Chapter Summaries

In "Loyalty, Unspeakable Loyalty," Norbert Vance's relief force returns to Deddings Castle, battered and reduced in number. Suleiman and Lymond Letcher greet them, seeking an audience with Norbert Vance. Inside the tent, Vance is awkward due to previously rejecting Lymond's plea for help. Suleiman, however, remains steadfast in his loyalty to the Deddings family, refusing to abandon them despite the dire situation. Vance, taken aback by Suleiman's loyalty, shares the grim news of Seaguard's fall and the Ironborn's victory. He advises Suleiman to return to his own lands, but Suleiman firmly refuses, determined to stand by his liege lord's family. The chapter ends with a tense standoff between Suleiman and Vance, as Suleiman's loyalty challenges Vance's strategic retreat.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Suleiman and Lymond Letcher decide to lead their troops to the western front to rally scattered remnants and find Suleiman's liege lord.
• Norbert Vance, initially reluctant, decides to send 200 of his finest soldiers to join Suleiman's forces after feeling guilty and calculating the political benefits.
• Lady Roslin receives vassals' replies to her summons, most of which are unsatisfactory, leading to her anger and frustration.

Character Developments

• Suleiman: Shows courage, determination, and strategic thinking. He's willing to take risks for his liege lord and the Riverlands, demonstrating his growth as a leader.
• Norbert Vance: Initially hesitant, he ultimately decides to support Suleiman's mission, showing a mix of guilt, honor, and political calculation.
• Lady Roslin: Struggles with anger and helplessness due to vassals' lack of support. She eventually grants Suleiman full authority to handle the situation, showing desperation and resolve.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and honor: Suleiman and Lymond Letcher display unwavering loyalty to their liege lord and the Riverlands, while many vassals fail to live up to their oaths.
• Calculated decisions: Characters balance their personal feelings, honor, and political gains when making choices, such as Norbert Vance sending troops to join Suleiman's forces.
• Power dynamics: The chapter explores the power dynamics between liege lords, vassals, and their families, with Suleiman and Lady Roslin grappling with the lack of support from their vassals.

Character Interactions

• Suleiman and Norbert Vance: Their interaction shows Norbert's initial reluctance and eventual support for Suleiman's mission, with Suleiman successfully persuading him.
• Suleiman and Lady Roslin: Their conversation reveals Suleiman's growing influence and determination, as well as Lady Roslin's desperation and trust in him. She grants him full authority to handle the vassals' lack of support.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Suleiman's army gathers outside Deddings Castle, ready to punish the vassals of House Deddings for their perceived betrayal.
• Lymond Letcher, a nobleman, approaches Suleiman, advising him not to punish the vassals too severely to avoid alienating the rest of Westeros' nobility.
• Suleiman reveals his understanding of the power dynamics in Westeros, identifying the commoners, landless knights, and minor lords as potential allies due to their shared discontent with the great houses.
• He convinces Lymond that they are both outsiders excluded from the core of power, and they must unite to challenge the great houses.

Character Developments

• Lymond Letcher: Realizes the shared grievances of commoners and landless nobles, leading him to question his loyalty to the great houses.
• Suleiman: Demonstrates his political acumen and ability to identify potential allies and enemies, further establishing his ambition and ruthlessness.

Significant Themes

• Power Dynamics: The struggle between the great houses and the lesser nobles, commoners, and landless knights.
• Social Inequality: The disparity between the wealthy and powerful elite and the rest of society.
• Alliances and Enemies: The importance of identifying friends and foes in the political landscape of Westeros.

Character Interactions

• Lymond Letcher and Suleiman: Their conversation reveals their shared outsider status and potential for alliance, with Suleiman convincing Lymond of their common cause against the great houses.
• Suleiman and the Army: Suleiman's speech to Lymond demonstrates his ability to inspire and motivate his troops, highlighting his leadership skills.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Suleiman Deddings, now leading a force of nearly 2,500 men, approaches Lyman Lychester, inviting him to join his campaign.
• Lyman Lychester, moved by Suleiman's audacity and his own desire for redemption, agrees to join forces.
• Patrick Morrison, the heir to House Morrison, arrives with additional soldiers and requests to join Suleiman's campaign to find his missing family members.
• Suleiman agrees, incorporating Patrick's soldiers into his ranks and taking Patrick as his personal guard.
• Representatives from other vassals of House Deddings arrive, ready to join Suleiman's forces.

