June 10, 2018

Sansa weighs allegiances. Tyrion delivers news. Cersei recruits a dubious ally.

INT. WINTERFELL - GREAT KEEP HALLWAY - EVENING

Dany and Sansa walk together down a hallway.

DANY

You've been ruling the North, in Jon's absence.

SANSA

(formal)

Yes, your grace.

DANY

Your brother speaks very highly of you.

Sansa smiles politely. The warmth does not reach her eyes.

26.

SANSA

He's a good man, your grace. He takes his duty very seriously, and does it as well as he knows how.

DANY

And how well is that, in your opinion?

Sansa hesitates for the merest half-beat.

SANSA

Jon is a fine ruler, your grace.

DANY

(knowing)

You're uneasy about our alliance.

Sansa's face briefly betrays a flicker of alarm, before she moves to smooth things over.

SANSA

Your grace, I (would never--)

DANY

(interrupting)

That's fair. You don't know me.

Sansa looks at her -- surprised, curious, but still cautious.

DANY

Your caution doesn't offend me, my lady. It shows wisdom.

She stops walking and faces Sansa.

DANY

(gentle)

I'm not here to conquer the North, Lady Stark. I'm here to help you. I swear to you, I will never ask anything of your brother that is against the Northern interest. I will never hurt him. I will never betray him. You have my word.

Sansa stares back at her, betraying nothing, weighing how much to trust this new player in the game.

INT. WINTERFELL KITCHENS - EVENING

Sam's face is a mask of shock.

27.

TYRION

(halting)

I'm very sorry for your loss, Samwell.

SAM

(wavering)

How did they die?

TYRION

After the battle, the queen addressed the surviving Lannister soldiers. She offered them all a choice. That's more than most rulers do for their prisoners of war. She offered amnesty to all who would bend the knee.

SAM

And?

TYRION

...and your father and brother refused.

SAM

(more heat)

And?

Tyrion looks truly miserable.

TYRION

She burned them with her dragon.

Sam is horrified. Tyrion hurries to elaborate, though he's painfully aware of how feeble his reassurances must sound.

TYRION

I know that sounds terrible. But it was very quick. They didn't suffer.

SAM

(incredulous)

Didn't suffer?

TYRION

...not for long.

There's a miserable silence, punctuated by Sam's labored breathing as he tries to fight back tears. Finally:

28.

SAM

Does Jon know?

A beat.

TYRION

Jon knows that his queen did battle, and that there were many casualties.

SAM

(echoing)

"His queen."

Tyrion eyes him warily.

TYRION

Samwell... Queen Daenerys has pledged all her forces to fighting the Night King. Your friend bent the knee because (he knows she is-- )

SAM

(testy, bitter)

You don't need to tell me about the importance of fighting the Night King, thank you.

TYRION

(backing down)

Of course.

Another beat, then Sam stands up brusquely, the legs of his chair scraping loudly against the floor. He heads for the door.

TYRION

(pained)

Samwell...

Sam stops. Then turns around to face Tyrion again.

SAM

(clipped)

Yes?

A long beat. Tyrion, who always knows the right thing to say, realizes that -- at least for now -- there's nothing he can say that won't just make things worse.

29.

TYRION

If you wish to speak more, you can come to me at any time.

Sam stares back expressionlessly. Then turns and leaves without a word.

EXT. GODSWOOD - EVENING

BRAN STARK sits in the godswood, his eyes warg white. Jon and Sansa approach him, their feet crunching in the snow.

Jon stops and stares at Bran. This is the first time he's seen him since he left Winterfell for the Wall, years ago.

He takes slow steps toward him and crouches low, staring up into his little brother's face.

JON

Bran...

SANSA

He can't hear you.

Jon gazes sadly at Bran and nods.

JON

I know. He's flying north in his raven.

(beat)

The last time I saw him, he'd just fallen from a tower. I said goodbye, but he couldn't hear me then, either.

SANSA

He didn't fall. He was pushed.

Jon looks up at her, then back at Bran.

JON

Aye, I know.

SANSA

Jon...

(Jon looks up)

...you don't really believe Cersei is going to fight alongside us, do you?

A beat.

30.

JON

I don't know her like you know her. But Tyrion knows her better than either of us. If he says she'll help us...

SANSA

You pledged to fight for Daenerys Targaryen, the woman who means to take her throne from her. She will never forgive you that.

JON

Everything you've ever told me about Cersei... I believe you, Sansa. But you've never seen a dead man try to kill you. I went north of the Wall, captured one, dragged it to the capital, and dumped it at her feet.

(beat)

Yes, she's a monster. And when that monster looked into the face of the monster that is coming for us now, she forgot yesterday's wars. That should terrify you.

Sansa still looks unconvinced. Jon sighs.

JON

You'll see what I mean. And a lot sooner than I'd hoped.

SANSA

How soon?

