A Dance with Dragons-Chapter 24

From A Wiki of Ice and Fire
Jump to: navigation, search
The Lost Lord
A Dance with Dragons chapter
ADanceWithDragons.jpg
POV Jon Connington
Place Volon Therys
Page 306 UK HC (Other versions)
Chapter chronology (All)
Daenerys IV  ← The Lost Lord →  The Windblown
↓
The Griffin Reborn

Synopsis

After the disappearance of Tyrion Lannister,[1] Lord Jon Connington decided to continue their route to Volon Therys. There, the former lord of Griffin's Roost, Haldon and Prince Aegon arrive at the camp of the mercenary Golden Company to meet their officers.

On their way, the man called Griff recalls memories of the time when he served with the mercenaries himself - the Golden Company was founded by former combatants and knights of the Seven Kingdoms who were defeated in the Blackfyre Rebellion. Jon Connington joined the Golden Company after his own defeat at the Battle of the Bells, at Stoney Sept, when he failed to capture the then-rebel Robert Baratheon, seventeen years ago. It is revealed that Connington was dismissed from the Golden Company for ostensibly stealing from their war chest, but in reality left their service as part of a plan staged by Lord Varys to make his ignominious dismissal more forgettable. The Company was previously led by Connington's close friend Toyne but now it is led by "Homeless" Harry Strickland, a man skilled in negotiating lucrative contracts but cowardly facing combat, in the eyes of Connington.

After presenting the young Griff as Prince Aegon Targaryen, son of the late Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, to the highest-ranking members of the Company, the officers, including Connington, voice their lack of enthusiasm for the complicated situation. They did not anticipate that Daenerys would decide to remain in Meereen instead of marching out to meet her enemies and joining with them. Strickland reveals that the Golden Company has received a large number of alternative offers, including some which would involve them joining the coalition currently arrayed against Daenerys Targaryen. They also bemoan the constantly-changing plans of Illyrio Mopatis and Varys, who did not anticipate Viserys Targaryen's death or that Daenerys would go to Slaver's Bay rather than Westeros. Seeing their disillusionment and an opportunity to claim the Iron Throne for his own, Prince Aegon offers them an alternative, earlier proposed by Tyrion: He does not wish to try to rally Daenerys and her dragons, but instead to sail to Westeros with the hope of obtaining support from Dorne in accordance with Doran Martell's own plan for avenging Princess Elia Martell. Aegeon reasons that once he and the Golden Company have begun the rebellion, Daenerys will cross the Narrow Sea to join him. This proposal is met with great enthusiasm from the officers, except Harry Strickland, who nevertheless has no choice but to comply.

Once agreed on the new plan, Aegon is taken on a tour of the mercenary camp. Connington retires to his quarters, satisfied with the new situation and impressed with a side of Aegon he has not previously seen. He hopes to return home to the castle of his ancestors and repay his debt to his old friend Rhaegar. It is then revealed that he is slowly succumbing to greyscale (presumably acquired during the attack by the Stone Men[2]), which is beginning to spread in his hand - he hopes that he will live several more years to see his ward sit the Iron Throne.

Character List

Places and terms mentioned

References and Notes

  1. ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 22, Tyrion VI.
  2. ↑ Between Chapter 18 (Tyrion V) and Chapter 22 (Tyrion VI)
Retrieved from "https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=A_Dance_with_Dragons-Chapter_24&oldid=265925"