Vicki’s
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(group member since Jul 17, 2015)
Vicki’s
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from the A Song of Ice and Fire - A Chapter a day group.
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Lol yes, I would much rather be visiting Westeros, or maybe Braavos. Braavos sounds pretty cool!
About your point with the wildlings and the two men from the Wall, they were deserters, so I guess they aren't like the rest of the men still at the Wall. Makes me wonder how often men abandon their posts on the Wall? A lot of these men in the Night's Watch are criminals, and from what we know about wildlings a good number of them behave like criminals as well, so maybe they had that in common. But it's a good point. Something has made them make common cause to band together and head as far south as they can. We know it's the white walkers, but a lot of people don't believe it. 1. This is Bran's first time outside of Winterfell since his fall, more likely when he witnessed his father beheading Gared from the prologue and meeting the direwolf mother and her puppies for the first time. This was a long time ago, months, perhaps. I can feel his excitement! He named his horse Dancer. :) Kind of a girly name, I think, but that's just me. Though I think the horse is a mare, so maybe that makes sense, come to think of it.
2. I forgot Maester Luwin came along. I guess that's good, in case Bran got hurt they have the maester right there to heal him. But I can understand why Bran is sick of seeing him, lol. Maester Luwin rides a donkey, lol, don't know why but this made me laugh. Did they run out of horses?
3. I like how Winterfell has a village within the outer wall. Only one in five houses are occupied right now, but as the weather gets colder more and more people will move back in. *SPECULATION FOR WINDS OF WINTER, BOOK 6 IN A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE* (view spoiler) It's simply called "winter town." lol
4. Awe, he's enjoying being on a horse again, though it takes some time getting used to the new saddle.
5. I laughed when Theon talks about fucking the alehouse girl and Robb tells him not to talk about it in front of Bran, and Bran pretends not to hear. Theon is such a bad influence, lol. Bran thinks Theon smiles a lot, and though Robb may admire him, "...Bran had never warmed to his father's ward." Him and Jon both. I really do like Robb's warm and trusting personality, but it will get him killed if he doesn't learn to read people better like his two brothers can.
6. I like this: "I can ride!" Bran shouted, grinning. It felt almost as good as flying.
7. Forgot Robb could sense their direwolves know and sense things most animals can't. He starts to tell Bran this, then sighs, saying he never knows how much to tell him, wishing he were older. I think he's old enough to talk about it. I think the fall made Bran grow up a lot faster than the average lordling boy his age, and not very many people own direwolves, so I think he's ready to talk about the big important stuff adults talk about. I wonder if he misses Jon because he's used to having a brother closer to his age to confide in.
8. They know Uncle Benjen is missing, and their mom took Tyrion as prisoner to the Eyrie, and their dad wants them to prepare their bannermen and arm Moat Cailin in case of an attack from the south. Bran liked Tyrion but is scared of the name Lannister. He can't remember why he fell. :( And now Jory, Wyl, and Heward are dead, and dad is injured...Completely understandable they are scared.
9. I'm glad Robb is telling Bran his plans; he's treating him like an adult now and not a child, though they are both children still. They need to be open and honest with each other. I also like that Bran gives his advise, to listen to Maester Luwin's council like their father always did. :)
10. Before, Bran thought it'd be exciting for Robb to call the bannermen and ride to war, but now that it's a real possibility, it only fills Bran with dread. Awe.
11. I wonder why the others fell behind when Robb and Bran are in the wolfswood, looking for their direwolves. Perhaps they could tell the brothers needed some alone time?
12. Jon is mentioned again... Bran asks Robb if they'll ever see him again. Apparently they went fishing together, the three of them and Jory, and Jon gave Bran his fish because Bran didn't catch anything. OMG that is so cute! I want a big brother like Jon! More proof Jon is an awesome big brother! Robb says Benjen visited them when the king came and promises Jon will visit too. :) I bet he will...just not in the way they expect.
13. They hear the direwolves and Robb goes to find them without Bran, which I think is really strange because I thought Bran could gallop with his horse now. Though I suppose it's a lot harder to do in the forest...seems strange to abandon your crippled brother in the woods all by himself just to find the wolves that I'm pretty sure will still be fine if they take a little while longer to find them together. But that's just my opinion.
14. Now Bran has to deal with strangers all by himself. I feel his alarm; he is a sitting duck. He is about to be robbed. He's scared up until one of them calls him a cripple -- then he gets angry and threatens them if they don't leave him alone. You go, Bran!
15. Introduction to Osha. I love this character, but not in this chapter, lol. She suggests they take him to Mance as a hostage. This makes me wonder if the deserters knew of Mance and were his followers or if Osha thought they were. This is interesting because I thought Osha hated Mance Rayder, for some reason, which was why they went south instead of sticking with them. But my memory of this is pretty bad, I won't lie.
16. They mention the white walkers. They are very real to them.
17. One of them slashes at Bran's leg and draws blood but Bran doesn't feel a thing, except a little light-headed at seeing his blood.
18. Robb comes to the rescue, along with Summer and Grey Wind. You don't mess with Stark children, lol. They had caught an elk, explaining what the direwolves were doing earlier. They are still puppies but already they are as large as normal-sized wolves. Interesting it is said there is something gaunt and terrible about them. With the way they tear at these people, I can understand completely, though I don't see how a direwolf would be even more scary than a regular wolf. If a wolf growled at me I would shit my pants just as much as a large wolf, lol. Maybe this is simply stating how Bran had never looked at their direwolves this way until now that they are seriously about to slaughter people. It IS gruesome, but at the same time it's nature.
19. Osha is a badass with that spear! I bet she was a spearwife north of the Wall.
20. Summer's eyes burned when they stared at the wildling who had a knife to Bran's throat.
21. Theon to the rescue, killing the wildling with an arrow to the chest. At first I was impressed, but the things Robb chides him about makes me realize that this was indeed incredibly risky.
22. The direwolves make their father's guardsmen uneasy -- especially when they see the slaughter they did. Understandable, but it sounds as if these men have never been in a battle before. Humans fighting humans is just as gruesome, too, and that's less as natural as a pair of wolves gorging on human flesh. Therefore, the direwolf aura must be the real reason why they are uneasy. There's something supernatural about them.
23. I like how Robb wipes the smile off Theon's face, at all the ways he could have got it wrong.
24. Robb tells Theon Jon always said he was an ass. So he must have said it on more than one occasion. For some reason I thought this was funny.
