Shipbreaker Bay

Shipbreaker Bay is the eight episode of Season Seven (7.8)

Summary
Jon and his forces seek refuge at Sharp Point, home to a young lord; Tyrion is enraged at events during the Battle of Dragonstone; Cersei mulls her options with her prisoner; Theon returns to the North; Jaime receives his sentence; Brienne enlists Tormund and the Wildlings to march on the Wall; against the advice of Davos, Jon attempts a treacherous voyage to Storm’s End

Plot
At Littlefinger’s direction, the remaining Northern fleet makes for the keep of the Baratheon-loyal House Bar Emmon. As the fleet and shell-shocked Northern forces sail down The Gullet, on a misty, grey day, they see the watchtower of Sharp Point, where a fire burns atop it. Jon is initially alarmed, until Littlefinger explains it’s always there, to help seafarers find their way out of storms onto land; “in this case, a storm of swords." (Put it in the right mouth and it makes sense. Ooh er, matron.) The King in the North and his Lords are greeted on a small shore outside the keep by the fat, feeble but jovial 15-year-old LORD DURAM BAR EMMON, who asks their business. Davos steps up, and explains who Jon is. The flustered Duram bows low and addresses Jon as “Your Grace”, who responds, non-plussed, that he is not the young lord’s King, but would thank him all the same for a short period of shelter behind his walls. Duram remarks effusively how pleased and surprised he is to see Davos, and to meet a Northern king, but asks why they have come this far south. Littlefinger introduces himself and tells Duram they are here seeking common cause with Ser Gilbert Farring of Storm’s End. Duram says any friend of House Baratheon is a friend of House Bar Emmon’s. During the meet, Lord Manderly has done nothing but stare into space.

As he shows Jon, Davos, Littlefinger and Lord Glover around the keep, the young Bar Emmon remarks on his House’s sense of loyalty and duty, first to the Targaryens, to whom they were sworn directly for centuries. Along the decades and the various Targaryen kings, House Bar Emmon was always the first on hand then summoned, or when the banners were called, and the first to travel to King’s Landing or Dragonstone to meet the new kings after they were crowned. And after the Targaryens fell, and they bent the knee to the Baratheons, they supported Stannis’ rightful claim loyally from the start. Their warship Swordfish burned on the Blackwater; their men marched to Castle Black with King Stannis and were some of the few to stay with him outside Winterfell as the Boltons swept over them. Davos suddenly tenses. “So your men watched a little girl burned at the stake and did nothing, said nothing?”

Duram splutters in shock, before managing to say that it is not for vassals to question kings, “even though Stannis never seemed to like me very much”.

He turns earnest eyes on Jon. “Do you like me, Your Grace?”

In the Chamber of the Painted Table, Daenerys holds council with Tyrion, Euron, Victarion, Grey Worm, Akkaro, Missandei and Ellaria. Tyrion can barely contain his rage that he was not informed of the Queen’s bloody accord with the Greyjoys, but he keeps himself under control, even when Ellaria attempts to needle him. They discuss their plans for King’s Landing. Dany announces that Akkaro and the Dothraki will land on the coast near Duskendale, sacking Rosby and Stokeworth simultaneously before choking off the Kingsroad of supplies to the capital from the Riverlands. Tyrion objects that the Dothraki on their own cannot hope to storm well-provisioned and defended castles. Dany says they will not to be on their own – she will ride with the blood of her blood atop Drogon. Tyrion says hundreds will die.

“Hundreds of traitors, uncommonly loyal to Cersei,” answers the Queen.

“Not the smallfolk,” Tyrion insists, but Dany ignores this.

She continues that Euron’s fleet will ferry the Unsullied into Blackwater Bay and descend on King’s Landing, attacking it from the east, while the Tyrells hit from the south and the Dothraki come from the Kingsroad to the north. A swaggering Euron says he will get there first and asks what prize he shall win for gifting the Queen her capital. Daenerys icily asks if he still considers himself the King of the Iron Islands. Euron says he serves the Queen, but Dany relentlessly pursues this to its logical conclusion, and tells Euron he has not yet bent the knee. In front of the council, and his brother Victarion, she forces him to do it here and now. He does so and Victarion watches on impassively. Euron is mollified, somewhat. Tyrion begs a private audience with Dany afterwards, which she grants, and begs for mercy for his brother. He reminds Daenerys of what he told her during the siege of Meereen – what her father planned to do to King’s Landing. And he tells the Queen that betraying Yara was “an ugly trade”, insisting that her Uncles are not trustworthy.

