[Joffrey Baratheon — Characters]
Tyrion arrives in King's Landing, accompanied by Bronn , Lannister soldiers , and members of the hill tribes . He assumes the role of acting Hand of the King to Joffrey Baratheon , who isn't happy to see him, unlike Myrcella and Tommen. After taking his seat at the Small Council, he clashes with his sister, Queen Regent Cersei Lannister, over her failure to stop the execution of his predecessor as hand, Eddard Stark. He also criticizes her for allowing Arya Stark to escape, as the girl and her father could have been useful to bargain for the return of Jaime.
Initially betrothed to Prince Joffrey Baratheon , the heir to the Iron Throne , Sansa travels to King's Landing in preparation for her nuptials, but essentially becomes a hostage of House Lannister following the execution of her father on trumped-up charges of treason . Under the (sometimes unwitting) tutelage of Cersei Lannister , Margaery Tyrell , and Petyr Baelish , Sansa becomes well-versed in politics and court intrigue, but suffers all the same.
When Lady Olenna Tyrell urges Sansa to tell her the truth about Joffrey Baratheon , Sansa answers her father always told the truth but he was proclaimed a traitor and Joffrey cut his head off. Sansa reveals how Joffrey forced her to look at her father's decapitated head. When Olenna tells her to go on, Sansa panics and tries to take back what she said but confesses Joffrey is a monster after Olenna assures her they will keep her confidence.
Arya enters Petyr's chamber and rummages through his study and furniture. While searching through his mattress, she finds a scroll written by Sansa. This turns out to be the scroll that Sansa wrote to their late brother Robb Stark urging him to bend the knee to King Joffrey Baratheon. Arya is unaware that Sansa had written the letter under duress from Queen Cersei in an attempt to save their father.
Meanwhile, the priestess Melisandre performs a ritual using leeches filled with fresh blood forcibly taken from Gendry , Robert Baratheon's bastard son. At her direction, Stannis then throws the leeches onto a fire and recites the names of three people he wants dead: "The usurper Robb Stark, the usurper Balon Greyjoy, the usurper Joffrey Baratheon."
However, Jon Snow tells his father that this is an omen as there are five pups and five trueborn Stark children. Eddard consents to allowing his children to adopt the pups. Just as the party leaves, Jon finds a sixth pup , an albino. Theon mockingly declares him the runt of the litter and that he belongs to Jon. Later, Robb, Jon, and Theon get shaves and haircuts, as they ponder the impending arrival of the royal party, notably the reputation of Queen Cersei Lannister as a great beauty and the poor reputation of Prince Joffrey Baratheon .
Fans sometimes derisively assume that "Joffrey Baratheon" should really be called "Joffrey Lannister", because of his status as the bastard offspring of the incestuous relationship between Cersei and Jaime, and not the son of King Robert Baratheon at all. This is actually in error, as according to the customs of bastardy, Joffrey doesn't even have the right to use the surname "Lannister." As Jaime's bastard son, given birth to by a woman from the Westerlands (Cersei), Joffrey would have to use the bastard surname for the Westerlands: "Joffrey Hill." There's also the possibility that he might be called "Joffrey Waters" given that both Jaime and Cersei had been living in the Crownlands for many years, and Joffrey lived his whole life there. All of this, of course, would only happen if Jaime were to openly acknowledge Joffrey as his son, which is an impossibility given the disastrous political fallout this would create. Furthermore, as the product of not merely bastardy, but incest, the Faith of the Seven would want to outright kill Joffrey as an abomination before the gods if his actual parentage were ever revealed. Therefore from a strict legal standpoint, given that Jaime will never acknowledge his children with Cersei, Joffrey has no right to any surname, and should properly just be called "Joffrey" as if he were a lowborn commoner.
Since Davos is now literate, Stannis asks for his thoughts on a letter he received. Davos reads the letter and is shocked to learn Joffrey Baratheon is dead . Stannis gives credit to Melisandre and the leeches, but Davos is still skeptical. Davos recommends hiring mercenaries such as the Golden Company , but Stannis is disgusted at the thought of paying men to fight. Stannis then tells Davos that he refuses to become a page in someone else's history book, and that time is running out for both himself and Davos.
