Recaps

With Tywin’s army silent and panic spreading through King’s Landing, Cersei ordered the city’s defenses while Varys prepared to remove Sansa and Jeyne before Viserys’s forces arrived. Sansa learned that Arya was still in Valyria, but remained wary as Varys urged her to leave immediately.

• Cersei learned that Tywin had sent no raven in three days and ordered the Lannister guards to defend the Red Keep and punish deserters.
• Cersei’s orders heightened the panic in King’s Landing as residents feared the dragon and the flight of Tyrion.
• Varys learned that Tyrion’s death was confirmed, then went to carry out Viserys’s order to retrieve Sansa.
• Varys entered Sansa’s room through the fireplace and told Sansa and Jeyne that he had come to take them somewhere safe.
• Varys told Sansa that Arya remained in Valyria and urged the girls to leave before King’s Landing changed hands the next day.
• Sansa questioned whether she could trust Varys, while Jeyne clung nervously to her arm.

Sansa and Jeyne escaped the Red Keep with Varys as Viserys and his dragons attacked King's Landing with an eighty-thousand-strong army. Cersei was abandoned by the Hound as the city fell, while Joffrey hid in the cellars with Tommen and Myrcella.

• Sansa agreed to escape with Varys after he promised to keep Jeyne safe, and the two girls followed him into a secret passage.
• Joffrey raged after learning that Tyrion and Sansa had vanished, then fled to the cellars with Tommen and Myrcella as the attack began.
• Viserys, Rhaenys, and ten dragons attacked King's Landing, blasting open the gate and breaking the city's defenses as the Targaryen army surged inside.
• Cersei refused to flee when the Hound urged her to leave and tried to stab him, but he disarmed her and abandoned the Red Keep.
• Cersei slumped onto the Iron Throne and laughed as the battle cries drew closer.

Duke Clinton and the Golden Company captured Cersei and secured the Red Keep for Viserys, while Targaryen forces took control of King's Landing. Soldiers then found Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella hiding in the cellar, where Meryn Trant and Mandon Moore surrendered.

• Cersei refused to submit to Duke Clinton, but Golden Company soldiers dragged her from the Iron Throne and bound her.
• Clinton ordered Cersei taken away and prepared to report the Red Keep's capture to Viserys.
• Targaryen soldiers suppressed the remaining resistance in King's Landing and replaced Lannister banners with Targaryen ones.
• Golden Company soldiers found Joffrey, Tommen, Myrcella, and other Lannister survivors hiding in the Red Keep's cellar.
• After the Lannister guards were killed, Meryn Trant and Mandon Moore surrendered to the Golden Company.

The Targaryen Army captured King's Landing, and Viserys reclaimed the Red Keep and the Iron Throne. He ordered Cersei, Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella held under guard while he prepared to consolidate control of the city.

• Golden Company soldiers captured Joffrey, Tommen, Myrcella, and the Lannister women after the White Knights surrendered.
• Viserys and Rhaenys arrived at the Red Keep on their dragons as the Targaryen Army secured King's Landing.
• Viserys told Rhaenys that reclaiming the Iron Throne was only the beginning of their effort to unite Westeros.
• Duke Clinton reported that Cersei and Robert's three children had been captured, and Viserys ordered them held in the Black Cells under strict guard.
• Viserys ordered Clinton to obtain Varys's list of troublemakers and bring Sansa Stark to meet him.
• Viserys entered the great hall and approached the Iron Throne.

After Viserys took King’s Landing, Sansa and Jeyne were brought from their confinement to meet him, uncertain whether the Targaryens would treat them kindly. Varys tried to reassure them, but Sansa remained wary as they awaited the king.

• Sansa and Jeyne washed up in their former room after Varys returned them from the secret passage.
• When Golden Company soldiers summoned them to Viserys, Sansa reassured the frightened Jeyne and put on a gown her mother had prepared.
• Sansa and Jeyne followed the soldiers through the Red Keep, now controlled by Targaryen troops, to an audience chamber where Varys waited.
• Varys told Sansa that Viserys bore House Stark goodwill, but Sansa challenged the claim by recalling how the Targaryens had treated her family.
• Varys said Viserys was not the Mad King and sought a strong relationship with the North, while promising Jeyne that the king would show mercy.

