The Clash of Kings ends with the stories of Bran and Theon

While I assumed that the future of the Lannisters was justifiably in question, the one development not anticipated was the death of Brandon Stark, the second Stark son and whose ability and inclination to climb any and everything had led to his being thrown from a window ledge high up in the castle of Winterfell by Jaime Lannister at the instigation of Queen Cersei because he may have discovered the true nature of the relationship between the twins. Cersei denied her role and is among the great liars of the two books read and watched as the TV series Game of Thrones. The second novel of the Ice and Fire series is called the Clash of Kings

That Bran survived the fall, albeit unable to walk, was miraculous and that he commenced to have visions of what was to happen should have enabled him to avoid what appeared to be his fate.

As the book Clash of Kings reached it last third Bran is having one of his waking dreams in which he had become his Direwolf scavenging at night with one of this brothers and then waking in terror of the situation he had found himself in, calling out of help only to realise there would be no guard at the door having sent every able bodied man to the Northmen under attack from the Greyjoys of father and daughter while the son had been sent with only one ship to skirmish coastal communities. This had left Wintefell with the minimum of protection. It had been his decision as the effective master of the family Castle with everyone else elsewhere and his baby brother Rickon was too young to be of help.

It was then his door crashed wide and he recognised one of the men who entered, his father’s made ward Theon Greyjoy taken when a child with the defeat of his father and who had served with Robb and then sent to enlist the support of his father only to switch sides supporting the opportunistic cause of his father to reclaim his rank and position, yet another of the Lords who chose now be regarded as a King of the Iron Islands. The assault on the undefended Winterfell had been the creative act of Theon to impress his father and sister. He was a young man full of emotions, seeking sexual satisfaction with every woman and girl he encounters, driven  by a sense of injustice for his captivity despite brought up by the Starks as a son and  with no ability to think though the potential consequences of his actions.

Theon tells Bran he has to order his people to cooperate with their new Lord having yielded to him. His father having declared himself King Theon styled himself a Prince and declaring the position to Maester Luwin, the guardian helper of Bran he goes off to bring the fighting to an end and organise the assembly of the inhabitants of Winterfell. Luwin blames himself for agreeing to send so many men never considering that they would be vulnerable to any form of direct attack.

Luwin with Bran in arms made their way to the Great Hall to find Theon in the Stark’s chair demanding to know who the other young people are, the Walder wards and others who had come to renew their loyalty to the Starks. In the first of the demonstrations to try and prove his loyalty and manhood he orders the brutal death of the blacksmith who served the Starks, and who knowing Theon and his worth had ridiculed and refused to acknowledge his authority.

It was not this act that hurt Bran the greatest but when Osha, the Wilding woman of the woods he had saved and brought to serve in the Winterfell and regarded as a friend who had helped him to understand his visions, the latest of which appeared to be coming to pass, stepped forward, explained her position and expressed the wish to serve Theon and his cause that made Bran feel all was lost.

Theon made himself at home  taking a young woman into his bed (525-536)) but he remained insecure, worrying about the Direwolves running wild  in the night, checking that Bran and his brother was in their beds. His anxiety was justified. The boys and their wolves were not to be found. Theon then discovers that two guards at a gate had been murdered, men who he had recently ordered to be flogged for the rape of kennel girl, a decision taken to demonstrate that he was a just ruler as well in full control. He then learns that the Wilding woman was with the boys having pretended to switch loyalties in order to help the boys to escape.

With the daylight Theon had the citizens assembled who he referred to as his loyal subjects saying that he could have had the men put to death and given their women to his soldiers and they must help in the capture of the boys. The task was now to recapture the boys.

He assembled a small group of men plus Maester Luwin who he decided he would not leave in the Castle making it plain that if he failed to return his designated commander should destroy everything and everyone before departing. He was then surprised to find that instead of the tracks going south they went north and west into the Wolfswood and towards where his sister was in command of his father’s forces. He had to recapture the boys before his family found out about this development.

They followed the tracks of the direwolves and boys and then discovered only the tracks of the wolves. Given that Bran had to be carried he could not understand how they failed to find either the wolves who had taken to the water or the boys and their helpers. During the hunt Maester Luwin had counselled Theon that he should not harm the boys when they were captured but keep them hostages. Theon being Theon wished the Stark sisters were here too and had thoughts of taking Sansa for his legal wife. As night came upon them and there was speculation that the boys had taken shelter with the Miller and his family, Theon said he knew where they were hiding and Luwin pleaded that he followed his advice and used to the boys to bargain.

Before we next encounter Theon we have learned that the boys have been recaptured, killed and their bodies burnt and hung on the ramparts of Winterfell, at least this is the visual image that we have in the TV series. This we have learned in the book from the information given Tyrion and his sister and now to Lady Catelyn. Theon (585) returned to Winterfell boasting of having seen the boys killed and their head dipped in tar. He returned to find that his sister had arrived, not with the army as he had requested but with an escort. He found her in the Great Hall with twenty men calling him Prince of Fools and explaining that only ten would stay to help him with the others her escort for her return. She called his actions those of a bloody fool. She was about the mission their father had set, on the coast with access to their ships. He was inland with a thousand miles of people around him angry with what he had done. Theon has a nightmare and in the morning looks on at the heads of the boys. We learn that these are in fact the Millers’ boys with their skin flayed and their head in tar unrecognisable now. It is not clear if Theon knows this or not. In the TV series we are left contemplating their deaths.

The tide which had turned in favour of the Lannisters to the South had become strong against Theon at Winterfell with the refusal of his father and sister and their allies to come to his aid. Maester Luwin reckoned that they could hold out for an hour and suggested that  the man sue for peace(670-680) It was Sir Roderick Cassels, the Master of Arms at Winterfell who begged Theon to surrender but Theon had rearranged for the man‘s daughter to be placed in a  noose to force the citizens to defend him. There were one possible two thousand men before he castle with less than score within to defend.

