[Spoilers] The Princess and the Queen, complete spoilers discussion

[Anath]

If it is guaranteed that Rhaenyra wont become intolerable due to some other event during her rule, then sure I would chose her. If the defiance of duskendale had never taken place would you have supported Aerys(over a safer choice like Rhaegar), not knowing whether some other event might make him go crazy?

No because Aerys became "worse" after the Defiance of Duskendale. It was a major trigger but it was not the beginning of his madness. Combined with his less than flattering traits like being prone to anger, the picture doesn't look good.

But then, once again I have to say I am biased. With my mentally ill relative, I am very reluctant to give mentally unstable people even the tiniest bit of responsibility over something great. That's also the reason I disagree with your assessment of Rhaenyra as 'mad'. I've seen mad people and I've seen traumatised people. I draw a clear line between those two and Rhaenyra doesn't come across as mad.

Aerys' madness was indicated way before Duskendale. If he was controlled and only nominally held as a head of state, then yes, I would have supported him. The way it was - no.

The situation with Rhaenyra was quite different.

[Ibbison from Ibben]

His reluctance to usurp the throne in beginning is complete nonsense.

To clarify - do you think Gyldayn (or whoever he used as a source) made that part up?

[Alayne's Shadow.]

How was Rhaenyra paranoid and "mad". Yes she was overprotective and she may had exaggerated about keeping her children alive but is this really something that is paranoid and mad? Who wouldn't do that?

As for the Blood and Cheese incident.Yes the death of a child is a bad thing but I don't think that anything else could happen. If someone had killed my child, Blood&Cheese is the least I would have done.

Agree. Hellicent is the one who f*cked everything up because her ambition was to be King's mother...

I couldn't agree more. It's easy to judge an action as wrong when you're not on it. If my child was killed as well, especially in the manner Luke was killed, I wouldn't feel any mercy in to send Blood and Cheese. Though I do have to admit, I'd be less inclined to kill the children, as I would feel too bad for them, as much as I'd be to kill Alicent.

Alicent was desperate to maintain her grasp on power. She doesn't strike me as sympathetic at all, but power-hungry at best. It doesn't help her cause that she let Viserys's body without proper treatment for days so she could plot against the Heir.

What makes you say that?? Its clear she never handled betrayal and loss well. Had she become Queen she probably would have had to deal with both.

Not on the same manner. One thing is when a mother has to deal with one of her children's death and your normal traitor. Another is when they all start piling up, and people that you consider close allies turn to the other side. Rhaenyra faced a very difficult situation in King's Landing. She never had time to recover, whilst Aegon spent months recovering.

Since the point Alayne's Shadow was making was about Rhaenyra taking the throne under normal circumstances, I can't see how arguing about her actions after all she had been through makes sense.

Many people go through stressful periods of their life. Many of them recover. Rhaenyra just had the bad luck of being in charge through that time.

Exactly. Aegon never had to rule while he was burned. In truth, Rhaenyra until the middle, made pretty much sounded choices, and even when we see her mistakes, you don understand them based on what's happened to her.

You keep saying that she was mad where do you based it on?

And between an emotional Queen who love her children more than anything and a Puppet King who insults his King's and his father's will and memory because his mommy want to be King's mother I know who I would choose without hesitation.

This. Also, we do know that Aegon wasn't exactly very open-minded and eager to hear advice- Look at what he does to Otto. Rhaenyra, pre-dance, and even during Dance, seemed much less of a tyrant than him.

You would choose Aegon although the only way he could become tolerable was through the Dance that destroyed the realm, over Rhaenyra who only became intolerable because of the Dance? I am not speaking about the end of the Dance. I am talking about the time when it was possible to have no Dance at all. Would you still choose Aegon because you know how it all ended? For "the greater good?" Don't forget, without the war he would have stayed just as he was in the beginning.

It doesn't exactly help Aegon's case that his side started the killings, he was literally an usurper based on his own father's wishes, and whilst I wouldn't consider him all bad, not exactly a peaceful leader. It does make a nice parallel that Rhaenyra didn't killed Alicent, yet Aegon killed her. And I don't exactly give him points for keeping Aegon III alive when it's in-text that he only did it because he thought the boy could be used as leverage against the rest of the Black Armies.