25. The reason the guards took so long getting to them was because Theon spotted a turkey, gods... Theon says he wasn't the one who left Bran alone in the woods. Everyone's got their own excuses. Bran had never seen Robb so angry, interesting to take note.
26. Apparently two of the six were Night's Watch deserters so this happens more often than they'd like to admit.
27. Did not remember they took their heads to send to the Wall, eww, and left their bodies for the carrion crows. What's the Lord Commander going to do with five severed heads? If their bodies turn into white walkers they'll be sorry to have done this!
28. I like that when Theon suggests they feed Osha to the wolves Robb says she's a woman! And Bran corrects him, saying she's a wildling. They decide to keep her as hostage instead -- the irony, lol, she was going to make him Mance's hostage earlier. I really like that Robb did not want to have to kill a woman. :)
I try to be respectful of everyone's opinions because I want everyone to be respectful of mine. :) I still like Jorah Mormont, even after what he did in the North. I see him as a character that was motivated by love, once for when he was trying to earn more money to pay for his ex-wife's extravagant needs, and now for his love of Daenerys. I think she is a good influence on him, and he wants very much to redeem himself and go home. Like you said, every character in A Song of Ice and Fire has both good qualities and bad qualities (though for a select few I am having a hard time seeing any good qualities...Ramsay Snow, for example.And you're right; Westeros isn't the best society either. So maybe I shouldn't point and judge. :\
I only remembered that part of history because it's what makes Canterbury so special. It's the reason why Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the Canterbury Tales, because all of his characters were on their pilgrimage to do Saint Thomas Becket and the church a visit. Robert and Cersei got married after the war and all this happened, yes. I think Robert was thinking that if he could fight to rescue Lyanna he would marry her and she would be his queen, but since she died, Jon Arryn urged him to marry someone else and suggested Cersei to honor Tywin Lannister.
I'm pretty sure it's Varys now, though.
You make a good point about the bloodriders...I hadn't thought of that. Do they choose to be bloodriders or does the Khal choose them? I mean, the khal would have to approve, at least, lol. Your point about Ned I understand, but I am one of those fans who thinks Ned's only flaw is that he doesn't seem to have the ability to think any other way than his own -- that not everyone is so honorable as he is. He didn't exile Jorah Mormont, he was going to punish him by death because in Westeros, selling men into slavery is punishable by death, which I totally agree -- even if they were poachers. What he should have done was given them over to the Wall, lol.
1. I think it's interesting how Vaes Dothrak has a massive impressive gate when it has no walls or even buildings. The two horse statues are huge, 100 feet tall, and sound very beautiful. It must be like a triumphant arch, or something. Or some kind of waymarker: You are about to enter Dothraki territory, stay alert.
2. It's funny how many nicknames Viserys keeps accumulating, the "Sorefoot king" for walking behind the khalasar, and "Cart king" for riding on the litter with the cripples, pregnant women, old, and very young. Doesn't realize he's being mocked, either. This shows how pathetic he is. Dany had to plead with her husband to let her brother ride with them again in the front of the train.
3. I don't like how everything Dothraki had to show off they stole from other civilizations, like ancient monuments along the road. The monuments from the Shadowlands beyond Asshai are so misshapen and terrible Dany could scarcely look at them. That place sounds so horrible -- if dragons and R'hllor came from that place then maybe it should be a warning to her and the readers. And sadly, I have to agree with Viserys here: "All these savages know how to do is steal the things better men have built...and kill." Unfortunately it's true. All this rape and pillaging is going to catch up with them someday...
4. Viserys is so difficult to deal with without wanting to put him in his place. The arrogance.
5. The Western Market is located in Vaes Dothrak. The first time I read this I had gotten so confused, I thought this was way on the other side of Essos where the Stepping Stones were! It's hard to believe anyone would want to trade with these thieves who would sooner take than buy from you. Don't mean to be prejudice; I just don't condone rape and pillaging -- endless amounts of it.
6. Not even Dany knows why she's defending her brother, but she's right: it is not right to make him wait for his army. But I understand where the khal is coming from. He sees Dany as a gift from Viserys. You do not demand a gift, even in our own world, and Khal Drogo will give Viserys his gift when he feels like it, but not if he is rushed.
7. There are 40,000 Dothraki warriors, each on his own horse, in Drogo's khalasar. Jorah says this might conquer Westeros if they made it over the Narrow Sea. Westerosi men are not prepared for fearless Dothraki warriors charging at them. They would easily flee. It's interesting Jorah says Robert Baratheon should have been born Dothraki, lol, he's so right! Drogo thinks it's cowardly to hide behind stone walls (I wonder what he would think of the Wall, then), and Robert might be stupid/brave enough to meet him in open combat.
8. Jorah's talking about how much he hates Ned Stark. Odd to hear of him all the way out here this far east. It's still a sore subject for him, though. Jorah doesn't quite grasp the dishonor of selling men into slavery. *SPOILER FOR LATER CHAPTERS IN A GAME OF THRONES* (view spoiler)
9. Vaes Dothrak kind of reminds me of the ancient Mayan civilization, Machu Pichu, Chichen Itza, or something -- open, hot, old ancient pyramids, barbaric peoples. Except the buildings are so different because slaves from different parts of the world built from their own culture style. Pretty cool.
10. It is so big but empty because it can house all of its khalasars if they all felt like returning to their Mother at once. The crones prophesise that one day this will happen. *SPECULATION FOR WINDS OF WINTER, BOOK 6 IN A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE* (view spoiler)
11. Forgot there's also an Eastern Market for caravans from Yi Ti and Asshai to trade. Probably more scary here.
12. I like that it is forbidden to carry a blade in Vaes Dothrak, and it's a sin to spill blood on its earth. Even feuding khalasars put aside their wars to share meat and mead together here.
13. Forgot how Cohollo came to be Drogo's bloodrider -- saved him from sellswords looking to sell him to his father's enemies. He'd been bound to Drogo the day he was born. Sounds noble. He's the oldest of Drogo's bloodriders.
14. Bloodriders are closer to their khal than a kingsguard is to their king. They were brothers, his fiercest friends. If the khal dies, they died with him, after they avenged his death, so they could ride with him in death. *SPECULATION FOR A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE* (view spoiler) They share a single life. *MORE SPECULATION FOR A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE* (view spoiler) They share everything, sometimes even his wives, but never his horse. I think that's interesting. They worship their horses. Dany's glad Drogo doesn't share her, ha! "She should not have liked being shared." lol
15. Cohollo sounds the nicest, but Qotho sounds like an asshole, beating girls for fun... "Even his horses seemed to fear him." That should tell Drogo something.
