Going Over Tyrion IX, A Game of Thrones

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]Okay, let's talk about Tyrion 9. We are at the end of the Tyrion story and a Game of Thrones. Everything is closing up here. We only have three chapters left after this. You know, we have our cat story, which has an epic ending. We have um the Danny story, which of course has an epic ending. John Tyrion here.

[00:00:28]I have to say Tyrion 9, I think it's a bit of a stinker. Um, you know, considering that it's a it's quite a a wonderful epic surprise that Tyrion is going to be get sent to um King's Landing as Hand and that's that's very fun. I think the chapter again suffers from George not really having enough to like going on. Like this is a very short chapter, 3,500 words. Okay. one of one of the shorter chapters in a game of thrones and there's so much repetition in this that stuff that we're already told in the Catalin story that we don't need to be told again. Um it it functions as a small as a small council chapter and I do love small council chapters. You know it's you get information from around the kingdom and everyone's discussing it though how they have all of this information is a bit shaky. Um and there's just there's a lot of contradictions in this chapter. And so I do think it's kind of a stinker. I I'm I'm not a fan of Tyrion 9. I think they could have uh George could have um ended stronger on on on the Tyrion front. They just he just didn't have he knew he needed to end the Tyrion story.

[00:01:55]He had one big event, Tyrion Tyrion's hand, and everything else is just kind of filler to get to that point. Um anyway, we begin.

[00:02:06]They have my son, Tywin Lannister said.

[00:02:08]They do, my lord. The messenger's voice was dull by dullled by exhaustion. On the breast of his torn sir coat, the brindle bore bore of Craigall was half obscured by dried blood. "One of your one of your sons," Tyrion thought. He took a sip of wine and said not a word, thinking of Jaime. When he lifted his arm, pain shot through his elbow, reminding him of his own brief taste of battle. He loved his brother, but he would not want he would not have wanted to be with him in the whispering wood for all the gold and casterly rock.

[00:02:40]Um, it's weird because Tyrion's been through hell and he's just like he somehow hearing the story thinks that that Jamie was through a greater hell, which I find kind of weird. I mean, it's it's it's a fun just ju just ju just justosition that like Tywin cares so much about Jaime and does not care about Tyrion at all and like Tyrion is getting is is faced with this like we get chapter after chapter of that of Tywin is just the worst human being in the world and hates Tyrion. So the surprise of Tyrion being chose his hand is is is a good punch. You know, you're establishing your expectations and then subverting them, right? Um, but uh I don't know. I don't know how, you know, Tyrion's thoughts really track.

[00:03:30]His lord's father's uh his lord father's assembled captains and bannermanmen had fallen quite had fallen very quiet as the courier told his tale. The only sound was the the crackle and hiss of the log burning in the hearth at the end of the long drafty common room. See, this is where I talk about these little these little inconsistencies.

[00:03:51]Like, the guy hasn't told the story yet. Yet, Tyrion is already judging that the whispering wood was worse than what he just went through, which was hell. Also, like I say, the whispering wood, it was not a thing. It was not a public thing. It was it was specifically Catalyn's thought that the woods were whispering to her because all of the memories of the past were coming to her while she was in the wood and that it doubled when the echoes went around, but those echoes weren't really whispers like like it's it's Catalyn's poetry in her head and somehow it becomes the name for the battle somehow.

[00:04:41]And keep in mind the the the courier hasn't even told the story yet and Tyrion's already calling it the whispering wood. Like it's not that's not a place like there's no place on the map called whispering wood. This was this was the poetry in Catalyn's mind that the wood was whispering to her. And like this is we're getting into some some complicated aspects of the story, but it's very clear that George isn't keeping track of them very well at the end of this story. Um, I don't think in the rest of the series he really takes care to to to track a lot of these events and especially later on, which is why probably A Feast for Crows and Desert Dragons took so long. But he's just he's so fast and loose here. It's just ah oh yeah that was the the battle of the whispering wood. No it wasn't. It was Catalyn's poetry in her head. That was the that's what made the whole chapter beautiful.

[00:05:44]But so anyway he's calling it the whispering wood even though the courier hasn't even told the story yet.

[00:05:54]After the hardships of the long, restless drive south, the prospect of even a single night in an inn had cheered Tyrion mightily, though he rather wish it had not been this inn again with all of its memories.

[00:06:09]His father had set a grueling pace and it had taken its toll. Men wounded in battle kept up as best they could and were abandoned to fend for themselves um every morning. So, it turns out long marches are known for for just being brutal to to armies. Like sometimes you can lose like, you know, if if you're if you're keeping out of a bad pace and everything, you can you can lose 5 10 25% of your army by doing by doing what Taiwin is doing here. Though, and and though Tyrion talks about losses, it's not that many really. He says every morning they left a few by the roadside.

[00:06:47]men who had who went to sleep to never wake and every afternoon a few more men collapsed along the way and every evening a few more deserted stealing off into the dusk. So that's not you know what what are we losing here? Are they talking about losing 10 20 50? Like that's not that many when he says a few.

[00:07:09]Tyrion had been tempted to go with them.