[Anath]

To clarify - do you think Gyldayn (or whoever he used as a source) made that part up?

I don't know about Lord Varys but I certainly think so.

Alicent didn't raise her sons to be their half-sisters subjects. She raised them to be a king and his brothers.

[Barty]

I couldn't agree more. It's easy to judge an action as wrong when you're not on it. If my child was killed as well, especially in the manner Luke was killed, I wouldn't feel any mercy in to send Blood and Cheese. Though I do have to admit, I'd be less inclined to kill the children, as I would feel too bad for them, as much as I'd be to kill Alicent.

Alicent was desperate to maintain her grasp on power. She doesn't strike me as sympathetic at all, but power-hungry at best. It doesn't help her cause that she let Viserys's body without proper treatment for days so she could plot against the Heir.

Not on the same manner. One thing is when a mother has to deal with one of her children's death and your normal traitor. Another is when they all start piling up, and people that you consider close allies turn to the other side. Rhaenyra faced a very difficult situation in King's Landing. She never had time to recover, whilst Aegon spent months recovering.

Exactly. Aegon never had to rule while he was burned. In truth, Rhaenyra until the middle, made pretty much sounded choices, and even when we see her mistakes, you don understand them based on what's happened to her.

This. Also, we do know that Aegon wasn't exactly very open-minded and eager to hear advice- Look at what he does to Otto. Rhaenyra, pre-dance, and even during Dance, seemed much less of a tyrant than him.

It doesn't exactly help Aegon's case that his side started the killings, he was literally an usurper based on his own father's wishes, and whilst I wouldn't consider him all bad, not exactly a peaceful leader. It does make a nice parallel that Rhaenyra didn't killed Alicent, yet Aegon killed her. And I don't exactly give him points for keeping Aegon III alive when it's in-text that he only did it because he thought the boy could be used as leverage against the rest of the Black Armies.

Well Rhaenyra had been trained as a young girl to be Queen and to handle the pressures of leadership(though obviously not of losing a loved one). Aegon was never trained, he was younger and he was naive, yet he too faced similar losses(his children, sister/wife and brother) - he came out a better man. Though maybe had Rhaenyra been given time she might too have matured.

[Iona]

One important nobody seems to have mentioned yet. No wild dragons apparently feeds on humans. That should add more fuel to the theory that Drogon did not kill that child in the beginning of ADwD.

Hmm, I wouldn't put it that strongly. Some of the seeds that tried mounting Sheepstealer did end up getting eaten. I would only go so far as to say that the wild dragons might not have eaten human flesh unless provoked.

"Many of the other seeds and seekers who aspired to ride upon Sheepstealer’s back ended in Sheepstealer’s belly instead."

[Anath]

It doesn't exactly help Aegon's case that his side started the killings, he was literally an usurper based on his own father's wishes, and whilst I wouldn't consider him all bad, not exactly a peaceful leader. It does make a nice parallel that Rhaenyra didn't killed Alicent, yet Aegon killed her. And I don't exactly give him points for keeping Aegon III alive when it's in-text that he only did it because he thought the boy could be used as leverage against the rest of the Black Armies.

In truth, Rhaenyra not killing Alicent isn't some great triumph of diplomatic thought because as far as we are shown, she didn't use her as any leverage against the Greens.

It speaks favourably of her character, though. The way Aegon killed her - well, I read it as a case where he drew personal satisfaction of the whole thing.

Barty, Aegon lost a child. Not five of them. His relationship with Helaena remains a mystery - he might have been sad that he lost his sister but as to his wife, we know where his personal preferences lay. As to Aemond - Aemond was hardly a loving brother. I think he tried to kill Aegon so Aegon might count his loss as a political blow and not so much a personal one. As to Daeron - was there really time for him to hear about his death and overcome it?

By this measure, why don't we assume that the loss of Rhaenyra's first husband was a blow to her? We have no proof that their relationship was a bad one and her children were not his. The talks of the Green do not constitute proof. And she clearly remained in good relationship with Laenor's parents. Why should we give Aegon credit for overcoming the loss of his wife when we know he had a mistress and not give Rhaenyra credit for overcoming the loss of the husband of her youth when we have no proof that their relationship lacked fondness and warmth?

