Recaps

Corleone listened as Rorge explained Bode’s violent past and how Rorge had rescued him, then asked about their odds in the wager. As the arena announced Yego as the next fighter, Corleone saw winning as the first step toward establishing himself in King’s Landing.

• The crowd cheered as Bode entered the arena, and Rorge told Corleone how the butcher had killed his wife and her lover after they tried to flee with his savings.
• Rorge revealed that he had paid fifty Gold Dragons to save Bode from execution, then explained that his own downfall came after his men betrayed him and Jacelyn Bywater became commander of the Gold Cloaks.
• Rorge declared that they were certain to win the wager and suggested breaking Ralf’s other leg if he refused to pay.
• Corleone considered Flea Bottom the foundation for building his power in King’s Landing and watched as the announcer introduced Yego from across the Narrow Sea.

Jaime clashed with Tywin over the Kingsguard and insisted that Vito Corleone was his friend, prompting Tywin to summon Vito for a meeting. At the Arena, Yego defeated Bode the Butcher, and Corleone prepared to collect Ralf’s five thousand Gold Dragons as Ralf approached with armed men.

• Tywin urged Jaime to leave the Kingsguard and inherit Casterly Rock, but Jaime refused and asked for a Valyrian steel sword and the promised payment for Corleone.
• Jaime told Tywin that Vito Corleone was different from the flatterers he had known as a child, and Tywin ordered Jaime to bring Vito to him that night.
• Yego quickly defeated Bode the Butcher in the Arena, leaving Rorge celebrating the five-thousand-Gold-Dragon wager.
• Corleone warned Rorge that collecting the money could bring trouble, then rose as Ralf approached with several grim-faced men.

Corleone exposed Ralf to the crowd as a likely accomplice in a rigged fight, turning the gamblers against the arena boss. The Gold Cloaks arrived and silenced the crowd, leaving Ralf confident that his power and connections could still protect him.

• Ralf realized Rorge and Corleone had likely engineered Yego's victory and the large bet, then accused Rorge of setting him up.
• Corleone publicly embraced Ralf and loudly thanked him for helping them make a killing, making their interaction look like proof of a fix.
• The gamblers and bystanders accused Ralf and Geneva of cheating, while Ralf restrained himself from attacking Corleone in front of the crowd.
• The Gold Cloaks entered the arena and took control of the entrance, quieting the spectators and giving Ralf a chance to recover.
• Ralf whispered that Corleone needed power and connections to get anywhere in King's Landing and dismissed his tricks.

Sven Rosby arrived with the Gold Cloaks and tried to arrest Rorge and Corleone, but Yego intervened to protect Corleone. Corleone then warned Sven that powerful friends at court would punish him if he arrested them.

• Sven Rosby ordered the Gold Cloaks to beat Rorge into submission and arrest him and Corleone.
• Rorge taunted Sven about his past gambling debts, and Sven struck him and ordered his arrest.
• Yego knocked down two Gold Cloaks and guarded Corleone, asking whether he should kill the others.
• Corleone told Yego to put away his weapon and calmly questioned Sven’s authority to arrest them.
• Corleone admitted he had no title or official position but claimed powerful people at court regarded him as a friend.
• Corleone warned Sven that arresting him would lead to a powerful court figure humiliating him and forcing him out of the Gold Cloaks.

Sven Rosby chose to arrest Corleone and his companions despite Corleone's warning that he had powerful connections. Corleone submitted to the shackles calmly, warning Sven that he would eventually pay for his decision as the Gold Cloaks led them from the fighting pit.

• Ralf urged Sven Rosby to reject Corleone's claims and arrest him, arguing that Corleone was an ordinary man who had teamed up with Rorge to extort him.
• Sven weighed his ties to Ralf and his doubts about Corleone, then ordered the Gold Cloaks to take Corleone and his two companions into custody.
• Yego tensed to defend Corleone, but Corleone told him to stay calm, and Yego stopped resisting.
• Corleone willingly put on the shackles and told Sven Rosby that he had ruined a planned meeting with someone important.
• Corleone warned Sven that he would pay for his choice, then walked toward the exit of the fighting pit under guard.

Ser Addam Marbrand struggled with the City Watch’s workload and ordered Captain Sven Rosby to focus on finding the missing Tyrek Lannister. As Addam tried to escape his duties, Jaime Lannister arrived in King’s Landing complaining about the crown’s financial problems.