Lord Petyr Baelish , popularly called Littlefinger , was the Master of Coin on the Small Council under King Robert Baratheon and King Joffrey Baratheon . He was a skilled manipulator and used his ownership of brothels in King's Landing to both acquire vast wealth and accrue intelligence on political rivals. Baelish's spy network is eclipsed only by that of his arch-rival Varys . In his quest for power, he orchestrated a huge conflict in Westeros via multiple conspiracies and assassinations, which effectively began the War of the Five Kings leading to widespread devastation and the destruction of several major houses.
He responds by referencing her incest, reminding her that with knowledge, comes power. Littlefinger receives a violent reprimand when Cersei tells her men to cut Littlefinger's throat but then says she has changed her mind, in order to remind him of his place, and that being born into power can never match Petyr's ambitiousness, threatening his life if does not locate Arya. King Joffrey Baratheon responds to the ensuing rumors by ordering a city wide massacre of his father's bastards. The City Watch storm into Littlefinger's brothel in search of one of Robert's illegitimate children - a baby girl named Barra . They rip Barra from her mother's arms and kill the child in front of Littlefinger's employees.
Petyr later meets with the recently returned Bran and gives him the Valyrian steel dagger that was used to make an attempt on his life from the catspaw . Unimpressed and uninterested, Bran simply asks if he knows who had the dagger before the assassin to which Petyr responds that same question started the War of the Five Kings . Petyr then asks Bran how he survived beyond the Wall only to return to such chaos. Bran replies, "Chaos is a ladder," the very thing Petyr said to Varys during his rise in power after allowing Joffrey Baratheon to kill Ros . Slightly unnerved, Petyr then exits upon the entrance of Meera Reed , addressing Bran as "Lord Stark." However, Bran corrects Littlefinger, explaining that he cannot be a lord because he is now the three-eyed-raven.
Littlefinger also visits Renly's camp, as an envoy from King Joffrey Baratheon . Renly tells Petyr that he does not trust him and cites Brienne as having true loyalty. This mistrust seems well founded, as Petyr offers to open the gates of King's Landing to Renly. While in camp, he also proposes that Catelyn exchange Robb's captive Jaime for her daughters. Brienne also guards Renly during an unsuccessful meeting with his brother, King Stannis Baratheon . Stannis threatens Renly for refusing to swear fealty to him.
Sandor Clegane , popularly known as the Hound , was the younger brother of Ser Gregor Clegane and the personal bodyguard of Prince Joffrey Baratheon . When Joffrey ascended the Iron Throne , Sandor was named into his Kingsguard (despite not being a knight ), but deserted his post at the Battle of the Blackwater . After traveling as a fugitive with Arya Stark , having a close brush with death following an altercation with Brienne of Tarth , and the mass murder of a congregation he attempted to find peace with, he reluctantly joined the Brotherhood Without Banners in hopes of having a greater purpose.
Sandor fights in King Joffrey Baratheon 's nameday tournament, killing his opponent. Joffrey congratulates him on his skill, whilst berating Sansa, still his fiancee despite her father's " treason ." Joffrey has Sansa Stark stripped and publicly beaten by Meryn Trant following Robb Stark 's victory at the Battle of Oxcross , whilst Sandor stands uncomfortably. Sandor gives her his white cloak to cover herself after Tyrion Lannister orders an end to the beating.
Queen Margaery Tyrell was the only daughter of Lord Mace Tyrell and Lady Alerie Tyrell , granddaughter of Lady Olenna Tyrell and sister of Ser Loras Tyrell . Margaery became Queen Consort through her marriage to King Joffrey Baratheon , and later his younger brother, King Tommen Baratheon , following Joffrey's death. However, a charge of perjury and a false dedication to the Sparrow movement led to her downfall as she was eventually killed along with her brother and father when the Great Sept of Baelor was destroyed with wildfire as orchestrated by Cersei Lannister to reclaim her lost power.