Editing A Feast for Crows (section)

== Plot summary ==
{{Main|Chapters#A Feast for Crows{{!}}Chapter Summaries}}

''A Feast for Crows'' picks up the tale where ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' leaves off and runs simultaneously with events in the following novel, ''[[A Dance with Dragons]]''. The [[War of the Five Kings]] seems to be winding down. [[Robb Stark]], [[Joffrey Baratheon]], [[Renly Baratheon]], and [[Balon Greyjoy]] are dead. King [[Stannis Baratheon]] has fled to the [[Wall]], where [[Jon Snow]] has become Lord Commander. King [[Tommen Baratheon]], Joffrey's eight-year-old brother, now rules in King's Landing under the watchful eye of his mother, the Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]]. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] is dead, murdered by his son [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] in his flight from the city. [[Sansa Stark]] is in hiding in the Vale, protected by [[Petyr Baelish]] who has murdered his wife [[Lysa Arryn]] and named himself Protector of the Vale and guardian of eight-year-old Lord [[Robert Arryn]]. 

The novel spans several months of the year {{Date|300}}. 

===In King's Landing===
In the city of [[King's Landing]], the funeral of [[Tywin Lannister]] is held. To [[Cersei Lannister]]'s distaste, Lord [[Mace Tyrell]] tries to use the occasion to put himself forward for the position of [[Hand of the King]] and his uncle, [[Garth Tyrell]], installed on the [[small council]]. Cersei rebuffs him and asks her uncle [[Kevan Lannister|Kevan]] to serve as Hand. Kevan says he will accept only if Cersei steps down as [[Regent]] and returns to [[Casterly Rock]] as Tywin's heir. Cersei furiously refuses him and Kevan leaves to help his son [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]] rule his new castle of [[Darry]] in the [[riverlands]]. Eventually, she names the biddable [[Harys Swyft]] as Hand and fills the rest of the small council with her minions, including [[Gyles Rosby]] as master of coin, the sellsail [[Aurane Waters]] as grand admiral, and the disgraced ex-maester [[Qyburn]] as master of whisperers. 

The [[Redwyne fleet]] sails from the [[Arbor]] to [[Dragonstone]] and that castle is put under siege, whilst Mace Tyrell leads his army south to invest [[Storm's End]] and end the pretensions of Stannis's loyalists in the south once and for all. Cersei has the [[High Septon (Tyrion's)|High Septon]] murdered by [[Osney Kettleblack]] so that he can be replaced by someone loyal to her, but the newcomer turns out to be the [[High Sparrow]], a zealous martinet who has the support of the war-refugees that now throng in the city. He offers to speed up Tommen's coronation and forgive the crown its debts to the Faith if Cersei will restore the [[Faith Militant]]. Cersei agrees, to the horror of Grand Maester [[Pycelle]]. 

The [[ironborn]] strike hard along the coast of the Reach, conquering the Shield Islands and virtually blockading the mouth of the [[Honeywine]] and the route into Oldtown. Furious, [[Margaery Tyrell]] and her brother [[Loras Tyrell|Loras]] ask Cersei for aid, but Cersei is reluctant to give it. She gives permission for Lord [[Paxter Redwyne]] to take his fleet home and destroy the ironborn, but only once the [[siege of Dragonstone]] is complete. Loras leads an assault on the castle and takes it, but is reported grievously injured in the process. Margaery's protestations vex Cersei, causing her to doubt her future role as Tommen's wife. She conceives a plan to ruin Margaery by framing her to the [[Faith of the Seven]] for sleeping with Osney. Unfortunately the plan backfires when the new High Septon has the knight scourged to ensure the truth of the matter, and he confesses about Cersei's many improprieties as well. The Faith arrests both Cersei and Margaery. Kevan Lannister is recalled to take over as Regent and Hand. Cersei's summons for Jaime to return and defend her go unanswered. Mace Tyrell lifts the siege of Storm's End barely weeks after it began to race back to the capital and learn the fate of his daughter, whilst Randyll Tarly marches on the city from the north. Meanwhile, Aurane Waters absconds with [[Cersei's dromonds]]. 

===In the narrow sea===
At the [[Wall]], [[Samwell Tarly]] receives a new mission from Jon Snow. He is to take Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] back to the Citadel in [[Oldtown]] by sea and research the [[Others]] in the archives there. The information may be essential in a possible war to come. The [[wildling]] girl [[Gilly]] and the singer [[Dareon]] will accompany them as well. Jon is busy rebuilding the [[Night's Watch]] following the [[attack on Castle Black]] and the [[battle beneath the Wall]], and is concerned over [[Melisandre]]'s plans to burn the captive [[Mance Rayder]] in an attempt to resurrect stone dragons. Sam, Aemon, and Gilly take ship across the [[narrow sea]] for the [[Free Cities|Free City]] of [[Braavos]], but Aemon's health begins to fail him. Gilly cries throughout the journey, and Aemon reveals that she was forced to swap her baby with Mance's at the Wall (again to avoid Melisandre's fires). In Braavos, Aemon's health takes a turn for the worse and they miss the ship that was supposed to take them south. Dareon makes money singing, but constantly spends it on wine and prostitutes, leaving the group stranded. Dareon also hears rumors in the city of a three-headed dragon in [[Meereen]]. After Sam violently confronts Dareon, he meets a [[Summer Isles|Summer Islander]] who saw [[Daenerys Targaryen]]'s dragons in [[Qarth]]. Aemon comes to believe that Daenerys fulfills the prophecy of [[the prince that was promised]], reasoning that the wording of the prophesy did not specify the gender of the leader. He resolves to travel to Meereen, and the Summer Islanders agree to take them south to Oldtown as part of the journey. At sea, Aemon dies of natural causes. His last instructions to Sam are to tell the maesters of the Citadel what has happened and make them understand they must send aid to Daenerys. Gilly and Sam become lovers along the way. 

