Recaps

Rumors questioning the parentage of Robert’s children spread across Westeros, and Varys used them to inflame Robert’s suspicions. Jon Arryn confirmed that the children’s Lannister appearance contradicted the family records, leaving him trapped between exposing the truth and risking civil war or concealing it.

• A Lannister informant heard a mocking song about the royal children in King’s Landing and sent reports to Casterly Rock as similar rumors spread in Oldtown and Gulltown.
• Varys learned that the rumors were widespread and ordered his Little Birds to watch Lord Arryn and Lord Petyr.
• Varys told Robert about the rumors, subtly emphasized the phrase “golden lions,” and deepened Robert’s suspicion of Cersei and the Lannisters.
• Robert angrily dismissed Lancel Lannister and rejected the need for Tywin’s support.
• Jon Arryn studied the records of Baratheon and Lannister traits and concluded that the golden-haired, green-eyed royal children did not resemble Baratheons.
• Jon Arryn weighed exposing the scandal against concealing it, fearing that either choice could bring disaster to the realm.

At Joffrey’s name-day feast, Robert confronted the court with rumors about Joffrey’s parentage, while Cersei and Jaime feared Jon Arryn’s investigation. Jon Arryn chose to compromise with Tywin, writing a proposal to remove Cersei and her children from the succession and conceal the scandal.

• At Joffrey’s feast, Robert called for silence, questioned the nobles about rumors, and scrutinized Joffrey before ending the celebration early.
• Cersei told Jaime she believed Jon Arryn had uncovered the truth, and Jaime vowed to silence him before they spent the night together.
• Jon Arryn asked Petyr Baelish how to handle a secret that could divide the realm, and Petyr advised removing those who should not exist and silencing those who knew too much.
• After Petyr left, Jon Arryn wrote Tywin a letter proposing that Cersei enter a convent, her children relinquish their claims and be declared dead, and Robert marry again.

Petyr Baelish manipulated Lysa Tully into poisoning Jon Arryn and sent Viserys a calculated confession to secure his favor. Viserys saw through Petyr’s act but accepted his offer, then prepared to await the conflict in Westeros while planning to meet another guest.

• Jon Arryn wrote a letter to Tywin, but Lysa stole it after learning its contents and feared it would bring war.
• Petyr persuaded Lysa that Jon’s letter endangered her and Little Robert, then gave her poison to kill Jon Arryn.
• Petyr wrote to Viserys, revealing his schemes in King's Landing and asking for Catelyn Tully and protection in return for his service.
• Viserys received letters from Varys and Petyr, and Ser Alliser warned that Petyr’s confession was a calculated act.
• Viserys sent both men replies, accepted Petyr’s apparent defection, and planned to wait for Westeros to weaken before crossing the Narrow Sea.

Oberyn Martell and his Dornish party arrived in Valyria and met Viserys at the training ground, where they saw his disciplined Unsullied and hatchling dragons. King Ghidorah’s appearance stunned the delegation, and Viserys welcomed them to Dragonwing Castle while keeping Archmaester Marwyn’s interest in the dragons at a distance.

• Oberyn Martell, Ellaria Sand, Nymeria Sand, Tyene Sand, Obara Sand, and Archmaester Marwyn arrived in Valyria and followed an Unsullied captain toward the castle.
• At the training ground, the Dornish party watched three thousand Unsullied drill and saw eight hatchling dragons feeding.
• Viserys greeted Oberyn and his companions, and Marwyn asked to study the dragons; Viserys agreed but postponed it.
• King Ghidorah flew over the training ground, startling the delegation and prompting Marwyn to kneel in awe.
• Viserys sent the visitors to the castle with Ser Alliser and privately decided not to let Marwyn study his dragons for now.

Viserys hosted Oberyn and the Dornish party, then answered Doran’s questions about Dorne’s future, Aegon, and vengeance for Elia. Oberyn agreed to wait for the right moment to act while Viserys planned to invade Westeros after its houses had been weakened by conflict.

• At the feast, Viserys discussed Dornish history and conquest with Oberyn and rebuffed Nymeria’s flirtation and comparison to sellsword captains.
• Daenerys calmed Acmot and the other hatchling dragons as they fought over meat, impressing Oberyn.
• The next day, Oberyn asked Viserys what would happen to Dorne, whether Aegon was alive, and whether the Dornish could execute Elia’s killers.
• Viserys promised Dorne autonomy under House Targaryen, said the Aegon brought by Jon Clinton was an impostor, and offered Oberyn the chance to execute those responsible for Elia’s murder.
• Viserys told Oberyn to wait while Westeros fell into chaos, then join him in attacking the weakened realm from the south as Viserys crossed from the east.