16. I like that Dany wants her son to have bloodriders for when he sits the Iron Throne, to protect him from treachery. :)
17. Only men were allowed to step foot on the Mother -- their holy mountain.
18. I like that Dany calls Drogo her "sun-and-stars." :) So unexpectedly romantic!
19. Also, I like that Dany's pregnancy is sexy to Drogo. :) He wants her even more now. This means she's fertile.
20. It's so sweet Dany wants to honor her brother even though he doesn't deserve it. She is so forgiving, merciful to him. She is an honorable sister. He is her king, after all. But he is a total dick about it, ugh. Forgot how rude and undeserving he is. He even calls her a slut. OMG...you put her in that predicament! His abuse spurs her to hit him, then yells at him. Nice! He threatens her before he stomps off, his pride wounded. He's insufferable.
21. I love how the eggs give her strength, courage, just by holding them. :) She holds the green one close to her unborn baby *SPECULATION ON THE DRAGON EGGS* (view spoiler)
22. I love how the end is described:
"...she felt the child move within her...as if he were reaching out, brother to brother, blood to blood."
"You are the dragon," Dany whispered to him, "the true dragon. I know it. I know it."
:) *SPOILER FOR UPCOMING CHAPTERS IN A GAME OF THRONES* (view spoiler)
I just realized the name Barra sounds very close to Baratheon! That poor girl honestly thought the king loved her. :( It's sad, and that's what I don't like about Robert whoring around so much. He finds himself virgins, pays so much for her, makes her think he loves her, and then abandons her. It's so sad. 1. I really don't like Petyr with all his sexual jokes. How the Hand is a mirror of the king...including the way he fucks. I'm glad Ned reprimands him.
2. I think it's funny that Ned's guards/servants are disappointed about having to leave the brothel now. Only Ned seems unphased by the whores, lol.
3. Apparently Littlefinger hasn't bought the establishment yet. This one belongs to a woman named Chataya. Littlefinger jokes that whores are a much better investment than ships, which did make me laugh. This is true, too.
4. I find this sentence intriguing: "It beat down on Ned's head, warm as blood and relentless as old guilts." Foreshadowing!
5. Did not realize Lyanna had told Ned she knew Robert can never stay in one bed! She says this hte night their father promised her hand to Robert Baratheon. It sounds like she never loved him. And even if Robert really did love her, he loved whores too much to entirely do without them. Ugh. And she knew about the bastard in the Vale -- Mya Stone. When Ned told her he will love her and be good to her once they've been betrothed Lyanna only smiles and says, "Love is sweet, dearest Ned, but it cannot change a man's nature." :( It's interesting Ned would think about Lyanna in a brothel while looking for Robert's bastards.
6. Ned found the whore with Robert's bastard girl. Also with black hair. Ned recalls the girl in the Vale had black hair, and so does Gendry. Hmm...
7. It's sweet how the whore really wants the king to know how beautiful his daughter is. :) Ned promises he'll tell him.
8. And again Ned thinks of Lyanna and the promise he'd kept for her. Wish I knew what that was! He's been thinking a lot about Lyanna lately... *SPOILER FOR A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE* (view spoiler) He remembers the price he paid to keep his promise to Lyanna. What price did he pay, exactly? I want to know, George R. R. Martin!
9. Now Ned's thinking about Jon Snow...how did I miss all of this my first reading??? He recalls how Jon looks so much like a younger version of him...that he is also honorable? Then he wonders if bastards are such a bad thing, why did the gods make it so hard for men not to lust after women? *SPECULATION ON A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE* (view spoiler)
10. Absolutely shocked that Littlefinger directly tells Ned Cersei had Robert's bastard twins that he got in Casterly Rock killed and did nothing about it. Ned's not sure if Robert would actually do that but has his doubts after what he's seen recently. :(
11. OMG and now Ned thinks about Rhaegar, wondering if he ever frequented brothels, but doubts it. "For the first time in years, he found himself remembering Rhaegar Targaryen." *SPECULATION ON A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE* (view spoiler)
12. Nice of Ned to take responsibility for Tyrion's arrest, defending his wife there.
13. Petyr left too easily for my comfort. I wonder if it was staged. I don't trust Littlefinger.
14. I really hate Jaime here...killing Ned's guards for no good reason except to "chasten" Ned. Grr! They are good people! They did nothing wrong. Also, because of this, Lannistermen died in the frey, too. Totally unnecessary...all because Jaime wanted Tyrion back. I mean, it's nice someone cares about Tyrion, but this is not an appropriate way to show it, lol.
15. Ned's horse falls on him and he breaks his leg. He can even see his bone sticking out of his calf, oh nasty! And it's raining and it has got to be really muddy out, and he's squirming around on the ground to get to Jory. It is SO sad. Petyr and the City Guard find him lying in the mud, cradling Jory's dead body in his arms. I forgot how incredibly sad this is. I really hate Jaime Lannister right now. *SPOILER FOR A STORM OF SWORDS* (view spoiler)
About your first note: OMG I missed that even after two reads!! lol!*SPECULATION ON WHO KILLED JON ARRYN* (view spoiler) And on your last note, I hate Lysa too, but I pity Robert Arryn more than I dislike him. He is still just a little boy, and he is sickly in the head, if not physically. We know this isn't his fault -- his mother hadn't raised him right. This is what happens to a child who's been coddled all his life.
I also noticed the three waycastles started with the same letter, and also are only one syllable! (And at least two of them are bastard names: Stone and Snow!) I thought they were pretty quaintly named, regardless if it was on purpose or not. :)
1. Why is the high road not as safe as it once was? Did something in particular happen? -- Nevermind, it's answered a bit farther on: Jon Arryn died.
2. There apparently was a second fight that killed two more men, and Tyrion's other servant died not long after. When they saw help coming they thought at first they were doomed -- until they realized it was Arryn bannermen. How stressful!
3. Lady Arryn would not permit her knights to fight in the tourney -- all except for Ser Hugh, of course...but I guess he wasn't a knight yet when she left with everybody back to the Vale. I wonder why he never went back?
4. This isn't the first time Cat wonders if she's wrong about Tyrion. This should say something to her...if she's having doubts. But six men died bringing them to Lady Arryn; I think Cat doesn't want it to be for nothing, so she's being stubborn. They've already passed the hardest part of the trek to the Eyrie, may as well keep going.