Maester Luwin suggests that he surrender and indicate his intention to join the Night Watch with the consequence that all his past sins will be forgiven. Theon takes a different approach and makes a great speech to his men saying they will be remembered for their loyalty and bravery. Before he can finish one of his men strikes him dead and fatally wounds Luwin. He says it time for the men to go home.

We are then given sight of the emergence of Bran, Rickon and Asha who have remained hidden within Winterfell now in smoking ruins. Everyone has been killed or departed. They find Maester Luwin and he begs them to leave, asking Asha to end his life quickly to prevent further pain.

So we have the situation of Robb losing support with the fragmenting Seven Kingdoms and appearing to put his heart before his duty and risking the loss of further support by marring someone else. The Lannisters appear secure having beaten the combined forces of the two brothers of the former King and gaining support by Joffrey marrying the recent widow wife of Lord Renly. There is Brienne sworn to the allegiance of Lady Catelyn taking Jaime Lannister to negotiate the release of the Stark daughters with Sansa preparing to leave during the Wedding of Joffrey while Ayra has already broken free again and is heading north. Now there is also Bran and Rickon on the run, but to where?

We also know that Stannis far from defeat and death has been shown his role in taking the crown for all the seven Kingdoms while the Freys guard the territory they have gained claiming much of the North. Unbeknown to them there are two new threats. There is Daenerys and her fledgling dragons from across the sea and we have the great horde of supernatural creatures and Wildings seeking to break out from behind the Wall and move south, while Jon Snow, Starks eldest boy by an undisclosed woman and perhaps his uncle Benjen Stark are behind the Wall. Previously I said it was Jon who had witnessed the great horde on the move where as upon checking it was one of his friends, part of the main expedition party hides behind a crag as the beings pass by one spotting him.

Clash of Kings ends with the stories of Robb abd Catelyn Stark

That no one chapter in the second volume of the Fire and Ice series by George R R Martin is headed by King Robb Stark, the eldest son of Lord Stark could suggest that the young man, an adolescent boy in the books, is not to play an ongoing role in the saga for in each volume one or more of the central characters departs. Throughout the first two volumes Game of Thrones and Clash of Kings Robb is a young man thrust into a role not of his making or inclination and yet he also shows the independent judgement and determination of his father as well as the same overriding sense of duty.

Following the departure of his father and sisters to the capital of the Seven Kingdoms, Kings Landing at the request of the so called Iron King, Robert Baratheon, to become his chief adviser and manager and to cement the role by his eldest sister marrying the boy, the King regarded as his son and heir, Robb had to assume the role of family head, responsible for the family home of Winterfell and the care of his mother, younger brothers and people. With the death of his father his role quickly developed from that of the Lord Robb Stark to that of King Robb of the North, crowned with the authority of all the Lords of North and set on protecting the new realm as part of seeking the safe return of his sisters and the remains of his father.

He had engaged the forces of the Lannisters three times and forced their withdrawal taking prisoner Lord Jamie Lannister, the son of the army commander of the Lannisters, Tywin Lannister, named Jaime, twin brother of Queen Cersei, and in fact her long time lover and father of her three children including Joffrey now the boy King of the Seven Kingdoms. It was Jaime who had cast down Robb’s younger brother, Brandon from a window high in the castle after he had been unintentionally spied upon him with his sister when they had accompanied the Iron King on his journey to request the help of Lord Stark. King
The new Lord Stark had been forced by his mother to agree to marry one of the many daughters of the Lord Frey whose castle provided the quick route which enabled Robb to achieve his first victory over the forces of the South. Lord Frey was married eight times and therefore had many sons and daughters as well many natural children by others too numerous for Martin to mention. Two of the family known as Big and Little Walder had been fostered by Lady Catelyn as her Wards at Winterfell while another Olyvar had become a squire to King Robb and yet another Elmar was officially betrothed to Ayra and listed as only nine years of age. Such is the way the noble families of this Saga entwine and reinforce their position through alliances

The story of Robb is partly told though his mother Lady Catelyn Stark with two dedicated chapters towards the end of the Clash of Kings. I say partly because I have not found in the text the central development of his life which occurs as the season ends. Previously Catelyn she had been sent on missions by her son who had become concerned that she was attempting to influence his decisions and actions, as all mothers naturally do, but in a situation where he felt he had to quickly become his own man. He had suggested that she visit the Freys to determine which of the daughters he should marry but as a priority she was to visit the two bothers of the murdered King who were competing with each other for the crown to plead with them to join forces with her son to defeat the Lannisters in common cause. Robb had moved his forces to the south using the Castle fortress of Riverrun as his base.

As a consequence of her visit to Renly Baratheon of Highgarden, younger brother of the late King she had witnessed his murder by what appeared                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           to be a black smoke apparition. Renly was married to an ambitious worldly young woman of only 15 years who was aware that her husband had love for her brother.  The apparition born from the womb of the sorceress the Lady Melisandre of Asshai called the Red Woman, a priestess of R’hillor, the Heart of Fire.  Having achieved his objective of being the soul legitimate claimant to the throne of his brother, Stannis, self declared King in the Narrow Sea, had heeded the call of his faithful servant and made commander of his fleet, Ser Davos Seaworth, called the Onion Knight and sometimes Shorthand, once a smuggler and captain of the ship the Black Betha. Although Renly’s widow of the House of Tyrell had attempted to rally Renly men behind her and her brother, many of Renly’s men had gone over Stannis. That Martin has explained in detail the House of Tyrell of Highgarden, some twenty characters suggest the widow Margery may yet have some role to play in the rest of the series. In this I was to be proved right as the my reading and the TV  series progressed when after  the victory of the Lannisters  at kings landing, the bother of Margery suggests that King Joffrey marry he as his response to being asked to be granted a favour. She makes a speech saying she had admired and loved the Joffrey from afar which causes Sansa to gasp in disbelief. As mentioned in the previous writing on Tyrion and Sansa prearranged by Queen Cersei, Joffrey is freed from his betrothal to Sansa and agrees that Margery should become his Queen.

