accuses Jaime of oathbreaking and cowardice, and won’t believe Jaime’s offer of pardons for all within.

Jaime calls a war council that is closer to a war. All parties bring their high-horses and nobody budges an inch. The enmity within the besiegers camp is greater than that between the besiegers and the besieged.

He gives up, dismisses Ryman Frey back to the Twins for his incompetence and elevates Ryman’s son Edwyn to head the Frey contingent. He frees Edmure from his torment and brings him back to be bathed and fed. The kindness comes with an offer and a threat. Edmure will be returned to Riverrun. If he then surrenders the castle the original offer remains - all will be spared. But if he doesn’t, everyone inside will die and Edmure’s soon-to-be-born baby will be trebucheted over the walls. Tully is left to consider these options as a singer plays the Rains of Castermere.

Characters/Places/Names/Events:
Jamie Lannister - Twin and lover to Cersei. Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Biological father of King Tommen.
Daven Lannister - Son of Stafford Lannister (the late Stafford was Tywin’s cousin). New Warden of the West.
Genna Lannister - Sister to Tywin, aunt to Jaime.
Emmon Frey - Husband to Genna. New lord of Riverrun - if and when it falls.
Brynden Blackfish Tully - Uncle to Edmure Tully. De facto Lord of Riverrun.
Edmure Tully - Stripped of his lordship of Riverrun, captive of the Freys.
Ryman Frey - Heir to the twins. Abuser of Edmure.
Edwyn Frey - Son of Ryman.
Riverrun - Capital of the Riverlands. Seat of House Tully. Gifted to the Freys by the crown. Under siege.

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Brienne reaches the Inn at the Crossroads where she meets Gendry who she mistakes for Renly and then, less happily, she meets Rorge and Biter and their motley crew. Mackelly and Simon call for a medic.

Chapter Review:
Brienne of Tarth, Podrick Payne, Ser Hyle Hunt, and Septon Meribald plod through the Riverlands. It’s not great, with soldiers of all stripes hanging from every tree. Truly a feast for crows.

They reach the Inn at the Crossroads, which has become a haven for orphans. There are too many to count. The girl Willow has an air of command that makes Brienne wonder if she might be Arya Stark. The closest the children have to a protector is Gendry the smith. Brienne is stunned by his similarity to Renly Baratheon, although he has Robert’s build. She asks after his parentage but he’s not very forthcoming.

After sharing their food with the children, the inn is visited by armed riders. Willow threatens them with a crossbow, and they recognize Brienne. She kills Rorge, but Biter gets the better of her until a sword pierces his throat.

Characters/Places/Names/Events:
Brienne of Tarth - Charged with rescuing Sansa Stark.
Podrick Payne - Former squire to Tyrion Lannister, now traveling with Brienne.
Ser Hyle Hunt - Former captain in service to House Tarly, now traveling with Brienne.
Septon Meribald - Itinerant Septon of the Riverlands.
Willow Heddle - Child proprietress of the Inn at the Crossroads.
Gendry - Smith of King’s Landing, working at the Inn of the Crossroads.
Rorge - Brutal criminal sentenced to the Night’s Watch, now free in the Riverlands.
Biter - Even more brutal companion of Rorge.

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Cersei learns that Dragonstone has fallen but that Loras has paid with his life - or at least he lies at death’s door. She delights in sharing this news with Margaery - who is stricken, but remains hopeful. Cersei dreams of her childhood run-in with Maggy the Frog and the details of the woman’s terrifying prophecy. Simon and Mackelly probably should have seen this coming.

Chapter Review:
Queen Cersei Lannister learns from Aurane Waters that Dragonstone has fallen but that Loras led the assault to his doom. He was grievously wounded multiple times and lies unconscious beyond the skill of any maester to heal. Cersei is delighted. She carefully hides this as she shares the news with Margaery. The young queen is devastated, but latches on to the fact that Loras still lives and seems determined to seek to revive him.

More non-Tyrion dwarf’s heads are placed before her. The High Septon sends an emissary rather than himself to Cersei’s annoyance. The faith is trying to shut down the brothels on the Street of Silk also to Cersei’s, and every sailor’s, annoyance. Grand Maester Pycelle reports that Lord Gyles Rosby seems to be dying.

She dreams of her meeting with Maggy the Frog, the details of whose prophecy continue to come true (she did marry the king, she did become queen), which wouldn’t be a problem but the prophecy turns a lot darker after that: she’ll be replaced by a younger more beautiful queen, her three children will die, and the valonqar will choke the life from Cersei. She’d like to put a stop to that, and Qyburn thinks that she can.