Viserys welcomed Sansa Stark and Jeyne Poole after the upheaval at the Red Keep, reassuring Sansa that her family was safe and promising that she would soon reunite with Arya. Sansa’s grief and worry eased as she grew grateful and affectionate toward him.

• Viserys entered the reception room with Rhaenys and addressed Sansa, acknowledging her suffering and promising that House Lannister would pay for its crimes.
• Sansa introduced Jeyne Poole, and Viserys reassured her that they were both safe.
• Viserys asked Sansa to set aside the old grievances between House Stark and House Targaryen and work toward peace in Westeros.
• Viserys told Sansa that her family should still be safe and that he had sent men to contact the North.
• Viserys arranged comfortable rooms for Sansa and Jeyne and said Arya was doing well in Valyria and would soon return to reunite with Sansa.

Viserys gave Sansa and Jeyne a comfortable room and promised to notify them when he received news from the North, leaving Sansa hopeful that she would soon reunite with Arya. He then questioned Varys about his role in the Targaryen return and challenged the spymaster to explain where his loyalty lay.

• Viserys reassured Sansa and Jeyne, assigned guards to escort them to their quarters, and promised to send word when news arrived from the North.
• Sansa comforted Jeyne's fears about Viserys and began imagining a reunion with Arya and her family.
• The guards led Sansa and Jeyne to a lavish room in the King's Tower, where Sansa rested and wondered how Viserys would change her life and the Seven Kingdoms.
• Rhaenys teased Viserys about charming Sansa, and he insisted he saw her as important to stabilizing the North.
• Viserys asked Varys about his years in King's Landing, and Varys claimed he had quietly prepared dissatisfied forces and information for Viserys's arrival.
• Rhaenys questioned Varys's motives, and Viserys challenged him to explain where his loyalty lay after serving several rulers.

Viserys tested Varys’s loyalty and tasked him with handling Lannister remnants, watching the nobles, and finding Petyr. After Varys left, Rhaenys questioned his trustworthiness and reminded Viserys of a promise, which he agreed to address that night.

• Varys declared his loyalty to Viserys and promised to use his Little Birds to help reunite the Seven Kingdoms and confront the Others.
• Viserys asked Varys about Lannister survivors, the nobles’ loyalties, and Petyr’s whereabouts; Varys said Petyr had vanished and might flee to the Free Cities.
• Viserys ordered Varys to keep searching for Petyr and assured him he could remain Master of Whisperers as long as he did not betray him.
• Rhaenys questioned whether Varys could be trusted, and Viserys said he would ensure the spymaster remained useful.
• Rhaenys pressed Viserys to keep his promise, and he agreed to meet her that night after handling affairs of state.

Viserys set aside his reunion with Rhaenys to prepare for the conflicts ahead, while Renly faced the collapse of his position at Storm's End. With the Reach backing Viserys, Dornish forces advancing, and his messengers missing, Renly feared his army would break before help arrived.

• Rhaenys kissed Viserys and ran from him, and Viserys turned his attention to the challenges facing his rule.
• Renly learned that Oberyn Martell had captured Blackhaven and killed its lord, while the Earl of Tarth's army suffered losses and the Earl of Estermont's force was trapped near Nightsong.
• Lady Olenna declared the Reach's support for Viserys and backed Willas Tyrell as Lord of Highgarden, leaving Mace Tyrell's troops in Renly's army uncertain of their loyalty.
• Renly received no word from messengers sent to seek allies, and he feared the combined Dornish and Reach forces would cause his army to collapse or defect.
• Renly regretted rejecting Stannis's proposal and thought that Stannis would have been a better commander, though he knew Stannis was dead beneath the sea.

At Storm's End, Renly ordered stronger defenses and sought aid from the Free Cities as he feared the growing threat to House Baratheon. In Blackhaven, Oberyn inspected the captured spoils and decided to leave Storm's End's capture to Viserys.

