Who will Arya be sent to assasinate?

[Kasoroth]

So your saying you think that Ilyrio will hire the fm to kill her, not that the fm want her dead bc of dragons? And I'll give it to you that it's possible missandei is a fw, it's all possible, but pointing out the waif and arya doesn't make fw more common. We were explicitly told that its more common for men, and they are after all called the fm not the fw, add to that being a young child and the odds are simply mind boggling thats really my only point

Arya says that she was blind for a full year, and she was blinded at about the same time Sam left Bravos for Oldtown. Thats the only time frame I can really find, though you have given me a very interesting thought, how long in between the time Sam is sent to Oldtown via Bravos, and the time Stannis sends Justin Massey there, surely it has not been a year. Add to that the fact that the year Arya was blind was not started until Sam and Dareon had been in Bravos for a little while, so that the trip and their time in Bravos was not included and even more time for Stannis' plot line to continue on. Now you have me wanting to re-read the Arya chapters and I don't have my books, damn.

Or was she blind for half a year, one of the two, damn I really gotta get my books.

The last clear thing I remember to synchronize timelines is that right before Arya gets her sight back, she reports that one of the things that she learned was that a slaver ship was seized by the Sealord carrying wildling refugees captured from Hardhome.

[Nick_Scryer]

Was Arya even sent to assassinate anyone? I thought she was sent to train with Izembaro?

She might be sent to learn from him/her, and the best way to learn is to watch so she tags along on Izembaro's next hit which happens to be a big one in Westeros. I can see Izembaro failing his mission and Arya completing it but remembering who she is in the process.

[Stannis the Menace]

Was Arya even sent to assassinate anyone? I thought she was sent to train with Izembaro?

She might be sent to learn from him/her, and the best way to learn is to watch so she tags along on Izembaro's next hit which happens to be a big one in Westeros. I can see Izembaro failing his mission and Arya completing it but remembering who she is in the process.

Interesting Idea here, I like it

[elanmorin]

Was Arya even sent to assassinate anyone? I thought she was sent to train with Izembaro?

She might be sent to learn from him/her, and the best way to learn is to watch so she tags along on Izembaro's next hit which happens to be a big one in Westeros. I can see Izembaro failing his mission and Arya completing it but remembering who she is in the process.

Considering she was given a contract already, and a pretty difficult one at that (someone who suspected he was being targetted by assassins and had the means to hire professional guards to protect him), I think it's safe to assume her training with Izenbaro will also include hits on selected targets.

If this apprenticeship is anything similar to medieval apprenticeships it ill surely include Arya taking part to the "trade" in an active way, although how much of a partecipation is anyone's guess at this point.

[ejhawman]

No one.

Seriously: she's still in training. She has to learn a little bit of a lot of different trades; no doubt the FM have arrangements with some masters. If she kills anyone, it will not be for a contract taken by the temple.

[SaskatoonX]

It's possible the Arya's target will be Tyrion. The way how Kevan and Pycelle were killed suggests that Tyrion was behind it so Cersei might go crazy and hire FM to kill Tyrion. Then Arya either kills or somehow makes a deal with Tyrion to frame his death so that Cersei has to pay for the hit (loses something important to her) and then Jaime (Valonqar) kills Cersei for killing Tyrion.

[Tini]

It's possible the Arya's target will be Tyrion. The way how Kevan and Pycelle were killed suggests that Tyrion was behind it so Cersei might go crazy and hire FM to kill Tyrion. Then Arya either kills or somehow makes a deal with Tyrion to frame his death so that Cersei has to pay for the hit (loses something important to her) and then Jaime (Valonqar) kills Cersei for killing Tyrion.

What important thing would Cersei be willing to sacrifice?

She is too self-centered, and not desperate enough, to offer her life in exchange, nor would she offer the FM Casterly Rock and the gold mines. I doubt that the FM would accept the life of her children or her twin in exchange for killing Tyrion.

In other words: I don't think Cersei can pay their price.

Some people around Cersei have the mind-set to hire the Faceless Man for getting rid of Cersei and her champion Ser Robert Strong, though.

