Recaps

Viserys confronted Asha about the Ironborn rebellions and admitted he had destroyed their forces to keep them from raiding Westeros. Asha realized that her surviving companions, including Cole, had been killed, and the chapter ended with her grief and anger intensifying.

• Viserys accused Asha and her father Balon Greyjoy of repeatedly rebelling against the Iron Throne and harming Westeros's people.
• Viserys said he had targeted the Ironborn and wanted no Ironborn longships to threaten Westeros's coast again.
• Viserys revealed that he had burned the Greyjoy ship fleeing toward the Fog Zone, where he said nothing could have harmed him.
• Asha remembered that her Ironborn companions had been alive earlier that day but were dead when she awoke.
• Asha whispered Cole's name and recalled her companions' lives at sea as the wound in her neck throbbed.

Asha confronted Viserys over the death of Cole, the man she loved, and he offered her a chance to survive by fighting him. She accepted the trial and faced him in the camp clearing, where the chapter ended as Viserys approached with Blackfyre drawn.

• Asha told Viserys that Cole had been her companion since she was sixteen and accused him of burning more than a ship.
• Viserys said Cole had died in the dragonfire and explained that Cole had left Asha food and water so she could survive.
• Viserys offered Asha freedom if she survived ten moves against him, but said she would die if she failed.
• Asha picked up the Hand Axe and went out to the camp clearing, with Viserys and Daenerys following.
• Asha took a steady fighting stance as Viserys drew Blackfyre and approached her.

Asha attacked Viserys in a two-strike fight, but he shattered her axe and badly wounded her hands. She could no longer fight, while Viserys left her alive and warned she would not survive a third exchange.

• Asha charged at Viserys with a sweeping axe strike, but he deflected it and numbed her arm with a precise blow.
• Asha launched a faster overhead chop, staking everything on the attack.
• Viserys struck the axe blade, snapped its haft, and sent Asha crashing to the ground with deep wounds in her hand.
• Asha tried to rise and reach for her broken weapon, but her hands would not obey her.
• Viserys counted their fight as two exchanges and told Asha she would not survive a third.

Viserys killed Asha Greyjoy to prevent anyone from using her name and claim to threaten the realm, and Daenerys accepted his decision. At dawn, Viserys and Daenerys left the island on King Ghidorah and flew northeast toward Westeros, following the Westerlands coast north.

• Viserys offered Asha a chance to take up her axe, but she told him she would kill them all if she survived.
• Viserys asked Asha for her last words, then stabbed her through the heart with the Blackfyre Sword.
• Daenerys watched Asha die and followed Viserys back to their fire, where he explained why he had killed her.
• At dawn, Daenerys and Viserys mounted King Ghidorah, and the four Dragons left the island.
• The group flew northeast toward Westeros and followed the Westerlands coastline north.

Viserys arrived at Casterly Rock with four dragons, and their roars drew the city’s people out to watch. After Ser Alliser recognized King Ghidorah and waved from the Main Keep, Viserys guided the dragons toward an empty courtyard to land.

• Viserys had King Ghidorah and the other three dragons circle above Casterly Rock, whose people gathered to watch them.
• Ser Alliser hurried from the Main Keep, recognized King Ghidorah, and waved to Viserys from the terrace.
• Viserys saw Alliser and stopped the dragons’ circling, directing King Ghidorah to land in an empty courtyard outside the castle.
• The courtyard, once used for Casterly Rock’s warhorses, had been emptied after the Lannisters’ defeat and was large enough to hold all four dragons.

Viserys and Daenerys arrived at Casterly Rock with four dragons, where Alliser welcomed them and promised a report on the Westerlands’ gold mines. They attended a feast in the main hall, with Alliser preparing documents for a detailed briefing afterward.

