Family, Duty, Honor: The Catelyn re-read project Part Two - Clash & Storm

[BastardlyRock]

Great comments everyone! I'll be honest, the more shocking part of the George's word choice here was - to me - not her feeling pity for Brienne, but that she was horrified by the reveal. Not shocked, not surprised, but horrified. Akin to appalled even. I feel I went on directly after my initial response to explain how I made it work in my head given the context, but I still can't help but feel 'horrified' brings such a negative connotation with it. Even if she never vocalizes it, that's fine - I never contended that Cat was rude, simply that I was shocked that she was so... horrified by this revelation.

[BearQueen87]

Great comments everyone! I'll be honest, the more shocking part of the George's word choice here was - to me - not her feeling pity for Brienne, but that she was horrified by the reveal. Not shocked, not surprised, but horrified. Akin to appalled even. I feel I went on directly after my initial response to explain how I made it work in my head given the context, but I still can't help but feel 'horrified' brings such a negative connotation with it. Even if she never vocalizes it, that's fine - I never contended that Cat was rude, simply that I was shocked that she was so... horrified by this revelation.

Ah, but she's not horrified at Brienne's appearance, she is horrified that it's a daughter doing all this.

"Daughter?" Catelyn was horrified

Brienne hasn't even taken off her helm and it's only moments after Cat's horrified comment that we get "A beauty! A beauty!" coming from the crowd. At this moment neither we nor Cat have seen Brienne.

So Cat doesn't know that Brienne is a plain Jane yet. She's horrified that a daughter is so far from home fighting in a war. And if you think about Cat and some things she said to Robb prior to leaving ("My place is here with my father, for whatever time he has left") it makes a lot of sense that a daughter so far from home, from her father, would be horrifying to her.

Brienne and Cat are bit of kindred spirits. They are both in a "man's world' by choice, by circumstance, fighting a war in ways that are non traditional, out of the ordinary. The difference is that one is glad to be there (Brienne) and one sees it as a duty but would rather be elsewhere (Cat). I think this kindred spirits notion is why Brienne and Cat become so close. And, like I said in my misc notes section, Brienne embodies a lot of Cat's own two daughters, as well as Cat herself.

[BastardlyRock]

BearQueen87, you're so good at this :P

Considering how close Cat is to being separated from her father, that's certainly an interesting dynamic to explore... one that wasn't abundantly clear to me upon first reading, but I can definitely see that point. Regardless, it sheds some light on medieval sexism, no matter how you want to look at it - why is she horrified that a daughter should be away from her father fighting in a war but not a son? I don't fault Cat for this, I expressed earlier that a lot of my own reaction to this was simply me coming to terms with a built up image I'd already had of Cat, but this line shook it, even if just a little. The foundation for exploring Cat and Brienne's burgeoning relationship is unquestionable strong. :D

[ShadowCat Rivers]

Excellent write up BastardlyRock! Great commentary too by everyone.

Ah Bastardly... I do enjoy the fun you bring to these chapters...

I second this! :)

I think it's only fair to concentrate on Brienne and the impression she had on Catelyn, as she becomes Cat's most important relationship and her only friend excepting family members. In the first chapters of this re-read, Cat's apparent isolation and the lack of female companions was noted; in this chapter we have the introduction to the woman who became the closest thing to Catelyn's best friend, and I think it's important that they are (seemingly) so different.

Cat's first impression is, as has been already noted, before she even sees her:

The press had begun to open up. “Ser Colen,” Catelyn said to her escort, “who is this man, and why do they mislike him so?”

Ser Colen frowned. “Because he is no man, my lady. That’s Brienne of Tarth, daughter to Lord Selwyn the Evenstar.”

“Daughter?” Catelyn was horrified.

“Brienne the Beauty, they name her... though not to her face, lest they be called upon to defend those words with their bodies.”

The discussion upthread was very enlightening and I have very few things to add. In particular, I don't really think that Cat's "horrified" reaction is about the unconventional way that Brienne chose to live her life. Compare our introduction to Dacey Mormont, brought to us by Cat:

One of his companions was even a woman: Dacey Mormont, Lady Maege’s eldest daughter and heir to Bear Island, a lanky sixfooter who had been given a morningstar at an age when most girls were given dolls. Some of the other lords muttered about that, but Catelyn would not listen to their complaints. “This is not about the honor of your houses,” she told them. “This is about keeping my son alive and whole.”

So Cat is not unfamiliar with women wariors and she's also appreciative of their merits; in fact, Cat supported Dacey, refusing to exclude her because of her sex. I think that the difference between the two is apearence: Brienne's appearence is extremely exceptional, on the borders of what is considered as "natural", having "won" her the "freak" epithet. Where Dacey is 6', Brienne is 6'6 (or ~183 to ~202 cm -- I always have to do the conversion to understand sizes :)). A woman as tall and built like Brienne -having the body "of a man"- would face so many problems fitting into their world, that is quite unforgiving to different people, without being plain reaching ugly... Brienne would be seen as the "freak", if not told to her face.

And as it has been said, what Cat feels is pity. Her remark about unfortunate creatures is, I believe, a matter-of-fact admission of the common mindset and really, not that far from truth:

No garb could disguise her plainness, though; [...] And it was clear from her every action that Brienne knew it, and suffered for it. She spoke only in answer, and seldom lifted her gaze from her food.

Catelyn once again is a very good observer with deep insight in human nature; as we know from her own POV, Brienne has indeed suffered very much for her looks and by the true ugliness of the world.

Also, I am not sure how much of this below is (self) sarcasm:

“Lady Catelyn, you are wrong.” Brienne regarded her with eyes as blue as her armor. “Winter will never come for the likes of us. Should we die in battle, they will surely sing of us, and it’s always summer in the songs. In the songs all knights are gallant, all maids are beautiful, and the sun is always shining.”

Given her self image but most of all, the "little game" that Renly's 'gallant knights" played with her, I feel that Brienne is not so much being naive here, but bitter.

Also, a lot of interesting stuff to discuss in terms of kingship, rights, power, and futility. Maybe I'll come back later...

[BearQueen87]

Just popping in to give this: Radio Westeros's current episode is all about Cat. Haven't had a listen yet, but figured many people here would like to.

[ShadowCat Rivers]

Just popping in to give this: Radio Westeros's current episode is all about Cat. Haven't had a listen yet, but figured many people here would like to.

Thanks for sharing!

[KittensRuleBeetsDrool]

I agree that Cat's reaction to Brienne, that her looks were unfortunate, was based more on a realistic understanding of their world than actual dislike of Brienne. A homely and gender-nonconforming woman is going to have a hard time in Westeros outside of Dorne or Bear Island. Cat was stating a fact - inwardly, to herself, and notably did not say it to Brienne's face. I'm reminded of Sansa's reaction to Jeyne Poole stating her crush on Beric Dondarrion: Sansa thought to herself that Jeyne, a steward's daughter, could not hope to marry a great lord like Beric. That was a statement of fact, not Sansa being cruel. And, like Cat, Sansa wasn't going to actually say something that would hurt her best friend's feelings, so she kept it to herself.

Re the association of Cat with water and unhappiness - this is something that is true with Arya too; she seems to be heavily linked with the water element, and is the daughter most like Cat in character.

