May I Have This Dance?
So in anticipation of the release of A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin, yesterday I wrapped up my reread of A Song of Ice and Fire. Actually, I finished reading the series about a week ago, but right after I finished reading A Feast for Crows (for the the third time, the other books have been read four times), I immediately starting rereading all three Dunk & Egg novellas. I didn't finish the third one until last night, so I didn't consider the reread complete until I was done with these as well.
Once I'm done with this post, I guess you can stay stage 1 of my GRRM fever is over. Stage 2 will be after I've seen the season finale on HBO and I've blogged about it. But really, these are just the appetizers. The main course awaits on July 12th, when the latest book arrives in what is without question my favorite sequence of books ever. And in anticipation of this book I've been waiting six years for, I must needs to blog about about my thoughts and predictions.
Please note: this post is going to be rife with plot spoilers. Some of the plot spoilers pertain to things that have already happened in the series, some pertain to things that I've figured out but have not been fully revealed yet, and some of this is just me making bold predictions. Some people have pointed out guesses to me that I believe they're correct about, but I'm not going to take credit for that stuff. I'm only going to blog about my own conclusions/guesses. But if you don't want to risk spoilers or potential spoilers to the next book (or ones beyond that) STOP READING NOW.
There. You've been warned. Read on at your own peril:
1) Sandor Clegane and Gregor Clegane are both alive. Given how their storylines end in book three and given what we're told in book four, GRRM wants you to believe they're dead. But they're alive. This is not a guess. This is a fact. There are buried clues throughout A Feast for Crows, letting you know both men are still alive. I'll cover Sandor first. He's on the Quiet Isle. Brienne, Ser Hyle Hunt, and Pod visit this isle in the company of Septon Merribald and Dog. The brothers on this isle are mostly silent and they wear cowls. So believe it or not, we actually see Sandor. You're just not supposed to know it's him, because he doesn't talk and and you can't see his face. But he's the big gravedigger with the limp. He has the limp from the wound he suffered in book three during his and Arya's fight with Polliver and the Tickler. When Arya is treating his wounds afterward, she notes that the wound on his leg smelled funny. Dog takes an instant liking to Sandor on the Quiet Isle and actually goes over to him, and Sandor for his part stops digging long enough to pet dog, because the Hound always has time to pet a dog. When the Elder Brother tells Brienne that the Hound is dead, he is speaking in the metaphorical sense, just as right before this revelation he is speaking about his own death in the metaphorical sense. This is why he asks Brienne if she understands what he's telling her (which she doesn't). Sandor is now staying on the Quiet Isle seeking some measure of peace after being consumed by rage for so many years.
Gregor might not technically be alive anymore, but I guarantee he's not dead. You might recall the maester who lost his chain from the Brave Companions, one Qyburn. He treated Jaime's stump in book three and eventually became Cersei's Master of Whisperers in book four. He confesses to Cersei that he was stripped of his chain for experimenting on live bodies to learn about the nature of death (the reverse of what the maesters believe in). Cersei gives him permission to experiment on Gregor, who seems on his way to a certain death thanks to the poison from the Red Viper's spear. There is a skull that is sent to Prince Doran of Dorne that we're supposed to believe is Gregor's skull, only it's not. Whereas other heads in this series are preserved with tar, this one has been completely stripped of flesh, to help hide the fact that this isn't Gregor. Throughout the book Cersei and Qyburn have subtle conversations about his progress, and Qyburn continues his perverse experiments. Long after the skull is sent to Prince Doran, there is even a point where they're discussing the order Cersei placed with the armorer, who believes that no man could carry so much weight on his person. Come the end, when Cersei needs a champion to defend her so she doesn't suffer execution at the hands of the church, Qyburn tells her champion is ready. Cersei can't use him because only a member of the Kingsguard can do a trial for combat on behalf of royalty (and so she sends for Jaime), but the champion in question is Gregor. So Gregor might be alive, or he might be in some sort of undead creature now, or perhaps something in between, but he's not six feet under. He is a greater menace than ever, and under Qyburn's control.
Predictions/Fallout: Ser Arys Oakheart's death in Dorne in book four has created an opening in the Kingsguard. Word of Arys' death is going to get back to King's Landing. Once it does, someone else will have to be appointed to take the white cloak of the Kingsguard. Being as Jaime burned Cersei's letter asking him for help, and the only other available Kingsguard members are Ser Meryn Trant and Ser Boros Blount, currently the weakest links of the Kingsguard. So Gregor is going to be made a member of the Kingsguard, thereby allowing him to defend Cersei in a trial by combat. There is a certain demented symmetry to this, since from the end of A Game of Thrones to the end of A Clash of Kings Sandor Clegane was also a member of the Kingsguard. Gregor will prevail in the trial by combat, saving Cersei from certain death. Unfortunately for Cersei, Queen Margaery can also use Ser Gregor as her champion now, and he will prevail a second in the trial by combat, saving Margaery from death as well. With both queens free, it's at this point that the already tenuous alliance between the Lannisters and Tyrells will finally snap. War will break out once more for the Iron Crown, with Cersei attempting to hold onto Tommen, and the Tyrells attempting to wrest him away and preserve his marriage to Margaery.
Meanwhile, Gregor has a certain base cunning that he displayed in defeating Oberyn Martell in the third book. This will come into play again. If he was ever under Qyburn's control to begin with, there will come a point where he shakes off this control. From here, he will wait, playing possum until the opportune moment comes to reclaim his freedom once more. When he does, Qyburn is going to die at Gregor's hands. Horribly. Brutally. Gregor will then be on the loose, more dangerous than ever, seemingly unstoppable.
Enter Sandor. On the Quiet Isle he's trying to find meaning in his life beyond just living to kill his brother. I think he's going to find this meaning, or at least come close. We learn in book four that the Elder Brother on the Quiet Isle has healing skills that far surpass those of any maester, so over time he'll patch up Sandor's leg just fine. So when Sandor fights Gregor, it won't be just for vengeance. He's going to have to stop Gregor in a situation because there's no one else to do it.
