"So, what is the point of seeing all of this? Just to give an excuse for you Starks and Lannisters to bash each other's heads in? Where's the fun in that for me!" Robert demanded to know.
"Perhaps, Your Grace, it's to prevent the fighting somehow." Varys tittered.
"Pah, we haven't had a good war in nearly a decade!" Robert growled. "The men of the Kingdoms could do with it."
"Of course, brother." Renly agreed. "Perhaps we could find a foreign target though, not our own subjects killing one another?"
"I suppose." Robert begrudgingly agreed. Less dead peasants and nobles meant less strain on an already overworked treasury. He knew Jon had said sometime how bad the debt was, but surely it could be fixed with little effort. "What about the Targaryens?" Robert grinned, leering at Dany. He couldn't wait to get out of here and find the whelp and her demented brother. It was time to finish what they had started when they marched against the Mad King.
"What of them?" Stannis asked, having an idea of where Robert was going with this. Daenerys looked at the two Baratheon's with terrified eyes.
"They still exist. They're a threat. We need a good war to let our men sate their bloodlust. Why not direct them at Pentos, to wipe out the Targaryens?" Baelish asked, smirking when he noted a look of panic on Varys' face for the briefest of seconds. Interesting.
"Enough of this talk." Ned growled. "They're kids. Look, from what we've seen, we can discount Viserys here and now, nobody would be too bothered if the idiot was killed, but look at Daenerys, Robert! Look at the scared little girl in the room with us! She clearly doesn't want to harm you! You only want to harm her! Hasn't the bloodshed over the madness been enough yet? Spare the girl! I'll keep her in the North even, far from power, if you wish it."
"No." Robert said, fixing his old friend with a steely gaze. "They all die, Ned. That's the end of it. As your King, that is the end of it."
The scene opened up on Ned arriving at King's Landing, where a guard informed him of a Small Council meeting, and Maester Pycelle inviting him to attend. Ned dashed off towards the meeting, passing through the Throne room, he stopped at the sight of Jaime Lannister stood before the throne.
"Already in a Small Council meeting?" Cat asked. "Things must be dire."
'If only.' Varys thought. This would be for some pageantry, no doubt.
"Well this won't end well with just Ned Stark and Jaime there." Tyrion remarked.
"Thank the gods you're here, Stark. About time we had some stern northern leadership."
"I'll give you a stern Northern welcome the next time you darken our halls, Kingslayer." Robb growled at him.
"Ah, a green boy, I'm truly terrified, young wolf." Jaime mocked him.
"Glad to see you're protecting the throne."
"Does it really need protecting when we're not at war?" Mace Tyrell asked.
"Not at the moment." Olenna told her son.
"Sturdy old thing. How many kings' asses have polished it, I wonder? What's the line? The King shits and the Hand wipes."
'Nineteen, if you count Robert and Princess Rhaenyra.' Tyrion thought to himself.
"Very handsome armour. Not a scratch on it."
"I know. People have been swinging at me for years, but they always seem to miss."
"You've chosen your opponents wisely then."
"I have a knack for it. It must be strange for you coming into this room. I was standing right here when it happened. He was very brave, your brother. Your father too. They didn't deserve to die like that. Nobody deserves to die like that."
"What happened?" Arya asked, unsure she wanted the answer. She had asked her parents before, but they wouldn't give her an answer.
"You don't want to know, Arya." Catelyn told her daughter. "That's the end of it." She wouldn't let her daughter know about the horrors of the
"But you just stood there and watched."
"500 men just stood there and watched. All the great knights of the Seven Kingdoms. You think anyone said a word, lifted a finger? No, Lord Stark. 500 men and this room was silent as a crypt. Except for the screams, of course, and the Mad King laughing. And later... When I watched the Mad King die, I remembered him laughing as your father burned... It felt like justice."
"Grandfather Rickard was burnt?" Sansa asked, eyes wide in horror.
"Aye, I didn't want any of you to learn of it this way." Ned shook his head.
"Is that what you tell yourself at night? You're a servant of justice? That you were avenging my father when you shoved your sword in Aerys Targaryen's back?"
"You're a craven, Kingslayer." Ned snarled as Jaime didn't deign to give him a glance in response.
"Tell me... If I'd stabbed the Mad King in the belly instead of the back, would you admire me more?"
"I don't think anyone would admire you, Ser Jaime, especially after seeing you attempt to kill my nephew." Edmure growled as Jaime smirked, raising an eyebrow to the young Trident lord.