[00:07:13]He had been upstairs enjoying the comfort of of a feather bed and the warmth of Shea's body beside him when his squire had woken him to say that a rider had arrived with dire news of Riverrun.

[00:07:25]So it had all been for nothing. The rush south, the endless forced marches, the bodies left beside the road, all for not. Rob Stark had reached Riverun days and days ago.

[00:07:45]I don't know why they're rushing south.

[00:07:56]I I did they did they figure out that Rob had split his army?

[00:08:08]I guess they figured that Rob split his army because he wasn't among the people captured or he they revealed the plans to him that somehow he's gonna rush south, but it Rob would be so far ahead that I couldn't see how rushing south would have been a strategy.

[00:08:31]um so so very far ahead that it just would have been like why rush south?

[00:08:46]But apparently they do. Apparently Tywin somehow thought that they could maybe rush south and try to get to Riverrun before the Battle of the Whispering Wood.

[00:09:00]How could this happen? Sir Harry's moaned. How? Even after the whispering wood, you had Everybody calls it the whispering wood.

[00:09:09]I guess you know Tyrion's calling it.

[00:09:12]Harry Swift is calling it.

[00:09:15]Even after the whispering wood, you had Riverrun ringed in iron, surrounded by a great host. What madness made Sir Jaime decide to split his men into three separate camps. Surely he knew how vulnerable that would leave them.

[00:09:28]This is information we were already told by Blackfish in in the cat chapter. We already know why Riverrun, why the armies are split in three on Riverrun. So, we're now going to waste We're now going to waste, you know, half a page talking about this again.

[00:09:51]Better than you, you chinless craven.

[00:09:53]Jaime might have lost Riverrun, but it angered him to hear his brother slandered by the likes of Swift, a shameless lick spittle, whose greatest accomplishment was marrying his equal chinless daughter to Sir Kevin, and thereby attaching himself to the Lannisters. "I would have done the same," his uncle responded a good deal more calmly than Tyrion might have.

[00:10:13]"You have never seen Riverrun, Sir Harris, or you would know that Jaime had little choice in the matter. The castle is situated at the end of of the point of land where the tumblestone flows into the red flow into the of the trident.

[00:10:25]The rivers form two sides of a triangle.

[00:10:27]When danger threatens, the telly's open the sle gate upstream to create a wide moat on the third side turning river run into an island. The walls rise shear from the water and from the towers the defenders have the commanding view of the opposite shores of many leagues around to cut off all approaches. A besieure must needs place one camp on the north of the tumblestone, one south of the red fork, and a third between the rivers west of the moat. There is no other way. None already established. We already knew all of this.

[00:10:58]This is this is straight up time killing. Straight up word count to make this chapter long longer.

[00:11:07]Sir Kevin speaks truly, my lords, the courier said.

[00:11:12]We built palisades of sharpened stakes around the camps. Yet it was not enough.

[00:11:16]Not with no warning, and the rivers cutting us off from each other. They came down on the north camp first. No one was expecting an attack.

[00:11:25]Mark Piper had been raiding our supply trains. Yes, we already knew this. And he had no more than 50 men. Sir Jaime had gone out to deal with him the night before. We already knew this. Well, with what we thought of them, we were told that the Stark host was east of the Gre Green Fork, marching south. And your outr rididers, Sir Gregor Clelegane, might have been heuned from Oh, and your outr rididers. The mountain has so few lines that it's it's almost shocking to hear this. Sir Gregor Clegane's face might have been heuned from rock. The fire in the hearth gave a somber orange cast to his skin and put a deep shadow in the hollow of his eyes. This puts the um this is more idea of Bran's uh vision where he sees three people um standing over um Sansa, one made of stone, and he opens his his visor and there's nothing but black blood uh inside.

[00:12:31]Um, get the get the exact quote here.

[00:12:43]Um, over them loomed a giant and armor made of stone. But when he opened his visor, there was nothing inside but darkness and thick black blood. So, this is what he's talking about. So his he is he's he's his face is made from rock. He is made from stone. He's the mountain.

[00:13:08]Um you saw nothing. They gave you no warning. The bloodstained messenger shook his head. The outr rididers had been vanishing. Mark Piper's work. He we thought the ones who did not come back had seen nothing. The ones who did come back had seen nothing. The man who sees nothing has no use for eyes. the mountain declared. Cut them out and give them to the next out rider. Tell him you hope that four eyes might see better than two, and if not, the man after him will have six.

[00:13:38]It's um it's a lot of mountain talk. We don't get much of that, right?

[00:13:45]Lord Tywin Lannister turned his face to study Sir Greor. Tyrion saw a glimmer of gold as the light shone off his father's pupils, but he could not have said whether the look was one of approval or disgust.

[00:13:58]Uh I think we we know later that it's it's at least one of utility. Like I know how to use this guy. Um because he does use him to just like harry the Riverlands. In the next book, Lord Tywin was often before he spoke. A habition himself tried to emulate dust.

[00:14:34]What what is this tried and failed to emulate? I mean, the whole story becomes Tyrion just making jokes constantly in in council. And I don't think Tywin is ne necessarily very quiet in council. This is this is some this is some character traits that are dropped. Kind of like Jon being observant, you know, like Tyrion likes to listen in counsel.