5. Though Catelyn is a religious person, she has more faith in a maester's learning than a septon's prayers. Wow... But this shows that Cat is a practical person, which I like about her.
6. She is very happy to see her Uncle Brynden again. I love this: "Your home is in my heart." Brynden Tully sounds like a good man, more of a dad to her than her own father was. :)
7. The Bloody Gate sounds impressive -- built right into the mountains. It protects the Vale's fields and castles once you pass the mountains. A vale is a valley, after all. Sounds incredibly beautiful!
8. It's cute Marillion is determined to keep going with Cat. She finds it amazing he outlasted braver men, but it's because he hid the entire time, lol.
9. Cat doesn't like Bronn. She admires his strength and courage but there is no kindness in him, and little loyalty. He's a sellsword, though, so she should have understood this when he first tagged along. He's only there to get paid when the deed's done. And he's quickly making friends with Tyrion, the real reason she dislikes him, I bet! Lannister is rich; Bronn loves money...there could be a potential problem there.
10. It's sad that the majority of their original party is dead, but they've been replaced by Brynden's men as they pass the Bloody Gate and head down to the valley floor.
11. Her uncle is a "Black Fish" of the family, sounds like a black sheep, though he only never got along with her father. Sounds like everyone else liked him, at least. Brynden left with Lysa when she married Jon Arryn to protect her in the Vale; that's why he's here.
12. Apparently all of the Vale was insulted when Robert Arryn was not named Warden of the East, but Jaime Lannister instead. Another one of the king's blunders. The Arryn's had been Wardens of the East for near 300 years, since Aegon the Conquerer, I assume.
13. Nester Royce is High Steward of the Vale, been that way for 14 years, since Jon Arryn was Hand of the King. Some whisper he should rule until Robert Arryn comes of age. This is interesting!
14. Very interesting how Brynden admits to Cat he doesn't think Lysa is worthy of ruling until her son comes of age. Brynden tells it like it is. Lysa ran from King's Landing to get away from the Lannisters and Cat brings a Lannister to the Vale.
15. *SPOILER FOR A STORM OF SWORDS* (view spoiler)
16. The Giant's Lance is the tallest mountain in the Vale. I think having four castles on the largest mountain in this particular mountain range is so neat. They have three waycastles in between the Gate of the Moon, that's the entrance to the trail, and the Eyrie at the way top. It DOES sound pretty intimidating. Nester Royce sits at the Gate of the Moon, protecting it from any enemies who might want to take the mountain. Stone and Snow and Sky are the waycastle names. They can only be accessed on foot the bottom two by mule, as it's too steep for horses. I can see how the Arryn's managed to stay in power at the top of the Eyrie for so long! Seems like it has the perfect defense, but I wonder what would happen if a dragon happened to be flying by...
17. Lord Nestor Royce is Bronze Yohn's cousin from a lesser branch of House Royce, but still formidable in his own right. :) I want to learn more about the Royce family!
18. Introduction to Mya Stone! Robert's first bastard. :)
19. This strikes me odd that as soon as Cat hears Mya is a bastard of the Vale she automatically thinks of Jon Snow, "...and the thought made her angry and guilty, both at once." She doesn't strike me as the kind of person to be prejudice against bastards simply for being bastards, and it's no secret she dislikes Jon Snow because of her husband's infidelity, but it's amazing how her train of thought jumps so quickly to Jon Snow, way down here in the Vale. Perhaps it's because Ned grew up here. And why is she feeling guilty? Because she knows in her heart it's not right to hate the boy just for existing? Or maybe she feels bad for kicking him out of Winterfell? Or maybe she feels guilty for automatically disliking Mya because she dislikes Jon? Intriguing, regardless.
20. Mya certainly sounds cocky...but I suppose that's good, in case you get too scared on your way up to the Eyrie. You'll want someone who knows what they're doing.
21. A bastard is set to wed a highborn young man, Redfort, a boy she loves. Oh dear...I doubt that's actually going to happen. The Redforts also have the blood of the First Men. Catelyn is certain they'll never wed but keeps it to herself. Poor Mya, she sounds so certain, too.
22. The first waycastle they get to is called Stone, obviously made out of stone. They stop to eat and exchange mules. That makes sense, I suppose. Wouldn't want to tire them out. I wonder how many mules they have in total, now.
23. Surprised Snow doesn't remind Catelyn of anybody in particular... lol. This waycastle is smaller than Stone and has only one tower. Again they are offered food and a new mule.
24. I like that Cat wants to tel Mya that "winter is coming." She is thinking like a Stark now. :)
25. The narrow bridge they have to walk on foot across sounds terrifying! I'd piss myself, lol. Cat understandably is frightened of it too. I like how nice and encouraging Mya is now, helping her walk across it. She's probably used to reassuring newcomers who are traveling to the Eyrie for their first time.
26. Sky is the last waycastle. All it is is a crescent shaped wall, covered in ice, because it must be snowy and icy here all the time, even in the summer, it is so high up. Most of this waycastle is inside the mountain -- makes sense, to better keep warm and out of the wind. There's a stone ladder up to the Eyrie, which is directly above Sky on the top of the Giant's Lance. Not more than 600 feet up, scary! The mules can't go any further, obviously, so you'll either climb the rest of the way up the ladder, or you go up in a winch (which sounds a lot like the Wall).
27. I like that Cat says Tully's are born with sense, not pride. She'll go the rest of the way in a basket, lol, with the turnips. Cute. I would too, to be honest.
28. The Eyrie has only seven towers and is small in comparison to the other large Houses, but it's on top of a huge mountain, so I think this makes it no less intimidating! It has no stables, smithy's, or kennels, either, obviously, but its towers can house 500 men, wow!
29. Lysa seems to have aged a lot in the last five years since Catelyn last saw her. Probably because of all those miscarriages. Four miscarriages, two stillbirths, one sickly child. Lysa had it rough. For just a little while, I kind of empathize with her...for a little while.
30. As soon as the servants take their leave Lysa changes her personality in an instant and accuses Cat of bringing her troubles with her to the Eyrie. There is no trace of warmth in her voice. This is a red flag to me. Cat doesn't understand -- she thinks the Lannisters were her sisters troubles too, not just hers.