If I were to guess, Sandor is going to take arms against Gregor in order to save Sansa. He had a very odd connection with Sansa in the first two books. He was attracted to her, but angry at her as well, because he believed that someone as beautiful as Sansa would never be attracted to someone like him with his burned face. Sansa was always frightened of him, but ultimately that fear became pity, and when she thinks back on Sandor, her thoughts are gentle. On Gregor's side, we've learned time and again that he has no qualms about raping any woman he wants. I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to rape Sansa at some point down the road, and that's enough to make Sandor take up arms against his brother, even after trying to find his peace on the Quiet Isle. Of course, I don't think Sandor is going to be fighting Gregor alone. He's going to be getting help from Arya. The truth is he had an interesting connection to both of the Stark girls, and really none of the other Starks at all. Arya almost wants Gregor dead as much Sandor ever did, and the two of them already displayed what an awesome fighting tandem they are in book three. With Gregor more dangerous than ever, no one person can stop him But the Hound and the super-killing machine that Arya is on her way to becoming. Yeah, I think the two of them can take down Gregor together. It will cost Sandor his life as well, and it will bring a nice sense of completion to his storyline. Gregor, Arya, and Sansa have impacted the Hound's life more than any other still living characters in the books.
There is a traitor in Petyr Baelish's household: It wasn't until my third reading of A Feast for Crows that I picked up on this. Early in Brienne's quest, she encounters a short knight named Ser Shadrich, who calls himself the Mad Mouse. Like Brienne, he's looking for Sansa (as are many others), and he even suggests to her that they team up before Brienne sneaks off to continue her quest alone. Near the end of the same book, in the last Sansa chapter--one of the Alayne chapters--right before Petyr tells Sansa his plans to make her marry Harry the Heir, and make her the ruling lady of both Winterfell and the Eyrie, Sansa walks in on Petyr talking to three knights she's never seen before. Petyr introduces one of them as Ser Shadrich, and he has the same orange hair that the Mad Mouse did. It's the same character. He's tracked Sansa to the Eyrie, and since Sansa is currently disguised as Alayne, he may or may not realize it's her. Petyr tells Sansa he hired these knights because he decided they needed more household knights. Except this one time, Lord Littlefinger has failed to do his homework. There is someone in his household who means to betray him, and he has absolutely no idea what's coming.
Prediction/Fallout: People are not going to like my prediction here. But does anyone remember Star Wars III? Yes, I know it sucked, but bear with me. There is a scene where Mace Windu is on the verge of killing the Emperor, but then Anakin Skywalker makes the plunge and takes that step, the one there is no going back from: he kills Mace Windu to save the Emperor. I'm sad to say that I think we're looking at a similar situation. At some point, Ser Shadrich is going to learn who Sansa is, and he means to return her to King's Landing to collect his reward. Petyr Baelish is going to be caught unawares by Shadrich at some point, and he's going to be in legitimate danger of dying ...until Sansa kills Shadrich. Yes, there is a small part of Sansa that is saving Baelish because he saved her and she has no one else. But the real reason Sansa is saving Petyr is that she wants to save her fairy tale. She wants to marry the dashing Harry the Heir, to be the Lady of Winterfell and the Eyrie. And like Anakin Skywalker, she's about to embrace the Dark Side to get what she wants.
This in turn will put her affair with Petyr Baelish into full motion and she'll give him her maidenhead. Petyr means to marry her off to Harry the Heir, which will satisfy both the North and the Vale. But Petyr still wants Sansa for himself. So at some point Petyr and Sansa will remove Harry from the equation. Sansa--heir to Winterfell and the Lady of the Eyrie--will then marry Petry Baelish, who is Lord Paramount of the Trident. Petyr will then have the North, the Riverlands, and the Vale under his control ...AND he'll have Sansa. Yes, he has to do something about Sansa still technically being wedded to the Imp, but Petry has enough connections that I suspect he can see to it that this entire marriage is dissolved.
The way I look at it, Sansa is just like Tyrion, which is why their marriage was so interesting. You see, before Jaime's transformation, Tyrion was unlike the rest of his family, meaning he often had a conscience and did what was right. Sansa is also unlike her family--she is weak willed and scared. She is the only Stark who has been a pawn. Sansa isn't evil, but if she goes down the road I'm predicting, it's because she's weak, and she's taking the easy way out. She's scared and tired and doesn't know how to be a wolf. Petyr Baelish represents the easy way out.
Of course, such actions are not without consequence. Following the conclusion of episode nine of season one of Game of Thrones on HBO, I made the guess that Joffrey ordered Ned's death because Petyr Baelish convinced him to do this. For those who want to read more about this guess, skim my writeup on episode nine, until toward the bottom you reach the part where I start discussing the Baelor scene. Anyway, for walking such a dark path, at some point Sansa is going to learn that not only did her Petyr betray her father, but that he was as responsible for his death as Joffrey and Ser Ilyn Payne. I suspect Sansa will at least partially redeem herself by being the one to finally bring down the scheming Baelish, but I don't think she's going to live through the series. She's made one too many mistakes, and while GRRM has already killed two of the initial POV characters from the first book, I don't think the rest of them of them will still be alive come the end of the series. Sansa keeps learning again and again that life is no fairy tale, that it's not like the stories in the books. In the books, the princess gets her happy ending. In this story, she's going to die ...probably doing something that saves Arya's life, because Sansa was a horrible sister to her.
Decoding prophecies:
1) Cersei was told that a younger more beautiful queen shall take her place. She fears Margaery. Wrong queen, Cersei. The prophecy is referring to Dany.
