Chapter Summaries

Roger Legg, shattered by his son’s death and the loss of Willow Town, refused Brynden Tully and Robin Legg’s plea to negotiate with Suleiman. Brynden left after Roger threatened him, leaving Roger committed to a final fight.

• Roger Legg wandered Willow Town’s walls, grieving his dead heir and cursing Suleiman and the Seven Gods.
• Robin Legg and Brynden Tully arrived at the inner keep to mediate for the Governor of the Riverlands, and Roger ordered the gates opened.
• Brynden urged Roger to negotiate with Suleiman because the Ironborn threatened the Riverlands, while Robin warned that Roger had too few soldiers to resist.
• Roger blamed Brynden, House Tully, and House Frey for his son’s death and declared that he would never negotiate with Suleiman.
• Roger drew his sword and ordered Brynden and Robin to leave, so Brynden departed after warning that Riverrun would remember Roger’s fate.

Suleiman told Brynden Tully that Roger Leger had rejected negotiations and that he would end the siege that night, while agreeing to spare Roger’s life. After Brynden studied Suleiman’s detailed map, they concluded that the Ironborn fleet was likely targeting Lannisport and the Westerlands’ fleet rather than Seaguard.

• Suleiman showed Brynden Tully and Robin Leger a long-held letter revealing that starving defenders inside the city had offered to open the gates if their lives were spared.
• Suleiman said he would end the siege that night, and Brynden agreed not to interfere on the condition that Roger Leger’s life was spared.
• Brynden discovered Suleiman’s detailed map and asked him to give it to House Tully for the Riverlands’ defense against the Ironborn.
• Brynden asked Suleiman where he thought the Ironborn fleet would strike, and Suleiman argued that Seaguard was a feint and Lannisport was the true target.
• Suleiman explained that the Ironborn aimed to destroy the Westerlands’ fleet before the Royal Fleet could assemble, and Brynden praised his insight.

After Brynden Tully advised Suleiman to let House Deddings handle negotiations with House Legg, Suleiman’s forces entered Willow Town and took the inner keep with little resistance. Roger Leger demanded a Trial by Combat against Suleiman to the death, and Suleiman agreed.

• Brynden Tully told Suleiman to negotiate with House Legg through Lord Balon Deddings and took the map with him.
• Suleiman’s soldiers entered Willow Town’s inner keep after the gate was opened, and most of the defenders surrendered without a fight.
• Brynden Tully ordered the remains in the inner keep cleared and concealed, but the soldiers waited for Suleiman’s approval before obeying.
• Suleiman’s soldiers broke into Roger Leger’s barricaded room after Robin Leger failed to persuade him to surrender.
• Roger Leger demanded a Trial by Combat against Suleiman to the death, and Suleiman accepted.

Suleiman faced Roger Legg in a Trial by Combat at Willow Town, despite warnings from Brynden Tully and Olivier. He outmaneuvered Roger until exhaustion brought him to his knees, then killed him before the stunned witnesses.

• Suleiman refused to appoint a champion and insisted on fighting Roger Legg himself in a Trial by Combat.
• Brynden Tully announced the trial, and Roger entered in full plate while Suleiman wore light leather armor and carried only his sword.
• Roger charged and swung repeatedly, but Suleiman dodged every attack and taunted him as his strength faded.
• Roger fell to his knees from exhaustion, and the onlookers expected Suleiman to spare him.
• Suleiman stabbed Roger through the gorget and cut off his head.

Suleiman prepared to negotiate with Gyles Leger after ordering the release of Gyles and his family, the withdrawal of most troops from Willow Town, and the return of the dead. Brynden Tully planned to leave for Runestone with House Royce’s sword Lament, while hinting at further support for Suleiman’s certifications through the Hand of the King.

• Brynden Tully questioned Suleiman’s execution of Roger Leger, and Suleiman said he showed mercy only to those loyal to him.
• Brynden read Lord Balon Deddings’s letter promising support for Suleiman’s claims and compensation in the negotiations.
• Suleiman ordered Gyles Leger and his family released, most of the army withdrawn from Willow Town, its former servants freed, and Roger and Jarell Leger’s bodies returned.
• Brynden told Suleiman he would escort Lament to Runestone and said Robin Tully would report the events and Suleiman’s certifications; he also hinted at certification from the Hand of the King.
• Gyles Leger met Suleiman, who reminded him that Roger had lost Trial by Combat and urged him to negotiate for his family’s future rather than take up a sword.

