The newest season of Game of Thrones opens with a light footstep in the snow, as two girls we have never seen before in the series walk in the woods. One seems hesitant, the other more confident as she leads the other on, telling her not to fear her powerful father. They stop at a lone cottage and there inside is a woman in rags. She is revealed to be a witch, and the more confident young woman with beautiful blond hair orders her to tell her future.

The witch tells the girl to cut her finger and to allow her to drink her blood. The blonde complies and the witch sips the blood from her fingers. She foretells the future, the young girl who then was promised to the prince, will not marry the prince but instead she will wed a king. She will be Queen until someone younger and more beautiful will take her place. The young woman is confused and irritated by the foretelling, and the other girl calls out her name ‘Cersei!’

It was all in the past, and Cersei, in the present, is in the Sept of Baelor. A line of nobles are waiting by the entrance, and she strides up and catches a fleeting glance of Margaery Tyrell. She moves and orders that she be left alone inside where her late father’s body lies in state guarded by her twin brother, her lover, and the father of her children. They talk about what happened and she blames him for their father’s death because he freed Tyrion, who in turn murdered Tywin.

Halfway around the world in Pentos, Tyrion emerges from the box where Varys had stowed him. The spymaster greets him and tells him they are in Illyrio Mopantis’ villa, the same place where Daenerys and Viserys lived before she was wedded to Khal Drogo. But Tyrion, being Tyrion, cares for nothing at this point and proceeds to drink more wine .

Further east, the statue of the Harpy is torn down from the pyramid of Mereen, a symbolic gesture that would obviously insult the people who live there. And their reprisal is quick, since one of Daenerys’ Unsullied is murdered by a ‘Son of a Harpy,’ a radical resistance group.

The Queen receives the unhappy news and orders the Unsullied to patrol the streets and then she grants their fallen comrade full honors in burial. As Greyworm prepares to execute Daenerys’ orders, her handmaiden speaks with him. She asks him why the fallen Unsullied was visiting a whore during his murder, with them being eunuchs and all. She has no idea that the whore merely sang and held the Unsullied. Greyworm, who seemed uneasy with the question, answers with ‘I don’t know.’

Back in Westeros, in Castle Black. Jon Snow is training a young boy when Melisandre tells him that he is being summoned by Stannis. The young warrior follows the Priestess, and as they ride up the Cage to the top of the wall. Melisandre asks him if he’s a virgin. Jon says no, and the Priestess answers with ‘Good!’ What ritual must she be planning for poor Jon? Let us hope it doesn’t involve any more leeches.

On top of the wall, Stannis tells Jon that he wants the Wildlings to join his army and that Mance Ryder must swear fealty or die. The would-be king orders Jon to convince Ryder, and that he has until dusk.

Further south in the Vale, a solemn Brienne sharpens her sword, Podrick is with her, and she tries to tell him to go. Podrick seems to want to stay and, in the distance, he spots a procession of knights and a carriage. Inside the carriage are Sansa and Lord Baelish, who have just left Lord Robin Arryn with a noble. Baelish tells Sansa that they are going somewhere even Cersei cannot not find her.

Back in King’s Landing, Cersei is paying little attention on her father’s wake. She instead is focusing on her young son, the new king Tommen, who is seen with Margaery. She seems mindful, probably remembering the witch’s predictions. She then walks and encounters her former lover and cousin Lancell Lannister, who is now wearing robes and has had his hair trimmed short. He greets Cersei and leaves, while his father, Cersei’s uncle, explains to the Queen that his son is now a ‘Sparrow,’ a religious fanatic .

Cersei dismisses the thought of this, but later encounters her cousin again, who apologizes to her for leading her to darkness and allowing the incestuous affair to go on. Cersei eyes him, and he speaks about the boar that killed King Robert because, after all, he was the King’s squire during that time. The Queen’s eyes further harden as the implication of what her young cousin might say or do is bared to her.

In Pentos, where Tyrion is still drinking, the spymaster Varys speaks to him about Westeros and of supporting the right ruler. He tells the imp to join him in meeting Daenerys in Mereen. Tyrion halfheartedly answers with wanting to drink himself to death along the way.

In Mereen, Daenerys recieves a report from Hizdahr on his mission to Yunkai. The Mereenese noble tells her that the Yunkai agreed to all her terms with one concession: that she reopen the fighting pits where slaves fight each other to death in gladiatorial combat. Daenerys is adamant that it not happen. Later that night, her lover Daario, who accompanied Hizdahr to Yunkai, tries to convince the Queen on reopening the fighting pits. He also urges her to show her strength with her dragons.

Daenerys is worried, though, that she may not be able to control them anymore. Her fears are acknowledged when she visits Viserion and Rhaegar in the pit of the pyramid. Her dragons turn violent and belch fire near their mother, and Daenerys is forced to leave.

Back in Castle Black, Jon Snow speaks with Mance Ryder. He tries to convince the King beyond the wall, telling him that he joined the 90 clans, not for glory or conquest, but to save them from an impending war with the White Walkers. Mance acknowledges this, but is adamant not to obey.

Later, he is walked to the center of the courtyard of Castle Black. Where a pyre has been set. Stannis asks him if he would swear fealty. Mance merely tells him good luck on his future wars. It seemed that he was speaking of more than just the wars for the throne. But he was foreshadowing a much darker fight with the White walkers.

He is then brought to the pyre, and Melisandre lights it with a torch. As Mance Ryder screams, an arrow pierces his heart. In mercy, Jon Snow shoots at him, so that he will not die in pain.

And thus the first episode ends, I wonder how much of the impending wars we get to see this season?

Keep Up With PopWrapped On The Web!