With still no bargains made by the King or the Small Council to help get Queen Margery Baratheon and Loras Tyrell back from the Faith Militant, Kevan Lannister (Hand of the King) contacted
Lady Olenna and summoned her back to the King's Landing to have her council and support in their efforts.
Meeting with her son Mace and heading up to the Red Keep together in a Litter, she branded him as an idiot for believing that Cersei had chosen him to negotiate with the Iron Bank of Bravos purely for diplomatic purposes. Explaining to him that it was only a tactic to get him away from King's Landing, she added that the presence of King's Guard - including Meryn Trant - was to ensure he did not return, berating him for his habit of "eating, drinking and singing" while his children were being tortured by the High Sparrow and his followers. Cutting of his protest, she demanded that he looked her in the eye and tell him that he did not sing at anyone whilst he was out there. Declaring that it won't happen again, Olenna angrily snapped that she was the "Mistress of getting my grandchildren out of bloody prison". Easing of him, she promised to get them back and leave King's Landing forever, so that both the Lannisters and Sparrows "rip themselves to pieces".
"Oathbreaker"
Sitting on the Small Council, Olenna sat silently listening to Grand Maester Pycelle as he condemned the appointment of Qyburn and his experiment to resurrect Ser Gregor Clegane as a mindless zombie. Noticing Cersei, Jamie and "The Mountain" enter, she curtly told the angry Lannisters that she had been invited to help deal with several problems involving the realm - in particular the priority of freeing the Queen and her brother.
Scoffing at the belief that Cersei was who they were talking about, she corrected the latter and outwardly challenged the pair on the fact that it was unclear where the line of succession started due to the families incestuous relationship. She is taken aback by Pycelle's acknowledgement that the Commander of the King's Guard had been historically known to sit on the council - despite it only being once during the reign of the "Mad King".
Seeing Kevan get up and leave the council, Olenna joined him, moving with them to another part of the castle to continue their council meeting without them.
"The Book of the Stranger"
Talking privately in the Council chamber, Olenna and Kevan are again approached by Cersie and Jamie. She began to rise, stating that by now that the Queen Mother should remember that she was not respected, liked or wanted by any of her Small Council. When Cersie mentioned there previous discussion about her respect for Tywin Lannister's philosophy on working with enemies, Olenna pointed out that she had no support from her people, or council and that she was "stripped of {your} dignity and authority," wondering what they had to "work with".
However she became curious by their proposal, after hearing the news that Tommen was in regular contact with the High Sparrow about Margery. Disgusted by the idea of Margery doing the same "walk of atonement" that Cersei had done, stating that she would not let that happen whilst she was alive. Sitting down with her enemy, Olenna listened to Jamie's plan, agreeing to the mobilise the Tyrell army and storm the Sept of Baelor. Seeing both sides of the argument that their action would cause a civil war if handled poorly, she mused that it would have happened sooner or later and that if it did result to war, better end the Faith Militant and it's supporters than the crown.
"Blood of my Blood"
Arriving in a litter with her son and the host of Highgarden, Olenna watched as the High Sparrow declared that Margery had already atoned to her sins, equally shocked to see that Tommen had taken up sides against them. She told the bewildered Mace that they had lost.
"The Broken Man"
Meeting with Margery in the Red Keep, Olenna is furious about having to be in the presence of Sister Unella, comparing her to a statue and asking if "it" moved or talked. Wishing to talk to her alone, she grabs her granddaughter by the arm, pulling her outside and declaring that since they weren't on sacred ground she could - and was very happy to - have her men attack her until she dismissed them, making a side note that she did not think she would ever want to after all the pain she put her family through. Justifying marching against the Faith Militant for her, she questioned the God's mercy being shown to Loras as he continued to be locked away in the black cells.
Affronted by the suggestion that Loras give up his title of heir to Highgarden to become "a mindless fanatic". Olenna demanded that Margery left for her ancestral home, since the Faith had no jurisdiction over her. At first defiant about never leaving her, Olenna felt Margery shove a scrunched up bit of paper into her hand, realising that she had planned a way of communicating to her all that time. Reassured by this, she agreed to the demand, telling Margery that she would see her soon. Nodding as she was blessed by the Seven, she left the room and took a look at the paper she was given. Happy to see a sketch of a rose, she smiled to herself at how cunning Margery had grown to be, using her connection to the King and High Septom to influence the release of Loras.
Making plans to leave for Highgarden, she is visited by Cersei and The Mountain,interrupting her as she responded to a letter. Olenna told her that she had no reasons asking her future moves, since the alliance between Houses Tyrell and Lannister was broken. Hearing Cersei's attempts to persuade her to stay and guilt trip her, she replied by blaming both Loras' arrest and the High Sparrow's rise to power all on her. She went on to add that Cersei's "stupidity" and lust for control also meant that House Lannister and Tyrell were threatened with extinction.
Surprised to hear Cersei admit she was wrong, Olenna remarked that it was "good" that she was feeling shame and regret for her actions. Hearing her call for aid, she wondered if the Dowager Queen was the most evil and cruelist person she had ever met in her life, calling her "truly vile" and calling her out for the way in which she gloated over the arrests of Margery and Loras.
Undeterred by Cersei's plea, Olenna said that she would flee from the city and ensure that "the shoeless zealot" did not arrest her on trumped up charges. She added that if Cersei was as clever as she claimed, then she would do the same. Generally perturbed by her stubbornness, she wondered what Cersie could do since she was hated and abandoned by her people and family - with exception of Jamie being exiled by Tommen for opposing the Faith. Noting that Cersei had lost, she replied by saying that it was the only thing that made her "happy" in their current situation
"The Winds of Winter"
Having learned about the deaths of her entire family at the hands of Cersei Lannister - through the destruction of the Sept of Baelor by wildfire - Lady Olenna responded to the summons of Ellaria Sand and the Sand Snakes, the new rulers of Dorne after their assassinations of Doran and Trystane Martell. She is in mourning for the loss, seeking to get vengeance on Cersei at any costs.
Meeting them in the Water Gardens of the Sunspear, Olenna mused that the last time a member of House Tyrell (Lyonel Tyrell) came to Dorne they were killed in their bed by "one hundred red scorpions." Wary of Ellaria, she wondered why she should trust the people who killed their own prince and leader, turning on Obara for daring to presume she knew what she wanted - calling her "Barbaro" and adding that she "looked like an angry little boy." She told Nymeria to shut up, and dismissed Tyene from speaking, wanting to speak directly to Ellaria and hear what she said as the most senior of the group. Listening to her proposal, she corrected Olenna on the fact that she did not care about her life, only that she murdered Cersei and got justice from the woman who had destroyed "the future". Mockingly asking what her supposed "heart's desire was", she is shocked to see Varys summoned by a bell, greeting her with the words of House Targaryen "Fire and Blood".
Appearances:
- "Oathbreaker" (First Appearance of the Series)
- "Book of the Stranger"
- "Blood of My Blood"
- "The Broken Man"
- "The Winds of Winter" (Final Appearance of the Series)
Played By:
In the final day of Robert Baratheon's Rebellion, after Grand Maester Pycelle persuaded Aerys to open the gate and receive the Lannister army, Rossart stood with the King in the Red Keep and listened to his ravings to use the wildfire against the enemies sacking King's Landing.