And please, would you stop insinuating that Rhaenyra was weak and mad because she lost a loved one? Let's make the count, like the one you made for Aegon, shall we?

She lost:

1. Her first husband (if we count Helaena as Aegon's loss, why shouldn't we count Laenor as Rhaenyra's?). By the way, she recovered friom this one.

2. Her baby.

3. Her father (she spared Alicent because he loved her once and she wasn't the one who left his body to rot while busy to plot. That was Alicent, Aegon, Helaena, and Aemond).

4. Her second son.

5. Her fifth son (he was lost to her on the Lysene ships and she didn't know whether he survived).

6. Her first son.

7. Her third son.

This isn't "a loved one".

From 2 to 7, all those losses happened in a very short period of time. And stillbirth tends to leave women in a very distressed state.

I won't even go into the betrayals.

[Jon's Queen Consort]

Don't forget that the puppet king's idea of dealing with suggestions other than "kill them all 'cause you are the king!" was "throw the speaker into a black cell with his black friends!" A great king, indeed. When everyone agrees about just every word coming out of his mouth. When not... well, there are plenty of black cells.

Had Rhaenyra left the usurpation unchallenged, not only she and hers would die but Westeros would have a tyrant on the throne. The only way Aegon could have turned out a better man was to be challenged.

I refuse to give him all this credit for not drinking the milk of poppy. Sure, it's a good thing but not so great. He didn't become a better man - he kept feeding people to his dragon. And not killing Aegon and Baela? Please. Of course that shows some growing up but Rhaenyra was that grown up from the very beginning. She didn't kill Alicent either. Or Helaena. So, we give Aegon credit for getting over this bloodthirsty impulses but well, Rhaenyra never had them, so he's all great and she's all mad?

That's your insinuation. Why stop with Rhaenyra? There are parallels between Aerys and Aegon, too. Like, being obsessed with destroying your enemies in a cruel way. Not suffering any opposition.

You would choose Aegon although the only way he could become tolerable was through the Dance that destroyed the realm, over Rhaenyra who only became intolerable because of the Dance? I am not speaking about the end of the Dance. I am talking about the time when it was possible to have no Dance at all. Would you still choose Aegon because you know how it all ended? For "the greater good?" Don't forget, without the war he would have stayed just as he was in the beginning.

Agree with everything you said. In Rhaenyra's defence, God I never imagined that I would ever defent a Targ, she was a MOTHER who lost 3 sons and her own father, for sure, because of her stepmothers ambitions. Who can blame a mother for being overprotective?

I couldn't agree more. It's easy to judge an action as wrong when you're not on it. If my child was killed as well, especially in the manner Luke was killed, I wouldn't feel any mercy in to send Blood and Cheese. Though I do have to admit, I'd be less inclined to kill the children, as I would feel too bad for them, as much as I'd be to kill Alicent.

Alicent was desperate to maintain her grasp on power. She doesn't strike me as sympathetic at all, but power-hungry at best. It doesn't help her cause that she let Viserys's body without proper treatment for days so she could plot against the Heir.

Oh my sweet summer child you are way to kind and generous. If my son was hunted down and murdered like a deer from a monsterous coward, I would have killed every one of them with my own hands feeling no remorse while I would have made Hellicante to watch and then leave her alive to know how it feels to lose what is the most importand to a mother, to feel my pain.

I don't think that Aegon was smart at all and he most definitely wasn't a decent man . He knew that what he was doing was treason, he knew that he was an usurper, he knew that by his decision he endangers his family and he didn't cared.

[dotheknifefight]

My Targaryen family tree from Princess and the Queen

[Jaak]

Still it was both stupid and unfair to send Blood and Cheese after children?

Killing Aemond would have avenged the direct culprit of Lucerys´ death (Aemond had the opportunity to let Lucerys go as a messenger and guest of his host, with rejection of his mission - he chose not to.). Also it would have left Vhagar riderless, and the Blacks would hardly have found as mad a dragonrider. Well, he may have been a too hard target - not present at Red Keep.