[BastardlyRock]

Thanks ShadowCat for the compliment as well as the fantastic analysis of Cat's reaction to Brienne! I've really enjoyed reading what everyone had to say on this matter, as always the level of insight around here blows my mind. Before we moved on to the next chapter I wanted to take a quick second to clarify where I stood on this hotbed of discussion. Here's the paragraph from my analysis that seems to have gotten everyone talking:

With that said I do have to nitpick... upon discovering Brienne, the victorious blue knight, is a daughter, Cat is horrified. And what's more, Cat thinks, Is there any creature on earth as unfortunate as an ugly woman? Woah. Pretty backwards thinking from such a strong and empowered female character, in my humble opinion. Maybe that's my fault, for building Cat up as a sort of woman's rights, 'a woman don't need no man' sort of gal... one who would advocate a woman being true to herself and not relying on superficial qualities like skin-deep beauty to get by in life, and so it's sort of jarring to me. But given her intense and wholesome desire to see her daughters married off to capable men early on in AGoT I guess I shouldn't be too shocked.

This was after all, pretty standard thinking for medieval era citizenry, so I digress...

In writing this I was not trying to posit that Cat had an innate dislike for Brienne as a person. ONLY that I would have almost expected Cat to be filled with a sense of respect and awe upon discovering the knight was a woman, and not horror. Brienne stands for so much in terms of a woman breaking the mold of expected gender roles, same as Cat --- so when I read that she was horrified I think it's understandable that I was little taken aback.

Many of you have hit the nail on the head that Cat is thinking from the place of a realistic understanding of the world she lives in, but given that Cat continues to rattle the boundaries of acceptability I did not expect horror as her reaction to Brienne's unmasking. ShadowCat makes a good point regarding Cat's horror as a reaction to Brienne's appearance, and not simply that she's a woman, which makes a little more sense to me, but is still just as jarring. It seems that this one is a little hard to pin down exactly what horrified Cat (gender vs. appearance vs. a little of both) but regardless, it was not the reaction I was expecting.

[ShadowCat Rivers]

Another thing I was wondering about, why is Cat unhappy with her mission?

On the one hand it does take her away from her dying father and perhaps also delays a return to Winterfell, but on the other hand the reasons Robb invokes are, in fact, true: there is no one else better suited; a "lesser" lord might give offence to the newly crowned kings where the king's own mother and great lady on her own right, knowledgeable of the southern courts and proven capable negociator makes the perfect envoy. Cat understands what is at stake, she should have volunteered to go...

It seems to me that grief and a resulting, growing pessimistic outlook have taken a toll on her:

She woke aching and alone and weary; weary of riding, weary of hurting, weary of duty. I want to weep, she thought. I want to be comforted. I’m so tired of being strong. I want to be foolish and frightened for once. Just for a small while, that’s all... a day... an hour...

Outside her tent, men were stirring. She heard the whicker of horses, Shadd complaining of stiffness in his back, Ser Wendel calling for his bow. Catelyn wished they would all go away. They were good men, loyal, yet she was tired of them all. It was her children she yearned after. One day, she promised herself as she lay abed, one day she would allow herself to be less than strong.

But not today. It could not be today.

Despite it all she goes on and does her duty as she must. Cat has not had the time to mourn for Ned properly, to have a chance at releasing some of this heavy baggage. She has put her own needs aside, but as it inevitably happens to everyone, they stubbornly come to the fore and colour her perception.

But this is only one out of a complex of reasons for not wanting this mission, I think; an other would be that Robb also uses it as a ploy to send her away from him, he does not want her near because he does not want to have to listen, he does not like what she has to say...

Fate drives me south and south again, Catelyn thought as she sipped the astringent tea, when it is north I should be going, north to home. She had written to Bran and Rickon, that last night at Riverrun. I do not forget you, my sweet ones, you must believe that. It is only that your brother needs me more.

This has been used so many times as an argument of readers' criticism to Catelyn, but I believe that the character has also internalized this exact criticism, placed upon her by herself. I think that Cat, motivated by Robb's (expected, he's a teenager...) rejection, has developped a guilt and a feeling of failure as a mother.

All the above, I think, might draw her back to see herself in the more traditional aspects of the mother and daughter roles and make her reluctant to act as a delegate.

[RainGhost]

In writing this I was not trying to posit that Cat had an innate dislike for Brienne as a person. ONLY that I would have almost expected Cat to be filled with a sense of respect and awe upon discovering the knight was a woman, and not horror. Brienne stands for so much in terms of a woman breaking the mold of expected gender roles, same as Cat --- so when I read that she was horrified I think it's understandable that I was little taken aback.

Many of you have hit the nail on the head that Cat is thinking from the place of a realistic understanding of the world she lives in, but given that Cat continues to rattle the boundaries of acceptability I did not expect horror as her reaction to Brienne's unmasking. ShadowCat makes a good point regarding Cat's horror as a reaction to Brienne's appearance, and not simply that she's a woman, which makes a little more sense to me, but is still just as jarring. It seems that this one is a little hard to pin down exactly what horrified Cat (gender vs. appearance vs. a little of both) but regardless, it was not the reaction I was expecting.

Nice analysis. You raised some interesting points and humour is always good. As to this bit, why do you think Cat breaks gender roles? I agree with what you say about her rattling the boundaries of acceptability but I think that Catelyn gets away with it because she knows the limitations of her sex. She plays the role of lady, which is what’s expected of her. She makes full use of her role of Lady of Winterfell but everything she does (acting as envoy, counselling her son etc) is acceptable for a lady of her birth and rank. Brienne very obviously goes against what is expected of her. Even the Mormonts’ roles are more acceptable because almost all Bear Island women are warriors; it’s expected of them. Catelyn wants Arya to be a lady; even if she's happy for her to be fierce, she wants her to conform to society's expectations. Perhaps your expectations of Cat are just too high. Whatever Cat’s initial reaction to Brienne, she always treated her with respect, which is a lot more than most others in the series, so I think we should judge her on that.

I love Cat in this chapter (as always), especially the comeback to Randyll Tarly (I suppose that's an example of her pushing the boundaries). All the comments about Renly and his knights are spot on. I know that Cat's comment of the ‘knights of summer’ is controversial but she’s absolutely right. These knights have no idea about the reality of war, they think only of the glory and not of its horrors. Their king is just the same; he’s leading all these men to war without thinking through the consequences. Yes, he’s in danger from the Lannisters but this is not the way to go about it. It’s shocking that he expects fealty from the northern and river lords when he’s sitting there hosting a tourney whilst the riverlands burn.

[ShadowCat Rivers]

I love Cat in this chapter (as always), especially the comeback to Randyll Tarly (I suppose that's an example of her pushing the boundaries).

:agree: :agree: :agree:

I just wanted to say how much I agree with this :)

Randyll Tarly is such a despicable person, the one I dislike the most (perhaps more that the outright monsters, exactly because he's not an in-your-face, stereotypical monster). Anyway, it's the only time he's got his well deserved anything - so I am glad even for this little thing.

And yes, Cat delivered. This makes it more delicious.

(Though I hope he gets some from Sam, too).

[ShadowCat Rivers]

ACOK, Catelyn III

at the Theatre of the Absurd

Summary

Catelyn meets with Stannis and Renly under the besieged Storm’s End in a vain attempt to come to an agreement and ally against their common enemy. The meeting fails hard amidst choice insults, ominous threats and peach juice. In Renly’s camp, lords and knights prepare for the attack overly confident for the victory, while Cat, in full dolorous mood, asks and is granted permission to visit a nearby Sept to pray.

