Recaps

Tyrion left Harrenhal with five hundred horsemen to defend King's Landing, despite knowing the city could not hold against the Targaryens. As he approached the city, he resolved to try to survive and save it, while Tywin made plans to buy House Lannister time.

• Tyrion asked Tywin how he would be rewarded for holding King's Landing, but Tywin gave him no answer.
• Tywin ordered Kevan to warn Renly and Stannis that King's Landing's fall would put them next in danger, hoping their armies would distract Viserys.
• Tywin studied the map and weighed the threats posed by the Targaryens, Renly and Stannis, and Robb Stark.
• Tyrion left Harrenhal with five hundred horsemen, and Kevan cautioned him about bandits on the road.
• Tyrion traveled day and night toward King's Landing, thinking through its dangers and deciding he still had to try to survive.
• Tyrion reached sight of King's Landing and urged his horse onward, murmuring that a Lannister always paid his debts.

Tyrion arrived in King's Landing as acting Hand of the King and inspected the city's defenses with Jaime. He found the walls, weapons, and garrison in such poor condition that he doubted they could withstand even a day of attack.

• Tyrion entered King's Landing with five hundred Lannister cavalrymen after the Gold Cloaks delayed opening the gate.
• Tyrion met Cersei in the Red Keep and declared that Tywin had sent him to oversee the city's defense.
• Tyrion learned that Jaime had been ordered to return to the Westerlands, and he promised to keep Cersei safe in Jaime's absence.
• Tyrion and Jaime inspected the walls and found many defensive engines unusable and parts of the landward walls in disrepair.
• Tyrion inspected the garrison and learned that only three thousand men defended the city, most of them poorly equipped recruits.
• Janos Slynt estimated that the city could hold for two days, but Tyrion doubted it would last even one.

Tyrion took command of King's Landing's defenses and proposed recruiting troops, rationing food, and negotiating with Viserys Targaryen to buy time. Cersei accepted his plan but turned against Jaime after receiving Tywin's order for him to return to the Westerlands, while a decisive naval battle began off Massey's Hook.

• Joffrey challenged Tyrion's authority, but Tyrion reminded him that the city needed him to face the Targaryen threat.
• Cersei recalled a prophecy that a woman would overthrow her and that she would die at her brother's hands, and suspected that Tyrion was the brother meant.
• Tyrion proposed conscripting men, gathering and rationing food, and sending an envoy to negotiate with Viserys Targaryen; Cersei agreed and assigned Jaime to accompany him.
• Cersei received Tywin's order for Jaime to return to the Westerlands and give Tyrion full authority over King's Landing, and Jaime left in silence.
• A major naval battle erupted off Massey's Hook as Tyrion arrived in King's Landing.

Sansa Stark heard rumors about Viserys and his dragon while she waited in the Red Keep. At sea, Stannis faced the encircling Valyrian fleet and ten dragons, ordered his men to prepare for battle, and watched Viserys descend toward him.

• Jeyne Poole told Sansa that Viserys was handsome and that his golden three-headed dragon was rumored to have been hatched in Valyria or bestowed by a god.
• Sansa wondered when Viserys would take King's Landing and longed to see her family, especially Arya.
• Stannis saw the Valyrian fleet and ten dragons surrounding his ships, with no route left to retreat.
• Stannis told Davos to break through and find Renly if Stannis died, then ordered his men to prepare crossbows and oil for battle.
• Viserys rode the Three-Headed Dragon as it began its dive toward Stannis's fleet.

Viserys's dragons destroyed Stannis's fleet, killing Stannis and leaving the surviving soldiers to be captured. The news reached Dragonstone, where Selyse told Shireen nothing and held her after learning of Stannis's death.

• Stannis rallied his soldiers and ordered them to fire as King Ghidorah attacked his flagship.
• King Ghidorah and Blackflame devastated the fleet, while the younger dragons hunted down the remaining ships.
• Viserys ordered the navy to save as many survivors as possible for labor on Dragonstone.
• Selyse read to Shireen until Maester Cressen arrived and told her that Stannis had died.
• Selyse held the confused Shireen, then sat beside her sleeping daughter late into the night.