31. I wonder what the "shaking sickness" is in our world. Tourettes? Seizures?
32. Robert Arryn has a delicate temper. Sounds like Lysa has a delicate temper. She already seems a highly unstable parent. No wonder her son is fragile...his mother coddles him way too much, and for far too long. Cat now understands why the king wanted to foster the boy with the Lannisters, somewhere away from his mom. And breastfeeding her 6-year-old, gods. That's nasty!
Oh, you're fine! I am a little bit too obsessed with the series and thoughts keep going through my mind what could happen and what won't. I try not to get my hopes up for anything that isn't written in the books or confirmed by the author in interviews. I might make a lot of speculations but I don't want you to think I believe them to be the absolute truth. It's fun talking about them, and hearing what other people have to say. :)*SPOILER FOR A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE* (view spoiler)
I think Varys brings up the tears of Lys to see what everyone's reaction to it will be. Grand Maester Pycelle makes a reaction of surprise and suspicion, but that's about it, I think. Varys never makes a mistake in anything he says. He said it on purpose, definitely. I agree, I think the political and ethical dilemma they are talking about is very intriguing. I can definitely see and respect Pycelle's explanation, and I think Varys is only pretending to be for Dany's death in order to stay in good graces with Robert and the majority who think Dany should die, and I respect Ser Barristan for agreeing with Ned, the losing side of the argument. But it's very hard for me to look objectively at Robert's point of view. He is motivated by raw hatred of Rhaegar and a wrong that was done to him 15 years ago. Now he wants all the Targaryens to go extinct because of it, and I think that is grossly unfair. It is also very sad to imagine that tens of thousands of people will fight to the death to prevent a 14-year-old girl to sit the Iron Throne, whose seat is her birthright. They don't know anything about her, but I'm sure a lot of people in that room might agree she can't be any worse than the way Robert rules... I really like when Ned insists Robert kill her personally. Because if he cannot bear to do it himself then perhaps she doesn't deserve to die. But Robert doesn't want to hear this. He is blinded by the past. Very sad. He should not be king.
1. Ned and Robert are arguing about killing Dany again. I really commend Ned for sticking up for a girl he's never met before *SPECULATION ON DAENERYS'S BIRTHRIGHT* (view spoiler) *SPOILER FOR A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE* (view spoiler) And perhaps this screams in Ned's face that his best friend is indeed a usurper. An honorable man would have ruled as regent until young Aegon comes of age, but since he was killed, have Gregor arrested, take off Jaime's kingsguard robes and take him to the Wall for killing the king to show the realm that regicide is still wrong no matter how terrible the king is, and rule until Viserys comes of age -- of which they probably still would be SOL, lol. Instead, what does Robert do? He takes the crown, rewards the criminals, and threatnes to kill the rightful heirs, when he knows his own son would make a horrible king! What a hypocrite.
2. Lol at Robert saying he isn't so blind that he cannot see the shadow of the axe hanging over his neck... He's thinking the Targaryens are the axe, but it's a lot closer than that...
3. I like that Ned said that "Even Aegon did no conquering until after he was weaned."
4. Herein lies the dilemmas of politics -- what is right and what is good for the realm. Though I wonder what it says about a king who kills children to keep the land "safe?"
5. Another reason I love Ned: "Mercy is never a mistake." He brings up Robert pardoning Ser Barriston Selmy, who had actually fought for the Targaryens. He glares at Robert, "Would that man were here today." I'm glad at least Robert blushed shamefully at this.
6. Love this, but it is so ballsy: "Have the years so unmanned you that you tremble at the shadow of an unborn child?"
7. I'm glad at least Barriston Selmy agrees with Ned. :) He is not afraid to go with what he thinks is right, even if no one else in the room agrees with them. And I think Varys is only pretending to be for Dany's murder to stay in Robert's good graces.
8. Here I think Pycelle makes a valid point -- kill Dany to save tens of thousands from war...this situation is very complicated...but I would personally go with mercy here. To me, it would make Robert look like a good king, and Robert has even said once he doesn't deserve to be king! He just can't get over the past. A wiser man would step down to let the rightful ruler be king, a better ruler. Robert sucks at being a king, lol.
9. Littlefinger's answer is crass and stupid, to me. Using this situation with an analogy of fucking an ugly whore...wtf Littlefinger. Unfortunately, he's speaking Robert's language, which is bullshit. These men should not be in power; all they care about is gold, wine, blood on their swords and women around their cocks. What do they care about a realm, really?
10. I wonder why Varys brings up the tears of Lys in front of Grand Maester Pycelle -- which gets his attention. He looks at him suspiciously. Maybe that's his intent, to find out who will react and in what way.
11. Ned tells the truth: "You send hired knives to kill a 14-year-old girl and still quibble about honor?" Ha! So true...Robert is a hypocrite in every way. Ned once again implores him to at least kill her himself.
12. Ha! "Defiance was not a dish he tasted often." Finally! Someone who will have the guts to defy the king! The man needs it. He can't always get what he wants, that's not how ruling works... You have to be able to take criticism, take council. Consider every angle. Think about what's better for the realm, not you.
13. I hate when anyone makes empty threats, and for a king to threaten his own friend with his life... that's low. You need to be careful what you say, especially when you are king. Does anyone remember the story of Archbishop Thomas Becket of Canterbury and King Henry II of England? The two were best friends but had a quarrel about church and state. When Thomas Becket left to go back home, the king blabbered on about who would rid him of this meddling priest. His guards took him seriously, rode out to Canterbury and murdered Thomas Becket right in the church. When the king heard about it he was so upset he had himself publicly humiliated to cleanse himself of his guilt. This kind of reminds me of this story. I actually suck at history, but this part stuck with me. :)
14. Didn't realize hiring a Faceless Man would be so incredibly expensive. That's disconcerting to know a Faceless Man will kill anyone if paid handsomly enough...and the Lannisters are the richest family in Westeros, too. :(
15. Even though Ned doesn't believe Robert would actually kill him, it's still not right, and it's true: Robert still hates Rhaegar, even 15 years later. He can't let go of the past.
16. I like this part: "Some secrets are safer kept hidden. Some secrets are too dangerous to share, even with those you love and trust."
17. Ned doesn't know Robert anymore; doesn't know what he's capable of.
18. Oh no, not Littlefinger...but he comes to say they've chosen a cheaper route: offer a lordship to whoever kills her. He says if the Faceless Men did it she'd certainly be dead; this way she still has a chance. Very true. Plus, it's cheaper this way, lol.