It is also with Davos whose apparent ending was also covered in the previous writing that there is need to mention how Lord Stannis and self styled King achieved victory at Storm End (442-454). He had brought his ship to join the rest of the fleet below Storm End and wanted to speak with King who remained cut off, according to the son of Davos who had become a squire to the self proclaimed King. He said the King was troubled ever since the death of his brother and appeared to be comforted only by the Red Woman who now shared the King’s tent.

It is here that Davos having gained the ear of the King counselled strongly against the plan of the Red Woman that because she had seen it in the Fire he should lay siege and take Storm End, where in the view of Davos they should go straight to the capital Kings Landing as the younger brother self styled King Renly had intended. The King was not however to be deterred from the course  which the Red Woman had set for him and he commanded Davos to once more take her his ship and go as commanded. The Red woman directed him to a passage below the entrance to Storm end where once more she seemed to give birth to a phantom creature and he was in no doubt that this was a creature of the devil.

Indeed we learn that this act worked on page 468 as Tyrion Lannister temporary Hand on behalf of his father to King Joffrey is told that the citadel had fallen when it should have held out for half a year or more and this meant that the forces of Lord Stannis could immediately set their sights on the capital city as Davos had recommended. In the text there are only rumours about what happened to Lord Stannis after his defeat at Kings Landing. In the TV series he appears to have returned to his castle and the influence of the Red Woman. She counsels him that his destiny is still to unfold and that he will do more evil things than kill his brother, an act which torments day and night. She tells him to look into the fire and see his future. She tells him he is now on fire and that the devil she had borne is now within him.

Meantime Lady Catelyn had returned to the camp of her son with the Lady warrior Brienne who had sworn to protect King Renly and was now blamed by all for his death except Catelyn who had experienced what had occurred. Brienne had freely become the guardian of Lord Stark’s widow and her new liege as Catelyn said farewell to her brother Edmure as he led his men in support of her son. Catelyn was full of doubts and fears about the course of events. When he returned from a successful confrontation with some of the force of Lannisters they had with them Ser Cleo Frey, emissary from King Joffrey, his mother and Tyrion with the terms of peace, which were no terms at all except of the offer exchange her daughters for Jaime Lannister. She had pressed for confirmation that both girls were well and Frey, determined to stick to his mission and not disclose that Ayra was missing had said that he had seen Sansa at Court and that Ayra had been mentioned.(473-484)

We next find Lady Catelyn at the house of her father distraught at the news that Wintefell had been taken and her youngest sons slain. The Lady Brienne tried to comfort her as she reported that it was Theon Greyjoy, a boy she had nurtured at her table since the age of ten who had placed the burnt heads of her son on stakes on the walls.

Lady Catelyn’s grief quickly because emerged with anger and hate and a determination to kill all those who had injured he so grievously. But first she had to think of having her daughters freed She then chose to confront Jaime who admitted being the father of Joffrey and Cersei‘s other children and then he admitted to have caused the disability of Bran by throwing him off the window when by accident he had came on him with his sister. Catelyn would have slain him there and then was he not needed for a greater purpose. The scene comes to an end when taunted further by Jaime Catelyn calls for Brienne and a sword (572-584).

This appears to be the end of story in the text although I may have missed the decision of of Lady Stark to take Janie from captivity and place him under the control of Brienne with the mission to take him to Kings Landing and negotiate the release of her daughters. We witness the two arriving from a small boat ashore and encountering a number of men who Brienne has to fight and kill the men to be able to continue with her mission. She and Jaime remain unaware of the events that have occurred.

Not did I find the decision of Robb to break the commitment to marry one of the daughters of Walder Frey. I have previously mentioned the development of a relationship between Robb and the travelling healer who had gone to the aid of one of the wounded enemy who Robb had attempted to assist. She could be described as a pacifist criticising his involvement in the bloodshed which claimed was not of his making but through self defence and seeking the release of his sisters.  They fall in love and it is as a consequence of this he tells his mother of his decision not to marry a Frey girl. In the TV series he is seen to marry the girl of his choice through a New Age kind of ceremony.         

Clash of Kings ends Tyrion, Sansa and the Lannisters

There is only one of the House of Lannister characters in Ice and Fire series by George R R Martin who I wish well and where the characterisation by the actor in the TV series won awards at the end of the first season bringing to television of the Game of Thrones, Tyrion Lannister, eldest son of Tywin and elder brother of the twins Cersei and Jaime. I begin with him and also Sansa, the eldest daughter of Lord Stark, of Queen Cersei and King Joffrey as their story ends, in terms of the book and second TV series. The story of Catelyn, Robb, Brienne, Jamie and Davos will follow and then of Bran and Ricken and Theon Greyjoy.

From the outset Tyrion showed only an interest in spending his life in the taverns and being entertained by one or more ladies of generous virtue. As a disabled height challenged man often referred to as the Imp, he gained favour with his father and was sent to Kings Landing to represent his father’s role as the King’s Hand leaving Lord Tywin free to concentrate as Commander of the armed forces stopping the approaches of newly crowned Kings Robb, Stannis and Renly with the latter two intent on seizing the Iron Throne of all Seven kingdoms. This is not to say that Tyrion was not without abilities, capable of wielding sword, of analysing situations and working out the likely most effective way of resolving problems and challenges.

