Chapter Summaries

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.

Tyrion Lannister raided Vito Corleone’s House of Order, but Vito used his royal appointment to stop the Gold Cloaks from arresting him. After the guards left, Tyrion demanded to know what Vito had done with Shae, and Vito confronted him over his accusations and disrespect.

• Tyrion arrived in Flea Bottom with Gold Cloaks and found its streets cleaner and more orderly than before.
• Tyrion insulted Vito, swept his breakfast onto the floor, and accused him of breaking the curfew and unlawfully punishing a man.
• Vito told a story about an abandoned tiger cub that enraged Tyrion, who then ordered the Gold Cloaks to seize him over charges supplied by Varys.
• Vito presented Tywin Lannister’s appointment naming him Chief Intelligence Officer of the Small Council, and the Gold Cloaks refused to arrest him.
• Tyrion dismissed the Gold Cloaks and demanded to know where Shae was and what Vito had done to her.
• Vito accused Tyrion of fabricating charges and storming into his establishment without respect, demanding an explanation.

Corleone confronted Tyrion over his assumptions and demanded ten thousand Gold Dragons in exchange for keeping Shae’s secret buried. Tyrion reunited with Shae beneath Stokeworth, while Varys wondered whether Corleone’s House of Order would bring order or further chaos to the Seven Kingdoms.

• Corleone accused Tyrion of looking down on him and using women as leverage, then Bronn reported that Shae had returned safely.
• Corleone demanded ten thousand Gold Dragons by the following sunset and threatened to expose Tyrion’s secret; Tyrion agreed, and Corleone warned Bronn to stay out of Flea Bottom.
• Varys led Tyrion into a hidden chamber at Stokeworth, where Tyrion found Shae and questioned her about Corleone.
• Shae accused Tyrion of distrusting her and claimed Lady Falyse had given her a black gemstone necklace, then reconciled with him.
• Varys told Tyrion he had warned him that the evidence against Corleone was insufficient, while Shae reacted with interest to Corleone’s Small Council title.
• Varys watched Tyrion and Shae disappear into the chamber and wondered whether Corleone’s House of Order would bring order or chaos to the Seven Kingdoms.

Corleone defeated Yego in a sword spar and inspected the changes taking root in Flea Bottom before taking Yego to the Street of Silk. The pair arrived at the upscale brothel Hummingbird, where Corleone planned to buy the best.

• Corleone disarmed Yego in a sparring match, astonishing the Dothraki warrior with how quickly he had improved.
• Corleone reviewed his upgraded skills and learned that his system limited him to five ranked skills at once.
• Corleone toured the renovated House of Order and Flea Bottom, where Rorge directed construction and the Cleaning Crew patrolled the streets.
• Corleone took Yego to the Street of Silk, where Yego eagerly admired the women while Corleone insisted they visit an elite establishment.
• Corleone and Yego stopped outside the three-story Hummingbird brothel.

Vito Corleone went to the Hummingbird and summoned Lord Petyr Baelish, disguising his purpose as a business proposition. He confronted Petyr over the ruined remains left behind after Petyr dealt with the problem in Flea Bottom.

• Corleone entered the Hummingbird and sent Yego off with three women while Ros stayed with him.
• Corleone paid Ros to tell Petyr Baelish that Vito Corleone, Chief Intelligence Officer of the Small Council, wanted to discuss a promising business proposition.
• Petyr recalled his plans to marry Lysa Tully, claim the Vale, and make Sansa Stark his captive, then decided he had no reason to fear Corleone.
• Petyr met Corleone in a private suite at the Hummingbird, where Corleone praised his rise and thanked him for handling the Flea Bottom problem.
• Corleone accused Petyr of leaving him nothing but a stripped-bare mess.

Corleone confronted Petyr over the money and businesses tied to Flea Bottom, unsettling him with a warning about leaving King's Landing for the Vale. Their tense standoff was interrupted by a scream from the next room, where they found a red-armored knight with his hand pinned to a table by a dagger.

• Petyr welcomed Corleone and dodged his direct request for financial support for Flea Bottom.
• Corleone accused Petyr of taking more than five thousand Gold Dragons for resolving the Flea Bottom trouble and warned him to protect his King's Landing businesses before going to the Vale.
• Petyr blocked the doorway and insisted that he had friends in the capital, while Corleone denied threatening him.
• A scream and crashing sounds came from the next room, so Corleone and Petyr rushed in together.
• Corleone and Petyr found a red-armored knight kneeling in agony with his right hand pinned to a table by a distinctive dagger.