Tyrion and Ser Mandon

[Boaz]

Ser Mandon attempted to assassinate Tyrion in the chaos of Stannis' assault on King's Landing. Mandon ended up all wet and Tyrion won by a nose.

Anyway, Tyrion in the opening chapters of ASOS is convinced that Cersei ordered Mandon to kill him. To find out the truth, Tyrion sends Bronn to get info on Mandon. Varys confirms all the rumors and facts that Bronn collects. Tyrion never gets proof, yet he remains certain that Cersei was behind the attempt on his life. In the reader's eyes this is bolstered by the tenacity and ferocity of Cersei's conspiracy to make Tyrion guilty of Joffrey's murder.

What if Tyrion was wrong?

At that time, Cersei wanted Tyrion out of her way, but she also wanted Joffrey to sit on the throne and she knew Tyrion was working hard to that end. I'm not convinced Cersei orderd Mandon to kill Tyrion.

Ser Mandon was from the Vale. He came to King's Landing in Jon Arryn's retinue. He did not have friends. Barristan claimed Mandon's only friend was his sword and his only love was duty.

The Vale connection is interesting. Petyr Baelish also was in Arryn's retinue. Both rose up to high positions in the government. Could Mandon have been working for Baelish? Mayhaps. But why would Littlefinger want Tyrion dead? I think Littlefinger wanted Tyrion dead sometime in the future, but not at that moment. Better to have Tyrion to deal with than a different Hand who answered to Cersei or Varys.

I think the hit was ordered by Joffrey. Mandon did what ever Joffrey told him to do. He beat Sansa.

We know that Joffrey plotted to murder Bran.

Joffrey hated Tyrion. Tyrion embarrassed him a few times. Tyrion kicked him and blamed him publicly for the disaster on the return from Myrcella's send off... the deaths of Tyrek, Santagar, Greenfield, and the High Septon... the near deaths of Joffrey, Cersei, Tyrion, Sansa, and the Hound... the hatred of the commons for Tyrion and the Lannisters.

Joffrey hated Tyrion for being smarter than he was. Joffrey hated Tyrion for slapping him at Winterfell. Joffrey hated Tyrion for the way that Tyrion seemed to be able to command men even though he was physically deformed. Joffrey hated Tyrion for assuming control of the realm and relegating Joffrey to figurehead status.

There is no proof. It seems unlikely that there will ever be proof since Joffrey and Mandon are both dead.

 

[Stark Winter]

We may not find out if Joffrey was the one who ordered the killing, but Cersei is a POV character and she has made no mention of this incident (that I can remember anyway) that would confirm her as having ordered Tyrion killled. So we may as yet find out that she was not the one who sent Ser Mandon, leaving the door open for Littlefinger or Joffrey. I believe that Joffrey would be the more likely of the two.

 

[Apopas]

...Cersei is a POV character and she has made no mention of this incident (that I can remember anyway) that would confirm her as having ordered Tyrion killled.

Don't forget the High Septon's death as well. We learn almost at the end of the book that Cersei was responsible for that. Until then we see her to be annoyed by him and to desire his death but without acting.

 

[devilsgrin]

Joffrey hated Tyrion. Tyrion embarrassed him a few times. Tyrion kicked him and blamed him publicly for the disaster on the return from Myrcella's send off... the deaths of Tyrek, Santagar, Greenfield, and the High Septon... the near deaths of Joffrey, Cersei, Tyrion, Sansa, and the Hound... the hatred of the commons for Tyrion and the Lannisters.


interesting theory indeed.
Just one thing tho, there is never confirmation that Tyrek is dead. It is suspected... suspected that he ended up in the Brown (soup stuff for the beggars)...but never confirmed - iirc that is...

 

[Boaz]

SW, good point that Cersei never reflects upon ordering Mandon to kill Tyrion.

Apopas, Welcome!

dg, Tyrek vanished and was presumed dead by everyone, except Tywin. Now that Tywin's dead, I think the search for Tyrek is over. Either Tyrek is dead or Varys took him...

 

[TK-421]

He could of been working for Littlefinger. I give you this one, Boaz, good thinking on your part.

But, the Tyrells were really the ones behind the assassination of Joff. Could they also have been the ones behind the attempt to kill Tyrion as the Queen of Thorns is sharp enough to recognize another sharp knife in the drawer. This, of course, feeds into my theory that the Tyrells are really working towards a return to Targ rule.

 

[AryaUnderfoot]

TK, are you so sure that the Tyrells are working toward a return of the Targs, or are they trying to grasp more power for themselves? Marrying Margaery to three different kings, all contenders to rule the Seven Kingdoms, seems to point towards the latter.

 

[devilsgrin]

i'd have to agree arya. i think that ever since Aegon raised them from stewards of House Gardener, to the Wardens of the South, the Tyrell's have been trying to prove they belong among the Great Families of Westeros. Frankly they are already there. They, like the Lannister's also seem to have the most glamour of the great Houses... a house of beautiful, highly capable individuals.
If they aren't Targaryen loyalists, which i do believe them to be essentially (they were last to bend the knee to Robert), then they are certainly prepared to make a claim for the throne themselves...

 

[TK-421]

Now all I need is our Aegon in the desert to shime in as well. He's been on me about this Tyrell = Targ rule thing for a while.

Well, the one who is truly calling the shots down in Highgarden, the Queen of Thorns, is no slouch and she would never make a mistake of overplaying the Tyrell hand. If they make a claim, she knows it would be a tennuous one and would likely not survive.

 

[vervain_ashe]

Well, Joffrey was a complete ass. It is highly possible he hired the killing of Tyrion. I agree with Boaz.

 

[Koopa]

Agreeing with Boaz, what a dangerous thing to do.

 

[Aegon the Unworthy]

Actually Boaz, I kinda assumed Joff had ordered Mandon or Mandy Moore (as my wife calls him) acted on his own volition.

At the point Moore attempts to kill Tyrion, he is too neccessary to the defense of Kings Landing. As much as Cersei is shown to be insipid in AFFC, at that point in time she seemed to be shrewd. Tyrion kept his plans close, possessed little loyalty amongst the guard to oust Cersei, and had her fathers blessing....why would Cersei kill him? Or more importantly who would she replace him with that was competent. I could understand if Jaime was in the city she would try....but she didnt feel secure with any male at this point to place them as Hand in the middle of a war. In fact the situation looked so bleak for the Lannisters at that point I doubt she even considered it...

 

[Slyde]

We may not find out if Joffrey was the one who ordered the killing, but Cersei is a POV character and she has made no mention of this incident (that I can remember anyway) that would confirm her as having ordered Tyrion killled. So we may as yet find out that she was not the one who sent Ser Mandon, leaving the door open for Littlefinger or Joffrey. I believe that Joffrey would be the more likely of the two.

Good point about it never being mentioned in any of Cersei's POV chapters.

If it was Joffrey, we may never know for certain, and I don't think GRRM will leave many (if any) 'loose-ends', so I'm thinking it may be some one else.

 

[DeannaBelle]

I can't imagine it any other way than that Margery somehow knew Joffrey wold be murdered before she had to endures bedding that snotty creature. Discusting!

Then again, maybe she doesn't have discriminating taste...