A Song of Ice and Fire - A Chapter a day discussion

1-Margaery Tyrell sent Sansa an invitation, and at this point and after all she went through, Sansa is not so sure about it. She thinks the queen to be might have sent it to measure her, or maybe she thinks Sansa bears her ill will. But she also wonders if Joffrey is behind it, but also could be just a kind invitation. But it’s so hard to know, she doesn’t know this family and in King’s Landing she learned to mistrust everyone, which is good. I was kinda scared for her at first.

2-Sansa saw Margaery arrived, a beautiful girl with brown eyes and hair, which I didn’t remember and the show confused me. She could see how Margaery was cheered by the same people who pulled her out of her horse, even though she didn’t do anything to them. And it’s unfair, but people saw her as one more of the rich people who got to eat, and with the Tyrells giving food in her name, it’s not so difficult to think why they love her and cheered so much.

3-She wished Sandor was there, and I forgot she kept his cloak, which is cute. She accepted the invitation, and Ser Loras went to escort her. Sansa told Loras he looked lovely, which is something you usually told a girl, and I found it kind of funny. Loras had brown eyes like his sister, and besides her, their grandmother would be there as well. Lady Olenna, or the Queen of Thorns as she is called. Clearly Sansa still thinks Loras is perfect, with all the descriptions she gaves and his warmest smile and all. I still don’t know how I feel about Loras, I don’t like him especially, but I don’t hate him either.

4-Sansa sees men training, and I really liked what she thought ”They have scarcely finished burying the dead from the last battle, and already they are practicing for the next one. “. Garlan, Loras’s brother was there, and I forgot he practiced with 3-4 men, which is really impressive and practical.

5-Sansa mentions the tourney, and the red rose, and how Loras said no victory was half as beautiful as she was. She could tell he didn’t remember, and she was so sure it meant everything. This is really sad, she seemed more attached to him than I remembered. She said it was after Loras unhorsed Robar Royce, and he answered he killed him in Storm’s End, and his tone changed. Sansa said it must have been really hard for his sister, which makes sense to say, but Loras had a sharp tone when he replied, and his voice wasn’t warm anymore. I thought he really admired Renly the first time, but honestly I didn’t notice more. He was really angry Renly died, but I didn’t feel it was more between them, like the show hints.

6-I forgot Mace was in the royal sept, called Maidenvault before, and the story of Baelor the Blessed and his sisters. This Baelor calls my attention, there’s not a lot about him, and I’d like to know more about his story. Anyway, they see Olenna’s personal guard, brothers called Erryk and Arryk, and Lady Olenna calls them left and right because she can’t tell them apart. I alredy like her.

7-Margaery’s first impression was a good one, she seems really sweet. Her mother and a lot of cousins were there, plus a woman named Merry, a Myrish beauty. Lady Olenna herself looked kind of fragile, but as soon as she talks you can tell why she’s called the Queen of Thorns. I have to say, I love this woman, she just doesn’t give a shit about who’s listening what she says. She told Sansa she knew Rickard, and knew Hoster was dying. I wonder if Sansa knew he was, but she was not surprised, so I guess she did.

8-Lady Olenna told Sansa she thought supporting Renly was treason, he didn’t have a claim to the throne. The Tyrells have never been in the throne, which I forgot. Lol at Olenna calling her son Lord Puff Fish. I got the idea she doesn’t think highly of him.

9-Varys told Olenna Sansa liked lemon cakes, so they had them there. So, Varys talks to her it seems. They had their own fool it seems, named Butterbumps. She asked Sansa if she knew her son, who is an oaf according to her, lol. Her husband was too, but she loved him. I wonder how she shows love, she’s so sharp at times. But I like she seems honest. It surprised me she told Sansa to beat her son if she had one, she didn’t beat Mace and he paid her no mind. When Olenna said this: ”All these kings would do a deal better if they would put down their swords and listen to their mothers.” she reminded me of Catelyn.

10-Lady Olenna asked Sansa about Joffrey, and she freaks out. She wanted the truth about him, wanted to know if he ever mistreated Sansa. She said no harm would come to her if she tells the truth, but I had my doubts. We barely know this family at this point, and she asked directly. Sansa started talking, maybe without thinking too much, about Joffrey’s mercy when he ordered her father killed. I was really scared for her at this point.

11-Margaery was listening too, but Sansa didn’t know how much she heard. Lady Olenna told the fool to sing, so they could speak. It seems she knows the walls have ears, and Sansa was worried Varys might hear, so Olenna told the fool to sing louder. I liked the song, lol. For the way she said it, Olenna might know Joffrey is pure Lannister, she must have heard it after all. Sansa went for it, and told Joffrey was a monster, as cruel and evil as Cersei. She was telling a dangerous truth, but Olenna said it was a pity, like she didn’t care too much. Sansa is worried they stop the weeding now, Joffrey would know it was here. But Margaery will marry, which made me think Olenna wouldn’t stay there and just watch. The old woman thanked Sansa for the truth, she probably noticed how hard it was for Sansa to say it out loud.