[00:15:02]Yet this silence was uncharact characteristic even for him and his wine was untouched.

[00:15:08]You said they came at night, Sir Kevin prompted.

[00:15:12]The man gave a weary nod. The Blackfish led the van, cutting down our sentries and clearing away the palisades for the main assault. By the time our men knew what was happening, our riders were pouring over ditch banks and galloping through the camp with swords and torches in hand. I was sleeping in the west camp between the rivers, and we heard the fighting. We saw the tents being fired.

[00:15:33]Lord Bra led us to the rafts. We tried to pull across, but the current pushed us downstream and the tullies started flinging rocks at us with the catapults on their walls. I saw one raft smashed to kindling and three others overturned.

[00:15:46]Men swept into the river and drowned and those who did make it across found starks waiting for them on the river banks.

[00:15:55]See, really, it should have just started with this this information because we knew all of the we knew all the setup.

[00:16:01]We knew all about the harrying and and getting the outr rididers. knew about the three camps like you know talk about the blackfist's assault or you know but George needed length. Sir Flem Bra wore a silver and purple tabard uh and the look of a man who could not comprehend what he just heard.

[00:16:24]Um oh yeah tabert is just a a sleeveless tunic. It was um we don't hear about it too much, but Huh. We only hear Tabard twice in all of Ice and Fire, and this is one of them.

[00:16:48]when the the second one is um is in the Kingbreaker chapter in the in in Dance with Dragons.

[00:17:02]Sorry, my lord, the messenger said. Lord Blacks was clad and plate and male when his raft was overturned. He was very gallant. Oh, Lord Bra's dead. He was a fool, Tyrion thought, swirling his cup and staring down into whiny depths.

[00:17:19]Crossing a river at night on a crude raft wearing armor with an enemy waiting on the other side.

[00:17:25]If that was gallantry, he would have he would take cowardice every time. He wondered if Lord Bra had felt especially gallant as the weight of his steel pulled him under the black water.

[00:17:46]Um, weirdly enough with the house Bracks. Um, yeah, for some reason Fleet Bra is not with his family. So, he gets to hear about uh this is Fleet Bra hearing about his father dying. Um, he says, "My lord, father."

[00:18:08]But for some reason the rest of his family including his um his brothers are captured and things like that. So um he's uh he's gone through a lot. He's gone through a lot.

[00:18:29]um his father dying and his brother his brother um his brother captured I think because Titus is captured andro uh Robert I guess he just Battle of the Fords.

[00:19:03]Andros, I guess. Andros, we don't know where he is right now, but I mean Robert. I don't know why I called him Andros. Okay. Um, he was a fool. The camps between rivers are the camp between the rivers was overrun as well. The messenger was saying while we were trying to cross, Mor Stark swept in from the west. Two columns of armored horse.

[00:19:26]I saw Lord Umber Umber's giant in chains and mal and the Malister eagle, but it was the boy who led them with a monstrous wolf running at his side. I wasn't there to see, but it said that build the beast killed four men and ripped apart a dozen horses. Our spearman formed up a shield wall and held against the first charge, but when the Tully saw them engaged, they opened the gates of Riveron and Titus Blackwood led a sorty across the drawbridge and took them in the rear. God save us. Lord Lefford swore uh in this Lord Leford is is um he's he's the voice of reason in this uh in this chapter. Um he he later died like not here. He later dies in a different battle, but it's it's one of these things where you know you kind of have one character where you're just like why isn't everyone listening to him, you know? And Lord Le Lord Leford is is this guy. Great John Umber fired the siege to uh fired the siege towers we were building. And Lord Blackwood found Sir Edmir Tully and chains among the other captives and made off with them all. Our south camp was under the command of Forly Prester. He retreated in good order when he saw that the other camps were lost. I mean this is a massive amount of detail about breaking this uh breaking the siege.

[00:20:46]They could have just said like Rob Stark came in and broke the siege, you know?

[00:20:50]But we're getting all of this backstory um with 2,000 spear and many bowman. But the tyrashi cell sword who led his father's free riders struck his banners and went over to the foe.

[00:21:02]This Tyrashi cell sword I think in an interview George said that he'd forgotten all about that about him because I think someone specifically asked him like is this Tyrashi cell sword green beard? And he's like nah I forgot all about the Tyrashi cell sword but what you know but why not or something like that. He's like, "It's fine." But all the other Tyrashi's like, "We never hear about a Tyrashi being part of Rob's armies." We never hear about any you'd think that a Tyrashi cell sword would be leading other Tyrashis, let his free riders. Um, we never hear about his these other cell swords. Um, so I mean, if it's Greenbeard, sure, but Rob never he's never with Rob. He just we just have this Tyrashi and then another Tyrashi appears later. Like that's the only that's the only thing about Green Beard.

[00:21:54]Um but this Yeah, George did not intend this to be Green Beard, but it's sort of like open to the idea that it's Green Beard or something.

