Tywin oversees the reforging of Ice, House Stark's ancestral Valyrian steel sword, into two new blades: one for Jaime, who grieves the loss of his sword hand and of Cersei's love, the other a wedding present for King Joffrey, who names it Widow's Wail. Tyrion welcomes Prince Oberyn Martell, arrived with his paramour, Ellaria Sand, to represent his infirm brother, Prince Doran of Dorne, at the royal wedding; Oberyn admits he has another motive, seeking revenge against the Lannisters and Gregor Clegane for the rape and murder of his sister Elia, wife of the unfaithful Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. In the North, Styr and the cannibalistic Thenns reinforce Tormund, Ygritte and the other Wildling forces south of the Wall.
At Castle Black, Jon finds himself unwelcome, but Maester Aemon absolves him after he justifies his actions among the Wildlings and reveals that their army of 100,000 plans to attack. In the Riverlands, the Hound takes Arya toward the Eyrie, intending to ransom her to her aunt Lysa, Jon Arryn's widow; at an inn they get into a fight with a group of Gregor Clegane's soldiers, and Arya reclaims her sword, Needle, from Polliver, killing him. In Essos, Daenerys marches her army towards Meereen, the last and largest of the three great slave cities, fearing she is losing control over her growing, now horse-sized dragons.