12-Margaery invited her to Highgarden, and it sounds beautiful, and said she might not have to leave, and Olenna hushed her. Sansa said Cersei will never let her go, and Olenna said she will if Mace asked her, because they need them. But I’m not to sure if she would agree, she’s a hostage and they are at war after all.

13-Olenna said she could marry her grandson, and she only thinks about Loras, and is excited with the idea. Margaery tells her she would love to have a sister, she only had brothers. But Olenna told her Loras is part of the Kingsguard, and they can’t marry. I bet Sansa knew this, she was just too excited to remember.

14-She was supposed to marry Willas, the heir of Highgarden and a cripple, who was no knight. Olenna said he was a cripple because of Oberyn Martell, which I forgot. Margaery said she will love Willas as much as they love him, and he’s a good man, a little older, but I don’t remember how much older. Olenna told her she will take her to Highgarden after the wedding, when she gets back. A part of me likes they are trying to protect Sansa, or at least it seems so, but another doesn’t like at all they just told her she will marry this guy she doesn’t know, and don’t even ask her. She doesn’t have too many options, but there’s also Dontos’s friend, and I don’t remember what she thinks of this marriage.

Your point 3, I don't know how I feel about Loras Tyrell either. To me, he seems like a younger version of Jaime Lannister, who is still young and thinks he's invincible.

Your point 10, I remember having my doubts about that family as well when I first read this. But by the end of this chapter they warmed up to me. I didn't know what to think when Margaery said she was still going to marry Joffrey after she heard how horrible he is. I kind of felt bad for Margaery, but now she knows what she's getting herself into.

Your point 14, I didn't get the impression they were commanding Sansa to marry him. I think they were only asking how she'd like to marry him and get out of King's Landing for good, have Tyrell babies and stuff, lol. Of course Sansa likes the idea so she's not against it at all, and this Willas seems loads better than Joffrey. She could learn to love him. I thought the Tyrells were very kind to her, mostly so they could ally with the North and take over the Lannisters. I'll bet this Willas was having trouble finding a wife who would marry a cripple, but Sansa is known as the daughter of a traitor, so she doesn't have very many options herself.

1. Sansa receives a dinner invitation by Margaery Tyrell and is paranoid over why she would invite a traitor’s daughter. If I hadn’t read the series before, I would agree with Sansa; I’d think it is out of curiosity, to inquire about her future husband, and to be polite. At this point Margaery is already in the capital. We’ve briefly met her before when Renly was married to her, but she didn’t say much then. She is 16, older than Joffrey, but I guess that’s not a big deal.

2. Sansa seems to resent the fact that the same common folk who tried to kill her in the riot are now cheering for Margaery, even though she didn’t personally hand out any food any more than Sansa did anything to piss them off.

3. So the Hound did try to take Sansa away from the Red Keep, but she refused him. Now she questions the wisdom in that. I like that she kept Sandor’s white cloak. She doesn’t think he was being craven; she knows his secret, that he’s afraid of fire. It’s understandable he couldn’t handle the wildfire. I think he meant a lot to her.

4. Sansa accepts the invitation and later is escorted by Ser Loras, Margaery’s brother. Sansa still has a crush on him, lol. He gave Sansa the red rose, crowning her queen of love and beauty at the Hand’s tourney for her father; although, now that I think on it, he could have done that just to honor Ned Stark. Loras says their grandmother will be with them as well. Her name is Lady Olenna, aka The Queen of Thorns. That doesn’t sound so pleasant, but a rosebush is not without its thorns I guess. Loras says it wouldn’t be wise to call her that to her face, though, laughing. Man, she’s got it bad for him.

5. As they are heading toward Maegor’s Holdfast they see the inner yard is full of men training up for the next big battle. Among them is Janos Slynt’s son, Morros, who is only a squire and getting quite the beating from Ser Osfryd Kettleblack. I wonder how he feels about his father being sent to the Wall. Another is Loras’s older brother, Ser Garlan, who likes to train against three to four men at once. I believe Jon likes training against multiple opponents as well.

6. Sansa speaks of the Hand’s tourney and realizes Loras doesn’t remember giving her the red rose but is still courteous toward her. She really wanted it to mean something, awe. Loras sadly explains he killed Ser Robar Royce at Storm’s End, the very knight he unhorsed at the tourney to win the lancing tournament. And he doesn’t even want to talk of Renly’s death, so he definitely meant something to him. Discussing it takes the warmth out of him; he won’t even hold her arm anymore. Sansa thinks he’s angry with her now.

7. The Tyrells are housed behind the royal sept in a keep called the Maidenvault, so named because that’s where King Baelor the Blessed locked his sisters up so he couldn’t be tempted by the sight of them, damn. Puts a stain on my opinion of that guy. Lady Olenna’s guards are very tall and intimidating; they are named Erryk and Arryk, twins. She calls them Left and Right because she can’t recall who’s who, lol.