===In the crownlands and riverlands===
[[Brienne of Tarth]] continues her quest to find [[Sansa Stark]]. She is found by [[Podrick Payne]], Tyrion's former squire, and agrees to let him accompany her. They pass north through the town of [[Duskendale]], where they encounter the Tyrell army under Lord [[Randyll Tarly]] and are joined by an old acquaintance of Brienne, Ser [[Hyle Hunt]]. Brienne's explorations take her along [[Crackclaw Point]], where she kills several of the now-scattered [[Bloody Mummers]], and to the [[Quiet Isle]] in the estuary of the [[Trident]]. The [[Elder Brother (Quiet Isle)|Elder Brother]] of the septry tells her that he found [[Sandor Clegane]] dying under a tree and learned that he had been with [[Arya Stark]], who fled towards the coast. Brienne's pursuit takes her to [[Maidenpool]] and [[Saltpans]], but she can find no sign of Arya. Her group runs across the remnants of the [[brotherhood without banners]], who take her captive at the [[crossroads inn]] after she fights more Bloody Mummers. [[Thoros of Myr]] tells her that [[Beric Dondarrion]] died, giving up his borrowed life to save another. They take her to the undead Catelyn Stark, who is now called Lady Stoneheart. Catelyn believes that Brienne has betrayed her by allowing Jaime to go free without returning with her daughters. She offers Brienne a chance to redeem herself by killing Jaime; when Brienne refuses, Stoneheart orders her, Podrick, and Hyle hanged. As they dangle on the noose, Brienne screams a word.

Jaime departs King's Landing to help end the [[siege of Riverrun]], where the [[House Frey|Frey]] and [[House Lannister|Lannister]] besiegers are still defied by the castle's castellan, Ser [[Brynden Tully]]. Each day Ser [[Ryman Frey]] threatens to hang the Blackfish's nephew, the captive Lord [[Edmure Tully]], and Brynden refuses Jaime's terms of surrender. Jaime cuts Edmure down and negotiates a surrender with him, as he is the true lord of the castle. Edmure is returned to Riverrun, but he delays his surrender for half a day, allowing his uncle to slip out one of Riverrun's water gates, past the Lannister siege. Furious, Jaime has Edmure sent under heavy guard to Casterly Rock. [[Emmon Frey]] takes his appointed place as [[Lord of Riverrun]]. Shortly after the siege has ended, snowflakes start falling across the riverlands. Winter has come. Jaime realizes that there will be no time for another harvest. The Seven Kingdoms will suffer harshly in what is to come.

===In the Vale===
In the [[Eyrie]], [[Petyr Baelish]] is confronted by several of the lords of the [[Vale of Arryn|Vale]], who are unhappy with him becoming their de facto ruler after the death of Lady [[Lysa Arryn]]. One of the [[Lords Declarant]], whom Littlefinger bribed ahead of time, breaks custom by baring [[Lady Forlorn]] during the meeting. Littlefinger uses the insult to turn the tables on the lords, who eventually allow him to remain [[Lord Protector of the Eyrie and the Vale of Arryn|Lord Protector]] of little Lord [[Robert Arryn]] for the next year. Afterwards, Littlefinger discusses the deception with Sansa (who is posing as his bastard daughter, Alayne Stone) and is impressed at how quickly she picks up on the subtleties of his scheme. He reveals to her that if something should happen to little Robert, the Eyrie will pass to [[Harrold Hardyng]], a distant nephew of the house, and if Harry and Sansa were to wed, that would give her an army with which to reclaim Winterfell. Whilst Sansa thinks on this, the weather is worsening, a sure sign that winter is almost upon the Seven Kingdoms, and the household of the Eyrie move to the [[Gates of the Moon]] at the base of the [[Giant's Lance]]. During the move Sansa befriends [[Mya Stone]], one of the late King [[Robert I Baratheon]]'s bastard daughters. Sansa also becomes a new mother figure for sickly Robert Arryn. 

===In Oldtown===
In the city of [[Oldtown]], a young [[Maesters|novice of the Citadel]] named [[Pate (novice)|Pate]] steals a master key from Archmaester [[Walgrave]] and sells it to a mysterious man calling himself the [[Alchemist]]. Shortly after receiving his payment, Pate collapses in the street. 