Misc observations

• This is one of the most ‘static’ chapters in the series: nothing much ‘happens’, but it contains some of the sassiest (and funniest) lines. This, along with the rather simple ‘stage’ scenery, gives to the chapter a theatrical feeling of a two-act play.
  
• Yet again an introductory view, to Storm’s End and its history this time.
  
• Apparently, attending weddings in Westeros is dangerous since Durran Godsgrief’s era.
  
• Melisandre flies quite under the radar in this chapter.
  
• In our times, Renly might have been a troll.
  
• Not only Stannis has converted to R’hillorism; Renly and Loras seem to pray to the gods of the Summer Islands.
  
• Royce sons are unlucky…
  

Analysis

Family, duty…

“We are all at risk,” she told him, perhaps too sharply. “Do you think I wish to be here, ser?” I belong at Riverrun with my dying father, at Winterfell with my sons. “Robb sent me south to speak for him, and speak for him I shall.” It would be no easy thing to forge a peace between these brothers, Catelyn knew, yet for the good of the realm, it must be tried.

…and kingly “honour”

Renly would be last to arrive. He had told her as much when she set out. He did not propose to mount his horse until he saw his brother well on his way. The first to arrive must wait on the other, and Renly would do no waiting. It is a sort of game kings play, she told herself. Well, she was no king, so she need not play it. Catelyn was practiced at waiting.

Catelyn is not happy with her envoy’s role, as it takes her away from her family where she feels she belongs. Yet, she is prepared to do what she must not only for Robb but for the whole realm.

The contrast to the wannabe kings here is indeed stark. Catelyn the untitled, the practiced watcher at the walls (of Riverrun) is more concerned with the fate of the realm than the two crowned Baratheons.

A clash of kings: Stannis versus Renly

Stannis is presented as Renly’s polar opposite; in the way they dress, in attractiveness and grace, most of all in demeanour:

“Lady Stark,” Stannis Baratheon said with chill courtesy as he reined up. He inclined his head, balder than she remembered.

“Lord Stannis,” she returned.

Beneath the tight-trimmed beard his heavy jaw clenched hard, yet he did not hector her about titles. For that she was duly grateful. “I had not thought to find you at Storm’s End.” [...]

Stannis is not one to bother about empty courtesies and proper titles. He’s blunt but also accepts blunt answers as fair.

Humorless (intentionally, at least) where Renly is droll, principled (or, as such he poses) where Renly is unapologetically self-serving pragmatist, uptight where Renly is all easy and cool, yet Stannis is exactly like his little brother in one aspect: the patented Baratheon stubbornness.

Special mention to The Peach incident, which IMO encapsulates all that Renly is and Stannis isn’t.

The two kings’ women standard bearers --Brienne vs Melisandre-- also contribute to the symmetry of their contrasting image.

What women want (and what men offer)

How they loved to promise heads, these men who would be king. “Your brother promised me the same. But if truth be told, I would sooner have my daughters back, and leave justice to the gods. Cersei still holds my Sansa, and of Arya there has been no word since the day of Robert’s death.”

“He has promised me Lord Beric’s head. He’s very gallant.” She was blushing beneath her tears.

Jaime thought back on the head he’d given to Pia. He could almost hear his little brother chuckle. Whatever became of giving women flowers? Tyrion might have asked. (AFFC, Jaime IV)

I like those two passages in comparison, because they demonstrate a progress (or, in a sense, a regression) as the plot develops: the later is from AFFC, when Lady Stoneheart is in full operation mode. It’s better to keep a notice and discuss it when we get there, but I wanted to point out that, in the first, there is still hope; in the second, there’s nothing left to wish for, only fear and hate. Not only for Cat/Stoneheart, but for the Riverlands as a whole too.

Parallels, parallels…

(Cat with Jon Snow and Stannis with Dany, oh yes!)

“If your children are found when I take the city, they shall be sent to you.” Alive or dead, his tone implied.

He glanced at the letter again. I will save your sister if I can. A surprisingly tender sentiment from Stannis, though undercut by that final, brutal if I can […] (ADWD Jon VI)

This one will never bend, she thought, yet she must try nonetheless.

Jon found himself remembering something Donal Noye once said [...]. He’ll break before he bends. (ASOS Jon XI)

Stannis snorted. “If you step in a nest of snakes, does it matter which one bites you first?”

If a child is set upon by a pack of hounds, does it matter which one tears out his throat? (ADWD Daenerys II)

…and retrospective irony

Cersei Lannister is laughing herself breathless, Catelyn thought wearily.

More than that, it led to a rare, beautiful brotherly moment between the Lannister siblings:

“Stannis and Renly are fighting each other?” When he nodded, Cersei began to chuckle. “Gods be good,” she gasped, “I’m starting to believe that Robert was the clever one.”

Tyrion threw back his head and roared. They laughed together. Cersei pulled him off the bed and whirled him around and even hugged him, for a moment as giddy as a girl. By the time she let go of him, Tyrion was breathless and dizzy. (ACOK Tyrion VI)

Of might, right and futility

This chapter discusses (quite literally) the principles of what makes a king.

Stannis frowned at her. “You presume too much, Lady Stark. I am the rightful king, and your son no less a traitor than my brother here. His day will come as well.”

The naked threat fanned her fury. “You are very free to name others traitor and usurper, my lord, yet how are you any different? You say you alone are the rightful king, yet it seems to me that Robert had two sons. By all the laws of the Seven Kingdoms, Prince Joffrey is his rightful heir, and Tommen after him... and we are all traitors, however good our reasons.”

[…]

“Can you prove any word of this fable?”

Stannis ground his teeth.

Stannis talks a lot about law and tradition, about what is rightfully his (not always “objectively” – Robert didn’t legally owed him anything). Stannis has indeed all that is needed to back up his legal claim to the throne except one thing –the most important, if law is your strong point: proof. Yet this does not stop him from naming everyone else a traitor.

Catelyn’s response is interesting. She acknowledges the validity of the laws and customs of the Seven Kingdoms and does not contest the “traitor” accusation. She’s not afraid of the word; she owns it, as long as her reasons abide to her principles.

Finally, Renly questions the law itself: Renly advocates the “might makes right” principle.

“The Targaryens called Robert usurper. He seemed to be able to bear the shame. So shall I.- .”

[…]

“Do you think a few bolts of cloth will make you king?”

“Tyrell swords will make me king. […]

Renly also questions the tradition of primogeniture in favour of (arbitrarily defined, alas) merit:

“-your brother is the lawful heir.”

“While he lives,” Renly admitted. “Though it’s a fool’s law, wouldn’t you agree? Why the oldest son, and not the best-fitted? The crown will suit me, as it never suited Robert and would not suit Stannis. […]

Of course Renly only goes as far as his own interest is best served – why a son / a child / a blood relative of X? Why him and not, say, Garlan Tyrel who might fulfill the best fitted criterion much better than Renly?

However, I believe that all this conversation will inspire Catelyn for her quite radical proposal to solve the succession problem peacefully, that she will make in the following chapter.

Needless to say, in this absurdity Cat is the voice of reason (but, to deaf ears…)

Appeal to logic - common interest:

Catelyn said, “Let us hope there will be no battle. We three share a common foe who would destroy us all.”