Character Developments

• Lyman Lychester: Accepts Suleiman's invitation, driven by a desire to redeem his family's name and find purpose in his old age.
• Suleiman Deddings: Demonstrates strategic thinking and charisma in rallying allies to his cause.
• Patrick Morrison: Shows bravery and loyalty, willing to risk his life to find his missing family members and prove himself to Suleiman.

Significant Themes

• Redemption: Both Lyman Lychester and Suleiman seek to redeem their families' names and reputations.
• Loyalty: Patrick's loyalty to his family and newfound respect for Suleiman drive his actions.
• Ambition: Suleiman's grand ambitions inspire others to join his cause.

Character Interactions

• Suleiman and Lyman Lychester: Suleiman's invitation sparks Lyman's desire for redemption, leading to their alliance.
• Suleiman and Patrick Morrison: Suleiman sees potential in Patrick and agrees to let him join the campaign, taking him as his personal guard.
• Suleiman and the Representatives: The arrival of representatives from other vassals of House Deddings signals growing support for Suleiman's cause.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Suleiman orders the envoys from various houses to meet him at the center of the marching army, causing them anxiety and unease.
• The envoys give excuses for their lords' refusal to send troops, citing their own territories' struggles and the unknown fate of their subjects who followed Lord Balon.
• Suleiman singles out the Pyle knight representative, who admits they sent no troops despite knowing House Deddings' peril.
• Suleiman declares Monte Pyle a traitor and revokes his family's fiefs and titles.
• Suleiman offers the landless knights the chance to collectively divide House Pyle's lands if they successfully capture Monte Pyle and his kin.

Character Developments

• Suleiman demonstrates his power and influence, showing no mercy to those who disobey him or betray their oaths.
• The landless knights display their desperation for land and loyalty to Suleiman, readily accepting his mission.
• The Pyle knight representative shows cowardice and desperation, begging to be included in Suleiman's plan despite his lord's betrayal.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and betrayal: Suleiman punishes those who disobey him, while the landless knights show unwavering loyalty.
• Power dynamics: Suleiman's actions demonstrate his growing power and influence over other houses.
• Greed and ambition: The landless knights' desire for land drives them to accept Suleiman's mission, while the Pyle representative's desperation leads him to betray his lord.

Character Interactions

• Suleiman and the envoys: Suleiman intimidates the envoys, causing them to reveal their lords' true intentions.
• Suleiman and the landless knights: Suleiman offers the knights a chance to gain land, fostering their loyalty and enthusiasm.
• The Pyle knight representative and Suleiman: The representative's cowardice and desperation contrast with Suleiman's power and determination.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Suleiman strips House Pyle of their lands and gives them to House Deddings, shocking the envoys present.
• The envoys rush back to their respective houses to convey Suleiman's will, fearing his wrath.
• Suleiman and Lymond Letcher discuss the potential consequences of Suleiman's decision.

Character Developments

• Suleiman: Shows ruthlessness and strategic thinking, manipulating the knights to ensure House Deddings' loyalty.
• Lymond Letcher: Recognizes Suleiman's cunning and understands the potential consequences of his actions.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and power dynamics: Suleiman manipulates the knights and House Deddings to achieve his goals.
• Fear as a tool of control: Suleiman uses fear to ensure obedience from the envoys and, indirectly, from the knights.
• Consequences of actions: Suleiman and Lymond discuss the potential fallout from Suleiman's decision to strip House Pyle of their lands.