Suleiman negotiated ransom and compensation from Gyles Legg and the captured knights, then required them to swear they would not trouble House Deddings’ lands. The captives agreed to pay three thousand Gold Dragons before Suleiman would release them and withdraw from Willow Town.

• Suleiman initially demanded three hundred Gold Dragons per captured knight, then lowered the ransom to one hundred and fifty per knight, fifty per family member, and ten per young child.
• Suleiman demanded one thousand Gold Dragons from House Legg for the destruction of Foulkeep, and threatened to make the knights rebuild it if they refused.
• Gyles Legg offered three thousand Gold Dragons as a single payment to settle all ransom and compensation, and Suleiman accepted.
• Gyles Legg and the vassal knights signed a treaty promising payment, the release of the captives, and Suleiman’s withdrawal from Willow Town.
• Suleiman ordered Olivier to take the knights to the square, where they had to swear publicly never to cause trouble on House Deddings’ lands.

After paying Gyles Legg a ransom of three thousand Gold Dragons, Suleiman withdrew his army from Willow Town and returned it to House Legg. Inspired by a roasted rabbit, he unveiled a plan to make rabbit farming widespread across his lands and provide meat and income for his people.

• Gyles Legg paid Suleiman three thousand Gold Dragons, and Suleiman ordered his army to leave Willow Town and release the prisoners.
• Suleiman's soldiers withdrew from the town and camped outside while negotiations continued between House Deddings and House Legg.
• Bryn brought Suleiman a roasted rabbit, prompting Suleiman to realize rabbits could provide meat, fur, and fertilizer.
• Suleiman summoned Olivier and proposed giving every household a pair of breeding rabbits and teaching people how to raise them.
• Suleiman planned to buy surplus rabbits and organize the processing of their skins and fur into goods, promising his people they would not go hungry.

Suleiman settled his territorial boundary with House Legg and heard Lord Yorks explain Lord Balon’s support for him. As his army withdrew, Blackfish Brynden warned him against using force in disputes with the Vale, and Suleiman ended their exchange by declaring that he was a lion, not a trout.

• Lord Yorks told Suleiman that the river would permanently mark the boundary between his territory and House Legg’s, regardless of changes in its course.
• Lord Yorks explained that Lord Balon had prepared to send troops after Suleiman captured Willow Town and had defended him against criticism, then said House Deddings would always support him.
• Suleiman ordered his army to withdraw after the terms of his agreement were settled.
• Blackfish Brynden inspected Suleiman’s covered wagons and offered to help negotiate any territorial dispute with a lord of the Vale, warning him not to use force.
• Suleiman asked why Brynden was helping him, and Brynden said they were alike because neither fit in or cared much for rules.
• Suleiman told Brynden he was still a trout like Hoster Tully, while Suleiman was a lion, and Brynden warned him that his luck would not last forever.

Suleiman rode with Brynden Tully toward the Vale to negotiate with House Moore, rejecting Blackfish’s proposal to recruit Vale knights by granting them land. They encountered the monk Meribald and a group of refugees being brutalized by a House Moore knight, who killed a man seeking Suleiman’s help.

• Suleiman sent most of his troops back to Lion's Den and rode toward the Vale with Brynden, Bryn, and twenty riders.
• Brynden urged Suleiman to recruit Vale knights by granting them land, but Suleiman said only those who bled for him deserved a share.
• Suleiman asked Brynden why the Targaryen dynasty had been overthrown, and Brynden rode ahead without answering.
• Suleiman and Brynden found Meribald standing between refugees and a House Moore knight who accused them of fleeing their lord’s lands.
• A refugee ran toward Suleiman’s party for help, but the House Moore knight shot him dead before he could reach them.

Suleiman challenged a knight of House Moore to a Trial by Combat to save refugees condemned for fleeing their lands. After the knight questioned his standing, Suleiman declared that he would represent the smallfolk themselves.