2) Azor Ahai reborn: Melisandre believes it's Stannis. I'm of the opinion that it's Jon Snow. Melisandre keeps misinterpreting the prophecies, so it would be rather fitting that she's at the Wall, with the real Azor Ahai under her nose and her not realizing it. A lot of people (myself included) also think that Dany and Jon Snow will end up together. Dany is a leader of armies, the rightful Targaryen heir, and as we learn in book four, she is the prince(ss) who was promised. Jon may be the Lord Commander of the Wall, and it may be the most open secret ever among readers that his father was Rhaegar and his mother Lyanna, but he was born out of wedlock, even if both of his parents come from respectable lineage. Making Jon Azor Ahai reborn makes him a more fitting match for Dany.
3) House of Warlocks: when Dany walks through the House of Warlocks in book two, she sees a number of visions. Some have already come to pass, but a couple haven't yet. One is a vision of a dead gray man on a ship, with a sad smile on his lips. I believe that this is Coldhands, who I believe is actually Benjen Stark. We learn in book three that Coldhands can't go over the Wall ...hence he must sail around it. The sad smile on his lips is because this is still ultimately going to mean the end of him. Dany also glimpses a blue flower growing from an ice wall. I suspect this will be the one of the last things that happens in the series, possibly the last thing. The final book is called A Dream of Spring. Come the end of the book I expect the Others will have been overthrown, along with their terrible winter. I imagine the flower will be growing from the Wall, because spring is coming. And the flower is growing from the Wall because the Wall itself is no longer needed.
4) Volonqar: Cersei is supposed to die at the hands of the volaqar, which in Valyrian means little brother. She thinks this means Tyrion. Once again she's wrong. It's Jaime. They're twins, but Cersei was born first. The irony that Jaime will become a queenslayer and a kinslayer as well but that we'll still be rooting for him is awesome.
Other Predictions:
1) Come the end of this series, the Frey line will have been wiped out from existence, something that seemed impossible given all of Walder Frey's sons.
2) Theon: He's not wholly evil. His love for Robb Stark proves that. But he betrayed the family that showed him more love than his own. He did it because he believed he had to, because there was no other choice to claim what he believed was his birthright. It doesn't excuse his actions, but he wasn't motivated by evil. For that he needs to pay, which is why he's going to be suffering at the hands of Ramsay Bolton. No doubt a good chunk of his skin (if not all of it) has been flayed since the last time we saw him. But he's going to redeem himself. How? Ramsay Bolton is still looking for Bran and Rickon. Bran is beyond his reach. But I suspect Rickon is somewhere in the North, and Ramsay is going to find him. Theon is going to save little Rickon from death, at the cost of his own life. Saving the cute little kid will be enough to redeem Theon. I suspect Theon will be the one who kills Ramsay.
3) Asha: Asha Greyjoy was the only Greyjoy who wanted nothing but peace at the Kingsmoot. Euron may have the dragon horn, and it may even enslave the dragons for a time, but he won't keep them. He's set the Iron Islands on the path to near decimation. Victarrion is little better, as he cares about nothing but revenge against his brother. Aeron Damphair is not fit to lead anyone. When it's all said and done, and the Iron Islands has to pick up the scraps and try to be rebuild, Asha will be their leader. The other Greyjoys will be dead. If I were to guess where Asha's going now (recall that she fled in book four after Euron became king), well, the next book is called A Dance with Dragons. When in doubt, assume they're heading toward the dragons!
4) The other two riders of the dragons: I'd image Jon Snow is one. He has Targaryen blood, after all. I'll guess that the other is Bran Stark. After all, he's the winged wolf, and can actually slip inside a dragon's skin if he wants to (a good way to combat the dragon horn, perhaps). And other than Dany, I can't imagine anyone who would appreciate riding on the back of a dragon more than Bran. He'll probably be the representative for the children of the forest as well, and I guess he'll be speaking on their behalf to Dany after she brings her armies to the Seven Kingdoms and establishes herself as queen.
5) Tyrion: come the end of the series ...can you say the Lord of Casterly Rock?
6) Varys & Dorne: He's so hard to figure out, but if I were to guess, I suspect he's serving House Martell. Varys has that scene with Ilyrio Mopatis in the first book while Arya eavesdrops. Ilyrio meanwhile brokered the marriage between Dany and Khal Drogo. We learn in book four that Prince Doran planned on marrying Arianne to Prince Viserys. However, we also learned that Dorne is the least populated of the Seven Kingdoms. However, if Viserys were to marry Arianne, it would renew the alliance between House Targaryen and House Martell. And if Khal Drogo were to cross the Narrow Sea, backed by 40,000 dothraki warriors while married to a Targaryn princess ...well, add their might to Dorne when they declare for Viserys, throw in whatever loyalists cast their lot with Dorne and Drogo when the Targaryens return. But Viserys screwed everything up because he lost patience and demanded his "crown of gold."
So now Prince Doran has to change his plans. I suspect his son Quentyn was originally meant to rule over Dorne while his sister ruled the Seven Kingdoms as Queen, but thanks to "the crown of gold" and Arianne's ignorant meddling, he's changing his plans on the fly. Quentyn will now be on his way to Dany, with the hopes of sealing a marriage alliance between he and Dany. Her armies can then join to Dorne's upon her return to Westeros.
But while all of this was going on, Dorne needed someone to keep them informed of what's going on in King's Landing. Time and again, Varys has said he serves the realm. I think he's a loyalist with ties to the Targaryens. As to Ilyrio, I suspect this is a powerful overseas connection that Doran has forged, someone he expects to count on when he exacts his revenge.
This is a very tenuous prediction, but come the end of the series I do suspect that Dorne will be in excellent shape. To date, they haven't lost any of their armies. They're as far from the Wall as you can get, which means the Others will reach them last, and that winter will visit their lands last of all. When Dany crosses the ocean, I suspect that no matter what they'll side with her, so they don't have to worry about her either. They don't get along with the Tyrells, but right now the Tyrells are far more concerned with the Iron Throne and the raids from the Iron Islands, meaning they're not concerning themselves overly much with their ancient enemies to the south. So when the dust settles, I suspect that whether Dany marries Quentyn or not, Dorne will be one of the lands in Westeros in better shape.
