Game of Thrones has aged, hasn't it? As Ned Stark's perennially pained expression flashed across the screen in the opening minutes of the fourth season premiere, you could only wonder at how far we've come. It's hard to think of a series in which time has passed as convincingly, and if Two Swords had a predominant theme, it was that of irrevocable change, and it was embodied by Ned's sword Ice split in two. It's not just the sword which has been transformed by the events of the past. Of course, some remain constant, like morally upright Brienne in her insistence that Jaime keep his vow to Catelyn Stark, and somehow it seems unlikely that Joffrey will have a change of heart. Others, however, are barely recognisable, and their personalities from the first season seem to belong to different characters entirely. Would Ned Stark know them now (if he ever did)? With so much change in the air, where will Westeros be at the end of this season? Book readers, that's a rhetorical question. Note: This article contains spoilers for the fourth season premiere. There will not be any spoilers from the book series.
