Recaps

Gary proved the Supreme God’s power to the northern lords by resurrecting Lajos Furlong, then blessed Earl Orrick Locke by restoring his youth. The lords embraced worship of the Supreme God, and the chapter ended with news that a woman claiming to be the Queen in the North had arrived outside the city.

• Barbrey Ryswell suggested resurrecting Roose Bolton, but Gary rejected the idea and ordered two Ice Warriors to demonstrate resurrection instead.
• Dasheel Lugo beheaded Lajos Furlong, and Gary used divine power to restore his head and bring him back to life.
• The northern lords praised the Supreme God, while Earl Orrick Locke declared his devotion and vowed to destroy the Heart Tree in Oldtown.
• Gary blessed Orrick Locke by restoring his hair, teeth, and youthful appearance.
• The third squad’s captain told Gary that a woman outside the city claimed to be the Queen in the North.

Gary discussed the Ironborn occupation of Deepwood Motte and Torrhen's Square with the Northern lords and learned that their garrisons were weak. The unexpected visitor turned out to be Margaery Tyrell, who arrived with a timid little girl and asked whether she was welcome.

• Ernie McLenn told Gary that a beautiful noblewoman had arrived with two hundred elite cavalrymen, and Gary ordered her brought to the banquet hall.
• Gary questioned Barbrey Ryswell about the Ironborn, who held Deepwood Motte and Torrhen's Square and demanded Sea Dragon Point and the Stony Shore.
• Barbrey Ryswell reported that the Ironborn forces were small and that some of their warships had left the western coast, then offered to take Torrhen's Square.
• A black-haired girl entered the hall with a timid little girl and told Gary she had come to find him.
• Gary recognized the visitor as Margaery Tyrell.

Margaery Tyrell arrived at Winterfell with Eddara Tallhart, secured Eddara’s allegiance to Gary, and proposed marrying him to unite the North and the Reach. The chapter ended with Daenerys Targaryen declaring herself Gary’s queen and Margaery challenging her claim.

• Margaery presented Eddara Tallhart, the young countess of Torrhen’s Square, who swore allegiance to Gary.
• Margaery explained that Torrhen’s Square had been devastated by the Ironborn and would need troops to defend it.
• Margaery claimed that her cousin had married Renly and was to marry Joffrey in her place, then asked Gary to marry her and promised the Reach’s grain, gold, and armies.
• Gary agreed to marry Margaery if she could bring the promised support, and Margaery explained that House Tyrell had no right to claim kingship.
• Margaery asked who Daenerys was, and Daenerys revealed herself as a Targaryen princess and Gary’s queen.
• Margaery challenged Daenerys by asking which of them was the real queen.

After the banquet, Gary outlined the North’s plans and ordered the lords to prepare for a campaign against the Ironborn at Deepwood Motte before marching south. At dawn, he arranged for Eddara Tallhart’s family to join her in Winterfell, then found Margaery waiting in his chamber.

• Gary dismissed Daenerys and Margaery, then told the lords that Margaery could help secure grain from the Reach but could not promise an alliance.
• Gary announced that he would go to Deepwood Motte and ordered the lords to muster their forces before the North marched to aid House Tully.
• After the banquet ended at dawn, Gary found Eddara Tallhart still in the hall and promised to bring her family into Winterfell.
• Gary ordered Lajos Furlong and Dasheel Lugo to escort Eddara to the camp and bring her family back to the city.
• Gary sent Daenerys to rest, then went to his chamber and found Margaery waiting on his bed.

Margaery explored Winterfell and entered the Godswood to see Drogon, hoping to learn about Bingling. Drogon treated her as an intruder and threatened her with dragonfire, leaving Margaery and the two guards fleeing for safety.

• Gary sent Margaery back to her room after she teased and kissed him, then fell asleep beneath the fur blanket she had warmed.
• Margaery explored Winterfell and learned that Daenerys commanded the Ice Warrior Corps, that she and Gary slept separately, and that the servants were grateful to the king.
• Margaery entered the Godswood despite two guards warning her that a Dragon lived there and could attack strangers.
• Drogon smelled the unfamiliar visitor, flew from the Dragonpit, and landed before Margaery and the guards.
• Drogon roared and prepared to unleash dragonfire, so Margaery shouted for everyone to run.

Margaery encountered Drogon at Winterfell and learned that he was called Lord Drogon and kept company by the commander. At Castle Black, Jon Snow heard that the Starks had retaken Winterfell with a dragon and ice magic, though he doubted the report.