He had no confidence in the ability of his sister to manage her wild, irresponsible and volatile son who had been placed on the throne as a means of bring her power. Cersei was not best pleased with the decision of her father and that Tyrion should be  the Hand  especially when Tyrion set about neutering her influence while establishing his own, placing his nominee as head of the city guard while outposting the previous incumbent  to become the eventual head of the Night Watch, imprisoning a member of the Counsel who was acting as a spy for the Queen and deciding that he needed to gain the support of a Lordship and his men by arranging the betrothal of his niece and sending her be raised as a ward by the family in question.

He had also been sceptical about the decision of Cersei to authorise the creation of a vast supply of incendiary devices called Wildfire until seeing what damage they could achieve he had ordered a scheme of training in the use of the weapons and also developed a plan which he kept secret including from the readers! In an attempt to mute his growing power his sister had kidnapped the woman who had become his consort out of love although because he had initially paid for her time he continued to doubt the strength of her relationship with him.

He had no part in the attempt to kill Bran and had managed to escape when captured on behalf of Catelyn, freeing himself by a test of arms. He also paid a visit to the Wall calling in on Winterfell on his return. He was angered by the decision to execute of Lord Stark, taking the pragmatic view that the man would have been useful in bargaining for the life of his younger brother Jaime.

Tyrion has more coverage than other characters in the Clash of Kings and I take up his story again with pages 430 to 442 when he saw off his niece having argued that at least she would safe where she was going having little confidence in his ability to hold off the forces now descending upon the capital.

Tyrion witnessed yet another threat to kill Sansa by Joffrey speculates if his sister is aware of the kind of monster her son has developed into. It was on the return  from seeing his niece set sail that a woman with a child dead from starvation overheard a comment by the Queen to ignore her and led to cry of brotherfucker and into a riot calling out for bread. Sansa had gone missing but was found having been pulled off her hose and injured by things that had been thrown. The daughter of a court lady was not rescued until she had been raped by several dozen men who had quickly become a mob.  It was a fearful warning of what could be in store for them all.

We rejoin Tyrion again on pages 465 to 474. He has decided to send the Queen’s second son away for his protection and the Queen believed correctly that Tyrion had a plan to make the younger boy King in place of Joffrey.

Tyrion has a happy time with his woman and then he is contacted in the night by the Eunuch, the Lord Varys to be given the news that the citadel of Storm End had been taken quickly and that its lord had been killed in mysterious circumstances. Previously we had learned that Davos, Stannis trusted man for special missions had to take the Red Woman to the close to the entrance gate where she had given birth yet again to the devil creature.

Tyrion’s next task is to try and arrange for his woman to made safe much against her wishes and then he muses at the humour of the situation were he alone, ridiculed and dismissed by his family now stands between their defeat and death.

In the chapter 517-524 Tyrion became busy organising the forces available to him to try and thwart and slow up any army advancing on the city. He considered the strength of the City Watch of 6000 most of whom were not fighting men and who had joined because they were provided with bread, ale and safety and he reckoned that the first who threw down his spear in funk would have a thousand follow. He insisted on clearing the space outside the walls, involving the movement of people who he anticipated some would resist as their properties were burned. In addition learning of the fall of Storm End he had heard of the rising of Greyjoy as King of the Islands and the North and considered sending someone to reach agreement on borders and his neutrality.
 
He was pleased but also suspicions when the alchemists claimed to have created far more pots of the quickfire than anticipated and they explained this was because they had recovered skills considered lost which in turn led to questioning over the existence of dragons because it was said that once the dragons were no more so was the art of magic. The news of Daenerys and her dragons is yet to reach them.

He also knew that many in the city had no belief that the Lannisters would triumph and was not surprised when a list of established traitors was brought to him of those who were conspiring to support Stannis. While many were merchants and city traders the name of the armourer was also on the list. They were arrested and condemned.

And during this uncertain and threatening time what of Sansa, the eldest of the Stark daughters (548-556). She had become insufferable when the marriage was first suggested; taking the side of Joffrey, eager to gain his approval, angry at the way Ayra opposed everything her future husband did. She had even supported Joffrey and the Lannisters when they declared her father a traitor and she had urged him and her sister to accept the new Order to protect her betrothal and becoming Queen. She had been made to witness the execution of her father and she was to experience beating given her on the orders of Joffrey who appeared to hate her and yet the betrothal had stood until she was to be used for bargaining to gain the return of Jaime Lannister.

Sansa saw and heard of much burning, by Tyrion in preparation for the defence of the city, and by Stannis before the taking of Storm End. She expressed the wish that the great Sept Building (of the High priest) with its seven crystal towers and marble walls would also burn. Once it had been the most beautiful building in the world to her, but that was before she had witnessed the execution of her father on its steps.

That night as many nights she experienced again the terror of what had happened when the mob had attacked her. This night the situation became worse as she menstruated for the first time and having expected something more magical than messy she had set fire to the bedding and destroyed most of her clothing with the smoke damage. This caused merriment more than concern on the part of Cersei She tried to bring some reality to the girl suggesting that her claim to love Joffrey was unwise as something Stannis would not want to hear. She chided Sansa for wanting to be loved, a disease which her former husband possessed along with Tyrion. She shared a womanly wisdom “Love is poison, a sweet poison, yes, but it will kill you all the same.”

It was Tyrion who broke the news to the reader, or more accurately it was the Lord Varys who gave Tyrion the parchment with the news which he told his sister and us readers that Theon Greyjoy had put to death Bran and Ricken Stark and which in turn put immediately into jeopardy the life of Jaime although at least they still held Sansa, and Catelyn and Robb believed they also had Ayra, wherever she now was, alive or dead. (564-573). He had released some of them loyal to Cersei as a gesture of goodwill. She said she had his whore. She was a hostage   taken because of his plotting against her and plans to put Tommen, the younger of the Cersei’s boys on the Throne. She was opposed to his decision that Joffrey should appear with the troops on the battlement as he was requesting. Tyrion had reassured her that this was for morale and he would be taken away if there was any threat to him or the battle was being lost.