Viserys and Oberyn reached a preliminary alliance, with Dorne promising support in exchange for revenge for Elia and protection of Dornish autonomy. The Sand sisters tested Viserys’s attraction to them, but he rejected their advances and affirmed that he would respect his future marriage to Arianne.

• Oberyn and Viserys agreed that Dorne would hold its position and support him, while Viserys promised to protect Dorne and let it punish Elia’s enemies.
• Oberyn settled into Dragonwing Castle, while Marwyn began breeding ravens and studying the young dragons under guard.
• Nymeria tried to seduce Viserys in the garden, but he calmly stopped her and continued his walk.
• Tyene recited a suggestive love poem to Viserys, who praised it and left without responding to her hints.
• Obara, Nymeria, and Tyene confronted Viserys naked in the royal men’s baths, but he left and had bathrobes brought for them.
• The sisters questioned Viserys in the corridor, and he said he had a lover and would remain faithful and respectful toward Arianne after their political marriage.

Garlan and Margaery Tyrell met with Viserys to offer House Tyrell’s support and propose marriages that would bind the Reach to the Targaryens. Viserys recognized the political calculation behind their offer, leaving the Tyrells’ proposal unanswered.

• Garlan and Margaery Tyrell greeted Viserys in the Council Chamber and apologized for Highgarden’s late arrival.
• Margaery defended her father’s past allegiance to Robert, saying the Reach had waited until the dragons returned before pledging loyalty to Viserys.
• Viserys asked what support the Tyrells would provide, and Garlan offered the Reach’s grain, wealth, influence, and armies.
• Garlan proposed Margaery as Viserys’s queen and suggested his brother Loras marry either Daenerys or Rhaenys.
• Viserys suspected Olenna intended to use the marriages to secure Tyrell influence and access to the Targaryen bloodline.

Viserys rejected Garlan and Margaery Tyrell’s attempt to secure a marriage alliance, telling them Dorne already held the promise of the queen’s place and setting strict terms for House Tyrell’s support. The Tyrells left for the guesthouse to consult their family, while Oberyn warned that Margaery might still pursue Viserys.

• Viserys rebuked Garlan for proposing marriages for Daenerys and Rhaenys and challenged the Tyrells’ claim to an alliance.
• Margaery explained that Olenna hoped she would become queen, but Viserys revealed that he was betrothed to Princess Arianne Martell.
• Oberyn entered the Council Chamber, mocked the Tyrells, and asserted that Dorne had been promised the queen’s place.
• Viserys demanded annual grain deliveries paid for in dragon coins and promised to command Highgarden’s army when he fought Robert.
• Viserys dismissed the Tyrell siblings to the guesthouse at the docks, and Margaery agreed to consult her family about his terms.
• Oberyn praised Viserys’s handling of the Tyrells and remarked that Margaery seemed too clever to abandon the marriage alliance easily.

Margaery stayed in Valyria to secure House Tyrell’s future by getting close to Viserys and his court. She moved into Dragonwing Castle, began bonding with Daenerys and Rhaenys, and stood her ground against the Sand Snakes; news then arrived from Lys while Westeros’s reply was still pending.

• Margaery asked to remain in Valyria, and Viserys agreed to keep her nearby as an attendant to the princesses.
• Margaery told Garlan she planned to learn about Viserys and his inner circle, build ties with the princesses, and advance House Tyrell’s interests.
• After Garlan sailed for Highgarden, Margaery moved into Dragonwing Castle and began studying with Daenerys and Rhaenys.
• Margaery won Daenerys’s trust and earned Rhaenys’s respect through her knowledge of history and politics.
• Margaery answered the Sand Snakes’ taunts calmly, arguing that they were all guests in Valyria and faced a shared future.
• No reply had arrived from Westeros, but news came from Lys, which was surrounded by Viserys’s territories.

Lys sent Liana, the governor’s daughter, to Valyria as a marriage offer, but Viserys suspected the delegation’s story concealed a plot. After several days of Liana’s carefully staged courtship, she visited Viserys’s room at night, claiming she had suffered a nightmare.