Ned then entered the Small Council chambers to be greeted by Pycelle, Baelish, Varys and Renly.
"I was grievously sorry to hear of your troubles on the Kingsroad. We are all praying for Prince Joffrey's full recovery."
"I'm praying his wounds fester." Robb said solemnly, as the other kids laughed, even Myrcella cracked a smile.
"A shame you didn't say a prayer for the butcher's son." Ned shamed Varys before embracing Renly, who stated how the meeting could have waited, before Baelish interrupted.
"But we have a Kingdom to look after. I've hoped to meet you for some time, Lord Stark. No doubt Lady Catelyn has mentioned me."
"She has, Lord Baelish. I understand you knew my brother Brandon as well."
"All too well. I still carry a token of his esteem from navel to collarbone."
"You fought our Uncle Brandon, Lord Baelish?" Sansa asked with a meek voice, still shaken from seeing how Joffrey was with Arya.
"I did, Lady Sansa." Petyr smirked. "I'm no duellist, sadly."
"Perhaps you chose the wrong man to duel with."
"It wasn't the man that I chose, my Lord. It was Catelyn Tully. A woman worth fighting for, I'm sure you'll agree."
"Petyr, you're like a brother to me, you know that, right?" Cat asked him softly as Littlefinger ruefully smiled.
"I know, Cat. All too well."
Pycelle greeted Ned as he handed over the pin of the Hand to him, before they began the meeting, Ned asked why Robert wasn't there as they told him he didn't attend these meetings, they were the lords in charge of dealing with small matters, like running the realm. Renly then announced that Robert demanded a tourney be held to celebrate Ned's appointment, as Ned revealed what Robert wanted as the prize money.
"Such a large amount for a run of the mill tourney?" Ned furrowed his brows.
"It's not every day I have my brother in all but blood, my most trusted, with me!" Robert called out. "We must celebrate this, Ned!"
"I'll have to borrow it. The Lannisters will accommodate, I expect. We already owe Lord Tywin 3 million gold. What's another 80,000?"
"WHAT?!" Ned roared, how could Robert and Jon have beggared the realm so badly?
"Are you telling me the Crown is three million in debt?"
"I'm telling you the Crown is six million in debt."
"How did you manage that?" Ned croaked.
"Robert...let's just say he isn't the most fiscally responsible, and even as Hand of the King, I still serve at the King's pleasure." Jon Arryn muttered to Ned.
"How could you let this happen?"
"The Master of Coin finds the money. The King and the Hand spend it."
"Sounds like a pretty good Master of Coin." Bronn joked as Littlefinger glared at him.
The council told Ned how Robert liked to spend, he didn't care for finances, and that if he wished to postpone talk of the tourney and its plans, he could, Varys stated that they served at his whim. Ned then left them to it.
Cersei tended to Joffrey as he whined about being beaten by Arya and how he had been embarrassed by Nymeria in front of Sansa.
"Is he whining that he was beaten by a girl and a pup? Seven Hells, I'll have to beat the weakness out of the boy when I get back! Bring him here even!" Robert yelled.
"Perhaps soon." The voice replied to the King. "Now hush, we have to get through this."
"That's not true. You killed the beast. You only spared the girl because of the love your father bears her father. When Aerys Targaryen sat on the Iron Throne, your father was a rebel and a traitor. Someday you'll sit on the throne and the truth will be what you make it."
"Why are you filling the boys head with nonsense? He won't be a man if you stroke his ego. Seven Hells, who wants to foster the brat for a few years?" Robert asked the Great Lords around him, missing the look of horror and anger on Cersei's face at the idea, or the flash of relief that Myrcella had.
Joffrey then asked if he had to marry Sansa and why couldn't he put her aside.
"Yes. She's very beautiful and young. If you don't like her, you only need to see her on formal occasions and when the time comes, to make little princes and princesses. And if you'd rather fuck painted whores, you'll fuck painted whores. And if you'd rather lie with noble virgins, so be it. You are my darling boy and the world will be exactly as you want it to be. Do something nice for the Stark girl."
"He's never going to become a well-rounded man if that's the attitude you have for him." Cat hissed at the Queen who turned her lip up at it.
"He'll grow up, Cat." Renly laughed. "We'll just have to foster him at Storms End for a few years first."
Joffrey then complained about being nice to Sansa before stating he believed the North had too much power, and he would curtail it by doubling the taxes and forcing them to supply men to a newly created royal army, answerable only to the King and based in Kings Landing, trained by veteran knights.