This one is great because she’s trying to appeal to both their responsibility and their pride as kings:

“This is folly,” Catelyn said sharply. “Lord Tywin sits at Harrenhal with twenty thousand swords. The remnants of the Kingslayer’s army have regrouped at the Golden Tooth, another Lannister host gathers beneath the shadow of Casterly Rock, and Cersei and her son hold King’s Landing and your precious Iron Throne. You each name yourself king, yet the kingdom bleeds, and no one lifts a sword to defend it but my son.”

Appeal to their blood relation:

This will not do. “Listen to yourselves! If you were sons of mine, I would bang your heads together and lock you in a bedchamber until you remembered that you were brothers.”

This is my favourite, depicting so vividly the futility of the situation:

“I did not come here to eat fruit.” Stannis was fuming.

“My lords!” Catelyn said. “We ought to be hammering out the terms of an alliance, not trading taunts.”

“A man should never refuse to taste a peach,” Renly said as he tossed the stone away.

In the end, Cat feels that she has failed and that nothing is left to her but mourn:

Catelyn felt very tired. It had all been for nothing. The Baratheon brothers would drown each other in blood while her son faced the Lannisters alone, and nothing she could say or do would stop it. It is past time I went back to Riverrun to close my father’s eyes, she thought. That much at least I can do. I may be a poor envoy, but I am a good mourner, gods save me.

Once again, Catelyn is very strict with herself. Failure of her mission did not depend on her skills as envoy; the Baratheon brothers have caught the Throne sickness and I really doubt that anyone could do anything to stop it.

There is also something about this line that reminds me again of Alyssa’s tears: Cat is not really a good mourner; she’s withheld her tears until the day that she’d have the luxury to cry (but that day never came…)

The built-up to the Battle That Never Was

Back in Renly’s camp, there is a brief discussion to define their war policy given the failure of the “negotiations”. Mathis Rowan and Randyll Tarly disagree about what should be their next move. It’s important to notice that Tarly considers Stannis as the number one enemy; the one must be dealt with immediately. Rowan, on the other hand, prioritizes the attack to Kings Landing. I believe that the following passage might enlighten us for his reasons:

Tyrion watched the faces of the Lords Tyrell, Redwyne, and Rowan, wondering if any of the three would be bold enough to say, “But Lord Tywin, wasn’t it you who presented the bodies to Robert, all wrapped up in Lannister cloaks?” None of them did, but it was there on their faces all the same. Redwyne does not give a fig, he thought, but Rowan looks fit to gag. (ASOS, Tyrion III)

For Rowan this war could be an opportunity to get back at the Lannisters while for the rest, not so much… there are multiple, not necessarily converging aspirations in Renly’s camp. Like, for the unfortunate young Royce and many other young knights, it’s just a quest for glory. Everyone, however, is very optimistic and excited for the upcoming battle.

On the other hand, the reader is given reasons to feel that it is not going to go as smooth as they expect.

First of all, Renly is not exactly meritocratic in assigning duties: like, the van is given to Loras (a reward for his piety, apparently ;) ).

As a result, Brienne receives a big disappointment and asks for a favour that will eventually define her fate:

Brienne dropped to her knees. “If I must part from Your Grace, grant me the honor of arming you for battle.”

Catelyn heard someone snigger behind her. She loves him, poor thing, she thought sadly. She’d play his squire just to touch him, and never care how great a fool they think her.

(Cat’s empathy and sympathy for her is equally important in shaping Brienne’s future.)

Another reason to doubt Renly’s success is that Cat recites bits and pieces of Chairman Mao’s Ned’s strategic wisdom :), that doesn’t align with Renly’s choices:

How like his brother Robert he was, even in that... only Robert had always had Eddard Stark to temper his boldness with caution. Ned would surely have prevailed upon Robert to bring up his whole force, to encircle Stannis and besiege the besiegers.

So, readers might have suspected that the subversion would be a Stannis’ win here, though nothing really prepares the ground for the means by which he is actually going to turn the table...

Catelyn’s pessimism closes the chapter with a dark and resigned feeling:

“We pray, Lucas,” she answered him. “We pray.”

And pray they all should, for the night is dark and full of terrors.

[BearQueen87]

ACOK, Catelyn III

Very nice job, ShadowCat! This is one of my favorite Cat chapters even though, as you say, nothing really happens. I enjoy how you set it up as a play of sorts. I kept that in mind when reading this chapter again and you're right. Everyone has a cue, everyone makes an entrance and everyone gets some sort of memorable line. (I swear you can almost see the "Stannis enters stage left" "Renly enters stage right")

In our times, Renly might have been a troll.

Yes, a very humble one.

Not only Stannis has converted to R’hillorism; Renly and Loras seem to pray to the gods of the Summer Islands.

HA! Also, just want to point out that almost Romeo and Juliet feel to this whole "prayer and sexual love" feel we've got going on here. From Romeo and Juliet Act 1, Scene 5, the famous palmer's hands.

ROMEO [To JULIET.]

If I profane with my unworthiest hand

This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this:

My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand

To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.

JULIET

Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,

Which mannerly devotion shows in this;

For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss.

ROMEO

Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?

JULIET

Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.

ROMEO

O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;

They pray — grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.

JULIET

Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake.

ROMEO

Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take.

[Kisses her.]

Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged.

JULIET

Then have my lips the sin that they have took.

ROMEO

Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged!

Give me my sin again.

Renly and Loras are a bit star crossed as well, though their families are united together in war and not trying to tear each other apart.

Catelyn is not happy with her envoy’s role, as it takes her away from her family where she feels she belongs. Yet, she is prepared to do what she must not only for Robb but for the whole realm.

The contrast to the wannabe kings here is indeed stark. Catelyn the untitled, the practiced watcher at the walls (of Riverrun) is more concerned with the fate of the realm than the two crowned Baratheons.

No one is thinking about the realm except how it is theirs by rights, except Cat. The exchanges between Stannis and Renly are a constant battle to prove that one of them has more of a right to sit the IT because of who they are--the eldest son vs. the son who is more loved and has a bigger army.

Special mention to The Peach incident, which IMO encapsulates all that Renly is and Stannis isn’t.

The two kings’ women standard bearers --Brienne vs Melisandre-- also contribute to the symmetry of their contrasting image.

Want to point out two things with regards to this.

1) A peach is absolutely a summer fruit, like Renly is a summer knight.

2) Brienne in Blue; Mel in Red. Stannis in Yellow; Renly in Green. I don't know if GRRM uses color theory or not, but I'll point out that on a color wheel Green and Red are opposite--perhaps some foreshadowing given who kills Renly. I should also point out that primary colors are blue, red and yellow. Green is a secondary color, much like Renly who will be gone before long while Brienne, Mel and Stannis all endure. I can't find how Cat's own clothes are described and I think that is significant. The only color article she's got with her is the House Stark banner, which is white and gray. White stands in the middle of those colors (like Cat is doing with all these idiots )

What women want (and what men offer)

How they loved to promise heads, these men who would be king. “Your brother promised me the same. But if truth be told, I would sooner have my daughters back, and leave justice to the gods. Cersei still holds my Sansa, and of Arya there has been no word since the day of Robert’s death.”

