A Song of Ice and Fire: Season 4

The fourth season of A Song of Ice and Fire are adaptations of both A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons. This is the last season of adaptation material before Jack Zimmerman has to make his own story and ending. This is the bridge between the first three seasons of the series, and the last two. This is a season that takes more time setting up politics and character arcs and future plots, as well as the last two seasons. 
== Plot ==
The fourth seasons picks up right after the third seasons. The War of the Five Kings seems to be winding down. Robb Stark, Joffrey Baratheon, Renly Baratheon, and Balon Greyjoy are dead. King Stannis Baratheon has fled to the Wall, where Jon Snow has become Lord Commander. King Tommen Baratheon, Joffrey's ten-year-old brother, now rules in King's Landing under the watchful eye of his mother, the Queen Regent Cersei Lannister. Lord Tywin Lannister is dead, murdered by his son Tyrion in his flight from the city. Sansa Stark is in hiding in the Vale, protected by Petyr Baelish who has murdered his wife Lysa Arryn and named himself Protector of the Vale and guardian of eight-year-old Lord Robert Arryn. In the north, King Stannis Baratheon has installed himself at the Wall and vowed to win the support of the northmen to continue his struggle to claim the Iron Throne, although this is complicated by the fact that much of the west coast is under occupation by the ironborn. On the Wall itself Jon Snow has been elected the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, but has enemies both in the Watch and beyond the Wall. Tyrion Lannister has been taken by ship across the narrow sea to Pentos, but his eventual goals are unknown even to him. On Slaver's Bay, Daenerys Targaryen has conquered the city of Meereen, and has decided to stay and rule the city, honing her skills of leadership which will be needed when she travels on to Westeros. Daenerys's presence is now known to many in Westeros, and from the Iron Islands and Dorne, from Oldtown and the Free Cities, emissaries are on their way to find her and use her cause for their own ends...
=== In the Seven Kingdoms ===
==== In the Iron Islands ====
Following the death of King Balon Greyjoy, a kingsmoot is summoned by Aeron Damphair, Balon's youngest brother and the most respected priest of the Drowned God. With Theon Greyjoy a prisoner of the Boltons at the Dreadfort, the strongest candidates are Balon's brothers Victarion and Euron Crow's Eye, who has just returned from reaving in the east. Asha Greyjoy, Balon's daughter, also tries to claim the Seastone Chair in spite of her sex. The kingsmoot on Old Wyk is deadlocked between the three until Euron reveals his plan to seize control of Daenerys's dragons through the use of magic and so rule Westeros. The moot crowns Euron king, and Asha disappears with her ship northwards. Aeron, who considers Euron ungodly, also leaves to gain popular support against him.
Euron launches an ambitious campaign against the Reach, sending ships under his brother Victarion to conquer the Shield Islands and raid the coast. Initial appetites for plunder are sated by the raids in Westeros, however, and support for Euron's trip across the narrow sea and his hold over the ironmen dwindle. He realizes that he must remain and consolidate his control. Victarion agrees to go to Slaver's Bay and deliver Euron's marriage proposal to Daenerys. However, Victarion hates Euron for sleeping with his third wife and decides to get revenge by courting Daenerys himself.
==== King's Landing ====
In the city of King's Landing, the funeral of Tywin Lannister is held. To Cersei Lannister's distaste, Lord Mace Tyrell tries to use the occasion to put himself forward for the position of Hand of the King and his uncle, Garth Tyrell, installed on the small council. Cersei rebuffs him and asks her uncle Kevan to serve as Hand. Kevan says he will accept only if Cersei steps down as Regent and returns to Casterly Rock as Tywin's heir. Cersei furiously refuses him and Kevan leaves to help his son Lancel rule his new castle of Darry in the riverlands. Eventually, she names the biddable Harys Swyft as Hand and fills the rest of the small council with her minions, including Gyles Rosby as master of coin, the sellsail Aurane Waters as grand admiral, and the disgraced ex-maester Qyburn as master of whisperers.
The Redwyne fleet sails from the Arbor to Dragonstone and that castle is put under siege, whilst Mace Tyrell leads his army south to invest Storm's End and end the pretensions of Stannis's loyalists in the south once and for all. Cersei has the High Septon murdered by Osney Kettleblack so that he can be replaced by someone loyal to her, but the newcomer turns out to be the High Sparrow, a zealous martinet who has the support of the war-refugees that now throng in the city. He offers to speed up Tommen's coronation and forgive the crown its debts to the Faith if Cersei will restore the Faith Militant. Cersei agrees, to the horror of Grand Maester Pycelle.
