Tower of the Hand

Tyrion and Sansa have dinner together. Tyrion is angry because of the troubles he is having with the Dornishmen. There was a fight that left a Tyrell man-at-arms dead and two Gargalen men scalded, and Lady Olenna caused a confrontation by calling Ellaria the serpent's whore to her face. Furthermore, Prince Oberyn always asks when the justice will be served. As Podrick clears the dishes, Sansa asks leave to go to the godswood, which Tyrion grants. Tyrion spends the next several hours trying to make sense of Petyr's ledgers. He seems to have been involved in a large number of shady deals. Ser Boros comes to summon him to Lord Tywin's chambers. When he arrives, Tywin is attended by Cersei, Ser Kevan, Pycelle, and Joffrey, who is exuberant. Tywin reports that Robb is dead and the war is mostly over now. Ser Brynden remains at Riverrun, but with Edmure hostage he dare not move. Lords Tytos and Jason will fight on for honor's sake, but the Freys can keep Jason penned up at Seagard, and it should be easy to get Lord Jonos to change sides and attack Lord Tytos. Tywin means to pardon all those who come back to him, save Harrenhal. Ser Gregor will put the castle to the sword. Joffrey says he wants all of their heads and wants to serve Robb's head to Sansa at his wedding. Tyrion says no and threatens him. Cersei appeals to Tywin to discipline Tyrion, but he instead instructs Joffrey on how to be a good king and how Aerys never understood that a man was less a king the more he had to show he was one. Joffrey retorts that Tywin was afraid of Aerys. Tywin dismisses Joffrey coldly and tells Tyrion and Cersei to remain.

Tywin chastises Cersei for Joffrey's behavior and dismisses her too. Tyrion says Joffrey is another Aerys, and Tywin says the king needs a sharp lesson. Tywin turns the subject to the difficulty he is having keeping Oberyn in line, as the man is half-mad. Tyrion asks if it is true that he tried to raise Dorne for Viserys at the end of Robert's Rebellion, and Tywin replies that this is true. Jon Arryn came to Sunspear personally to return the bones of Prince Lewyn and met with Doran to defuse tensions, but Robert never traveled to Dorne and Oberyn seldom left it. Tywin also reveals that he does not mean to give up Gregor. He means to keep Gregor far away while Oberyn is around and plans to tell him that Ser Amory killed Elia and her children to curry favor with Robert. Ser Amory did kill Rhaenys, but not the other two. Finally, Tywin reveals the price for the Frey betrayal. Ser Emmon has been granted Riverrun, while Lancel and Daven will marry Frey girls and Joy will marry one of Lord Walder's natural sons. Lord Roose has been named Warden of the North and will take Arya back with him. Tyrion asks how Arya can be going anywhere, and Tywin only says that Petyr may have succeeded where others have failed.¹ Tyrion's son by Sansa will inherit the North in the end.