But Alicent was directly not only an adult but the scheming bitch who was the main culprit of the whole war. Letting Aegon know the loss of his mother and simultaneously avenging her trachery would have been perfectly sensible.

[RumHam]

Also, I hope for Larys that someone helped him. Aegon II was still injured, and most likely needed help walking. Jaehaera (sweet and simple -> a hint that she was mentally a bit behind?) would have been a six year old, frightened girl. She might not have been willing to cooperate. And perhaps little Maelor was sneaked away as well. He would have needed to be carried. And everything had to happen in silence, otherwise they might have been heard on the other sides of the walls.

He had help from two Kingsguard:

King Aegon II had fled. So had his children, the six-year-old Princess Jaehaera and two-year-old Prince Maelor, along with the knights Willis Fell and Rickard Thorne of the Kingsguard.

The three wild dragons were all male.

Maybe, but we know that dragons can change sex.

[Jon's Queen Consort]

Still it was both stupid and unfair to send Blood and Cheese after children?

Killing Aemond would have avenged the direct culprit of Lucerys´ death (Aemond had the opportunity to let Lucerys go as a messenger and guest of his host, with rejection of his mission - he chose not to.). Also it would have left Vhagar riderless, and the Blacks would hardly have found as mad a dragonrider. Well, he may have been a too hard target - not present at Red Keep.

But Alicent was directly not only an adult but the scheming bitch who was the main culprit of the whole war. Letting Aegon know the loss of his mother and simultaneously avenging her trachery would have been perfectly sensible.

No. Aemond was not enough. Rhaenys lost a son not a brother. Aegon should lost a son too. But most importantly Hellicante should start losing her power.

[dotheknifefight]

According to Eleana Targaryen's entry from So Spake Martin, the love of her life is Alyn "Oakenfist" Velaryon. However, Alyn Velaryon in P&Q is most likely older than her father, Aegon III (If Addam and Alyn are twins, Alyn is about six years older than Aegon III), so I don't understand how he would be her cousin (Unless GRRM was using the term loosely). Even if Alyn is of an age with Aegon III (which would make trying to tame and ride a fully grown, wild dragon pretty unbelievable) he would be way older than Eleana, as she one of Aegon III's youngest daughters.

The only other way for Oakenfist to be Elaena's cousin is if this Alyn Velaryon is not Oakenfist, but perhaps Oakenfist's father or grandfather (though the readership seems to agree they are the same). Aegon III went on to marry an unnamed daughter of Lord Velaryon after his wife, Aegon II's remaining daughter Jaehaera, died shortly after their marriage.

We know from P&Q that Alyn ends up a legitimized bastard, given the name Velaryon, and becomes Lord of Driftmark. This seems to point to Oakenfist being either his son or the son of one of his other children, thus making him Daeron and Elaena's cousin. (I don't recall any character being named after their father, so I'm guessing its a grandson.)

(If this is true, the westeros.org wiki for Alyn Velaryon needs some editing)

[dotheknifefight]

Laena and Leanor Velaryon

Could one or both have died during the fighting on the Stepstones?

The sailors of the Triarchy had faced dragons before whilst warring against Prince Daemon in the Stepstones. No man could fault their courage; they were prepared to meet dragonflame with such weapons as they had. “Kill the rider and the dragon will depart,” their captains and commanders had told them.

The only dragon/rider mentioned fighting in the Stepstones was Daemon, but they obviously fought more than just him & Ceraxes, and had killed the other dragon(s) and rider(s). We know Laena and Laenor both died about the same time, approximately between 116-119AL, as Rhaenyra and Daemon married between 119-120AL (Daemon & Laena's twin girls were born in 116, Rhaenyra & Laenor's youngest, Joff, was born 117AL, and Rhaenyra & Daemon's first born son, Aegon III, was born 120AL).

[Anath]

Laena and Leanor Velaryon

Could one or both have died during the fighting on the Stepstones?