Uncle Gerion: He was mentioned as one of Tywin's younger brothers who disappeared years ago to search for the family's lost Valyrian sword. He was mentioned several times, and he was mentioned as Tyrion's favorite uncle. Now that Tyrion is across the Narrow Sea, at some point I expect his path will cross with Uncle Gerion.
Rickon: I don't know what GRRM has in store for him during the series, but if I were to put all my chips on the one character I don't think is going to die, it would be Rickon. Bran can't inherit Winterfell as he might not be able to reproduce anymore and he's a warg besides. His is a magical destiny. Jon Snow already had the chance to become Jon Stark Lord of Winterfell in book three and he declined. That's not going to change. Sansa doesn't deserve Winterfell. Arya wouldn't want to be the Lady of Winterfell. Robb's wife was poisoned each day by her mother to ensure she never conceived. That leaves Rickon to be the Lord of Winterfell and continue the Stark line. I refuse to believe the Stark line will come to an end, and I expect Winterfell will rise again. So Rickon is the natural choice, and while there are a number of characters I expect to be alive at the end, Rickon is my # 1 bet. And as Lord of Winterfell, it will mean that the baby of the family is finally starting to grow up.
Jaime: I hate to say it, but he should die. Not because I want him to, but his death will be amazing. The character you love to hate loses his hand, becomes a character you love to root for, and learns to fight with his other hand? He's on his way to a very memorable and HONORABLE death.
Roose Bolton: Death by flaying?
Jorah Mormont: The man has nothing to live for. Now that he's been banished by Dany, I suspect he's going to once again forsake his honor and betray her to one of her enemies. Maybe he'll eventually rediscover his honor by taking up his father's blade (Jon was never comfortable with it) to help fight the Others. But time and again, this man has forfeited his honor. He's forgotten what it means.
Brienne: To spare Pod's life, she screamed "Sword!" to Stoneheart, thus agreeing to slay Jaime Lannister. If she and Jaime do cross swords again, it's going to be a hell of a fight.
Jojen Reed: Is going to die. He always insists that all the green dreams come true, and each time he does his sister becomes unreasonably upset.
The traitor in Arianne's company: Areo Hotah says, "Someone told. Someone always tells." I suspect the traitor is her milk brother, Garin, one of the orphans of the Greenblod. However, I suspect Garin is an unintentional traitor. It's casually mentioned in book four that he's a huge gossip. I suspect he blabbed about Arianne's plot before they carried it out, and word found its way back to Doran.
Big Questions:
--I don't think for a moment that Stannis will be alive at the end of the series, but he will at some point find his heart? His tenderness?
--What's up with Jalabar Xho? He's been around since the first book, always a presence at court. Other characters who have been a presence at court have all played a role in the story: Balon Swann became a Kingsguard, Lord Rosby became Master of Coin before her death, Lady Tanda and her family entangled with Bronn ...but so far nothing has happened with Jalabhar Xho. We know he's an exiled prince. Will this come into play at some point? Perhaps he'll bring his people to Westeos to help fight the Others?
--How much do Petyr, Varys, and Ilyrio know? They strike me as the three most informed characters in the drama that is playing out. If they're as informed as they seem, do they know about what's going on beyond the Wall? Could all their self-serving schemes and consolidation power plays be made with one eye toward the Wall as well?
--What's going on with the Golden Company? They're mentioned again and again in book four in the Free Cities, and we learn they broke their contract, which is unheard of. As they're called the GOLDEN Company, I suspect Tyrion Lannister might have a hand in this.
--Will Dany accept Marwyn as her maester? Probably. But what will he advise?
--What will the other maesters do when they learn that the dragons are back? Do they dare set themselves against Dany when the realm needs her to save them from the Others?
--Who is going to stop the Church? Maybe no one. They might just be a force to be reckoned with until the Others come on the scene.
--What's going to happen to Loras Tyrell? I don't for a moment believe he's going to die off the page from the injuries he suffered in storming Dragonstone.
--What will Melisandre do when she learns that she's misinterpreted the prophecies?
--If/when the dragons are enslaved by the dragon horn, wow will Dany get them back?
--It's been mentioned that Lord Celtigar has a horn on his island that can summon krakens. Will this come into play at some point? If it works, that's a pretty big game-changer.
--What happens when Arya and Jaqen Hagar have their reunion?
--What happens when Stoneheart sees her children again?
--Will the Starks and the Karstarks ever reconcile?
--Is Davos really dead? I suspect not. I suspect the folks at White Harbor chopped off the fingertips of someone else to make the Lannisters believe it's Davos so they can get their heir back. I sure hope so. They seemed pretty loyal to the Starks. I didn't think they'd swear fealty to the crown so easily.
--Where will Brynden Tully go?
--Does Robb's widow still have a role to play?
--Will we ever learn what the Doom was? I don't think it's essential that we know, but I am curious.
--I know who the Pate the pig boy is after it was pointed out to me (sneaky!), but what is he planning?
--Based on one of GRRM's LJ posts and word on the e-street, it's easy to figure out who three of the four new pov characters are in the next book ...but who is the fourth?
And while there are more questions I could ask, this might have become my longest LJ post again. I won't be seeing the final episode of Game of Thrones season 1 until about a week after it airs. I'll write up a post on that too once I see it. And after that ...I wait to dance!
ETA: One hilarious tidbit I forgot to mention: I picked up on a running gag GRRM has going in the Dunk & Egg novellas. In all three stories, Dunk has found himself at one point fighting another warrior in close combat. Each time, Egg yells out the exact same thing: "Get him, ser. Get him, get him, he's right there." It's always when the combat is going poorly for Dunk, and he's in trouble. When I read this again in "The Mystery Knight," the third novella, I burst out laughing. These stories are a lot more lighthearted than the main series, but they're still enjoyable, especially the first one.