Character Interactions

• Suleiman and Lymond Letcher: Lymond warns Suleiman about the potential dangers of his decision, while Suleiman reveals his manipulative plan to Lymond.
• Suleiman and the envoys: Suleiman uses fear to ensure the envoys quickly convey his will to their respective houses.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Suleiman reveals his strategy to Lymond: using the promise of land and titles to bind knights to his cause, ensuring their loyalty and willingness to carry out difficult tasks.
• Suleiman's forces easily capture House Pyle's castle, with minimal resistance.
• The captured knights, led by Sir Lopin, secretly decide to kill the Pyle family to prevent House Deddings from releasing them and thus losing their promised rewards.
• The next day, Sir Lopin reports to Suleiman that the Pyle family died resisting, while Suleiman plays along, promising to secure the knights' rewards.

Character Developments

• Suleiman: Shows political acumen and manipulative skills, using promises of land and titles to gain loyalty. He maintains his composure and plays along with the knights' deception.
• Lymond Letcher: Realizes the extent of Suleiman's manipulation and the knights' greed, understanding the shackles binding them to Suleiman.
• Sir Lopin: Demonstrates cunning and ruthlessness, orchestrating the Pyle family's murder to secure his group's rewards. He also shows loyalty to Suleiman.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and Power: Suleiman uses promises of land and titles to gain power and control over the knights.
• Greed and Ambition: The knights' desire for land and titles drives them to carry out Suleiman's orders, even to the point of murder.
• Loyalty and Deception: The knights' loyalty to Suleiman is built on deception, and they deceive him in turn about the Pyle family's fate.

Character Interactions

• Suleiman and Lymond: Suleiman reveals his strategy to Lymond, who understands the manipulation but doesn't openly challenge Suleiman.
• Sir Lopin and the Knights: Sir Lopin leads the knights in their secret decision to kill the Pyle family, and they all kneel to Suleiman in unison, pledging their loyalty.
• Suleiman and Sir Lopin: Suleiman accepts Sir Lopin's false report, maintaining the charade and reassuring the knights of their rewards.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lymond Lychester observes Suleiman's handling of the knights who executed House Pyle, realizing the ambition and cruelty of the commoners and minor nobles.
• Lymond decides to adopt Suleiman's strategy of rewarding soldiers based on merit, announcing it to his army to boost morale and encourage them to fight against the Ironborn.
• The coalition, now led by Suleiman and Lymond, reaches Drywater Ford, where they prepare to cross into the war-torn zone of the Iron Islands.

Character Developments

• Lymond Lychester: Realizes the power of commoners and minor nobles, discards old noble codes, and adopts Suleiman's merit-based reward system to rally his troops.
• Suleiman: Shows strategic prowess in handling the knights and motivating the army, displaying a clear vision of the challenges ahead.

Significant Themes

• Ambition and Cruelty of the Commoners: The knights' actions highlight the potential ruthlessness of those at the bottom of the social order when given the chance to rise.
• Adaptability: Lymond's decision to adopt Suleiman's strategy shows his willingness to adapt to the changing times and circumstances.
• The Price of War: The crossing at Drywater Ford symbolizes the army's entry into a war-torn zone, foreshadowing the bloodshed and chaos they will face.

Character Interactions

• Lymond Lychester and Suleiman: Lymond seeks Suleiman's readiness for the challenges ahead, showing a newfound respect and trust in the young man's judgment.
• Suleiman and the Army: Suleiman addresses the army, acknowledging their varied emotions and preparing them for the war to come, solidifying his leadership.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Suleiman leads his army across the Green Fork, defying the flow of refugees fleeing the Ironborn invasion.
• The army encounters refugees and stragglers from various houses, all fleeing the Ironborn.
• Suleiman learns about the fall of Seaguard and the defeat of Lord Tytos Blackwood from a group of Blackwood soldiers.

Character Developments

• Suleiman demonstrates resolute leadership, making bold decisions despite the dire situation.
• Lymond Letcher appears eccentric and unpredictable, but his presence adds a layer of unpredictability to the army's dynamics.
• The refugees and stragglers show signs of fear, desperation, and defeat, highlighting the grim reality of the invasion.

