Recaps

King Aerys II ordered Jaime Lannister to leave Harrenhal for King's Landing before he could compete in the tourney, while Titus and Robert welcomed the Stark siblings at the feast. Robert immediately focused his attention on Lyanna, leaving Titus startled by his behavior.

• King Aerys II summoned Jaime Lannister and ordered him to depart for King's Landing to guard Queen Rhaella and Prince Viserys.
• Jaime pleaded to compete in the tourney, but Aerys refused Ser Gerold Hightower's offer to take his place.
• Jaime left Harrenhal alone that night, disappointed and confused.
• Titus socialized with Stormlands nobles at the feast while Robert introduced him to several guests.
• Brandon, Eddard, Lyanna, and Benjen Stark arrived at the Hall of a Hundred Hearths.
• Robert greeted the Starks and openly showered Lyanna with attention, astonishing Titus.

At Harrenhal, the Stark siblings joined Robert Baratheon and Titus at the feast, where Lyanna’s intervention for Howland Reed and Robert’s courtship drew attention. Rhaegar’s mournful song moved Lyanna to tears, leaving Robert still captivated by her.

• Lyanna mocked Robert’s romantic reputation, and Eddard explained that she had just fought squires who were bullying Howland Reed.
• Brandon complained about the king’s absence as the Stark siblings joined Robert, Titus, and northern vassals at their table.
• Titus befriended Howland, asked about the Neck’s Lizard-lions, and arranged for Howland to send him a hatchling after the tournament.
• Rhaegar played a beautiful, sad song with singing in High Valyrian, and Lyanna watched him with tears in her eyes.
• Benjen teased Lyanna for crying, so she splashed wine in his face while Robert laughed beside her.

At the Harrenhal feast, Lady Ashara Dayne’s beauty captivated the hall, and Eddard Stark and Barristan Selmy both tried to invite her to dance. Titus Peake claimed the first dance, while Eddard finally danced with Ashara afterward and stumbled over his romantic compliment.

• Rhaegar left the feast after learning that Jaime Lannister had departed, while Eddard noticed that Rhaegar’s indigo eyes resembled Titus Peake’s.
• Elia Martell arrived with Oberyn Martell and her friend Ashara Dayne, whose striking appearance drew the attention of the hall and left Eddard entranced.
• Eddard and Barristan Selmy both tried to claim Ashara’s first dance, but Titus took her hand and danced with her instead.
• After Titus finished dancing with Ashara, Eddard was paired with her and stiffly praised her beauty, but she failed to hear what he said.

Titus slipped away from the dance floor and overheard Oberyn Martell and Tremond Gargalen discussing tournaments and House Fowler. He returned to find Robert winning a drinking contest against Rickard Lonmouth, while Eddard had danced with Ashara’s maid, Wylla.

• Titus praised Barristan’s dancing to avoid Eddard’s questions, then withdrew to the colonnade.
• Titus overheard Oberyn Martell and Tremond Gargalen talk about the Old Falcon, House Fowler, and future tournaments.
• Titus recognized Oberyn as the Red Viper and quietly left without listening further to the men’s conversation.
• Titus found Robert defeating Rickard Lonmouth in a drinking contest while the gathered nobles laughed.
• Robert told Titus that Eddard had danced with Ashara’s maid, Wylla, and Titus joked that he might be better at other kinds of dancing.

At Harrenhal, Titus, Robert, and Eddard discussed the tournament before the guests retired for the night. The next morning, Titus watched the jousting preparations as the rules were announced and the first knights entered the field.

• Titus told Robert about the Ironborn Finger Dance, a dangerous axe-throwing game, and Robert showed interest in trying it.
• Eddard backed Arthur Dayne to win the joust, while Robert favored Barristan Selmy and Titus jokingly argued that he should be considered a favorite too.
• Titus saw Ashara off, then helped the drunken Robert and Eddard return to their lodgings as they eagerly discussed the tournament.
• The next morning, Titus arrived at the tournament grounds and noticed that his custom lance tips, shaped like clenched fists, had been made by Tob's smithy.
• A red-robed judge announced the jousting rules, and the first knights entered the field to begin the competition.