The only dragon/rider mentioned fighting in the Stepstones was Daemon, but they obviously fought more than just him & Ceraxes, and had killed the other dragon(s) and rider(s). We know Laena and Laenor both died about the same time, approximately between 116-119AL, as Rhaenyra and Daemon married between 119-120AL (Daemon & Laena's twin girls were born in 116, Rhaenyra & Laenor's youngest, Joff, was born 117AL, and Rhaenyra & Daemon's first born son, Aegon III, was born 120AL).

Given their parents' personalities, it is possible that there was more to them than being the conveniently dead spouses of Rhaenyra and Daemon.

Criston Cole was especially hateful towards Laenor who's been dead for 10 years, at least. Since I already hate Cole's guts, I like to take that as a sign that Laenor was awesome. It's just an idea of mine, of course. No proof. For all we know, he might have been a child-molester.

And Seasmoke was his 'pride and passion'. He might have very well died riding him in battle.

Laena quite interests me since we know about her even less than we do about Laenor. She gave birth in Pentos. Even if it was an accident, in Middle Ages women rarely veered so far away from home when they were close to giving birth. She might have been an interesting lady in her own right.

She isn't mentioned as ever having had a dragon but then, she isn't mentioned all that much at all. Given the fact that she was considered as a claimant for the IT in 101, I think she might have had one. The best argument Targaryen monarchs had for their rule at the time was the dragons. I cannot see the lords considering a dragonless queen when they were quite reluctant to support a queen at all. Even Helaena who didn't strike me as too strong a character had a dragon.

I think Laena and her dragon died at the same time.

[RumHam]

Laena and Leanor Velaryon

Could one or both have died during the fighting on the Stepstones?

The only dragon/rider mentioned fighting in the Stepstones was Daemon, but they obviously fought more than just him & Ceraxes, and had killed the other dragon(s) and rider(s).

I don't think that's a given. These people are soldiers from former Valyrian colonies, I'm sure they've heard a few things about dragons (that may or may not be true.)

[Anath]

I don't think that's a given. These people are soldiers from former Valyrian colonies, I'm sure they've heard a few things about dragons (that may or may not be true.)

But it was explicitly stated that they had faced dragons while fighting Daemon. It might be just another way of say Caraxes but is a little strange.

[Lord Varys]

On Aegon:

Ran has confirmed that the source for Aegon's out-of-character statements ('I don't want to be king/steal my sister's crown') is Septon Eustace - the one who anointed Aegon II - and apparently very firmly in the Green camp. He is also the one who came up with that 'The Iron Throne rejected the false queen' after Rhaenyra took the city. She was not able to cut her thighs and legs on the Iron Throne if she sat there still in armor!

Aegon's first publicly known statement is his fit of rage when Rhaenyra does not accept his ascension to the Iron Throne. He wants her attainted and killed. This does not sound like something someone would say who had originally second thoughts on seizing the throne. In fact, Gyldayn's introduction of all three of Alicent's sons give a good assessment of their respective characters. Aegon is with his mistress, Aemond in the yard practicing and foul-mouthed, and Daeron is genuinely stricken by his father's death.

Thinking about that: One reason why Viserys did not change his last will may be that he did know very well what kind of persons Aegon and Aemond were. And that he did not want them to succeed him. They were clearly worse king material than Rhaenyra. Aegon is indeed very much like Joffrey.

1. Nobody really prepared/prepares him for the role of king (in Aegon's case that's obvious since his father did not want him to rise to the throne; in the case of Joffrey both Cersei and Robert completely sucked as parents).

2. He is very hot-headed, quick to anger, and not exactly very smart (expects people to do what he says because he says so).

3. Develops or always did have sadistic tendencies (feeds people - among them his own sister - to his dragon).

I'm pretty sure Ser Otto's dismissal as Hand of the King is exactly the fate Lord Tywin would have suffered had Joffrey been a man grown when he ascended to the Iron Throne.

As to Aegon's possible 'change in personality'. A real change would have been if Aegon had offered his sister some sort of reconciliation. That could have worked. Nearly the complete Targaryen dynasty was already destroyed (among them all the people who did the atrocities - i.e. Aemond and Daemon). Aegon could have offered Rhaenyra his hand in a political marriage. They could have betrothed Jaehaera to Aegon the Younger, making them their heirs. That would have been a real change of character. Instead he got off on seeing his sister being eaten by his dragon. And it's pretty obvious that this decision may be part of his undoing. The manner of Rhaenyra's demise may be one of the core things motivating the Blacks to continue the fight...