[00:22:03]Um I think they do say there's some other Tyrashi's in the Brotherhood without banners. So, but it's just, you know, it's it's uh it's filling filling it's taking two plot holes and trying to fill them together, you know, fill like one you a disappearing tyrashi and some appearing tyrashis.

[00:22:22]But why not fill that plot hole, you know, with them?

[00:22:27]Curse the man. His uncle Kevin sounded more angry than surprise. I warned Jaime not to trust that man. A man who fights for coin is loyal only to his purse.

[00:22:36]This of course comes back quite a bit over whether cell swords are loyal or not. Um especially when we're talking about uh Bronn of the Blackwater being Bronn with Tyrion.

[00:22:52]Lord Tywin wo his fingers together under his chin. Only his eyes moved as he listened. His bristling gold side whiskers framed a face so still it might have been a mask. But Tyrion could see tiny beads of sweat dapping his father's shaven head. "Ah, so he's getting a little nervous here."

[00:23:11]"How could this happen?" Sir Harry Swift wailed again. "Sir Jaime taken, the siege broken. This is a catastrophe."

[00:23:18]Sir Adam Marin said, "Well, I'm sure we're we are all grateful for to you for pointing out the obvious, Sir Harris. The question is, what shall we do about it?" um impressive sass from Adam Marbrand. You know, you kind of think Adam of Adam Marbrand is being this really like competent servant kind of character. Uh and let's keep in mind that he's he's not the head of the house or anything like that, right?

[00:23:58]Um, right. Sir, his father, Sir Damon Marbrand, is the head. So, the fact that he's like um insulting Kevin Lannister's like father-in-law is is a bit it's a bit uh it's a bit bold.

[00:24:30]The question is, what shall we do about it? What can we do? Jaime's host is all but is all slaughtered or taken or put to flight and the Starks and the Tully sit squarely across our line of supply.

[00:24:47]Do they? This is the thing. As if the gold road like the gold road doesn't exist, you know? Um this is uh in case let's see map of the south.

[00:25:24]This is one of those things. This is also like why people keep crossing through the Riverlands when they should be taking the gold road is is a problem in the first book. For example, the the Proto Brotherhood when they go out to find Gregor Clegane for some reason goes north, you know, um across the Riverlands. So, here's King's Landing. Okay. to the east you can see the gold road leads right to Casterly Rock, right?

[00:25:53]And so for some reason when when the Proto Brotherhood decide to to punish uh Clegane and go to his keep, they go north and you know over over by Harrenhal and get and get attacked there. Now I suppose you could say that I mean they are like the Lannisters are at the end of the cross at the end at the crossroads. So their supply lines are to King's Landing which is much shorter and to have like a supply line be like oh our supply lines supply lines to what? Like back to Castly Rock. Like what are you talking about? The like no you can go to King's Landing and then to the Gold Road. Um you you your supply lines are fine. Uh it's it's whatever whatever.

[00:27:03]We are cut off from the west.

[00:27:06]Not really. Like the gold road still exists. Like they're nowhere.

[00:27:11]They're nowhere close to the gold road.

[00:27:12]They can march on Caster Lee Rock if they choose. That's that's the more interesting thing. I'll grant that.

[00:27:17]What's to stop them? My lords, we are beaten. Um, we must sue for peace.

[00:27:27]Peace. Tyrion. I mean, I guess we can just chalk this up to Harry Swift being an idiot.

[00:27:34]I mean, Harry Swift is an idiot, but like their supply lines are fine. They can get supplies from King's Landing.

[00:27:41]Uh, like rather than all the way across the the Riverlands, um, there's plenty plenty of places to supply them. Um, are they cut off from Castile Rock? Not really. You know, it's a little more time to walk to march it down to C to King's Landing and then over on the Gold Road, but no, they're not they're not cut off from Castile Rock. Um, they can march. Um, peace. Tyrion swirled his wine thoughtfully, took a deep draft, and hurled his empty cup to the floor where it shattered into a thousand pieces.

[00:28:19]Here's your piece, Sir Harris. My sweet nephew broke it for for good. And when uh and all for good and all when he decided to ornament the red keep with Lord Eder's Eder's head. You may have an easier time drinking wine from that cup than you will convincing Rob Stark to make peace now. He's winning. He's winning. Or hadn't you noticed? Tyrion is correct here. Um the big Well, he's correct in the conventional sense. He's saying that if they had Lord Edard, they could have traded it for Jaime and then everything would have been fine. But you know, obviously Joffrey likes violence and he wanted more war, so he he killed he killed Ned.

[00:29:05]Two battles do not make a war, Sir Adams insisted. We are far from lost. I should welcome the chance to try my own steel against this Stark boy.

[00:29:14]Now, here's where Lord Leford is is the smartest guy in the room. Perhaps they would consent to a truce and allow us to trade our prisoners for theirs.

[00:29:25]And the thing is, the thing is is they actually Rob is actually open to it.

[00:29:30]Obviously, Cat wants to do this and Rob is open to it. Of course, missing Arya is an issue, but it's sort of robbing like, oh, conventional wisdom says I can't do that or else my like bannerman would be upset with me. And here they're like, oh, conventional wisdom is like, oh, that's not going to work.