Once I'm done with this post, I guess you can stay stage 1 of my GRRM fever is over. Stage 2 will be after I've seen the season finale on HBO and I've blogged about it. But really, these are just the appetizers. The main course awaits on July 12th, when the latest book arrives in what is without question my favorite sequence of books ever. And in anticipation of this book I've been waiting six years for, I must needs to blog about about my thoughts and predictions.
Please note: this post is going to be rife with plot spoilers. Some of the plot spoilers pertain to things that have already happened in the series, some pertain to things that I've figured out but have not been fully revealed yet, and some of this is just me making bold predictions. Some people have pointed out guesses to me that I believe they're correct about, but I'm not going to take credit for that stuff. I'm only going to blog about my own conclusions/guesses. But if you don't want to risk spoilers or potential spoilers to the next book (or ones beyond that) STOP READING NOW.
There. You've been warned. Read on at your own peril:
1) Sandor Clegane and Gregor Clegane are both alive. Given how their storylines end in book three and given what we're told in book four, GRRM wants you to believe they're dead. But they're alive. This is not a guess. This is a fact. There are buried clues throughout A Feast for Crows, letting you know both men are still alive. I'll cover Sandor first. He's on the Quiet Isle. Brienne, Ser Hyle Hunt, and Pod visit this isle in the company of Septon Merribald and Dog. The brothers on this isle are mostly silent and they wear cowls. So believe it or not, we actually see Sandor. You're just not supposed to know it's him, because he doesn't talk and and you can't see his face. But he's the big gravedigger with the limp. He has the limp from the wound he suffered in book three during his and Arya's fight with Polliver and the Tickler. When Arya is treating his wounds afterward, she notes that the wound on his leg smelled funny. Dog takes an instant liking to Sandor on the Quiet Isle and actually goes over to him, and Sandor for his part stops digging long enough to pet dog, because the Hound always has time to pet a dog. When the Elder Brother tells Brienne that the Hound is dead, he is speaking in the metaphorical sense, just as right before this revelation he is speaking about his own death in the metaphorical sense. This is why he asks Brienne if she understands what he's telling her (which she doesn't). Sandor is now staying on the Quiet Isle seeking some measure of peace after being consumed by rage for so many years.
Gregor might not technically be alive anymore, but I guarantee he's not dead. You might recall the maester who lost his chain from the Brave Companions, one Qyburn. He treated Jaime's stump in book three and eventually became Cersei's Master of Whisperers in book four. He confesses to Cersei that he was stripped of his chain for experimenting on live bodies to learn about the nature of death (the reverse of what the maesters believe in). Cersei gives him permission to experiment on Gregor, who seems on his way to a certain death thanks to the poison from the Red Viper's spear. There is a skull that is sent to Prince Doran of Dorne that we're supposed to believe is Gregor's skull, only it's not. Whereas other heads in this series are preserved with tar, this one has been completely stripped of flesh, to help hide the fact that this isn't Gregor. Throughout the book Cersei and Qyburn have subtle conversations about his progress, and Qyburn continues his perverse experiments. Long after the skull is sent to Prince Doran, there is even a point where they're discussing the order Cersei placed with the armorer, who believes that no man could carry so much weight on his person. Come the end, when Cersei needs a champion to defend her so she doesn't suffer execution at the hands of the church, Qyburn tells her champion is ready. Cersei can't use him because only a member of the Kingsguard can do a trial for combat on behalf of royalty (and so she sends for Jaime), but the champion in question is Gregor. So Gregor might be alive, or he might be in some sort of undead creature now, or perhaps something in between, but he's not six feet under. He is a greater menace than ever, and under Qyburn's control.
Predictions/Fallout: Ser Arys Oakheart's death in Dorne in book four has created an opening in the Kingsguard. Word of Arys' death is going to get back to King's Landing. Once it does, someone else will have to be appointed to take the white cloak of the Kingsguard. Being as Jaime burned Cersei's letter asking him for help, and the only other available Kingsguard members are Ser Meryn Trant and Ser Boros Blount, currently the weakest links of the Kingsguard. So Gregor is going to be made a member of the Kingsguard, thereby allowing him to defend Cersei in a trial by combat. There is a certain demented symmetry to this, since from the end of A Game of Thrones to the end of A Clash of Kings Sandor Clegane was also a member of the Kingsguard. Gregor will prevail in the trial by combat, saving Cersei from certain death. Unfortunately for Cersei, Queen Margaery can also use Ser Gregor as her champion now, and he will prevail a second in the trial by combat, saving Margaery from death as well. With both queens free, it's at this point that the already tenuous alliance between the Lannisters and Tyrells will finally snap. War will break out once more for the Iron Crown, with Cersei attempting to hold onto Tommen, and the Tyrells attempting to wrest him away and preserve his marriage to Margaery.
Meanwhile, Gregor has a certain base cunning that he displayed in defeating Oberyn Martell in the third book. This will come into play again. If he was ever under Qyburn's control to begin with, there will come a point where he shakes off this control. From here, he will wait, playing possum until the opportune moment comes to reclaim his freedom once more. When he does, Qyburn is going to die at Gregor's hands. Horribly. Brutally. Gregor will then be on the loose, more dangerous than ever, seemingly unstoppable.
Enter Sandor. On the Quiet Isle he's trying to find meaning in his life beyond just living to kill his brother. I think he's going to find this meaning, or at least come close. We learn in book four that the Elder Brother on the Quiet Isle has healing skills that far surpass those of any maester, so over time he'll patch up Sandor's leg just fine. So when Sandor fights Gregor, it won't be just for vengeance. He's going to have to stop Gregor in a situation because there's no one else to do it.