• Tormo presented Liana to Earl Alliser and described her as Lys’s precious pearl and a descendant of Valyrian nobility.
• Tormo told Viserys that Lys sought an alliance through marriage, while Viserys suspected the story was fabricated and ordered Alliser to monitor the delegation.
• Viserys used small animals to watch Liana as she settled into Dragonwing Castle and performed shy, cultured acts to attract his attention.
• Margaery watched Liana warily, while Oberyn joked to Viserys about the Lysene woman’s charms.
• Liana came to Viserys’s room in a nightgown, claiming she had awoken from a nightmare, and Viserys let her enter.

Viserys exposed and killed Liana, a Lysian assassin who tried to poison him, then declared war on Lys. Two days later, King Ghidorah arrived over Lys’s governor’s palace as the city prepared for conflict.

• Viserys let Liana believe she had won his favor while she discreetly gathered information for Lys.
• Viserys caught Liana poisoning his wine with the Kiss of Ashes, defeated her attack, and watched her die by suicide with poison.
• Valyria announced that Liana had been sent by Lys, and Viserys formally declared war on the city.
• Margaery was shaken by Viserys’s ruthlessness and apparent foresight, which made her more wary and curious about him.
• As Lys’s merchants evacuated their goods, King Ghidorah flew over the governor’s palace and startled the exhausted governor and nobles.

Viserys ordered King Ghidorah and Blackflame to destroy Lys, killing its leaders and spreading poisonous smoke through the city. After the Empire's fleet blockaded the harbor and its troops took control, Viserys placed Lys under direct imperial and military rule.

• King Ghidorah destroyed the palace with her golden, freezing, and fiery breaths, killing Lys's leaders and defenders.
• Blackflame burned the poison workshops Viserys had identified, releasing toxic smoke across the city.
• King Ghidorah destroyed the Scorpions and walls as the dragons crushed resistance and set fire to the city.
• The Empire's fleet blockaded Lys while people crowded the docks to flee, and the city burned for a day.
• The Empire's troops entered Lys and subdued the scattered resistance after the dragons had devastated the city.
• Viserys put Lys under the imperial household, began a purge of its senior figures, and established military rule.

After Lys fell, Braavos chose diplomacy over war and signed a far-reaching treaty with the New Valyrian Empire. Other Free Cities and Pentos followed with pledges and support, and the chapter ends as news from Westeros finally arrives.

• Sealord Ferego Antaryon convened Braavos's leaders, and they debated whether to fight Viserys or seek his favor.
• The Iron Bank, the House of Black and White, and most of Braavos's factions backed friendship with the True Dragon, and Braavos agreed to draw closer to Valyria.
• Horo Antaryon led a delegation to Dragonwing Castle and negotiated a treaty granting the Empire a large interest-free loan, trade concessions, intelligence, and a promise of Braavosi neutrality.
• Norvos, Qohor, and Lorath sent envoys with pledges and gifts, while Illyrio signed a treaty and offered supplies and Pentos's port to the Imperial Navy.
• The New Valyrian Empire's trade and treasury grew rapidly over two months, and news from Westeros arrived.

Garlan Tyrell reported that Highgarden accepted Viserys's terms and offered troops and ships, while bringing news that Jon Arryn had died. In King's Landing, Cersei sought to persuade Robert to appoint Tywin Hand of the King by seducing and flattering him.

• Garlan Tyrell told Viserys that Highgarden would provide at least fifty thousand men and the Arbor fleet, and that Margaery had authority to negotiate for House Tyrell.
• Garlan reported Jon Arryn's death, while Viserys already knew and considered the approaching start of the original storyline.
• Cersei brooded over Tywin's disregard for her and told Jaime that she intended to bring their father to King's Landing as Hand of the King.
• Cersei visited Robert in his bedchamber, massaged him, and argued that he needed someone to share his burdens.
• Cersei denied the rumors about her children's parentage and praised Joffrey while Robert listened.

Robert rejected Cersei’s attempt to secure the Handship for Tywin and appointed Eddard Stark instead. He left King's Landing for the North, placing Renly in charge during his absence.

• Robert pushed Cersei away after she urged him to make Tywin Hand, accused her family of involvement in Jon Arryn’s death, and ordered her out.
• Cersei confronted Jaime for failing to protect her, then walked away from him.
• Robert appointed Eddard Stark as Hand of the King and announced that he would travel north to ask him personally.
• Robert put Renly in charge of affairs while he was away, angering Stannis, who returned to Dragonstone.
• A few days later, Robert rode north with a small Kingsguard escort and two hundred Gold Cloaks to bring Eddard to King's Landing.

