Game of Thrones Recap S4E6: The Laws of Gods and Men

Stannis and Davos leave by boat, heading to their last chance. They’ve been their since mid-day. They are finally welcomed to the Iron Bank. Stannis is welcomed, and Davos says that he is the King of Westeros, but he is not the one that sits on the throne. The Iron Bank has been the one that has been funding the Lannisters, but Stannis thinks that as his bloodline is the rightful one, his should be the one being backed by the bank. But, Stannis has few backers, and even fewer supplies. Although he may have a legitimate claim, in theory, it is not a gamble the bank is willing to back. The banker bids them good day, and even warns that Braavos is not a safe place for Davos. Davos isn’t ready to walk away. Tywin is the power in King’s Landing, and he is too old to remain in power for long. Stannis is the one true king, and when the Lannisters fall, and they will soon fall, he is the best bet for the bank to get paid in full.

Salladhor Saan tells his whores a story about Pirate ships, keeping them entertained, but they already know the punchline. Davos drops in on his old friend, telling him of a change of plans. Salladhor puts up a tiny fuss, until Davos lays more money down than he can really turn away.

Yara reads over the letter that the Bolton bastard, Ramsey Snow sent to the Ironborn. Their countrymen were skinned and mutilated for his enjoyment, and he did enjoy it. While Ramsey entertains himself with a whore, Yara prepares for war. The Ironborn slip into the keep, prepared to take back Theon, but he is not in the dungeons. One of the men take Yara to where Theon is being kept, but he is a broken man. He is now Reek, and he refuses to go, too afraid to go, fearing that it is a trick. He fights against Yara, and it gives Ramsey time to catch up with the Ironborn. Many men on both sides are lost, and Yara is forced to leave Theon behind to save herself. Ramsey rewards Reek’s loyalty. Reek didn’t want to be taken, Ramsey offers him a bath. Reek hesitates, but Ramsey coaxes him in. He baths him genrly, asking Reek if he loves him, and of course he does. Ramsey gives him an important job, he wants him to help him take a castle from some bad men. He’ll play someone he’s not, Theon Greyjoy.

A Sheppard tends his goats, while a boy throws rocks. The goats sense a disturbance, and the boy panics before he sees a dragon, blasting the hillside, and snatching up a goat.  The goatherder comes before Daenerys with the remains of a goat. Her dragons came for his goats, and now he has nothing. She is sorry for his loss, and she will pay for the goats three times over. The man is pleased by her offer. She hears the next person, a man who has come on behalf of Hizdaht ze Loraq, but she’ll speak to the noble directly. Loraq starts with flattery, and tells her of his pedigree. He is upset over the crucifying of his father, but she points out that he crucified others. Two wrongs do not make a right. He wishes for a tradition to be upheld, wants the proper burial of the nobles. Dany points out that they did the same to the slave children, without a second thought. Loraq wishes for his father to have some measure of dignity in the next world, and Dany grants him permission to bury his father. Dany’s list of visitors remains long, and she sends the next one in.

Lord Oberon does not like the early meeting hour, and wonders what title he will get, but the meeting soon starts. The Hound has been cutting quite path in the countryside. Tywin puts up a reward for his death, throwing plenty of gold for someone to be foolish enough to take him on. Varys gives an updated report on Daenerys. Not only does she have a large unsullied army at her back, and quick growing dragons, she’s not sitting on the throne of Mereen. Cersei doesn’t think that she’s a threat yet, and Varys points out that she has two seasoned knight advisors,  Barristan Selmy and Jorah Mormont, with her in to the other things that he mentioned. Oberon tells them that the Unsullied are very impressive on the battlefield. And Tywin fears the dragons. She must be dealt with.

The Iron Throne sits empty. Oberon finds Varys before it. Varys asks him how he came to know so much of the Unsullied. Oberon didn’t want to be the average prince, so he traveled, and learned much. Oberon asks Lord Varys backstory, but he isn’t loose lipped. Oberon offers up the joys of the brothel, but he’s an eunuch. Even before he became one he wasn’t interest in boys or girls, never falling prey to either folly.