• King Ghidorah and the other three dragons landed in Casterly Rock’s courtyard, filling most of the space.
• Alliser arrived, welcomed Viserys and Daenerys, and heard Viserys ask for details about the gold mines.
• Alliser promised to organize the relevant documents and give Viserys a detailed report after the feast.
• Alliser arranged fresh meat for the dragons and led Viserys and Daenerys toward their accommodations.
• Viserys and Daenerys attended a feast in Casterly Rock’s main hall.

Viserys and Daenerys shared a dinner at Casterly Rock while Alliser offered to make their stay comfortable and report on the mines. Viserys said they would leave for the North the next day, and Alliser promised to prepare supplies for the colder journey.

• Alliser apologized for the simple dinner and offered to light the fireplaces, but Viserys declined.
• Daenerys praised the rich flavor of the Westerlands venison, and Alliser offered to send hunters for a mountain lion if they stayed longer.
• Viserys told Alliser that they would likely leave for the North the next day because urgent business prevented them from lingering.
• Alliser accepted Viserys's plans and promised to report the mine accounts, ore output, and shipment records after dinner.
• Alliser said he would prepare provisions, clean water, and thick felt blankets for their journey into the North.

Viserys secretly examined Casterly Rock and Lannisport while he and Daenerys stayed at the Rock as guests of Alliser. Alliser brought him to Tywin Lannister’s former study to review the ledgers.

• Viserys quietly extended his mental perception across Casterly Rock and Lannisport as he ate dinner.
• After dinner, Alliser arranged rooms for Viserys and Daenerys in the Main Keep.
• Daenerys looked out toward the dark sea before sitting on the bed, while Viserys waited for Alliser to return.
• Alliser invited Viserys to Tywin Lannister’s former study, where the ledgers had been laid out.
• Alliser told Viserys that Tywin had rarely allowed anyone into the study.

Viserys told Alliser to assert his authority over the Westerlands’ defiant noble houses and heard his report on the region’s declining gold mines. Alliser proposed reopening several shallower mines abandoned by House Lannister.

• Alliser told Viserys that the Westerlands’ ancient houses did not respect him despite his appointment as earl and lord of Casterly Rock.
• Viserys said the nobles did not yet fear Alliser and urged him to use the authority and force available to him.
• Alliser accepted Viserys’s rebuke and resolved to impose rules and punish anyone who challenged his authority.
• Alliser reported that the major Lannister gold mines were producing less while deeper shafts drove up costs.
• Alliser proposed draining and reinforcing several abandoned mines that still held unworked veins.

Viserys ordered Alliser to reclaim and reopen the abandoned mines at Castamere and Tarbeck Hall, first restoring them to the Iron Throne’s records and authority. Alliser prepared a plan to register the lands, contact their former inhabitants, and compel Westerlands lords to report what they had seized.

• Viserys directed Alliser to look beyond the exhausted mines near Casterly Rock and consider Castamere and Tarbeck Hall.
• Alliser warned that Castamere’s mines were flooded, Tarbeck Hall’s passages had collapsed, and recruiting miners would take time.
• Viserys ordered Alliser to claim both territories for the Iron Throne and make any lords holding them report by a deadline.
• Alliser planned to register the territories as unclaimed land, invite displaced commoners to return, and punish lords who refused to cooperate.
• Alliser reported that Westerlands iron supplied thirty percent of the Iron Throne’s weapons and armor sent north, and advised stockpiling supplies or increasing sea shipments before winter.
• Viserys praised Alliser’s work and said gold production at Castamere and Tarbeck Hall could be increased after the war against the Others.

Viserys ordered Alliser to direct Westerlands iron and weapons toward the Wall and increase mining output, then returned to Daenerys after reviewing records he hoped might reveal new mineral veins. Daenerys asked about the hardships of traveling north, leaving Viserys to consider how unprepared she was for sleeping rough.

