Sansa makes a hasty escape from King's Landing in the nick of time. Cersei and Tywin immediately send out soldiers to look for her and order the gates of the city to be closed. The Fool takes her to a boat he has hidden away and rows her out to a ship where she is met by the oily Lord Baelish. He kills the fool, tells Sansa he was really in his pay, he followed my orders but assures her she is safe with him.
A stunned Margaery and Olenna have a talk. She bemoans the fact that she is not a queen and Olenna advises her not to press the issue. Margaery says she must be cursed. Olenna tells her the next one will be better--Renly liked men more than women, Joffrey liked torturing animals you're much better off.
Joffrey has been laid out in the sept with Cersei, Tommen and Tywin at his side. Tywin asks Tommen if he knows what Joff's death means, Tommen replies, I will be king. Tywin wants to know what kind of king he will be. He says a good king, and Tywin asks him what the single most important quality a good king has. Tommen starts out with holiness, and Tywin has a story of a king so good he would not eat anything of this sinful world, and starved. Tommen replies then with a just king and Tywin throws in another anecdote about a king who was just and made many reforms, but was murdered in his sleep by his brother.Tommen says strenth, and Tywin says King Robert Baratheon was a strong king, he crushed the Targaryens. He was too fond of whoring, hunting, and drinking and the last two killed him.
Tywin asks Tommen what they all lacked. And Tommen replies--wisdom. Tywin wants to know how he will know what is wise, and tells him he must listen to his counselors and heed their advice. He continues to school him, and set his feet firmly on the path to being his figurehead. '
Jaime enters and asks to have a private word with Cersei. She is by Joffrey, still weeping. When he approaches she again accuses Tyrion, that he told her-- the day would come when you think you are safe and happy and your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth. You saw Joffrey point to him. Jaime says there will be a trial and we will get to the truth of it. Cersei is not listening to reason, she wants him dead, and begs Jaime to make it happen, he was our son.
They share a passionate kiss, but Cersei breaks away. A frustrated Jaime says, 'You are a hateful woman. Why have the gods made me love a hateful woman'. He forces another kiss on her, and then takes her to the floor unwillingly. She protests it is not right, and Jaime says I don't care. (Jaime, you just lost a lot of your 'I'm really not such a bad guy' points).
Arya and the Hound are on their way to the Aerie. She asks him his plans once he is paid, and he mentions going across the Narrow Sea, book passage as a sell sword. A farmer comes by and wonders what they are doing on his land. Arya comes up with a cover story and tells him they owed allegiance to the Tully's of Riverrun. The farmer invites them back to his home, feeds them, talks about the Red Wedding and that the Freys will burn in the 7 hells for what they did to their guests and that he is worried about them plundering. He asks the Hound to stay until the new moon to help with farm work, and give them protection. The Hound agrees when he hears the farmer has a little silver put by.
Arya awakes to the sound of the farmer's daughter screaming and runs out to find that the Hound has mugged the father and taken his silver--he was weak, he had no one to protect him or his daughter, they would have been dead by winter anyway. I understand the way things are....(and just when I was beginning to like the Hound).
At the wall, Sam and Gilly are talking. He tells her they all think he is lying when he tells them he killed a white walker, they all think she is a wildling. He is concerned for her safety and wants to take her to Mole's Town and settle her there where she will be safer. Gilly thinks he is bored with her and wants to get rid of her, Sam is stumped...and clueless.
Stannis and Davos receive the news of Joffrey's death, and Stannis attributes it to the leech he tossed in the fire that was filled with the blood of Gendry. He tells Davos he needs an army, he has to press his claim or he will be forgotten. Davos mentions sellswords, but there is no gold. Stannis says he is running out of time, which means you're running out of time.
Davos goes to visit Shireen who wants to give him another reading lesson. It is a book about swords and pirates. They talk about Davos' former life--he was a smuggler, not a pirate. He says it is fine distinction--if you're a famous smuggler you're not doing it right. shireen says her father says a criminal is just a criminal. He tells her Stannis has never understood either--Your father lacks an appreciation of the finer points of bad behavior. (lol) They chat some more, and suddenly Davos has an idea. He kisses Shireen on the forehead and tells her to write a message---to the officers of the Iron Bank from Stannis Baratheon, the one true king of Westeros.
Sam and Gilly arrive in town where he settles her in at a brothel where she will be cooking, cleaning, and watching the other girls babies. She feels abandoned and Sam says--it's for the best. Gilly says--best for you.
Oberyn, Ellaria and several assorted whores (girls and boys alike) are...well, you know. Tywin enters the room and shoos them all out the door including Ellaria. He asks Oberyn if he had anything to do with Joffrey's death--he knows he is well schooled in the use of poisons. He wonders about the talk he had with Tyrion the day he arrived in King's Landing. Oberyn says they talked of his sister. Oberyn says his gripe is with the Mountain, and the Mountain takes his orders from you. Implying that Tywin is the one in danger. He would not take down someone who had nothing to do with it. Tywin has a very interesting proposition for Oberyn. He wants him to be one of the judges at Tyrion's trial along with himself and Mance Tyrell, and also tells him he wants him to sit on the small council as well, and serve as one of the king's advisors. Tywin is looking ahead, he knows the strenth of Dorne and needs to pull them in. He mentions the Targaryen girl and her 3 dragons, soon enough she will turn her eyes to us, and Dorne is the only one to have defeated Aegon Targaryen and his dragons.
Pod visits Tyrion in his cell and brings him some food and writing materials. Tyrion wants to know about Shea, but Pod has heard nothing. Pod tells Tyrion he will stand trial and asks if he has a list of names to testify on his behalf. Tyrion says Sansa--she's gone, Varys--testifying for the other side, Bronn--under investigation, Jaime--Pod will ask him . Pod is ready to leave but comes back and tells Tyrion he has been approached to testify against him. But he would never do that. Tyrion is very upset--he tells Pod he must leave at once, he does not want to go to trial and see Pod's head on a stake. They have a moving farewell scene, Tyrion tells Pod there has never lived a more loyal squire.
Ygritte and the wildlings are slaughtering all the residents of a small village. The cannibalistic Styr takes a small boy, tells him he is going to eat his mother and father, and then sets him off for Castle Black to warn the Crows, hoping to draw them out.
The Night Watch meets, they realize they are in BIG trouble, they have only a 100 men to defend the wall, if the Wildlings breech it, they will roll over a 1000 miles before they find an army to destroy them. It is a hopeless cause, they must find a way to defend Castle Black.
Dani reaches the outskirts of Meereen. She rides up to the gates, and they send out a champion and ask her to send her own against him. The champion mocks the army of the Unsullied as the townspeople of Meereen look on. Grey Worm, Ser Barristan, Jorah, and Daario all volunteer to go against the champion, and Dani chooses Daario. The champion is mounted on a horse, in armor, and carrying a long lance. Daario stands seemingly unarmed, waiting for the charge. When the horse gets close enough he throws a knife at it, and when the champion is grounded, he quickly takes care of him. All in a matter of seconds. Archers let fly hundreds of arrows that fall just short, and Daario turns toward the city and pisses on the ground in his own gesture of contempt.
Dani speaks to the people of Meereen in their own language, telling them she conquered Astapor, and their slaves are at her side, conquered Yunkai and freed their slaves as well. She tells the people of Meereen that she is not their enemy, their enemy stands beside them. She brings up the ballistas, which fire a series of barrels into the city. They break open on the stone walls. Inside the barrels are the chains and collars of the slaves she has freed.