• Ser Addam Marbrand threw his reports into the wastebasket and lamented that the understaffed City Watch could not keep order in a crowded capital.
• Humfrey Waters told Addam that Sven Rosby had returned from Flea Bottom after arresting the fugitive Rorge, but had no news about Tyrek Lannister.
• Addam ordered Humfrey to tell Sven to stop pursuing the Flea Bottom case and concentrate on finding Tyrek.
• Addam mentioned that Lady Harte’s infant husband had been missing for months and that her wet nurse had come to complain about the family’s troubles.
• Addam left Humfrey to handle the paperwork and said he intended to visit Jaime, but Jaime arrived complaining about the Iron Throne’s debts, the royal wedding expenses, and the Gold Cloaks’ unpaid wages.

Jaime reunited with Addam Marbrand and asked him to find Vito Corleone, the doctor who had saved his life. Addam ordered the Gold Cloaks to search for Vito, but his mention of Rorge caught Jaime’s attention.

• Jaime and Tyrion argued over Tyrion’s request for ten thousand Gold Dragons as they entered Addam Marbrand’s office.
• Addam joyfully embraced Jaime, then teased Tyrion about overdue wages and carried him under his arm.
• Addam noticed Jaime’s missing right hand and asked who had taken it; Jaime said the man was dead and thanked Addam for his concern.
• Jaime asked Addam to find Vito Corleone, who was expected to meet Lord Tywin at the Red Keep that evening.
• Addam ordered Humfrey Waters to have the Gold Cloaks search for Vito and told him to make Sven Rosby deal with Rorge.
• Jaime stopped Humfrey and asked Addam to repeat what he had said about Rorge.

Corleone was arrested and placed in a clean cell with the privileged nobleman Lake, who bragged that his family would soon free him. Corleone bet Lake that he could secure treatment as good as or better than his, then hinted to a guard called Old Moss that he knew how to help him recover his gambling losses.

• Corleone was brought to a clean cell where Lake was eating steak and drinking wine while the other prisoners protested their lack of food.
• Lake mocked Corleone and boasted that he was Earl Lych's son and would be released by morning.
• Corleone wagered with Lake that he could get prison treatment equal to or better than Lake's in exchange for a favor.
• Corleone asked a guard for a meal like Lake's, but the guard mocked him and refused.
• Corleone told the enraged guard, Old Moss, that he could show him how to win back the money he had lost.

Corleone deduced that Moss had lost his savings gambling and promised to help him win the money back by exposing a dice trick, earning a meal and Moss's favor. Meanwhile, Jaime Lannister saw Rorge brought into Ser Addam Marbrand's office and demanded to know where Vito Corleone was.

• Corleone inferred from Moss's hands, clothes, and expression that he was a desperate gambler who had lost his money.
• Moss told Corleone that a banker at the Three Coppers gambling house had made Harvest Wheel come up low seven times in a row.
• Corleone told Moss the gamblers were switching dice and promised to help him recover his losses fairly.
• Moss agreed to follow Corleone's instructions and hurried off to bring him steak and wine in repayment for a favor.
• Corleone turned toward another guard as Lake questioned how he had secured the meal.
• Jaime watched Gold Cloaks throw Rorge onto the floor and demanded that Humfrey Waters tell him where Vito Corleone had been taken.

Jaime learned that Corleone had disappeared after Gold Cloaks detained him and feared Sven had abused or secretly condemned him. He rushed to the dungeon to find Corleone, but the sight inside the special cell stunned him.

• Humfrey told Adam that Sven had taken Corleone elsewhere and was avoiding questions, provoking Adam to order Sven back and demand a search.
• Rorge recognized Jaime and claimed the Gold Cloaks had framed and beaten him and Corleone, who had protected him.
• Jaime threatened Rosby with the consequences of harming Corleone, and Adam ordered the guards to search every cell and bring Corleone to him as an honored guest.
• Humfrey recalled a special cell at the back of the dungeon and led Jaime there, while Jaime feared Corleone had been tortured or permanently harmed.
• Jaime and Humfrey opened the special cell, and Jaime was stunned by what he saw inside.