This is part of that "play" motif you mentioned. In a play, the would be king--like Stannis and Renly--would try to tell the poor grieving widow that they shall get justice for her loss. But internal thoughts show us how useless this is. It's "pretty words" but they fall on deaf ears and frankly aren't that pretty at all. If this were a proper play and not GRRM, Cat would be duly grateful. Of course, Cat wouldn't be anywhere near this field of future battle is this weren't GRRM...

Stannis talks a lot about law and tradition, about what is rightfully his (not always “objectively” – Robert didn’t legally owed him anything). Stannis has indeed all that is needed to back up his legal claim to the throne except one thing –the most important, if law is your strong point: proof. Yet this does not stop him from naming everyone else a traitor.

Stannis might do well to point out here that Robert was following the Targaryen tradition of giving Dragonstone to the heir to the throne (Joff having not been born yet).

Renly also questions the tradition of primogeniture in favour of (arbitrarily defined, alas) merit:

“-your brother is the lawful heir.”

“While he lives,” Renly admitted. “Though it’s a fool’s law, wouldn’t you agree? Why the oldest son, and not the best-fitted? The crown will suit me, as it never suited Robert and would not suit Stannis. […]

I think Renly is forgetting just what his brother Robert was like some 14 years ago. What Renly describes is what Robert was. Strong, capable, a huge army, a good name. Renly as Robert 2.0 has come up several times now in Cat's POV--he even married the girl that they were trying to put in Robert's bed as Queen. And, of course, this is something only Cat notices. She sees him as Robert-come-again right off the bat and so when Renly is giving his "why I would be an awesome king" speech she doesn't pay him a compliment or agree with anything he's saying. She knows what lies down the path of Renly-as-King.

Some Misc Notes

1. Once more, we've got the water motif. Cat can smell the sea, though she cannot see it. It's also interesting that she can feel how close it is. The sea at Storm's End is not a peaceful one, it's rough and violent and takes hundreds of lives. The sea being close to Cat foreshadows that this is only going to go downhill from here.

2. Apparently Bran the Builder was a special little boy who taught kings how to build mighty castles that could withstand the gods. Yeah, okay. (overly suspicious of everything to do with Bran "I am probably the Night's King" the Builder-Stark)

3. "Kings have no friends," Stannis said bluntly. "Only subjects and enemies." Poor Davos.

4. You talked about the views of kingship being the tradition vs might. It seems to me that Robb encompasses both of them--the tradition of the Starks as the Kings in the North is very (very very very) old and he has proven his might on the battlefield many times.

[ShadowCat Rivers]

Thak you, BearQueen! I really liked how you enhanced the idea of the the chapter's theatrical structure.

HA! Also, just want to point out that almost Romeo and Juliet feel to this whole "prayer and sexual love" feel we've got going on here. From Romeo and Juliet Act 1, Scene 5, the famous palmer's hands.

Renly and Loras are a bit star crossed as well, though their families are united together in war and not trying to tear each other apart.

Yes! Jokes aside, Renly and Loras share one of the most beautiful and genuine relationships in the series, for which the "till death do us part" vow holds true and as in every proper drama, it came too early.

But in this chapter, the not-so-beautiful side effects of it are highlighted: Renly, in a telling contrast with his "legitimizing" ideas of meritocracy, is actually applying favouritism in filling crucial positions: Loras may be a great warrior but he's nowhere close to the battle commander that Tarly is (thought I do despise the guy, he didn't gey his reputation for nothing...) Loras got the van mainly because he's the king's beloved, and I believe it's quite obvious that such criteria are primarily shaping Renly's decision-making.

Want to point out two things with regards to this.

1) A peach is absolutely a summer fruit, like Renly is a summer knight.

2) Brienne in Blue; Mel in Red. Stannis in Yellow; Renly in Green. I don't know if GRRM uses color theory or not, but I'll point out that on a color wheel Green and Red are opposite--perhaps some foreshadowing given who kills Renly. I should also point out that primary colors are blue, red and yellow. Green is a secondary color, much like Renly who will be gone before long while Brienne, Mel and Stannis all endure. I can't find how Cat's own clothes are described and I think that is significant. The only color article she's got with her is the House Stark banner, which is white and gray. White stands in the middle of those colors (like Cat is doing with all these idiots )

1) Very nice connection. The peach as a summer fruit also marks Asha's nostalgic memories of her summer days with Qarl.

This would make Stannis a "winter" personality, both in a good and in a bad way, I think...

2) Not sure what to make of the colours, apart that they are -very formally- puting on their clothes the symbols of their power (House, alliance, religion...). Catelyn gets a very short description of her clothes only once, in the Eyrie, and that I think is to juxtapose her to Lysa's extravagance; it seems that she does not really care about clothes but it is also fitting with her situation since by AGOT she's a widow, so I suppose that she'd be wearing appropriately mourning colours and styles.

I think Renly is forgetting just what his brother Robert was like some 14 years ago. What Renly describes is what Robert was. Strong, capable, a huge army, a good name. Renly as Robert 2.0 has come up several times now in Cat's POV--he even married the girl that they were trying to put in Robert's bed as Queen. And, of course, this is something only Cat notices. She sees him as Robert-come-again right off the bat and so when Renly is giving his "why I would be an awesome king" speech she doesn't pay him a compliment or agree with anything he's saying. She knows what lies down the path of Renly-as-King.

I get what you're saying about Robert not being a good king and Catelyn never trusting in him, but I think that Renly's similarities with Robert are mostly superficial. Of Robert's good qualities (apart from good looks) Renly only has the charm. Might be that I suffer from the Donal Noye bias, but I can't see Renly as the exceptional warrior and leader of men that Robert was, for all his inadequaces as king. Also, Robert caught the throne sickness after he actually won it and, at least, he acknowledged that he was not fit for it; Renly is far, far worse than Robert ever was.

2. Apparently Bran the Builder was a special little boy who taught kings how to build mighty castles that could withstand the gods. Yeah, okay. (overly suspicious of everything to do with Bran "I am probably the Night's King" the Builder-Stark)

Oh yes, I'm curious... is it only a nice detail of the myth-building mechanics, or is it something important for the story to come? and what would it say for Stannis, our current Storm's End connection at the Wall?

4. You talked about the views of kingship being the tradition vs might. It seems to me that Robb encompasses both of them--the tradition of the Starks as the Kings in the North is very (very very very) old and he has proven his might on the battlefield many times.

I agree. I think that what Robb really lacked was of a political agenda, which is extremely important too. Independent North was never his vision and his war efforts never aimed at that anyway. I think that was the essence of Davos' remark about the cart and the horse.

[Julia H.]

Another wonderful analysis, ShadowCatRivers, and a great post, Bear Queen87!

Catelyn is the mediator in this chapter and also an observer. She observes and has the measure of both Baratheon brothers. We see the clash of the “wannabe kings” from the POV of an outsider (in the sense that Catelyn does not side with either of them), yet through the eyes of someone who has a huge stake in the outcome.

I like the comparison with a play. Of course, play comes up in another sense, too. Catelyn notices the game kings play, just as she noticed, in the previous chapter, that Renly and his knights were playing at tourney, while her own son was fighting a war.

Yes, Renly is totally shallow and conceited, but Stannis Baratheon’s holier-than-thou attitude is also difficult to bear.