"A royal army? Are you serious?" Renly, Edmure and Mace all laughed at the suggestion.
Varys gulped. That was actually not a bad idea, it would certainly make a Targaryen reconquest more difficult with a unified Westerosi army. Stannis also nodded, that was a good idea. Even if he was Master of Ships, he would have to suggest it to Robert again when they got out of here.
"And if the northerners rebel?"
"I'd crush them. Seize Winterfell and install someone loyal to the realm as Warden of the North. Uncle Kevan, maybe."
"Now I know he's jesting." Ned laughed. "Moat Caitlin has NEVER fallen from the South. I'd fear that the day Lannister horses learn to fly."
"And these 10,000 northern troops, would they fight for you or their lord?"
"Their Lord." Most of the voices in the room resounded.
"We're not like the Essosi, a man fights for his home here." Jorah explained to Dany, who looked confused.
'Why wouldn't they adopt the Essosi system?' It made sense, rather than relying on untrained peasants.
"For me. I'm their King."
"But you've just invaded their homeland, asked them to kill their brothers."
"I'm not asking."
"Well it's clear the lad needs to be trained if he ever wants to be an effective King." Mace laughed.
"Not really the right attitude for a King to have." Tyrion shook his head.
"The North cannot be held... not by an outsider. It's too big and too wild. When the winter comes, the Seven gods together couldn't save you and your royal army. A good King knows when to save his strength... And when to destroy his enemies."
"Aye, only a Northerner could hold the North, especially during Winter." Ned stated grimly.
"So you agree... The Starks are enemies?"
Sansa whimpered, her ideal of the perfect prince being shattered more with every word Joffrey said.
"Everyone who isn't us is an enemy."
"With an attitude like that, Your Grace, the Crown Prince will never learn." Jon Arryn shook his head.
Arya is shown stabbing a knife into a table as she eats with Sansa and their Septa, she tells Sansa she is practising for Joffrey, as the two of them fight, Sansa insists the Hound is to blame, Arya says the Hound only does what Joffrey commands. Mordane separates them and takes Arya to her room as Ned comes in, offering Sansa a doll. Sansa asks to be excused, saying she isn't a child anymore.
Ned visits Arya to see her with a blade, learning she got it back home, he asks her if she kjows how to use it. He then tells her that she may hate Sansa, but they had to be united in the South, even if Sansa had to side with Joffrey on issues due to their marriage alliance. He then told her she could keep the sword, she may as well learn how to use it.
"You girls shouldn't fight, I think this has shown you need to be united down there." Jon told his sisters quietly.
"I just wish I was there with you." Bran pouted.
"You really don't, I don't think we'll be going down this time." Arya told him.
"You certainly won't be." Robb said sternly.
In Winterfell, Bran tells Old Nan he hates her stories, as she told him that he shouldn't listen to crows, as one cawed by his window. Bran then told her he loved the scary stories as she offered him a tale of Ser Duncan The Tall.
"Did you ever serve with Ser Duncan?" Bran asked, looking at Barristan Selmy, the old knight.
"Alas not. I knew of him, we even clashed swords at a tourney once or twice, but I never had the honour to serve next to him. I took his place in the Kingsguard, when he perished at the Tragedy of Summerhall. I was the first appointment by King Jaehaerys the Second." Barristan told the young boy.
"Oh, my sweet summer child. What do you know about fear? Fear is for the winter, when the snows fall a hundred feet deep. Fear is for the long night, when the sun hides for years and children are born and live and die all in darkness. That is the time for fear, my little Lord, when the White Walkers move through the woods. Thousands of years ago there came a night that lasted a generation. Kings froze to death in their castles, same as the shepherds in their huts. And women smothered their babies rather than see them starve, and wept and felt the tears freeze on their cheeks. So is this the sort of story that you like? In that darkness, the White Walkers came for the first time. They swept through cities and kingdoms, riding their dead horses, hunting with their packs of pale spiders big as hounds…"
"Well they already looked horrifying enough, but we didn't need to hear all of that." Myrcella shuddered.
"Do the dead scare you, Princess?" Robb grinned at her.
"They're dead. They shouldn't be walking, killing, fighting. It's not natural, none of it." Myrcella shuddered.
"I hope we don't have to fight giant ice spiders." Arya winced.
"Why would you be fighting at all?" Cat asked her daughter.
"Cat raises a good point." Edmure agreed.
"It shows me learning to fight, and it's shown them, do you really think I won't somehow have to fight them?" Arya asked. "I know it won't be just me, but I'm sure I'll be part of the fighting."