After Stannis's death, Selyse feared the fate awaiting Shireen and chose to leap with her daughter into the sea. Viserys ordered them buried with Stannis, while Rhaenys asked whether he would ever choose death, and he reassured her he would not.

• Selyse remembered Stannis's love for Shireen and feared that she would be imprisoned or sent to a convent after their trial.
• Selyse dressed Shireen, told her they would see her father, and jumped from the castle window with her into the sea.
• The guards found Selyse's letter asking Viserys not to blame the castle's attendants and explaining her choice.
• Viserys ordered Selyse and Shireen buried beside Stannis and a gravestone inscribed with their names.
• Rhaenys asked Viserys why Selyse and Shireen had died and whether he would ever choose death; he said he would not.

After Stannis's death, Viserys gathered more than eighty thousand soldiers at Crackclaw Point and began marching on King's Landing to reclaim the Iron Throne. The army advanced through the Crownlands and reached Duskendale after nearby lords surrendered.

• Viserys reviewed his assembled army at the Whispers and declared that it would march on King's Landing to restore House Targaryen.
• Duke Clinton confirmed that the troops were ready and provisions were sufficient, and Viserys appointed the Golden Company as the vanguard.
• Viserys reassured Rhaenys before they mounted King Ghidorah and Meleys and took to the sky above the departing army.
• The Targaryen army marched along Crackclaw Point's main road, with dragons flying overhead and villagers gathering to watch.
• Crownlands lords surrendered as Viserys's army approached, and he took hostages and requisitioned provisions before the army continued to Duskendale.

Viserys brought his imperial army and dragons to Duskendale, where House Rykker and House Rosby prepared to resist. He offered the defenders one night to surrender, but their nobles argued through the night without reaching a decision.

• The imperial army reached Duskendale and found roughly eight thousand defenders, including troops from House Rosby, manning the walls.
• Earl Rykker wavered at the sight of Viserys’s army and dragons, but rejected Ser Rufus Leek’s suggestion to surrender.
• Viserys told the city to open its gates by morning or face dragonfire, then returned to camp to let his army rest.
• Earl Rykker convened the nobles, and Ser Roland Rosby argued for surrender while others favored resistance or flight.
• The nobles argued through the night but reached no decision.

Viserys and the dragons broke Duskendale’s resistance, killed Earl Rykker, and accepted the surrender led by Roland Rosby. After taking the city and marching onward, Viserys reached Rosby, where Earl Gyles waited at the gates.

• Viserys ordered King Ghidorah and the other dragons to attack Duskendale, destroying its defenses and killing Earl Rykker.
• Roland Rosby opened the gates, surrendered to Viserys, and agreed to help clear the city of remaining resistance.
• Duke Clinton’s forces arrived after Duskendale had surrendered, and Viserys absorbed the city’s soldiers and supplies before continuing toward King’s Landing.
• Ser Roland accompanied Viserys’s army and guided it along the route to Rosby.
• On the third day, Viserys arrived at Rosby, where Earl Gyles waited outside the castle and nearly stopped breathing at the sight of King Ghidorah.

Viserys secured Earl Gyles Rosby’s allegiance and arranged for him to gather provisions from Rosby, Stokeworth, and other Crownlands nobles. In King’s Landing, Tyrion learned of Stannis’s death and considered whether to surrender to Viserys, who would likely punish House Lannister but spare others.

• Earl Gyles Rosby knelt before Viserys and pledged his allegiance in exchange for his family’s safety.
• Viserys stayed at Rosby to resolve supply problems, and Gyles promised to seek grain from Stokeworth and other Crownlands houses.
• Varys told Tyrion that Viserys had destroyed Stannis’s fleet and killed Stannis, while Renly’s army was pinned down by Dorne.
• Tyrion asked Varys whether surrendering to Viserys might spare them, and Varys said House Lannister would likely be punished while others could live.

Tyrion questioned Littlefinger about the war and warned him to stay away from Sansa Stark, then visited Sansa with a plan to use her in negotiations with the North. He left promising to try to reunite her with her family if he survived, while Sansa remained captive and hoped the Targaryens would soon take King's Landing.

