Treachery Pays/Treachery Backfires

A theme that first builds in A Storm of Swords with Daenerys's conquest of Slaver's Bay. A sub-theme of Worse Man and Lord's Take

13 AGOT Eddard II: Ned tells Robert of Tywin's treachery and Jaime sitting the throne, but Robert is married to Cersei. Treachery pays.

39 AGOT Tyrion V: To be tried before the skycells kill him, Tyrion pretends he's ready to confess. It works. Even concerned Catelyn didn't care enough about his survival to insist on a tower cell for him. Treachery doesn't just pay, it can be necessary.

43 AGOT Tyrion VI: Lysa and the lords of the Vale owed Tyrion safe conduct after his trial by combat proved his innocence. Instead, Lyn Corbray left him at the Bloody Gate: a death sentence. Now Tyrion has little choice but to ally himself with the mountain clans for safe passage by offering them what they want: the Vale of Arryn, currently owned by his mortal enemies. Treachery backfires.

46 AGOT Eddard XII: Ned offers Cersei warning he means to tell Robert of her treachery because it will mean death to her and her children. Treachery backfires.

52 AGOT Sansa IV: Cersei and the small council tell Sansa she can't be allowed to marry Joffrey to press her to write the summons to her family members. It's a subtle and effective way to communicate that she is the crown's hostage.

55 AGOT Daenerys VI: The assassin's trick with the poisoned wine provokes Drogo to announce an intention to conquer Westeros. Treachery backfires, predictably even, since this seems to have been Varys's intention.

58 AGOT Sansa V: Janos Slynt is rasied too rapidly as payment for his betrayal of Stark. Cersei elevates him to lord, gives him Harrenhal, and appoints him to the small council. This suggests Slynt drives a hard bargain. But Tywin won't see it stand. Treachery backfires.

73 AGOT Daenerys X: Mirri Maz Duur pays for her treachery by burning alive, a more painful death than she might have expected from abusive Dothraki. Despite having assassinated The Stallion That Mounts The World, despite noble intentions, treachery backfires.

74 ACOK 1 Prologue: Maester Cressen gives his life to kill Melisandre, but for nothing when the strangler doesn't effect her. Despite noble intention, treachery backfires.

91 ACOK 18 Tyrion IV: Tyrion steals a bottle from Pycelle's shelves, but Pycelle notices and accuses Tyrion at his trial. Treachery backfires. Sub-theme: You Can Get Caught

128 ACOK 55 Tyrion XII: Varys has lost Cersei's trust, though she says for years she was convinced she had no truer friend at court. Perhaps she was betrayed by him as she believes Tyrion has now been, since Varys told her he suspects Tyrion of intending to murder Joffrey to gain power. Varys shows he knows his treachery has backfired when Tyrion returns to his chambers to find Shae waiting for him in anticipation of the dinner's revelation. Treachery backfires. Sub-theme: You Can Get Caught

129 ACOK 56 Catelyn VII: Aerys burned Lord Rickard Stark to instill fear and tamp down uprising. Instead, it was the spark that lit the rebellion, even in Jaime Lannister. Treachery backfires.

131 ACOK 58 Sansa V: Traitors get beheaded. Sansa is upset when she sees Ser Ilyn in the Queen's Ballroom. She will be accused of treason and menaced with beheading, especially because traumatized by seeing Ser Ilyn behead her father.

144 ASOS 1 Prologue: Chett's mutineers are not able to complete their escape plan because it snows and the Others attack. However, they remain a conspiracy when retreated to Craster's. Chett's hope had been to take Craster's keep for his own. However, with Craster gone and no offering made to the Others, the mutineers are killed and turned into wights.

145 ASOS 2 Jaime I: Still treacherous to the bone, Jaime intends to rid himself of Brienne and not honor his vows to Catelyn. Only, had he done so already, he'd have just been taken by Ryger.

