Cressen decides Melisandre is a bad influence on Stannis and prepares poison. Both drink it, but only he dies. Stannis and Melisandre burn the Sept at Dragonstone. He takes a burned sword from the fire and calls it Lightbringer. Stannis sends letters telling everyone about Cersei’s incest.

Arya fights with Hot Pie who had tried to take Needle. Yoren punishes her for this. She talks with one of the men going to the wall, who Yoren has kept in chains with two companions, Jaqen and taunts Biter, one of the others, named by Jaqen for his ability to bite things but not speak or write. He strains to reach her and she hits him, Jaqen telling her she has more courage than sense. Goldcloaks come to arrest Gendry, Arya believing they are after her, but are forced away. Going North, they pass houses abandoned due to the war. She dreams of danger and wakes to find they are under attack by Ser Amory, claiming he wants proof they are not with Beric . She and Gendry realise he doesn't care who they are. Yoren refuses to yield and a fight ensues, during which Arya kills a number of the men after them. They are forced to flee, but she pauses to give Jaqen an axe to free him and the other two from fire which threatens them. Yoren is killed, Lommy injured and the children are abandoned by the remaining adults. Gendry tells Arya he has realised she is a girl and she tells him who she is. He wants them to leave Lommy and Hot Pie behind as they are holding them up. Gendry is captured and Arya goes to get Hot Pie's help to free him, but he yields almost immiediately. Lommy is killed as he cannot walk and Needle taken from Arya.

They are taken to Harrenhal with other captured people. On the way a member of the company is tortured and killed every day by a man known as the tickler and Gregor's other men. Arya is set to work in the kitchen. She sees Jaqen, Rorge and Biter with Ser Amory's men when they arrive at the castle. She sees Ser Amory and Vargo Hoat pretending to like each other. Jaqen recognises her and tells her she has three deaths as she took three from the red god. He refuses to help her more than that. Chyswick is chosen first because she overhears him laughing and telling a story about how Gregor raped an inkeepers daughter, falling from the battlements to his death. Weese is chosen to be the second after he hits her, and is killed by his dog. Northern captives arrive in Harrenhall but Lord Cley, the only one likely to recognise her dies. She chooses Jaqen as her third death and makes him help her free the captives in return for unsaying his name. He tells that because men died when the Norhterners were freed, hse has had her three and that he has to die. By some magic he changes his appearance totally, telling her she could learn, but would have to come with him. He gives her a coin and tells her to show it to any man from Braavos and use the phrase "Valar Morghulis" if she should ever wish to find him again. Roose Bolton arrives to take charge, having done a deal with the Brave Companions, who change sides. Ser Amory is thrown into the bear pit. Arya is taken on as Roose's page, but doesn't like him and convinces Gendry and Hot Pie to escape with her, killing one of Bolton's men in order to get out.

Robb sends Cleos Frey to deliver terms to the Lannisters on condition he returns to his imprisonment. He sends Catelyn to meet with Renly. When she arrives, she watches Brienne win the mellee, beating Loras with a trick and take up the last place in Renly's Rainbow guard. She talks with Renly and argues with Randyll Tarly. She and Renly go off on their own to talk and later they talk with Stannis, but neither will bend. She tries to talk Renly into a council to decide who should be king when she learns of the incest, but he is not interested. They return to his tent but while she and Brienne are with him, he is killed by a shadow. She convinces Robar that Brienne is not to blame and they flee. Brienne swears her sword to Catelyn. They arrive in Riverrun, where they see Lannister men, hanged for trying to free Jaime. Hoster is delerious. Lannisters attack, but Edmure drives them off.

Many of Renly's men go over to Stannis. Stannis goes on to Storm's End where he demands Edric, but Cortney Penrose refuses to hand him over, offering single combat instead. Davos rows Melisandre near to Storm's End and watches as she gives birth to a shadow Stannis which kills Cortney and Stannis takes the castle.

At Joff’s nameday tourney, Dontos turns up drunk. Sansa stops Joff from having him killed and instead suggests he should be made a fool, which impresses Joffrey. Tyrion arrives in Kings Landing, gives his condolences to Joffrey and Sansa and tells her he will try and see her alright. He tells Cersei he is to be Hand. She is vehemently against this until he promises to free Jaime. He visits Shae and finds Varys already there. He meets with Janos and sends him to the wall for his part in killing Ned, and his general coruption. He sends several of his underlings as well, and suggests that Deem be thrown overboard on the way. Cersei rages when she learns of the accusations of incest, suggesting maiming men who repeat it. Pycelle agrees with her. Petyr suggests countering it with rumours about Shireen being the daughter of Patchface.

Tyrion goes to Chataya’s and uses Alayaya as cover for Shae, where he learns Varys knew about the incest but kept the secret to himself. Tyrion gives different plots to Varys, Pycelle and Petyr to find out if he can trust any of them, offering Petyr Harrenhall. Sansa meets Dontos in the Godswood, where he promises to help her escape. On her return, she talks with Sandor. Tyrion visits Halleyne and orders wildfire and sets the town's smiths making a chain. On hearing Robb has offered terms, he thinks Robb must be scared and plans to delay him by offering unnaceptable counter terms. He learns Pycelle went straight to Cersei and scares him, cutting off his beard. He learns he betrayed Aerys and has him arrested. He poisons Cersei when he hears Stannis and Renly are fighting to make her ill for a few days and remove her influence. He sends her redcloaks to Riverrun with Cleos as part of a plot to free Jaime. He humiliates Ser Alliser when he asks for men for the wall and sets Bronn to find sellswords for his own guard.