• Viserys told Alliser to prioritize supplying the Wall and send Raven messages ordering two houses to increase mining output.
• Viserys gathered the Westerlands records and planned to study them for undiscovered mineral veins.
• Viserys passed fearful servants in Casterly Rock and returned to Daenerys's room.
• Viserys covered Daenerys with the quilt, and she woke briefly to ask whether his discussion with Alliser had gone well.
• Daenerys complained of exhaustion from flying and asked Viserys whether his earlier northern journey with Rhaenys had involved sleeping outdoors.

Viserys told Daenerys that their journey north could involve bitter cold and nights camping outdoors, and promised to put her safety first. He planned to leave Casterly Rock the next day, stop at White Harbor for supplies, and continue to the Wall, exciting Daenerys with the chance to see the North’s harbor.

• Viserys explained that travel beyond the Neck could mean fierce winds, heavy snow, and nights without shelter.
• Viserys recalled how Rhaenys had endured the northern cold in silence and told Daenerys to speak up if she felt unwell.
• Viserys said he needed to review shipping accounts in Lannisport and hoped to continue north at noon the next day.
• Viserys proposed replenishing supplies at White Harbor before heading straight to the Wall.
• Daenerys became excited about visiting White Harbor, which she had heard about from northern sailors in Braavos.

Viserys rode from Casterly Rock to Lannisport with Alliser and nearly two hundred soldiers to inspect the harbor. Alliser explained that powerful merchants were delaying tax audits, and the party reached the city walls.

• Viserys left Daenerys sleeping and met Alliser and the soldiers, who were ready to escort him to Lannisport.
• Viserys and Alliser rode south along the Coastal Road toward the harbor.
• Alliser told Viserys that Tywin's death had left Lannisport's tax accounts disordered and that new officials were still auditing them.
• Alliser named House Cooper, Moro, and a Yi Ti medicinal goods merchant as the leading traders delaying the audits.
• Viserys asked whether the merchants had refused outright, and Alliser said they were only stalling as the party approached Lannisport.

Viserys toured Lannisport with Alliser, inspecting the harbor and discussing its operations and shipbuilding. He searched for a Blood Witch but found no trace of magic, then ordered Alliser to summon merchants to discuss standardizing port taxes across Westeros.

• Viserys and his party entered Lannisport beneath the Targaryen banner, and Alliser led him around the docks and warehouses.
• Viserys questioned port managers about berths, warehouse capacity, and defense arrangements.
• Viserys asked about the Shipbuilders' Guild, and Alliser said Old Harris led it but had not answered his summons.
• Viserys searched Lannisport with his mental power for the Blood Witch but found no magical presence, only a few magical items aboard ships from Yi Ti.
• Viserys instructed Alliser to invite merchants to Casterly Rock in the Iron Throne's name to discuss future port taxes.

Viserys returned to Casterly Rock and found Daenerys dressed in silver armor, where she told him about her morning touring the castle. Their conversation left Viserys reflecting that she was still childish but already showing sound judgment about education and defenses.

• Viserys returned to Casterly Rock and complimented Daenerys on her silver armor, while warning that it was less sturdy than her Valyrian steel armor.
• Daenerys praised the harbor on the Valyrian Peninsula, and Viserys reminded her that Valyrian things were not always the best.
• Daenerys told Viserys that Lady Mia had shown her a school where war orphans learned to read and keep accounts.
• Daenerys described old soldiers repairing the western wall with gray clay mixed with chopped grass, which Lord Alliser hoped to use to strengthen defenses elsewhere.
• Daenerys recounted eating honey-roasted pumpkin with Lena and visiting five puppies in the castle kennels.

Viserys and Daenerys departed Casterly Rock with the Dragon Horde and flew north along the coast. After passing Riverrun and Moat Cailin, they reached the frozen lands of the North, with White Harbor appearing on the morning of the third day.