Robert arrived unexpectedly at Winterfell and asked Eddard to become his Hand, revealing his suspicions about Jon Arryn’s death and the threats facing the realm. Eddard remained reluctant to leave the North as Robert described dangers in King’s Landing and Essos.

• Robert arrived at Winterfell, reunited with Eddard, and greeted Catelyn, their children, Theon Greyjoy, and Jon Snow.
• Robert asked Eddard to take him to Lyanna’s statue in the Stark crypts and mourned that killing Rhaegar had not brought her back.
• Robert told Eddard that King’s Landing was full of schemes and asked him to become Hand of the King.
• Eddard resisted Robert’s request, saying the North needed him and wildlings were active beyond the Wall.
• Robert questioned the circumstances of Jon Arryn’s death and suspected Cersei and Jaime Lannister had been involved.
• Robert warned that Viserys had gained a foothold in Essos and possessed dragons.

Eddard agreed to become Robert’s Hand and planned to travel south with some of his children, but Bran’s climbing accident left him badly injured and forced Catelyn to stay in Winterfell. Before departing for King’s Landing, Eddard entrusted the North to his family and went to see Jon Snow.

• Eddard accepted Robert’s command to serve as Hand of the King after Robert warned him about the eastern dragon threat.
• Eddard told Catelyn of his decision, and they planned for Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon to go south while Robb remained in Winterfell.
• Bran fell while climbing the abandoned tower, and Maester Luwin reported that he had serious injuries and might not wake.
• Bran woke after three days but had lost all feeling in his legs, so Catelyn stayed in Winterfell while Robert waited for his condition to stabilize.
• Eddard entrusted Winterfell to Maester Luwin and Ser Rodrik, instructed Robb to help govern, then visited Bran and Jon before leaving.

Jon asked to accompany Eddard to King's Landing, and Eddard agreed, bringing Jon along with Sansa and Arya. As the party traveled south, Jon felt increasingly certain that he belonged in the warmer south.

• Jon asked Eddard to take him to King's Landing, and Eddard agreed after considering Jon's unhappiness at Winterfell.
• Eddard and his party left Winterfell with Sansa, Arya, Jon, and their northern guards, while Robb remained behind to care for the family.
• Catelyn watched the party depart and felt a sense of foreboding as she looked toward the tower where Bran had fallen.
• On the journey south, Sansa grew tired of traveling while Arya eagerly questioned Ser Barristan Selmy, learned to ride, and practiced swordsmanship with Jon.
• Jon quietly observed the lands and people along the Kingsroad and felt increasingly convinced that he belonged in the south.

The party reached King's Landing while Viserys continued training the dragons at Dragonwing Castle. As he noticed Rhaenys’s growing feelings and unease, he resolved to keep restraining himself.

• The party crossed the Crownlands and entered King's Landing, where Sansa marveled at the city and Arya complained about its smell.
• Viserys read reports from King's Landing and continued preparing to wait until Westeros was weakened by conflict before acting.
• Viserys directed the twelve dragons through coordinated combat drills while Rhaenys, Daenerys, and Ashara trained with their dragons.
• Viserys recognized that the dragons’ rapid growth had slowed, likely because the world’s magic remained in a low tide.
• Viserys sensed Rhaenys’s loneliness and anxiety about their relationship but held back because he feared unseen consequences and believed acting too early could harm them.

Viserys reassured Rhaenys that he still intended to marry her and promised to wed her in three years, when she was older. Their private moment ended when Daenerys arrived and joined them, asking Viserys to read with her.

• Viserys recognized that Rhaenys had felt uncertain about his restraint and went to speak with her.
• Rhaenys told Viserys she was no longer a child, and he embraced her and reaffirmed that she was the woman he had chosen as his future wife.
• Viserys explained that he wanted to wait until Rhaenys was older and promised to formally marry her in three years.
• Rhaenys accepted the promise and said she would work hard to become a queen worthy of him.
• Daenerys arrived, nudged Rhaenys aside to join Viserys's embrace, and reminded him that he had promised to read with her.
• Viserys agreed to read with both girls after he rested from dragon training.