Significant Themes

• Leadership: Suleiman's bold decision to cross the river showcases his leadership, while the refugees' plight illustrates the absence or failure of leadership among other houses.
• Despair vs. Hope: The refugees represent despair, while Suleiman's army represents a glimmer of hope, albeit a risky one.
• Unpredictability: The Ironborn's actions and Lymond Letcher's behavior add elements of unpredictability to the narrative.

Character Interactions

• Suleiman and Lymond Letcher: Suleiman ignores Lymond's nonsensical ramblings, showing a level of tolerance and understanding towards his father's eccentricities.
• Suleiman and the refugees/stragglers: Suleiman shows calm and collected demeanor while interacting with the desperate soldiers, providing them with food and water, and gathering valuable information.
• The Blackwood knight and Suleiman: The knight vents his frustration and grief to Suleiman, highlighting the emotional toll of the war on the soldiers.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lymond Letcher and Suleiman encounter a surviving force of House Mooton led by Lord William Mooton.
• William Mooton warns them about the Ironborn's advance and the fall of Fairmarket.
• Lymond Letcher invites William Mooton to join their force, but he declines and flees eastwards.
• Lymond Letcher and Suleiman discuss the challenges of finding and leading the scattered Blackwood forces back east.

Character Developments

• Lymond Letcher: Shows signs of mental instability but regains clarity briefly to invite William Mooton and discuss plans with Suleiman.
• William Mooton: Displays cowardice and self-preservation, refusing to join Lymond and Suleiman due to fear of danger.
• Suleiman: Demonstrates strategic thinking and loyalty, willing to lead forces into a war zone to find his liege lord.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty vs. Self-Preservation: Suleiman's loyalty to Lord Deddings contrasts with William Mooton's prioritization of his own safety.
• Mental Instability: Lymond Letcher's mental state is uncertain, affecting his decision-making.
• The Challenges of Alliance-Building: The difficulty of convincing nobles to join a coalition without coercion.

Character Interactions

• Lymond Letcher and Suleiman: They discuss plans and strategies, with Suleiman showing respect for Lymond's experience.
• Lymond Letcher and William Mooton: Lymond invites William to join them, but he declines due to fear and disbelief in Lymond's sanity.
• Suleiman and William Mooton: Suleiman calmly explains their mission to William, who reacts with shock and pity, judging Suleiman as foolish and insane.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ironborn, led by Amek and Captain Harlon Botley, raid a village in the Riverlands, taking captives and plundering.
• Amek, a brutal Ironborn, enjoys the subjugation of the villagers, particularly the wife of a knight he had killed.
• Captain Harlon, son of Chieftain Sawane Botley, is discontent with his father's role in the raids and seeks to prove himself.
• Harlon leads his squad to Vicon Gorge, targeting the reputed 'Black Lion' Suleiman.

Character Developments

• Amek: Revealed as a cruel, brutal Ironborn who enjoys subjugating and humiliating his captives.
• Captain Harlon Botley: Shows discontent with his father's role and seeks to prove himself by targeting a more significant opponent, the 'Black Lion'.

Significant Themes

• Ironborn Culture: The Ironborn's brutal, pillaging nature is emphasized, contrasting with the peaceful, agricultural life of the Riverlands.
• Honor and Ambition: Harlon's desire to prove himself and gain honor clashes with Amek's contentment with simple pleasures and lack of concern for honor.

Character Interactions

• Amek and Harlon: Harlon's disdain for Amek's behavior is shown when he kicks Amek for laughing and later dismisses him without a second glance.
• Harlon and his squad: Harlon's leadership is tested as he decides to target the 'Black Lion' instead of returning to the main fleet, and his men follow him enthusiastically.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Ironborn mock and underestimate the locals, who appear to be farmers.
• Amek, an Ironborn, notices discarded armor and weapons, hinting at a deception.
• The locals, dressed as farmers, ambush the Ironborn, revealing themselves as skilled warriors.
• Amek's group is decimated in a brutal battle, with the locals displaying ferocious, suicidal fighting tactics.
• Amek survives by hiding in an irrigation ditch and later escapes under the cover of darkness.