[00:29:48]Meaning like everybody actually is really willing to do it, but everybody thinks that no one is willing to do it, right? Like they all think that they shouldn't do it even though they all want to do it. And kind we we see it on both sides here. So I do like this this Lord Leford thing.

[00:30:07]Unless they trade three for one, we'll um we still come out light on those scales, Tyrion said acidly. And what do we offer my brother? Lord Ed Edward's rotting head. I had heard that Queen Cersei has the Han's daughter. Lord daughters, Lord Lifford said hopefully.

[00:30:24]If we give the lads his sisters back, Sir Adams snorted disdainfully. He would have to be an utter ass to trade Jaime Lannister's life for two girls.

[00:30:34]Then we must ransom Sir Jaime whatever it costs. Lord Leford said.

[00:30:39]I mean, all Lord Leford is saying is that peace can be an am an amicable trade can be made, and he's completely right, and everyone's just dismissing him for no reason. Smartest guy in the room. Tyrion rolls his eyes. If the Starks feel the need for gold, they can melt down Jaime's armor. If we ask for a truce, they will think us weak.

[00:31:02]H, that's the real thing, right? Oh, Sir Adam argued we should march on. We should march on them at once. This is so weird.

[00:31:21]Hold on. I'm checking the um so I say this is weird because it starts with Tyrion rolling his eyes and then the dialogue is given to Sir Adam in the same paragraph.

[00:31:42]No, no, no, no. This is this is an error in the um in the copy I have. This if should be capitalized.

[00:31:51]So, it's Tyrion saying about the gold and then Adam being the wararmonger.

[00:32:00]Surely our friends at court could be prevailed upon to join us with fresh troops, said Sir Harris. And someone might return to Cassidy Rock to raise a new host.

[00:32:10]Wait, Sir Harris is saying this?

[00:32:18]because just a second ago he was panicked saying that they couldn't they couldn't get any supplies and they that they'd lost and they can't get to Castle Rock.

[00:32:42]This is a catastrophe.

[00:32:47]We must sue for peace my lords. We And then he says if we march on cast they can march on chcast caster rock and what's to stop them we are beaten and they don't have the supply lines. And then here he's like maybe we can just go to castly rock and then someone might return to cast someone might return to cast rock for race new host.

[00:33:13]George should have given I mean yes sir Harris is an idiot but this should have been given to a different person.

[00:33:20]Harris is completely contradicting himself because here he's being quite hopeful about war and just a second ago he was like all is lost.

[00:33:32]He should have just given this to anybody like anybody else in the room.

[00:33:37]Lord Tywin Lannister rose to his feet.

[00:33:40]They have my son. He said once more in a voice that cut through the babble like a sword through sweat.

[00:33:48]What is Oh, it's um sweat is is uh it's like cow fat.

[00:34:15]raw hard cow fat like kind of like lard or tallow.

[00:34:23]Um, leave me all of you.

[00:34:31]Ever the soul of obedience, Tyrion rose to depart with the rest, but his father gave him a look. Not you, Tyrion. Remain and you as well, Kevin. the rest of you out. Tyrion eased himself back onto the bench. Startled into speechlessness, Sir Kevin crossed the room to the c to the wine casks. Uncle Tyrion called. If you'd be so kind here, his father offered him his cup. The wine the wine untouched. Now Tyrion was truly nonplusted.

[00:34:59]He drank the the idea being like uh um uh he is n plus is like to be super super surprised and confused. So he's like his father being charitable to him is and giving to him is like crazy. But of course this is also like metaphorical like he is passing the cup to Tyrion to be hand and he drinks. You see that's that's the metaphor there.

[00:35:37]Lord Ty seated himself. You have you have the right about it about Stark alive. We might have used Lord Leard to forge a peace with Winterfell and Riverrun. A piece that would have given us the the time we need to deal with Robert's brothers.

[00:35:51]dead. His his hand curled into a fist.

[00:35:54]Madness. Rank madness.

[00:35:58]Rank madness is later used um uh by chat, I think, in a in a in a storm of swords. Um just a fun little phrase, rank madness.

[00:36:09]Joff's only a boy, Tyrion pointed out.

[00:36:11]At his age, I committed a few follyies of my own. His father gave him a sharp look. I suppose we ought to be grateful that he has not married that he has not yet married a [ __ ] Boom.

[00:36:21]Syrian sipped at his wine wondering how Lord Tywin would look if he flung the cup in his face. I mean, think about how like you mean just bringing up that that evening where his wife was gangbanged and he forced Tyrion to finish the gang bang. Um, it's it's uh pretty brutal, right?

[00:36:46]Our position is worse than you know. His father went on. It would seem we have a new king.

[00:36:56]The king looked Sir Kevin looked paxed.

[00:37:02]Paxed.

[00:37:11]Paxed.

[00:37:17]Huh? It means emotionally shocked.

[00:37:21]That's absolutely paxed, dumbfounded, traumatized, blindsided.

[00:37:29]Huh?

[00:37:39]A new who? What have they done to Joffrey?