If I were to guess, Sandor is going to take arms against Gregor in order to save Sansa. He had a very odd connection with Sansa in the first two books. He was attracted to her, but angry at her as well, because he believed that someone as beautiful as Sansa would never be attracted to someone like him with his burned face. Sansa was always frightened of him, but ultimately that fear became pity, and when she thinks back on Sandor, her thoughts are gentle. On Gregor's side, we've learned time and again that he has no qualms about raping any woman he wants. I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to rape Sansa at some point down the road, and that's enough to make Sandor take up arms against his brother, even after trying to find his peace on the Quiet Isle. Of course, I don't think Sandor is going to be fighting Gregor alone. He's going to be getting help from Arya. The truth is he had an interesting connection to both of the Stark girls, and really none of the other Starks at all. Arya almost wants Gregor dead as much Sandor ever did, and the two of them already displayed what an awesome fighting tandem they are in book three. With Gregor more dangerous than ever, no one person can stop him But the Hound and the super-killing machine that Arya is on her way to becoming. Yeah, I think the two of them can take down Gregor together. It will cost Sandor his life as well, and it will bring a nice sense of completion to his storyline. Gregor, Arya, and Sansa have impacted the Hound's life more than any other still living characters in the books.
There is a traitor in Petyr Baelish's household: It wasn't until my third reading of A Feast for Crows that I picked up on this. Early in Brienne's quest, she encounters a short knight named Ser Shadrich, who calls himself the Mad Mouse. Like Brienne, he's looking for Sansa (as are many others), and he even suggests to her that they team up before Brienne sneaks off to continue her quest alone. Near the end of the same book, in the last Sansa chapter--one of the Alayne chapters--right before Petyr tells Sansa his plans to make her marry Harry the Heir, and make her the ruling lady of both Winterfell and the Eyrie, Sansa walks in on Petyr talking to three knights she's never seen before. Petyr introduces one of them as Ser Shadrich, and he has the same orange hair that the Mad Mouse did. It's the same character. He's tracked Sansa to the Eyrie, and since Sansa is currently disguised as Alayne, he may or may not realize it's her. Petyr tells Sansa he hired these knights because he decided they needed more household knights. Except this one time, Lord Littlefinger has failed to do his homework. There is someone in his household who means to betray him, and he has absolutely no idea what's coming.
Prediction/Fallout: People are not going to like my prediction here. But does anyone remember Star Wars III? Yes, I know it sucked, but bear with me. There is a scene where Mace Windu is on the verge of killing the Emperor, but then Anakin Skywalker makes the plunge and takes that step, the one there is no going back from: he kills Mace Windu to save the Emperor. I'm sad to say that I think we're looking at a similar situation. At some point, Ser Shadrich is going to learn who Sansa is, and he means to return her to King's Landing to collect his reward. Petyr Baelish is going to be caught unawares by Shadrich at some point, and he's going to be in legitimate danger of dying ...until Sansa kills Shadrich. Yes, there is a small part of Sansa that is saving Baelish because he saved her and she has no one else. But the real reason Sansa is saving Petyr is that she wants to save her fairy tale. She wants to marry the dashing Harry the Heir, to be the Lady of Winterfell and the Eyrie. And like Anakin Skywalker, she's about to embrace the Dark Side to get what she wants.
This in turn will put her affair with Petyr Baelish into full motion and she'll give him her maidenhead. Petyr means to marry her off to Harry the Heir, which will satisfy both the North and the Vale. But Petyr still wants Sansa for himself. So at some point Petyr and Sansa will remove Harry from the equation. Sansa--heir to Winterfell and the Lady of the Eyrie--will then marry Petry Baelish, who is Lord Paramount of the Trident. Petyr will then have the North, the Riverlands, and the Vale under his control ...AND he'll have Sansa. Yes, he has to do something about Sansa still technically being wedded to the Imp, but Petry has enough connections that I suspect he can see to it that this entire marriage is dissolved.
The way I look at it, Sansa is just like Tyrion, which is why their marriage was so interesting. You see, before Jaime's transformation, Tyrion was unlike the rest of his family, meaning he often had a conscience and did what was right. Sansa is also unlike her family--she is weak willed and scared. She is the only Stark who has been a pawn. Sansa isn't evil, but if she goes down the road I'm predicting, it's because she's weak, and she's taking the easy way out. She's scared and tired and doesn't know how to be a wolf. Petyr Baelish represents the easy way out.
Of course, such actions are not without consequence. Following the conclusion of episode nine of season one of Game of Thrones on HBO, I made the guess that Joffrey ordered Ned's death because Petyr Baelish convinced him to do this. For those who want to read more about this guess, skim my writeup on episode nine, until toward the bottom you reach the part where I start discussing the Baelor scene. Anyway, for walking such a dark path, at some point Sansa is going to learn that not only did her Petyr betray her father, but that he was as responsible for his death as Joffrey and Ser Ilyn Payne. I suspect Sansa will at least partially redeem herself by being the one to finally bring down the scheming Baelish, but I don't think she's going to live through the series. She's made one too many mistakes, and while GRRM has already killed two of the initial POV characters from the first book, I don't think the rest of them of them will still be alive come the end of the series. Sansa keeps learning again and again that life is no fairy tale, that it's not like the stories in the books. In the books, the princess gets her happy ending. In this story, she's going to die ...probably doing something that saves Arya's life, because Sansa was a horrible sister to her.
Decoding prophecies:
1) Cersei was told that a younger more beautiful queen shall take her place. She fears Margaery. Wrong queen, Cersei. The prophecy is referring to Dany.