Robb walked in, interrupting Old Nan and dismissing her, as he asked Bran if he still remembered nothing. Bran confirmed he didn't, as Robb mentioned how Bran never fell. Bran cursed that he did.
"I did though. It's true, isn't it... what Maester Luwin says about my legs? I'd rather be dead."
"Don't ever say that."
"I'd rather be dead."
"You don't really mean that, do you, Bran?" Sansa asked her brother, turning to him with wide eyes.
"I do." Bran nodded. "I'd rather be dead than unable to walk."
Cat and Rodrick arrived at King's Landing, entering through a back entrance so as not to draw attention, to find a guard come up to them instantly, greeting Cat as Lady Stark and saying he had orders to escort her into the city.
"How did someone find me out so quickly? We told almost no-one!" Cat gasped. Was the entire North full of spies?
Arriving at a brothel, Littlefinger greeted Cat, dismissing his whores and apologising for the location, saying that nobody would look for Cat there, so she'd be safe, as Cat ranted at him for bringing her to a brothel.
"You took my wife to a brothel?!" Ned raged, getting to his feet to strike at Littlefinger, as Cat pulled him back.
"No, Ned, don't you see, that's genius! Nobody would look for me there, he's right." Cat soothed her husband.
Littlefinger told her that a dear friend had told him she was coming, as Varys entered the room, greeting Cat warmly and checking her hands as she asked how he possibly knew she was coming to the capital.
"Knowledge is my trade, my Lady. Did you bring the dagger with you, by any chance? My little birds are everywhere. Even in the north. They whisper to me the strangest stories. Valyrian steel."
"That dagger looks familiar." Robert grunted. Where had he seen the damn thing before? One of his? "Ah, I recall the damn thing now. It was in the treasury when we overthrew the dragonspawn. Some legend or another was about it I think, I don't much care."
"What legend?" Ned questioned.
"Piss if I know." Robert laughed. "Some dragon madness I wager."
"I'd like to see the dagger upon our return, if you still have it, Robert." Jon Arryn said. "I think the point of these videos is not to ignore anything, no matter how small it appears."
"Fine, what do I care?" Robert shook his head. "Keep the damn thing if you want, stops it getting used in all of this madness."
"Do you know whose dagger this is?"
"I must admit I do not."
"I'm assuming you're lying, Spider?" Stannis grit out.
"No, Lord Stannis, I genuinely had no idea until we got here about this dagger." Varys insisted.
"Well well, this is an historic day. Something you don't know that I do. There's only one dagger like this in all of the Seven Kingdoms. It's mine."
"Why are you lying, Littlefinger?" Renly fixed the man with a gaze as Baelish ignored him and the questioning looks that others gave to him on top.
"Yours?"
"At least it was, until the tournament on Prince Joffrey's last nameday. I bet on Ser Jaime in the jousting, as any sane man would. When the Knight of the Flowers unseated him, I lost this dagger."
"To whom?"
"Tyrion Lannister. The Imp."
"Well that's a lie." Tyrion spoke up, before anyone could begin to point fingers.
"What do you mean by that, Imp?" Cat spat. "You tried to kill my son!"
"My Lady, think on it. Why would I arm an assassin with my own blade? Why would I hope for Bran to wake if I wanted him dead? Also, why would I bet against my brother? Littlefinger had one thing right, any sane man would bet on Jaime to win." Tyrion explained, seeing that people were weighing up his words. It was madness to accuse him of being behind the assassination...or genius.
"Why did you accuse me, Lord Baelish? We both know the dagger isn't yours or mine." Tyrion asked.
Baelish didn't dignify him with a response.
"Well, answer the damn Imp, Baelish!" Robert commanded.
"I have no idea why my self would say such things, Your Grace." Baelish answered after the briefest of pauses.
At Castle Black, Jon easily defeats all the new recruits to the Watch, including two at once, breaking Grenn's nose as Alliser Thorne mocks all of them, including Jon, telling Jon he's the least useless one there.
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Jon growled.
"He called you the least useless, bastard." Jaime mocked. "High praise from Ser Alliser."
Tyrion mocks Alliser as charming as Jeor Mormont says he doesn't need him to be, just needing Thorne to turn them into Men of the Night's Watch. He admits to Tyrion that it's going slowly as he reveals a raven came for Jon from Winterfell, bearing both good and bad news.
"It seems the Night's Watch needs more men, more resources, more money." Ned noted grimly. "I'll have to see what I can do, me and the other Northern lords."