[00:37:44]I see. He thought he thought Joffrey was killed for a moment. The faintest flicker of distaste played across Lord Tywinwin's thin lips. Nothing yet. Oh, my grandson still sits the Iron Throne, but the unic has heard whispers from the south. Renley Baratheon wed Marjgery Tyrell at High Garden. This fortnight passed, and now he has claimed the crown. The father's bride and brothers have bent the knee and sworn him their swords. Those are grave tidings, Sir Kevin frowned. The furrows in his brow grew deep as canyons.

[00:38:25]My daughter commands us to ride for King's Landing at once to defend the Red Keep against King Renley on the night of flowers, his mouth tightened. Command us, mind you, in the name of the king and council.

[00:38:39]It's I mean it's not a it's not unreasonable when you think man I'm like but they of course they don't want to be commanded by his daughter let alone a woman and all of this kind of stuff.

[00:38:54]How's King Joffrey taking the news?

[00:38:56]Tyrion asked with a certain black amusement. Cersei has not seen fit to tell him yet. Lord Tywin said she fears he might insist on marching against Renley himself. It's like, how is all of this information how is all of this information getting to to Taiwan so quickly? You know, like the Raven has to make it to King's Landing and then they have to what? Send out a rider, you know, um for days and days to get to the the end of the crossroads. It's all this like they somehow have infinite information here.

[00:39:35]Um she fears he might insist on marching against Renley himself with what army Tyrion asked. You don't plan to give him one I hope he talks of leading the city watched. Lord Tywin said this is all George is definitely thinking about um the future here. I mean he talked about nothing has happened to King Joffrey yet. We kind of know that in the future something's going to happen to him. We know that the city watch is going to be used in battle against the Blackwater.

[00:40:04]Like there's a lot of foreshadowing here where where George is figuring out the story.

[00:40:13]If he takes the watch, he'll leave the city undefended, Sir Kevin said. And with Lord Stannis on Dragonstoneone.

[00:40:19]Yes.

[00:40:22]And here is this h this is just where things just get really messy here.

[00:40:27]George really [ __ ] up here. Yes, Lord Tywin looked down at his son. I thought you were the one. I thought you were the one made for Mly, Tyrion. But it would appear that I was wrong. Why, father?

[00:40:40]Tyrion said. That almost sounds like praise. He leaned forward intently. What if Stannis? He's the elder, not Renley.

[00:40:47]How does he feel about his brother's claim? His father frown. This is the thing.

[00:40:55]They they already were all acting like Stannis had already rebelled and and that they needed to race up the the king's road to deal with Roose Bolton so that they could deal with Stannis as if Stannis had declared himself king off page and everyone [ __ ] knew about it. But now everyone's like, "Huh, wait a minute.

[00:41:22]Renley has declared himself before Stannis. Stannis is the elder. Shouldn't he be upset about that?

[00:41:30]His father frowned. I felt from the beginning that Stannis was was a greater danger than all the others combined. Yet he does nothing.

[00:41:42]Like in King's Landing, they were already calling Stannis a a rebel and and Tywin is racing down the road to deal with Stannis to to deal with with Rob so he can deal with Stannis.

[00:42:01]Yet he does nothing. Oh, Var hears whispers. Stand Stannis is building ships. Stannis is hiring sill swords.

[00:42:07]Stannis is bringing Shadowbinders from Ashai. What does it mean?

[00:42:12]Is any of it true?

[00:42:19]I just It's like my my brain just wants to break at this point. Like fine, look, you you screwed up by George screws up by having Stannis somehow declare himself king off page and have everybody immediately go after him. Fine. But now he's undoing that and now again Stannis is completely innocent. Everyone simultaneously finds Stannis to be a rebel and then undoes it. Like undoes it.

[00:42:54]Is any of it true? He gave an irritated shrug. Kevin, bring us the map. Kevin did as he was bid. Lord Tywin unrolled the leather smooth smoothing it flat.

[00:43:04]Jaime had Jaime has left us in a bad way. Roose Bolton and the remnants of his host are north of us. Our enemies hold the twins and Mo Kalin. Rob Stark sits to the west. So we cannot retreat to Lannisport and the Rock unless we choose to give battle or you can march down to King's Landing and then head on the gold on the gold road.

[00:43:28]Like it's it's not it's it's it's not that big a deal. Like just go down over.

[00:43:43]I mean, they were just talking about how King's like, "Ah, just do what Cersei said." You're like choosing not to do what Cersei said for the sake of it.

[00:43:53]Jimmy is taken and his army for all purposes has ceased to exist. Thorus of Mir and Berto Darrion continue to plague our foraging parties.

[00:44:05]To our east, we have the Arens. Stannis Baratheon sits on Dragonstoneone and to the South High Garden in Storm Center calling their banners. Tyrion smiled crookly. Take heart, father. At least Rhaegar Targaryen is still dead.

[00:44:18]I'd hoped you might have more to offer than us than Japes, Tyrion, Lord Tywin said. Sir Kevin frowned over the map, forehead creasing. Rob Stark will have Edmure Tully and the Lords of the Trident with him now.