The ironborn strike hard along the coast of the Reach, conquering the Shield Islands and virtually blockading the mouth of the Honeywine and the route into Oldtown. Furious, Margaery Tyrell and her brother Loras ask Cersei for aid, but Cersei is reluctant to give it. She gives permission for Lord Paxter Redwyne to take his fleet home and destroy the ironborn, but only once the siege of Dragonstone is complete. Loras leads an assault on the castle and takes it, but is reported grievously injured in the process. Margaery's protestations vex Cersei, causing her to doubt her future role as Tommen's wife. She conceives a plan to ruin Margaery by framing her to the Faith of the Seven for sleeping with Osney. Unfortunately the plan backfires when the new High Septon has the knight scourged to ensure the truth of the matter, and he confesses about Cersei's many improprieties as well. The Faith arrests both Cersei and Margaery. Kevan Lannister is recalled to take over as Regent and Hand. Cersei's summons for Jaime to return and defend her go unanswered. Mace Tyrell lifts the siege of Storm's End barely weeks after it began to race back to the capital and learn the fate of his daughter, whilst Randyll Tarly marches on the city from the north. Meanwhile, Aurane Waters absconds with Cersei's dromonds.
Cersei Lannister continues her captivity at the Great Sept. After a period of enforced sleeplessness, she confesses to the High Septon on the charges of fornication and incest with Lancel, though not to adultery nor the slaying of King Robert. This gains her the right to receive visitors, particularly Ser Kevan Lannister, who reveals the news of Myrcella's injury and Ser Arys Oakheart's death in Dorne. Cersei is relieved: this allows her to name Qyburn's silent champion Ser Robert Strong to the Kingsguard in Oakheart's place, giving her a chance to win a trial by combat. Eventually she is released to the Red Keep to spend time with her son before her trial... but must walk the entire way naked and suffering the humiliation of the smallfolk.
The King's Landing part of the story closes with Lord Kevan Lannister, the late Lord Tywin Lannister's staunchest supporter, and current regent in light of Cersei's judicial troubles. After supping with Cersei and King Tommen, and noting his niece's now-broken spirit, Kevan is called to Grand Maester Pycelle's quarters to receive a white raven from the Citadel at Oldtown, a traditional sign that winter has come. There Kevan finds Pycelle dead, and the regent is then himself assassinated by Varys for "threatening to undo all the queen's good work, to reconcile Highgarden and Casterly Rock, bind the Faith to your little king, unite the Seven Kingdoms under Tommen's rule." With Kevan dead, Varys claims, the way will be opened for Aegon to assume the throne.
==== In the North ====
Jon Snow, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, is beset on all sides by threats and danger. King Stannis Baratheon wants land and waycastles belonging to the Watch, which he means to hand out as fiefs to his most loyal supporters. The Others are continuing to mass beyond the Wall. Mance Rayder's wildling host, leaderless and smashed by Stannis during the events of season 3, still numbers in the thousands, and Jon sees every wildling represents another dead man the White Walkers can send against the Wall. To this end he takes great pains to court the wildlings, winning them over to his side and uniting them with the Watch against their common foe. In doing so, however, Jon loses the support of many of his sworn brothers. Samwell Tarly receives a new mission from Jon Snow. He is to take Maester Aemon back to the Citadel in Oldtown by sea and research the White Walkers in the archives there. The information may be essential in a possible war to come. The wildling girl Gilly and the singer Dareon will accompany them as well. Jon is busy rebuilding the Night's Watch following the attack on Castle Black and the battle beneath the Wall, and is concerned over Melisandre's plans to burn the captive Mance Rayder in an attempt to resurrect stone dragons. Melisandre, meanwhile, burns Rattleshirt disguised as Mance Rayder under a glamor, while Mance secretly lives on disguised as Rattleshirt. Melisandre reveals to Jon Snow that a grey girl on a dying horse, whom she interprets to be Arya Stark, is coming up the kingsroad to seek asylum, and with Jon's permission dispatches Mance and several spearwives to rescue her. The girl is revealed to actually be Alys Karstark, fleeing the manipulations of her relatives in light of her father's death. After taking Jon's advice Stannis is able to seize Deepwood Motte with the allegiance of the hill folk, the Karstarks, the Glovers and Mormonts, and half of the Umbers. He then moves against Ramsay Bolton, who has taken up seat in the ruins of Winterfell with the other half of the northern bannermen. At last report—a gloating letter in Ramsay's handwriting to Jon Snow—Stannis's host was smashed and the king slain. Shortly after shepherding a large wilding host through the Wall, reading the letter, and announcing his intention to go south, he is stabbed by several members of the Night's Watch, the last scene ending with him bleeding out in the snow. 