• Tyrion met Littlefinger at the Counting House, learned he had a secret escape route, and warned him to keep his distance from Sansa Stark.
• Littlefinger realized Tyrion’s warning might mean the Lannisters had assured Sansa of protection.
• Tyrion visited Sansa in Maegor's Holdfast and told her Viserys had returned with the Targaryen army.
• Sansa said she feared never seeing her family again, and Tyrion told her he planned to use her to negotiate for the North to withdraw and remain neutral.
• Tyrion promised to seek a way to reunite Sansa with her family if he survived, while Sansa stayed behind, weeping and hoping the Targaryens would take King's Landing.

Tyrion confronted Joffrey after visiting Sansa, then learned that Podrick had found a Pyromancer who could tell him about wildfire. Tyrion went to answer Cersei’s summons, leaving Podrick to wait at the Tower of the Hand before they met the Pyromancer.

• Tyrion met Joffrey outside Sansa’s room, where Joffrey accused him of meddling and boasted that he would defeat Viserys Targaryen and marry Sansa.
• Tyrion warned Joffrey about Viserys and his dragons, but Joffrey dismissed the danger and went into Sansa’s room with his guards.
• Podrick caught up with Tyrion and reported that he had found a Pyromancer from the Alchemists’ Guild who had worked with wildfire.
• Tyrion told Podrick to wait at the Tower of the Hand and keep the matter secret while he went to see Cersei.
• Tyrion reflected on Podrick’s loyalty and dependability, then sent him on his way.

Tyrion met Cersei in her chambers after Jaime left for the Riverlands, where she questioned whether Tywin had ever loved her. Cersei revealed her resentment toward her father and said she had only wanted to stay with Jaime, leaving Tyrion silent as she faced the dark window.

• Tyrion went to Cersei's chambers and realized Lancel had recently been with her.
• Cersei told Tyrion that Jaime had gone to the Riverlands and asked who would protect her and Joffrey.
• Tyrion promised to protect Cersei and Joffrey, but Cersei mocked him for being a dwarf.
• Cersei asked whether Tywin had ever loved her, and Tyrion admitted that he did not know.
• Cersei accused Tywin of treating his children as tools and said she had never wanted to be queen or wield power, only to remain with Jaime.

Tyrion confronted Cersei over the danger threatening King's Landing and persuaded her to give him authority to organize its defense. Cersei agreed to provide the Hound and her Lannister guards, while Tyrion demanded that she keep Joffrey from harming Sansa or endangering their survival.

• Tyrion urged Cersei to set aside their hatred and cooperate against the approaching Targaryen threat.
• Tyrion accused Cersei of losing her judgment and warned that King's Landing would fall if she obstructed him.
• Tyrion demanded control of the city's resources, and Cersei reluctantly asked what he wanted.
• Tyrion requested command of Cersei's thousand Lannister guards, and Cersei said she would send the Hound to lead them.
• Tyrion ordered Cersei to restrain Joffrey and protect Sansa, suggesting she threaten Joffrey's life and throne; Cersei fell silent.

Tyrion met with Hallyne Waters to inspect the wildfire stored beneath Flea Bottom and learned how much remained in King's Landing. He left with a possible weapon for the city's defense, though the substance's danger and vast quantity were clear.

• Tyrion secured Cersei's promise not to interfere with him for the time being and left her bedchamber.
• Podrick led Tyrion through Flea Bottom to meet Hallyne Waters, a former Pyromancer who had served Aerys Targaryen the Second.
• Hallyne showed Tyrion a hidden cellar containing hundreds of jars of wildfire.
• Hallyne demonstrated the wildfire's fierce, persistent green flame and warned that it was highly unstable.
• Hallyne estimated that about eight hundred jars were in the cellar and at least five thousand remained in King's Landing.

Tyrion secured control over King's Landing's wildfire and began planning its use against the coming attack, while discovering how poorly equipped the city's new recruits were. The chapter ended with him encouraging a young militiaman who had joined the army after killing a man over a loaf of bread.