• Drogon let Margaery and the soldiers escape, then flew to the Wolfswood to hunt.
• Margaery asked the gate guards about the white dragon and learned that only the king and the commander could approach Drogon.
• Mack Clegane arrived with Ice Warrior Corps soldiers and escorted Margaery away, then questioned the gate guards about Drogon’s anger.
• Mance Rayder feinted at the Shadow Tower and Eastwatch-by-the-Sea while preparing to attack Castle Black with his main force.
• Samwell Tarly brought Durr to see Jon Snow, and Durr reported that the Starks had defeated the Boltons and reclaimed Winterfell.
• Jon Snow doubted Durr’s claim that a dragon and ice magic had helped the Starks win.

Snow learned that Luke Stark had retaken Winterfell and asked Samwell Tarly to carry him a letter requesting aid for Castle Black. In Winterfell, Gary prepared for a funeral and discussed food shortages before receiving a damaged raven letter whose remaining word was “black.”

• Snow told Samwell Tarly that Luke Stark had retaken Winterfell and explained that Bolton had likely received Castle Black’s request for aid.
• Snow asked Samwell Tarly to travel to Winterfell with a letter explaining Castle Black’s danger, and Samwell agreed to leave that day.
• Gary ended the feast early and announced that he would hold a funeral for the dead Starks the next day.
• Gary and Margaery discussed Daenerys, marriage, and Gary’s vow that he would never father a bastard.
• Septa Hanna warned Gary that Winterfell was running short of food, and he reassured her that soldiers would soon leave and new supplies would arrive.
• Septa Hanna gave Gary a water-damaged raven letter with only the word “black” still legible, and Gary wondered whether it referred to Castle Black or Blackwater Bay.

After Eddard and Robb’s funeral, Gary sent letters through Earl Wyman while Margaery worried that Daenerys and Drogon could become a threat to the North. Margaery tried to learn more about Daenerys, but their conversation was interrupted by Margaery’s shadowcat, and she grew more uneasy after seeing Daenerys’s fire magic.

• Gary held a funeral for Eddard and Robb, then asked Earl Wyman to deliver letters to Magister Tysha and Willas Tyrell.
• Margaery watched Daenerys ride Drogon and decided that Daenerys must either remain in the North or die there.
• Margaery invited Daenerys to visit the Highgarden cavalry, then asked whether she had met Luke in Essos and whether she worshipped the Supreme God.
• A shadowcat named Little Shadow knocked Margaery down and licked her, prompting Daenerys to extinguish the flames she had summoned around Dark Sister.
• Margaery learned that Daenerys could wield fire magic without being burned and became more anxious about her rival’s growing importance.

Margaery befriended Daenerys and learned that Gary had four dragons but only two riders, prompting her to consider becoming a queen alongside Daenerys. Meanwhile, Gary waited for replies from Pentos and Highgarden while improving armor for himself, Daenerys, and Margaery.

• Margaery asked Daenerys about Bingling, and Daenerys revealed that Gary had four dragons but only she and Gary could ride them.
• Margaery suggested that Daenerys could become one of two queens who helped Gary, and Daenerys returned to Winterfell deep in thought.
• Gary sent the northern lords away and told Eddara Tallhart to wait at Winterfell until he could provide troops for her castle.
• While awaiting replies from Pentos and Highgarden, Gary practiced smithing and worked with Daenerys to reshape their plate armor.
• After seven days, Gary finished his and Daenerys's armor and forged chain mail for Margaery.

Gary finished forging Valyrian steel armor and weapons, then stored them safely in his study. As Margaery began to discuss something with him, Septa Hanna arrived with a letter from Castle Black.

• Gary showed Margaery and Daenerys the six Valyrian steel weapons he had forged for the Stark children and Margaery.
• Gary helped finish Margaery’s mail, and she praised the fortune his ability to forge Valyrian steel could bring.
• Gary explained that he would not make Valyrian steel for profit unless he had no other choice, then moved the armor and weapons to his guarded study.
• Gary sent Daenerys to fetch the carpenters to make custom scabbards for the weapons.
• Margaery approached Gary to discuss something, but Septa Hanna arrived with a letter from Castle Black.

After receiving Jon Snow’s warning that Mance Rayder’s Wildlings were marching on the Wall, Gary promised to reinforce Castle Black and prepared a Valyrian steel sword for Jon. Samwell Tarly delivered news of Jon’s injury, then collapsed from exhaustion, leaving Gary to send him to a guest room.