On Laena and Laenor:

Laenor may have died during the Stepstone campaign. It's not confirmed, but it's implied. The soldiers of the Triarchy knew that a dragon disappears/seizes to be a threat when its rider is dead. To know and believe that you must have witnessed it yourself. Laenor could have been killed on dragonback. Whether Laena ever had a dragon we don't know. I had never thought about that, but it would make sense. She may have been killed along with her dragon. The fact that Rhaenyra and Daemon married each other may indicate that Laenor and Laena died around the same time.

[RumHam]

But it was explicitly stated that they had faced dragons while fighting Daemon. It might be just another way of say Caraxes but is a little strange.

Yeah that's a good point. Could just be odd phrasing on the maester's part, but I would have written "had faced the blood wyrm before" it it was just Caraxes in the war. Maybe Quicksilver retreated and then was taken down when it's rider was killed?

The manner of Rhaenyra's demise may be one of the core things motivating the Blacks to continue the fight...

That, and we all know once you go black you never go back.

[By the Old Gods Not theNew]

Drawing more connections between tPatQ era and tWo5K time period…Like Daemon, Arya spent some time in Harrenhal. From her PoV we see the weirwood (no mention of any slashes). The time she spends in the godswood is not spent in vain it involves some pretty significant events-Weasel Soup and her escape from Harrenhal.

I've put the text under the spoiler to save space and to avoid muddling the thread w/ text from ACoK:

1. Arya puts operation Weasel Soup into motion after praying to the weirwood.

Shoving her sword through her belt, she slipped down branch to branch until she was back on the ground. The light of the moon painted the limbs of the weirwood silvery white as she made her way toward it, but the five-pointed red leaves turned black by night. Arya stared at the face carved into its trunk. It was a terrible face, its mouth twisted, its eyes flaring and full of hate. Is that what a god looked like? Could gods be hurt, the same as people? I should pray, she thought suddenly.

Arya went to her knees. She wasn’t sure how she should begin. She clasped her hands together. Help me, you old gods, she prayed silently. Help me get those men out of the dungeon so we can kill Ser Amory, and bring me home to Winterfell. Make me a water dancer and a wolf and not afraid again, ever.

Was that enough? Maybe she should pray aloud if she wanted the old gods to hear. Maybe she should pray longer. Sometimes her father had prayed a long time, she remembered. But the old gods had never helped him. Remembering that made her angry. “You should have saved him,” she scolded the tree. “He prayed to you all the time. I don’t care if you help me or not. I don’t think you could even if you wanted to.”

“Gods are not mocked, girl.”

The voice startled her. She leapt to her feet and drew her wooden sword. Jaqen H’ghar stood so still in the darkness that he seemed one of the trees. “A man comes to hear a name. One and two and then comes three. A man would have done.”

Arya lowered the splintery point toward the ground. “How did you know I was here?”

“A man sees. A man hears. A man knows.”

She regarded him suspiciously. Had the gods sent him? “How’d you make the dog kill Weese? Did you call Rorge and Biter up from hell? Is Jaqen H’ghar your true name?”

“Some men have many names. Weasel. Arry. Arya.”

She backed away from him, until she was pressed against the heart tree. “Did Gendry tell?”

“A man knows,” he said again. “My lady of Stark.”

Maybe the gods had sent him in answer to her prayers. “I need you to help me get those men out of the dungeons. That Glover and those others, all of them. We have to kill the guards and open the cell somehow-”

“A girl forgets,” he said quietly. “Two she has had, three were owed. If a guard must die, she needs only speak his name.”

“But one guard won’t be enough, we need to kill them all to open the cell.” Arya bit her lip hard to stop from crying. “I want you to save the northmen like I saved you.”

He looked down at her pitilessly. “Three lives were snatched from a god. Three lives must be repaid. The gods are not mocked.” His voice was silk and steel.