Jamie pays Tyrion a visit. Tyrion suspects that he’s been pardoned, hopes for it, but he hasn’t. Jamie brings him forth on their father’s orders. Tyrion is taken to the Iron Throne, in shackles. Before the city and the Iron throne his shackles are removed. Tommen makes a big show as he announces Tywin to take his stead, and announces the other judges. Tywin reads the charges, proceeding to ask Tyrion if he or Sansa killed Joffery. He says that he did not. He asks how Joffery died. Tyrion believes it could be anyone but him. The crown calls its witnesses. One recalls the riot, when Joffery was slapped by Tyrion, but fails to mention the fact that at the time he was slapped Joffery was holding a crossbow on Sansa as he ripped at her clothing. Grand Maester Pycell is up next, listing out all of his vast numbers of poisons, one he claims Tyrion stole while he was wrongfully imprisoned. He makes further claims that the Strangler poison was found in Sansa’s necklace, one that was found with Dontos’ body and Dontos’ was seen fleeing with Sansa after the wedding. Cersei recounts Tyrion’s words to her again about the ashes in her mouth before the battle. Oberon asks about this debt. Cersei had asked him to keep the whoring in the brothel, and he was not pleased, very one sided testimony. Varys even gives testimony against Tyrion that paints a very bad picture of him. Tyrion asks for a single question, one reminding Lord Varys of his own words. Varys does not forget anything, he knows Tyrion well, but he will not stick his neck out. Tywin calls a recess.

Jamie speaks with his father on Tyrion’s behalf. Tywin has always hated his son, and Jamie reminds him that he actually killed his king to save his father, never thinking he would kill his own son. Tywin will punish Tyrion accordingly if he is guilty. Jamie changes tactics. Family is of the utmost important thing to Tywin. Since Jamie is King’s Guard he cannot have a family, and without Tyrion providing heirs the Lannister name only carries on with cousins none of them really care about. Tywin cannot let his grandson’s killer off that easily. Jamie goes for bust. He will leave the King’s Guard, he will provide heirs if Tyrion is allowed to live. Tywin tells him that once Tyrion’s verdict is given he will be allowed to ask for mercy. Tywin will allow him to join the Night’s Watch. Jamie will remove his white cloak, and take up his place at Casterly Rock, marry a suitable woman, father Lannister children, and never turn his back on family again. The deal is made. Cersei is going to be pissed.

Jamie warns Tyrion that he is going to be found guilty, which he already knew. He tells him that when he is, he needs to enter a formal plea of mercy, and one that their father has already agreed to. Tyrion doesn’t trust it though. Ned Stark was offered the same deal, and we all remember how that turned out. Cersei watches suspiciously. Tyrion isn’t sure, but Jamie asks for trust, and no further outbursts. The crown calls its next witness, Shae. Tyrion is shocked to see her there. Tywin asks if she knows Tyrion, she does she was Sansa’s handmaiden. She tells the court that he is guilty, that he and Sansa plotted the murder together. Sansa wanted revenge, and Tyrion was happy to go along with it because of his hatred for his family. Shae continues to lie, saying that she was Tyrion’s whore after he stole her from another knight. Her tale amuses Prince Oberon, as she does into detail about the things that Tyrion told her to do. Tyrion is disappointed in her, and he tries to stop her, but she’s hurt still about his whore comment. She goes on that after he married Sansa he set her aside for his wife, who refused him. Tyrion cannot take anymore, and asks to confess. Everyone is shocked over his admission. He saved the city, everyone in it. He should have let Stannis kill them all he says. Tywin asks again if he wishes to confess. He says that he is guilty, that’s what they want to hear. He did not kill the king, but he is guilty for being a dwarf. That is not one the charge he is on trial for. Tyrion is on trial for that and more. He admits that he wished he had killed Joffery. Watching that vicious bastard die gave him more relief than a 1000 lying whores, he wished he was the monster they were painting him out to be. He wishes that he had enough poison to kill them all.  He will not give his life for nothing, he demands trial by combat.