• Daenerys told Viserys about the smithies and hounds she had seen with Lady Mia, and Viserys praised her morning as more interesting than his trip to Lannisport.
• Alliser prepared provisions, water, and blankets for Viserys and Daenerys, and they ate luncheon before leaving Casterly Rock.
• Alliser introduced his wife, Mia, and daughter, Lena, to Viserys and Daenerys, and Daenerys gave Lena a gemstone.
• Viserys and Daenerys mounted King Ghidorah and joined Acmot, Viserion, and Vermax as they took flight toward the northeast.
• Viserys led the dragons roaring over Riverrun without landing, then continued north past Moat Cailin into the frozen wilderness.
• Viserys and Daenerys reached White Harbor on the morning of the third day after leaving Casterly Rock.

Viserys and his companion arrived at White Harbor, where House Manderly’s wealth, defenses, and busy port were described as King Ghidorah and three other dragons flew overhead. A middle-aged man in a blue coat watched them descend near the New Castle and hurried toward the Mermaid Palace.

• Viserys and his companion approached White Harbor and took in the port city and its defenses.
• The chapter described House Manderly’s silver wealth and continued loyalty to House Stark.
• Sailors and merchants stopped to watch King Ghidorah and three other dragons fly over White Harbor.
• A middle-aged man in a blue coat saw King Ghidorah descend outside the New Castle and hurried toward the Mermaid Palace.

Viserys and Daenerys arrived at White Harbor, where Wyman Manderly welcomed them and invited them to a feast. Viserys planned to leave the next morning, but first intended to check on the trusted Dragonstone veterans overseeing the port’s vital supply route to the Wall.

• Wyman Manderly arrived at New Castle in a palanquin, buffeted by Acmot’s wingbeats, and greeted Viserys and Daenerys respectfully.
• Wyman invited Viserys and Daenerys into New Castle and offered them a feast featuring White Harbor’s fish.
• Viserys told Wyman that he and Daenerys were only stopping to replenish supplies and planned to continue north the next morning.
• Viserys considered visiting the harbor office to meet Dragonstone veterans he trusted to oversee supplies bound for the Wall.
• The chapter explained that White Harbor’s experienced sailors helped guide supply ships through the dangerous Shivering Sea.

Viserys and Daenerys accepted Earl Wyman’s invitation to stay at the New Castle in White Harbor, where he led them to House Manderly’s Mermaid Palace. The chapter ended with them entering the refined great hall, prepared for a feast.

• Viserys agreed to spend the night at the New Castle, and he and Daenerys dismounted from King Ghidorah.
• Earl Wyman insisted on accompanying Viserys and Daenerys to the New Castle despite his exhaustion.
• Wyman pointed out the castle’s tall towers and described their views of White Harbor and the White Knife River.
• Wyman brought Viserys and Daenerys into the Mermaid Palace, House Manderly’s great hall.
• Viserys and Daenerys entered the richly decorated hall, where tables and candles had been prepared for the feast.

Viserys and Daenerys attended a feast at the Mermaid Palace, where Wyman Manderly cautiously welcomed them. When stewards from the Wall Supply Transfer Office arrived, Viserys left the feast and recognized their chief steward, Robin Grey, from his earlier service.

• Wyman Manderly welcomed Viserys and Daenerys and explained that House Manderly's furnishings came from the Reach.
• Daenerys tasted the northern ale, disliked it, and continued eating roast cod while Wyman described stronger drinks at the Wall.
• An attendant told Wyman that stewards from the Wall Supply Transfer Office were requesting an audience.
• Viserys left the feast to meet the stewards and ask about the supply shipments.
• Robin Grey introduced himself as chief steward of the White Harbor Supply Transfer Office, and Viserys remembered his reliable work on Dragonstone and in Essos.

Viserys met Robin and the veteran Dragonstone men managing White Harbor’s supply operation, then reviewed shipment plans and records. Robin reported that two Stormlands shipments had arrived, while the chapter left the accounts from other regions still under review.