• Tyrion ordered Hallyne to secure and inventory the wildfire, forbade further experiments, and made Podrick his sole contact with the Alchemists' Guild.
• Tyrion told Podrick to monitor Hallyne and report any movement of wildfire, then spent the night planning its placement and considering Varys as a possible ally.
• Tyrion inspected the recruitment station and found the militiamen underfed, poorly armed, and largely inexperienced.
• A young militiaman told Tyrion he had killed a man who tried to steal his bread and joined the army hoping to be pardoned, so Tyrion praised him and urged him to fight the Targaryens.

Tyrion found King's Landing's weapons, food, and defenses in dire condition and hurried to prepare the city for the Targaryen advance. Viserys reached the outskirts with Rhaenys and ten dragons, then flew over King's Landing, where they spotted Tyrion on the Red Keep's highest tower.

• Tyrion inspected the rusted weapons in the armory and saw the poverty and soaring bread prices in Flea Bottom.
• Tyrion recruited anyone able to fight, requisitioned supplies, and imposed rationing as he reorganized King's Landing's defenses.
• Viserys secured the fealty of nearby houses and continued marching toward King's Landing with food and other supplies.
• Viserys and Rhaenys saw King's Landing from a hill, then flew toward the city on King Ghidorah and Meleys as the other dragons followed.
• The ten dragons circled over King's Landing, sending its people and soldiers into panic, and Rhaenys pointed out Tyrion standing atop the Red Keep.

Viserys confirmed that Tyrion carried Targaryen blood but left him alive, then ordered an assault on King's Landing for the following morning. As the city panicked, Tyrion learned that conspirators planned to surrender and considered using them to lure Viserys's troops into a trap.

• Viserys circled the Red Keep with his dragons to test Tyrion's bloodline, terrifying Tyrion and Sansa.
• Viserys confirmed that Tyrion had Targaryen blood, returned to camp, and ordered Duke Clinton and Duke William to attack King's Landing the next morning.
• Tyrion spoke with Varys and learned that merchants, junior officers, and Targaryen loyalists were plotting to open the gates and surrender.
• Tyrion told Varys to leave the conspirators alone so they could serve as bait in a trap for Viserys's advancing troops.
• Tyrion asked Varys what kind of man he thought Viserys was.

Tyrion rallied King's Landing's defenders against Viserys's army and arranged a meeting with Viserys. He agreed to go alone that night, hoping to persuade both sides to stop fighting.

• Tyrion asked Varys to tell Viserys that he wanted to meet him, and Varys agreed to arrange it.
• Tyrion inspected the city's defenses and saw Viserys's army gathered outside King's Landing.
• Tyrion encouraged the soldiers and militia by describing the dragons' weaknesses, promising reinforcements, and offering rewards for victory.
• Tyrion ordered the Scorpions returned from repairs and commanded the city's blacksmiths to make bolts, then gave speeches at all eight gates.
• Varys brought word that Viserys would meet Tyrion alone that night, and Tyrion accepted.

Tyrion traveled through the Red Keep’s secret passages to meet Viserys at the Targaryen camp, hoping to secure a chance for himself and House Lannister. He reached the camp and saw its disciplined soldiers, leaving him more convinced that King's Landing could not withstand Viserys’s forces.

• Varys led Tyrion through a hidden passage beneath the Red Keep toward the Blackwater Rush.
• Before departing, Tyrion asked Varys to protect Sansa if he did not return, and Varys promised to do so.
• Tyrion crossed the river by boat and was met by soldiers of the Unsullied, who escorted him into Viserys’s camp.
• Tyrion observed the camp’s strict order and readiness, which deepened his fear that King's Landing could not hold against Viserys’s army and dragons.

Tyrion negotiated with Viserys, offering to help him take King's Landing in exchange for protection for civilians, a fair trial, and Sansa Stark's safety and freedom. Viserys agreed to the protections but realized Tyrion's request for a week was likely an attempt to buy time.