Jaime, Tyrion, and Ser Addam found Vito Corleone enjoying a lavish meal and winning favors from the Gold Cloaks instead of suffering in the dungeon. Corleone left to meet Lord Tywin, confident that the Blood Pit would soon no longer belong to Ralf.

• Jaime entered Corleone’s cell and found him eating steak and drinking wine while Gold Cloaks served him and Herb Lake watched from the corner.
• Corleone introduced Old Moss, Pock, and Herb Lake, then shared wine with Jaime as Tyrion and Ser Addam arrived and demanded an explanation.
• Jaime told Corleone that Lord Tywin wanted to see him immediately, and Corleone prepared to leave without showing surprise.
• Corleone reminded Herb Lake that he owed him a favor and invited Old Moss to gamble at his Flea Bottom gambling house.
• When Old Moss warned that the Blood Pit belonged to Ralf, Corleone replied that it would not tomorrow.

Corleone met Tywin Lannister in the Tower of the Hand while Jaime waited outside the doors. Tywin tested him over his lateness, but Corleone’s direct apology earned him an invitation to sit as their meeting began.

• Jaime asked what Corleone intended to do about Sven Rosby, and Corleone suggested the captain might meet with an accident.
• The guards barred Jaime from entering the Tower of the Hand, so Corleone reassured him and went in alone.
• After Corleone entered, Jaime regretted resenting him, then left the Red Keep clutching Oathkeeper.
• Corleone arrived late to Tywin’s study, apologized without making excuses, and accepted responsibility for the delay.
• Tywin showed a flicker of approval and invited Corleone to sit.

Ser Addam punished Sven Rosby for arresting Vito Corleone, but Jaime Lannister returned and killed him after he admitted the Gold Cloaks needed no evidence to arrest people. At the Tower of the Hand, Corleone proposed serving Tywin Lannister as a force that could impose order in the city’s shadows.

• Ser Addam ordered Sven Rosby to serve night patrol at the Mud Gate for arresting Vito Corleone without evidence.
• Jaime Lannister kicked Sven, pressed him for evidence, and killed him after Sven claimed the Gold Cloaks did not need evidence to make arrests.
• Jaime told Addam to report Sven’s death as a death in action and arrange his death benefit.
• Corleone discussed his view of survival and the unrest in King’s Landing with Tywin Lannister.
• Corleone offered to act as Tywin’s hands in the darkness, handling problems that House Lannister and the king could not address openly.

Vito Corleone won Tywin Lannister’s tentative support by offering to serve as his “hands in the dark,” but their discussion was interrupted by Joffrey. Corleone pitched a free fighting arena in Flea Bottom to excite the king and promised to transform the district within two months.

• Vito Corleone offered to act as Tywin Lannister’s discreet agent, and Tywin tested his loyalty before accepting the proposal in principle.
• Joffrey arrived at the Hand’s office in a sedan chair and demanded to listen to Tywin’s discussion with Corleone.
• Corleone proposed a free fighting arena where warriors and others could fight, then appealed to Joffrey’s desire to display his courage in a safe exhibition match.
• Joffrey objected when Corleone said the arena would be built in Flea Bottom, and Ser Meryn Trant challenged Corleone’s plan as dangerous.
• Tywin rebuked Ser Meryn Trant for doubting his ability to protect the king, while Corleone promised to transform Flea Bottom within two months.

Vito Corleone won Joffrey’s approval for his plan to transform Flea Bottom and build a Free Fighting Arena. Tywin redirected Joffrey toward his upcoming wedding, and the chapter ended with Joffrey setting off to harass Tyrion while Corleone watched his litter depart like a coffin.

• Vito Corleone praised Joffrey’s ambition by promising that cleaning up Flea Bottom would surpass Aegon the Conqueror’s achievements.
• Joffrey promised to knight Corleone and grant him lands and a title if he transformed Flea Bottom, then bragged to Tywin about becoming history’s greatest king.
• Tywin steered Joffrey away from his fantasies and told him to consult the Master of Coin about his wedding to Margaery.
• Joffrey threatened to have Ser Meryn Trant cut Tyrion in half if Tyrion failed to arrange a sufficiently grand wedding.
• Joffrey ordered Tywin to support Corleone’s Free Fighting Arena project and left in his litter to seek out Tyrion.