JON

Bran thinks the army is marching for Last Hearth. If they hit Karhold next, that should give us two or three weeks. As long as the Night King doesn't change course, or fly ahead of his army.

(beat)

I suppose Bran will tell us if that happens.

They both stare at Bran.

SANSA

Well. No news is good news, then.

Bran's eyes are warg white.

31.

EXT. NORTHERN COUNTRYSIDE - EVENING

A lone raven wings its way north. It's Bran, carrying his all-important messages to Last Hearth and Karhold.

EXT. KING's landing - day

Our wide aerial of the northern countryside gives way to a wide aerial of King's Landing.

INT. CORRIDOR TO CERSEI'S OFFICE - DAY

BRONN walks down a corridor of the Red Keep, escorted by THE MOUNTAIN. They round a corner and enter Cersei's office.

INT. CERSEI'S OFFICE - DAY

The Mountain closes the door behind them, and escorts Bronn as he approaches CERSEI LANNISTER, the most murderous woman in the world. She stares at him dispassionately from behind her desk.

CERSEI

(enunciating dangerously)

Ser Bronn of the Blackwater.

BRONN

(not afraid of you)

Queen Cersei.

An awkward beat.

CERSEI

Please sit.

Bronn moves to sit.

CERSEI

Thank you for coming.

BRONN

(re: Mountain)

That one's hard to refuse.

CERSEI

We have never talked properly, have we.

BRONN

I prefer dealing with your brothers. Speaking of which, what happened to Jaime? He still owes me money.

32.

CERSEI

Does he? How rude of him to leave without seeing to that.

BRONN

So he did leave. I thought maybe you killed him, for abandoning you.

Cersei deadpans at him.

CERSEI

What makes you think he abandoned me?

BRONN

Why else would you be talking to me? You don't like me. And I don't like you, frankly. But. You can't have your proper lords finding out that your own brother has abandoned your cause, can you? So here you are, begging me to fetch Jaime back for you.

CERSEI

(cold)

I am your queen. You will speak to me with courtesy.

BRONN

(not intimidated)

You don't pay me for my courtesy. You pay me to put meself in danger on your behalf. That frozen wasteland up there is the most dangerous place in the world. You want me to go there, you gotta pay up.

CERSEI

(echoing quizzically)

"The most dangerous place in the world."

BRONN

Swarming with dead men, isn't it? Or it will be.

CERSEI

You believe that?

33.

Bronn gives a wry half-laugh.

BRONN

I missed the monster show in the Dragonpit. But I know Tyrion. He wouldn't have come anywhere near you if that weren't the truth. None of those fools would've. Perhaps you hadn't noticed, but you're not very well-liked.

Cersei stares at him dispassionately.

BRONN

Jaime said you were sending your army up there to help. But you lied, didn't you? That's why he left.

CERSEI

Are you going to lecture me about honor?

BRONN

I'm not much for honor, really. I'm for survival. And so are you. I'd have done the same, probably.

(beat)

Your brother, on the other hand. He seems to have something against his own survival. It's very annoying, speaking as the man tasked with protecting him.

CERSEI

Is it now.

BRONN

Yeah, it is. But I have a feeling I'm no longer tasked with protecting him. So what is it you want?

Cersei regards him, weighing her words.

CERSEI

Find him. Talk sense into him. See if you can make him appreciate the merits of survival, as you and I do. Convince him to come back and reassume his rightful place as the commander of my armies.

34.

BRONN

And if I fail at that?

CERSEI

Join his cause.

Bronn lifts his eyebrows.

CERSEI

Accompany him to Winterfell and offer yourself up to this usurper queen and her pet bastard. Serve them well. Gain their trust.

BRONN

And then?

CERSEI

Kill them all.

BRONN

Your brother too?

A long beat.

CERSEI

If you must.

Bronn leans back in his chair and gives Cersei an appraising look. The silence stretches.

BRONN

A hundred thousand gold dragons.

Cersei raises her eyebrows.

BRONN

Up front. Coin in hand. And another fifty thousand when I return with your brother. Or what's left of him, depending how things go.

CERSEI

Fifty thousand total . After you return.

BRONN

You really going to haggle me for your brother's life? A hundred thousand up front, or I don't go.

CERSEI

Why do you need so much coin in hand?

35.

BRONN

I've been working for promised gold for too long. Makes me sword arm sluggish. It needs to feel the weight of real gold, if it's to perk back up again. I need you to make good on this, as a gesture of good faith on your part.

Cersei stares expressionlessly at him for a long beat.

CERSEI

I'll have it delivered to your chambers in an hour.

BRONN

Alright, then. In an hour, we'll have ourselves a deal.

Bronn gets up and starts walking to the door.

CERSEI

Bronn.

(Bronn turns)

Don't you dare betray me.

She says this with such menace, such all-knowing power, that even Bronn is momentarily cowed.