[00:44:32]Their combined power may exceed our own and with Roose Bolton behind us. Tywin, if we remain here, I fear we might be caught between three armies. I have no intention of remaining here. We must finish our business with Lord Stark before Renley can march on High March from High Garden like impossible.

[00:44:59]Bolton does not concern me. He is a weary man and we made him a warrior on the green fork. He will be slow to give pursuit.

[00:45:09]He was racing down the king's road at you.

[00:45:26]So in tomorrow we make for Harrenhal Kevin. I want Sir Adam's outr rididers to screen our movements.

[00:45:35]Give him as many men as he requires and we send them out in groups of four. I will have no vanishings.

[00:45:45]Like it's just this is why people like think that Roose Bolton was like already in league with Tywin, you know, because it's just like it makes no sense. Roose was racing down, racing down and he's like, "No, he's a wearing man. He would not pursue us." Like what what are you talking about?

[00:46:08]What are you talking about?

[00:46:12]Oh god.

[00:46:20]He says, "I don't want to be caught between all these armies, so I'm going to move relatively nowhere like from the end of the crossroads to Harrenhal where he is still all between all of these armies.

[00:46:56]I mean, the thing the thing is is the way Taiwan wins the war is through letters. And so there's no reason he couldn't have marched back to King's Landing and sent those letters, you know, um, and done the same kind of situ had the same situation going on. I don't I don't see how going to Harrenhal gives him any advantage.

[00:47:24]He just he just makes decisions like he just makes decisions because the plot needs to have him do that. You know, I need to race forward on the King's Road for no reason. Now I need to go to Harrenhal for no reason.

[00:47:42]As you say, my lord. But Harrenhal, that is a grim, unlucky place. Some have called the curse. Yes, why Harrenhal?

[00:47:48]Let's find out. Let them, Lord Tywin said, unleash Sir Greor and send him before us with his reavers. Send forth Vargo Ho and his free riders as well and Sir Amory Lorge. Each have 300 horse.

[00:48:00]Tell them, I want to see the riverlands of fire from the god's eye to the red fork. Okay. They will burn my lord. Lord Kevin said uh rising, I shall give the commands. He bowed to me for the door.

[00:48:18]When they were alone, Lord Tywin glanced at Tyrion. Your savages might relish a bit of of raping.

[00:48:26]Tell them they may ride with Vargo Hot and plunder as they like. God goods stock women.

[00:48:33]They may take what they want and burn the rest.

[00:48:36]How this helps Taiwan win the war? It is not established.

[00:48:50]Telling Shag and Tim how to pillage is like tell is like telling a rooster how to crow. Tyrion commented, "Got to give him those quips, but I prefer to keep them with me. Uncou and unreal they may be. Yet the wildlings they were, and he trusted them more than his father's men.

[00:49:08]He was not about to hand them over. Then you'd best learn to control them. I will not have the city plundered. The city Tyrion was lost. What city would that be? King's Landing. I'm sending you to court. It is the last thing Tyrion Lannister could have ever anticipated.

[00:49:23]He reached for his wine and considered for a moment as he sipped. And what am I to do there? Rule, his father said curtly. This, of course, is mirrored with Danny later being like, I'm going to rule uh with Meereen.

[00:49:42]Tyrion hooted with laughter. My sweet sister might have a word or two to say about that. Let her say what she likes.

[00:49:48]Her son needs to be taken in hand before he ruins us all. I blame those Jack Napes and C and the council, our friend Peter, the ven the venerable Grand Maester and the cockless wonder Lord Baris. What sort of counsel are they giving Joffrey as he lurches from one folly to the next? And yet when Tywin comes into town in a in a storm of swords, none of these [ __ ] get any due.

[00:50:16]And whose notion was it to to make this Janice Lintord? The man's father was a butcher, and they grant him Harrenhal.

[00:50:24]Harrenhal. That was the seat of kings.

[00:50:27]Not that he will ever sit foot inside it, if I have a say. I am told he took a bloody spear for a sigil. A bloody cleaver would have been my choice.

[00:50:39]Wh Why is he going on and on about Janice slint? His father had not raised his voice yet. And you know when he with with little finger he he doesn't seem to have much problem with him later on giving him Harrenhal and dismissing Selme where is in the sense of that yes the man was old but the name of Barrist the bold still has meaning in the realm he lent honor to any man he served like who why this is so minor why would he care about this can anyone say the same of the hound you feed your dogs bones under the table.

[00:51:14]You do not seat him beside you on the high bench. He pointed a finger at Tyrion's face.

[00:51:23]I mean, this is all madness.

[00:51:27]A much much much bigger army, High Garden, is going to be marching to King's Landing. And somehow he thinks Tywin thinks that he can handle Rob first.

[00:51:42]Rob is, you know, and so he decides to go to Harrenhal.

[00:51:51]Uh, I would think you'd go back to King's Landing and establish yourself, establish an army there, but and he's sitting here talking about the most minor [ __ ] like like we're talking about tens of thousands of pe like people under the under the command of Renley and he's sitting there complaining about Barrist and the Bold and the Hound.

[00:52:15]Oh my god.