Characters/Places/Names/Events:
Cersei Lannister - Mother to King Tommen, Queen Regent of the Seven Kingdoms.
Aurane Waters - Grand Admiral, bastard of house Velaryon.
King Tommen Baratheon - Child king of the Seven Kingdoms.
Taena Merryweather - Social-climbing friend of Queen Cersei.
Margaery Tyrell - Queen

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Aboard the Cinnamon Wind, Sam and Gilly mourn the loss of Maester Aemon. The old man succumbed as the ship neared Dorne. Their tears bring them into each other’s arms and Sam’s vows are history. Simon and Mackelly sprinkle rose petals in the bathtub and try to light a scented candle.

Chapter Review:
Samwell Tarly eulogizes Maester Aemon to the crew of the Cinnamon Wind. The Summer Islanders honor their elderly and their funeral rites involve drinking and love-making. The news of the dragons that Xhondo provided put a spring in Aemon’s step, but it couldn’t last and as the ship made its way around Dorne, he succumbed after a period of sporadically lucid dream and prophecy. Part of which was a realization that the Prince Who Was Promised is in fact Daenerys.

Drunk on rum, Sam and Gilly make love in the women’s section of the boat. Sam has fleeting regrets about his vows, but they’re swept away by his feelings for Gilly. The next day the regrets are in ascendancy, and he avoids Gilly all day.

Sam has paid for passage with the books intended for the Citadel, and with his labor. But the captain assures him that the Citadel shan’t miss out - he’ll sell them the books and make a healthy profit from them. He uses the excuse of work to avoid Gilly but eventually he’s taken aside by the captain’s daughter Kojja who tells him to go to Gilly or swim.

Characters/Places/Names/Events:
Samwell Tarly - brother of the Night’s Watch, friend to John Snow. Slayer of Others.
Gilly - Daughter of Craster. Beloved of Samwell.
Maester Aemon - 102 year-old maester of the Night’s Watch.
Xhondo Dhuro - mate on the Cinnamon Wind. From the Summer Isles.
Quhuru Mo - captain of the Cinnamon Wind.
Kojja Mo - Daughter of the captain.
Narrow Sea - Separating Westeros from Essos.

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Arya murders Dareon for deserting the Night’s Watch. It appears that the Many-Faced God doesn’t agree, as she is struck blind. Mackelly and Simon grope for answers.

Chapter Review:
We learn of Arya’ Stark's (aka Cat of the Canals) day-to-day life as a seafood seller on the docks of Braavos. It’s a vibrant atmosphere that she relishes. She learns languages, skills, and information like a sponge.

She visits a regular customer, the brothel run by Merry. There she sees Dareon singing. He’s dressed more like a peacock than a crow. She does not like the man. She leaves the brothel at the same time as him and they walk together for a while. When she returns to Brusco’s ,in addition to the day’s takings, she has a nice pair of boots.

She visits the House of Black and White, as she does at every new moon, and learns some poison-lore from the Waif. She confesses to the Kindly Man that Arya Stark killed Dareon, nervous as to his reaction. He offers her warmed milk, which sounds benign. However, the next morning she has been struck blind.

Characters/Places/Names/Events:
Arya Stark - Younger daughter of Ned and Catelyn Stark.
Kindly Man - Priest of the Many-Faced God.
Waif - Priestess of the Many-Faced God.
Brusco - Seafood merchant.
Merry - Kindly brothel owner.
Dareon - Night’s Watch runaway and singer.
Braavos - A free city in Essos.
Many-Faced God - A god worshiped in Essos that embodies all gods.

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Jaime arrives at Riverrun hopeful of ending the siege without breaking his oath to Catelyn (not to take up arms against the Tullys). He gets some home-truths from his aunt Genna. Simon and Mackelly weigh up the impact.

Chapter Review:
Jaime Lannister arrives at Riverrun and meets with his cousin Daven Lannister, the new Warden of the West. They have a good rapport. The younger man is modest about his new-found honors, and thinks that his father’s cousin Kevan should have been made Warden of the West. Jaime doesn’t disagree. Devan has had it with the Freys. Their cruelty and belligerence are doing nothing to help end this siege.

Jaime is concerned that so few Riverlands houses are represented. They may have bent the knee but their hearts are clearly not in it. He intends to parley with Brynden Blackfish Tully, who holds Riverrun but first meets with his Aunt Genna and her husband Emmon Frey, to whom Riverrun is promised.