Lord Davos Seaworth has been sent to treat with Wyman Manderly. Lord of White Harbor, in the hopes of bringing him to Stannis's cause. He finds the Merman's Court infested with Freys, who claims that Manderly's older son Wylis was slain by Robb Stark at the Red Wedding, and Wyman yields to their insistence that Davos be imprisoned. However, Davos continues to live long after the queen received word of his death; he is being kept in genteel imprisonment in the Wolf's Den and is eventually freed by Robett Glover, who has joined Lord Manderly in presenting a friendly face to the Freys whilst secretly plotting their downfall, especially now that Cersei has released Wendel. Wyman introduces Davos to an ironborn squire, Wex Pyke, formerly in service to Theon Greyjoy, who survived the sack of Winterfell by hiding up a tree and observed six survivors—Bran Stark, Jojen and Meera Reed, Rickon Stark, Osha, and Hodor—fleeing the ruins. Davos is commissioned to retrieve Rickon from the island of Skagos; should he succeed, House Manderly and its vassals will join Stannis's cause.
Asha Greyjoy, lately fled the Iron Islands after her unsuccessful bid at the kingsmoot which saw her uncle Euron crowned, sleeps with Qarl the Maid at Deepwood Motte. She is captured after Stannis's assault on Deepwood, however, and taken with Stannis's host during their march on Winterfell. A fierce blizzard slows their progress and Stannis halts his march at a crofters' village.
Meanwhile, a creature now known as "Reek"—once Theon Greyjoy, before Ramsay tortured and psychologically abused him into adopting his new identity—is released by Ramsay to convince the ironborn-held Moat Cailin to surrender, thus allowing Lord Roose Bolton, a contingent of Freys, and those northerners who escaped the Red Wedding to return home. With them comes Ramsay's new bride, a girl calling herself "Arya Stark." Recognizing her as Jeyne Poole, daughter of Winterfell's former steward, Reek warns her to adopt her new identity lest Ramsay be displeased with her. The bard Abel and his washerwomen take some interest in Reek: unknown to him, these are Mance Rayder and his spearwives in disguise. Several of Roose's supporters mysteriously died at Winterfell, and Theon begins to regain his identity. The spearwives help Theon smuggle Jeyne out of the castle, and eventually the pair reach Stannis's host.
==== In the Narrow Sea ====
Sam, Aemon, and Gilly take ship across the narrow sea for the Free City of Braavos, but Aemon's health begins to fail him. Gilly cries throughout the journey, and Aemon reveals that she was forced to swap her baby with Mance's at the Wall (again to avoid Melisandre's fires). In Braavos, Aemon's health takes a turn for the worse and they miss the ship that was supposed to take them south. Dareon makes money singing, but constantly spends it on wine and prostitutes, leaving the group stranded. Dareon also hears rumors in the city of a three-headed dragon in Meereen. After Sam violently confronts Dareon, he meets a Summer Islander who saw Daenerys Targaryen's dragons in Qarth. Aemon comes to believe that Daenerys fulfills the prophecy of the prince that was promised, reasoning that the wording of the prophesy did not specify the gender of the leader. He resolves to travel to Meereen, and the Summer Islanders agree to take them south to Oldtown as part of the journey. At sea, Aemon dies of natural causes. His last instructions to Sam are to tell the maesters of the Citadel what has happened and make them understand they must send aid to Daenerys. Gilly and Sam become lovers along the way.