In the next Chapter on Sansa (593-598) Tyrion asks why she is not with Cersei and the high born ladies in the provided refuge from the fighting to come. Sansa has been invited and returning there but first she had been asked by Joffrey to see him off to play his part. Joffrey had asked her to bless his sword with a kiss. With Cersei she sang hymns for protection and for victory as other women would be singing all over the city. Cersei was her usual sarcastic self at the naivety of Sansa and her belief in romantic and wondrous rescues.

It is through the eyes of Davos (599- 611) see 2306 on the role of Catelyn, King Robb, Lord Stannis and his trusted friend(Davos) that we first learn of the sea battle. His counsel had been ignored as usual. He had wanted a few  of the fastest moving ships to have gone ahead and tested out what waited for them down  the river  towards the city fortress before leaving the open sea, rather than the whole fleet charging in to face whatever had been prepared for them. The soldiers the ships carried were hyped up for the battle but he would have preferred caution.  They travelled from the open sea up river using oars not sails to avoid the damage caused by what would be hurled from the battlements as they approached the fortress walls. He did not understand why the river had not been closed to them!

He was convinced of a trap when he could see some ships of the opposition fleet and not their biggest craft. It was also significant that The Red Woman as she was known, the consort of Lord Stannis self styled King Stannis, was not with them. She has been sent home after the men suggested that if she remained the victory would be said to hers and not that of Stannis. Yet she had been instrumental in the death of his brother Lord Renly and the taking over of his forces and with the easy taking of the fortress of Storm End when a siege of months had been anticipated.

It was when the burning pitch and arrows were replaced with Wildfire that Davos began to understand their fate. Although it was only when he realised what was in the barges and other ancient craft that had been floated ahead of the mini fleet of the enemy that he realised the extent to which they had prepared and well laid their trap. Soon the fleet was a blazing inferno and his craft was blown apart under him. He was thrown into the water and commences to swim back from the blaze towards the river mouth. However the river chain had been raised and ships on fire had crashed into it there as now a wall of flame before as well as after him.

Tyrion knew that his plan had worked but they had only won the first part of the battle. Some of the enemy ships had reached the shore and put their men onto the ground. The odds had been ten to one against beforehand and his plan had reduced these to less than half but there was no cause to feel victorious. He had difficulty rousing his men and took it upon himself to lead the defence as the enemy closed in on the city. He urged them to fight for their city and their lives. He did not mention the King, the Queen or himself. He hoped they were following his call but he dared not look behind (612-616).

Sansa had the soup which Cersei provided her and who was getting drunk on wine as news of the battle was relayed to her (617-622). The news was good with over a hundred of the enemy ships ablaze. Cersei also knew the reality of their situation

She explained to Sansa that if circumstances enabled she would surrender and plead for the lives of the women and their children but if otherwise there was rape, torture, mutilation and death awaiting them. She admitted that their birth might protect them as hostages for ransom but after the heat of battle men often had different things on their mind, including revenge for the death of comrades. In such circumstances she had arranged for the trust Ser Illyen who stood by them to put them to death. “Us” appealed Sansa? “Yes” replied he Queen. The Starks will not benefit from the fall of the House of Lannister.

Tyrion found himself in the thick of battle and in his won words became drunk on the slaughter (623-629). We are provided with a vivid description of the battle. Tyrion appears to survive but was sword slashing across his face and loses consciousness.

Sansa overhears the Queen being told that the battle is lost and so it also appears is her brother (630-636). Sansa retreats to her room where she was approached by the hated Hound Sandor Clegaine, of the Kings guard who on Joffrey’s orders has treated her roughly. Now he has something else on his mind. It is not clear from the text what happened  but the next she hears is news that that the City is saved, the battle won as Lord Tywin,  head of the Lannisters had arrived with his men and other supporters  but there was also the allegation that Lord Renly had also appeared and attacked his brother.

As the novel moves to its conclusion Sansa  witnesses the pomp and splendour of the official reception to mark the arrival if Twyin Lannister, Lord of Castlerock, the official Hand to the King at the Court with Joffrey in full regalia and Queen Cersei triumphant. There was also warm greetings for Mace Tyrell and his three sons, Lord of Highgarden who and served the cause so well. For their good service Joffrey offered to meet any request. One son asked to serve in the Kings guard and this was granted. Then the senior brother mentioned that his sister Margery (who we know is 15 years and was married to Lord Renly) says that the marriage was not consummated and asks that the King marries her and unites their two houses (662-669).

Joffrey states he was betrothed to another but the Queen intervened to say it would be wrong to now marry the daughter of a condemned traitor who had admitted his guilt before the people (albeit under threat to save his daughters if he did not).  This greeted with enthusiasm by the court. Joffrey says he has sworn to marry Sansa. The High Septon (priest) then intervenes declares that no spiritual ceremony had taken place moreover the crimes committed by the family also released him from his commitment. There was a great cry of support for the widow of Lord Renly. Joffrey declared that the Gods are good and that he would marry the sister.

This had all been prearranged by Cersei who had warned Sansa to look distraught at the news and to ask what would become of her despite feeling elation inside that she was free of Joffrey and she hoped free to return to her family.  Innumerable others are rewarded including the making of 600 new knights. Back in her quarters Sansa was to learn that the Queen would continue to hold her as a hostage and the Joffrey would also take her as his whore. She had to flee to survive. But she had a friend Ser Dontos offering to help her escape on the night when Joffrey was to wed.

Tyrion survived his wounds (681-688) and found himself being cared for in a place he did not now but later learned it was at the command of his sister who wanted to be kept closely informed of his recovery. He wanted the plaster and bandages removed from his face to see the extent of his injuries despite being warned he risked the recovery and properly healing of the wound. He was cheered to learn that his father had arrived and assumed his appointed role as the Hand. He longed to see his woman but wondered how she would react to his injuries. Thus the book ends but the TV series is different. I have resisted the temptation to see if this is a brought forward endomh from aspects of the next novel.

