Chapter Summaries

Suleiman punished Ser Kurt for leading his troops in flight and brought the allied army safely to Deddings Castle. Lady Roslin welcomed him and thanked him for his aid, while Suleiman emphasized the strength assembled to defend Lord Balon's castle.

• Suleiman questioned the peasant soldiers, confirmed that Ser Kurt had fled first, and declared that Kurt deserved punishment for abandoning his command.
• The knights supported Suleiman's judgment, and his soldiers chained Kurt inside a narrow wooden chest and carried him on the last wagon without food or water.
• Suleiman's disciplined army marched to Deddings Castle without an Ironborn attack, while Kurt's muffled cries frightened the allied leaders into keeping order.
• Lady Roslin embraced Suleiman at the castle gates, thanked him for coming to their aid, and said the promised equipment and provisions were ready.
• Suleiman told Lady Roslin that his five hundred elite soldiers, Lushen's garrison, and reinforcements from Lady Lorna gave them more than enough strength to defend Lord Balon's castle.

Suleiman arrived at Deddings Castle with his disciplined army and proposed paying bounties for Ironborn heads to drive the raiders from the lands. The chapter left Lady Roslin realizing that the castle’s knights and vassals seemed to regard Suleiman as their true liege lord.

• Lady Roslin welcomed Suleiman, praised his loyalty, and escorted him into Deddings Castle.
• Suleiman dismissed a maid who tried to seduce him in his guest bedroom.
• At a military council, Lady Roslin described the Ironborn raids and asked Suleiman what the castle should do.
• Suleiman proposed offering ten Silver Stags or even one Gold Dragon for every Ironborn head.
• An old knight objected that the bounty would drain the castle’s wealth, but the others waited for Suleiman’s response.
• Lady Roslin noticed the vassals and knights treated Suleiman as their leader and wondered who truly held authority.

Suleiman argued that Deddings Castle should hold out rather than risk his army in a counterattack, while Lady Roslin balked at paying rewards for Ironborn heads. On the walls, Lushen estimated that no more than a thousand true Ironborn warriors were outside, and Suleiman began to see the invasion as a chance to gain power and land.

• Suleiman proposed paying Gold Dragons for Ironborn heads, but Lady Roslin refused to spend House Deddings' wealth.
• Suleiman recommended holding Deddings Castle until reinforcements arrived, and the allied commanders backed him over Lady Roslin's wish for a counterattack.
• Suleiman questioned Lushen on the Ironborn's numbers and urged him to trust his judgment.
• Lushen estimated that no more than a thousand true Ironborn warriors were outside the city, and Suleiman approved his assessment.
• Suleiman realized the invasion could leave a power vacuum in the Riverlands and considered using the crisis to seize lands, wealth, and influence.

Suleiman led the allied forces out of Deddings Castle but built a fortified camp instead of attacking the Ironborn, using his army’s presence to halt their raids. Both armies settled into a tense standoff as Roderick Greyjoy waited for news that his uncle had taken Seaguard.

• Suleiman persuaded Lady Roslin to let him lead the allied forces against the Ironborn, and she gave him five hundred Gold Dragons.
• Patrick Morrison volunteered to serve as Suleiman’s vanguard, while the other noble leaders reluctantly accepted their dangerous assignments.
• Suleiman marched the allied army east, stopped on a defensible hillside, and ordered his men to build a fortified camp rather than attack.
• Suleiman’s camp prevented the Ironborn from splitting up to raid, while Roderick Greyjoy refused to risk an assault and ordered his men to hold position.
• Roderick waited for word that his uncle had taken Seaguard as the two armies remained inactive across the plain.

Suleiman learned that Riverrun's reinforcements would arrive in two days and decided to attack the Ironborn before they could flee. He assigned his own troops the safer center position and forced the allied lords to take the vanguard and flanks, leaving them unable to object without appearing disloyal or cowardly.

• Rosso Brune reported that Seaguard had sent no news and that Riverrun's reinforcements were expected in two days.
• Suleiman decided to attack the Ironborn at dawn rather than wait for the reinforcements, hoping to prevent them from escaping downriver.
• Suleiman announced the attack plan to the allied commanders, who objected to risking their forces before Riverrun arrived.
• Suleiman assigned his troops to hold the center while the allied lords' forces took the vanguard and flanks, leaving the commanders trapped by the demands of loyalty and honor.