“And what will her brother say?” Tyrion asks.

Theon's yacht lands at White Harbour, and he disembarks with a small squad of Unsullied. They are all dressed like Night's Watchmen. He leads them to a nearby tavern where he uses a reasonable collection of coins to buy ale. The Unsullied aren't as keen to drink. Their nominal leader, DARK RAT, makes clear that he isn't here for shore leave. Everything they do must serve their queen. Theon insists that it does. He strikes up a conversation with the tavern keeper, who remarks on how dark the Unsullied look. Theon explains that they're freed slaves who thought they'd make a second career from stealing cargo out of Cape Wrath. He asks the tavern keeper about recent events, and is told that shouldn't matter to a man of the Night's Watch.

“I've been on the road a long time,” Theon says.

“Lucky for you,” the keeper says. He's leaving White Harbour soon. Apparently the dead walk now, and have come to the Wall. “A handful of escaped slaves and ignorant boys aren't keeping me in business.”

Theon asks whether King Jon will be marching back to the Wall. King Jon, he is told, is down south in search of alliances or fortunes or something. Queen Sansa reigns in Winterfell. DARK RAT privately asks Theon how this effects their mission. Theon doesn't know.

Brienne and Yohn Royce and their combined host are camped out in the wintry north, near The Gift… MORE TO FOLLOW

In King’s Landing, Cersei meets Tycho Nestoris in his cell, alone, and offers him wine. A wary Nestoris at first hectors her about what she has done, but she says she is there for a conversation, not a lecture. She says her enemies surround on all sides: word has come that Daenerys has taken Dragonstone and has already set sail for the mainland. Nestoris says he knows she brings a mighty host – and three dragons, “the most valuable treasures in the world”.

A feigned off-hand manner masking desperation, she asks that if she can kill or capture a dragon, will it pay off part or all of the Crown’s debt? Nestoris laughs, and asks where on Braavos they would keep such a beast. “Would it sleep with its tail wrapped around the Titan’s neck?”

“Better there than here,” Cersei answers. Tycho shakes his head, still amused.

“You are out of rope, Your Grace. Your reign has ended.”

Cersei says if that’s true, she may as well get some rope and hang him. The laughter dies in his face. He threatens that the Iron Bank’s reach is long, and such a move could be the difference between a life in exile with her unborn child and a slow death for them both. She looks up in surprise, and he tells her that her hand strays to her belly too often to mean anything else. “The Iron Bank notices the things that are hidden.”

Cersei says she cannot believe the Iron Bank would invest in Daenerys. She’s a revolutionary. Nestoris scoffs at this notion.

“A revolutionary, you say, but backed by the riches of Olenna Tyrell? You’ve swallowed your own lies, Your Grace.”

Cersei asks what she should do.

“Flee!” he answers emphatically. “Flee home to the Westerlands, to Casterly Rock, where you might be safe, for a time.”

She says she can’t – the prophecy won’t let her. Daenerys comes “to cast me down and take all I hold dear... like she has taken my brother”.

On Dragonstone, a ragged, filthy Jaime sits in a cell, deprived of his golden hand. He instead inspects the stump, a combination of curious and listless. Tyrion arrives and persuades the Unsullied guards to let him speak to the prisoner. Jaime tells Tyrion he has nothing to say him – he killed his father.

“Our father,” Tyrion says, “who tried to have me executed for something I did not do.”

Jaime says he could have believed that once. Now he doesn’t know what to believe. Tyrion tells Jaime he was utterly mad to come here and to think he could hold Dragonstone. “It pains me to say this, but Euron Greyjoy was smarter than you.”

Jaime asks his brother not to say that name in his presence.

“Why?” asks Tyrion. “Because the sinister bastard betrayed you and massacred your men? Now you know how Robb Stark felt.”

Jaime remarks that Roose Bolton had the good grace to put a sword in Robb’s heart. When can he expect to die?

“Not at all, if I can help it,” answers Tyrion. He has appealed to Daenerys to grant him a trial.

Jaime scoffs: “That will go even worse for me than it did for you. Who would fight for me in a trial by combat? Maybe you could fight the big black dragon for me.” “A wonderful song that would make,” says Tyrion.

“A short song,” answers Jaime.

Tyrion raises the possibility he could take the Black.

“Where the dead amass at the gates?” Jaime asks sarcastically.

Tyrion asks if his response means he believes Jon Snow. Jaime explains he watched Jon and his men spend weeks mining dragonglass.

“Even if one had cause to doubt the honour and honesty of a son of Ned Stark, he came here, into the lion’s den, for that glass, so he could fight them.”

