Myrcella Baratheon
With season 5 comes Dornish storylines, and after being absent for 2 seasons we will finally see Myrcella again.
Back in season 2, Tyrion made arrangements involving Myrcella to help strengthen the Lannister-Martell alliance. He made plans to have Myrcella marry Trystane Martell, the youngest child of Doran Martell. For those who need help keeping track, Doran Martell is the Lord of Sunspear, Prince of Dorne, and brother to Oberyn Martell.
The last we heard of Myrcella was by word of Oberyn who said she was very happy in Dorne, and is safe there.
Margaery Tyrell
After her first husband was killed, Margaery moves on and marries again. This time to Joffrey Baratheon. A few hours after their nuptials, Joffrey is poisoned and dies. Margaery finds out later that her grandmother Olenna is in part responsible. Good ol’ Gran didn’t want her darling to marry a monster.
With Joffrey out of the way, Tommen becomes the new King. Though still a young boy, he already shows a gentle, kind-hearted side. Margaery quickly goes to work in winning Tommen over.
In a conversation with Cersei, Cersei reveals her apparent fatigue in fighting with Margaery and allows her to get close to Tommen without resistance. Cersei and Tywin also set a date for Margaery and Tommen’s wedding, which is to be a fortnight after the coronation.
Sansa Stark and Petyr ‘Littlefinger’ Baelish
Sansa started season 4 by making a new friend. Dontos Hollard, whose life she saved in an earlier season, takes a moment to thank her for that and shows his gratitude by giving her a necklace. She wears the necklace to Joffrey and Margaery’s wedding ceremony/Joffrey’s murder scene, unaware that its jewel was the murder weapon.
As Joffrey convulses, Dontos comes to Sansa and whisks her away to a ship, where none other than Petyr Baelish waits for her. Turns out Littlefinger planned Joffrey’s murder with the help of the Tyrells and Dontos. To ensure this information stays secret, Littlefinger kills Dontos too.
Baelish takes Sansa to his new home in the Eyrie where his wife Lysa (Sansa’s aunt) waits. It’s not long before trouble finds Sansa though. Lysa accuses Sansa of having relations with Baelish and tries to kill her by pushing her out the Moon Door. Baelish comes to the rescue and rather coldly pushes Lysa out the Moon Door. Apparently she doesn’t fly.
After cleverly and successfully testifying on Baelish’s behalf, she’s last seen getting ready to join him and her cousin Robin on a tour of the Vale.
Stannis Baratheon
Stannis is having a hard time making ground in this fight for the Throne. Desperately in need of soldiers, Stannis and Davos decide the best thing to do is to buy an army. Except they don’t have any money, and apparently Melisandre’s leeches aren’t worth much in gold.
Across the sea they go to Braavos to meet with Tycho Nestoris and co from the Iron Bank of Braavos. Here, Stannis has to play a little game of Shark Tank. But it seems Stannis has never watched this show before and he makes a rookie mistake: he didn’t practice his speech, and the Sharks are quickly losing interest and patience.
In comes Davos to the rescue who is able to convince the bankers of Stannis’ reliability and honor. He also throws the Lannisters under the bus, explaining how in the event of Tywin’s death, the bank will probably never see their investments back. Davos proves yet again why he’s so amazing, and the bank loans them the money, allowing Davos to hire Salladhor Saan back into their service.
We next see the entire Dragonstone crew save the Night’s Watch after the Battle of Castle Black. Stannis and his new crew land just in time to defeat the Wildling army. On Jon’s orders, Stannis keeps Mance Rayder alive and burns the corpses of the fallen.
Theon Greyjoy and Ramsay Snow
Theon is no longer chained up, but he is so beaten, both physically and mentally, that he is now a submissive servant to Ramsay Snow. To prove to his father, Roose Bolton, that Theon/Reek is indeed at his command, Ramsay instructs Theon/Reek to shave him while he tells Theon/Reek that Robb Stark is dead at the hands of the Boltons. Theon/Reek’s hand pauses for a moment before continuing to shave Ramsay.
If that wasn’t evidence enough, Theon’s sister Yara attempts to rescue Theon at the Dreadfort. Theon/Reek believes this is another trick of Ramsay’s and refuses to leave, so Yara is forced to flee without him. Operation failed.
Ramsay then gives Theon/Reek the task of entering Moat Cailin, pretending to be Theon Greyjoy, and negotiate with the Iron Born stationed there to get them to surrender the fortress to the Boltons. He manages to convince them to surrender, and once the Boltons ride in, they quickly massacre them all.
Roose meets with Ramsay afterwards and presents him with a decree legitimizing him as a true Bolton. We last see Theon/Reek and the Boltons riding up to (what’s left of) Winterfell.
Tyrion Lannister
Tyrion just doesn’t have luck with weddings. He weds Sansa Stark in season 3, and in Joffrey’s wedding last season, he’s accused of killing the groom. A trial by combat seemed to be the only way to regain his innocence, and Oberyn Martell is named his champion. Well, Oberyn loses (and dies, but you didn’t forget that, right?), resulting in Tyrion being found guilty and sentenced to death.
But don’t get too distraught yet! Big brother Jaime arranges to have Tyrion escape from King’s Landing and shipped off to the Free Cities, with the help of Varys (more on that later). However, Tyrion isn’t ready to go just yet. He takes a little detour to his father’s chamber first. There he finds his lover Shae in Tywin’s bed. Upon seeing Tyrion, Shae tries to stab him and they get into a struggle that leaves Shae strangled by the very jewels she so fondly coveted.
Next is to find his father. After arming himself with Joffrey’s favorite crossbow, Tyrion confronts his father at his most vulnerable moment: on the toilet. Some words are exchanged (many of them “whore”), and Tyrion shoots Tywin. Twice. At least Daddy Lannister got to die on a throne.
Finally Tyrion makes his way to Varys who loads him into a crate on a ship that’s about to set sail for the Free Cities.
Varys
It’s still unclear whose side Varys is on. If he’s even on a side. Despite seeming to be a friend to Tyrion, Varys testified against him at the trial. In his defence, it wouldn’t look too good on him to defend the losing side.
He does redeem himself, however, when he assists Jaime in getting Tyrion out of King’s Landing before his execution. He puts Tyrion in a crate on a ship that will leave for the Free Cities, and at the last minute decides to board the ship and leave too.
Varys also reveals that Jorah has indeed stopped spying for them, but he can get another spy in Meereen. No word yet on who that’ll be.
Bran and Rickon Stark
Who?
The new season of ‘Game of Thrones’ premieres Sunday April 12 at 9pm on HBO
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