New Castle

The New Castle is the principal fortress of White Harbor, the seat of House Manderly, and the political heart of the city. It is here that Davos Seaworth, the Hand of King Stannis Baratheon, is brought to deliver his king’s offer of alliance to Lord Wyman Manderly, and here that the fate of the north is debated and decided in the Merman’s Court.

Location and Description

The New Castle rises proud and pale upon its hill, dominating the city of White Harbor. Its walls are of whitewashed stone, and its towers fly the merman of House Manderly. The castle is accessed by the Castle Stair, a broad white stone way lined with marble mermaids holding bowls of burning whale oil. The Merman’s Court, the castle’s great hall, is constructed of wooden planks notched cunningly together and decorated with all the creatures of the sea. The floor is painted with crabs, clams, starfish, and the bones of drowned sailors, while the walls depict sharks, eels, octopods, and ships. Behind the dais, a kraken and a grey leviathan are locked in battle beneath the painted waves. The hall is crowded with women, septons, holy sisters, and men of House Frey when Davos is brought before Lord Wyman.

Events at the New Castle

Davos Seaworth is taken to the New Castle after being captured in Sisterton and smuggled into White Harbor. He is brought before Lord Wyman Manderly in the Merman’s Court, where he presents Stannis’s plea for allegiance. The Freys, led by Ser Jared and Rhaegar Frey, are present and denounce Davos as a liar and traitor. Lord Wyman, feigning loyalty to the Iron Throne, publicly condemns Davos and orders him taken to the Wolf’s Den to be executed. This is a mummer’s farce, as Lord Wyman later reveals to Davos in a secret meeting within the castle, where he explains that he had to pretend to kill Davos to protect his captive son Wylis and to deceive the Freys. It is in the New Castle that Lord Wyman reveals his true allegiance to the Starks and his plan to have Davos smuggle Rickon Stark back from Skagos.

Associated People and Groups

The New Castle is the seat of Lord Wyman Manderly, the enormously fat Lord of White Harbor. His household includes his maester, Theomore; his cousin and garrison commander, Ser Marlon Manderly; his good-daughter, Lady Leona; and his granddaughters, Wynafryd and Wylla Manderly. The castle is also the residence of the Freys during their stay in White Harbor, including Ser Jared, Rhaegar, and Symond Frey. Robett Glover, a northern lord, is also present in the castle, having been freed from captivity. The castle’s guards wear cloaks of blue-green wool and carry silver tridents.

Changes and Narrative Significance

The New Castle serves as the stage for the central political deception of Davos’s arc in A Dance with Dragons. Lord Wyman’s public condemnation of Davos and his secret revelation of his true loyalty to the Starks mark a critical turning point. The castle is the site where the northern conspiracy against the Boltons and Freys is set in motion, with Lord Wyman charging Davos with the mission to retrieve Rickon Stark from Skagos. The New Castle’s transformation from a place of apparent danger for Davos to a place of secret alliance underscores the theme of deception and the north’s hidden resistance. The castle’s physical description, with its painted floors and maritime decorations, reinforces House Manderly’s identity as a sea power and their deep connection to the sea.