Lancel Lannister, for example. Cersei seduced him, used him against Robert Baratheon, and he felt so guilty that he joined the Faith - thus disappointing Ser Kevan. The guilt he felt about that affair will be nothing compared to the guilt he'll feel over Ser Kevan's murder - which Cersei may have committed (or, at least, ordered). I can see Lancel sacrifice everything to avenge his father and die with a clear conscience.

Loras Tyrell might be willing to pay the price, to keep Margaery safe, or to avenge her. He loves his sister, and he might feel guilty about not being in KL to defend her. About not being able to defend her, as he is gravely injured.

Falyse Stokeworth, if she is still alive. Cersei gave her to Qyburn, but I don't remember if she actually died - just that Qyburn told Cersei that Falyse was alive but no longer fit to be Lady Stokeworth when Cersei considered using her against Bronn. If any of Qybruns victims escape alive, they might give everything that is left of them to stop Cersei, Qyburn, and Qyburn's creation.

I hope Arya gets tasked with taking care of Ser Robert Strong.

[juanml82]

Well, if the FM are so expensive that even queens can't afford them, they wouldn't have any customer. I like the sasKattonX idea, but I don't see why Arya would make a deal with Tyrion

[Tini]

Well, if the FM are so expensive that even queens can't afford them, they wouldn't have any customer. I like the sasKattonX idea, but I don't see why Arya would make a deal with Tyrion

Yes, they would have customers. Read Arya's chapters.

The Faceless Men were founded by poor people, for poor people. Queens may not be able to afford their prices when poor people might.

People may offer their own lives in payment to the Faceless Man. One could say that they pay the ultimate price. But usually the Faceless Men only ask for half of their customers' worldly possessions. A queen would have to offer half the kingdom, then, and that she might consider too high a price.

Cersei doesn't have a kingdom but her son does. She herself has Casterly Rock and the gold mines. She may want Tyrion dead, but not to the point that she would pay with her own life. If she offers Casterly Rock or the gold mines to the Faceless Men, she loses the Lannister support. She'll lose more if she is found out to pay the FM with Tommen's possessions.

[aryagonnakill]

Yes, they would have customers. Read Arya's chapters.

The Faceless Men were founded by poor people, for poor people. Queens may not be able to afford their prices when poor people might.

People may offer their own lives in payment to the Faceless Man. One could say that they pay the ultimate price. But usually the Faceless Men only ask for half of their customers' worldly possessions. A queen would have to offer half the kingdom, then, and that she might consider too high a price.

Cersei doesn't have a kingdom but her son does. She herself has Casterly Rock and the gold mines. She may want Tyrion dead, but not to the point that she would pay with her own life. If she offers Casterly Rock or the gold mines to the Faceless Men, she loses the Lannister support. She'll lose more if she is found out to pay the FM with Tommen's possessions.

I'm not saying I really believe this theory will happen, but I would like to give it some merit. We all think both Tommen and Marcella are going to die right? And Cersei though seems to love her children, she seemed to love Jaime too. She may grow contempt for Marcella upon seeing her injury just as she did for Jaime. From a point of view it could be said that all she has are her children. She may technically own Casterly Rock, but not really. Just getting to Casterly Rock would be a challenge, she has no Lannister men at her disposal in KL. Not to mention if she ever married she looses it, and without marriage she might not be able to maintain control.

[kitkat]

I think Arya is gooing to help Jaqen with his mission, which is somehow related to stopping the Others, in my opinion. Jaqen was locked in the black cells before the dragons were hatched, and Biter and Rogue were terrified of him...seems to me that Jaqen is very good at what he does and I think if the FM were given ranks, he'd be the equivalent of a general. I don't think he's rogue, and I think he's studied enough of the old ways (if he was indeed sent to find more about the Others, direwolves, CotF, whatever) to see that Arya is a warg, or at the very least, realize who she is and where she came from. He tried to get her to come with him, but since she refused, he wanted the next best thing, get her to the House of Black and White where she can be surrounded by the deadliest people, which turns out to be the safest place for her..no one will suspect to look for her, and no one will mess with a FM. The Kindly Man may or may not know Jaqen's intentions, but I have a strong feeling he came to the same conclusion Jaqen did. I think warging and direwolves are going to be a big part of TWOW and we're going to remember that the whole series started with the Others and not Dany's dragons.