Character Developments

• Amek: Initially laughs with his comrades at the locals' expense but later feels unease and eventually survives the battle by making a tactical decision to hide.
• Harlon Botley: The arrogant Ironborn captain who underestimates the locals and is ultimately killed by an old farmer.

Significant Themes

• Perception vs. Reality: The Ironborn's initial perception of the locals as weak and cowardly is shattered when they reveal themselves as fierce warriors.
• Desperation and Survival: Both sides fight with desperation, but the locals' suicidal intensity proves decisive.
• Fear and Madness: The Ironborn are terrified by the locals' behavior, which they perceive as mad, while the locals fight with a primal, bloodthirsty fervor.

Character Interactions

• Ironborn vs. Locals: The Ironborn initially mock and underestimate the locals, leading to their eventual defeat.
• Amek and Harlon: Amek's unease contrasts with Harlon's overconfidence, foreshadowing Harlon's demise and Amek's survival.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Suleiman's coalition has been observing the Ironborn's actions in the Riverlands.
• They learn that three key lords—Balon Deddings, Raymun Darry, and Tytos Blackwood—have gone missing, with rumors suggesting Raymun Darry is besieged in a castle.
• Suleiman decides to rescue Raymun Darry, ordering a night raid on Rushmarsh, where he believes Raymun is held.
• The siege is chaotic and ineffective, with peasant soldiers refusing to fight. Suleiman's professional soldiers eventually take the outer castle.
• The remaining Ironborn retreat to the inner keep. Suleiman orders it set on fire, intending to seek an omen from the flames to locate Raymun Darry.

Character Developments

• Suleiman shows strategic patience, waiting for the right moment to intervene in the Riverlands' power dynamics.
• Lymond Letcher demonstrates practicality and urgency, advising Suleiman to return to the eastern Riverlands.
• Ser Lopin displays loyalty and strategic insight, advising Suleiman to command the battle personally to ensure the vassals' cooperation.
• The peasant soldiers show cowardice and lack of discipline, while Suleiman's professional soldiers exhibit courage and coordination.

Significant Themes

• The contrast between professional soldiers and peasant levies.
• The ruthlessness of war and the willingness to make sacrifices for strategic gains.
• The use of fire as a weapon and a source of revelation.

Character Interactions

• Suleiman and Lymond Letcher discuss strategy, with Lymond advising caution and Suleiman prioritizing Raymun Darry's rescue.
• Suleiman and Ser Lopin discuss the battle plan, with Ser Lopin advising Suleiman to command personally to ensure the vassals' cooperation.
• Suleiman's troops and the Ironborn clash, with Suleiman's professional soldiers ultimately taking the castle.
• Suleiman orders the inner keep set on fire, intending to seek an omen from the flames to locate Raymun Darry.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sawane Botley, lord of Kingsport, is frustrated with his assignment to raid impoverished villages on the Green Fork, feeling humiliated by Gorold Goodbrother's treatment.
• Two Ironborn bring in a half-dead man, Amek, who served under Sawane's son, Harren. Amek reveals that Harren and their party were killed by "farmers" who were surprisingly skilled warriors.
• Sawane, enraged and humiliated, dismisses Amek's account as cowardly lies. He orders Amek's execution and vows revenge against the "farmers."

Character Developments

• Sawane Botley: Sawane's pride and ambition are highlighted as he feels dishonored by his assignment and Gorold's treatment. His anger and desire for revenge grow after learning of his son's death.
• Amek: Amek's fear and desperation are evident as he tries to convey the truth about the skilled "farmers" who killed Harren and his party.

Significant Themes

• Honor and pride among the Ironborn
• The perception of the Ironborn and the "Green Lands" people
• The consequences of underestimating one's enemies

Character Interactions

• Sawane and Amek: Sawane's anger and disbelief lead him to dismiss Amek's account, ultimately resulting in Amek's execution.
• Sawane and Gorold Goodbrother (off-page): Sawane's resentment towards Gorold for his perceived humiliation and suppression of the Ironborn is evident.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Ironborn are besieging Stonedance, a castle of the Riverlands. The Blackwoods refuse to surrender.
• Euron Greyjoy, the Crow's Eye, arrives and suggests a brutal assault on the castle. He offers a reward to the first Ironborn to scale the walls.
• Euron exhibits strange behavior, sensing something in the air, and declares that "someone is coming."
• Euron decides to leave the siege, disregarding King Balon's orders, to follow this new interest.