2) Azor Ahai reborn: Melisandre believes it's Stannis. I'm of the opinion that it's Jon Snow. Melisandre keeps misinterpreting the prophecies, so it would be rather fitting that she's at the Wall, with the real Azor Ahai under her nose and her not realizing it. A lot of people (myself included) also think that Dany and Jon Snow will end up together. Dany is a leader of armies, the rightful Targaryen heir, and as we learn in book four, she is the prince(ss) who was promised. Jon may be the Lord Commander of the Wall, and it may be the most open secret ever among readers that his father was Rhaegar and his mother Lyanna, but he was born out of wedlock, even if both of his parents come from respectable lineage. Making Jon Azor Ahai reborn makes him a more fitting match for Dany.
3) House of Warlocks: when Dany walks through the House of Warlocks in book two, she sees a number of visions. Some have already come to pass, but a couple haven't yet. One is a vision of a dead gray man on a ship, with a sad smile on his lips. I believe that this is Coldhands, who I believe is actually Benjen Stark. We learn in book three that Coldhands can't go over the Wall ...hence he must sail around it. The sad smile on his lips is because this is still ultimately going to mean the end of him. Dany also glimpses a blue flower growing from an ice wall. I suspect this will be the one of the last things that happens in the series, possibly the last thing. The final book is called A Dream of Spring. Come the end of the book I expect the Others will have been overthrown, along with their terrible winter. I imagine the flower will be growing from the Wall, because spring is coming. And the flower is growing from the Wall because the Wall itself is no longer needed.
4) Volonqar: Cersei is supposed to die at the hands of the volaqar, which in Valyrian means little brother. She thinks this means Tyrion. Once again she's wrong. It's Jaime. They're twins, but Cersei was born first. The irony that Jaime will become a queenslayer and a kinslayer as well but that we'll still be rooting for him is awesome.
Other Predictions:
1) Come the end of this series, the Frey line will have been wiped out from existence, something that seemed impossible given all of Walder Frey's sons.
2) Theon: He's not wholly evil. His love for Robb Stark proves that. But he betrayed the family that showed him more love than his own. He did it because he believed he had to, because there was no other choice to claim what he believed was his birthright. It doesn't excuse his actions, but he wasn't motivated by evil. For that he needs to pay, which is why he's going to be suffering at the hands of Ramsay Bolton. No doubt a good chunk of his skin (if not all of it) has been flayed since the last time we saw him. But he's going to redeem himself. How? Ramsay Bolton is still looking for Bran and Rickon. Bran is beyond his reach. But I suspect Rickon is somewhere in the North, and Ramsay is going to find him. Theon is going to save little Rickon from death, at the cost of his own life. Saving the cute little kid will be enough to redeem Theon. I suspect Theon will be the one who kills Ramsay.
3) Asha: Asha Greyjoy was the only Greyjoy who wanted nothing but peace at the Kingsmoot. Euron may have the dragon horn, and it may even enslave the dragons for a time, but he won't keep them. He's set the Iron Islands on the path to near decimation. Victarrion is little better, as he cares about nothing but revenge against his brother. Aeron Damphair is not fit to lead anyone. When it's all said and done, and the Iron Islands has to pick up the scraps and try to be rebuild, Asha will be their leader. The other Greyjoys will be dead. If I were to guess where Asha's going now (recall that she fled in book four after Euron became king), well, the next book is called A Dance with Dragons. When in doubt, assume they're heading toward the dragons!
4) The other two riders of the dragons: I'd image Jon Snow is one. He has Targaryen blood, after all. I'll guess that the other is Bran Stark. After all, he's the winged wolf, and can actually slip inside a dragon's skin if he wants to (a good way to combat the dragon horn, perhaps). And other than Dany, I can't imagine anyone who would appreciate riding on the back of a dragon more than Bran. He'll probably be the representative for the children of the forest as well, and I guess he'll be speaking on their behalf to Dany after she brings her armies to the Seven Kingdoms and establishes herself as queen.
5) Tyrion: come the end of the series ...can you say the Lord of Casterly Rock?
6) Varys & Dorne: He's so hard to figure out, but if I were to guess, I suspect he's serving House Martell. Varys has that scene with Ilyrio Mopatis in the first book while Arya eavesdrops. Ilyrio meanwhile brokered the marriage between Dany and Khal Drogo. We learn in book four that Prince Doran planned on marrying Arianne to Prince Viserys. However, we also learned that Dorne is the least populated of the Seven Kingdoms. However, if Viserys were to marry Arianne, it would renew the alliance between House Targaryen and House Martell. And if Khal Drogo were to cross the Narrow Sea, backed by 40,000 dothraki warriors while married to a Targaryn princess ...well, add their might to Dorne when they declare for Viserys, throw in whatever loyalists cast their lot with Dorne and Drogo when the Targaryens return. But Viserys screwed everything up because he lost patience and demanded his "crown of gold."
So now Prince Doran has to change his plans. I suspect his son Quentyn was originally meant to rule over Dorne while his sister ruled the Seven Kingdoms as Queen, but thanks to "the crown of gold" and Arianne's ignorant meddling, he's changing his plans on the fly. Quentyn will now be on his way to Dany, with the hopes of sealing a marriage alliance between he and Dany. Her armies can then join to Dorne's upon her return to Westeros.
But while all of this was going on, Dorne needed someone to keep them informed of what's going on in King's Landing. Time and again, Varys has said he serves the realm. I think he's a loyalist with ties to the Targaryens. As to Ilyrio, I suspect this is a powerful overseas connection that Doran has forged, someone he expects to count on when he exacts his revenge.
This is a very tenuous prediction, but come the end of the series I do suspect that Dorne will be in excellent shape. To date, they haven't lost any of their armies. They're as far from the Wall as you can get, which means the Others will reach them last, and that winter will visit their lands last of all. When Dany crosses the ocean, I suspect that no matter what they'll side with her, so they don't have to worry about her either. They don't get along with the Tyrells, but right now the Tyrells are far more concerned with the Iron Throne and the raids from the Iron Islands, meaning they're not concerning themselves overly much with their ancient enemies to the south. So when the dust settles, I suspect that whether Dany marries Quentyn or not, Dorne will be one of the lands in Westeros in better shape.