Tyrion learns that supported by his father he had been stripped of all his official roles and that in addition to suffering further deformity he has become an outcast. He had never trusts the feelings which his woman had shown him, given the circumstances in which they met and her background. When she comes to him an wants to show her devotion and share his banishment he shows her his deformed face. She only shows him her love and perhaps he has gained more than he has ever anticipated.

Clash of Kings ends-the story of Jon

The third character where the reader is unsure of their future role in the Fire and Ice series of huge novels by George R R Martin and which for the television series is known by the name of the first work Game of Thrones, is the illegitimate eldest son of Lord Stark of Winterfell, Jon, Jon Snow.

With the departure of Lord Stark to the capital of the Seven Kingdoms taking Jon’s favourite half sister, Ayra to be a companion for the eldest daughter, betrothed when still a child to the boy who the King believed was his eldest child. Jon, under the influence of the Stark’s brother, Benjen, had elected to join he Night Watch, guardian of the great wall of rock and Ice separating the Seven Kingdoms from the harsh lands beyond the Wall full, of independent human creatures called Wildings and where legend had it that the undead once walked and which some claimed had returned.

Jon had then been devastated when first he had reports that his father had been executed by the new King Joffrey after being deposed as a traitor following the death of the King Robert who has required his role as chief adviser and led to the breaking up of the family. He was then left alone when his uncle failed to return from an expedition beyond the Wall to investigate the rumours of happenings. Nevertheless he had taken the oath of lifelong celibacy and commitment and had had gained a special position after saving the life of the head of Order,

In the second book, Game of Thrones, he had become a member of a large party from the Night Watch led by its leader to find out what had happened to his uncle and what was happening according reports of concern. It is during this expedition that I rejoin Jon during the last third of the book covered in the writings this week.

In pages 457-464 Jon is party to the reports of the men from the Shadow Tower along the Wall who had engaged and defeated some of the Wildings. The leader of the Night Watch,  the Lord Commander and also called the Old Bear,  had the birth name of Jeor Mormont, the same surname as the knight who guarded and companioned Daenerys Targaryen but if  a relationship between the two has been mentioned it has not be noted. Also with the Night Watch as a counsellor and healer is Master Aemon Targaryen a relation of Daenerys and therefore a link between the future of the Night \Watch and the attempt of Daenerys Targaryen and her Dragons to regain family power is suggested.

The men captured by the Shadow Tower men had talked and explained that the intention of the Wilding hoards was to breach the wall, some seven hundred feet in height, not be tunnelling underneath or scaling its height with ropes but by sorcery. The horde had taken to the mountains in search of some great power, force, to be used and the Shadow Tower commander suggested three parties of five men should be sent to find out more. When seeking to know what men he would use for this dangerous mission, he named Jon Snow because he was a Stark and the Starks were of the Old Gods and because it was the men of the Shadow Tower who still believed that Benjen Stark the head Ranger remained alive until proved dead. However it can also be said that that the decision had been ore determined in a private conversation between the Old Bear and the Shadow Tower Commander.

From pages 537-548 we learn that Jon had taken with him his now full grown direwolf Ghost who at night went out hunting but stayed closes as he huddled with the rest of the party for warmth from furs and each others bodies as they slept the night in the open on the hard frozen rock of the inhospitable land. They had climbed in the dark trying not to think of chasm below and remembering the advice to regard the mountain akin to a mother’s teat. Jon had joked that he had always wondered who his mother was but had never considered finding her in this barren wilderness. His father had promised to tell on his return to Winterfell who his mother has been and now with the death, he assumed he would never know. They had come at night to try and take the three Wildings who had lit fires while they kept round the clock watch on movements below.

It was the first time Jon faced an enemy which required killing to ensure their lasting silence and enable their discovering what was happening... His companions did for the other two but he found the third to be a girl, no older than himself and who yielded to him. She pleaded for her companions to be burnt but instead they were stripped to their bodies and flung below to be savaged as food for wild animals.

Jon was told they had neither food nor spare men to guard the girl and Jon resigned himself to her killing, something had had to do personally as she had surrendered to him the night before. The others made their way telling him to be quick and determined to undertake the deed and he had raised his knife being told by the girl to be quick. Then he had changed his mind and told her run off.

It is at this point that the story the TV series departs from the book. In pages 557-564 Jon rejoins the party and admits he had taken the girl’s weapons and let her free something which did not cause their leader any surprise and his concern became more the dream Jon had of being his Direwolf and seeing that all the Wildings had come together not as an army as such but as everyone   including children, women and old men and of what he saw more!  And then with the dawn they heard the call of the horn knowing they had been spotted.

Much else is written of the others before the book is about to close and we find ourselves with Jon once more (689-698). The party leader had two orders. One was for someone to leave and find the Commander of the Night Watch and tell him of Jon’s dream and of the rising of creatures from mythology and that the trees had eyes again.

The other order was for Jon after getting him to recite his oath of duty and commitment with him. He was to not only to yield if captured and agree to renounce his oaths and join as the girl had bid him to do. He was to do everything that was asked of him whatever this was and keep to watch. When asked what he should look for, the party leader said he wished that he knew and then made Jon swear to do what was asked of him.

When they were captured the Wilding wanted to kill them all but it was the girl reunited with her people who explained what had happened and who he was and pleaded for him.  There was great reluctance to accept her words and as a test he was told to fight his party leader to death. Jon realised that his leader had known this was likely to happen before the order had been given. When Jon asked where they would be going the girl explained, sadly that there was no one behind them. Her countrymen were well ahead marching on the Wall and her manner suggesting she regretted not being with them...

