A Clash of Kings ÔÇö Tyrion X
The chain is finished and the city starves in sight of it; Tyrion visits Chataya's by tunnel and finds even his comforts have become hostages.
The chapter retold
With the great chain finally strung across the river mouth, KingÔÇÖs Landing sits fully prepared and fully starving in the same breath ÔÇö TyrionÔÇÖs defenses are as ready as theyÔÇÖll ever be, and the city under them has nothing left to eat. He slips away by tunnel to visit ChatayaÔÇÖs brothel, one of the few comforts left to him, and finds even that has become compromised ÔÇö his sisterÔÇÖs reach extends into every corner of his life he thought private.
The chapter catches Tyrion in the strange lull before the storm actually breaks: everything that can be built has been built, every alliance that can be bought has been bought, and all thatÔÇÖs left is waiting for StannisÔÇÖs fleet to arrive and test it. The discovery that even his hidden pleasures are hostage to CerseiÔÇÖs surveillance sharpens the dread ÔÇö there is no part of his life in this city that is truly safe from his own family.
This movement: The March on the City
- Stannis's fleet and host converge on King's Landing; Tyrion counts chain links and wildfire pots.
- Robb wins the Crag in the west while his cause rots behind him; Catelyn frees the Kingslayer for two girls' lives.
- Arya spends her third death to buy Harrenhal's gate ÔÇö the man offers more, and Jaqen gives her a coin and a phrase.
- Jon, taken in the Frostfangs, kills the Halfhand at his order and kneels to Mance Rayder with clean hands and a black heart.