Uncle Gerion: He was mentioned as one of Tywin's younger brothers who disappeared years ago to search for the family's lost Valyrian sword. He was mentioned several times, and he was mentioned as Tyrion's favorite uncle. Now that Tyrion is across the Narrow Sea, at some point I expect his path will cross with Uncle Gerion.
Rickon: I don't know what GRRM has in store for him during the series, but if I were to put all my chips on the one character I don't think is going to die, it would be Rickon. Bran can't inherit Winterfell as he might not be able to reproduce anymore and he's a warg besides. His is a magical destiny. Jon Snow already had the chance to become Jon Stark Lord of Winterfell in book three and he declined. That's not going to change. Sansa doesn't deserve Winterfell. Arya wouldn't want to be the Lady of Winterfell. Robb's wife was poisoned each day by her mother to ensure she never conceived. That leaves Rickon to be the Lord of Winterfell and continue the Stark line. I refuse to believe the Stark line will come to an end, and I expect Winterfell will rise again. So Rickon is the natural choice, and while there are a number of characters I expect to be alive at the end, Rickon is my # 1 bet. And as Lord of Winterfell, it will mean that the baby of the family is finally starting to grow up.
Jaime: I hate to say it, but he should die. Not because I want him to, but his death will be amazing. The character you love to hate loses his hand, becomes a character you love to root for, and learns to fight with his other hand? He's on his way to a very memorable and HONORABLE death.
Roose Bolton: Death by flaying?
Jorah Mormont: The man has nothing to live for. Now that he's been banished by Dany, I suspect he's going to once again forsake his honor and betray her to one of her enemies. Maybe he'll eventually rediscover his honor by taking up his father's blade (Jon was never comfortable with it) to help fight the Others. But time and again, this man has forfeited his honor. He's forgotten what it means.
Brienne: To spare Pod's life, she screamed "Sword!" to Stoneheart, thus agreeing to slay Jaime Lannister. If she and Jaime do cross swords again, it's going to be a hell of a fight.
Jojen Reed: Is going to die. He always insists that all the green dreams come true, and each time he does his sister becomes unreasonably upset.
The traitor in Arianne's company: Areo Hotah says, "Someone told. Someone always tells." I suspect the traitor is her milk brother, Garin, one of the orphans of the Greenblod. However, I suspect Garin is an unintentional traitor. It's casually mentioned in book four that he's a huge gossip. I suspect he blabbed about Arianne's plot before they carried it out, and word found its way back to Doran.
Big Questions:
--I don't think for a moment that Stannis will be alive at the end of the series, but he will at some point find his heart? His tenderness?
--What's up with Jalabar Xho? He's been around since the first book, always a presence at court. Other characters who have been a presence at court have all played a role in the story: Balon Swann became a Kingsguard, Lord Rosby became Master of Coin before her death, Lady Tanda and her family entangled with Bronn ...but so far nothing has happened with Jalabhar Xho. We know he's an exiled prince. Will this come into play at some point? Perhaps he'll bring his people to Westeos to help fight the Others?
--How much do Petyr, Varys, and Ilyrio know? They strike me as the three most informed characters in the drama that is playing out. If they're as informed as they seem, do they know about what's going on beyond the Wall? Could all their self-serving schemes and consolidation power plays be made with one eye toward the Wall as well?
--What's going on with the Golden Company? They're mentioned again and again in book four in the Free Cities, and we learn they broke their contract, which is unheard of. As they're called the GOLDEN Company, I suspect Tyrion Lannister might have a hand in this.
--Will Dany accept Marwyn as her maester? Probably. But what will he advise?
--What will the other maesters do when they learn that the dragons are back? Do they dare set themselves against Dany when the realm needs her to save them from the Others?
--Who is going to stop the Church? Maybe no one. They might just be a force to be reckoned with until the Others come on the scene.
--What's going to happen to Loras Tyrell? I don't for a moment believe he's going to die off the page from the injuries he suffered in storming Dragonstone.
--What will Melisandre do when she learns that she's misinterpreted the prophecies?
--If/when the dragons are enslaved by the dragon horn, wow will Dany get them back?
--It's been mentioned that Lord Celtigar has a horn on his island that can summon krakens. Will this come into play at some point? If it works, that's a pretty big game-changer.
--What happens when Arya and Jaqen Hagar have their reunion?
--What happens when Stoneheart sees her children again?
--Will the Starks and the Karstarks ever reconcile?
--Is Davos really dead? I suspect not. I suspect the folks at White Harbor chopped off the fingertips of someone else to make the Lannisters believe it's Davos so they can get their heir back. I sure hope so. They seemed pretty loyal to the Starks. I didn't think they'd swear fealty to the crown so easily.
--Where will Brynden Tully go?
--Does Robb's widow still have a role to play?
--Will we ever learn what the Doom was? I don't think it's essential that we know, but I am curious.
--I know who the Pate the pig boy is after it was pointed out to me (sneaky!), but what is he planning?
--Based on one of GRRM's LJ posts and word on the e-street, it's easy to figure out who three of the four new pov characters are in the next book ...but who is the fourth?
And while there are more questions I could ask, this might have become my longest LJ post again. I won't be seeing the final episode of Game of Thrones season 1 until about a week after it airs. I'll write up a post on that too once I see it. And after that ...I wait to dance!
ETA: One hilarious tidbit I forgot to mention: I picked up on a running gag GRRM has going in the Dunk & Egg novellas. In all three stories, Dunk has found himself at one point fighting another warrior in close combat. Each time, Egg yells out the exact same thing: "Get him, ser. Get him, get him, he's right there." It's always when the combat is going poorly for Dunk, and he's in trouble. When I read this again in "The Mystery Knight," the third novella, I burst out laughing. These stories are a lot more lighthearted than the main series, but they're still enjoyable, especially the first one.