Arya sails beneath the legs of the Titan of Bravos, a huge statue that straddles the passage to Bravos, a city laced with canals and a lively marketplace, and home to the mysterious house of Black and White. It is a huge blocky building, squatting on an island with large black and white doors. She knocks, and the door is opened by an old man who tells her he does not know Jaquen and abruptly closes the door on her. With no place to go, Arya sits on the steps, reciting her list--Cersei, Walder Frey, the Mountain, Meryn Trant....day passes into night, rains come and go, and morning arrives. She stands, takes the coin, and throws it into the water.
Brienne and Pod are at an Inn when Pod notices that one of the customers is Baelish. Brienne notices Sansa as well, and tells Pod to get the horses. She. strides over to their table, and tells Sansa about the oath she made to her mother to protect her daughter. Baelish brings up Renly's murder, and how she was implicated. It does not help Brienne's cause when she explains the real story behind his death, how he was killed by the 'shadow' of Stannis Baratheon. Baelish questions her story and Brienne wonders why he should have a say. He answers that he is Sansa's uncle by marriage, that she (Brienne) is an outsider and experience has made him wary. She turns to Sansa, hoping she will accept her protection, but Sansa is very suspicious, since she saw Brienne bow to King Joffrey at his wedding. She wants no part of Brienne's help and tells her to leave. The sly Baelish however, tells her to stay, but Brienne sees through him, and busts through the knights of the Vale, out into the courtyard--where she lets loose some of their horses, and she and Pod make a run for it. The knights follow in hot pursuit, but they are no match for Brienne. She and Pod eventually elude them, and Brienne tells Pod they will follow Sansa, even if she wants nothing to do with them.
Cersei and Jaime have a meeting. She has received a menacing gift from Dorne--the necklace of her daughter Myrcella which is a twin to her own, held in the mouth of a snake. Her hatred of pretty much everyone and everything and bitterness over the death of Joffrey, her daughter's exile in Dorne, and her youngest son Tommen's engagement to that 'smirking whore from Highgarden', has pushed her past the edge of rational thinking. She lashes out at Jaime when he advises caution. He then tells her that he is going to Dorne to get her back.
He recruits Tyrion's old buddy Ser Bronn to go with him.
We finally get to visit Dorne, the lush and beautiful water gardens. Ellaria is looking down at Myrcella wandering with her betrothed, and is infuriated. She goes to confront Prince Doran, who is crippled and in a wheelchair of sorts demanding he do something about Oberyn's death. She is furious still and wants to send Cersei back her daughter--in pieces. Prince Doran tells her that is not how they do things, Oberyn's death happened in a trial by combat, we don't handle things that way. Conflict is brewing between the two, Ellaria informs him that the Sand Snakes are behind her and will avenge their father.
Daario and Grey Worm are wandering the streets of Meereen. Daario tells Grey Worm that the Unsullied are too conspicuous, the Second Sons can blend in, drink, whore with the people of Meereen, and that is how they will find the sons of the Harpy. He leads Grey Worm to a seemingly empty room and suddenly drives his spear through a wall, pinning the man within, who is clearly a son of the Harpy since he has a gold mask with him. He is hauled off to prison. Dani is seeking advice from her council over what to do. Mossador, the former slave, tells her that all they understand is blood, suggesting killing him. Ser Barristan speaks caution to Dani, reminding her of the atrocities her father committed during his rule, and that his desire to stamp out dissent created rebellion which resulted in the deaths of every Targaryen but 2. He gave the enemy the justice they deserved, and it made him feel powerful right to the very end. Dani tells him she is not her father, and that the man will receive a fair trial.
Tyrion and Varys are traveling in a luxurious wagon on the way to Meereen, Tyrion with a cup in his hand, becoming very restless. Varys calmly telling him he was a good leader when he was the Hand, Tyrion bemoaning Shea's death, how she wanted him to leave King's Landing but he wouldn't go because he liked the power. Varys grooms him for his next plan by telling him how people like he and Tyrion (misfits) will never rule--they find us repulsive, they will never follow us. (Implying they are the ones that are the power behind the thrones of the world.)
A dwarf's head is thrown onto a table, Cersei looks at it and says, it is not him, but mistakes will be made, keep looking. Qyburn wants to keep the head, useful for his work. Cersei goes to the Small Council meeting and takes the seat of the Hand, telling everyone she is filling in for Tommen. She appoints Mace Tyrell Master of Coin, Qyburn Master of Whisperers (Varys' old job), and asks her uncle, Kevan Lannister to be Master of War. Here she runs into trouble. Kevan wants no part of dealing with Cersei, he will not be her puppet, he answers only to the king, and when the king wants to talk to him he will find him at Casterly Rock.
Stannis' daughter is teaching Gilly how to read, with Sam watching on. Gilly asks her about her disfigurement (grey scale) and tells her the story of how two of her sisters died horribly from the same thing. The princess's mother, the Queen, enters and kicks out Gilly and Sam. She tells her daughter to have nothing more to do with Gilly--she's a Wildling.
Jon and Stannis meet. He expresses his displeasure at Jon taking matters into his own hands by sparing Mance from a painful death and hinting at what happens to those who displease him by looking at Davos' missing hand. Jon informs him that the free folk will not follow him, they will only follow one of their own. Stannis shows him a message from Lyla of Bear Island in which she says she will not join forces with Stannis, she follows the Starks, the king of the North. Davos tells Jon that Lord Aliser will probably be elected King of the North, and that he has it in for Jon. Jon's bravery made him look weak. Stannis tells Jon he will give him the North if he will kneel before him and pledge him his loyalty. He'll make him a Stark. Jon is torn, it is always what he wanted, but he tells Sam later that he will refuse him, he swore a vow to the Night's Watch.
Maester Aemon rises and asks for candidates to be put forth for the 998th Lord Commander. Aliser Thorne, and Dennis Mallister are nominated, and then Sam pipes in and nominates Jon Snow. He recites all of his qualifications and ends with--He may be young, but he's the man we turned to when the night was darkest. The voting begins, the tokens are counted, and it is a tie between Jon and Lord Aliser. Maester Aemon casts the final vote--for Jon. Jon is the new Lord Commander of the Night's Watch.
Arya is slicing the heads off of pigeons (for food) in an alley when she is confronted by 3 thugs, who quickly leave when they see the old man from the House of Black and White come up behind her. He shows her the coin she threw in the water and she follows him back to the House of Black and White. He reveals himself to her as Jaqen and tells her when she asks who he is--no one, and that is what a girl must become. In she goes, through the black and white doors.
Mossodor goes to the cell where they are keeping the captured son of the Harpy and kills him, and puts him out for all to see. Dani calls him to account for it, he had no right, the law is the law. She goes out to address her people who raise their hands to her and call her Mhysa. She tells them that they let her inside their borders because she promised them freedom and justice, but one cannot exist without the other. Mossador is brought out in chains and made to kneel. He asks Dani for forgiveness, her people plead for mercy for him. But Dani gives the signal, and Daario lops off his head. The crowd grows silent, and then begins to hiss. Rocks are picked up and thrown at Dani and the masters who are attendance. The Unsullied form a protective barrier with their shields and rush Dani to safety.
A shaken Dani stands atop her pyramid, looking out over the city. She hears a guttural sound from above, and looks up to see her wayward dragon Drogon. She reaches out her hand to touch him, but he takes off over the city.
