The Song Of Ice and Fire (254 page)

HOUSE MARTELL

DORNE
was the last of the Seven Kingdoms to swear fealty to the Iron Throne. Blood, custom, and history all set the Dornishmen apart from the other kingdoms. When the war of succession broke out, the Prince of Dorne kept his silence and took no part.

The Martell banner is a red sun pierced by a golden spear. Their words are
Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken.

DORAN NYMEROS MARTELL,
Lord of Sunspear, Prince of Dorne,

—his wife,
MELLARIO,
of the Free City of Norvos,

—their children:

—
PRINCESS ARIANNE,
their eldest daughter, heir to Sunspear,

—
PRINCE QUENTYN,
their eldest son,

—
PRINCE TRYSTANE,
their younger son,

—his siblings:

—his sister, {
PRINCESS ELIA
}, wed to Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, slain during the Sack of King’s Landing,

—Elia’s daughter, {
PRINCESS RHAENYS
}, a young girl murdered during the Sack of King’s Landing,

—Elia’s son, {
PRINCE AEGON
}, a babe, murdered during the Sack of King’s Landing,

—his brother,
PRINCE OBERYN,
the Red Viper,

—his household:

—
AREO HOTAH,
a Norvoshi sellsword, captain of guards,

—
MAESTER CALEOTTE,
counselor, healer, and tutor,

—his lords bannermen:

—
EDRIC DAYNE,
Lord of Starfall.

The principal houses sworn to Sunspear include Jordayne, Santagar, Allyrion, Toland, Yronwood, Wyl, Fowler, and Dayne.

HOUSE TYRELL

Lord Tyrell of Highgarden declared his support for King Renly after Renly’s marriage to his daughter Margaery, and brought most of his principal bannermen to Renly’s cause. The Tyrell sigil is a golden rose on a grass-green field. Their words are
Growing Strong.

MACE TYRELL,
Lord of Highgarden, Warden of the South, Defender of the Marches, High Marshal of the Reach, and Hand of the King,

—his wife,
LADY ALERIE,
of House Hightower of Oldtown,

—their children:

—
WILLAS,
their eldest son, heir to Highgarden,

—
SER GARLAN,
called the
GALLANT,
their second son,

—
SER LORAS,
the Knight of Flowers, their youngest son, Lord Commander of the Rainbow Guard,

—
MARGAERY,
their daughter, a maid of fifteen years, recently wed to Renly Baratheon,

—his widowed mother,
LADY OLENNA
of House Redwyne, called the
QUEEN OF THORNS,

—his sisters:

—
MINA,
wed to Paxter Redwyne, Lord of the Arbor,

—their children:

—
SER HORAS REDWYNE,
twin to Hobber, mocked as
HORROR,

—
SER HOBBER REDWYNE,
twin to Horas, mocked as
SLOBBER,

—
DESMERA REDWYNE,
a maid of sixteen,

—
JANNA,
wed to Ser Jon Fossoway,

—his uncles:

—
GARTH,
called the
GROSS,
Lord Seneschal of Highgarden,

—Garth’s bastard sons,
GARSE
and
GARRETT FLOWERS,

—
SER MORYN,
Lord Commander of the City Watch of Oldtown,

—
MAESTER GORMON,
a scholar of the Citadel,

—his household:

—
MAESTER LOMYS,
counselor, healer, and tutor,

—
IGON VYRWEL,
captain of the guard,

—
SER VORTIMER CRANE,
master-at-arms,

—
BUTTERBUMPS,
fool and jester, hugely fat.

THE MEN OF THE NIGHT’S WATCH

The Night’s Watch protects the realm, and is sworn to take no part in civil wars and contests for the throne. Traditionally, in times of rebellion, they do honor to all kings and obey none.