19. Now Littlefinger knows how to keep Ned from leaving...has decided to give him information on a brothel Jory'd been searching for. Ugh. Doesn't Littlefinger own all the brothels in King's Landing? Maybe that was in the show. I think he's holding information over Ned's head to use whenever it serves him, ugh. Ned was so close to going home too! The feels...
I agree, I think this is Tyrion's first rodeo. *SPECULATION ON TYRION LANNISTERS TRUE PARENTAGE* (view spoiler) But that's loose speculation. Maybe it really was just pure luck he didn't get injured or killed. Maybe he really did use his size as an advantage, being small makes it harder for people to hit him. It's still really badass, lol.
But Robert had been whoring around before he met Lyanna...old habits die hard, I guess. I personally felt it was insulting to her memory. Sounded like he didn't know her very well, just that she was beautiful and Ned's sister and if they got married that would make Ned his brother. Ugh. You are right, most men do visit brothels even when married, but you can't deny that Robert took it to the extreme. And I agree with you. It is hard not to like Varys, even though Ned and Catelyn don't get a good feeling about him. I think he is so mysterious, I never know what to expect from him. One chapter I really like him, in another one I don't so much.
The first three seasons were pretty good, in my opinion. The fourth one started to deviate a little bit, drawing out the wildling battle and Ygritte thing, and added scenes that weren't in the book, but it didn't totally upset me. The fifth season was WAY off. Several characters are nowhere near where they're supposed to be in the books, and this bothers me, even though I understand these two medias should be treated separately. It's good you haven't watched the last two seasons yet. I also never caught the gist that Renly or Loras were gay, but now that I am reading the book all over again it is hard not to picture him so. Just because a man likes to dress nice does not automatically make him gay.
So I was distracted earlier today with a new popular theory going around saying Jon has a secret twin sister, anyone also hear about this? I have to say, I like the idea, but I don't want to get my hopes up. And also, are we pretty sure the second man in this chapter is Varys? I am starting to think so, but if it is, I am afraid that this would then mean Varys isn't such a good character as I want him to be. He is a master actor, after all. He could be playing us just as likely as he could be playing Illyrio, who I am pretty sure is not a good guy. Anyway, here are my notes:
1. I think it's so cute Arya's homework assignment is catching all the cats in the Red Keep!
2. Syrio dabs her wounds with something called Myrish Fire, which burns so badly Arya has to bite her lip to keep from screaming. Thought that was interesting.
3. Arya is so happy she finally caught the hardest cat to catch and kisses it on the head, then backs up before it can attack her. Cute!
4. I like that Princess Myrcella and Prince Tommen don't wear the Lannister sigil on their clothes. Tommen even has a stag on him. :) These two seem less of mommy favorites than Joffrey. Though I'm surprised they make fun of Arya, saying "he" is ragged, dirty, and smelly, not knowing who she is. Didn't expect that from them. Unfortunately, they had startled her so much they made her drop the cat.
5. She can't have them finding out who she is so she runs away from them before their guards can catch her. Arya's fast and nimble! She moves so much so she can lose them, and when she does she realizes she's lost.
6. Apparently the Red Keep is smaller than Winterfell, but I'm sure it feels bigger to her because she's not so familiar with it as she is of home.
7. Interesting how Arya has a similar dream as Jon about searching all over a castle for her father and losing him and she is alone. Only for her it's the Red Keep.
8. The dragon skulls scare the crap out of her and she closes her eyes. She thinks of Syrio so her fear would go away. When she opens her eyes the skulls are still there but the fear is gone. I like that. Tyrion was here before...the room with the skulls. He seemed to enjoy it. She feels like they're watching her like Tyrion thought they were watching him, creepy! This unsettles me most of all, "...there was something in that dim, cavernous room that did not love her." I wonder if there is something magical about these dragon bones, if they are guarding the Red Keep or something. They seem like Arya's enemy though...but I bet Daenerys would love them, they both seem like good people, though very different.
9. I like the phrase: "Fear cuts deeper than swords."
10. I'm wondering if she found the Dragon Pit? She describes it as a great black pit, 20 feet across, plunging into the earth. People were coming out of it from a spiral staircase. one I recognize immediately as Illyrio, the other Arya feels is oddly familiar, but can't quite put a finger on it... The other man has a scarred face. Illyrio informs this other person about Dany being pregnant and Drogo won't do anything until after his son is born. He even calls them savages, unlike him to use such cruel words when in earlier chapters he called them friends. He sounds very two-faced here. He wants war to wait. There is a lever that hides the entrance to this large well they just came out of (if it's the Dragon Pit this would make sense, perhaps). I wonder if the other person is in fact Varys? Or perhaps Jaquen?
11. The way they talk about Lady Margaery is very peculiar. I totally forgot all about this! That Renly and Loras intend to have Robert bed and wed her and make a new queen. That would oust the Lannisters out of King's Landing! *SPOILER FOR UPCOMING CHAPTERS IN A GAME OF THRONES* (view spoiler) Even Varys/Jaquen/whoever doesn't know what game Littlefinger is playing, lol, and he has little birds everywhere. But they seem threatened by Ned Stark, uh oh! It seems very clear Littlefinger wants the Starks and Lannisters to fight...but why? Varys/Jaquen/whoever wants war to happen as soon as possible. Apparently he is a sorcerer, who needs to work his magic a little while longer and needs more gold and birds to do it. Hmm... it's definitely starting to sound like Varys, with all his "little birds". :( I don't want him to be a bad guy, but he sounds like he's up to something here, and it's not good. I'm pretty sure Illyrio is not entirely good, since Daenerys thinks there's something wrong about him. If it is Varys, maybe he's only pretending to be his friend, I don't know. Even after reading this a second time I still get confused about what's happening. GRRM is brilliant like that, dragging out the mysteries of his story throughout all of his books so you never know what's going on until the very end, when, hopefully, everything becomes clear. One thing for certain is it seems both men want Daenerys to sit the Iron Throne.
12. I very much want to learn more about these young "birds" and what they can do for this "sorcerer" whom I'm afraid is starting to sound like Varys. Varys also knows the secrets of the Red Keep, and these two know where they are going. I wonder how many times Illyrio has been here and why he came to Westeros instead of Varys visiting in Pentos. Maybe Illyrio has other business in King's Landing?
13. By the time Arya finds the end of the tunnel she is outside in the dark and miles away from the Red Keep, though she can see it in the moonlight, as it's on top of Aegon's Hill, so thankfully she won't get lost getting back to it.