“I never mocked.” She thought for a moment. “The name... can I name anyone? And you’ll kill him?”

Jaqen H’ghar inclined his head. “A man has said.”

“Anyone?” she repeated. “A man, a woman, a little baby, or Lord Tywin, or the High Septon, or your father?”

“A man’s sire is long dead, but did he live, and did you know his name, he would die at your command.”

“Swear it,” Arya said. “Swear it by the gods.”

“By all the gods of sea and air, and even him of fire, I swear it.” He placed a hand in the mouth of the weirwood. “By the seven new gods and the old gods beyond count, I swear it.”

He has sworn. “Even if I named the king.”

“Speak the name, and death will come. On the morrow, at the turn of the moon, a year from this day, it will come. A man does not fly like a bird, but one foot moves and then another and one day a man is there, and a king dies.” He knelt beside her, so they were face-to-face, “A girl whispers if she fears to speak aloud. Whisper it now. Is it Joffrey?”

Arya put her lips to his ear. “It’s Jaqen H’ghar.”

Even in the burning barn, with walls of flame towering all around and him in chains, he had not seemed so distraught as he did now. “A girl... she makes a jest.”

“You swore. The gods heard you swear.”

“The gods did hear,” There was a knife in his hand suddenly, its blade thin as her little finger. Whether it was meant for her or him, Arya could not say. “A girl will weep. A girl will lose her only friend.”

“You’re not my friend. A friend would help me.” She stepped away from him, balanced on the balls of her feet in case he threw his knife. “I’d never kill a friend.”

Jaqen’s smile came and went. “A girl might... name another name then, if a friend did help?”

“A girl might,” she said. “If a friend did help.”

2. Arya goes to the godswood and asks the old gods what to do…before she decides to escape from Harrenhal and Roose Bolton.

“What’s wrong?” Arya asked him when she saw the tears shining on his cheeks.

“My princess,” he sobbed. “We’ve been dishonored, Aenys says. There was a bird from the Twins. My lord father says I’ll need to marry someone else, or be a septon.”

A stupid princess, she thought, that’s nothing to cry over. “My brothers might be dead,” she confided.

Elmar gave her a scornful look. “No one cares about a serving girl’s brothers.”

It was hard not to hit him when he said that. “I hope your princess dies” she said, and ran off before he could grab her.

In the godswood she found her broomstick sword where she had left it, and carried it to the heart tree. There she knelt. Red leaves rustled. Red eyes peered inside her. The eyes of the gods. “Tell me what to do, you gods,” she prayed.

For a long moment there was no sound but the wind and the water and the creak of leaf and limb. And then, far far off, beyond the godswood and the haunted towers and the immense stone walls of Harrenhal, from somewhere out in the world, came the long lonely howl of a wolf. Gooseprickles rose on Arya’s skin, and for an instant she felt dizzy. Then, so faintly, it seemed as if she heard her father’s voice. “When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives,” he said.

“But there is no pack,” she whispered to the weirwood. Bran and Rickon were dead, the Lannisters had Sansa, Jon had gone to the Wall. “I’m not even me now, I’m Nan.”

“You are Arya of Winterfell, daughter of the north. You told me you could be strong. You have the wolf blood in you.”

“The wolf blood.” Arya remembered now. “I’ll be as strong as Robb. I said I would.” She took a deep breath, then lifted the broomstick in both hands and brought it down across her knee. It broke with a loud crack, and she threw the pieces aside. I am a direwolf, and done with wooden teeth.

That night she lay in her narrow bed upon the scratchy straw, listening to the voices of the living and the dead whisper and argue as she waited for the moon to rise. They were the only voices she trusted anymore. She could hear the sound of her own breath, and the wolves as well, a great pack of them now. They are closer than the one I heard in the godswood, she thought. They are calling to me.

Finally she slipped from under the blanket, wriggled into a tunic, and padded barefoot down the stairs. Roose Bolton was a cautious man, and the entrance to Kingspyre was guarded day and night, so she had to slip out of a narrow cellar window. The yard was still, the great castle lost in haunted dreams. Above, the wind keened through the Wailing Tower.