Tyrion remarks Jaime sounds like he admires him, even while he ordered the Northern army not to intervene while his own men were slaughtered.

“I imagine he felt the Starks had bled enough, and he would have had a point,” replies Jaime.

In the Riverlands, Arya, Lord Edmure, The Hound, Beric, Thoros and the Brotherhood arrive at Raventree Hall, seat of House Blackwood, where they are greeted at the walls by the tall, hook-nosed LORD TYTOS BLACKWOOD, who greets Edmure cordially but looks dubiously at the Brotherhood and the girl who rides with them. Edmure asks to come in to discuss the future of the Riverlands, but Lord Tytos becomes even more uncomfortable. He explains that House Blackwood held out for as long as it could to House Tully, longer even than the Blackfish, but eventually they had no choice but to bend the knee to Tommen Baratheon. Tytos tells Edmure that was his doing, after he ceded Riverrun back to the Freys and Lannisters. Edmure says he has heard that the Crown promised Lord Tytos they would return the bones of his son Lucan, who died in the Red Wedding, and asks if the Freys have done so.

Tytos doesn’t answer. He asks who the girl is, who tells the disbelieving lord she is Arya Stark of Winterfell. Edmure backs this up, as does The Hound. Tytos turns coldly to Sandor, recognising him as “the brother of Tywin’s dog, who set our crops and villages afire and put scores of Riverfolk to the sword”.

Beric says the Brotherhood protects the smallfolk, but Tytos says he heard the Brotherhood have become brigands, attacking a sept and killing villagers. Thoros says they executed those in their own ranks who did that.

“With help,” growls The Hound.

“And yet,” says Lord Tytos, “that’s where it ends with you lot, doesn’t it? Burning septs. Burning weirwood trees. Burning the old gods and a new, for your red God.” He offers Edmure and Arya room and board for the night:

“My hall might lack for food but never for courtesy.” But he asks that the Brotherhood camp outside the city – and also tells Edmure he cannot risk the future of his House by rebelling against the Crown again.

At Winterfell, Sansa is informed that a detachment from the Night's Watch are here. Sansa sends them in immediately, and the hooded group enters. It's Theon and Dark Rat's squad. The retainers and chiefs in the room react in horror. The Captain of the Guard identifies Theon as a traitor and “a creature of the Boltons.”

Sansa says she knows who he is, and asks the Captain if he knows who allowed Sansa to escape Winterfell. She calls for calm and her men stand down. Sansa asks what Theon is doing there. Theon explains that he's travelled half the world and back, that he's returned to Westeros in an army set to take the country and seat a Targaryen back on the throne. Sansa is disappointed. She had hoped that he might have less mercenary reasons for returning. Theon says that he will not be rewarded for his efforts. The men with him came to make sure he survived to pass on a message to who rules the North. “I heard it was Jon, and thought he would hear me. I hope you can instead, Lady Sansa.”

“Queen Sansa,” Maester Wolkan tells him.

“My queen,” Theon says. “Daenerys Targaryen comes to take what was taken from her family. She would have the North as her friend. Certainly, she does not want to draw flame or steel against you. Sansa. You can trust her, she is a good ruler and good person. She isn't Cersei and she isn't the Mad King. If you join with her, you'll win.”

Sansa tells Theon about the threat at the Wall, about the reason Jon went to Dragonstone and why Winterfell is virtually undefended. Theon says he might be able to help in some small way. He came to give this message, but Dark Rat and his men will return to their Queen with the answer. Theon wants justice for his crimes and demands sentence.

“No trial is necessary,” he says, “no challenge will be made. I betrayed your brother Robb, my best friend. I took your home as my own castle. I drove your little brothers into the wild. I killed your subjects to hide my own failures. I served the family who butchered yours at the Red Wedding. I betrayed yours.”

“You saved my life,” Sansa counters, “you gave everything you had to rescue me. How can I punish you for that?”

“Not for that, my Queen,” Theon says, “for my crimes. You're the Queen in the North. You cannot forgive me on behalf of the farmboys I had burned.”

Sansa looks about her and sees the hatred and anger on the faces of her subjects. She pauses then says, with barely contained emotion, “you have confessed your guilt and shown remorse at your dishonour. This does not redeem your crimes, but it proves you deserve some mercy, and that you have some good left that you might do good for the North soon, and for the realms of men. I sentence you to join the Night's Watch, and to march to the Wall to serve humanity as well as justice.”

Though terrified, Theon nods in understanding.

Brienne, Yohn Royce and Tormund arrive at the wall...