• Septa Hanna brought Gary Jon Snow’s letter warning that Mance Rayder was leading the Wildlings south to attack the Wall.
• Gary realized Stannis would not come to aid the Night’s Watch and resolved to send troops to Castle Black himself.
• Gary ordered a scabbard made for Jon’s Valyrian steel sword, with House Stark’s sigil and the name “Jon Stark” carved on it.
• Samwell Tarly arrived and Gary promised to reinforce Castle Black the next morning.
• Samwell told Gary that Jon had been shot by a Wildling woman, then collapsed and fell asleep from exhaustion.
• Gary ordered the Ice Warriors to carry Samwell to a guest room.

Gary prepared to lead reinforcements to Castle Black, while Margaery and Daenerys joined the expedition. Margaery encouraged Gary to treat Daenerys as an equal, and the chapter ended with the two women bathing together in Winterfell’s hot spring.

• Gary decided to take the cavalry and Ice Warrior Corps to Castle Black, leaving two thousand infantry to defend Winterfell, and Margaery insisted on joining him.
• Gary assigned Daenerys to lead twenty Ice Warriors and five hundred White Harbor cavalry, while Margaery would lead two hundred Highgarden cavalry; he planned to ride Drogon ahead.
• Margaery told Gary that Daenerys deserved better than being treated as a subordinate, and Daenerys said she would stay by his side willingly.
• Gary told Daenerys to address him as Your Majesty in public and Luke in private, and she shyly called him Luke.
• Margaery took Daenerys to bathe in the Godswood hot spring, where Daenerys admired Margaery’s figure.

Daenerys and Margaery agreed on how they would share queenship and succession if they married Luke. As Gary and a cavalry force departed Winterfell, Arya arrived there as Sandor’s captive, and Septa Hanna recognized her and ordered the caravan surrounded.

• Margaery persuaded Daenerys to accept her as First Queen, while Daenerys asked that her eldest son rank second in the succession; they swore not to break their agreement.
• Daenerys led five hundred White Harbor cavalrymen and Margaery led two hundred Highgarden cavalrymen out of Winterfell, with Gary flying ahead on Drogon and Samwell following with the supplies.
• Ruslan Cook brought a merchant caravan from King’s Landing to Winterfell, where the guards agreed to notify Steward Hanna after he offered grain and other goods.
• Arya recognized Winterfell and wanted to rush inside, but Sandor held her back and warned that the Northern houses might have reduced her brother to a figurehead.
• Septa Hanna recognized Arya and ordered the guards to surround the caravan, while Northern commanders demanded that Sandor release the princess.

Arya returned safely to Winterfell after a farmer knocked Sandor unconscious, and she reunited with Septa Hanna. She learned Luke had gone with Jon and Gary to defend Castle Black, then discovered that Margaery Tyrell and Daenerys were staying in the castle as Luke’s betrothed and a Targaryen princess.

• Ruslan Cook’s sellswords surrendered, and Sandor demanded a hundred thousand Gold Dragons to release Arya.
• A farmer struck Sandor unconscious, freeing Arya, who thanked him before Septa Hanna welcomed her back to Winterfell.
• Arya explained Ruslan Cook’s lack of involvement, and Sandor was imprisoned while the farmer and his daughter became guests.
• At dinner, Septa Hanna told Arya that Luke had taken troops and the dragon to Castle Black to reinforce Jon against the wildlings.
• Arya asked to go to Castle Black, but Septa Hanna refused and escorted her to her old room.
• Septa Hanna revealed that Margaery Tyrell and Princess Daenerys were staying at Winterfell, and Arya reacted with surprise and excitement.

Arya discovered that Luke had given her a disassemblable Valyrian steel spear she could adapt to her current strength, then went to Winterfell’s dungeons and persuaded Sandor to leave with her. Sandor accepted her as his new master without swearing fealty, and they prepared to go somewhere together.

• Arya found Luke’s gift, a Valyrian steel spear named Soulhunter, and discovered it could be taken apart and fitted with a lighter wooden shaft.
• Arya strapped Soulhunter to her back and went to the dungeons, where she found Sandor insulting House Stark.
• Arya offered Sandor a choice between rotting in his cell and serving her as House Stark’s hound.
• Sandor agreed to follow Arya, joking that he was expensive and demanding the hundred thousand Gold Dragons he believed she owed him.
• Sandor freed himself, knocked unconscious the guard who came to investigate, took the guard’s longsword, and asked Arya where they were going.

Arya escaped Winterfell with the Hound while Ruslan Cook gathered intelligence, and the Wildlings attacked Castle Black. Gary arrived on Drogon, routed the Wildling army with Dragonfire, and joined the fighting at Castle Black.

