When Lord Sawane Botley protests, Euron has him drowned in a cask of seawater. Meanwhile, the remnants of Robb Stark's kingdom are left without a king, and the Bolton’s prepare to take their place of power in the North.
Instead of House Baratheon, King Aegon names Jon Connington, his closest friend and advisor, Lord of Griffon's Roost and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands. They jump from the walls of the castle when they are discovered, and are found by Mors Umber and his men. Stannis sieges the castle from the north, but the Freys are able to withstand the siege because of their southern access. The War of the Five Kings was officially instigated by Robert Baratheon's death, and the resulting lack of a clear heir to the throne. By this time, King Robert’s youngest brother, Renly Baratheon, has fled the city to gather his own army. The Northmen return home to endure the winter. The powerful House Tyrell declared themselves to Renly. Meanwhile, the forces of Roose Bolton, who have occupied the ruin, suffer from divided loyalties, infighting, and a series of mysterious murders. Only a small number of Robb's original army, now led by Brynden Tully, manage to escape and return to Riverrun. With a huge portion of his army gone, and facing a combined force of Lannister and Tyrell armies, Robb returns to the Riverlands. The two were granted the ancestral seat of House Baratheon, Storm's End, but not the Stormlands.
Tywin immediately turns his host south to join up with Lords Mathis Rowan and Randyll Tarly near the headwaters of the Blackwater Rush. Although Stannis himself is able to escape to Dragonstone, the majority of his army is destroyed.
Additionally, a large part of Robb's northern homeland and his own castle of Winterfell have fallen to the ironmen of King Balon Greyjoy. Shireen Baratheon and Davos Seaworth were both released to Aegon directly, being the only survivors of the other claim for the throne. He surprises Stafford Lannister's newly-raised host near Lannisport when they neglect to post enough sentries. Lord Tywin's advance is delayed just long enough for riders out of Bitterbridge to reach him with word of Stannis's threat to King’s Landing. Having scattered the wildlings, Stannis seeks the support of the northern lords by offering to legitimize Eddard Stark's bastard son Jon Snow as Lord of Winterfell. Martin, this fantasy series chronicles an epic struggle for power set in a vast and violent fantasy kingdom.Season 4 Preview Analysis (Ice and Fire: A Forshadowing) Tyrion's wife, Sansa Stark, flees the capitol.