Emmon whines about the damage to his new castle. Genna catches up on family news before concluding they should have been given Darry instead. She explains her loyalty to her big brother Tywin, and while expressing her fondness for Jaime, confesses that Tyrion was the child most like his father. But when she told Tywin that, it was met by half a year of silence.

Characters/Places/Names/Events:
Jamie Lannister - Twin and lover to Cersei. Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Biological father of King Tommen.
Daven Lannister - Son of Stafford Lannister. New Warden of the West.
Kevan Lannister - Uncle to Jaime, sidelined from power by Cersei.
Genna Lannister - Sister to Tywin, aunt to Jaime.
Emmon Frey - Husband to Genna. New lord of Riverrun - if and when it falls.
Brynden Blackfish Tully - Uncle to Edmure Tully. De facto Lord of Riverrun.
Edmure Tully - Stripped of his lordship of Riverrun, captive of the Freys.
Ryman Fre

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Cersei learns of the attack on the Reach by the Iron Born and feels unmotivated to react. She gets a gift from Ser Loras, which leaves Cersei with a golden win-win opportunity. She has an unexpected drop-in by Falyse, whose husband has been killed by Bronn and also confessed Cersei’s plot. Qyburn is given instructions that Falyse should never see the light of day again. Finally, she tries to take Taena roughly, as Robert once did with Cersei, but she can’t get into it. Simon and Mackelly shudder at Falyse’s fate.

Chapter Review:
Queen Cersei Lannister sits in the shadow of the Iron Throne, as Queen Margaery Tyrell implores Cersei to take immediate action against the Iron Born, who have taken the Shield Islands. Cersei thinks it’s a plot by Stannis Baratheon to distract the Tyrell force from their siege at Storm’s End. She suggests the Tyrells deal with their own issue with what resources they have available. When Dragonstone falls, the Redwyne fleet can then sail home and defend the Reach. Ser Loras Tyrell offers to lead an assault on Dragonstone, to expedite a resolution. Cersei can’t believe her good luck. No matter the outcome of this assault, Cersei stands to come out a winner.

Falyse Stokeworth comes back to King’s Landing with bad news. Instead of stealthily assassinating Bronn, her husband challenged him to a joust. It went badly, and Ser Balman confessed to Cersei’s part in the plot before Bronn dispatched him. Cersei dispatches her failed conspirator to Qyburn.

Cersei shares a bed with Taena Merryweather and forces herself upon her new friend. When the younger woman submits, Cersei loses interest and sends her away.

Characters/Places/Names/Events:
Cersei Lannister - Mother to King Tommen, Queen Regent of the Seven Kingdoms.
King Tommen Baratheon - Child king of the Seven Kingdoms.
Taena Merryweather - Social-climbing Myrish friend of Queen Cerse

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Brienne learns that she’s been on the scent of the wrong Stark girl, and gets definitive intel on the Hound… or does she? Mackelly and Simon consider the probabilities.

Chapter Review:
Brienne of Tarth, Podrick Payne, Ser Hyle, and Septon Meribald reach Quiet Isle, an island in the mouth of the Trident that houses a penitential septry. They see a fearsome looking horse named Driftwood in the stables and a huge novice digging a grave. The future occupant had the misfortune to be in Saltpans when the purported Hound’s raid took place.

The Elder Brother of the Isle welcomes them and asks that septon Meribald hear confessions before he leaves. He tells them news from Saltpans. How the citizenry were left to their fate when Ser Quincy Cox barred the doors to his keep. Furthermore he has information for Brienne.

He met the dying Sandor Clegane by the roadside and, while he could not give him the mercy he sought, he held the Hound as he died. He buried him and left his helmet to mark his grave. Obviously someone picked it up and wore it in Saltpans. He knows that Clegane was traveling with Arya, not Sansa, and she was alive when the Hound was left for dead. Driftwood is Clegane’s horse Stranger.

Characters/Places/Names/Events:
Brienne of Tarth - Charged with rescuing Sansa Stark.
Podrick Payne - Former squire to Tyrion Lannister, now traveling with Brienne.
Ser Hyle Hunt - Captain in service to House Tarly. Former tormentor of Brienne.
Septon Meribald - Itinerant Septon of the Riverlands.
Sansa Stark - Eldest surviving Stark child. Currently in the Eyrie with Petyr Baelish.
Sandor "The Hound" Clegane - Fallen Kingsguard. Former travel companion of Arya Stark.
Stranger/Driftwood - Warhorse of Sandor Clegane. Equally bad tempered.

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