==== In the Crownlands/Riverlands ====
Brienne of Tarth continues her quest to find Sansa Stark. She is found by Podrick Payne, Tyrion's former squire, and agrees to let him accompany her. They pass north through the town of Duskendale, where they encounter the Tyrell army under Lord Randyll Tarly and are joined by an old acquaintance of Brienne, Ser Hyle Hunt. Brienne's explorations take her along Crackclaw Point, where she kills several of the now-scattered Bloody Mummers, and to the Quiet Isle in the estuary of the Trident. The Elder Brother of the septry tells her that he found Sandor Clegane dying under a tree and learned that he had been with Arya Stark, who fled towards the coast. Brienne's pursuit takes her to Maidenpool and Saltpans, but she can find no sign of Arya. Her group runs across the remnants of the Brotherhood Without Banners, who take her captive at the crossroads inn after she fights more Bloody Mummers. Thoros of Myr tells her that Beric Dondarrion died, giving up his borrowed life to save another. They take her to the undead Catelyn Stark, who is now called Lady Stoneheart. Catelyn believes that Brienne has betrayed her by allowing Jaime to go free without returning with her daughters. She offers Brienne a chance to redeem herself by killing Jaime; when Brienne refuses, Stoneheart orders her, Podrick, and Hyle hanged. As they dangle on the noose, Brienne screams out that she will do it.
Jaime departs King's Landing to help end the siege of Riverrun, where the Frey and Lannister besiegers are still defied by the castle's castellan, Ser Brynden Tully. Each day Ser Ryman Frey threatens to hang the Blackfish's nephew, the captive Lord Edmure Tully, and Brynden refuses Jaime's terms of surrender. Jaime cuts Edmure down and negotiates a surrender with him, as he is the true lord of the castle. Edmure is returned to Riverrun, but he delays his surrender for half a day, allowing his uncle to slip out one of Riverrun's water gates, past the Lannister siege. Furious, Jaime has Edmure sent under heavy guard to Casterly Rock. Emmon Frey takes his appointed place as Lord of Riverrun. Shortly after the siege has ended, snowflakes start falling across the Riverlands. Winter has come. Jaime realizes that there will be no time for another harvest. The Seven Kingdoms will suffer harshly in what is to come.
Ser Jaime Lannister travels to Raventree Hall, seat of Lord Tytos Blackwood, where the rival Lord Jonos Bracken commands the siege of Raventree. Tytos is the final bannerman of Robb Stark's still under arms, but he yields once presented with someone to surrender to with whom he has not had a lifelong feud. That night, Brienne of Tarth arrives at Jaime's campsite, claiming to have found Sansa Stark: "I can take you to her, ser... but you will need to come alone. Elsewise, the Hound will kill her." This is a falsehood, as she has agreed to bring him to Lady Stoneheart.
==== In the Vale ====
In the Eyrie, Petyr Baelish is confronted by several of the lords of the Vale, who are unhappy with him becoming their de facto ruler after the death of Lady Lysa Arryn. One of the Lords Declarant, whom Littlefinger bribed ahead of time, breaks custom by baring Lady Forlorn during the meeting. Littlefinger uses the insult to turn the tables on the lords, who eventually allow him to remain Lord Protector of little Lord Robert Arryn for the next year. Afterwards, Littlefinger discusses the deception with Sansa (who is posing as his bastard daughter, Alayne Stone) and is impressed at how quickly she picks up on the subtleties of his scheme. He reveals to her that if something should happen to little Robert, the Eyrie will pass to Harrold Hardyng, a distant nephew of the house, and if Harry and Sansa were to wed, that would give her an army with which to reclaim Winterfell. Whilst Sansa thinks on this, the weather is worsening, a sure sign that winter is almost upon the Seven Kingdoms, and the household of the Eyrie move to the Gates of the Moon at the base of the Giant's Lance. During the move Sansa befriends Mya Stone, one of the late King Robert I Baratheon's bastard daughters. Sansa also becomes a new mother figure for sickly Robert Arryn.
==== In Oldtown ====
In the city of Oldtown, a young novice of the Citadel named Pate steals a master key from Archmaester Walgrave and sells it to a mysterious man calling himself the Alchemist. Shortly after receiving his payment, Pate collapses in the street.
Sam's ship reaches Oldtown, barely evading the ironborn reavers. They learn that the ironborn have raided and seized territories on the Arbor and failed an attempt to burn the city harbor of Oldtown as they await their King. Sam goes to the Citadel, but is intercepted by Archmaester Marwyn. Marwyn reveals that the other archmaesters will not be impressed or moved by Sam's revelations about Daenerys. When Sam asks how Marwyn knows that he was coming, Marwyn reveals that the Citadel has some of the ancient Valyrian obsidian candles, through which they could see things from afar. Marwyn states that nearly two centuries ago the maesters helped kill the last of the dragons to rid the world of magic forever, but now it is returning. Marwyn departs immediately for Slaver's Bay, telling Sam to study hard and fast, for the Wall will need his services. Sam is left in the company of two students, Alleras and a boy named Pate.