"The South will send it's fair share." Jon Arryn promised his old friend. "We know the threat exists now, we can't plead ignorance. We have to unite."
Pycelle tells Ned at the Small Council that a raven came for him from Winterfell, as Baelish asks Ned if he wishes to inform his wife of the news, Ned says she's back in the North as Baelish questions if she is. Taking Ned to a brothel, Ned chokes him as Baelish remarks she'd be safe there, Cat calls down to Ned from a window as Ned heads inside. Baelish remarks to himself that the Starks have slow minds and quick tempers.
"I get why you'd react like that. Should have told you something earlier without the secrecy." Robert laughed as Littlefinger rubbed his neck in pain.
Jon is putting weapons away in the armoury when he's jumped by Grenn, Pyp and Rast, who threaten to throw him over the Wall before Tyrion chases them off, saying he can recall their faces and he thinks they'd look good on spikes outside King's Landing, and maybe he'd write to Cersei to ask her to do that for him. The rest of the recruits flee, promising Jon they'd speak again later.
"Thank you, Lord Tyrion." Jon nodded his head gratefully, knowing Tyrion had probably just saved his life.
"It's fine...Jon." Tyrion told him. "But you need to learn to help your brothers on the Wall, not look at them as beneath you, as that version of you clearly does."
"They don't see me as their brother." Jon shook his head.
"So make them. Help them to become better than they are now."
"Everybody knew what this place was and no one told me. No one but you. My father knew and left me to rot here at the Wall all the same."
"Jon..." Ned started, trailing off at the look of hurt on Jon's face.
"I'm not going to the Wall, at least not to join the Nights Watch, this time." Jon told Ned. "I'll help train men, and I'll fight, I have to, we all do, but I'm not joining up for a lifetime there this time."
"Grenn's father left him too... Outside a farmhouse when he was three. Pyp was caught stealing a wheel of cheese. His little sister hadn't eaten in three days. He was given a choice: his right hand or the Wall. I've been asking the Lord Commander about them. Fascinating stories."
"They hate me because I'm better than they are."
"It's a lucky thing none of them were trained by a master-at-arms like your Ser Rodrik. I don't imagine any of them have ever held a real sword before they came here. Your brother Bran. He's woken up."
"I didn't think of it like that." Jon admitted.
"Nobody who isn't on the Wall really thinks of it like that." Ned assured him. "Don't be too hard on yourself, lad."
Back at the brothel, Baelish and Cat were speaking, Baelish saying that "The mere suggestion that the Queen's brother tried to kill your boy would be considered treason."
"We have proof. We have the blade."
"Which Lord Tyrion will say was stolen from him. The only man who could say otherwise has no throat, thanks to your boy's wolf."
"Petyr has promised to help us find the truth. He's like a little brother to me. He would never betray my trust."
"I'll try to keep you alive, for her sake. A fool's task, admittedly, but I've never been able to refuse your wife anything."
"I won't forget this. You're a true friend."
"Don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to maintain."
"A reputation that is now in tatters." Baelish pretended to be angry, inside he thought of how he could turn this to his advantage in this new world, a world where everyone knew of whatever plan he was concocting.
In Cersei's chambers, she asked Jaime how he could be so stupid, that Bran could talk, Jaime said they'd simply say he was lying, if he remembers anything, that they could outsmart a ten year old. If Robert does believe it, Jaime would go to war with him, they could even write derogatory songs about it.
"You tried to kill my son, Kingslayer?!" Ned roared at Jaime, who raised his hands.
"If I was going to kill your son, Stark, why would I use an assassin? I'd do the job myself, to make sure it was done." Jaime argued.
"You'd commit treason, would you, Kingslayer?!" Robert roared. "I'll have your golden head, you Lannister twat!"
"Peace, Your Grace. I wouldn't do this." Jaime defended himself. "Perhaps my future self took too many blows to the head, to say all he has been saying?"
Cersei hit Jaime as he pulled her into an embrace, saying he'd never let her go and if needed, he'd kill Robert, Ned and everyone else until only Jaime and Cersei were alive.
Cat and Ned left one another, Cat wishing she could have seen her daughters, with her telling Ned that Littlefinger would help him find the proof that the Lannisters were behind it all, Ned saying when he had the proof, he'd take it directly to Robert, and hope Robert helped his old friend. Ned then told Cat that Littlefinger still loved her as Cat laughed it off.
"I'm pretty sure none of the Lannisters are behind this." Tywin said, eyeing Littlefinger up suspiciously.