The TV second season series follows the substance of these events although Jon loses contact with the others and he needs the girl to help him find his comrades. He becomes her prisoner when she encounters her comrades so as to protect him from immediate death. In the final sequence they are overtaken not be the rest of their company but a different kind of army, the undead, skeletal  beings reminiscent of those called to help during the Return of the King in the Lord of the Rings  or those in one of the Pirates of the Caribbean films. These are the most fearsome and while Jon hides he appears to be spotted by one but is ignored.

A Clash of Kings ends - Ayra

My second heroine throughout both first seasons of the Game of Thrones and the Clash of Kings is Ayra, the second daughter of Lord Stark of Winterfell. She epitomises what most contemporary parents hope their daughters to be, intelligent, thoughtful, caring, adventurous and a match for any male unless he uses brute force and weaponry.

In the first season Ayra’s father out of loyalty to the King he had helped to put on the throne and create one Kingdom where there had been seven and thus bringing some unity and peace to a troubled island land, had agreed to become his Hand, a kind of Prime Minister with only the King and a Council to exercise restraint on the use of power. The previous long standing incumbant had been murdered on behalf of the in a plan to make her incestuous born eldest son, King.

King Robert has exacted a high price demanding that Lord Stark agree to the betrothal of his eldest daughter Sanza still a child to the boy he appeared to believe to be his son although had no likeness to any of the other sons he had fathered whenever his fancy and opportunity came his way. Knowing what this would mean for his eldest Stark haddecided that his young daughter Ayra should accompany her sister despite the two being opposites in nature and behaviour.

In fairness to Lord Stark only his sense of duty and of loyalty had persuaded him to abandon his idyllic family life and position in which he was well regarded by the citizens of Winterfell and other Lords of the North. He then learned that the man who he had placed on throne by force of arms was a failure as a monarch, failing to work for a permanent  peace within the former Kingdoms by seeking reconciliation with those defeated or developing a loyal army to sustain his control should revolts occur.

In part this was because Robert as everyone else wanted to make the most of the long unending summer, something of a metaphor although also a statement  that  a season could last for years into a decade as could the Winter which would inevitably follow. This overall description of climate also covered a situation where there were significant difference between the south where Mediterranean style conditions appear to prevail and the north where the weather was more akin to that of the UK and Scandinavia  with it becoming colder until reaching the equivalent of the Artic, the giant wall of ice covered rock which separated the Seven Kingdoms from the dangerous waste beyond where deadly mysterious creatures were reported to have existed in ancient times  whereas now there were only fiercely independent  humans called Wildings with the understandable inclination to move southward because of the more advantageous land and conditions.

It was the brother of Lord Stark who held a senior position in the Watch, a brotherhood of celibate men sworn to protect the Kingdom by a lifetime of service guarding the wall and periodically venturing forth to assess the mood and positions of the Wildings.  He had gone on such a mission several years before after bringing the illegitimate first born son of Lord Stark into service after his father’s move south. Jon Snow, a universal kind of name given to all such offspring was not cut out for the life of a celibate life and had wanted to return to the side of step mother and brothers once the news of his father’s murder reached him.

This has left Robb Stark the eldest son and still only a boy as family head, responsible for the care of Lady Stark and his two young  brothers Bran who was an adventurous child who loved to climb any and everything with sure foot and brave heart and his youngest brother no more a babe in arms.
It was step brother Jon who had fashioned a small specially made sword for Ayra sensing that she would have need to protect herself in her new situation and it was her father on discovering this had the sense to arrange lessons  to teach her to use the weapons and her skills of self defence.

Ayra as her sisters Sansa along with Jon, Robb and Bran had each been given one of dire wolf cubs that had been discovered with the carcass of their mother. These creatures are given by their author creator the kind of mythical loyalty and power which others have also associated with the common wolf hound. Ayra had commenced to lock horns with the betrothed of her sister on the way to Kingdom city Kings Landing, on the southern coast and this had led to the direwolf told to run off to safety as its immediate future was under threat and led to the execution of that belonging to Sansa instead. I mention this because I assume Ayra will be reunited with her animal at some point.

She had escaped from the city after witnessing her father being executed when he refused to accept the new regime having discovered the treachery of the Queen and her twin brother.

Ayra had commenced to travel north disguised as a boy on her way home as part of a caravan taking volunteers and pressed men to join the Night Watch until they had been attacked by the Kings men under orders of the Queen in an attempt to locate and kill all the illegitimate children of her late husband and who in fact had greater legitimacy that any of her three children fathered by her twin brother. Unbeknown to Ayra or the young man in question the pursuers were after the surviving eldest son of the former King who had been brought up as a blacksmith at the forge of his stepfather.

Ayra and several young companions had been pursued by a murderous group on behalf of the king who had broken up and killed the Nightwatch caravan and which had also included a group of offenders who were kept as prisoners because they had not volunteered their services. When the assault had taken place Ayra had freed the three prisoners from certain death by fire and which later was to bring her a change in fortune. The group has been captured and taken to the destroyed fortress of Harrenthal.
This had become the HQ of the father of the Queen whose force had lost in three battles with Robb Stark who had been crowned King of the North and declared their independence of the new boy King. The head of the Lannister family was waiting to see what happened with the news that one of the two brothers of the former king who both claimed the throne had been killed, allegedly by the other and was moving on Kings Landing.

Upon capture Ayra had given up her disguise as boy and had the opportunity to act as a general servant which included scrubbing stairs as well as serving at table under direction. She picked up news about what was happening and what might be happening but she was not as close or as privy to Ser Tywin Lannister, the head of the family as suggested in the TV series.

The other significance difference is how she uses the three lives offered for freeing the three prisoners and the order which events are recorded in the book and TV series. She had used the first and second to get rid of her tormentors and commenced to believe the man possessed special powers when the second killing was achieved by getting the target’s dog to turn on him.