[aryagonnakill]

I think Arya is gooing to help Jaqen with his mission, which is somehow related to stopping the Others, in my opinion. Jaqen was locked in the black cells before the dragons were hatched, and Biter and Rogue were terrified of him...seems to me that Jaqen is very good at what he does and I think if the FM were given ranks, he'd be the equivalent of a general. I don't think he's rogue, and I think he's studied enough of the old ways (if he was indeed sent to find more about the Others, direwolves, CotF, whatever) to see that Arya is a warg, or at the very least, realize who she is and where she came from. He tried to get her to come with him, but since she refused, he wanted the next best thing, get her to the House of Black and White where she can be surrounded by the deadliest people, which turns out to be the safest place for her..no one will suspect to look for her, and no one will mess with a FM. The Kindly Man may or may not know Jaqen's intentions, but I have a strong feeling he came to the same conclusion Jaqen did. I think warging and direwolves are going to be a big part of TWOW and we're going to remember that the whole series started with the Others and not Dany's dragons.

One thing I find interesting about this post is that the show definitely made Jaqen out to be a warg, with the dog in Harrenhall.

[Tini]

I'm not saying I really believe this theory will happen, but I would like to give it some merit. We all think both Tommen and Marcella are going to die right? And Cersei though seems to love her children, she seemed to love Jaime too. She may grow contempt for Marcella upon seeing her injury just as she did for Jaime. From a point of view it could be said that all she has are her children. She may technically own Casterly Rock, but not really. Just getting to Casterly Rock would be a challenge, she has no Lannister men at her disposal in KL. Not to mention if she ever married she looses it, and without marriage she might not be able to maintain control.

She doesn't lose Casterly Rock if she gets married. The only person that might lose if Cersei gets married is Myrcella because another son would be ahead of her in succession to Casterly Rock.

It doesn't matter if Cersei can't reach Casterly Rock now - if the head of House Lannister gives away the family seat, House Lannister is dead. The Lannister family will turn away from her. And she'd lose every single retainer - they'd answer to their new liege lords. True, none of them are currently in King's Landing. But they could come to King's Landing to support her, and her allies know that. It's what makes the Lannisters strong allies and dangerous enemies. Take that away, and Cersei is done for.

[A Redeemed Hound]

I believe she will abandon the Faceless Men as soon as she is trained enough and finds a way back to Westeros. She hid Needle so she has not truly abandoned Arya Stark. I would even bet she kills a few Faceless Men or burns the place down before she escapes.

[aryagonnakill]

She doesn't lose Casterly Rock if she gets married. The only person that might lose if Cersei gets married is Myrcella because another son would be ahead of her in succession to Casterly Rock.

It doesn't matter if Cersei can't reach Casterly Rock now - if the head of House Lannister gives away the family seat, House Lannister is dead. The Lannister family will turn away from her. And she'd lose every single retainer - they'd answer to their new liege lords. True, none of them are currently in King's Landing. But they could come to King's Landing to support her, and her allies know that. It's what makes the Lannisters strong allies and dangerous enemies. Take that away, and Cersei is done for.

It just seems to me Marcella is a more likely price they would ask for than Casterly Rock. The whole life and death thing. And can Cersei really give them the Rock anyway? Tyrion is currently attainted a traitor but all thats bs and not very permanent. That is if he winds up on the winning side his claim supercedes whatever Cersei ever had.

Edit- I really don't see it going this way, but I do believe if Cersei tried to contract the fm the price would be either tommen or marcella.

[Tini]

It just seems to me Marcella is a more likely price they would ask for than Casterly Rock. The whole life and death thing. And can Cersei really give them the Rock anyway? Tyrion is currently attainted a traitor but all thats bs and not very permanent. That is if he winds up on the winning side his claim supercedes whatever Cersei ever had.

Edit- I really don't see it going this way, but I do believe if Cersei tried to contract the fm the price would be either tommen or marcella.