14. Before, she would be mortified to be caught in the rags she's wearing, but now she doesn't care. She is even sassy with the gatehouse guards, lol.
15. Poor Arya spills her story out to her dad, despite the reprimand he gives her, and says she's scared these men want to kill him. She confuses the bastard with Jon, understandable, but I'm almost positive they were referring to Gendry. Ned doesn't believe her story, especially when she brings up the "wizard", awe...kids are never listened to...uh oh, and now Ned wants a word with Syrio. :(
16. LOL when Yoren walks in; Ara asks him a million questions...she is so cute! She misses Jon so much. Favors him over the others. :) I love how Arya first thinks of Jon, then Uncle Benjen, when she hears him talking of trouble.
17. I both love and think it is so sad when Arya asks Desmond, a Stark guard, if he will keep her father safe. :) He assures her Ned is guarded night and day. I also like how Desmond says wizards die like any other men, "once you cut their heads off."
I don't have a lot of time left so I am going to type as quick as possible before I have to leave the shop.1. This is our introduction to Bronn! He has black eyes, black hair, and is very skinny. Not how I pictured him. My first read I didn't give two shits about him but now I know he is going to be more useful later on, which I won't say here.
2. I thought horse meat is stringy and course, not as delicious as other meats like pork or beef. I suspect the Dothraki love it only because they worship horse so they eat it all the time, not because it actually tastes good to them. And they are eating Tyrion's horse now because it's either that or starve.
3. Surprised Tyrion remembered which nameday Jaime gave him the horse. Twenty-three doesn't seem like a particular important milestone, either.
4. :( Now Tyrion damns all the Starks, though I suppose he would discount Jon from the rest of them.
5. I laughed at the part when the innkeep said, "Don't kill him here!" and Tyrion replied, "Don't kill him anywhere." Tyrion likes living. :)
6. Apparently only two of the Freys got up to help Catelyn but they sat back down when their captain didn't move.
7. They were originally going to go to Winterfell, but Catelyn lied. Smart, throw off the scent. It will take the Lannistermen longer to find them.
8. Even Tyrion hates Marillion now, lol. Something he has in common with Ser Rodrik.
9. Tyrion prided himself with his wits, but Catelyn outsmarted him at every turn. She may be misinformed but she is smart, though not brutal about it either. Tyrion could have been in a much worse state.
10. Wish I knew specifically what a hedge knight was. Ser Willis Wode was the first to rise to help Catelyn Stark at the inn. The Brackens went too. I wonder if they would still have gone if there were Blackwoods in the mix as well?
11. Lady Stark could have been rude but she lets Tyrion speak, and has his hood and bondages taken off, albeit she knew he wouldn't run away, but she didn't have to either.
12. That is sad, how Tywin hates his son but would only save him because he won't tolerate slights to House Lannister. Tyrion is like their omega in a wolf pack.
13. Tyrion is right, "Only a fool would arm a common foodpad with his own blade." For a moment he saw Catelyn doubt, but she believes Petyr would not lie to her.
14. I wonder if Tyrion was lying or if it is the truth that Littlefinger told everyone he took her maidenhead. If that's true, I really despise Littlefinger, because I don't believe it for a second.
15. If Tyrion is telling the truth, that Littlefinger loves only Littlefinger, and all he wants of Cat is to fuck her, he says it so utterly bluntly that even I'm surprised. Does he want her to kill him???
16. The mountain clans are so much like the wildlings, it's surprising no one managed to civilize them all by now...since they've lived in the realm since the First Men came to Westeros. That's a very long time to never evolve with the rest of society. They don't even have the Wall for an excuse.
17. Surprised Marillion would even come with them to the Vale if he knew how dangerous the mountain men could be. Did he not think they'd attack? This shows you what real war looks like, and it's not pretty.
18. It is pretty silly for Cat to ask for Tyrion's word that he'd drop the swords as soon as the fighting was over when she'd accused him of lying earlier. Either she's in desperate need of more help that she doesn't care, or she thinks she may be wrong about him...probably not though.
19. Tyrion says he's never fought with an axe before, but has he ever fought before?
20. I laughed when Tyrion had a sudden urge to scream, "Casterly Rock!" but it quickly passes and he crouches back down again. He's proud but not that proud, lol.
21. Tyrion's first kill, at least that we see in the series: a mounted mountain man. Pretty IMPressive! See what I did there? lol, I'm so lame.
22. It also says a lot about Tyrion for saving Catelyn Stark's life despite her kidnapping him and wrongfully accusing him. He was under no obligation to save her but he does it anyway because he's a good person, even though he doesn't want to. A part of me thinks he did it for Bran's sake.
23. I think it's funny he's astonished he's not dead or injured, since he was a total badass just now!
24. I heard that after a battle men get really horny -- the hormones gone haywire; the body remembers it doesn't live forever and it wants to procreate. This goes along with what Bronn says to Tyrion, and lol at, "I'm willing if she is," about Catelyn. Ha!
25. Now that Tyrion sees their slain enemies up close he realizes their horses were skinny and you could see their ribs showing, and the stae of their weapons and armor was all so bad. Pathetic, really. You can tell they raid mainly to survive.
26. Nine enemies dead and they only lost three: two Bracken men and Jyck, Tyrion's guard. "Fool to the end," Tyrion thought. He'd charged right into battle.
27. I like that Catelyn lets Tyrion keep the dirk after all, and the axe he used in battle too. Her excuse is they may need it again, but it's a sign of trust, as of right now, even though she says she still doesn't trust him. I doubt it. She just doesn't want to admit it, even to herself. I mean, he saved your life!
28. I like that Tyrion feels good about his immense improvement with a horse, a dirk, and an axe than this morning, when he was bound, hooded, and lost his horse for food. :)
29. Surprised Marillion survived, but even he looted, ha! Took the fur skin cloak.
30. I laughed when Tyrion said they "were so rudely interrupted..." I love understatements.
31. I wonder if Tyrion saying, "I never bet against my family" will be an omen in the future. He hates his family, but yet he doesn't. We never know!