Titus prepared for the joust, watched House Whent’s brothers lose their places in the lists, and observed Aerys’s erratic decline. He then faced Ser Denys Arryn, whose herald delivered an extravagant introduction as the two knights prepared to compete.

• Titus discussed his tournament plans with Parker and Bowen while Wenda prepared to watch from his seat.
• The Whent brothers were defeated in succession, and the eldest Whent brother fell to Earl Yohn Royce.
• Aerys laughed, fell silent, and wept as the jousting continued, revealing his growing frailty to the crowd.
• Titus took the field against Ser Denys Arryn, the newly appointed steward of the Gates of the Moon and second in line to inherit from the Duke of the Eyrie.
• Denys’s black-haired squire introduced him with an extravagant account of his supposed victories, stirring Titus’s fighting spirit.

Titus defeated Ser Denys Arryn and won two more hard-fought jousting rounds with help from Parker and Bowen. After learning that his newly commissioned Berserker Armor had arrived, Titus prepared for his final match of the day against Jon Connington.

• A young announcer introduced Ser Denys Arryn with an extravagant speech, rousing the crowd and Titus before their joust.
• Titus and Ser Denys struck each other's shields in the first pass, shattering their lances, but neither fell.
• On the second pass, Titus knocked Ser Denys from his horse and won the match.
• With Parker and Bowen supporting him, Titus won two more rounds and then left the field to rest.
• Wenda told Titus that his Berserker Armor had arrived, and he examined the imposing black suit before asking Parker and Bowen to help him put it on.
• An attendant informed Titus that Jon Connington had qualified as his final opponent of the day.

Jon Connington faced Titus Peake in the tournament joust after Titus won Ashara Dayne’s favor, turning the match into a contest for her affection. After their first pass, Titus and Bowen assessed Jon’s impatience and prepared to exploit it.

• Jon Connington prepared to joust against the undefeated Titus Peake, who arrived in striking black armor.
• Titus asked Ashara Dayne for her favor, and she gave him her starburst necklace before he rode back to the lists.
• Titus kissed Ashara’s pendant and fastened the necklace to his saddle as onlookers, including Eddard Stark, watched.
• Jon shouted “Long live the griffin!” and charged Titus for the first pass, with both knights striking each other’s armor and shattering their lances.
• Titus praised Jon’s powerful strike, then agreed with Bowen that Jon was rushing for a quick victory and could be exploited.

Titus defeated Jon Connington in the joust and was hailed as the Black Earl. He then met Ashara Dayne in Harrenhal’s Godswood, confessed his feelings, and kissed her.

• Titus struck Jon Connington during their second pass, scoring a hit while Jon’s lance only scraped Titus’s shield.
• Titus unhorsed Jon on the third pass, leaving him clutching an injured arm as the crowd chanted for the Black Earl.
• Titus retrieved Ashara’s Star Pendant and rode away in triumph.
• Ashara waited alone for Titus beneath the Heart Tree in Harrenhal’s Godswood.
• Titus told Ashara he wanted to share his future victories with her, and they kissed.

At the Tourney of Harrenhal, Titus hired Rosso Brune to challenge Prince Rhaegar and study his fighting style. Robert told Titus that a mystery knight called the Knight of the Laughing Tree had defeated three knights, and King Aerys II suspected the knight was Ser Jaime Lannister.

• Titus caught Rosso Brune snooping among his people and learned Rosso's upcoming opponents were Eustace Brune and Prince Rhaegar.
• Titus paid Rosso to defeat Eustace Brune and push Prince Rhaegar hard enough to reveal his combat skills and endurance.
• Robert told Titus that a mystery knight had appeared at the tourney the previous day wearing a white shield marked with a red smiling face.
• The Knight of the Laughing Tree defeated knights from Houses Blount, Frey, and Haigh, then demanded that they teach their squires honor as ransom for their equipment.
• King Aerys II decided the smiling face mocked him and suspected the Knight of the Laughing Tree was Ser Jaime Lannister.

