Summary: Tyrion
Tyrion asks Grand Maester Pycelle to send two copies of a letter to Doran Martell, the Prince of Dorne. While Pycelle is out of the room, Tyrion steals a potion. Pycelle tries to find out the contents of the letters, but Tyrion tells him nothing. Tyrion meets with Bronn, his trusted sellsword. Bronn describes the royal subjects waiting to ask favors of Tyrion, revealing a worsening situation in the city as a result of food shortages. Tyrion encounters Cersei, who complains about the inadequacy of the defensive preparations in King’s Landing and tells him again to have Tywin bring his army to the city. Tyrion refuses, reflecting on how Stannis and Renly could combine forces to take the city.
In his chambers, Tyrion meets with Littlefinger. Tyrion wants Littlefinger to go to Lysa Arryn, Catelyn Stark’s sister, and betroth Myrcella, Cersei’s daughter, to Lysa’s son in exchange for Lysa’s help against Stannis and Renly. In return, Tyrion will make Littlefinger the Lord of Harrenhal. Littlefinger accepts. Tyrion meets with Varys to explain that he means to offer a seat on the royal council to Doran Martell for his allegiance and will back up his promise by sending Tommen, Cersei’s youngest son, to live with the Martells. Tyrion tells Varys to keep this plan a secret from Cersei.
Summary: Sansa
Sansa has received an unsigned note telling her to go to the godswood at night if she wants to go home. She fears it may be a trap but decides to go. She finds Dontos, the knight whose life she convinced Joffrey to spare, waiting for her. To pay her back for saving him, Dontos promises to be a true knight and vows to send her home. Returning to her room, Sansa runs into the Hound, Sandor Clegane, who is Joffrey’s chief bodyguard. The Hound disbelieves her tale of going to the godswood to pray. On the way to her room, they encounter Ser Boros Blount, a member of the Kingsguard, who tells them that a small riot occurred outside the castle. The Hound tells Sansa, whom he calls a little bird, that one day he will make her sing him a song.
Summary: Arya
Arya, Gendry, Lommy (who is wounded), Hot Pie, and the orphan girl, now known as Weasel, travel north. From a tree, Arya spies a fishing village that seems to be inhabited. Lommy suggests that they yield to whoever is there, but Gendry decides that he and Arya will scout first. As the two of them walk through the forest, Gendry reveals that he knows that Arya is a girl, and she tells him her real identity. They split up when they get to the village. Gendry gets captured. Arya goes back to camp and convinces Hot Pie to help her rescue Gendry. As they approach the village, however, Hot Pie yields to a soldier and Gregor Clegane, the Hound's brother and a fearsome Lannister raider, takes him and Arya prisoner. They make Arya and Hot Pie lead them to their camp, where they kill Lommy. Weasel has escaped into the woods.
Summary: Tyrion
Tyrion goes to a cellar where royal pyromancers have stored jars of wildfire, a flammable liquid that is near impossible to extinguish once lit. Tyrion orders 10,000 jars produced. He then meets with Jacelyn and Cleos Frey, who offers Robb Stark’s peace terms. Tyrion plans to reply with peace terms of his own, granting Robb enough to keep the Starks from attacking while the Lannister forces grow stronger. He finds Cersei in his chambers. Cersei is furious about Tyrion’s plan to send Myrcella to Doran Martell. Tyrion tells her that Myrcella would be safer there, and he reassures her that Tywin’s decision to hold the bulk of his forces at Harrenhal is a good one, since Robb cannot attack there and the more time passes the weaker Robb’s army becomes. He gives her Robb’s peace terms, offering them as proof that this strategy is working. Tyrion also reflects that he now knows which of the three royal councilors is an informer for Cersei.
Summary: Bran
Bran hosts the lords of the north at a grand feast. Luwin and Rodrik tell him that he has done a good job as the lord of Winterfell. Bran recalls how much has changed since the last feast in the great hall, when King Robert came to ask Eddard Stark to become the Hand of the King. Meera and Jojen Reed—a teenage girl and her younger brother from the swamplands of the Neck—arrive and swear their allegiance to Winterfell. Their father, Howland Reed, once saved Eddard Stark’s life. That night, Bran dreams that he is his direwolf Summer. Meera and Jojen approach him and Shaggydog in the godswood. Meera is afraid, but Jojen is confident that he will not die. Jojen also says that Shaggydog is wild and scared, but that Summer is more powerful than he knows. When Jojen pets Summer, Bran’s dream changes and he feels himself falling.