Suleiman used a staged rout and a disciplined crossbow defense to drive the Ironborn away from Deddings Castle, earning Lady Roslin’s reward while the enemy escaped by sea. Riverrun’s reinforcements arrived too late and found the camp deserted, unsure where to pursue.

• Patrick Morrison volunteered House Morrison for the vanguard, and the allied army advanced toward the Ironborn camp at daybreak.
• Roderick Greyjoy believed the allied vanguard was weak and led the Ironborn in a charge that routed the vassal forces, including Patrick Morrison’s men.
• Suleiman held his disciplined central force in place, and Bryn ordered the crossbowmen to halt the Ironborn charge with a deadly volley.
• Suleiman withdrew his intact army to Deddings Castle, and Roderick led the Ironborn to leave by ship that night.
• Lady Roslin gave Suleiman five hundred Gold Dragons for driving the Ironborn from her lands.
• Riverrun’s reinforcements arrived at the deserted Ironborn camp and found they had no idea where to pursue the enemy.

Jason Mallister struggled to keep the Riverlords at Seaguard from abandoning their posts as Ironborn raiders drew them inland. Victarion Greyjoy used the resulting weakness to launch a surprise landing, and Jason ordered ravens sent and his children evacuated as Seaguard came under attack.

• Jason Mallister argued with the Riverlords, but they persuaded him to send another four thousand defenders inland to hunt the Ironborn.
• Victarion Greyjoy led the Iron Fleet through dense fog toward Seaguard, crediting Roderick Greyjoy's raids with drawing its defenders away.
• The Ironborn fleet anchored near shore, then surged toward Seaguard after a warning bell rang from the coast.
• Jason Mallister awoke to news of the landing and saw the bay filled with Ironborn ships and warriors.
• Jason Mallister ordered the defenders to prepare for battle, told his guards to send ravens, and commanded them to get his children out.

Suleiman met with Lord Norbert Vance, who asked him to commit his forces to the campaign against the Ironborn. Before Suleiman could answer, alarming news reached Norbert, and Suleiman was summoned back to Deddings Castle for urgent military news from Lady Roslin.

• Riverrun's reinforcements returned to Deddings Castle after failing to find the Ironborn, and Lord Norbert Vance summoned Suleiman to his camp.
• Norbert praised Suleiman and asked how many Ironborn could truly fight; Suleiman estimated that their capable fighters numbered no more than twelve hundred.
• Norbert called on Suleiman to join his army, and Suleiman considered the pressure Lady Roslin would face if he refused.
• A knight bearing House Blackwood's arms delivered a letter, and Norbert's reaction suggested it carried grave news.
• Norbert told Suleiman to consider his proposal and answer by morning, then a knight from House Deddings arrived with Lady Roslin's urgent summons.

Suleiman learned that Seaguard was besieged while Lord Balon was away with four thousand men, then used Norbert Vance’s call to pursue the Ironborn to avoid being forced into the siege. Norbert assigned Suleiman to hunt Ironborn with House Bracken and House Lychester, leaving him free to wait for the campaign’s situation to change.

• Maester Walder read that the Ironborn fleet had surrounded Seaguard, and Lady Roslin fainted before Suleiman reassured her that Lord Balon was away with a four-thousand-man force.
• Suleiman realized Balon might return to relieve Seaguard and considered how to avoid risking his own men without ruining his reputation for loyalty.
• Suleiman told Lady Roslin about Norbert Vance’s summons, and she refused to take responsibility for rejecting it on his behalf.
• Suleiman publicly pledged to answer Riverrun’s call at Norbert Vance’s camp and lead his people in pursuit of the Ironborn.
• Norbert ordered Suleiman to work with House Bracken and House Lychester to hunt Ironborn in the interior, allowing Suleiman to avoid the siege at Seaguard.

Suleiman joined House Bracken and House Lychester’s force, only to discover that its commander, Lymond Lychester, had lost his mind and that the allied army was avoiding action. When Hendry Bracken questioned whether Suleiman would risk his men to retake Lymond’s castle, Suleiman said he would.

• Lymond Lychester repeatedly changed the army’s direction, and Hendry Bracken told Suleiman that Lymond had been mentally troubled since all his sons died in the War of the Usurper.
• Hendry noticed that Suleiman’s soldiers stayed disciplined and asked how they differed from ordinary Riverlands troops; Suleiman said giving soldiers a future could make them perform well.
• Lymond briefly regained his clarity and agreed with Hendry that the army should follow the Green Fork, but he rejected Suleiman’s suggestion to retake his occupied castle before reinforcements arrived.
• Hendry explained that Norbert Vance did not want to risk losses on a siege outside his mission and asked whether Suleiman would spill his men’s blood for someone else’s castle.
• Suleiman answered that he would, and Hendry choked and spat out his wine in surprise.