Titus reflected on Aerys II’s ambitions and Tywin Lannister’s record, concluding that the king’s ideas had merit but lacked support from the great houses. As the jousting reached its fourth day, Titus, Rhaegar, and Brandon Stark continued winning, while the mystery knight remained missing.

• Robert Baratheon complained to Titus that he had missed the chance to compete, while Titus judged Aerys II less mad than he had expected.
• Titus considered how Tywin’s policies favored the nobility and certain cities, while Aerys’s ambitious plans depended on support from powerful lords who were alienated from the crown.
• Rhaegar returned from searching for the Knight of the Laughing Tree with only the knight’s painted shield.
• On the fourth day of the joust, Rhaegar defeated Rosso Brune, while Brandon Stark defeated Prince Lewyn Martell and Oberyn Martell.
• Titus continued unhorsing each opponent, and Rhaegar added Yohn Royce, Oswell Whent, and Jon Darry to his list of victories.

The Harrenhal melee began with Robert Baratheon overwhelming his opponents with his warhammer. As the contest narrowed to a handful of fighters, Robert and Eddard Stark faced a coordinated attack from seven riders.

• Rhaegar Targaryen narrowly defeated Brandon Stark in the joust, and the Earl of Starpike profited from his bets.
• Titus watched Robert Baratheon and Eddard Stark compete in the seven-sided team melee.
• Robert charged through the opposing teams, knocking numerous knights from their horses with his hammer.
• Seven remaining riders united against Robert, Eddard, and Andrew Tarth.
• Andrew Tarth fought two riders at once and brought them down, while Eddard led two others in circles and Robert continued fighting on foot.

Robert Baratheon defeated Ser “Black Raven” and won the melee, then saluted King Aerys as champion. On the final day of the Harrenhal tourney, four contenders remained to decide the champion of the jousting contests.

• Robert battered down the “Fire Steed” and then fought Ser “Black Raven,” defeating him with twin blows from his maces.
• Ser Andrew Tarth and Eddard Stark withdrew, leaving Robert as the melee’s sole victor.
• Titus congratulated Robert, pleased that Robert’s victory had secured Titus a major gambling win.
• On the tourney’s final day, the remaining shields represented Titus Peake, Barristan Selmy, Arthur Dayne, and Rhaegar Targaryen.
• The four remaining knights prepared to compete for the jousting championship.

Titus Peake faced Barristan Selmy in the first semifinal at Harrenhal, where the two jousters fought to a standstill. After six even passes, their seventh clash struck both men hard, and Titus prepared to charge again.

• Titus Peake defeated Jason Mallister in the previous round and advanced to the semifinal against Barristan Selmy.
• Paxter Redwyne visited Titus to offer encouragement, while Princess Elia Martell teased Ashara Dayne about Titus.
• Titus entered the lists in his Berserker Armor, and he and Barristan began their joust.
• Titus and Barristan exchanged six passes without either gaining the upper hand.
• On the seventh pass, both knights struck each other's breastplates, and Titus felt the impact as he turned his horse for another charge.

At the Harrenhal tourney, King Aerys II awarded Earl Titus’s semifinal to Barristan Selmy, while Prince Rhaegar Targaryen defeated Arthur Dayne and then Barristan to win the jousting championship. The chapter ended with Titus applauding Rhaegar’s victory after making a fortune from the tourney.

• King Aerys II declared Barristan Selmy the winner over Earl Titus, prompting an uproar among the spectators.
• Barristan told Titus that he knew Titus had not truly lost and offered to share the honor of presenting the Queen of Love and Beauty’s crown to Ashara Dayne.
• Rhaegar Targaryen defeated Arthur Dayne by two flags in the second semifinal.
• Rhaegar faced Barristan in the final and took a narrow lead after six broken lances.
• On the seventh pass, Rhaegar struck Barristan’s shoulder armor while absorbing his attack, winning the championship.
• Titus applauded Rhaegar’s victory, having already earned a fortune from the tourney bets.