Jaime would have an even better claim to Casterly Rock than Tyrion, then. But that is not how it works. Tywin died while Tyrion was attainted, Jaime was in the King's Guard, and Cersei was the heir to Casterly Rock. Cersei has inherited Casterly Rock, and is now its mistress. That won't change even if Jaime leaves the King's Guard, or Tyrion comes back, it will only change if Cersei cedes her claim to them. And that of her children, too, which her children might contest.

Can Cersei give Casterly Rock away? I don't know. It would seem that Robert Baratheon did something similar when he gave the Stormlands and Storm's End to Renly instead of Stannis, and Cersei has proven that she doesn't care about what she can or can't do.

If Cersei gives Casterly Rock away, chances are that every Lannister in existence will contest it. Such things can lead to feuds lasting for generations while different branches of Houses Lannister and Baratheon as well as the new owners battle for Casterly Rock, claiming that their claims are superior to anyone else's.

The attaintment is not bullshit, it is very real, and it doesn't matter anymore that Tyrion is innocent of the accusations. His champion died in the trial by battle, so he is guilty. There is only one way Tyrion will get his attaintment revoked, and Casterly Rock: if he joins the winning side in the current conflicts, and Cersei and her children are on the losing side and/or dead.

I don't think that the Faceless Men would accept Casterly Rock as payment - they have no use for it, and they would need to fight to keep it. But they could ask her to destroy it, or worse: hand it over to the Tyrells, so that the Tyrells can keep it safe for little Tommen. That would really hurt.

They will not ask Cersei for Tommen or Myrcella. I don't think they allow you to make other people pay the price for you. Cersei loves power more than her children. I think they would ask her to renounce power, permanently. Paying that price might eventually result in the loss of Tommen and Myrcella, because the Game of Thrones doesn't forgive weakness.

[bobbybuilderton]

What could happen is Cersei approaches them to kill him, they don't believe that her children really mean all that much to her, comparatively. They believe that her image, her power, and her own life are more important than her children. She has lost the first two, so they may request her life. She agrees because she thinks she can outsmart them (perfectly in character for her). They send Arya to "collect payment," and send someone else after Tyrion. Arya never fully rejected who she was. I believe she can't because she is a warg, isn't learning control the dreams, and so part of her will always be with Nymeria, and because she didn't ditch Needle. So she goes to do the deed, but who she really is awakens again, she decides she wants to enjoy the kill and strangles Cersei, thus fulfilling the valonqar role. I don't think she is the valonqar, but it could work.

Personally I still think she will be sent to kill Jon but decide not to. Then she will end up actually killing Theon in the same way the first faceless man customer was killed. He prays earnestly for death. Arya has finally truly learned that killing is sometimes mercy.

[Suzanna Stormborn]

What if the Faith find out that the Lannisters are incest and want to name someone else to the throne, but they can't name Stannis (the actual heir) because of Mel and his change to R'hollor, so they hire a FM to kill Stannis, so that they can name whoever they want to the IT. Arya could be sent to kill Stannis....now that is an invigorating idea. yikes

[darksellsword]

What if the Faith find out that the Lannisters are incest and want to name someone else to the throne, but they can't name Stannis (the actual heir) because of Mel and his change to R'hollor, so they hire a FM to kill Stannis, so that they can name whoever they want to the IT. Arya could be sent to kill Stannis....now that is an invigorating idea. yikes

I think you might be right about stannis being the target, I hate to use the HBO show forshadowing but mellisandre on the show did say she and Arya would meet again

[HerrDoktor]

I think about this question a lot so I wanted to throw something out there that I'm not sure I've seen suggested before.

Has anyone thought about Harry the Heir being the target? I feel like it could go one of two ways. Either Littlefinger hires a faceless man to kill him to keep Sansa in the fold or Sansa wants out of her engagement/marriage to HtH because he treats her like crap and she gets desparate. Either way, it gets Sansa and Arya back together and could be the beginning of a dynamic stealthy Stark revenge plot. Shouldn't Sansa want the same people dead that Arya does? It would also mean Sansa needs less tutoring from Littlefinger because she would have an excellent tool at her disposal that LF never had.