• A knight of House Moore told Brynden Tully and Suleiman that the refugees were runaway serfs sentenced to death under their lord's law.
• Brother Meribald condemned the execution, but Brynden prepared to leave because House Moore had the legal right to punish its smallfolk.
• Suleiman dismounted, asked how the refugees could be released, and accepted the knight's suggestion of a Trial by Combat.
• The knight mocked Suleiman, then recognized him as the Black Lion and argued that he could not represent the Faith without being a knight by patent.
• Suleiman clarified that he was not representing the Faith and declared that he would represent the kneeling refugees.

Suleiman fought Ser Qyburn Moore in a Trial by Combat for the Riverlands refugees, defeating him with speed and taunts. After Qyburn fell, Suleiman killed him while insisting the trial was not over, leaving the Moore soldiers stunned.

• Suleiman accepted Ser Qyburn's challenge to represent the escaped slaves in a Trial by Combat, and Qyburn killed one refugee before the trial began.
• Septon Meribald presided as Qyburn and Suleiman declared what they were fighting for, then began the duel.
• Suleiman evaded Qyburn's powerful attacks and wounded him repeatedly, provoking him until he charged recklessly.
• Suleiman cut the tendons behind Qyburn's right knee, sending him crashing to the ground and apparently ending the fight.
• As Qyburn's attendants approached, Suleiman pierced him with his sword and said the Trial by Combat was not over.

After killing Ser Qyburn Moore in a Trial by Combat, Suleiman used the refugees’ release to build support among commoners and the Seven’s servants. At House Moore’s castle, he challenged Lord Horne Moore to another Trial by Combat to settle their land dispute, prompting Brynden Tully to leave in anger or dismay.

• Suleiman killed Ser Qyburn Moore in a Trial by Combat and declared the refugees innocent and free to leave.
• Suleiman promised Meribald food, shelter, and travel money for Barefoot Monks, offered to care for homeless orphans, and distributed spoils to the refugees.
• Lord Horne Moore welcomed Brynden Blackfish and asked about Ser Qyburn, then proposed negotiating the land dispute for money.
• Qyburn’s squire told Horne Moore what had happened, and Horne demanded to know how Suleiman intended to negotiate.
• Suleiman challenged Horne Moore to a Trial by Combat to settle their land dispute.
• Brynden Tully overturned his chair and strode out of the castle without saying anything.

Tyrion Lannister heard Daisy recount Suleiman the Black Lion’s victories and his defense of runaway serfs, then learned Suleiman was only sixteen. Tyrion laughed off his envy, but his mood changed when he saw the harbor burning.

• Tyrion asked Daisy what had been exciting people in Lannisport, and she told him stories of Suleiman, the Black Lion.
• Daisy described Suleiman defeating Wildlings, taking Willow Town, and winning Trials by Combat against knights of Houses Legg, Moore, and Wayn.
• Daisy said House Enford had refused to accept a Trial by Combat, prompting Tyrion to laugh at the Frey bannermen.
• Daisy told Tyrion that Suleiman was only sixteen, and Tyrion joked about being known as Lannisport’s drunk and dwarf.
• Tyrion went to the window with a glass of wine and saw a towering blaze rising from the harbor as alarm bells rang.

Bana the Beggar was brought before Walder Frey at the Twins, where Walder revealed he knew of Suleiman’s victories and offered him a Frey bride. Bana was sent back to tell Suleiman to consider the marriage proposal.

• House Frey soldiers captured Bana and his companions while they tried to cross the river, but Bronn escaped.
• Walder Frey summoned Bana from the dungeon and claimed the arrest had been a misunderstanding.
• Walder praised Suleiman’s victories and the recovery of his lands.
• Walder offered to marry one of his daughters or granddaughters to Suleiman, Lord of Foulkeep.
• Walder ordered Bana to return and tell Suleiman to consider the offer.

Suleiman returned to his fief after reclaiming disputed lands through Trial by Combat and learned that a flood of refugees had pushed the territory into crisis. More than three thousand newcomers lacked land, food supplies were nearly exhausted, shelters were overcrowded, and violence threatened to spiral into riots and plague.

• Suleiman recalled defeating the proxy knights of House Horne and House Wayn in Trial by Combat, while House Enford refused to yield its lands.
• A scout told Suleiman that Olivier, Lord Lushen, and Lord Roslyn were waiting with their troops at the mountain pass.
• Olivier reported that more than three thousand people had arrived, leaving at least a thousand families without land and food supplies that would run out in half a month.
• Lushen warned that overcrowded refugee shelters were filthy and could lead to a plague when the weather warmed.
• Roslyn said thefts, brawls, and a killing over shelter had brought law and order close to collapse, so Evelyn had kept the army patrolling the fief.