In Robert's chambers, Robert was seen talking to Ser Barristan.
"It's been a long time. But I still remember every face. You remember your first?"
"Your first?" Ned asked.
"Kill." Robert grinned.
"Of course, your Grace."
"Who was it?"
"A Tyroshi. Never learned the name."
"When did you fight a Tyroshi, Ser Barristan?" Sam Tarly asked timidly.
"The War of the Ninepenny Kings." Barristan told the young lordling.
"How'd you do it?"
"Lance through the heart."
"Quick one. Lucky for you. Mine was some Tarly boy at the Battle of Summerhall. My horse took an arrow so I was on foot, slogging through the mud. He came running at me, this dumb high-born lad, thinking he could end the rebellion with the single swing of his sword. I knocked him down with the hammer. Gods, I was strong then. Caved in his breastplate. Probably shattered every rib he had. Stood over him, hammer in the air. Right before I brought it down he shouted, "Wait! Wait!"... They never tell you how they all shit themselves. They don't put that part in the songs. Stupid boy. Now the Tarlys bend the knee like everyone else. He could have lingered on the edge of the battle with the smart boys and today his wife would be making him miserable, his sons would be ingrates, and he'd be waking three times in the night to piss into a bowl. Wine! Lancel. Gods, what a stupid name. Lancel Lannister. Who named you? Some halfwit with a stutter? What are you doing?"
"A Tarly?" Sam gulped.
"Aye, a cousin or uncle of yours I'd wager." Robert laughed.
"It's empty, your Grace."
"What do you mean it's empty?"
"There's no more wine."
"Is that what empty means?! So get more. Tell your cousin to get in here. Kingslayer! Get in here. Surrounded by Lannisters. Every time I close my eyes I see their blond hair and their smug, satisfied faces. It must wound your pride, huh? Standing out there like a glorified sentry. Jaime Lannister, son of the mighty Tywin... Forced to mind the door while your King eats and drinks and shits and fucks. So come on. We're telling war stories. Who was your first kill, not counting old men?"
"Does it grate you, Lannister?" Robert asked.
"Not at all, Your Grace." Jaime told Robert with a tight smile.
"Who was your first kill anyway, Ned?" Robert asked, blanking Jaime now.
"Some Stormlander at the Battle of the Bells." Ned shrugged.
"One of the outlaws in the Brotherhood."
"I was there that day. You were only a squire, 16 years old."
"You killed Simon Toyne with a counter riposte. Best move I ever saw."
"A good fighter, Toyne, but he lacked stamina."
"Your outlaw... Any last words?"
"I cut his head off, so no."
"Good way to stop any last words from happening." Oberyn smirked. He'd have to do the same to Tywin Lannister one day.
"What about Aerys Targaryen? What did the Mad King say when you stabbed him in the back? I never asked. Did he call you a traitor? Did he plead for a reprieve?"
Dany held her breath, was she about to find out what her fathers final words were? What had truly happened when the Usurpers dog had slain him in cold blood?
" He said the same thing he'd been saying for hours... "Burn them all." If that's all, your Grace..."
'Burn them all? Burn Who?' Dany thought to herself.
"He was truly mad, wasn't he?" Jon asked, Dany glared at him.
The scene cut to Daenerys and Jorah talking in the Dothraki Sea.
Daenerys asked how the Dothraki got their slaves, Jorah told her that they didn't believe in money, and that cities gave them their slaves as gifts to stop the Dothraki attacking them. Daenerys then asked why they did that.
"If you rule a city and you see the horde approaching, you have two choices: pay tribute or fight. An easy choice for most. Of course, sometimes it's not enough. Sometimes a Khal feels insulted by the number of slaves he's given. He might think the men too weak or the women too ugly. Sometimes a Khal decides his riders haven't had a good fight in months and need the practice."
"Smart people who choose to hide." Doran said.
"Cowards." Robert huffed.
"It's a fool who fights the Dothraki in an open field, it's why so many of the Free Cities pay tribute, or have a standing army of Unsullied." Jon Arryn noted.
Daenerys then saw one of the riders hit a slave with a whip, and told Jorah to tell the entire horde to stop, when he asked for how long, she said until she ordered them to move, Jorah noted she was speaking like a queen.
"Not a Queen. A Khaleesi." Daenerys replied.
Daenerys dismounted and walked around the grass until she heard a noise, turning, she saw Viserys, sword raised on his horse, screaming at her.
"You dare! You give commands to me? To me? You do not command the dragon. I am Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. I don't take orders from savages or their sluts. Do you hear me?"