I haven't put much thought into what Ser Loras was thinking when he jousted against the Mountain. I think he wasn't thinking too far into it. He wanted to get an advantage over him so he chose to ride a mare in heat, which to me was clever, though I wonder how much of it was cheating. And I certainly didn't expect Gregor to be such a sore loser! It kind of makes me wonder what Tywin Lannister would have to say if he was here. How embarrassing to have somebody like that in your army! I also really liked how the Hound never once hit him. I thought this was surprising after reading it a second time. I didn't catch it before how smart the Hound is, and a better man. I also noticed that when the king shouts for them to stop and Sandor immediately knelt, he made himself incredibly vulnerable. If the Mountain hadn't have stopped in time, he could have killed his brother right in front of everybody. I think Sandor knew this, yet he took the risk anyway. This makes him very brave, in my opinion. A part of me wonders if he was doing it to impress Sansa, lol, but probably not. He was just doing his duty. 1. The squire who just became a knight who would know something about Jon Arryn's death is conveniently killed by a Lannister bannerman -- certainly looks to me like the Lannisters are in on the murder, and wanted to kill the witness before Ned could get to him. Even Sandor said the boy had no business riding in their company. It's too coincidental for me to think it was an accident. The Mountain knows just where to put his lance, and he deliberately killed him. He didn't have to, but he did.
2. Hugh was Jon's squire for four years, knighted in Jon Arryn's memory, though Ser Barriston thinks it was too early, the boy wasn't ready.
3. I like what Ned says: "This is needless. War should not be a game." Yet it is to a lot of the upperclass in this world...it's sad.
4. Now the king wants to join the tourney. Who wants to unhorse their king? lol And of course he is drinking beer in the morning...
5. I like how blunt Ned is with Robert. Tells him he's too fat for his armor. And the king laughs! He enjoys tormenting his Lannister squires.
6. Ned thinks it's noteworthy that Cersei has two of her cousins be squires for her husband; he thinks the Lannisters are ambitious. They are everywhere. They may as well be running King's Landing!
7. I REALLY like how Ned bluntly says Robert never knew Lyanna as he did -- he only saw her beauty, but not the iron underneath. He says she would have said the same thing as his wife: stay out of the melee. I wonder if Robert knew how tough a fighter Lyanna was? Would he still love her? How shallow can Robert be? I wonder if Lyanna ever wanted to marry him? Questions we may never know the answer to... To me, Robert is insulting Lyanna by saying he loved her and yet he also loves whores. Surprised Ned doesn't think about this.
8. I like that Ser Barriston defends Ned, backs him up. "It would not be a fair contest. Who would dare strike you?" Ned realizes Ser Barriston has reminded Robert of his pride -- he wouldn't win because he was any good...he'd only win because he's the king. Ha!
9. I don't like that Robert makes empty threats...threatening to kill Selmy, wtf. Though I do like that he admits Ned or Jon Arryn should have been king. I don't know why Robert had the better claim? He started the rebellion, but any one could have taken the throne, really. Ned would never have wanted it, I know that. And Jaime certainly seemed to enjoy sitting on the throne.
10. Now I really like Robert again, admitting he's fat and sucks at ruling. He only married Cersei because Jon Arryn told him to. He also apologizes for the wolf business, awe. And he knows his son was lying. Well if he knew it he should have had the balls to say it at the time! You're the f*cking king! Don't let your wife guilt you into doing what you know in your heart is not right! He sounds pussywhipped, lol.
11. And WOW at Robert admitting the only thing stopping Robert from abandoning the throne is the thought of his son sitting the Iron Throne with his mom behind him, whispering in his ear...doesn't he know that he would eventually die at some point? He hates his son. He knows what he is, but I suppose there's nothing really he can do about it. In this world people usually become king if they're the oldest living son to the last king. It would be such a scandal if Robert denied Joffrey in favor of Tommen, who at this point is even younger than 12. How sad, the dilemma he is in.
12. I can tell Ned desperately wants Robert to be the man he once was -- and for a little while he seems to have made a breakthrough.
13. I like that Sansa seems genuinely happy that Sandor beat Jaime. :) I don't recall if Jaime did anything particular to make her hate him, other than be related to Cersei.
14. Interesting that Renly brings up Tyrion again, mentioning Petyr's story that the Imp bets against his brother and wins *SPOILER FOR UPCOMING CHAPTER IN A GAME OF THRONES* (view spoiler) I wonder how much Renly knows? Is it merely a joke, or is he saying something else to Petyr?
15. I seem to have forgotten how much hell Robert gives Jaime...laughing at him all the time. He's really an ass to the dude who killed a king!
16. There's something strange about Gregor...that he even is bigger than Hodor! What is he, part giant? Almost 8 feet tall...I didn't know he was to be married a third time...rumored to have killed his last two wives. Gregor inherited the Clegane estate and everything. What keep did the Cleganes belong to?
17. I think it's clever of Loras to use a mare in heat to win against Gregor, and Gregor is a sore loser. He kills his horse and tries to kill Loras too, but Sandor comes to the rescue and ends up winning the tourney for that. Ha! He doesn't even want the honor. Why does he participate in jousting, then?
18. As much as Sandor hates his brother, has that right, he does have some standards. He won't become a kinslayer, even with Gregor trying his best to kill him. What a monster! Wow...and he even has the balls to glare at the king and stomp off without bowing. *SPECULATION ON SANDOR CLEGANE* (view spoiler)
19. I like how nothing frightens Thoros of Myr. :) He has his god on his side so he has nothing to fear, I guess.
20. Also love how Sansa tells Arya she must be a terrible dancer to receive bruises like those. Ha!
21. Odd Ned doubts Syrio Forel's teaching methods. His daughter honestly doesn't mind getting beat up. And I like how she says, "Every hurt is a lesson."
22. Interesting how Robert loved all of his known bastards.
23. Varys is an excellent actor, and he knows the Red Keep's secrets... Hmm...
24. I think Varys is so clever. It comes easy to him. That can be dangerous if you're not on his side, however. He's such a great actor. I really want to like him, but I have to take Tyrion's advise to heart: Trust nobody.
25. I think it's funny Ned was astonished that Varys didn't trust him. Of course, Ned knows he's one of the most trustworthy man alive. Varys makes a good point -- there are two kinds of people in the Red Keep, "Those who are loyal to the realm, and those who are loyal only to themselves." And then he compliments Ned, "I begin to comprehend why the queen fears you so much." :) And lol at his response, "You are the one she ought to fear."
26. It's funny Ned thinks the North is simpler, that their enemies are winter and wildlings...oh, it's not that simple, Ned...
27. I really like and trust Varys in this chapter, but I want to be very careful. Varys is a mystery, a master actor, knows almost everything, very clever. He could be tricking us all, the readers. I want Varys to be good, but I won't bet my life on it.