• Arya freed Sandor and left Winterfell at night with a cloaked man, prompting Septa Hanna to learn of her escape too late to stop it.
• Ruslan Cook gathered reports about Arya, Luke, Margaery, and Daenerys, then sent his intelligence away on a Raven.
• The Wildlings attacked Castle Black from beyond the Wall and through its southern gate, forcing Jon Snow to divide the Night's Watch between the Wall, the castle, and the tunnel.
• Gary rode Drogon over the Wildling army and used Dragonfire to make Mance Rayder order a retreat.
• Drogon landed on Lance Tower, and Jon Snow rallied the Night's Watch by announcing that the King in the North had arrived with his Dragon.
• Gary leaped from the tower, healed his broken legs, withstood Wildling axes in his Valyrian steel armor, and cut down his attackers with Falling Plum.

Luke Stark entered the tunnel and subdued the giant, then helped the Night’s Watch defeat the Wildling raiders at Castle Black. He found Jon grieving over Ygritte and demanded that Jon return north, but Jon refused to abandon the Wall, while Luke threatened Alliser Thorne and offered troops only if Alliser killed himself.

• Luke Stark rushed into the tunnel, wounded the giant, and severed its wrist and ankle tendons before Grenn could kill it.
• Luke ordered Grenn to spare the giant and keep it locked in the tunnel, then joined the Night’s Watch survivors outside as they finished off the Wildlings.
• Luke found Jon Snow mourning Ygritte and offered to revive her if Jon renounced the Night’s Watch, but Jon refused to leave Castle Black.
• Luke told Jon that White Walkers and wights would not pass the Wall with him there, and Jon introduced him to the Night’s Watch as the King in the North and his elder brother.
• Luke confronted Alliser Thorne over his past treatment of him and Jon, threatening to withhold northern troops unless Alliser killed himself.
• Alliser said he would kill himself after Luke defeated the Wildling army and drove it back beyond the Wall.

Gary arrived at Castle Black with Ygritte’s body and reunited with Jon, bringing him a Valyrian steel sword. He declared Jon a Stark, leaving Jon to take the name Jon Stark.

• Maester Aemon persuaded Gary to spare Alliser, and Jon led Gary to the Kings Tower.
• Maester Aemon questioned Alliser about Gary’s Dragon and white hair, then fell silent at the answer.
• Gary and Jon reunited, and Gary apologized for not returning sooner to help Robb.
• Gary gave Jon a Valyrian steel sword named Winter and asked him to return Longclaw to House Mormont.
• Gary proclaimed Jon Snow a true Stark and revealed that his sword’s scabbard bore the name Jon Stark.

Gary used the Supreme God’s power to resurrect Ygritte, then secured her help in persuading Jon to leave the Night’s Watch. The chapter ended with Ygritte accepting service to the Supreme God after Gary promised she could marry Jon and live at Winterfell.

• Gary resurrected Ygritte with divine power, while warning that his body could withstand only one more revival.
• Grenn asked Gary to revive Pyp, and Gary agreed to bring him one more person back to life.
• Ygritte learned that Jon’s brother Gary had resurrected her and asked what had happened to the other Free Folk.
• Gary told Ygritte he wanted her to help persuade Jon to leave the Night’s Watch, and promised to release Jon from his oath.
• Ygritte asked whether she could marry, and Gary said she would live at Winterfell as Jon Stark’s wife.
• Ygritte knelt and vowed to serve the Supreme God, leaving Jon stunned.

After the battle at Castle Black, Gary revived Pyp and forced him and Ygritte to accept baptism and serve the Supreme God. Jon left to help below, while Gary prepared to rest with Ygritte and Gilly, warning Jon to protect the wildlings and the captive giant.

• Grenn begged Gary to revive Pyp, and Gary brought Pyp back to life after Grenn removed the arrow from his neck.
• Pyp recognized Ygritte as the woman who killed him and refused to forgive her, but Gary ordered them to abandon their grudges and serve the Supreme God.
• Grenn, Pyp, and Ygritte knelt before Gary, who baptized Pyp and Ygritte and declared that they had been reborn to die for the Supreme God.
• Edd took Grenn and Pyp away, and Gary and Jon talked privately until dawn about Jon's experiences at Castle Black.
• Jon went downstairs to help, while Gary warned him to protect the wildlings and the crippled giant held beneath the Wall.
• Gary told Ygritte and Gilly to share the bed, then used green mana to make himself a bed of snow and went to sleep.

Stannis’s army advanced toward Castle Black as Melisandre warned him that Luke Stark was the white wolf from her prophecy. At the Wall, Gary and Jon faced Mance Rayder’s full assault, while giant archers battered the Wall and sent the Night’s Watch commander fleeing.