2) Brienne in Blue; Mel in Red. Stannis in Yellow; Renly in Green. I don't know if GRRM uses color theory or not, but I'll point out that on a color wheel Green and Red are opposite--perhaps some foreshadowing given who kills Renly. I should also point out that primary colors are blue, red and yellow. Green is a secondary color, much like Renly who will be gone before long while Brienne, Mel and Stannis all endure. I can't find how Cat's own clothes are described and I think that is significant. The only color article she's got with her is the House Stark banner, which is white and gray. White stands in the middle of those colors (like Cat is doing with all these idiots )

Fascinating observations. The colours must be significant, given the fact that Renly is a king with a Rainbow Guard and Melisandre is regularly referred to as “the Red Woman”. So Renly is dressed in green while Stannis is depicted in yellow. Of course, green (besides being a secondary colour) is also the colour of summer, the colour associated with youth, inexperience and immaturity. The colour Stannis wears is associated with the sun, thus it is a reference to light, similarly to red, the colour of fire. However, yellow is also a colour traditionally associated with jealousy and envy, and green has similar associations, cf. phrases like “the green-eyed monster” or “green with envy”. Indeed, both brothers act like jealous and envious little boys quarrelling over who should get what, even taunting each other over sons neither of them has. It is also revealed that Stannis was jealous when Ned became the King’s Hand and still holds a grudge against him. It is the kind of situation that nearly drives the reader mad because it is so obvious where this quarrel will lead (not the shadowbaby but the general outcome) and that only the Lannisters will profit from it.

Brienne’s colour is blue. In medieval and Renaissance art, blue was the colour associated with the Virgin Mary (who bears the title Stella Maris, Star of the Sea). I think it’s kind of fitting that the Maid of Tarth is the Blue Knight. Interestingly, the fact that her father is called “the Evenstar” also connects her to another basic aspect of femininity: that of Venus (also associated with the sea).

The legend of Storm’s End… … There are similarities between Durran and Elenei’s wedding and the RW (and obvious differences, too). Durran wed Elenei defying the will of the gods. Robb wed Jeyne defying the plans and the ambitions of the Freys. But the RW is Edmure’s wedding (which is not the wedding that the Freys wanted), and he is the one who survives the bloodshed in Roslin’s arms (sort of). Edmure is not a Storm King but a Lord of the Riverlands and Roslin is not a goddess, but she is one of the family that turned the wedding into death and destruction – will they survive together as Durran and Elenei did? (I love the rich mythological heritage of Westeros.)

It is again emphasized that Catelyn does not want revenge (called justice) but she wants her living daughters back. It is especially poignant when we compare her to Lady Stoneheart.

The built-up to the Battle That Never Was

Back in Renly’s camp, there is a brief discussion to define their war policy given the failure of the “negotiations”. Mathis Rowan and Randyll Tarly disagree about what should be their next move. It’s important to notice that Tarly considers Stannis as the number one enemy; the one must be dealt with immediately. Rowan, on the other hand, prioritizes the attack to Kings Landing. I believe that the following passage might enlighten us for his reasons:

Tyrion watched the faces of the Lords Tyrell, Redwyne, and Rowan, wondering if any of the three would be bold enough to say, “But Lord Tywin, wasn’t it you who presented the bodies to Robert, all wrapped up in Lannister cloaks?” None of them did, but it was there on their faces all the same. Redwyne does not give a fig, he thought, but Rowan looks fit to gag. (ASOS, Tyrion III)

For Rowan this war could be an opportunity to get back at the Lannisters while for the rest, not so much… there are multiple, not necessarily converging aspirations in Renly’s camp.

Randyll Tarly urging Renly to fight Stannis:

“Leave him unblooded and he will only grow stronger, while your own power is diminished by battle. The Lannisters will not be beaten in a day. By the time you are done with them, Lord Stannis may be as strong as you... or stronger.”

This is the same Randyll Tarly who removed his older son from his castle in an extremely cruel way in order to make his younger son his heir. He may be projecting his own domestic concern onto the situation when he declares that the older brother is more dangerous than the “real” enemy.

Another parallel with Jon:

He had won a great victory that day, all the greater for being bloodless.

Gods grant that I shall do the same, Catelyn prayed.

<snip>

It would be no easy thing to forge a peace between these brothers, Catelyn knew, yet for the good of the realm, it must be tried. (Catelyn, ACoK)

Gods of the wood, grant me the strength to do the same, Jon Snow prayed silently. Give me the wisdom to know what must be done and the courage to do it. (Jon, ADwD)

Both Catelyn and Jon are trying to make peace between two warring factions in order to unite them against the common enemy. Both have to break with tradition. Both know that the task is difficult but must be attempted. Both of them pray.

[RainGhost]

Very nice analysis ShadowCat Rivers. I really like the parallels between characters whose storylines seem very different at a quick glance.

Might, right and futility absolutely sums up this chapter. Renly has all this ‘might’, yet what was he doing with it before Stannis showed up? Playing at tourney instead of relieving the riverlands. You’re absolutely correct in saying that Stannis’s ‘right’ is no right at all without proof. Also, kingship works both ways; if Stannis wants the fealty of the river lords, he owes them protection. He’s not fulfilling his feudal obligations. Cat’s efforts at introducing logic and reasoning to the ‘parley’ are entirely futile. And the riverlands are still burning.

This will not do. “Listen to yourselves! If you were sons of mine, I would bang your heads together and lock you in a bedchamber until you remembered that you were brothers.”

One of my favourite Cat quotes. She doesn't care if they're kings. I can't imagine Robb, Bran and Rickon acting like this. A shame their mother died when they (especially Renly) were so young. Things could have turned out differently. It makes me really sad when Catelyn thinks she failed Robb as she failed Ned because she didn’t fail either of them. There was nothing she could do for Ned and there’s absolutely nothing she could do here; Renly and Stannis have let the realm down, not Cat.

Nice catch with Lord Rowan. I liked his conversation with Cat in the previous chapter; I think he’s one of the good guys. One to watch out for.

Ultimately, this is a very frustrating chapter, especially as we see it from Cat’s POV, because there’s so much potential but nothing is achieved. In truth, a peace was never possible between Renly and Stannis. There can be no question of Stannis bending the knee to Renly and Renly has already gone too far at this point – he’s made a commitment to the Tyrells to make Margaery queen and he can’t really back out now. However, the only things stopping either of them from allying with the Starks/Tullys are pride and greed, which, unfortunately, both Baratheons have in abundance.

[ShadowCat Rivers]

Randyll Tarly urging Renly to fight Stannis:

“Leave him unblooded and he will only grow stronger, while your own power is diminished by battle. The Lannisters will not be beaten in a day. By the time you are done with them, Lord Stannis may be as strong as you... or stronger.”

This is the same Randyll Tarly who removed his older son from his castle in an extremely cruel way in order to make his younger son his heir. He may be projecting his own domestic concern onto the situation when he declares that the older brother is more dangerous than the “real” enemy.

That makes a lot of sense... very good catch!

Might, right and futility absolutely sums up this chapter. Renly has all this ‘might’, yet what was he doing with it before Stannis showed up? Playing at tourney instead of relieving the riverlands. You’re absolutely correct in saying that Stannis’s ‘right’ is no right at all without proof. Also, kingship works both ways; if Stannis wants the fealty of the river lords, he owes them protection. He’s not fulfilling his feudal obligations. Cat’s efforts at introducing logic and reasoning to the ‘parley’ are entirely futile. And the riverlands are still burning.

