As the casting for season 2 of Game Of Thrones continues leading up to shooting at the end of the month I thought I'd share a few details on what will be happening for those that don't mind being spoiled. Bare in mind that I'm going by the book A Clash Of Kings here, but since the first season stuck so faithfully to the events of the first book I can't imagine too many changes will be made from what I'm about to reveal. In this first part I will go over what happens around the characters of Renly, Stannis, Catlyn and Arya.
Now, obviously if you don't want to know what's going to happen, don't read any further. Ok, last warning?..
MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD
Expect the first ep to begin where the book does, with the introduction of the not yet cast(Christopher Eccleston is rumored) Stannis Baratheon, brother of Robert and Renly and probably the biggest character addition to the story. He's a bit of a miserable git is Stannis. Battle hardened but merciless. And he has taken a sorceress named Mellisandre as his new adviser. This woman is pretty keen on the ol human sacrifices, and constantly urges Stannis to burn victims to appease her "Red God". In the belief that this power may aid him in claiming the Iron Throne Stannis has begun to listen to her. Much to the dismay of his most trusted soldier Davos Seaworth, the "Onion Knight". This former smuggler sees Melisandre for what she is and is determined to put an end to her. But Stannis is equally as determined to go to war, even if it's against his own brother Renly who has also made a claim to the throne.
Renly has set up camp with his army, his secret lover Ser Loras Tyrell and his sham bride, Loras' sister Margaery. His personal bodyguard is the highly skilled warrior Brienne Of Tarth, a huge woman of freakish strength who is also hopelessly in love with Renly. Catlyn Stark arrives to attempt to try to win Renly over to her son Robb's cause and join forces. Renly refuses but invites Cat and her bannermen to stay while they make preparations to march to war with Stannis. The two brothers meet and Stannis demands that Renly step down as he has no wish to harm his own brother. But Renly is defiant, confident that his much larger army will be victorious. So Stannis resorts to dirty tactics. He has Melisandre "give birth" to a demonic shadow warrior, who slips into Renly's tent and murders him right in front of Cat and Brienne. The two women flee back to Robb in case they fall under suspicion. They do. With Renly's army scattered and leaderless most of them join with Stannis who overthrows Storm's End and makes ready to invade Kings landing.
Meanwhile, poor Arya Stark is having a bad time of it. Forced to cut her hair and pass as a boy at the end of the first season, she now has to endure the hardships of the road back to The Wall as Yoren escorts her and her fellow undesirables back to the Nightswatch. She makes a few friends in Hotpie(the fat kid that was trying to bully her) and Gendry, Robert Baratheon's bastard. She also draws the interest of one Jaquen Hagar. A charming but evidently extremely dangerous prisoner of Yoren. He is caged along with Rorge, a noseless brute and Biter a foul creature who has filed his teeth into points. Jaquen seems to know that Arya is a girl, and quiet a bit more besides. When the group stop an abandoned outpost to rest they are attacked by Lannister soldiers. Many, including Yoren, are killed but Araya manages to escape with Gendry, Hotpie and a few others. Before they run, she tosses an axe into Jaquen's cage so he may free himself. Unfortunately their escape is short lived as Gregor Clegane and his men capture Arya and her friends and take them to Harrenhal. There Arya is forced to act as a serving girl. But Jaquen shows up and grant her 3 lives for the 3 she saved. In other words he will kill any 3 people she asks him to. After pretty much wasting 2 lives on a couple of the castle workers that were mean to her, she chooses Jaquen himself as her final life. He would have to oblige so she uses this to force him to help her free some Stark men that are being held in the dungeons. The Starks take over Harrenhal and Jaquen gives Arya a coin telling her to repeat the words "Valar Morghulis" when she presents the coin to someone who may help her. He then runs his hand over his face, completely changing his appearance and leaves. Arya finds herself not much better off as the castle is taken over by the cruel Lord Roose Bolton who sets her to work as his cup bearer. Arya decides she must escape and convinces Gendry and Hotpie to go with her. She cuts a guard's throat and they disappear into the night.
Well, that does it for part 1. Next will be Tyrion, Jon and what's going on at King's landing.
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