"What a vain prick." Jon scoffed as Dany blushed.
'How can he talk about the dragon like that?' Dany thought, before thinking further. 'Viserys isn't a true dragon, really, is he?'
"He calls you a slut?" Sansa asked, horrified.
Dany shook her head, Viserys hadn't done that to her, at least, not yet. She knew it had to be a matter of time though, if she began to be more confident in herself.
Viserys held his sword to Daenerys' throat, until Rakharo wrapped his whip around Viserys' neck, forcing him to drop his sword. He then asked Daenerys if she wanted Viserys killed, when she protested, he asked should he at least take an ear. When she told him to let Viserys go unharmed, Viserys screamed at Jorah to help him. Jorah merely asked Daenerys if they should return to the horde, as Rakharo took Viserys' horse, telling him to walk as he had shamed himself and threatened the Khaleesi.
"Well at least those horse savages are good at one thing, putting Targaryens in their place!" Mace Tyrell laughed, looking towards Robert who laughed at his insult.
"I agree, Lord Tyrell!" Robert grinned at him. "Perhaps I misjudged you Tyrells!"
Benjen and Jon stood atop the Wall, Benjen said he wanted to be there when Jon saw the view from the top for the first time, as he bid Jon farewell, saying they had bad reports from North of the Wall and as First Ranger, Benjen had to head North to check them out.
"It truly is a beautiful view." Jon marvelled.
"Does this mean you're considering going again?" Ned asked, a hopeful tone in his voice. He didn't want Jon to go, but with no rights to lands or titles, he could reveal his parentage, in safety.
"No." Jon smiled at his father, not noticing the small slump of disappointment Ned gave him. "The view is beautiful, but I cannot leave my family like that, Father."
"I hope Uncle Benjen will be alright out there." Bran worried.
"He'll be fine." Cat reassured him. "If anyone will be fine out there, it'll be your Uncle."
Jon offered to go with him as Benjen told him he couldn't, telling Jon to train, keep his head down, earn his way and they'd talk when Benjen returned.
Yoren and Tyrion talk about the weirdest things that Yoren had eaten beyond the wall, before Yoren asked Tyrion what was the weirdest thing he'd ever eaten, Tyrion asked if Dornish girls counted.
"Why would you eat a woman?" Bran asked, wrinkling his nose in confusion, as Cat covered Arya's ears. Sansa and Daenerys covered their own whilst the men laughed at what Tyrion had said and Bran's question.
"You'll find out when you're older." Theon teased Bran, as Balon glared at his son. His son was truly a weak Greenlander, wasn't he? Perhaps it was time to entrust Yara with more duties?
Tyrion then asked Yoren what he did for the Watch, why men chose to join such a depleted force, as Benjen walked in, accusing Tyrion of laughing at them, Tyrion said only Yoren was funny.
Benjen told Tyrion how undermanned the Wall was, that half the recruits he had seen will die in their first time North of the Wall. Tyrion said he had respect for the Nights Watch, but he didn't believe they had any differences to Wildlings other than what side of the Wall they lived on, and he didn't believe in the Others.
"Well I take that back now." Tyrion remarked. "It's clear the Nights Watch needs all the men and weapons it can handle and more. Seems our ancient ancestors were onto something by building the damn thing."
"You're right though, we aren't much different from Wildlings. If they're forming settlements, perhaps they've made a new King Beyond The Wall. I should take a few thousand men and go treat with him." Ned said.
Yoren and Benjen bade each other farewell as Benjen said he was heading North of the Wall, telling Tyrion not to tell him what was North of the Wall, that Benjen had seen many things. Yoren stated he was heading to Kings Landing for more recruits, Tyrion asked Yoren if they could travel together for good company, telling Yoren they'd stay at castles and lords manors, not sleeping rough on the road like he normally would, since he was with a Lannister.
In the Dothraki Sea, Irri was teaching Daenerys Dothraki when she felt her breast, revealing that Daenerys was pregnant.
"The whore is pregnant?!" Robert roared. "I'll rip that babe out of you and throw you both to the dogs!" Robert promised Dany, who looked fascinated at first to hear of her future pregnancy, before shaking in horror at the King's words.
"I'm going to be a mother?" Dany gasped, holding her stomach.
"You've not even met the man yet, have you?" Margeary asked the younger woman, as Daenerys shook her head.
"I will do soon though. If I can be a good mother, that's all I'll want." Dany smiled.