This is a very good point, and I would go on to suggest that, fulfilling the kingly duty might have been all the proof he'd need, as observed later in the north, where he gains allies (like Aly Mormont) by fighting the Ironborn.

[LordStoneheart]

ShadowCat, this was an absolutely wonderful read. Great observations all around.

This (and the next) are very frustrating chapters for me, watching these two proud kings argue and ignore a more than reasonable Catelyn. Her suggestions could have helped shape the very future of Westeros for the better. It's a real shame that many try to blame her for much of the carnage of the war when she is one of the few who is humble, pragmatic, and caring enough to try and prevent as much as she can without real care for who gets what title. I've also seen people criticize her negotiation her, but we can see why it failed; the brothers were too proud and stubborn. I love how you highlight her appeals to logic, blood, and responsibility. For as much criticism as Robb's campaign gets, at least we was fighting the real terrorists of Westeros instead of wasting time like these two stags were. Forget Varys - it is Catelyn who is truly for the realm.

I'm glad you brought up Alyssa Arryn again because I just can't get that waterfall of tears out of my mind when I think about Cat. I agree, I don't think she is a good mourner, at least from what we've seen so far. She wants to be, but the need to be strong for Robb and her family pushes that possibility away from her.

[SeanF]

Thanks for an excellent reread. It's sad to see Catelyn, the voice of reason, being ignored by two pretenders engaged in a muscle-flexing contest.

[LordStoneheart]

Catelyn IV: Shadows Cometh

Summary

Catelyn & co. find a ramshackle sept in a small abandoned village, and she begins to pray. During her time with the crude depictions of the Seven, Catelyn reflects of the knowledge of Cersei’s incest and feels a strange empathy as a mother. Back at Renly’s camp, she tries one last time to prevent the battle and reason with him. Her suggestion of calling a Great Council is laughed off as being too late.

A gust of wind enters the tent and Catelyn watches Renly’s shadow on the wall lift a shadowsword and cut open the real Renly’s throat. He dies in Brienne’s arms as other members of the Rainbow Guard rush in confused. Emmon fights with Brienne, but Catelyn convinces Robar Royce that it was Stannis’ doing. Catelyn leads Brienne out of the camp and back the small northern company. They ride away quickly, with Catelyn chilled at the thought of what Stannis may have in store for her Robb.

Observations

· We get a name of Catelyn’s family septon, Osmynd. Just some fun background.

· This chapter is very magical, for lack of a better word. From beginning to end, I think it gives a very mystical feel in between the more plain scenes.

· Catelyn’s prayers to the Mother parallel her first daughter’s song about her.

· “And have it said that I won by treachery, with an unchivalrous attack? Dawn was the chosen hour.” – Renly. This line seems suspiciously absent in the Great Renly/Stannis debate. :P

Analysis

Catelyn’s Faith Resurged

As the last chapter promised, we see Catelyn & co. visiting a sept. It is not a glamourous place like others we have seen. It’s a desolate place in an abandoned village, and not a very comforting one on the eve of a battle.

Within, the seven walls were cracked and crooked… In Winterfell, Septon Chayle hung carved masks from each wall. Here Catelyn found only rough charcoal drawings.

Compared to her last chapter in Game, here she is more aware of her beliefs. I think she’s had a resurgence of her faith that losing Ned had weakened.

Not even a cricket could be heard, and the gods kept their silence. Did your old gods ever answer you, Ned? she wondered. When you knelt before your heart tree, did they hear you?

Self-Reflection

Catelyn is still being very critical of herself, even though the majority of what happens here is not her fault or in her control at all.

I have come so many thousands of leagues, and for what? Who have I served? I have lost my daughters, Robb does not want me, and Bran and Rickon must surely think me a cold and unnatural mother. I was not even with Ned when he died...

This is really heartbreaking for me because so much of this was out of her control, and her actions have always been about her family. It’s almost become her Raison d'être. Also, it’s one thing for her to mentally punish herself but perhaps there might be some physiological damage going on here.

Her head swam, and the sept seemed to move around her. The shadows swayed and shifted, furtive animals racing across the cracked white walls. Catelyn had not eaten today. Perhaps that had been unwise. She told herself that there had been no time, but the truth was that food had lost its savor in a world without Ned. When they took his head off, they killed me too.

Empathy for Enemies

The depictions of the gods here are crude, which in part leads Catelyn to see beyond their faces and reflect on many people, not just friends and family but enemies too.

What I'd like to focus on here is her uncanny ability to look at her current enemies and empathize with them. It's the most humble moment I think we've seen in these books. She has legitimate reasons to hate Cersei Lannister but takes the time to think about her POV.

Behind her the torch spit, and suddenly it seemed to her that it was her sister’s face on the wall, though the eyes were harder than she recalled, not Lysa’s eyes but Cersei’s. Cersei is a mother too. No matter who fathered those children, she felt them kick inside her, brought them forth with her pain and blood, nursed them at her breast. If they are truly Jaime’s...

“Does Cersei pray to you too, my lady?” Catelyn asked the Mother. She could see the proud, cold, lovely features of the Lannister queen etched upon the wall. The crack was still there; even Cersei could weep for her children.

Another aspect I like is that Catelyn herself isn’t necessarily judging Cersei for the accusation of incest. She is only reflecting on the societal view. When she figures it was the reason Ned was killed, her thoughts still have this way of seeing it from Cersei’s view.

If the boy was truly Jaime’s seed, Robert would have put him to death along with his mother, and few would have condemned him. Bastards were common enough, but incest was a monstrous sin to both old gods and new, and the children of such wickedness were named abominations in sept and godswood alike…

…

Ned must have known, and Lord Arryn before him. Small wonder that the queen had killed them both. Would I do any less for my own? Catelyn clenched her hands, feeling the tightness in her scarred fingers where the assassin’s steel had cut to the bone as she fought to save her son.

It’s not exactly forgiveness, but even in what society condemns Catelyn is able to understand and relate.

“Bran knows too,” she whispered, lowering her head. Gods be good, he must have seen something, heard something, that was why they tried to kill him in his bed.

Also, further points towards her her ability to deduce just as we saw in Cat III in aGoT.

The Grey Battle

I don’t think there is a specific “code” for grey, as we’ve seen in certain threads elsewhere, but I feel like grey has a lot of connections to death/the dead. After they leave the sept and come back to the encampment, Catelyn sees the army like this:

The long ranks of man and horse were armored in darkness, as black as if the Smith had hammered night itself into steel. There were banners to her right, banners to her left, and rank on rank of banners before her, but in the predawn gloom, neither colors nor sigils could be discerned. A grey army, Catelyn thought. Grey men on grey horses beneath grey banners. As they sat their horses waiting, Renly’s shadow knights pointed their lances upward, so she rode through a forest of tall naked trees, bereft of leaves and life. Where Storm’s End stood was only a deeper darkness, a wall of black through which no stars could shine, but she could see torches moving across the fields where Lord Stannis had made his camp.

It feels as if GRRM is really teasing a slaughter coming up, but we know what he’s really building up to.

The Arming of the "Hero"

A very nice touch to the supposed battle is Brienne arming Renly. It's a tradition that dates back to Homer and other epic narratives, the arming of the hero. In this case, we've hardly got a hero, but he is at this point someone with a large amount of power who is fighting against the same people we are rooting against.