==== In Dorne ====
In Sunspear, the capital of Dorne, news is received of the death of Oberyn Martell at the hands of Gregor Clegane, although Gregor was mortally wounded in the same battle. Oberyn's bastard daughters, the Sand Snakes, demand various plans for vengeance, including attacking Oldtown and raiding the Reach. Prince Doran Martell has them locked up to prevent them from doing anything too precipitous, and sends word to King's Landing confirming his loyalty. His eldest daughter and heir (due to Dorne's equal primogeniture), Arianne is disgusted with her father's weakness and suspicious that her father would prefer to supplant her with her brother Quentyn, who she learns has vanished eastwards on unknown business. Princess Myrcella Baratheon, elder sister to King Tommen, is in Sunspear, as she has been betrothed to Trystane Martell, and Arianne hatches a plan to crown Myrcella Queen of the Seven Kingdoms according to Dornish law and reignite the war. Her attempts are thwarted, however. Ser Arys Oakheart, the Kingsguard guarding Myrcella, is killed in a fight and Myrcella is injured, all by one of Arianne's former lovers, Gerold Dayne, the Darkstar. Arianne is imprisoned for her actions.
Prince Doran finally lets his daughter visit him and learns of her grievances. He explains that whilst he had intended Quentyn to follow him as Prince of Dorne, he had a greater role in mind for Arianne: she was to have become Queen of all Westeros. Arianne is confused, but learns that Doran planned to wed her to Viserys Targaryen, but that plan was thwarted when Khal Drogo killed Viserys. Now the plan has changed. Quentyn is on his way to Slaver's Bay to find and win the heart's desire of House Martell: "fire and blood."
Areo Hotah, captain of guards to Doran Martell, Prince of Dorne, observes the goings-on at Sunspear. Doran reveals to his late brother Oberyn's mistress, Ellaria Sand, and Oberyn's daughters Nymeria, Tyene and Obara Sand, that he has convinced Princess Myrcella Baratheon to lie about the events of Princess Arianne Martell's botched queenmaking attempt, in which the Kingsguard knight Ser Arys Oakheart was slain and Myrcella herself injured by Ser Gerold Dayne, called Darkstar. Since Myrcella lost an ear to him to begin with, she has agreed to claim that Darkstar slew Arys as well. Doran has also decided to deny Queen Cersei Lannister's request that his own son, Prince Trystane, return to King's Landing with Myrcella, as an ambush has been planned in Tyrion Lannister's name that would result in Trystane's death. Doran dispatches Nym and Tyene instead, one to take up his small council seat and the other to join the Great Sept of Baelor, thus giving him eyes and ears in the capital.
=== Beyond the Wall ===
Bran Stark, Hodor, Meera and Jojen Reed and Bran's direwolf, Summer, continue their journey north in search of the Three-Eyed Raven. They meet Coldhands, who tells them he was sent by the Three-Eyed Raven, the last greenseer. They are attacked by White Walkers during the journey, and are rescued by the Children of the Forest, who bring them to the Three-Eyed Raven, who reveals himself to be Ser Brynden Rivers, a Targaryen bastard of King Aegon IV. He teaches Bran how to master his powers and Bran receives many visions of the past, including a series of visions about the three Stark siblings, Brandon Stark, Eddard Stark, and Lyanna Stark. 
=== Across the Narrow Sea ===
Arya Stark finds her way to the House of Black and White, a temple to the Many-Faced God in Braavos. There Arya is inducted into the ranks of the Faceless Men as a novice. She learns that the Faceless Men are not simply a band of skilled assassins, but also a religious sect dating long before the Doom of Valyria. They consider their assassinations to be holy sacraments to their god of death. As Faceless Men must have no true identity, Arya assumes the role of 'Cat of the Canals' and becomes a familiar sight on the streets of the city. However, her old identity occasionally slips through. She hides her sword Needle rather than discarding it and later kills Dareon for forsaking his vows to the Night's Watch, feeling that he has betrayed her bastard brother, Jon Snow, who is now Lord Commander. The priests of the House of Black and White strike her blind by some means, but it is unclear whether this is part of her training or punishment for her transgressions.