"You won't get the chance to spread your legs and send threats against my rule." Robert warned her. "I'll kill you myself when we leave here."
Jorah and Rakharo discussed what type of sword was better for a fight, Jorah said how Rakharo's father was apparently a great warrior, as Rakharo asked about Jorah's. Jorah said his father was a great warrior even now, and Jorah had betrayed him. Irri then came out to ask them both to get rabbit for Daenerys, as she was pregnant and didn't want to eat horse. Jorah then said he would get her a goat and had to leave for Qohor, telling them that he would catch up to the Khalasar after he had concluded business in Qohor.
"Why do you have to leave me, Ser?" Dany asked Jorah in the room.
"I've no idea, Princess." Jorah lied to her, thinking he knew exactly why he was heading to Qohor. To inform on this development for Varys.
At Castle Black, Jon fought the other recruits again, as Tyrion watched, this time Jon gave them pointers, helping to train them all. Tyrion then turned away into the main hall, sitting with Lord Commander Mormont and an elderly Maester.
The Maester asked how many winters Tyrion had seen, Tyrion said he had seen nine brief ones.
"They say the winter of my birth was three years long, Maester Aemon."
"Aemon? That's a very Valyrian name." Jon mused. He had read stories about the long gone years of Targaryen rule, and he was sure a few of their Princes were named Aemon.
Aemon then told him that this next one was coming and it would be very long, and that dark things would move in the winter. He begged Tyrion to get Robert to send more men and supplies to the Watch, as Mormont did too, telling him that the Watch was severely undermanned, and if they weren't ready, Gods help them all.
"It seems Maester Aemon is a very wise man." Sam smiled. He'd like to meet the old man if he could, he seemed kind.
"He's been at the Wall longer than most men living today have breathed." Ned told the boy. "He certainly has been there since before my own birth. If he says they're too weak, they are."
At the Dothraki camp, Daenerys told Drogo that she had a son in her belly, he asked how she knew, she insisted that she just knew.
"A son?!" Robert looked as if his head would burst.
"Peace, Robert. This has yet to happen." Jon Arryn tried to calm his old friend. "This will not happen, I promise you."
Jon comes up to Tyrion, pissing off of the top of the Wall, as Tyrion bade Jon farewell, revealing he was leaving the Wall, promising to stop by Winterfell and give Jon's best to Bran, the two of them said their farewells once more.
"At least you got to live your wildest dream, brother." Jaime japed with Tyrion, who shook his head.
"No, my wildest dream has always been to ride a dragon. I even begged Uncle Gerion for one once. It didn't have to be a big dragon, just a dragon." Tyrion's eyes shined. "If only such things were possible."
"Well with the White Walkers once more walking amongst us, even if there's no dragons to help, I'm pretty sure all of Westeros will be uniting, putting aside its fights for a common cause. That'll be pretty wild." Jaime told Tyrion.
"You'll have to tell me how you personally killed ten White Walkers whilst I watch from the Wall like all those unable to fight." Tyrion laughed.
"Thank you for passing on my regards." Jon smiled at Tyrion, who nodded back.
"Always happy too, Snow."
Arya arrived to her dancing lesson to be told she was late, by Syrio Forel, who threw a wooden sword to her, telling her she would catch it the next day when she dropped it. He tpld her she was skinny, and would only fight one-handed for now, as she was small, and so was her sword. She didn't have the strength for a two-handed sword, so would fight with one, gracefully, like water dancing.
"You're going to let me train?" Arya smiled.
"You clearly have a talent for combat. I want you staying back though, when we deal with all of this, once we're back home. You won't be on the frontlines." Ned told his daughter sternly, as Cat looked conflicted about it.
"I promise." Arya said excitedly. She was going to get to learn to fight, like her heroines, such as Nymeria, did!
Syrio bested Arya again and again, each time disarming her and telling her she was dead, as she pressed on, determined to excel, whilst Ned entered the room, grimacing as he saw her practising. Syrio encouraged her on, as the screen cut to black.
"A Braavosi?" Robert questioned.
"Less likely to harm her to get to me, and more likely to be patient with lighter weapons than a knight." Ned reasoned.
"Hello?" A voice said, from the back of the area, a few turned around to them to see an ancient man stood there, draped in black robes and a chain around his neck.
"Maester Aemon?" Ned asked.
"Lord Stark?" Aemon said, turning his milky white eyes to the man. "You sound like Lord Commander Mormont has mentioned. Where am I? How are you here?"
Episode 4 will eventually come out, just been promoted at work so will have even less time for writing now!