• Melisandre reminded Stannis that he would face a white wolf and said he must kill him to claim Lightbringer; Stannis identified Luke Stark as a traitor he intended to kill.
• Davos urged Stannis to act before Luke united the North, and Stannis pressed his depleted force to reach Castle Black before nightfall.
• A horn woke Gary, and Ygritte and Gilly helped him put on his armor before he went to join Jon.
• Gary and Jon reached the top of the Wall and found Wildlings attacking in overwhelming numbers as the Night’s Watch ran low on arrows.
• More than a hundred giants fired enormous arrows at the Wall, destroying a great crossbow and damaging the surface ice as falling ice killed Wildlings climbing below.
• The bald commander fled down the lift, but Gary told the Night’s Watch the Wall would hold, and Jon reminded them they still had a dragon; Gary feared Drogon would be vulnerable to the giants’ arrows.

Gary used Drogon to drive the giants away from Castle Black, then spotted a group traveling north through the Frostfangs and flew to investigate. The group included Bran Stark, Hodor, Meera Reed, and Jojen Reed, who found themselves face-to-face with Drogon.

• Gary recognized that the giants had run out of iron-headed arrows, mounted Drogon, and told Jon to hold the Wall while he dealt with them.
• Mance Rayder ordered the giants to target Drogon, but Gary evaded their attacks and burned their bows before luring the giants west with a ring of dragonfire.
• Gary drove all the giants more than ten leagues toward the Milkwater, where he left them in a relatively safe area.
• Leaf spotted Drogon circling near the Milkwater and hurried south toward Luke.
• Gary noticed several people traveling north through the Frostfangs and directed Drogon toward them.
• Bran Stark traveled on a litter pulled by Hodor while Meera Reed and Jojen Reed scouted ahead, and Drogon appeared before them.

Luke Stark reunited with Bran and the Reeds beyond the Wall, severed Jojen’s connection to the Three-Eyed Crow, and restored Bran’s ability to walk through his faith in the Supreme God. Luke then flew toward Castle Black to help Jon, while the Three-Eyed Crow raged in his cave over Luke’s interference.

• Luke revealed himself to Bran, Meera, and Jojen as Luke Stark, the lord of Winterfell and King in the North.
• Luke severed Jojen’s connection to the Three-Eyed Crow, removing Jojen’s greensight and prophetic dreams.
• Luke persuaded Bran to trust him and worship the Supreme God, then healed Bran’s legs and strengthened his skinchanger talent.
• Luke gave Bran an ice core for emergencies and flew toward Castle Black, warning the group to avoid giants along the Milkwater.
• The Three-Eyed Crow howled in rage that Luke had ruined his plans.

Gary and Drogon saved Castle Black from the wildlings, while Stannis’s cavalry attacked the wildling camp and captured Mance Rayder. Stannis’s army then encountered Drogon, and Melisandre warned him that confronting Gary would be dangerous.

• Jon ordered the Night's Watch to fight off the wildlings climbing the Wall and urged them to hold until Luke returned.
• Gary and Drogon arrived and used dragonfire to clear the Wall and rout the wildling army.
• Mance Rayder ordered a retreat and planned to negotiate, but Night's Watch rangers appeared behind the wildling camp.
• Harma led five hundred horsemen against the attackers, but Stannis’s heavily armored cavalry routed them and captured Mance Rayder.
• Gary watched as the Free Folk scattered, while Stannis halted his army after seeing Drogon.
• Melisandre advised Stannis to stay in the forest and warned that using her magic again would kill him.

Gary refused to let the Night’s Watch open Castle Black’s gate to Stannis, killing Alliser Thorne and ordering Jon to stop the others from admitting Stannis’s men. When Janos Slynt opened the gate while Drogon was away, Stannis’s soldiers entered Castle Black, and Gary fought his way out of the Kings Tower.

• Carter Pyke led more than two hundred Night’s Watch men from Eastwatch to Castle Black, but Gary blocked their advance with Drogon and ordered them to take a surrender demand to Stannis.
• Gary returned to Castle Black, killed Alliser Thorne for arguing that the Eastwatch men should be admitted, and warned the Night’s Watch not to open the gate without his command.
• Jon told Gary that most of the Night’s Watch planned to open the gate for Stannis; Gary ordered him to kill everyone except Edd, Grenn, and Pyp if they tried to let Stannis in.
• Jon went downstairs to negotiate, while Gary remained armored and Ygritte urged him to kill the Night’s Watch members who opposed him.
• Edd and Pyp reported that Jon and Grenn had been taken and that Janos Slynt had opened the gate while Drogon was away hunting.
• Gary armed himself, led his companions into the corridor, and killed or incapacitated the Stannis soldiers who had entered the Kings Tower.