After returning from war, Suleiman confronted a refugee crisis that strained his territory’s food, housing, and public safety. He ordered new settlements and rabbit farms while sending Olivier to buy supplies, but the towns and farms would not quickly make the refugees self-sufficient.

• Suleiman summoned Evelyn, Olivier, and his other core members to an emergency meeting at the Lion's Den.
• Olivier reported that 1,137 refugee families had no farmland, while Evelyn and Roslyn described dwindling food supplies, theft, and hostility between newcomers and residents.
• Suleiman refused to take land from residents who had fought for him and decided to disperse the refugees into new settlements.
• Suleiman ordered two towns built for six hundred people each and assigned the remaining six hundred refugees to establish two rabbit farms.
• Suleiman tasked Olivier with buying food, livestock, and seeds, while Evelyn arranged the funds, but Olivier warned that the towns and rabbit farms would depend on Suleiman's support for now.

Suleiman rode to the refugee camp to restore order and found soldiers confronting refugees after Margaret and her son Thomas were beaten over their crops. He compensated Margaret for her requisitioned home and lost crops, promising to protect those who fought for him, while the cause of the refugees’ actions remained unresolved.

• Suleiman told his council that stabilizing the territory came first and set out for the refugee camp with Bryn, Lushen, Olivier, and more than forty riders.
• Suleiman’s soldiers stopped him on the road and demanded justice after refugees had beaten Margaret and her son Thomas for defending their crops.
• Margaret told Suleiman that her family had sent its men to war and that the refugees had claimed he had promised them her crops.
• Suleiman questioned Olivier about the camp’s food supplies, then ordered Lushen to give Margaret a Silver Stag as compensation.
• Suleiman ordered compensation for every owner whose home had been requisitioned and promised his soldiers he would not let them suffer for serving him.

Suleiman exposed how camp bullies had stolen food from vulnerable refugees and gave the crowd a chance to identify their oppressors. After more than fifty men were accused, he ordered Lushen to behead them.

• Suleiman had Bryn bring forward a frail refugee, who revealed that camp bullies had seized the food meant for the refugees.
• Suleiman ordered his soldiers to gather everyone and invited the refugees to identify the criminals who had oppressed them.
• Refugees pointed out the bullies, and soldiers dragged more than fifty accused men before Suleiman.
• Olivier explained the usual punishments under the laws of the Seven Kingdoms, and Suleiman ordered Lushen to cut off the accused men's heads.

Suleiman ordered executions for the camp’s violent offenders and punished three men who had attacked Bryn and his mother by making Margaret’s son whip them. After establishing order among the terrified refugees, he told them they were his subjects and could not remain crowded in the camp forever.

• Suleiman ordered Lushen and the soldiers to execute the men who had committed serious crimes in the refugee camp.
• Suleiman had Bryn take Margaret’s son around the camp to identify the men who stole food and hurt him and his mother.
• Olivier said the three identified men should lose a hand, but Suleiman ordered a hundred lashes for each and had the boy deliver them.
• The soldiers finished executing more than fifty men as the boy completed the whipping, leaving the refugee camp silent and terrified.
• Suleiman dismounted, surveyed the crowd, and told the refugees that they were his subjects and could not remain packed into the camp forever.

Suleiman assigned the refugees to new towns and ranches, then announced a land-based tax of one-tenth of each harvest and no taxes for those without land. The refugees celebrated his promises to distribute tools and livestock, while Olivier was left appalled by the announcement.

• Suleiman assigned six hundred craftspeople to build Crossroads Town, six hundred river workers and craftspeople to build Riverbank Town, and three hundred people each to establish two ranches near the High Mountains.
• An old farmer and carpenter asked Suleiman how the refugees would pay taxes without land.
• Olivier announced that Suleiman's lands contained forty-two thousand Suleiman acres of arable land, but much of it was already allocated.
• Suleiman declared that landowners would pay one-tenth of their crop per acre and people without land would pay no taxes for now.
• Suleiman promised that Olivier would fairly distribute the farming tools and livestock taken from House Legg's lands, and the refugees cheered for him.