Prince Rhaegar won the Harrenhal tournament and named Lyanna Stark Queen of Love and Beauty, presenting her with a crown of Winter Roses instead of choosing his wife, Elia Martell. His choice stunned the watching crowd as the chapter ended.

• Prince Rhaegar defeated his opponents, including four Kingsguard, to win the Harrenhal jousting tournament.
• King Aerys recalled his resentment toward Tywin Lannister and watched his victorious son without pride.
• Rhaegar remembered his marriage to Elia, their children Rhaenys and Aegon, and the prophecy that the dragon must have three heads.
• Rhaegar rode past Elia and placed a frost-blue crown of Winter Roses on Lyanna Stark's lap.

At the Harrenhal tournament, Rhaegar crowned Lyanna Stark Queen of Love and Beauty, provoking anger among the Starks, Dornish, and Robert Baratheon. After the tournament ended, Titus met Ashara in the Godswood and reunited with her affectionately.

• Rhaegar crowned Lyanna Stark Queen of Love and Beauty, prompting Brandon and Eddard Stark, Princess Elia's Dornish relatives, and Robert Baratheon to react with anger.
• Titus restrained Robert and urged him to think of Lyanna and Eddard, and Robert calmed himself before leaving the viewing stand.
• The tournament at Harrenhal concluded, and the guests and commoners departed.
• Titus told Paxter Redwyne, Alester Florent, and Alyn Cuy that he would travel overland to Earl Harroway's Town and return south by boat.
• Titus met Ashara beneath the Heart Tree, and she embraced him and asked for a reward after his tournament performance.

Titus and Ashara met secretly in the godswood, where Ashara asked whether they could ever openly unite and Titus promised to find a way. After giving her Orphan-Maker as a token, Titus returned to his quarters and listened to Wenda warn him against Ashara.

• Titus and Ashara discussed Princess Elia and criticized Prince Rhaegar for crowning his betrothed, Lady Daena, as queen of love and beauty.
• Ashara asked Titus whether they could ever truly be together, and he promised to find a solution that would unite Starpike and Starfall.
• Ashara said she had to leave before her maid Wylla came looking for her, and Titus gave her Orphan-Maker as a keepsake.
• Titus returned to his quarters, where Wenda chastised him for meeting Ashara secretly and warned him that she might bewitch him.

Titus led House Peake’s reduced party from Harrenhal to Gulltown to buy supplies for his growing forces. He left Gulltown after spending heavily on armor, while the realm’s long peace gave way to the coming threat of war.

• Titus sent a letter to Starpike with news of recent developments and instructions to send men east to meet his party.
• Titus and his companions traveled through Darry lands and Earl Harroway’s town, then crossed the Trident and sailed from Saltpans toward Gulltown.
• Ser Andrew Tarth led the party in singing on the voyage, and Gulltown came into view as they entered its harbor.
• Titus inspected Gulltown’s walls and defenses, then ordered armor from the city’s three leading smithies.
• Titus bought several hundred suits of plate armor, half-plate, and mail, spreading word of House Peake’s wealth through Gulltown.

Titus and his party sailed to Tarth, admired the Sapphire Isle, and visited Earl Selwyn Tarth at Evenfall Hall. After they were shown to their guest rooms, shouting threw the hall into turmoil, leaving the mystery of the sapphires and Nadia unresolved.

• Titus's heavily armed party sailed from King's Landing aboard the Storm Dancer and Black Beth, celebrating his sixteenth Name Day at sea.
• Captain Moreo Tumitis brought the ships to Tarth, where Titus admired the island's scenery and learned about its history and legends.
• Titus and his companions accompanied Andrew Tarth to Evenfall Hall and met his brother, Earl Selwyn Tarth.
• A maid named Nadia led Titus and the others to their guest rooms, where shouting soon erupted and threw Evenfall Hall into turmoil.