• Renly ordered Loras to strengthen Storm's End's defenses, scout the Dornish army, and seek help from the Free Cities.
• As a storm darkened Storm's End, Renly asked Loras what he would do if everything ended, and Loras vowed to stay and protect him.
• Renly told Loras to remain with him until the end, then led the Rainbow Guard inside the castle.
• In Blackhaven, Oberyn and Ellaria examined a captured Valyrian steel sword, which Oberyn kept for possible future use.
• Oberyn judged Storm's End difficult to capture and decided to leave it to Viserys, expecting Renly to surrender.

At Highgarden, Olenna advised Willas to keep the Reach stable and avoid committing troops to Renly’s doomed cause while preparing for the threat of the Others. She revealed that she had secretly sent people to encourage Highgarden’s ten thousand soldiers inside Storm’s End to surrender, leaving Renly’s fate even more precarious.

• Willas told Olenna that Renly’s forces were suffering defeats and asked whether Highgarden should send troops to support Viserys at Storm’s End.
• Olenna told Willas to focus on securing the Reach’s provisions, people, and army rather than sacrificing Tyrell forces in battle.
• Willas questioned whether the Others were real and worried that preparing for them could weaken House Tyrell in the new dynasty.
• Olenna revealed that she had secretly sent people to persuade Highgarden’s ten thousand soldiers inside Storm’s End to abandon Renly.
• Olenna said she believed Margaery and Viserys about the Others, and Willas agreed that Highgarden should consolidate its strength and prepare for what came next.

At Harrenhal, Tywin Lannister rejected Kevan’s suggestion to retreat, deciding that House Lannister had to hold the castle until the war grew more chaotic and Viserys might seek their cooperation. Kevan remained doubtful and wondered what secret task Tywin had given Jaime.

• Kevan told Tywin that Viserys was nearing King's Landing, Renly was isolated at Storm's End, and support for the Targaryens was growing in the Reach.
• Tywin said retreating to the Westerlands was too dangerous because Viserys had dragons and Vale cavalry was positioned behind the Lannister army.
• Tywin rejected seeking peace with the North or surrendering to Viserys, citing the blood feud with the Starks and Jaime's killing of Viserys's father.
• Tywin decided the Lannisters should hold Harrenhal and wait for turmoil to create an opening to survive and negotiate with Viserys.
• Kevan doubted Viserys would seek Lannister cooperation and wondered what Tywin had sent Jaime to do.

Tywin ordered Kevan to strengthen Harrenhal, harass Northern supply lines, and keep the Lannisters’ plans secret while Jaime remained away on an undisclosed task. At the Northern Army’s council, Roose Bolton responded to worsening supply shortages by ordering Ramsay Snow to unleash his hounds on isolated Lannister raiders and make the area around Harrenhal dangerous.

• Tywin told Kevan to have Gregor raid Northern supply lines, reinforce Harrenhal, and discreetly seek contact with Viserys through Tyrion.
• Roose Bolton convened the allied commanders as House Frey’s withdrawal and Lannister raids worsened their shortages of food and troops.
• Ramsay Snow arrived with supplies and proposed using his animals against the Westerlands forces.
• Edmure Tully, Earl Blackwood, and other lords described their depleted stores and urged action against the Mountain.
• Roose Bolton ordered Ramsay to send his hounds after isolated Lannister scouts and raiding parties so Northern troops could surround and destroy them.

Roose Bolton outlined a plan to pressure Tywin Lannister at Harrenhal by contaminating the stream that supplied the castle, forcing the defenders to act. The lords accepted the plan despite its danger to local smallfolk, and Edmure was left fearing more bloodshed in the Riverlands.

• Roose Bolton assigned Edmure to gather provisions from Riverland houses that had surrendered to Tywin.
• Roose rejected a frontal assault and explained that he wanted to wear Tywin down before Viserys Targaryen could take King's Landing.
• Roose proposed adding substances to Harrenhal's stream to disrupt the Lannister army's water supply and force Tywin to act.
• Ramsay volunteered to carry out the scheme, and Roose ordered him and Ser Patrek Mallister to plan it discreetly.
• Edmure and Earl Blackwood held back their objections over the danger to local people, while the lords discussed the plan and Edmure feared further bloodshed.

Viserys finished managing King's Landing's affairs and considered the threats and challenges still facing his rule. He joined Rhaenys in the Red Keep, where their relationship began a new chapter.

