ADWD Jon III, Daenerys II

Up in the frozen northern wasteland, the nice priestess Melisandre has lit a fire to help the poor, desolate wildlings keep warm.


Or rather she's used it to burn Mance Rayder to death. Hey, that works too. Okay technically she only burns someone who looks like Mance to death. Pathetic and begging for his life seems extraordinarily out of character for him. Then everyone is told to swear allegiance to Stannis. "Hey, we just burned the guy you elected to death, now follow some southern lord who would never have even acknowledged your existence if his fortunes weren't crappier than everyone's but... well... (deep breath)...

Waymar's, Gared's, Wil's, Jory's, Viserys's, Eddard's, Drogo's, Cressen's, Yoren's, Renly's, Davos's sons', Chett's, Lord Commander Mormont's, Balon Greyjoy's, Vargo Hoat's, Robb's, Catelyn's, Joffrey's, Oberyn Martell's, Tywin's, Merrett's, Pate's, Gregor Clegane's, Arys Oakheart's, Aemon's, and now possibly Brienne's and Loras's.  I guess Theon's fortunes are pretty crap too, though technically I'm not there yet. And if we're counting folks who no longer have all their body parts as worse off than Stannis, I guess we have to add the Lannister brothers as well. 

Actually I take it back. Stannis is sitting kind of pretty at the moment.  Too bad he's a big fake. As Jon discusses at the end of the chapter, Stannis's sword is supposed to radiate intense heat and it does no such thing.  Of course, he does have the best claim to the Iron Throne...

...aside from Daenerys Targaryen. We're getting further into political commentary here.  See the jihadists Sons of the Harpy have become more brazen in their terrorist attacks and have taken to killing US soldiers Dany's Unsullied, so Dany decides to have some people who probably know a thing or two water-boarded tortured. She also imposes a rather severe exit tax on everyone attempting to leave her tyrannical rule. Yeah I can already tell this is going to go all the way bad for her.

Anyway, once that's over, Quaithe talks to Dany in a dream and reminds her of that prophecy she had back in A Clash of Kings that foreshadowed, among other things, the Red Wedding. Now she tells Dany that the pale mare is coming. Which sigil is that? There are too many. Others will follow: the Kraken (Victarion Greyjoy), the dark flame (uh... the only guy with fire in his sigil is Stannis, and I don't think that's who she means), the lion (Tyrion), the griffin (Griff? Nah. Young Griff, more like), the sun's son (Quentyn) and the mummer's dragon. I have no idea what to make of that last one.  Varys is the only mummer we know, and he'd be hard pressed to produce a Targaryen from nowhere. Unless he knows about Jon, and that seems to be a reach even for him. And even if he knew about Jon, how the hell could he get to him? Is the mummer's dragon some forgotten son of House Blackfyre? Aren't they all dead?

Ser Barristan arrives for another lesson in Gray and Gray Morality by pointing out that Eddard Stark, whom Dany has always considered an enemy, argued against killing her. And Eddard respected Rhaegar, whereas Robert did not. Interesting, that. Anyway, at the end of the chapter we find that Dany has gone and chained her dragons. Well, two of them, anyway.