At Castle Black

JEOR MORMONT,
Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, called the
OLD BEAR,

—his steward and squire,
JON SNOW,
the bastard of Winterfell, called
LORD SNOW,

—Jon’s white direwolf,
GHOST,

—
MAESTER AEMON (TARGARYEN),
counselor and healer,

—
SAMWELL TARLY
and
CLYDAS,
his stewards,

—
BENJEN STARK,
First Ranger, lost beyond the Wall,

—
THOREN SMALLWOOD,
a senior ranger,

—
JARMEN BUCKWELL,
a senior ranger,

—
SER OTTYN WYTHERS, SER ALADALE WYNCH, GRENN, PYPAR, MATTHAR, ELRON, LARK
called the
SISTERMAN,
rangers,

—
OTHELL YARWYCK,
First Builder,

—
HALDER, ALBETT,
builders,

—
BOWEN MARSH,
Lord Steward

—
CHETT,
steward and dog handler,

—
EDDISON TOLLETT,
called
DOLOROUS EDD,
a dour squire,

—
SEPTON CELLADAR,
a drunken devout,

—
SER ENDREW TARTH,
master-at-arms,

—brothers of Castle Black:

—
DONAL NOYE,
armorer and smith, one-armed,

—
THREE-FINGER HOBB,
cook,

—
JEREN, RAST, CUGEN,
recruits still in training,

—
CONWY, GUEREN,
“wandering crows,” recruiters who collect orphan boys and criminals for the Wall,

—
YOREN,
the senior of the “wandering crows,”

—
PRAED, CUTJACK, WOTH, REYSEN, QYLE,
recruits bound for the Wall,

—
KOSS, GERREN, DOBBER, KURZ, BITER, RORGE, JAQEN H’GHAR,
criminals bound for the Wall,

—
LOMMY GREENHANDS, GENDRY, TARBER, HOT PIE, ARRY,
orphan boys bound for the Wall.

At Eastwatch-by-the-Sea

COTTER PYKE,
Commander, Eastwatch,

—
SER ALLISER THORNE,
master-at-arms,

—brothers of Eastwatch:

—
DAREON,
steward and singer.

At the Shadow Tower

SER DENYS MALLISTER,
Commander, Shadow Tower,

—
QHORIN
called
HALFHAND,
a senior ranger,

—
DALBRIDGE,
an elderly squire and senior ranger,

—
EBBEN, STONESNAKE,
rangers.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

More details, more devils.

This time around, the angels who helped me put them to rest included Walter Jon Williams, Sage Walker, Melinda Snodgrass, and Carl Keim.

Thanks as well to my patient editors and publishers: Anne Groell, Nita Taublib, Joy Chamberlain, Jane Johnson, and Malcolm Edwards.

And finally, a tip o’ the tilting helm to Parris for her Magic Coffee, the fuel that built the Seven Kingdoms.

Praise for George R. R. Martin’s

A GAME OF THRONES

“Grabs hold and won’t let go. It’s brilliant.”

—Robert Jordan

“Reminiscent of T. H. White’s
The Once and Future King
, this novel is an absorbing combination of the mythic, the sweepingly historical, and the intensely personal.”

—
Chicago Sun-Times

“Perhaps the best of the epic fantasies—readable and realistic.”

—Marion Zimmer Bradley

“The major fantasy of the decade.”

—
The Denver Post

“I would be very surprised if this is not the major fantasy publishing event of 1996, and I’m already impatient for the next installment.”

—
Science Fiction Chronicle

“Such a splendid tale and such a fantistorical! I read my eyes out.”

—Ann McCaffrey

“Martin makes a triumphant return to high fantasy with this extraordinary rich new novel …Martin’s trophy case is already stuffed with major prizes, including Hugos, Nebulas, Locus awards and a Bram Stoker. He’s probably going to have to add another shelf, at least.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“George R. R. Martin is one of our very best science fiction writers, and this is one of his very best books.”

—Raymond E. Feist

“A colorful, majestic tapestry of characters, action and plot that deserves a spot on any reader’s wall … the pages seem to pass in a blur as you read.”

—
Albuquerque Journal

“George Martin is assuredly a new master craftsman in the guild of heroic fantasy.”

—Katharine Kerr

A STORM OF SWORDS

A Bantam Spectra Book

PUBLISHING HISTORY

Bantam Spectra hardcover edition published November 2000

Bantam Spectra trade paperback edition published June 2002

Bantam Spectra mass market edition / March 2003

Published by Bantam Dell

A Division of Random House, Inc.

New York, New York

All rights reserved

Copyright © 2000 by George R. R. Martin

Maps by James Sinclair

Heraldic crests by Virginia Norey

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 00-60827

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher except where permitted by law. For information address: Bantam Books, New York, New York.