Emerging victorious in the Battle of Winterfell, the survivors of the Stark Alliance gathered
to hear a moving speech from Jon Snow before burning the bodies of the dead.
Later, after honouring the fallen, House Stark hosted a great feast in celebration, where
Queen Daenerys surprised everyone by naming Gendry, as lawful son of Robert Baratheon
and rightful heir to the Lordship of Storms End.
Proud to see Dany playing politics, Tyrion immediately realized this action had the duel
effect of making her seem like a benevolent leader while also securing the loyalty of
the Stormlands under a man who will owe everything to the Queen.
However Sansa also recognized the political maneuver and looked on with concern.
As the evening progressed and the Westerosi drank and enjoyed themselves, the Queen grew
increasingly uncomfortable watching the northerners and wildlings praise Jon as a hero and king,
seeing how comfortable they were with him, while she sat alone like a guest in a foreign
land.
Finding Arya amidst the revelry, Gendry revealed the news about his Lordship and asked for
her hand in marriage, but was turned down as she had no interest in becoming the Lady
of Storm’s End.
Late into the night, a half drunk Jon Snow met privately with Daenerys, who desperately
tried to persuade him into remaining silent about his origins.
Though Jon claimed he had no interest in the throne, he felt it necessary to tell Sansa
and Arya, which then turning the conversation hostile as the Queen made it clear keeping
his lineage secret was the only way they could be together.
With the festivities completed, Daenerys called a war council to discuss the next stage of
their campaign, where they learned roughly half their army was lost in the Battle of
Winterfell, though they also made some gains in the south as the new Prince of Dorne pledged
his support and Yara Greyjoy had retaken the Iron Islands.
Wanting to spare the people of King’s Landing from the slaughter of dragonfire, Dany’s
advisors suggested encouraging a popular uprising against Cersei by sending the last of their
Northmen, Dothraki and Unsullied to march south and lay siege to the capital, while
their dragons accompany a smaller force by sea to dragonstone, where they could stop
the Iron Fleet from brining in supplies.
Tensions then rose when Sansa suggested delaying the attack so their men could rest after the
last battle, upsetting Daenerys who felt her enemies were getting stronger every day they
waited.
Yet before the argument could go further, Jon silenced his sister by stridently reaffirming
the North’s commitment to the Queen, settling the issue.
Upset by Jon’s devotion to a foreign conqueror, Arya and Sansa call a meeting at the godswood
with the Last of the Starks, where they express their distrust of Daenerys.
Though the Queen begged him remain silent, Jon saw this as the opportunity to reveal
the truth of his origins and so looked to Bran who simply replied it was his choice
to make.
Wanting to be honest without stirring up trouble for the Queen, he made both his sisters swear
an oath of secrecy before revealing he was their cousin by blood and true heir to the
Iron Throne, as his mother was their aunt Lyanna Stark and his father was Rhaegar Targaryen.
After learning the truth about the brother she loved, Arya left Winterfell alongside
the Hound, both bound for the capital where they had enemies to kill.
While drinking together, Jaime and Tyrion Lannister were confronted by Ser Bronn of
the Blackwater, who came north demanding they pay twice what Cersei was offering for him
to spare their lives.
However, since she promised him the great fortress of Riverrun, Tyrion felt obliged
to offer the most lucrative prize available, the Lordship of Highgarden in the Reach.
Though Jaime objected, Bronn made Tyrion promise to keep his word before departing, saying
he would come find them again once the war was over.
Before leaving for the south, Tyrion tried to mend the worsening rift between Sansa and
Daenerys, in order to secure the support of the north, but the Lady of Winterfell was
determined to prevent the Dragon Queen from taking power, and so broke her promise to
Jon Snow by revealing the truth about his Targaryen origins.
Tyrion then spread the information further by telling Varys, who believed this information
might lose them the support of the North, Vale and other Westerosi Lords who would prefer
a male heir with a better claim to the throne.
With their troops organized, Jon said goodbye to his friends, with Sam and a pregnant Gilly
remaining behind in Winterfell, whileTorumund Giantsbane would take the Free Folk and Direwolf
Ghost further North to settle in Castle Black.
Jon Snow and Davos Seaworth then marched south along the Kingsroad with the Targaryen army,
while Daenerys, Missandei, Grey Worm, Tyrion, Varys, Drogon and Rhaegal went to White Harbor
where they set sail for Dragonstone.
Unfortunately the voyage by sea turned into a disaster when they discovered Euron Greyjoy
waiting for them with an upgraded Iron Fleet, launching a series of scorpion bolts to strike
and kill the dragon Rhaegal, who fell beneath the waves.
Though she was furious and wanted revenge, Daenerys was quickly forced into retreat,
allowing the Ironborn to destroy her ships, resulting in the loss of men and the capture
of Missandei, while Tyrion, Varys, Grey Worm and other survivors sought refuge on Dragonstone.
In the Capital, Queen Cersei opened the gates of the red keep to thousands of small folk,
allowing her to pretend she was protect her people from the dragon queen, while she was
actually using them as human shields, so if Daenerys attacked with her dragon she would
have to kill many innocents to take the Throne.
She also informed Euron that she was pregnant, lying to him about being the father, so that
their child could one day rule all of Westeros.
On Dragonstone, with Jon Snow and the rest of their army still 2 weeks away, the Dragon
Queen called another war council to discuss taking the fight directly to the capital and
reigning fire upon them to secure victory.
Concerned with her state of mind, both Tyrion and Varys tried talking her out of such ruthless
actions, warning that she will kill the very people she supposedly wanted to rule, and
grew even more concerned when Daenerys responded by claiming it was her destiny to destroy
tyrants, and she would accomplish this mission at any cost.
After the meeting, Varys and Tyrion met privately and discussed the Queen’s troubling lust
for power, with the Spider concluding that she may need to be removed as a claimant to
the Throne in favour of Jon Snow who might be prove to be the better choice.
When Tyrion suggested they marry, Varys stated Dany was too obsessed with becoming Queen
and would be unwilling to share power.
Winterefell Back in Winterfell, after giving into his
feelings and being intimate with Brienne of Tarth, Jaime Lannister learned of the death
of the Rhaegal and defeat of the Dragon Queen’s fleet, causing him to harshly end his new
relationship and return to King’s Landing.
Meanwhile, Deanerys gives Cersei one last chance to surrender, by travelling to the
gates of the capital to discuss terms.
However, when the 2 Hands of the Queens, Tyrion and Qyburn began their conversation, it became
clear the Lannister faction had no intention of surrendering, believing themselves in a
strong position as the city was now armed with dozens of Scorpions to repel a dragon
attack, and their ground forces were reinforced by the fresh troops of the golden company,
while the Targaryen forces were depleted and battle weary.
Despite all this, Tyrion ignored his counterpart and walked towards the gate, giving a passionate
speech directly to Cersei, asking her to give up this war so she might survive and give
birth to her child.
However the Lannister Queen was committed to her reign and so responded by asking the
prisoner Missandei to speak her final words, before ordering her beheaded in plain view
of Grey Worm and Daenerys.