Daenerys Targaryen, Queen of Meereen, finds the crown lying uneasy on her head. Though she rules Meereen, the Sons of the Harpy pick off her men when they can in a so-called shadow war. Many Meereenese citizens resent the new order of things, and a number of other cities eventually take up arms against her, as the slave trade she abolished is one of the cornerstones of the economy of the region. She has no idea how to tame her dragons, which are ranging far and wide and eating whatever they feel like... including children. Danerys is visited by Quaithe, who warns her of the others descending on her: "Soon comes the pale mare, and after her the others. Kraken and dark flame, lion and griffin, the sun's son and the mummer's dragon."
The lion, Tyrion Lannister, lately fled the Seven Kingdoms and accusations of regicide and kinslaying, is smuggled to Pentos with the help of Varys and left in the care of Illyrio Mopatis, supporter of Daenerys. Tyrion decides to offer his services to her, and he makes the journey in the company of a tall taciturn knight, Griff, and his son, Young Griff. Tyrion takes note of the care with which Young Griff is tutored, as well as his coloring, and deduces that the boy is actually Aegon Targaryen, long-believed-dead son of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia of Dorne; his "father" Griff is actually Lord Jon Connington of Griffin's Roost. Whilst at the town of Selhorys, Tyrion is waylaid by Penny, a dwarf woman who was hired to be entertainment at King Joffrey Baratheon's royal wedding and whose brother and performing partner was killed in Cersei's purge, and then by Ser Jorah Mormont, who kidnaps him as a prize to win his way back into Daenerys's graces. Unfortunately the Selaesori Qhoran, the ship Mormont hires to take them to Volantis, is waylaid by slavers, and he, Tyrion, and Penny are sold at markets in the shadow of Meereen, claiming to be an entertainment act. From there, Tyrion sneaks his way to the camp of the Second Sons, led by Brown Ben Plumm, and Tyrion pledges his sword to them as another step in getting closer to Daenerys.
The kraken, Victarion Greyjoy, Lord Captain of the Iron Fleet, sails his forces east towards Meereen. Victarion has been given possession of Euron's dragon-binding horn. He also comes across a red priest, Moqorro (who was last seen on Tyrion's ship, being washed overboard not long before the slavers attacked). Moqorro brings Victarion to believe in R'hllor, the Lord of Light, by demonstrating his power, and he claims to know how to use the dragon horn safely. Victarion's men call the priest the "Black Flame" after "Moqorro" proves too difficult for them to pronounce.
Prince Quentyn Martell, eldest son of Prince Doran Martell of Sunspear, is traveling east as well. He has a parchment signed by Ser Willem Darry many years ago, establishing that his elder sister Arianne Martell is to wed Prince Viserys Targaryen when he comes of age; it is Prince Doran's wish that Quentyn and Daenerys stand in place of their deceased elder siblings in this matter. He arrives too late, finding Daenerys about to enter into a political marriage with a Meereenese noble, and Quentyn is left in a bad position when her new husband tries to have her poisoned—a tactic notorious to Quentyn's uncle Oberyn Martell. In a last-ditch effort to prove his worth, Quentyn visits Dany's two dragons, Viserion and Rhaegal, and attempts to tame them. He dies of his burns three days later.
Jon Connington and Prince Aegon never arrive at Meereen. They have hired the Golden Company, a group of sellswords founded by Westerosi exiles. Once in their company, Aegon shows that he has listened to Tyrion's counsel during their time together (despite Tyrion admonishing him to trust no one, "especially me"): he suggests attacking Westeros now, establishing a beachhead which Daenerys can later reinforce. Aegon too seeks Daenerys's hand, and is keenly aware that he must have something worthwhile to offer her besides his own bloodline as her nephew. The first conquest of the landing of the Golden Company is of Griffin's Roost, Connington's former seat, which is a relief to the exiled lord as he has contracted a terminal disease, greyscale, in his travels. Their main target is Storm's End, the siege of which Aegon proposes to lead himself.
