Mercy?

[Hos the Hostage]

There are four female mummers we hear about in Mercy. I have put my guesses as to who they are playing in the Bloody Hand.

1. Mercy herself, whose lines are something like "oh no, oh don't, I'm still a maiden m'lord". (Shae)

2. Daena, Mercy's friend (Sansa)

3. Lady Stork, who plays the queen and is present at the wedding (Cersei)

4. Wendyne, a pretty girl who has an affair with Izembaro. (Margaery)

If Mercy isn't Shae, then she is a random girl raped by the Imp. If it is Sansa, Mercy's clothing would be more elaborate, and she cannot simply go on murdering errands just before her part. Besides, what is the point of a highborn maid telling her husband on their wedding night that "I'm still a maiden"? Sansa is not expected to not a maiden by anyone.

I am sure Cersei has offered some reward for capturing Sansa as well, because Tickler and co. tells the Hound that "they will find her, if it takes all the gold in Casterly Rock". The Bloody Hand is played to please the Westerosi envoy. The night we see is the first time it is played at the Gate. Mercy's character is one that receives the pity of the onlooker. Highly unlikely that Phario Forel will write Sansa as a victim when the story spread by the Lannisters is of her being a traitor's daughter and an associate in kingslaying. He is the bloodiest quill, not the cheesiest quill in all of Braavos.

A large number of people witnesses Tyrion's trial and Shae's 'confession'. Tyrion notes that all the men present at the court wanted to run to her and solace her. Her story sure has got widespread, probably getting colorful.

[jeyneofthed'Ubervilles]

Shae is my best guess. She implies with her testimony that she was a maid before Tyrion forced her into prostitution. It's a big secret where Shae died, but not that Tyrion killed her. Cersei wouldn't pass up a chance to make Tyrion look bad.

Being robbed of her virginity and killed in one scene is a boiled down version of Shae as Cersei would have us see her.

It's propaganda, not journalism.

[finger]

Martin plays with words and, in this particular stance, I do love it.

Arya is pretending to be Mercy, who's playing Sansa.

Sansa is raped in the play.

People will think that Mercy has been raped and murdered when she disappears.

Arya is growing as a she-wolf, she's no more a child, she's deadly as hell.

Well, we've been all but told that she'll lead a pack. I wonder who'll be at her heels.

Eta. Answering what's been written.

I don't think Mercy played Shae. She was a renouned whore, and she'd never claim to be a virgin. Lest so when talking to Tyrion in the second act!

Sansa would.

[jeyneofthed'Ubervilles]

Martin plays with words and, in this particular stance, I do love it.

Arya is pretending to be Mercy, who's playing Sansa.

Sansa is raped in the play.

People will think that Mercy has been raped and murdered when she disappears.

Arya is growing as a she-wolf, she's no more a child, she's deadly as hell.

Well, we've been all but told that she'll lead a pack. I wonder who'll be at her heels.

Eta. Answering what's been written.

I don't think Mercy played Shae. She was a renouned whore, and she'd never claim to be a virgin. Lest so when talking to Tyrion in the second act!

Sansa would.

Quote:

Shae: I never meant to be a whore m'lords. I was to be married. A squire he was, and a good brave boy, gentle born.

She doesn't explicitly state that she was a virgin, but it's somewhat implied. In Westeros, non-virgins aren't supposed to get such plum-marriages.

I don't know that Mercy plays Shae. The play is full of lies, and Phario Forel could have made her character up put of whole cloth. One inconsistency between Shae as she presents herself at trial, and Mercy's character is that Tyrion would have forcibly deflowered Shae in The Riverlands, and then kills her much later in King's Landing. In the play, these 2 events happen in the same scene. But it seems like an acceptable use of poetic licence to put them together rather than give such a minor character 2 scenes.

What I do know is that Arya doesn't play her sister. According to the official Lannister party line, Sansa is Tyrion's confederate, not his victim.

If it had been common knowledge that Shae was a sex worker, then why did Cersei think Tyrion's prostitute of choice was Alayaya? Shae's only customer in King's Landing was Tyrion. Tywin and Varys knew, but they're both famous for having good information.

[bemused]

There's no mention of the character in the play being murdered.

When "Mercy" wakes up , she knows she ( Mercy) is to be raped in the play , and that she (No-one-in-training) has to fake Mercy's murder after killing one of Swyft's guards and implicating him ( if possible ) in Mercy's death .. thereby causing trouble for the Sealord and Swyft .. ( this is the main objective).

As in her previous assignment ( insurance man), the method was up to her, but in this case, she wouldn't have long to observe and lay her plan. She'd have to assess the guards and the best way to get at one of them , then act - pretty much on the spot. ... She (Arya) receives a gift from the gods when one of the guards turns out to be Raff.

I believe going to Izembaro was a genuine apprenticeship , but Izembaro himself may not have known about any FM connection.. A HoB&W agent may have paid him an apprenticeship fee to take Mercy on (all apparently commonplace and above board) .. When Swyft's visit became known , "Mercy" was well placed to wreak a little havoc.

All of this is most likely tied to the imminent change of Sealord. His policies are probably now seen as unwise. It's possible his policies were responsible for turning out Dany and Viserys and for allowing the IT debt to become so huge. We've already seen the IB move to support Stannis and Jon . These are both risky financial moves , so there must be politics and an awareness of potentially apocalyptic times involved. ( The knives seem to be coming out before the Sealord dies.)

The character in the play could be any innocent girl. Tyrion's sexual apetite is famous and I think the play is probably designed to paint all the Lannisters in an unflattering way.

No-one-in-training will probably get a pat on the back for a job well done (and perhaps another early promotion) and Arya gets another secret to tuck away.

ETA: I'm very curious to know more about the Keyholders , any political affiliations The Black Pearl may have , and the occupants of the other boxes. What's up with the Third Sword and who are the friends he's entertaining ? Is he getting ready to jump ship?

And of course , Phario Forel.

[malchus]

Been a while since i read the chapter, but isn't the whole point of her being in the play to frame someone for the murder of "Mercy"? That it just happens to be Raff is just a coincidence? Someone is going to find Raff's room and all the blood, he and "Mercy" are both gone...they will think that he killed her and disappeared.

[bemused]

I think it's coincidental in the sense that Arya couldn't have known she'd get a chance to cross a name off her list, but I think she was always meant to kill and frame someone connected to Swyft ... meant to cause trouble for Swyft and the Sealord.

[malchus]

I think it's coincidental in the sense that Arya couldn't have known she'd get a chance to cross a name off her list, but I think she was always meant to kill and frame someone connected to Swyft ... meant to cause trouble for Swyft and the Sealord

We are thinking along the same lines. Very interesting to see the Iron Bank get even more active in Westerosi "regime change".

[quirpele]

Thanks for all the responses. I didn't initially read it as her death being premeditated and an act for the FM. I assumed she killed Raff of her own volition, but having to kill someone and the 'gift' was that it happened to be someone on her list makes much more sense.

After all she had Needle with her (iirc- in any case, a blade of some sort) and this wouldn't make sense unless she intended to (and was instructed to) use it. Especially if it was Needle, at the risk of the Kindly Man finding out.

Will be interesting to see whose interpretations are correct when we read her other chapters.