• Viserys reviewed plans for city order and troop deployment, then considered how to secure the surrendered nobles' loyalty.
• Viserys thought about removing Littlefinger, preparing for the Others, and wondered how Ygritte was faring at the Wall.
• Viserys bathed and went to the bedchamber, deciding not to dwell on the political consequences of his relationship with Rhaenys.
• Rhaenys waited for Viserys in a silk nightdress, told him she had been unable to wait, and leaned into his arms.

Viserys and Rhaenys consummated their relationship in the Red Keep while Sansa and Jeyne, in the adjoining room, overheard them. Sansa considered moving rooms, but Jeyne pointed out the risks, leaving the girls beneath the covers as the sounds continued.

• Viserys kissed Rhaenys, carried her to bed, and declared that she belonged to him.
• Viserys and Rhaenys spent the night together, unaware that Sansa and Jeyne were in the next room.
• Sansa and Jeyne woke to the sounds through the wall and blushed as they listened.
• Sansa recalled Rhaenys's earlier attention to Viserys and suggested that she and Jeyne move to another room.
• Jeyne noted that servants might see them in the corridor and that their belongings were still in the room, so Sansa tried to distract herself beneath the covers.

Sansa and Jeyne lay awake listening to Viserys and Rhaenys, leaving Sansa unsettled about Targaryen customs and her own uncertain future beside Viserys. At dawn, Viserys reflected on his night with Rhaenys and revealed that he had deliberately placed the girls' room next door.

• Sansa comforted the frightened Jeyne, and the two speculated that Targaryen traditions might explain Viserys and Rhaenys's relationship.
• Jeyne asked whether she and Sansa might someday marry someone like Viserys, but Sansa told her not to dwell on the future.
• As dawn approached, Sansa lay awake wondering whether she could find a place beside Viserys.
• Viserys woke beside Rhaenys and tenderly watched her sleep while recalling their night together.
• Viserys acknowledged that he had known Sansa and Jeyne could hear them and had deliberately arranged for their room to be next door.

Viserys and Rhaenys woke together and discussed how Daenerys might react to their relationship. Later, Viserys gathered his ministers, accepted Pycelle’s return to court for the moment, and asked Earl Alliser how the Lannister traitors should be punished.

• Rhaenys woke beside Viserys, and he reassured her that he would speak with Dany about their relationship.
• Viserys and Rhaenys got dressed and prepared to attend to the affairs of King's Landing.
• Viserys summoned the Valyrian Freehold's ministers, including Varys, to the Council Chamber.
• Pycelle appeared before Viserys, claimed he had hidden during the city's chaos, and pledged his loyalty.
• Viserys let Pycelle take a seat, then asked Earl Alliser how Cersei and the other Lannister traitors should be dealt with.

Viserys debated how Cersei Lannister should be punished for her crimes, while Varys and Pycelle urged a display that would satisfy justice without offending the nobles. Viserys left the matter unresolved, regarding both advisers as self-serving old courtiers.

• Earl Alliser said Cersei should lose her titles and be imprisoned before execution for supporting Joffrey and persecuting Eddard Stark.
• Viserys proposed parading Cersei naked through King's Landing, but Earl Alliser warned that the punishment could undermine the dignity of the Targaryen Royal House.
• Viserys condemned Cersei and House Lannister for their crimes, and Varys cautioned that an excessively brutal punishment could turn wavering factions against the king.
• Varys proposed parading Cersei in prison garb, and Pycelle agreed that the punishment was workable.
• Viserys questioned Varys and Pycelle, then privately judged both advisers to be self-serving.

Viserys settled the punishment for Cersei Lannister and the other members of the traitorous families, then assigned his ministers duties to restore order and assess King's Landing. The council ended with preliminary plans and reports due the next day.

• Duke Clinton and Duke Arthur supported Varys's proposal, recommending execution and rejecting an excessively humiliating punishment for Cersei.
• Viserys ordered Cersei and the other traitorous family members stripped of their titles and property, imprisoned in the Black Cells, and publicly beheaded once King's Landing was stable.
• Viserys ordered Cersei paraded through King's Landing in prison garb for three days and assigned Alliser and Varys to plan the route and security.
• Viserys directed Varys to assess damage, reassure residents, and secure food and necessities, while Duke Arthur and Duke Clinton were tasked with maintaining order and settling the troops.
• Viserys ordered Alliser and Pycelle to organize House Lannister's records, especially its financial, tax, and diplomatic documents, and demanded preliminary plans and reports by the next day.