She then gives the man his own name for the third killing but explains she will withdraw his name if he agrees to arrange the escape of Northmen imprisoned and he agrees although it involves killing more than a dozen guards. The debt has been redeemed and Ayra has regrets on being reduced to defenceless young servant once more. It is at this point in the book and not after she makes her escape  as  per the TV series that she  realises the individual has shape shifting powers as he changes his appearance before leaving Harrenthal. He offers to show her something of his powers if she is willing to accompany him across the sea where he has duties. She reluctantly declines because of her own mission and he gives her coin which he says will command any of his countrymen to take her to him if she says the words “valar morghulis.” In the book this exchange takes places after she left the castle fortress which is the request she makes of him and not the freeing of the north countryman.  (493-506).

With the departure of Tywin Lannister to assist the attacked City held by his daughter, eldest son and grandson King Herrenthal come sunder control of others sympathetic to the cause of the North an Ayra learns that her home had been taken and her brothers killed

It is as the book comes to and end (648-661) that Ayra decides to leave accompanied by her friends on learning that a planned change in the control of Harrenthal will again place her in peril. The arrival of three hunting horses is the catalyst for a plan to leave. She entrusts the task of getting hold of the horses to her two young companions while she uses the silver coin given to her to trick the guard sufficiently to be able to use his sword to slit his throat. The three then depart. Like Daenerys Targeryen she continues to be on the outside but coming closer to what one feels is to be her destiny.

Clash of Kings season ends Daenerys Targaryen

The second season of a Game of Thrones has ended and I am taking the opportunity of the long train ride to Brighton from Newcastle via Kings Cross and Victoria to finish my reading of Clash of Kings and commence the writing of my final piece. Because I have delayed doing so for  several weeks I will recap the main story and recent developments.

I begin with Daenerys Targaryen because her story and role is separate from the other characters and families, because there are important differences between the book account and the Television series and  most of all because she is adorable. As previously mentioned Daenerys has lived her life in exile away from her homeland and was married off at a tender age by her brother to the leader of a tribe of nomadic warriors with a view to gaining their support for an assault on the mainland to regain  the throne of his ancestors. (420-429   508-516  and 637-647)

Her treacherous brother has died as had her husband who she came to love. For her wedding she was given the last three dragon eggs known to exist, a gesture, as they were considered only to be symbols of the land of the Dragons which her family once ruled. However driven by her sense of destiny she had entered the funeral pyre of her husband with the eggs and emerged unscathed and with the eggs hatched. Although she was deserted by the majority of her husbands kinsmen she had become known as the Queen of Dragons as she made her way to the coast in the hope of finding a fleet and soldiers to commence her attempt to regain the family’s former power. She was assisted bv one loyal knight from her people Ser Jorah Mormont, once Lord of Bear Island and some hundred of the men  and their families of her husband former huge army in their tens of thousands, and they come to a great coastal three walled fortified city and port full of merchants from the known world  who between them controlled several thousand ships.

She and her followers had only been allowed into the city because of the intervention of one of its leaders, a wealthy merchant who only as the book ends discloses that he controls over 800 ships.

His reason for interceding on her behalf and the provision of hospitality in his palace is the hope of acquiring one of the fledgling dragons so he can take sole control of the city presently managed by a Council of the wealthy elders. He puts on a banquet so the establishment can meet her but their interest is only the dragons. He tries various ways to persuade her to marry and in the book but not in the TV series it is revealed that although he claims to have no interest in the dragons upon marriage the couple can ask one thing of  each other which cannot be refused and she is warned he will ask for a single dragon. She says she will give him a third of the dragons if he provides her with a third of the ships of the world.

She decides to apply to the City Council for assistance and uses her available gold to make application and bribe the various officials and interests to gain the audience before them. They have no interest other than to have another opportunity to view the dragons arguing that she has provided no evidence of support in her homeland or evidence that they will be repaid for the expenditure she asks of them. From her arrival she has also been courted by Pyat Pree  a warlock of the city of Quarth. A kind of undead shape shifting being with blue lips. He offers her sanctuary and support and after the refusal of the city elders to help  and that of her host Xaro Xhoan Daxos, she decides to accept the offer to visit.

There is a different approach taken in the TV series as following a fire at the palace she finds all three dragons stolen and taken to tall decaying tower of the warlocks. In the book she visits with one of dragons in her shoulder. In the book she is greeted at base by Pyat Pree or his image and is advised that on entry she must always go up than down and always take the first door on the right( although as she needs to work out subsequently this is also the last door on the left. She is also warned against being side tracked by the delights she will be shown and offered.

In the TV series the main delight she encounters is to see her husband and her child and to be begged by him to stay with them as he insists he is real. However she realises she has a greater mission even if this not a delusion. In the book she briefly looks into various rooms to see what they reveal but does not enter, after having been given a drink which tastes like ink and bad meat to enable her to see what others do not.  In the TV series she is captured in the same room as her dragons are kept chained and told they will stay there for eternity so the warlock can use the power of dragons to control the city and from there the rest of the world.

However she uses the powers of the dragons to burn and destroy the warloch, the power used for the first time in their still fledgling status. In the book she uses the fire power of the dragon on her shoulder to destroy the warlocks who she eventually meets. In the TV series she finds out that Xaro Daxos was in league with the warlock to gain control of the dragons after she had refused his offer of marriage if she abandons her plan to go back to her homeland. She finds that the great vault in in Palace and she imprisons him inside the vault before taking his gold to buy ships to continue her mission. In the book there is an attempt on her life as she attempts to bargain for at least one ship and this encounter brings her in contact with emissaries from the homeland who tell her the King is dead and that four individuals have declared themselves King and make war with each other. In both instance we are given the impression that at last is about to go to her family’s homeland to add a Queen to the three remaining Kings in pursuit of establishing themselves permanently in control.