A Feast for Dragons

blood of the dragon, descended from
the high lords of the ancient Freehold of Valyria, their heritage marked by lilac,
indigo, and violet eyes and hair of silver-gold. To preserve their blood and
keep it pure, House Targaryen has oft wed brother to sister, cousin to cousin,
uncle to niece. The founder of the dynasty, Aegon the Conquerer, took both his
sisters to wife and fathered sons on each. The Targaryen banner is a
three-headed dragon, red on black, the three heads representing Aegon and his
sisters. The Targaryen words are Fire and Blood .
    ----
    In
Braavos
    FERREGO ANTARYON, Sealord of Braavos,
    —QARRO VOLENTIN, First Sword of Braavos, his protector,
    —BELLEGERE OTHERYS called THE BLACK PEARL, a courtesan
descended from the pirate queen of the same name,
    —THE VEILED LADY, THE MERLING QUEEN, THE MOONSHADOW, THE
DAUGHTER OF THE DUSK, THE NIGHTINGALE, THE POETESS, famous courtesans,
    —TERNESIO TERYS, Merchant-Captain of the Titan’s Daughter ,
    —YORKO and DENYO, two of his sons,
    —MOREDO PRESTAYN, Merchant-Captain of the Vixen ,
    —LOTHO LORNEL, a dealer in old books and scrolls,
    —EZZELYNO, a red priest, oft drunk,
    —SEPTON EUSTACE, disgraced and defrocked,
    —TERRO and ORBELO, a pair of bravos,
    —BLIND BEQQO, a fishmonger,
    —BRUSCO, a fishmonger,
    —his daughters, TALEA and BREA,
    —MERALYN, called MERRY, proprietor of the Happy Port, a
brothel near the Ragman’s Harbor,
    —THE SAILOR’S WIFE, a whore at the Happy Port,
    —LANNA, her daughter, a young whore,
    —BLUSHING BETHANY, YNA ONE-EYE, ASSADORA OF IBBEN, the
whores of the Happy Port,
    —RED ROGGO, GYLORO DOTHARE, GYLENO DOTHARE, a scribbler
called QUILL, COSSOMO THE CONJURER, patrons of the Happy Port,
    —TAGGANARO, a dockside cutpurse and thief,
    —CASSO, KING OF THE SEALS, his trained seal,
    —LITTLE NARBO, his sometime partner,
    —MYRMELLO, JOSS THE GLOOM, QUENCE, ALLAQUO, SLOEY, mummers performing
nightly on the Ship,
    —S’VRONE, a dockside whore of a murderous bent,
    —THE DRUNKEN DAUGHTER, a whore of uncertain temper,
    —CANKER JEYNE, a whore of uncertain sex,
    —THE KINDLY MAN and THE WAIF, servants of the Many-Faced God
at the House of Black and White,
    —UMMA, the temple cook,
    —THE HANDSOME MAN, THE FAT FELLOW, THE LORDLING, THE STERN
FACE, THE SQUINTER, and THE STARVED MAN, secret servants of Him of Many Faces,
    —ARYA of House Stark, a girl with an iron coin, also known
as ARRY, NAN, WEASEL, SQUAB, SALTY, and CAT
    —QUHURU MO, of Tall Trees Town in the Summer Isles, master
of the merchantman Cinnamon Wind ,
    —KOJJA MO, his daughter, the red archer,
    —XHONDO DHORU, mate on the Cinnamon Wind .
    ----
    Acknowledgments
    This one was a bitch.
    My thanks and appreciation go out once again to those
stalwart souls, my editors: Nita Taublib, Joy Chamberlain, Jane Johnson, and
especially Anne Lesley Groell, for her counsel, her good humor, and her vast
forbearance.
    Thanks also to my readers, for all their kind and supportive
e-mails, and for their patience. A special tip of the helm to Lodey of the
Three Fists, Pod the Devil Bunny, Trebla and Daj the Trivial Kings, sweet
Caress of the Wall, Lannister the Squirrel Slayer, and the rest of the
Brotherhood Without Banners, that half-mad drunken fellowship of brave knights
and lovely ladies who throw the best parties at worldcon, year after year after
year. And let me sound a fanfare too for Elio and Linda, who seem to know the
Seven Kingdoms better than I do, and help me keep my continuity straight. Their
Westeros website and concordance is a joy and a wonder.
    And thanks to Walter Jon Williams for guiding me across more
salty seas, to Sage Walker for leeches and fevers and broken bones, to Pati
Nagle for HTML and spinning shields and getting all my news up quickly, and to
Melinda Snodgrass and Daniel Abraham for service that was truly above and
beyond the call of duty. I get by with a little help from my friends.
    No words could suffice for Parris, who has been there on the
good days and the bad ones for every bloody page. All that needs be said is
that I could not sing this Song without her.
    ----
    About The Author
    GEORGE R. R. MARTIN sold his first story in 1971 and has
been writing professionally since then. He spent ten years in Hollywood as a writer-producer,
working on The Twilight Zone , Beauty and the Beast , and various
feature films and television pilots that were never made. In the mid ’90s he
returned to prose, his first love, and began work