Humfrey Waters led the Gold Cloaks in a raid on Ralf’s Blood Pit while Corleone watched. Ralf remained confident that his allies would protect him, but Corleone questioned whether the powerful figure behind him would stay loyal.

• Gold Cloaks marched through Flea Bottom toward the Blood Pit, alarming residents who suspected the raid might target Ralf.
• Humfrey Waters told Corleone that he was commanding the operation, then ordered his men to break into the Blood Pit.
• Humfrey struck one of Ralf’s underlings and demanded that Ralf appear.
• Ralf arrived and denied running illegal businesses, mocked the raid, and challenged Corleone while the Gold Cloaks searched the premises.
• Corleone calmly warned Ralf that the powerful figure backing him might abandon him when it mattered.

Vito Corleone exposed Ralf’s slave trading and seized control of Flea Bottom after Ralf’s powerful patron betrayed him. The chapter ended with Ralf dead and Corleone’s black-hand flag raised over the Blood Pit, declaring a new ruler and new rules.

• Humfrey’s Gold Cloaks searched the Blood Pit but found no evidence, and Ralf taunted them while the crowd stayed silent.
• Yego presented a combat slavery contract bearing Ralf’s signature, and Corleone read it aloud as proof that Ralf had enslaved him.
• Yego produced Ralf’s ledger, which recorded bribes and other crimes; Ralf realized his patron had handed him over and tried to name him, but Rorge beat him until he could no longer speak.
• Humfrey ordered Ralf arrested, and Rorge dragged him through Flea Bottom before hanging him beneath a flagpole.
• Rorge told the crowd that Corleone would end coercion and oppression, then cut Ralf’s throat in front of them.
• A white flag bearing a black hand rose above the Blood Pit, and Corleone looked on as Flea Bottom received its new master.

Vito Corleone took control of the Blood Pit but found that Ralf’s people had stripped it of money, so he ordered Rorge to organize the men and clean Flea Bottom. In the Red Keep, Tyrion Lannister struggled with the Iron Throne’s six-million-Gold-Dragon debt and prepared to use Bronn’s skills when Vito Corleone requested an audience.

• Rorge searched the Blood Pit for money and found almost nothing, while Vito Corleone concluded that Petyr Baelish had emptied the territory before abandoning it.
• Vito Corleone told Rorge to assemble an armed force while his authority over the men lasted, and ordered him to make the streets clean.
• Tyrion Lannister asked Bronn what he would do with six million Gold Dragons, then revealed that the Iron Throne owed that amount to its creditors.
• Bronn offered to deal with the creditors by killing them, but balked when Tyrion suggested starting with Tywin Lannister.
• Tyrion Lannister admitted Vito Corleone for an audience and offered Bronn the highest rate to reason with him.

Corleone pressed Tyrion to repay Jaime’s promised bathtub of Gold Dragons, but accepted Tyrion’s offer of one thousand Gold Dragons for now. He left warning Tyrion that he would soon make him an offer he could not refuse.

• Corleone reminded Tyrion that Jaime had promised him a bathtub full of Gold Dragons for saving his life.
• Tyrion cited the Iron Throne’s debts and, with Bronn’s help, tried to reduce the payment to half and then offered only one thousand Gold Dragons in cash.
• Bronn threatened Corleone, but Yego stepped between them and Corleone calmed him with a hand on his shoulder.
• Corleone accepted Tyrion’s offer while making clear he respected Tyrion’s position, not the way he had handled the debt, and warned that Tyrion would soon be unable to refuse him.
• Yego urged Corleone to have Rorge find Bronn so he could kill him, but Corleone said he would recover the money soon.

Tyrion ordered Bronn to spy on Vito Corleone after their tense exchange, while Corleone reunited with Jaime and learned Brienne was being questioned over Renly’s death. Corleone noticed something suspicious about Lady Lollys’s maid, Shae, and approached her.

• Tyrion rejected Bronn’s offer to kill Corleone and paid him to investigate Corleone’s activities in Flea Bottom.
• Corleone and Yego left Tyrion, carrying a sack of a thousand Gold Dragons, while Yego remained angry about the exchange.
• Corleone met Jaime, who explained that Brienne was confined while Ser Loras Tyrell questioned her about Renly Baratheon’s death.
• Jaime introduced Lady Lollys Stokeworth and explained that she had been raped during a riot and was now mentally impaired.
• Corleone noticed the maid’s contempt for Lollys, approached her, and learned that her name was Shae.