We are given seven descriptions of Brienne arming him, and just about all of them are colorful and lively, in contrast to the grey army we had seen before. Here’s the first:

Brienne fit backplate to breastplate over his quilted tunic. The king’s armor was a deep green, the green of leaves in a summer wood, so dark it drank the candlelight. Gold highlights gleamed from inlay and fastenings like distant fires in that wood, winking every time he moved.

The colors of House Tyrell. Heh.

I think the focus serves two purposes, the traditional arming and foreshadowing for Garlan’s later appearance as Renly’s Ghost. Being that’s its very showy and recognizable armor, it makes sense that many bought the ghost story.

I don’t have a concrete idea of any classic arming story that could be the direct inspiration here. At first I thought about Achilles and Patroclus because of the interpretation that they were in a romantic relation as Renly and Loras are, but since Brienne is arming him I’m not sure that fits. It could just be a familiarity with the tradition on GRRM’s part, but I’d be interested in finding more that might parallel this.

One last thing that makes me feel like this was possibly inspired by Homer:

As the long fingers of dawn fanned across the fields, color was returning to the world.

Compared to the epithet rosy-fingered Dawn that appears numerous times in the Iliad and Odyssey.

The Shadows Come to Dance

The build up to the battle is actually (IMO) build up for Renly’s assassination. There are many dark and sometimes bright passages in this chapter that suggest something unnatural is going to happen. From the sept all the way to Renly’s tent, I think the language is intentionally vivid and surreal. (Note, some of these might be overreaching, but they’re here in the chapter.)

And the seventh face... the Stranger was neither male nor female, yet both, ever the outcast, the wanderer from far places, less and more than human, unknown and unknowable. Here the face was a black oval, a shadow with stars for eyes. It made Catelyn uneasy. She would get scant comfort there.

…

Flickering torchlight danced across the walls, making the faces seem half -alive, twisting them, changing them.

…

Then a gust of wind through the door made the torch sputter, and the semblance was gone, washed away in orange glare.

…

Her head swam, and the sept seemed to move around her. The shadows swayed and shifted, furtive animals racing across the cracked white walls.

…

Renly’s shadow knights pointed their lances upward, so she rode through a forest of tall naked trees, bereft of leaves and life. [Just one sentence from above in The Grey Battle. The whole passage might apply but I didn’t want to paste it twice.]

…

The candles within Renly’s pavilion made the shimmering silken walls seem to glow, transforming the great tent into a magical castle alive with emerald light. Two of the Rainbow Guard stood sentry at the door to the royal pavilion. The green light shone strangely against the purple plums of Ser Parmen’s surcoat, and gave a sickly hue to the sunflowers that covered every inch of Ser Emmon’s enameled yellow plate.

…

And then finally the chapter’s mystical vibe is fulfilled. We get to the action, the sudden assassination of Renly Baratheon by Stannis and Mel’s shadow assassin.

I beg you in the name of the Mother,” Catelyn began when a sudden gust of wind flung open the door of the tent. She thought she glimpsed movement, but when she turned her head, it was only the king’s shadow shifting against the silken walls. She heard Renly begin a jest, his shadow moving, lifting its sword, black on green, candles guttering, shivering, something was queer, wrong, and then she saw Renly’s sword still in its scabbard, sheathed still, but the shadowsword...

I think it’s pretty awesome that we get to see something like this through Cat’s eyes, magical scenes that are so rare in these books. Kind of a parallel to Arya getting a glimpse of magic in her own story, her friend whose assassinations might also be described as “in shadow.”

Perhaps it is the mystical essence or maybe her natural perceptiveness, but Catelyn realizes what has happened here without knowing why or how she does.

The shadow. Something dark and evil had happened here, she knew, something that she could not begin to understand. Renly never cast that shadow Death came in that door and blew the life out of him as swift as the wind snuffed out his candles...

“Robar, no, listen.” Catelyn seized his arm. “You do her wrong, it was not her. Help her! Hear me, it was Stannis.” The name was on her lips before she could think how it got there, but as she said it, she knew that it was true. “I swear it, you know me, it was Stannis killed him.” The young rainbow knight stared at this madwoman with pale and frightened eyes. “Stannis? How?” “I do not know. Sorcery, some dark magic, there was a shadow, a shadow.” Her own voice sounded wild and crazed to her, but the words poured out in a rush as the blades continued to clash behind her. “A shadow with a sword, I swear it, I saw. Are you blind, the girl loved him! Help her!” She glanced back, saw the second guardsman fall, his blade dropping from limp fingers. Outside there was shouting. More angry men would be bursting in on them any instant, she knew. “She is innocent, Robar. You have my word, on my husband’s grave and my honor as a Stark!”

Sidenote: I think its futile arguing whether or not this was Stannis’ doing. It clearly is.

Not only do we get to see the action from Catelyn’s POV, she’s also in on the action for brief moments:

Ser Emmon was pressing Brienne hard, him in his enameled yellow steel and her in wool. He had forgotten Catelyn, until the iron brazier came crashing into the back of his head. Helmed as he was, the blow did no lasting harm, but it sent him to his knees. “Brienne, with me,” Catelyn commanded.

Do the shadows come to stay, as declared by Patchface? Nope.

After the assassination, the magic aura is gone. With the dawn, everything has come back to reality.

Where grey men had sat grey horses armed with shadow spears, the points of ten thousand lances now glinted silverly cold, and on the myriad flapping banners Catelyn saw the blush of red and pink and orange, the richness of blues and browns, the blaze of gold and yellow.

A Call for Council

In my opinion, this chapter has what was probably the best idea in terms of what should have happened with this war.

“Let the three of you call for a Great Council, such as the realm has not seen for a hundred years. We will send to Winterfell, so Bran may tell his tale and all men may know the Lannisters for the true usurpers. Let the assembled lords of the Seven Kingdoms choose who shall rule them.”

Renly’s reply is frustrating, epseically in regards to the previous chapter when he made a decent point about the best-fitted son ruling.

Renly laughed. “Tell me, my lady, do direwolves vote on who should lead the pack?”

The direwolves did vote on who should lead the pack. In the closest showing of something democratic, the northern lords chose their king. They didn’t need to coronate Robb, but they did. Renly can’t boast this, which may be why he dismisses the idea of a Great Council. He may be popular, but maybe he doubts he’s qualified or popular enough to win support beyond the Tyrells and the Stormlands.

But Catelyn’s suggestion should definitely be looked at critically to see how realistic it might or might not be. We know there has been at least three in history and their early transitions were easy if not the later outcomes.

The first issue is timing. At this point, it would seem that the shadow assassin was already en route to slay Renly. Seeing as this helped the Tyrells allegiance shift to the Lannisters, could it have worked even if Renly died before they could declare the intention?

Another might be gathering the lords and ladies of the nation to King’s Landing. The nation is being torn apart north of the crownlands, so many have already fled here. But would the Lannister regime open the doors? Would Cersei risk it all? Would Tywin agree to it?

These are hard questions to ask, but I do think it was a great option to explore. It is way to work towards peace and find a solution about ruling/titles that will try to please most. Even if it wouldn’t be easy, asking the north, riverlands, and westerlands to call a truce and make peace, but would it not be worth trying?

Sadly, it is not even explored because of the pride of these two stags who both did not bend but broke.

A Burgeoning Friendship

We leave off with Brienne headed north with Catelyn. She is still in shock from Renly’s murder, so their conversation is sparse. But we’ll have more on that later. J