Margaery learned from Rhaenys that Viserys intended to marry her and Daenerys according to Targaryen tradition, changing how she viewed her chances at court. She considered how to secure a place for House Tyrell and began cultivating a closer relationship with Kinvara.

• Missandei watched Viserys share an affectionate family moment with Daenerys and Rhaenys, remembering that her search for her own family had failed.
• Margaery spoke privately with Rhaenys, who revealed that she had feelings for Viserys and that he had promised to marry her and Daenerys.
• Margaery realized Viserys might restore the Targaryen custom of having multiple queens, giving House Tyrell a possible opportunity to gain influence.
• Margaery comforted Rhaenys and advised her to wait patiently for Viserys to notice her feelings.
• Margaery began spending more time with Kinvara, asking about Valyrian customs and the Red God while sharing details of her own life.

Kinvara told Margaery that a vision showed her among Viserys's future consorts, leaving Margaery troubled by the possibility of a future that conflicted with her faith. In King's Landing, Robert welcomed Eddard Stark with a grand banquet, where the Stark family encountered the royal family and court.

• Kinvara described a vision of Viserys surrounded by consorts, including a golden rose from Highgarden, and told Margaery that prophecy showed a possibility rather than a certainty.
• Robert led Eddard Stark and his family through King's Landing and announced a banquet to celebrate Eddard becoming Hand of the King.
• Cersei and Jaime watched the Stark procession arrive, and Cersei said Eddard would have to manage the political game he had chosen to enter.
• At the banquet, Sansa admired Joffrey while Arya mocked his finery, and Cersei stopped Joffrey from approaching Sansa.
• Robert drew Eddard into introductions with the powerful members of the Small Council.

Eddard Stark learned that Robert planned an extravagant tourney despite the depleted royal treasury and tried to redirect the money toward the kingdom’s defenses. Seeking answers about Jon Arryn’s death, Eddard questioned Petyr Baelish, who hinted that Arryn had investigated family traits and consulted Pycelle.

• Robert introduced Eddard to the royal court, where Cersei and Jaime warned him that his bluntness might cause trouble in King's Landing.
• Petyr visited Eddard in the Tower of the Hand, warned him that Jon Arryn had died while investigating something, and left papers that revealed extravagant royal spending.
• Eddard confronted Robert about the empty treasury and the proposed tourney, but Robert angrily ordered him to arrange it.
• Eddard met Petyr at the Counting House to discuss the kingdom's finances and asked what Petyr knew about Arryn's final days.
• Petyr told Eddard that Arryn had studied a genealogy book marked with notes about hair and eye color and had consulted Pycelle about the subject.

Eddard investigated Jon Arryn’s death and uncovered clues suggesting Cersei’s children were not Robert’s, but he lacked proof. As the tournament drew crowds to King’s Landing, Sansa admired Joffrey and Loras while Arya secretly learned swordplay from Jon, and Eddard’s attempts to watch Cersei and Jaime stalled.

• Eddard found Jon Arryn’s notes in a book of noble lineages and realized Robert and Cersei’s golden-haired children contradicted House Baratheon’s hereditary traits.
• Eddard questioned Grand Maester Pycelle and Varys, learning that Jon Arryn had mentioned “seed” and “hair” and that a letter to Tywin had disappeared.
• Eddard spent the following months managing the Small Council and preparing for the tournament while Robert left most decisions to him.
• Sansa admired Ser Loras Tyrell and Joffrey, while Arya scorned courtly life and persuaded Jon to teach her basic sword techniques.
• Eddard secretly sent men to watch Cersei and Jaime, but Lannister guards prevented them from approaching the queen’s bedchamber.

The joust at King's Landing ended with Jaime defeating Gregor Clegane and choosing Cersei as his Queen of Love and Beauty in front of Robert and the assembled court. Robert concealed his fury with laughter, while Eddard worried that the tensions in the capital were spiraling out of control.

• Loras won several jousts before Gregor Clegane unhorsed him and broke his arm, ending his tournament.
• Jaime won five matches, defeated Sandor Clegane in the semifinals, and unhorsed Gregor to become champion.
• Jaime presented the crown of Queen of Love and Beauty to Cersei, provoking Robert's anger and shocking the court.
• Eddard saw Joffrey watching Jaime and Cersei while Tommen and Myrcella remained confused.
• Several of Eddard's northern guards were wounded in the melee, and one died of his injuries.
• Robert withdrew to drink after the tourney, while Eddard left the feast troubled by King's Landing's worsening situation.