• Viserys received Tyrion in his tent and questioned why he had come alone.
• Tyrion proposed a bargain, offering Lord Tywin's life in exchange for his own and help taking King's Landing without bloodshed.
• Viserys challenged Tyrion over House Lannister's crimes against the Targaryens, and Tyrion said he sought a way forward rather than defending the past.
• Tyrion asked Viserys to protect King's Landing's civilians, grant him a fair trial, and ensure Sansa Stark's safety and freedom.
• Viserys agreed to protect civilians and Sansa, while making her freedom depend on her wishes.
• Tyrion asked for one week to prepare, and Viserys suspected he was using the time to protect himself rather than betray Lord Tywin.

Viserys exposed Tyrion’s attempt to delay the fall of King’s Landing and revealed that he knew about Tyrion’s wildfire trap. Tyrion realized Hallyne Waters had betrayed him and that his scheme had been uncovered from the start.

• Viserys rejected Tyrion’s request for a week to arrange a bloodless surrender, accusing him of stalling for Tywin and Renly’s armies.
• Viserys mocked Tyrion’s claim that he wanted to spare the people of King’s Landing, pointing out that Tyrion had urged the city to resist.
• Viserys revealed that Tyrion planned to use wildfire against his fleet and army after drawing them into King’s Landing.
• Viserys said Varys had uncovered the plot and Hallyne Waters had sent word about it several days earlier.
• Tyrion realized Hallyne had secretly changed allegiance and that Viserys had seen through his scheme.

Viserys told Tyrion that he was Aerys II’s bastard and used the dragons to confirm his Targaryen blood. He rejected Tyrion’s hope of riding a dragon and had him brought before the dragons, leaving Tyrion facing what he believed was his imminent death.

• Viserys told Tyrion that Aerys II had slept with Joanna Lannister and that Tyrion was his bastard, explaining Tywin’s hatred of him.
• Viserys said the dragons had confirmed Tyrion’s Targaryen blood, but mocked his fear of dragons and his loyalty to House Lannister.
• Viserys admitted he had never taken Tyrion’s claims seriously and ordered the Unsullied to take him to the dragons.
• The Unsullied dragged Tyrion to the resting dragons, where Tyrion forced himself to look at them despite his fear.
• Viserys named King Ghidorah, Blackflame, and Meleys as Tyrion stood before the dragons, believing he was about to die.

Tyrion confronted Viserys and learned that his Targaryen bloodline was real, though his fate was sealed. He chose Meraxes to kill him with dragonfire, while realizing Arya had been sent to Valyria and asking Viserys to tell Sansa that he had tried to send her home.

• Tyrion asked Viserys whether he had arranged for the people of King's Landing to believe the Lannisters had abandoned them, and Viserys confirmed it.
• Tyrion admitted he had come to see Viserys and the dragons, and Viserys offered him the chance to speak his last words before dying.
• Tyrion asked whether his Targaryen parentage was true and whether he might have ridden a dragon if he had grown up in Valyria; Viserys said the bloodline was real and that it might have been possible.
• Tyrion chose Meraxes as the dragon to kill him and asked Viserys to tell Sansa Stark that he had tried to send her home.
• Viserys revealed that Arya Stark had been sent to Valyria, and Tyrion understood why she and Sansa had seemed unafraid.
• Tyrion faced Meraxes, and the dragon unleashed a torrent of dragonfire.

Viserys had Tyrion burned by Meraxes, then ordered his ashes taken to Dragonstone as Varys’s rumors that Tyrion had fled spread panic through King’s Landing. Cersei believed Tyrion had abandoned the city, while Viserys prepared to attack at dawn.

• Tyrion reflected on his life and died in Meraxes’s dragonfire, wishing he could be a dragon in another life.
• Viserys told Rhaenys to return with him and ordered the Unsullied to gather Tyrion’s ashes for burial on Dragonstone.
• Duke Clinton reported that Varys’s rumors were spreading, and Viserys ordered an attack on King’s Landing the next morning.
• Varys’s Little Birds spread a false story that Tyrion had fled with the treasury’s gold, causing panic and desertions among the city’s defenders.
• Cersei heard that Tyrion had supposedly abandoned King’s Landing and flew into a rage, threatening to flay him alive.