Character Developments

• Euron Greyjoy: Euron displays his ruthlessness, cunning, and disregard for orders. He also shows signs of his mysterious, otherworldly nature, hinting at his bargain with the supernatural.
• Dagmer Cleftjaw: Dagmer shows his loyalty to King Balon and his frustration with Euron's disobedience. He is also afraid of Euron's strange powers.

Significant Themes

• Power and Ambition: Euron's disregard for his brother's orders and his pursuit of personal interests highlight the theme of power and ambition.
• The Supernatural: Euron's strange behavior and the whispers about his past suggest the presence of supernatural forces in the story.

Character Interactions

• Euron and Dagmer: Their interaction shows Euron's disdain for Dagmer and his disregard for authority, while Dagmer shows his frustration and fear of Euron.
• Euron and the Ironborn: Euron's offer of a reward for the first Ironborn to scale the walls shows his ability to motivate and control his men.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Ironborn envoy demands surrender but leaves when refused.
• Tytos Blackwood's wound from Seaguard is revealed.
• The dire situation in Oldstones is discussed: low morale, exhausted supplies, and a weak defense.
• The Ironborn launch their final assault on Oldstones.

Character Developments

• Tytos Blackwood shows vulnerability due to his wound but maintains a strong front.
• Raymun Darry reveals his motivations for fighting, earning Tytos's respect.
• Patrick Mallister, Jason Mallister's son, wants to fight and die honorably.
• Lady Mallister encourages her son to fight and die like a true Mallister.

Significant Themes

• Honor and dignity in the face of certain death.
• The resilience and determination of the Riverlands people.
• The brutal, close-quarters nature of the battle.

Character Interactions

• Tytos Blackwood and Raymun Darry bond over their shared resolve to fight and die together.
• Tytos Blackwood is moved by Patrick Mallister's courage and Lady Mallister's pride.
• The soldiers of Oldstones find renewed resolve and unity in their decision to fight to the death.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Stonedance castle's outer walls have fallen, and its defenders are severely wounded and outnumbered.
• The Ironborn, led by Dagmer Cleftjaw, demand surrender but receive a defiant arrow from Lord Tytos Blackwood.
• Just as the Ironborn prepare for a final assault, a mysterious army arrives, burning the Ironborn's longships and attacking them from behind.
• Tytos Blackwood leads a counterattack, driving the Ironborn away with heavy losses on both sides.
• A young man, leading the mysterious army, approaches the survivors, revealing himself to be someone familiar to Lord Raymun Darry.

Character Developments

• Tytos Blackwood: Despite his severe wound, he remains defiant and leads his people in a desperate counterattack.
• Raymun Darry: He is wounded and shocked to see the young man leading the mysterious army.
• Patrick Mallister: The boy squire shows tenacity and bravery in the face of danger.

Significant Themes

• Defiance in the face of overwhelming odds
• The importance of home and family
• The power of unexpected reinforcement and surprise tactics

Character Interactions

• Tytos Blackwood and Raymun Darry: They support each other physically and emotionally during the battle.
• Tytos Blackwood and Dagmer Cleftjaw: Their exchange highlights the defiance and desperation of the defenders versus the Ironborn's arrogance and brutality.
• The young man and Raymun Darry: Their interaction hints at a past connection and raises questions about the young man's identity and intentions.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The coalition army, led by Suleiman, has just won a battle against the Ironborn, with a nearly one-to-one casualty ratio.
• However, 400 conscripted peasants deserted during the battle, highlighting the instability of the feudal army.
• Lord Balon Deddings, Suleiman's liege lord, is confirmed dead.
• Suleiman proposes forming an East Riverlands 'Alliance' to unite forces and resist the Ironborn invasion together.

