Chapter Summaries

Ghost planned to introduce fencing in Westeros as a secret gift for Prince Rhaegar, and Elia offered to arrange its equipment and venue. Elia also asked to promote fencing in Dorne, and Ghost agreed to keep the gift secret until it was ready.

• Elia discussed rumors of Valyrian abilities with Oberyn, who urged her to watch Rhaenys more closely.
• Elia visited Ghost and examined her drawings of fencing swords and protective armor.
• Ghost explained fencing and her plan to give the sport to Prince Rhaegar as an apology gift.
• Elia offered to hire craftsmen and arrange the equipment while Ghost found a venue, and Ghost asked her to keep the plan from the prince.
• Ghost planned to reveal the fencing event in a week, and Elia asked permission to promote the sport in Dorne.

Ghost arranged with Elia to develop fencing equipment and planned a rapier as a hidden weapon, then asked Varys to find Master Weilisi to make it. Rhaegar, occupied with a tax dispute, learned of Rhaenys's planned fencing duel and set out to watch, but news of Cersei Lannister's return interrupted him.

• Elia agreed to help prepare fencing weapons and protective gear, and Ghost asked to borrow Oberyn for a fencing test.
• Ghost drew a rapier design and gave it to Varys, asking him to find Master Weilisi and arrange its construction.
• Varys urged Ghost to return and pay more attention to Rhaegar, who had been busy handling complaints about Aerys's increased port taxes.
• Rhaegar learned that Rhaenys planned to fence with Oberyn and decided to go watch the sport.
• Rhaegar received news that Cersei Lannister had returned to King's Landing.

Rhaenys introduced fencing to the gathered nobles by explaining how it could replace deadly duels, then faced Oberyn in a demonstration bout. She dominated the opening exchanges, leaving the spectators captivated as the match continued.

• Rhaegar went to meet Tywin after learning Cersei had summoned him to King's Landing again.
• Bai prepared for the fencing hall's opening and grew angry when she saw Cersei clinging to Rhaegar.
• Elia warned Oberyn that Rhaenys was furious, and Oberyn took his place as her opponent.
• Rhaenys told the nobles that fencing could settle disputes without killing knights, then began the bout with Oberyn.
• Rhaenys scored quickly and repeatedly blocked Oberyn's attacks, drawing the spectators' attention.

Rhaenys defeated Oberyn in a fencing match, won King Aerys’s approval to build a fencing hall, and drew the court’s attention. After Ghost challenged Cersei’s closeness to Rhaegar, he and the prince argued about jealousy and trust, leaving Ghost hurt by Rhaegar’s view of their betrothal.

• Rhaenys beat Oberyn in their fencing match, impressing the spectators with her skill.
• King Aerys praised Rhaenys and granted her request to build a fencing hall in King’s Landing.
• Ghost asked Cersei to release Rhaegar, then took her place beside the prince while the nobles watched.
• Tywin stopped Cersei from confronting Ghost and departed without acknowledging him.
• After leaving the hall, Ghost and Rhaegar argued over Cersei, Oberyn, and their betrothal.
• Rhaegar said Ghost alone would be his wife but that he would not interfere with her other relationships unless she went too far, leaving Ghost hurt and bewildered.

Ghost warned Oberyn that Elia would die if she remained in King's Landing and urged him to take her back to Dorne, but she stayed beside Rhaegar despite regretting her choice. The next day, she prepared for a welcoming banquet for Jaime Lannister, with Elia and Barbara insisting she dress more elegantly.

• Ghost told Oberyn she had seen visions of King's Landing burning and urged him to take Elia back to Dorne.
• Oberyn questioned Ghost about her warning and her own safety, then said he would discuss her advice with Elia.
• After Oberyn left, Ghost wandered the garden and regretted staying in King's Landing, especially because of Rhaegar's attitude.
• Ghost learned that Jaime Lannister had returned to King's Landing and that she was expected at a banquet welcoming him.
• Elia and Barbara helped prepare Ghost for the banquet, dressing her in expensive jewelry before she left with Elia and met Oberyn.