8. Sansa meets Margaery, who seems genuinely pleased to meet her. There are a dozen ladies at the dinner table already when she arrives, most are family and friends. Lady Alerie is Margaery’s mother, Lord Mace’s wife. Lady Olenna sounds kind enough to me, just a blunt and honest woman. She seems to genuinely sympathize for Sansa’s losses, which is a big deal, seeing as her father is considered a traitor and the Stark name is slandered all over the capital.

9. Lady Olenna calls the Baratheons queer and says it comes from their Targaryen blood. She once had the opportunity to marry a Targaryen but refused, interesting. She doesn’t seem to be a Targ supporter. Margaery defends Lord Renly’s honor but her grandmother is not persuaded. She is a heavily opinionated woman, and old, so she can get away with it, lol. The part where Renly’s claiming to be king before his older brother is treason sounds about right to me, as far as the law is concerned. She explains to Sansa that most lords these days had kings for ancestors, except the Tyrells. They were stewards to the rightful kings of Highgarden up until Aegon the Conqueror killed them and made the Tyrells lords of Highgarden instead. She calls her son stupid. And lol about Garth Greenhands...

10. Lady Olenna loves to talk. She seems to like Sansa, since she wants her to sit beside her at dinner. The food can’t come out quickly enough, and Lady Olenna seems overly eager to have her fool, Butterbumps, entertain them. He seems quite talented. The old woman calls her son a great oaf just like his father. I’m surprised by that, though she does say she loves them anyway. Apparently her husband knew a thing or two about lovemaking, how awkward. She gives the horrible advise of beating your children often to Sansa, but I do like what she says here: “All these kings would do a deal better if they would put down their swords and listen to their mothers.”

11. Now we know why Lady Olenna wants Butterbumps here, to distract the others so they can’t be overheard. She wants to know what Joffrey’s like, truthfully. Sansa is terrified of telling the truth. She can’t trust anyone. Olenna’s heard rumors that Joffrey treats Sansa like shit and asks if it’s true. Sounds like she wants to help the girl, but poor Sansa has been at King’s Landing long enough now to know you can’t trust anyone at court. These Tyrells could tell on her and get her into terrible trouble with the king. She lies, again, about him being all that and a bag of chips. Lady Olenna doesn’t believe it and says she heard rumors that Sansa is a fool and is starting to believe it, ouch. She tries again, only this time says not to be afraid, we’re all women here; no harm will come to her for being honest. Sansa says her father always told the truth, hinting where that got him. She begins to crack, confiding in the Queen of Thorns how Joffrey promised her father mercy but killed him anyway and made her stare at his head on a pike. Margaery listens in. She tells her grandmother Sansa’s terrified, so Lady Olenna has the fool sing real loud so they cannot be overheard by even the whisperers within the walls. Smart.

12. Finally Sansa comes out. She whispers he’s a monster and tells all the horrible things he did to her, adding the queen is evil too. I like how Lady Olenna simply says that’s a pity, lol. They reassure Sansa they’re still going through with the wedding and thank her for her honesty.

13. Next, Margaery invites her to come to Highgarden some time, hinting Sansa could marry her brother when she does. Cersei can’t refuse once Margaery is queen. Mace Tyrell isn’t in on this, though. Sansa thinks at first they’re talking about Loras, awe, but it’s their eldest brother, Willas, who will be lord of Highgarden after his father passes and needs a wife. It’s funny how the song talks about a maid refusing to dance with a hairy bear right as they’re discussing this. *SPOILER FOR UPCOMING CHAPTERS IN A STORM OF SWORDS* (view spoiler)[Because Sansa marries Tyrion instead, who could be considered that hairy bear (hide spoiler)] Willas is “not the least bit oafish” according to Lady Olenna, and a cripple but has a good heart according to Margaery. I wonder why they want Sansa part of their family? Maybe it's more to do with political alliances. I guess they don’t believe she’s a traitor’s daughter. The song ends with the maid eventually calling the bear fair, and lol at Lady Olenna saying she thought the dreadful song would never end. She is a bit curt, but I like her overall.

Loras does reminds me of Jaime sometimes, he thinks he's the best and is quite proud of himself, like Jaime is.

Yeah, maybe it sounded to me like they didn't get her room enough. I mean, of course is good for her to get out of King's Landing and she's not in a position to pick, and they do seem nice people. We don't know anything about Willas, but he does sound better than Joffrey. Maybe I read Margaery's line about how much Sansa'll love her brother in a way the author didn't mean the reader to take it the way I did. And that happens sometimes with books, like it happens with chats and stuff.

About your point 3, I do think she cared about him and felt safe with him, after all he did take care of her in his own way.

In your point 5, now that you mention it, I think Jon does like it. Although I can't fully remember it, it sounds familiar.

The spoiler in your point 13 is quite interesting, and I think you're right!