Titus saved young Galladon Tarth after he drowned in a lake, and Galladon led the company to the legendary sword Lady of Justice. At the feast, Earl Selwyn thanked Titus and began to make a request.

• A guard told Titus that Galladon had drowned, and Titus hurried to the hall to find Selwyn Tarth grieving over his son.
• Titus used back blows and CPR to revive Galladon, who woke and said he had seen a sword beneath the lake.
• Galladon led Selwyn, Titus, and the others to a sun-and-moon carving on the lakeshore, and Oswin recovered a gleaming greatsword from the lake.
• Selwyn identified the sword as the lost Lady of Justice and held a feast to thank Titus for saving Galladon and helping House Tarth recover it.
• Selwyn raised his cup to Titus and began making a presumptuous request.

Earl Selwyn asked Titus to take Gawen Tarth as his cupbearer, strengthening the ties between their houses. Titus and his fleet reached Stonehelm, where he began unloading cargo and spoke with Wenda about House Swann’s history.

• Selwyn asked Titus to take Gawen as his cupbearer, and Titus agreed to teach the boy.
• Two days later, Titus’s ships sailed from Tarth with Gawen aboard, and Titus placed the boy in Bowen’s care.
• Titus’s fleet rounded Cape Wrath and reached Stonehelm, the seat of House Swann.
• Titus ordered Parker to unload and count the iron armor, sent Bowen to seek House Peake’s people, and went ashore with Wenda.
• Titus and Wenda discussed Stonehelm’s strategic history and House Swann’s notable figures as they examined the harbor’s swan carvings.

Titus and his companions traveled west from Stonehelm, passed the ruins of Summerhall, and returned safely to Starpike. There, Titus questioned Ser Duncan and Ser Robinson about the castle and the recruits, while learning more about Duncan’s fearsome reputation and his Wickwood fief.

• Titus told Wenda about Janna Swann and Ser Byron Swann as they traveled from Stonehelm with Captain Gino’s company.
• The company passed Summerhall, and Titus recalled the tragedy that killed Aegon V, Duncan the Tall, and Duncan the Small while attempting to hatch dragons.
• Titus considered whether any dragon eggs might have survived the fire and wondered whether Rhaegar visited the ruins.
• Titus met his former squire, Earl Bryce, at Nightsong, spent the night there, and returned safely to Starpike.
• Titus summoned Ser Duncan and Ser Robinson to ask about the castle’s condition and the recruits’ training, and the chapter described Duncan’s reputation as the flying devil of Wickwood.

Titus accelerated the Peake army’s training and rearmament while the realm mistook a brief spell of warmth for spring. He recognized that winter would return by year’s end, in a season later called the False Spring.

• Titus gave Ser Duncan two months to make the recruits combat-ready and assigned him command of a thousand men.
• Titus planned to promote Gino to lead the First Battalion and outfitted the Peake army with improved armor and equipment.
• Robert asked Jon Arryn to let him return to Storm’s End, but Jon delayed him by promising to knight him the following year.
• Robert wrote to Titus about his troubles, and Titus urged him to keep training and promised a surprise if he improved.
• Titus judged that the unusual warmth would last only another month or two before winter returned.

After Rhaegar took Lyanna Stark away from the shores of the Gods Eye, news of the abduction spread across Westeros, enraging Robert and unsettling the Kingsguard. The chapter leaves the kingdom facing the consequences of the Crown Prince’s actions.

• Captain Wenda told Titus that his agents in King's Landing had learned Rhaegar left through the Old City Gate with two Kingsguard and close friends.
• Titus learned that Jamie had contacted a Royal Fleet captain through Master Tob about retiring warships.
• Rhaegar met Lyanna near Harrenhal and took her away, prompting Titus to reflect that the year 281 AC had ended.
• Robert reacted furiously to the report at the Eyrie, while Eddard and Jon Arryn heard that Brandon Stark had gone to confront Rhaegar in King's Landing.
• Barristan Selmy, Prince Lewyn Martell, and Jon Darry discussed the absent Kingsguard as Barristan began to fear the consequences of Rhaegar's actions.