Ghost attended a banquet with Rhaegar, who told her he might marry both Elia and Ghost; Ghost accepted the news, leaving them at odds. After drinking, she confessed to Elia that she was jealous and wanted to marry Rhaegar herself.

• Ghost entered the banquet hall with Elia and Oberyn, and Rhaegar escorted her inside.
• Rhaegar told Ghost that his father had tacitly approved his marrying both her and Elia, but Ghost said she had no objection.
• Jaime reported that the Smiling Knight's accomplices had been killed, and King Aerys criticized him before ordering the feast to begin.
• King Aerys left the banquet with the queen, and Elia asked Ghost whether she and Rhaegar had quarreled.
• Elia took the drunken Ghost onto a terrace, where Ghost cried that she was jealous of Elia and wished she could marry Rhaegar.

Elia explained Dorne’s bitter history with the Lannisters while teasing Jaime, then told Ghost that she admired muscular men and showed interest in Arthur Dayne. Ghost and Elia began choosing clothes, but he disliked the old-fashioned designs.

• Rhaenys got drunk and was carried back to her quarters, while Jaime watched Elia’s group leave from behind a pillar.
• Jaime visited Ghost for swordsmanship, but Elia mocked his sister Cersei’s pursuit of Rhaegar and drove him away in anger.
• Elia told Ghost that Joanna had once planned a marriage alliance between Dorne and the Lannisters, but Tywin broke their agreement and offended the queen of Dorne by proposing Tyrion instead.
• Elia said she preferred muscular men and asked Ghost about Arthur Dayne, then hinted that Ghost should introduce them.
• Ghost and Elia reviewed clothing designs brought by tailors and jewelers, and Ghost frowned at their old-fashioned styles.

Ghost grew frustrated with King's Landing's clothing designs and sketched new gowns that captivated the city's tailors and nobles. Her designs made Rhaenys Targaryen a fashion sensation, leaving Ghost overwhelmed by requests to create clothes and outfits.

• Ghost rejected the tailors' sample designs and drew haute couture, court gowns, modified qipaos, and other styles for them.
• Rhaegar arrived at Rhaenys's rooms, found them crowded with tailors, and left after learning she had summoned them to make gowns.
• The tailors praised Ghost's designs and brawled over the chance to produce them, while Elia insisted on having two modified qipaos made.
• Ghost assigned different designs to several shops and promised long-term business to whichever produced the best work.
• The new styles spread through King's Landing, and Queen Rhaella quickly wore one of Ghost's court gowns.
• Noblewomen flocked to Ghost for designs and help arranging commissions, and the tailors' schedules filled two years ahead.

Prince Rhaegar sought Queen Rhaella’s advice on winning Rhaenys’s affection, while Ghost focused on designing religiously inspired gowns and later accepted a dinner invitation. When Ghost suggested Rhaegar might be better matched with Elia, Rhaegar insisted that Ghost would be his only wife and left the hall.

• Queen Rhaella advised Rhaegar to show Rhaenys genuine care and closeness after explaining how his behavior had made her feel insecure.
• Ghost abandoned his sleeveless qipao idea and began designing a Seven Children Series of gowns representing the seven gods.
• Rhaegar invited Ghost to dinner, where Ghost ate an enormous meal and Rhaegar worried that he had not been fed properly at court.
• Ghost told Rhaegar that his own ideas about love made Elia a better match, and suggested Rhaegar could choose someone else without ending their betrothal.
• Rhaegar struck the table, declared that Ghost would be his only wife, and stormed out.

Ghost regretted angering Rhaegar and secretly visited him in the ruins, where she saw his playful, ordinary side. As she headed back, she heard strange prayers coming from the garden and ran toward them.

• Ghost disguised herself as a little spitz and slipped out to find Rhaegar, who was sitting among the ruins with Arthur Dayne.
• Arthur brought Ghost to Rhaegar, and the prince stopped playing his harp to talk to and pet the puppy.
• Rhaegar admitted that women were troublesome and said he would ask his mother for advice about his fiancée.
• After Rhaegar and Arthur left, Ghost reflected that she should treat Rhaegar better and wondered how her presence might change the future.
• Ghost heard faint prayers in an unknown language coming from the garden and ran toward the sound.