Lancel demands Pycelle be released. Tyrion threatens to tell Joff that he killed Robert in order to bed Cersei, at which Lancel capitulates and agrees to be Tyrion's spy on Cersei. Tyrion almost feels ashamed of using him. Joff has Sansa beaten and stripped because he learns Robb beat Ser Stafford Lannister. Tyrion stops it and promises her he will send her home one the north is won. He learns that the Tyrells and their bannermen haven't gone over to Stannis and reasons they might be won to the Lannister cause. Petyr travels to do the work. Myrcella is sent to Dorne as part of the agreement to win Dorne. Cersei sends Tommen to Lord Gyles to keep him away from Tyrion. Lancel warns Tyrion who has Jacelyn Bywater intercept them on the way. Tyrion decides to take Shae to court as Lollys’ maid.

Cersei takes Alayaya, mistaking her for Shae and threatens her to try and control Tyrion. He says he'll do to Tommen whatever happens to her, which Cersei believes. Stannis' fleet sails and is blocked from retreat by a chain raised across the river. It is then burnt by wildfire. Tyrion leads sorties to help defend and Joff puts in an appearance, but is recalled by Cersei causing his men to lose heart. Ser Mandon attacks and nearly kills Tyrion, but he is saved by Pod. Sandor deserts, unable to cope with all the fire. Stannis' army is smashed from both sides by Tyrells and Lannisters. Joff agrees to put aside Sansa and marry Maergery, Petyr is named Lord Paramount of the Trident and Dontos gives Sansa amethysts for her hair telling her they are freedom.

Meera and Jojen arrive and repledge the loyalty of House Reed. Jojen says he was sent to Bran in a dream and encourages him to open his third eye. He tells Bran he has prophetic dreams and tells him of one. When Bran learns of Steffon Frey's death, he realises Jojen's dreams to come true. Jojen claims the sea will come to Winterfell and drown many.

Theon arrives in the Iron Islands to find his father doesn't trust him and they argue. He is humiliated by his sister who he unwittingly tries to bed. He sends Dagmar to Torrhen's square as a diversion, to get Ser Rodrick away from Winterfell, which he takes. Mikken is killed when he won't shut up. Osha and Ramsey Snow, who is in prison masquerading as a serving man swear to him. Bran and Rickon flee and Theon is unable to find them. Ramsey suggest killing two boys of a similar age and pretending it is Bran and Rickon. Theon does this, later killing his own men to cover his crime and is plagued by unwelcome thoughts of what Ned would have thought of it. Winterfell comes under seige when Ser Rodrick returns. Ramsey says he might be able to win Bolton support so Theon sends him off. When he returns, he kills the Northmen and the Iron Islanders, taking both by surprise, killing all the men in Winterfell. After they leave, Meera and Jojen, who had been hiding in the crypts, take Bran North with Hodor and Osha goes off with Rickon. Catelyn hears that Bran and Rickon are dead and takes Brienne to see Jaime, where they talk.

Dany goes west to avoid the Drothkari who used to be with Drogo. Doreah and others die on the way. After recouperating in an an abandoned city, she learns Jorah is in love with her. Pyat Pree, Qaithe and Xaro arrive and take her to Quarth, where she stays with Pyat. She learns of Robert's death and the fracturing of the seven kingdoms. She sees a firemage performing incredible feats. Quiathe says this is because she brought dragons back into the world. Xaro gives her gifts and people give her other things to view the dragon, but she feels she is going nowhere. Xaro offers marriage, but she learns from Jorah that this is only so he can have one of her dragons. She goes to the House of the Undying at the insistance of Pyat Pree. There, she is attacked by them, and saved by Drogon, who burns them and the house. Pyat atttacks her on the way out, but she is saved by her men. Dany realises she must leave Quarth, but cannot until Illyrio sends her three ships. When they arrive, she is saved from a Sorrowful man by Belwas and Arstan, who have been sent by Illyrio.

Going beyond the wall with the watch, Jon learns of Aemon's family and his past and sees empty wildling villages. They stay at Craster's, where Jon learns that Craster gives his sons to the white walkers and marries his daughters. Sam takes a liking to Gilly, one of Craster's wives, who is pregnant with a boy child. They go on from Craster's and find a hill fort of the first men. Ghost dislikes the place. He takes Jon a short distance away where they find buried dragonglass, together with a horn and a cloak of a Nightswatchman. Qhorin arrives with his men. Jon overhears Chett and Lark, who are unhappy at being north of the wall. Qhorin goes off to investigate what Mance is doing, taking Jon with him. They encounter a group and kill most, but take a woman, Ygritte, captive. She tells Jon the story of Bael the Bard, claiming the Starks have wildling blood in them. Qhorin tells Jon to deal with her, so he frees her. Ghost is attacked by an eagle and the men forced to flee the wildlings. They are caught, and Qhorin tells Jon to join them, doing whatever they require of him. They force him and Jon to fight, Jon killing him with Ghost's aid. Ygritte speaks for him and Rattleshirt against and he is allowed to join them.

A Storm of Swords
The Library