Unlike the symbolism of Quaithe's other references, the "pale mare" is a literal horse, carrying a refugee from Astapor. He too brings a gift: plague; by coincidence or not, those who contract it are said to be "riding the pale mare." This bloody flux ravages not only the Meereenese but the armies of Yunkish slaves and sellsword companies drawn up to attack them (its advent allows Tyrion, Penny, and Jorah to escape their captivity, amongst other things). On the advice of her councilors, Daenerys marries Hizdahr zo Loraq, a leading noble who is able to pacify the Sons of the Harpy and broker a cease-fire between Meereen and her aggressors, which include Volantis, Qarth, and Yunkai; however, she gives in to her attraction to Daario Naharis before the ceremony. She also locks Viserion and Rhaegal away to keep them from eating anyone, but is unable to capture Drogon, who escapes into the wild. As part of her wedding feast, Daenerys goes against her own wishes and allows the fighting pits of Meereen to reopen, and is present for the first pit fighting games... as is Drogon, drawn by the noise and chaos. Daenerys leaps into Drogon's back and the two fly away from Daznak's Pit, leaving Meereen largely in the hands of Ser Barristan Selmy, who takes over not only the rulership but story. Barristan becomes convinced that Hizdahr was trying to poison Daenerys—a sweetmeat he offered her turned out to almost kill Strong Belwas when he ate them instead—and is able to organize a coup against Hizdahr. Barristan's attempts to re-broker a peace fail, and the war begins in earnest. Daenerys attempts to return on foot to Meereen from a hill in the southern reaches of the Dothraki sea, which Drogon has taken for his haunt, only to be encountered by the khalasar of Khal Jhaqo as the season ends.
A girl formerly known as Arya Stark, is currently blind. It is revealed that her blindness is yet another step in her training and is maintained by a potion she is given every night; she refuses an antidote, knowing that to yield is to be released from her training. After passing the blind portion of her regimen and successfully orchestrating the assassination of a hated insurance agent, she is officially advanced in her training.
== Episodes ==
Episode	Title 	Rating	Air Date
1 	"Crow's Eye" 	9.8/10	April 6th, 2014
2 	"The Black Dragon" 	10/10 	April 13th, 2014
3 	"The Sons of the Harpy"	9.9/10	April 20th, 2014
4 	"Lord Snow" 	10/10 	April 27th, 2014
5 	"The High Sparrow" 	9.7/10	May 4th, 2014
6 	"The Merman" 	10/10 	May 11th, 2014
7 	"The Iron Price" 	10/10 	May 18th, 2014
8 	"Reek" 	10/10 	May 25th, 2014
9 	"The Darkstar" 	9.9/10	June 1st, 2014
10 	"Aegon" 	10/10 	June 8th, 2014
11 	"Lord of Winterfell" 	9.8/10	June 15th, 2014
12 	"The Sand Snakes" 	10/10 	June 22nd, 2014
13 	"Hardhome" 	10/10 	June 29th, 2014
14 	"The Three-Eyed Crow" 	10/10 	July 6th, 2014
15 	"A Feast for Crows" 	10/10 	July 13th, 2014
== Central Characters ==
* Lord Commander Jon Snow
* King Stannis Baratheon
* Lord Davos Seaworth
* Samwell Tarly
* Brienne of Tarth
* Arya Stark
* Sansa Stark/Alayne Stone
* Ser Jaime Lannister
* Asha Greyjoy
* Victarion Greyjoy
* Reek/Theon Greyjoy
* Princess Arianne Martell
* Princess Myrcella Baratheon
* Queen Cersei Lannister
* King Tommen Baratheon
* Bran Stark
* Prince Quentyn Martell
* Tyrion Lannister
* Varys
* Queen Daenerys Targaryen
* Ser Barristan Selmy
* Young Griff/Prince Aegon Targaryen
* Lord Jon Connington
== Awards ==
Best Series - (Won) - 2014
Best Cinematography - (Won) - 2014
Best Lead Actor - Jack Zimmerman/Jon Snow (Won) - 2014
Best Supporting Actor - Peter Dinklage/Tyrion Lannister (Won) - 2014
Best Supporting Actor - Jensen Ackles/Jaime Lannister (Won) - 2014
Best Supporting Actor - Luke Roberts/Stannis Baratheon (Nominated) - 2014
Best Supporting Actor - Dylan O'Brien/Theon Greyjoy "Reek" (Nominated) - 2014
Best Lead Actress - Eliza Bennett/Daenerys Targaryen (Won) - 2014
Best Supporting Actress - Sam Post/Brienne of Tarth (Won) - 2014
Best Supporting Actress - Naomi Watts/Lady Stoneheart (Nominated) - 2014
Best Supporting Actress - Zoe de Grand Maison/Sansa Stark (Nominated) - 2014
Best Supporting Actress - Marion Cotillard/Cersei Lannister (Nominated) - 2014
Best Director - Jack Zimmerman (Won) - 2014
Best Writer - Jack Zimmerman (Won) - 2014
Best Composer - Ramin Djawadi (Won) - 2014