Page 782: The Pressure Mounts

Disclaimer: I might be breaking a few of my normal rules regarding not using the same viewpoint character more than once in a post, however, some of them are being repeated rather frequently, and I'd like to get through these 80 pages in one shot, so here goes. The posts will still appear chronologically, so, when you get to the bottom and see a second Jon post, for example, that's his next chapter, so the material is separated.

Jon: I really like Jon and Tormund together. They seemed to have a bit of a bond before, and they even seemed to still have that going when Jon was sent to treat with Mance and Tormund met him part way, and Jon appears to trust him about as much as a wilding can be trusted. I think Tormund does an even better job than Mance and others of humanizing the wildings. He's difference, follows a different code, but he's honorable, keeps to the old gods, loves his children, fierce in battle. They really aren't that different, except for the generations of enmity. It's also a little sad when Tormund asks what happened to the sweet lad we all knew. Hell, even Tormund can see that Jon has aged considerably since becoming Lord Commander. Ever see before and after pictures of presidents when the took office and when they left it? That's Jon right now. I also find it amusing that not only are giant mammoths coming along with this deal, but a couple hundred giants as well! South of the wall. After almost 5,000 pages of this series, that seems fantastical even to me. Also, I really like Val. I don't know how they'd ever get around it, but I think she and Jon would be really good together. She's a lot of fun, but she's also really strong. She's be a warrior lady, which is exactly what Jon would want, not some soft lady taught her social graces like Sansa. More and more I think Jon was made to marry a wilding. Still though, I worry about a possible uprising. At this point the Night's Watch would be seriously outnumbered once Tormund comes south of the wall, so I'm worried about either Jon being assassinated, or Tormund betraying him. So much room for error.

Cersei: Well, hello there. How is life reaping what you sow? See what happens when you become a psychotic power hungry bitch? People don't like it, so they throw you in tower cells and make you confess your crimes. I think it's really amusing, and somewhat ironic, that Cersei has ultimate faith in Jaime's love for her. She appears to trust almost nothing and no one, yet, she trusts in Jaime even after treating him like total crap and driving him away from her. Really, that's just trust in how low her opinion of him is. Still, there are a couple of neat pages in this chapter that analyze her thoughts. She hates being weak, she hates being powerless, she hates being helpless, she really, really wants to be a man. This feels more like a recap and summation of Feast than anything new, but, it's a nice refresher I suppose, as well as a pretty unsubtle pointing out of things people might have missed before. I wonder what the news about Ser Loras is. The Septa mentioned something about Margery's brother, so I'm assuming that's Loras and not Willas. It's pretty sweet watching Cersei actually confess, though she left out the juiciest bits, even making her confess a little bit of her many crimes is satisfying. I think my favorite part is when Cersei is incredulous that they still want to put her on trial. She thought she could confess a bit, lie a bit, and it would all be hunky dory? Wow, for someone as cold and calculating as she is, she's incredibly naive if she doesn't get what position she's in (and this from a woman who gets into a lot of positions, am I right?). She's sorely misread the High Septon if she thinks he went through all this for a little absolution, and for that matter, if she thinks Margery will get a trial and not her. I'm glad Kevan is back in the picture. I liked him. Also very  interesting news that sellsword captains are landing all over the south. Could the Golden Company have made it over already? I don't see who else it could be. Nice that we could also see that her fear of Tyrion is in bloom, she hasn't dropped that one yet. I have no idea why she's so interested in getting a spot opened on the Kingsguard, what would that do to help her? She can't exactly promise a spot to anyone. I also love how angry she is that Margery won't suffer at a trial, where Cersei planted all the evidence, but she's also pissed that she has to go to a trial where she's guilty of everything she's accused of. I don't know what she's on, but I want some.


The Queensguard (Barristan Selmy): So, Dany is gone, and all her allies and troops are being shoved aside by Hizdahr. At least the Unsullied aren't siding with him, they remain waiting for Dany's return, I hope. I think he has good reason to assume she's alive, but it's a little sad seeing him so dejected and depressed. Now he's not only far from home, but the Queen he swore to protect is absent. He's pretty lost, and without purpose. There's a pretty huge plot dump going on here. Hizdahr tried to kill Dany through poison, but Strong Belwas took the hit. Kind of sad since I really liked the guy, he was one of the few really loyal defenders she had. Now everything is falling apart, Volantis has launched, the Yunkai'i are poised to sack the city, what else could go wrong? There might not be any real proof, but I totally believe that Hizdahr tried to poison her. That marriage was a bad idea from the start. I applauded her rationale, but it was a poor execution.

The Iron Suitor (Victarion): Really, even you are getting in the game? To what end? And suitor? Of all the men trying to marry Dany, you're easily the lowest on the totem pole. I figure he must have a role to play, else why would he be launched across the sea, but, I can't see what it is. If Euron is just trying to get rid of him, why destroy the entire fleet with him? And for that matter, what is Euron doing? And what does he want with Dany? Looking at the massive fleet arrayed against Meereen, it seems to me a dragon swooping down to light all those pretty ships on fire would be a pretty sweet scene. I wonder what Moqorro's vision of Victarion meant. Who is using him as a pawn? Euron? And for that matter, was Victarion just converted to the Red God, and that easily? He was a pretty devout believer in the Drowned God. I guess one fixed hand can do wonders for conversion. I don't see what role he has to play, but clearly his plans to kidnap Dany won't go very well.

Tyrion: Yes, okay, Tyrion knows a lot of dragon lore, and eventually that will be super helpful when we get him to Dany. And he's escaped with Jorah to Brown Ben Plumm. Got it!

Jon: First we point out the oddities. The bird said "King, Snow, Jon Snow." What does the bird know? Could Bran be trying to communicate with him? And, on page 777, Jon calls Tormund "Tormund Giantsbabe." Typo!? Certainly looks that way, given how close they are on the keyboard, and the unliklihood of Jon dissing Tormund at that moment. What I'm less comfortable with is Tormund giving Jon some suspicious mead to drink. Too much poisoning already in this series. I'd like to trust him, and I can't imagine they'd kill Jon off, but, is anyone really safe? No, I don't think so. Haven't had a major death since Robb, but that means we're overdue. I also find it very interesting that Mance never really found the Horn of Joramun. That lends that much more credence to the idea that the horn Jon found at the Fist of the First Men might have actually been the Horn of Joramun. I don't even know what happened to it, did he leave it there? Why does the constant mention of the Horn even matter if they never actually find it or anything? And man, there's a big change, now Jon has to lead a ranging up to Hardhome? In that weather? On the one hand, what a neat chance for the wildings and the Night's Watch rangers to all bond on a ranging together. On the other hand, oh hell, everything is going to crap!