146 ASOS 3 Catelyn I: Catelyn meant to trade Jaime, but releasing him with insufficient escort against the wishes of her liege endangered him. Catelyn deeply feels the shadow of parental disapproval in Ser Desmond Grell and Utherydes Wayn, though they seem to feel more appalled at their own sitauation of being required to chastize her. Subthemes: You Can Get Caught

148 ASOS 5 Tyrion I: Tywin cites Tyrion's threats against Tommen and keeping Alayaya as reasons to slight him. "Your sister told me of your threats against your grandsons." Lord Tywin's voice was colder than ice. Did she lie?" 65

151 ASOS 8 Jon I: Jon does not want to lie to Mance. It could get him killed. Trea

152 ASOS 9 Daenerys I: After her betrayal by Xaro, Jorah warns Dany not to trust Illyrio. He argues the Dany should test him by selling the goods on his ships, even the ships themselvves. If Illyrio means to be Dany's supporter, surely he will be pleased. One problem with this test, as Dany points out, is that it steals from Illyrio. Still, better to take than be taken in.

154 ASOS 11 Davos II: Salladhor Saan commits legal piracy at the mouth of the Blackwater, as its lord. It's not exactly treachery, but Stannis's likelihood of sitting the iron throne makes his naming lords presumptuous. Ser Axell was the one to make up the document, in lieu of paying Salla. But when Saan offers Davos a partnership, it does seem like an honest living.

155 ASOS 12 Jaime II: Poor repute loses business. Brienne does not consider staying at the inn partly because it's clear she's dealing with a thief of sorts. She buys the horses and takes the route the honest non-innkeep warned against. Jaime recalls losing his reputation for slaying Aerys.

156 ASOS 13 Tyrion II: Reminiscent of Varys's stunt at the Broken Anvil, Tyrion waits for Varys in his own chambers. Varys teels Tyrion the Ketttleblacks are Cesei's again, since she knighted them and may pay with a second purse.

157 ASOS 14 Arya II: Arya identifies the kingsmen as robbers, based on their shabby appearance, but with Arya's fine horses they'll look more like kingsmen.

159 ASOS 16 Jon II: Jon didn't tell Mance about Mormont's force on the Fist of the First Men, so is called in to account when the massacre there is discovered. Jon had been expecting Mormont to attack the column. Now, he really is alone and must do more to prove loyal. Jon knows treachery backfires.

161 ASOS 18 Arya III: By sending the Mountain in his capacity as mad dog, Tywin treacherously goads the riverlords into appearing to attack first. This is not a great example of treachery paying or backfiring, though, since the intention had been to lure Ned, himself, into the field and it was only his leg injury that prevented his having fallen into the trap.

163 ASOS 20 Tyrion III: Though having profitted from his allegiance with Bolton, Tywin still prepares to betray him. By marrying Sansa to Tyrion in the intention that Tyrion rule the north, he's undermining Bolton's claim through Arya.

165 ASOS 22 Jaime III: Jaime's attempt to get them noticed on the chance he'll be rescued by Lannister soldiers (so he can break his oath to Catelyn) backfires when those who take them aren't his father's men and he loses his hand. Treachery backfires.

169 ASOS 26 Davos III: Lord Alester Florent has been sent to the dungeons for sending treacherous peace terms to the Lannisters in Stannis's name.

170 ASOS 27 Jon III: Ygritte's lie that she and Jon were lovers has paid off, but she'll find it backfires when he abandons her, anyway.

171 ASOS 28 Daenerys III: Daenerys takes Astapor with treachery she's decided is justified. Treachery pays big time.

186 ASOS 43 Daenerys IV: Prendahl no Ghezn tells Daenerys: "You took Astapor by treachery but Yunkai shall not fall so easily."-575 That turns out not to be true. Dany takes Yunkai with treachery, telling the Masters she will give them days and attacking that night. Treachery pays like it's genuis. However, Dany also gains questionable Daario Naharis's Storm Crows. T

191 ASOS 48 Arya IX: The Hound gives the ferryman the promisary note from Dondarrion as toll, having called it "knight's honor." Will the brotherhood ever honor the note? Treachery pays

195 ASOS Catelyn VII: The Red Wedding. Treachery Pays

197 ASOS 54 Tyrion VI: Tywin calls the red wedding "cheap." Treachery Pays.

199 ASOS 56 Jon VII:

Related sub-themes: You Can Get Caught, Despite noble intention, treachery backfires.