Reading Recap

Good morrow! If you read ahead and would like to know where the reading stopped, I've got you covered! Or if it's been a while since you read it and just need a refresher... OR if you didn't read it and would like to know what we will be talking about :)

• Cersei is frustrated with the new High Septon, as he will not bless her son Tommen as king until he is sure that Tommen is the rightful king. Cersei offers him the opportunity to arm the Faith once again in return for Tommen's blessing and a forgiveness of the debt owed to the Faith. 200 years ago, the Faith had two militant branches - the Swords (the Warrior's Sons - knights who gave up their lands and gold and swore their swords to the High Septon) and the Stars (the Poor Fellows - men who carried axes and escorted travelers from sept to sept and from town to town). It took two Targaryen kings to take their power away. Everyone counseled Cersei against this rearming of the Faith, but in her mind, she has gotten Tommen his blessing, gotten the sparrows (pilgrims and refugees flocking to the city in huge numbers) out of King's Landing, lessened the crown's debt by almost one million golden dragons, AND created an army that will fight for her against Stannis and his red god.
• Victarion and his fleet of ironborn smash the Reach's defenses on the Shield Islands. Euron tells Victarion to sail beyond Valyria to find Dany and her dragons, and to bring Dany back to be Euron's wife. Victarion agrees but plans to take Dany for himself.
• Brienne travels with Podrick, Ser Hyle Hunt, and Septon Meribald on her way to Saltpans (where there has just been a massacre) to look for Sansa. They spend the night in a septry, where the Elder Brother tells Brienne that the Hound is dead and it was Arya who was travelling with him, not Sansa. He says he does not know what happened to Arya but that she was probably killed at Saltpans. The "Hound" that has been seen raping and killing is someone who stole the Hound's helm. The Elder Brother tries to get Brienne to go home to her father, but she insists that she has to keep her promises to Catelyn and Jaime.
• Cersei refuses to disband the siege at Dragonstone to send the Arbor's ships west to help the Reach. In desperation to help his people, Ser Loras asks to be allowed to lead an attack on Dragonstone that he thinks will be complete within two weeks so that the ships can go back to the Reach to defend against the ironborn. Cersei hopes that he will be killed so that she can replace his spot in the Kingsguard with someone of her own choosing who Tommen can admire instead of Loras. With Loras gone, Cersei will also be able to get Osney Kettleblack closer to Margaery.
• Cersei wants Bronn killed, and tells Lady Falyse Stokeworth's husband Ser Balman to arrange a hunting accident. Ser Balman challenges Bronn to single combat, instead. Bronn is victorious, and Bronn's household guard of sellswords call him "Lord Bronn" and tell Falyse to leave her own castle. Bronn takes the castle and gives all of Falyse's possessions to his wife Lollys (Falyse's younger sister). Cersei gives Falyse to Qyburn to experiment on in the black cells.
• Jaime has been sent to Riverrun to help the siege. On his way he stops at Darry to talk with his cousin Lancel. He learns that Lancel has become overly pious and plans to leave his lordship, wife, and castle to give his sword to the High Septon. He confesses to Jaime that he was sleeping with Cersei. At Riverrun, Jaime meets with his other cousin Ser Daven (the new Warden of the West) and his aunt Genna. Jaime wants to end the siege by offering generous terms to the Blackfish so that he can keep his promise to Catelyn of not raising arms against House Tully.
• Arya is Cat of the Canals 27 days of every 30, selling shellfish throughout Bravos. The other 3 days, when the moon is black, she works in the House of Black and White. She encounters both Sam and Dareon, and she kills Dareon when she determines that he is a deserter of the Night's Watch.
• Sam finally gets passage on a ship to Oldtown, but Maester Aemon dies during the voyage. Aemon had learned about Dany and her dragons, and was desperate to reach her and help her after realizing that she is the prophesied "prince that was promised." He said that Melisandre is wrong in thinking that Stannis is the promised prince. Aemon once thought that it was Rhaegar, and Rhaegar believed that it would be his son, but before dying, Aemon was sure that it is Dany. Aemon tells Sam that he must go to the archmaesters and convince them that the wights and the white walkers are coming to the Wall. After Aemon's death, Sam breaks his vows with Gilly.

Sorry for the long recap but this reading was pretty dense, especially the Cersei chapters. See you Wednesday 6/4 at 6pm in the staff lounge!