After leaving the council, Viserys encountered Sansa and Jeyne outside Rhaenys's chambers and reassured them that they would see their families soon. When Sansa asked about Rhaenys, Viserys told her that Rhaenys would be one of his future wives.

• Viserys left the Council Chamber, while Varys considered whether the king had deliberately tested the council with Cersei's punishment.
• Varys and Earl Alliser discussed Cersei's procession route and security, and Pycelle left to handle the records Viserys had assigned him.
• Viserys met Sansa and Jeyne in the corridor as they planned to explore the Red Keep gardens.
• Sansa asked when Arya and the rest of her family might arrive, and Viserys promised they would see them soon.
• Sansa began asking about Viserys and Rhaenys, and Viserys said Rhaenys would be one of his future wives.

Sansa struggled with her feelings after Viserys told her they might meet again, while she and Jeyne discussed his future wives. Viserys comforted Rhaenys and spoke about Dany's expected arrival, Sansa's role in relations with the North, and the women around him.

• Viserys left Sansa and Jeyne, and Sansa remained unsettled by his words and the trace of another woman's scent.
• Sansa told Jeyne that Targaryen kings had married multiple women and admitted Viserys would likely do the same.
• Viserys found Rhaenys awake and reassured her that he would stay with her and that Dany would likely arrive with Arya in a few days.
• Viserys told Rhaenys that Sansa's future in King's Landing depended on her wishes and that she was a bargaining chip for the North.
• Rhaenys said Sansa looked at Viserys with love, and Viserys said he would not marry her, though she might become his lover.
• Rhaenys admitted she felt a little jealous of Viserys's other lovers and prospects.

Viserys comforted Rhaenys before visiting Cersei in the Black Cells, where she learned that she would face the people of King's Landing the next day. He arrived as Cersei waited in dread, and she challenged him about bringing a crowd to see her.

• Viserys embraced Rhaenys and reassured her that she and Dany would always hold special places in his heart.
• Varys visited Cersei and told her that she would meet the people of King's Landing the next day.
• Varys told Cersei that Tyrion had chosen to negotiate to buy time for Tywin, and challenged her claim that her children were innocent.
• Viserys arrived at the Black Cells with Earl Alliser and watched Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella through their cell bars.
• Cersei heard Viserys approach with a group and asked whether he had come to flaunt his power before her.

Viserys visited Cersei in the Black Cells and refused her plea to spare Tommen and Myrcella, insisting that the children of the Usurper must die. After leaving, he ordered Lord Alliser to prepare for the next day's procession, while Robb Stark discussed a letter from the Targaryens with his followers at the Crag.

• Viserys told Cersei that her children were alive but that they must die because of their bloodline.
• Cersei recalled her resentment toward the Targaryens, Rhaegar's rejection, and Robert's treatment of her.
• Viserys condemned Cersei's choices, and she pleaded for Tommen and Myrcella before offering herself; he refused and left.
• Viserys told Lord Alliser to ensure everything was ready for the procession beginning the next day.
• At the Crag, Robb Stark discussed a letter from the Targaryens in King's Landing with his followers.

Robb considered Viserys's offer to negotiate a ceasefire and decided to travel to King's Landing himself, willing to bend the knee if the North's interests and his sisters' safety were guaranteed. He informed Viserys of his plans, then told Catelyn why he believed this journey differed from Eddard's.

• Robb and Brynden the Blackfish discussed Viserys's letter, the North's dwindling strength, and the danger of continuing the war.
• Robb decided to meet Viserys in King's Landing and said he would bend the knee if Viserys protected the North and kept Sansa and Arya safe.
• Robb refused Brynden's offer to accompany him, telling him to remain and steady the army, and said he believed in the threat of the Others.
• Robb sent a raven to King's Landing announcing that he would arrive in a few days to negotiate a ceasefire.
• Catelyn visited Robb and voiced concern about his journey; Robb reassured her that Viserys was unlike the Mad King or Robert.