Suleiman offered to help Lymond Lychester retake his castle from the Ironborn, despite Hendry Bracken’s objections. He pressured Hendry into staying with the column, though House Bracken refused to join the siege.

• Hendry Bracken warned Suleiman that attacking Lychester Castle with so few men risked needless casualties, but Suleiman argued that lords had a duty to help their allies.
• Suleiman rode beside Lymond Lychester and promised to lead his army in reclaiming the old lord’s home, briefly drawing Lymond out of his apparent madness.
• Hendry arrived and refused to attack the castle, prompting the Lychester, Bracken, and Suleiman’s men to reach for their weapons.
• Suleiman defended the attack as House Tully’s duty to protect its bannermen and challenged Hendry over House Bracken’s honor.
• Hendry said House Bracken would remain with the column but would not take part in the siege, then rode away.

Suleiman’s army reached Lychester territory and found it devastated, then watched House Lychester’s rash assault on its occupied castle fail. After Lymond Lychester offered him a thousand Gold Dragons, Suleiman accepted and promised to reclaim the castle within three days.

• Suleiman’s army rode through burned villages in Lychester territory and found Lychester Castle defended by hundreds of people.
• The enraged Lychester forces attacked the castle despite Suleiman’s advice, suffered heavy losses, and withdrew.
• Lymond Lychester refused to sacrifice Suleiman’s soldiers and ordered his men to begin a siege.
• Lymond offered Suleiman a thousand Gold Dragons as thanks for helping House Lychester.
• After Hendry Bracken challenged the failed pursuit, Suleiman accepted the reward and promised to reclaim the castle within three days.

Suleiman offered Horso Harlaw a chance to abandon Lychester Castle in exchange for its surrender, then withdrew his army three leagues to prove he would keep his word. Convinced he was trapped and that the Riverlands army had destroyed Roderick’s forces, Horso ordered the Ironborn to escape among their Riverlands captives.

• Suleiman rode to Lychester Castle with Bryn and Rosso, showed Horso Harlaw Wicken’s axe and helmet, and claimed Roderick’s army had been wiped out.
• Suleiman offered to let Horso and his men leave the castle that night in exchange for taking it without a siege, while Horso refused to commit and retreated inside.
• Suleiman ordered the allied army to withdraw three leagues, despite Hendry Bracken’s scorn and Lymond Lychester’s concern.
• A scout confirmed that Suleiman’s army had retreated, and Horso concluded that escaping was safer than remaining trapped in the castle.
• Horso ordered the Ironborn to divide the Riverlands captives into eight groups, leave their stolen valuables behind, and flee with them.

Suleiman helped Lymond Lychester reclaim his castle by persuading the Ironborn to flee, then received Lymond’s payment and learned House Lychester would no longer serve House Tully. Lymond refused to join the allied forces again and ended by telling Suleiman he should be his son.

• Lymond Lychester’s knights entered the deserted castle and raised House Lychester’s banner after the Ironborn fled.
• Rosso Brune reported that the Ironborn had scattered among captured refugees, and Suleiman’s men caught only thirteen.
• Lymond sent Suleiman twelve hundred Gold Dragons’ worth of payment, while Hendry Bracken watched in envy.
• A Lychester knight barred Hendry from the castle and declared that House Bracken was no longer welcome on Lychester lands.
• Lymond told Suleiman he would defend his castle alone rather than answer House Tully’s call again.
• Lymond grabbed Suleiman’s hand and told him he should be his son.

Suleiman declined Lymond Lychester’s offer to become his son, but the two were interrupted by news that the Ironborn had captured Seaguard and entered the Trident. As nobles were ordered to hold their castles and House Bracken withdrew, Suleiman faced the coming invasion with calm resolve.

• Lymond Lychester asked Suleiman to become his son and proposed combining their family names, but Suleiman redirected their discussion to whether Lymond would send troops.
• A messenger reported that Victarion Greyjoy’s fleet had captured Seaguard and that at least twelve thousand Ironborn had entered the Trident.
• The messenger delivered Lord Hoster’s order for nobles to hold their castles and await the king’s reinforcements, threatening punishment for unauthorized flight.
• Rosso Brune told Suleiman that House Bracken’s troops had left to defend Stone Hedge.
• Lymond urged Suleiman to return to his castle, while Suleiman calmly considered the devastation ahead and declared that the rehearsal of iron and blood was about to begin.