Character Developments

• Suleiman demonstrates strategic thinking and leadership, prioritizing the army's foundation over immediate victories.
• Raymun Darry shows growth, acknowledging Suleiman's kindness and expressing regret for Lord Deddings' death.
• Lymond Letcher is revealed to be ill and somewhat detached from reality.

Significant Themes

• The instability and limitations of a feudal army.
• The importance of unity and strategic thinking in warfare.
• The complex dynamics of alliances and political maneuvering among noble houses.

Character Interactions

• Suleiman and Raymun Darry's relationship deepens as they shake hands, symbolizing their alliance and trust.
• Suleiman supports Lymond Letcher as the coalition commander, respecting the established noble order.
• Lymond Letcher's illness and detachment create a power vacuum, allowing Suleiman to influence the political landscape.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A council meeting is held in the dilapidated Council Chamber of Oldstones, attended by nobles and knights from two armies.
• Tytos Blackwood requests the coalition to help relieve Raventree Hall, currently besieged by the ironborn, which would mean engaging the main ironborn force.
• Lymond Letcher rejects the proposal, citing the need to avoid the ironborn and retreat to the East Riverlands.
• Patrick Mallister, the new Lord of Seaguard, publicly pledges fealty to Tytos Blackwood, causing an awkward silence.
• A dispute ensues over who should lead the coalition, with arguments based on lineage, recent actions, and military experience.

Character Developments

• Tytos Blackwood demonstrates his belief in his family's prestige and his own suitability for command.
• Lymond Letcher shows reluctance to cede command to Tytos, despite the traditional precedence of Blackwood lineage.
• Patrick Mallister exhibits youthful idealism and a strong sense of honor, but also naivety in political matters.
• Suleiman, though silent, influences the proceedings through his subordinates, indicating his de facto leadership.
• Sir Old Lopin, a House Deddings knight, shows loyalty to Suleiman and House Deddings, prioritizing recent actions over lineage.

Significant Themes

• The importance of lineage and noble blood in Westerosi society.
• The tension between traditional power structures and more recent developments.
• The struggle for leadership and control within the coalition.

Character Interactions

• Tension between Lymond Letcher and Tytos Blackwood over leadership.
• Patrick Mallister's naive attempt to rally support for Tytos Blackwood.
• Disagreement between Mallister and Deddings knights over who should lead the coalition.
• Suleiman's influence on the proceedings through his subordinates, indicating his behind-the-scenes control.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Suleiman, previously silent, stands up and dismisses the importance of noble bloodlines, insulting House Blackwood.
• Patrick Mallister, enraged, proposes a vote to decide the coalition's commander.
• The vote begins: Tytos Blackwood and Lymond Letcher receive votes from their respective houses.
• Ser Lopin votes for Lymond Letcher on Suleiman's behalf.
• Patrick Mallister votes for Tytos Blackwood.
• The vote is tied (2-2) with Ser Keke (House Vance) and Raymun Darry (House Darry) yet to vote.
• Ser Keke decides not to vote, citing orders from Lord Vance and the need to live and be rewarded.

Character Developments

• Suleiman demonstrates his disregard for noble bloodlines and tradition, prioritizing practicality and merit.
• Patrick Mallister shows his youthful impulsiveness and adherence to traditional noble values.
• Ser Keke reveals his pragmatic nature, valuing life and rewards over noble tradition.

Significant Themes

• The importance of bloodlines and tradition vs. merit and practicality in leadership.
• The influence of self-interest and fear on decision-making.
• The consequences of adhering to tradition vs. considering practical alternatives.

Character Interactions

• Suleiman and Patrick Mallister: Suleiman's dismissive attitude towards noble bloodlines angers Patrick, leading to the vote.
• Suleiman and Ser Keke: Suleiman's generosity and ruthlessness impress Ser Keke, but his lowly bloodline prevents Ser Keke from voting for him.
• Ser Keke and Tytos Blackwood: Ser Keke respects Tytos' noble bloodline but chooses not to vote for him due to self-interest and fear of Lord Vance's punishment.