Epilogue - A Dance with Dragons | A Song of Ice and Fire (ASOIAF)

Kevan Lannister presides over the Small Council, has dinner with Cersei, and then gets murdered by Varys and his little birds. Busy day. Mackelly and Simon try to keep it together.

Chapter Review:
Kevan Lannister and the Small Council quiz Ronnet Connington over the reappearance of cousin Jon Connington and this pretender Aegon. He protests his loyalty, but is held pending further consideration. Harys Swyft is trying to make new loans to pay off the existing loans. Next the trial of the Queens. Cersei is to be championed by Ser Robert Strong. Kevan is not the only member of the council to have misgivings about the silent giant. Ser Kevan reminds the Tyrell faction that if Cersei is found guilty then Tommen isn’t the king and Margaery isn’t the queen, so they’d better all get on board.

As the council adjourns Kevan worries about the loyalties of the members. He begins to see Cersei’s worries that the Tyrells have too much power. He dines with Cersei and Tommen. The king is sweet about his kittens. Cersei is penitent and seemingly broken. He’s glad but also sad.

He’s called to Pycelle’s chambers, where he is ambushed by Varys who mortally wounds Kevan with a crossbow bolt. As Kevan dies, Varys explains that Kevan is too good. He’s securing Tommen’s throne and threatening to bring peace and stability to the realm. But Varys needs Cersei’s brand of chaos to create the conditions for Aegon’s ascension.

Characters/Places/Names/Events
Cersei Lannister - Dowager Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Mother to King Tommen.
Tommen Lannister - Younger son of Cersei and King of the Seven Kingdoms.
Kevan Lannister - Uncle to Cersei, lord regent.
Lancel Lanniser - Son of Kevan, former lover of Cersei. Now a convert to the militant branch of the Faith of the Seven.
Qyburn - Disgraced maester of the citadel. Ally to Cersei.
Margaery Tyrell - Wife to King Tommen. Despised by Cersei.
Varys - Former master of whisperers. In hiding since he abetted Tyrion escaping the dungeons.
Ser Robert Strong - New member of the Kingsguard. The size and shape of the now (believed) dead Mountain (Gregor Clegane).