After Seaguard fell to the Ironborn, Suleiman saw a chance to gain House Lychester’s name and power by leading an East Riverlands coalition. Lymond agreed to adopt Suleiman as his heir and began writing a document granting him first claim to the family’s lands and titles.

• After hearing that Seaguard had fallen, Suleiman decided to gamble on becoming Lymond Lychester’s adopted heir and raising House Lychester’s power.
• Suleiman persuaded Lymond that the Ironborn’s forces would be stretched thin across the Riverlands and that the crisis could let House Lychester unite the East Riverlands’ weaker lords.
• Suleiman proposed forming an East Riverlands Coalition with House Deddings, House Darry, and the landed knights, independent of House Tully and the stronger rival houses.
• Lymond initially said he was too old and that his sons were dead, but then agreed to take the gamble if Suleiman became his son and heir.
• Suleiman said words alone were not enough, so Lymond began drafting a document naming him his adopted son and giving him first claim to House Lychester’s lands, property, and titles.

Suleiman reached Deddings Castle after Seaguard fell and learned that Lord Balon and Lord Tytos Blackwood were missing after their defeat. He left Lushen to defend Lion's Den, then promised Lady Roslin he would lead an army west to find and bring back her husband.

• Suleiman sent Lushen back to Lion's Den with orders to strengthen its defenses and evacuate the plainsfolk into the mountains.
• Lady Roslin told Suleiman that Seaguard had fallen, Lord Jason Mallister and Lord Clement Piper had died, and Lord Balon and Lord Tytos Blackwood were missing after their defeat.
• Suleiman ordered his soldiers to camp outside Deddings Castle and told Lymond Lychester he would head west to gather fleeing soldiers and search for Lord Balon.
• Suleiman urged Lady Roslin to summon House Deddings' remaining fighters and promised to find Lord Balon, while she offered ten Silver Stags for every Ironborn head taken.

Suleiman met Norbert Vance with Lymond Lychester and declared that he would not abandon his missing liege’s family, despite Vance’s advice to return to his own lands. The chapter ended with Suleiman refusing to go home, leaving Vance stunned.

• Suleiman and Lymond Lychester rode into Norbert Vance’s camp as the battered allied army returned with fewer than two thousand men.
• Norbert Vance greeted Lymond warmly, but Lymond ignored him and muttered to himself.
• Vance asked why Suleiman had not returned to his own lands, and Suleiman said he would stay to protect Lady Roslin and her children while Lord Balon Deddings remained missing.
• Vance explained that Seagard had fallen, the pursuit force had scattered, and he planned to return to Wayfarer's Rest and strengthen its defenses.
• Vance advised Suleiman to return home, but Suleiman refused, leaving Vance stunned.

Suleiman secured two hundred soldiers from Norbert Vance for his mission to the front, then gained Lady Roslin’s authority to deal with House Deddings’ disobedient vassals. He promised to bring Balon Deddings back safely.

• Suleiman and Lymond Lychester announced they would head west to gather the scattered army and search for their liege.
• Norbert Vance, worried about his reputation, gave Lymond two hundred soldiers, equipment, and provisions for the mission.
• Lady Roslin told Suleiman that most House Deddings vassals had refused her summons, while House Morrison agreed to send troops.
• Suleiman asked Lady Roslin to let him handle the disobedient vassals with House Deddings’ full authority.
• Lady Roslin granted Suleiman authority to act in House Deddings’ name if he brought Balon Deddings safely home.
• Suleiman promised to return Balon safely to Deddings Castle.

Suleiman explained to Lymond Lychester that the great houses’ monopoly on land, wealth, and power had made commoners, landless knights, and petty lords potential allies. He called for winning their support by promising land and advancement, while threatening the great lords who resisted with extinction.

• Lymond Lychester warned Suleiman against punishing House Deddings’ vassals too harshly, fearing the nobility would shun them.
• Suleiman asked Lymond to distinguish their friends and allies from their enemies, then argued that commoners had no path to rise in Westeros.
• Suleiman compared commoners with landless knights and petty lords, arguing that all were blocked from advancement by the great houses.
• Suleiman told Lymond that House Lychester and his own House were outsiders excluded from the center of power.
• Suleiman proposed winning commoners, landless knights, and petty lords by promising land and advancement, and threatened the great lords who refused to share power with extinction.