Corleone flirted with Shae while presenting himself as a wealthy, powerful noble, then left her longing for a life beyond serving Tyrion and Lollys Stokeworth. After discussing Jaime’s attempt to give meaning to his life by writing the Kingsguard’s history, Corleone told Yego they would recover the unpaid Gold Dragons by opening the guarded warehouse.

• Corleone praised Shae, hinted that he might seek a Lady Corleone, and then abruptly left without giving her further attention.
• Jaime explained that he was writing The Book of the White Knight after discovering that his own page was blank.
• Corleone told Jaime that recording history could require more courage and wisdom than making it, then departed with Yego.
• Shae watched Corleone leave and grew resentful of Tyrion and her life as Lollys Stokeworth’s maid.
• Yego complained that the Lannisters had not paid their debt, and Corleone said they would open the warehouse themselves with a key that could pick the lock.

Vito Corleone confronted resistance to clearing Flea Bottom and imposed his authority by offering its people work and food. As night fell, he ordered Rorge to investigate whether anyone had incited the revolt and sent for Herb Lake, Old Moss, and Pock.

• Corleone and Yego found Rorge facing down Flea Bottom residents after he kicked a boy who tried to keep a plank from a rubbish cart.
• Wes rallied the residents against Rorge, arguing that the rubbish and filth they lived among were essential to their survival.
• Corleone arrived, introduced himself as the new ruler of Flea Bottom, and gave Wes the choice of leaving or working for him.
• Corleone promised the residents full meals and fresh bread, then had Yego pour out a bundle of Gold Dragons to prove his wealth.
• Corleone ordered Rorge to have the residents washed and put to work, investigate whether anyone had incited them, and summon Herb Lake, Old Moss, and Pock to repay their favors.

Shae endured abuse while serving Lollys at Stokeworth, until Falyse summoned her and Herb Lake revealed that Vito Corleone had invited her to dinner. Shae eagerly left for King's Landing in a sedan chair, while a servant secretly followed the procession.

• Shae resented Tyrion and mistreated Lollys as she cared for her at Stokeworth.
• Falyse ordered Shae to undress, inspected her, and then took her to meet Herb Lake.
• Herb told Shae that Vito Corleone had sent him to invite her to dinner, and Shae accepted eagerly.
• Herb promised Falyse that Corleone would help secure a City Watch appointment for Ser Balman.
• Shae departed Stokeworth in a sedan chair with Herb and the Gold Cloaks, and a servant quietly followed them.

Corleone received Shae at the House of Order, where he punished a man who had incited unrest in Flea Bottom before welcoming her to dinner. The chapter ended with Shae drinking wine at Corleone’s lavish table, captivated by his wealth and refinement.

• Shae arrived in Flea Bottom and was surprised to see its streets cleaned and patrolled despite the citywide curfew.
• Corleone interrogated a captured instigator, who identified a black-haired, scarred mercenary as the man who had paid him three Silver Stags.
• Corleone used his newly upgraded Dignity skill to overwhelm the prisoner, then ordered Rorge to take him away and have his tongue pulled out.
• Corleone greeted Shae politely, and Herb departed with the Gold Cloaks after completing his task.
• Corleone served Shae an elaborate dinner with oysters, roast crab, and aged Dornish wine, and she became absorbed in the luxurious setting.

Corleone questioned Shae about her past and took the pearl necklace Tyrion had given her. An intruder delivered it to Tyrion with Corleone’s regards, prompting Tyrion to seek Varys’s help as Varys arrived at his door.

• Corleone charmed Shae over dinner, questioned her about Tywin Lannister, and found no sign that she was working for him.
• Corleone asked Shae about Tyrion’s pearl necklace, then touched her neck as she closed her eyes.
• An intruder entered Tyrion Lannister’s room, tossed him Shae’s necklace, and said, “Lord Corleone sends his regards.”
• Bronn chased the intruder out the window, while Tyrion recognized the necklace and feared what had happened to Shae.
• Tyrion asked Bronn what he had learned about Vito Corleone, then hurried to find Lord Varys.
• Varys arrived in the corridor and asked whether Tyrion wanted him to notify the City Watch.