[00:52:19]It's just all he's doing. He's listing the plot points of the book, but it's not the it's not the things that a person commanding armies in the field would care about.

[00:52:31]Oh, he pointed at Tyrion's face. If Cersei cannot curb the boy, you must.

[00:52:34]And all these cons c consularors are playing us false.

[00:52:39]Tyrion knew. Spikes, he sighed. Heads, walls. I see you have taken a few lessons from me. Yeah, and Tyrion has every reason to [ __ ] kill Littlefinger when he arrives. And he doesn't [ __ ] do that. Ah, more than you know, father. Tyrion answered quietly. He finished his wine and set the cup aside thoughtful. A part of him was more pleased than he cared to admit.

[00:53:01]Another part was remembering the battle up river and wondering if he could be sent to hold the left again. Why me? He asked, cocking his head to one side. Why not my uncle? Why not Sir Adam or Sir Flement or Sir Lord Sarah? Why not a bigger man? Lord Tywin rose abruptly. You are my son.

[00:53:29]That was when he knew he had given up.

[00:53:32]He had given him up for lost. He thought, "You bloody bastard. You think Jaime is good as dead. I'm all you have left." Tyrion wanted to slap him, to spit in the fi in his face, to draw his dagger and cut his heart out of him and see if he was made of old hard gold, the way the small folks say said.

[00:53:52]Yet he sat there silent and still.

[00:54:02]Yeah. you and and this isn't very consistent either because Tyrion's convinced that like now Tywin over all of this has decided that you know what Jaime's gonna die and therefore I have to put all of my faith in Tyrion. But then when Jaime goes missing and everyone kind of still assumes he's dead. Um, this is around the same time that, you know, he he's uh he's he's willing to send uh I mean, send him off to the wall or have him die. I mean, Jaime shows up around the same time, so maybe he changes his mind while while Tyrion's in prison or something.

[00:54:46]Um, it's a weird it's a weird motivation.

[00:54:50]I'm not sure. I'm not sure if it's accurate. And but of course, you know, Tyrion can be wrong. Tyrion Tyrion's been wrong a lot. So, I guess Tyrion's just wrong about Tyrion about Tywin's motivations.

[00:55:02]The shard of the broken comp crunched beneath his father's heels as Lord Tywin crossed the room. "One last thing," he said at the door. "You will not take the Horde to court."

[00:55:12]Tyrion sat alone in the common room for a long while after his father was gone.

[00:55:16]Finally, he climbed the steps to his cozy Garrett beneath the bell tower. The ceiling was low, but that was scarcely a drawback for a dwarf. From the window he could see the gibbit his father had erected in the yard. The inkeeper's body turned slowly on its rope whenever the night one wind gusted. Her flesh had grown thin and ragged as Lannister as Lannister hopes. She murmured sleepily and rolled toward him when he sat on the edge of the featherbed. He slid his hand under the blanket and cuped the soft breast and her eyes opened. "My lord," she said with a drowsy smile. When he felt her nipples stiffened, Tyrion kissed her. "I have a mind to take you to King's Landing, sweetling," he whis He whispered. Um, o I mean, it's an exciting chapter.

[00:56:08]It's short, but man, there just so many errors in this. I mean, so many errors in this in this uh in this chapter. It is so sloppy.

[00:56:22]Wrong characters saying the wrong things. the Stannis issue giving Tywin motivation that don't necessarily make any sense.

[00:56:33]Like we don't really know why Tywin wants to go to Harrenhal except that he wants to deal with Rob before Renley which was the same argument he used for for Roose Bolton. I have to deal with Roose Bolton before Stannis. But actually Stannis isn't a worry anymore.

[00:56:55]It's this chapter is kind of a disaster. It's kind of a disaster, but it's very clear that like George is trying to just one he needed a lastion chapter. Um and he needed needed to fill it with something and oh god yeah just the the rehash of of the whispering wood and oh man this is this is a mess. This chapter is a real mess. I didn't realize it, but real reading through it again, I'm just like, wow. Like, Tywin is listing plot like listing plot points from other stories, but it's not reasonably what Tywin would be thinking about. He's just listing the plot points of the other stories. Like, oh, Barristan Selme and the Hound. Like, who [ __ ] cares? Like, who [ __ ] cares?

[00:57:43]Like, Renley is marching. Like what?

[00:57:48]Like that should be that should be the main thing. They should just be talking about Renley marching the entire [ __ ] time. Like that's so much more significant than everything else here.

[00:58:00]Oh god, this is so ah I this this chapter this chapter kind of broke me. I'm sorry. I know people will be like, "Oh, you're being so negative and and I like this chapter a lot and oh, actually Tywin's Tywin's uh motivations make complete sense, but oh my god, the errors with Stannis, the fact that Renley's Renley's crowning in March is is is so low compared to everything else, the no reason to go to Harrenhal.

[00:58:36]I don't know. It It It's This is a mess.

[00:58:39]This is a mess. Tyrion 9.

[00:58:44]Thankfully Thankfully, we're almost We're almost done. And I think it's just good. I think there' just be a lot of good chapters in the future. Um so anyway, thanks for watching and we'll see you next time.