Sam's ship reaches Oldtown, barely evading the ironborn reavers. They learn that the ironborn have raided and seized territories on the [[Arbor]] and failed an attempt to burn the city harbor of Oldtown. Sam goes to the Citadel, but is intercepted by Archmaester [[Marwyn]]. Marwyn reveals that the other archmaesters will not be impressed or moved by Sam's revelations about Daenerys. When Sam asks how Marwyn knows that he was coming, Marwyn reveals that the Citadel has some of the ancient Valyrian obsidian candles, through which they could see things from afar. Marwyn states that nearly two centuries ago the maesters helped kill the last of the dragons to rid the world of magic forever, but now it is returning. Marwyn departs immediately for Slaver's Bay, telling Sam to study hard and fast, for the Wall will need his services. Sam is left in the company of two students, [[Alleras]] and a boy named Pate.

=== In Braavos ===
[[Arya Stark]] finds her way to the [[House of Black and White]], a temple to the [[Many-Faced God]] in [[Braavos]]. There Arya is inducted into the ranks of the [[Faceless Men]] as a novice. She learns that the Faceless Men are not simply a band of skilled assassins, but also a religious sect dating long before the [[Doom of Valyria]]. They consider their assassinations to be holy sacraments to their god of death. As Faceless Men must have no true identity, Arya assumes the role of 'Cat of the Canals' and becomes a familiar sight on the streets of the city. However, her old identity occasionally slips through. She hides her sword [[Needle]] rather than discarding it and later kills Dareon for forsaking his vows to the Night's Watch. The priests of the House of Black and White strike her blind by some means, but it is unclear whether this is part of her training or punishment for her transgressions. 

=== On the Iron Islands ===
Following the death of King [[Balon Greyjoy]], a [[kingsmoot]] is summoned by [[Aeron Greyjoy|Aeron Damphair]], Balon's youngest brother and the most respected [[priest of the Drowned God]]. With [[Theon Greyjoy]] a prisoner of the [[House Bolton|Boltons]] at the [[Dreadfort]], the strongest candidates are Balon's brothers [[Victarion Greyjoy|Victarion]] and [[Euron Greyjoy|Euron Crow's Eye]], who has just returned from reaving in the east. [[Asha Greyjoy]], Balon's daughter, also tries to claim the [[Seastone Chair]] in spite of her sex. The [[kingsmoot on Old Wyk]] is deadlocked between the three until Euron reveals his plan to seize control of Daenerys's dragons through the use of magic and so rule Westeros. The moot crowns Euron king, and Asha disappears with her ship northwards. Aeron, who considers Euron ungodly, also leaves to gain popular support against him. 

Euron launches an ambitious campaign against the [[Reach]], sending ships under his brother Victarion to conquer the [[taking of the Shields|Shield Islands]] and raid the coast. Initial appetites for plunder are sated by the raids in [[Westeros]], however, and support for Euron's trip across the [[narrow sea]] and his hold over the ironmen dwindle. He realizes that he must remain and consolidate his control. Victarion agrees to go to [[Slaver's Bay]] and deliver Euron's marriage proposal to Daenerys. However, Victarion hates Euron for sleeping with [[Victarion Greyjoy's third wife|his third wife]] and decides to get revenge by courting Daenerys himself.

=== In Dorne ===
In [[Sunspear]], the capital of [[Dorne]], news is received of the death of [[Oberyn Martell]] at the hands of [[Gregor Clegane]], although Gregor was mortally wounded in the same battle. Oberyn's bastard daughters, the [[Sand Snakes]], demand various plans for vengeance, including attacking Oldtown and raiding the Reach. Prince Doran Martell has them locked up to prevent them from doing anything too precipitous, and sends word to King's Landing confirming his loyalty. His eldest daughter and heir (due to Dorne's equal primogeniture), [[Arianne Martell|Arianne]] is disgusted with her father's weakness and suspicious that her father would prefer to supplant her with her brother [[Quentyn Martell|Quentyn]], who she learns has vanished eastwards on unknown business. Princess [[Myrcella Baratheon]], elder sister to King Tommen, is in Sunspear, as she has been betrothed to [[Trystane Martell]], and Arianne hatches a plan to crown Myrcella Queen of the Seven Kingdoms according to Dornish law and reignite the war. Her attempts are thwarted, however. Ser Arys Oakheart, the [[Kingsguard]] guarding Myrcella, is killed in a melee and Myrcella is injured. Arianne is imprisoned for her actions. 

Prince Doran finally lets his daughter visit him and learns of her grievances. He explains that whilst he had intended Quentyn to follow him as Prince of Dorne, he had a greater role in mind for Arianne: she was to have become Queen of all Westeros. Arianne is confused, but learns that Doran planned to wed her to [[Viserys Targaryen]], but [[secret marriage pact|that plan]] was thwarted when Khal [[Drogo]] killed Viserys. Now the plan has changed. Quentyn is on his way to Slaver's Bay to find and win the heart's desire of House Martell: "[[House Targaryen|fire and blood]]."