Old hatreds, dark suspicions, and deadly machinations are the order of the day. When fate delivers Tyrion Lannister to Lady Catelyn Stark, she will have her revenge upon him for the attempted murder of her son Brandon--whatever the consequences. Meanwhile, in King's Landing, Sansa Stark, surrounded by enemies, finds an unlikely friend: the brutish, horribly disfigured knight Sandor Clegane. And as a murderous conspiracy unfolds behind the colorful pageantry of a royal tourney, Lord Eddard Stark will be approached by a mysterious new ally in his quest to solve the riddle of Jon Arryn's death.