• Viserys asked Robin how long he had been in White Harbor, and Robin explained that he had managed supply transfers for over a month.
• Robin introduced Harold, Coleman, and the other Dragonstone veterans responsible for inspecting ships, managing warehouses and accounts, and escorting supplies to the Wall.
• Viserys returned to the office and asked Robin to compare two months of supply manifests from King’s Landing with what had reached White Harbor.
• Robin described the planned routes for supplies from the Vale and Westerlands and explained why the Reach could send its shipments directly to the Shadow Tower.
• Robin told Viserys that two Stormlands shipments had arrived, and that most of their supplies had already been sent to the Wall.

Viserys reviewed Robin’s reports on supplies and defenses at the Wall, where the Night’s Watch still lacked enough men and essential cold-weather provisions. He ordered the next shipment enlarged and left Robin responsible for overseeing the arrangements.

• Viserys questioned Robin about White Harbor’s supply storage, transport routes, and the situation at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea.
• Robin reported that the Night’s Watch had expanded its docks and warehouses and restored the abandoned forts, but still lacked enough guards for the Wall.
• Robin showed Viserys a document tracking garrisons and supply shortages, including bedding, iron pots, and lamp oil.
• Robin offered to send bedding, lamp oil, nails, and rope on the next shipment, while Coleman recommended combining two shiploads and adding merchant ships and experienced captains.
• Viserys approved the preparations, praised Robin and the others, and promised each of them a holding after the war.

Viserys and Daenerys explored White Harbor without attendants, visiting Fish King's Square and the Castle Steps before walking toward the harbor. They continued through the fish market and past the workshops as afternoon settled over the city.

• Viserys declined Earl Wyman’s offer to have Wylfield and Willa Manderly guide him and Daenerys around White Harbor.
• Viserys and Daenerys visited Fish King’s Square, where Daenerys admired the hot-spring fountain.
• They climbed the Castle Steps, and Viserys speculated that real merfolk might have inspired House Manderly’s statues.
• Viserys and Daenerys descended to the harbor, where townspeople noticed their Valyrian features and kept their distance.
• They passed the fish market and reached a row of workshops, where one smithy was still working at its forge.

Viserys and Daenerys toured White Harbor’s shipyards before attending a larger banquet at New Castle, where Daenerys learned about Ser Bartimus, the one-eyed, one-legged castellan of the Wolf’s Den. The chapter left them at the banquet as the guests gathered around the table.

• Viserys explained that iron weapons were needed alongside fragile dragonglass weapons for the coming war.
• Viserys and Daenerys visited White Harbor’s fish market and shipyard district, where craftsmen repaired ships returned from Eastwatch-by-the-Sea.
• Daenerys asked when they would leave for the Wall, and Viserys said they would depart at first light and camp overnight on the way.
• Viserys and Daenerys returned to New Castle for a banquet attended by House Manderly, local leaders, vassals, and Dragonstone stewards.
• Daenerys asked Wylfield about Ser Bartimus and learned how he lost his eye and leg and that he followed the old gods.

Daenerys learned from Wylfield how Ser Bartimus had kept his knighthood despite losing an eye and a leg, with Wyman Manderly’s support. The banquet in New Castle ended with Viserys and his companions keeping their distance from White Harbor’s nobles while Bartimus shared stories of his past.

• Daenerys asked Wylfield how Ser Bartimus could remain a knight despite his disability, and Wylfield explained that knighthood could be retained and that Bartimus still served White Harbor.
• Wylfield recalled how Wyman Manderly had overruled objections and vouched for Bartimus so he could remain in White Harbor as an Oath Knight.
• Daenerys reconsidered her belief that disability barred men from knighthood and decided to remember Bartimus’s story for Arya and the others.
• At the banquet, Wyman toasted Viserys and pledged House Manderly’s support, while Viserys, Robin, and the others spoke little.
• After drinking ale, Bartimus grew more talkative and told minor lords about his days as a hired knight in the south.