Qyburn is the new Varys, since Cersei just announced it and supposedly all of Varys' old informers came running. I don't think he will be as effective, though, since even Cersei notices he doesn't have the same level of background contextual knowledge; the kind which is useful for making sense of whispers.
GREGOR is seemingly dead. Qyburn has his head in a nice box to send to Prince Doran. Cersei is annoyed with Doran Martell. She should not be: he's her only friend in Dorne as far as I can tell.
Cersei has installed her council of lackeys and suckups:
- Qyburn replaces Varys
- Orton Merryweather is not the hand but a dim-witted judge.
- Gyles Rosby is the blood-coughing treasurer.
- Aurane Waters is the admiral.
- Harys Swyft is Hand. He's also dim-witted and Kevan's father-in-law, which is supposed to keep Kevan at bay.
The council is a handy situation report. Let my try to summarise:
- Balon Swann of the Kingsguard is going to Sunspear with GREGOR's head and to do something else secret. Rescue Myrcella probably.
- Lots of sparrows (some sort of religious cult, as met by Brienne on the road some chapters back) are coming to the city and they are outspoken about Rh'llor being a demon god and about the Red Wedding being a terrible crime possibly instigated by Lannisters.
- The Septon appointed by Tyrion is dead; no-doubt Cersei had a hand in this.
- A bunch of lords are planning to overthrow Littlefinger, but Littlefinger is unconcerned and Cersei mainly wishes he'd come back and be treasurer again. She tells the Lords to harm Littlefinger.
- Cersei is going to delay paying debts to the Iron Bank in Braavos and to the Sept in order to build ships. No doubt that will cause trouble later.
- Lord Frey wants more land; Cersei wants him dead so she can tell his heirs to blame inconvenient relatives for the Red Wedding and kill them to placate the Red Wedding complainers.
- There is a Golden Company of mercenaries no longer working for Myr and the Myrish (where Taena Merryweather is from?). They might be working for Stannis, but if so why are they going towards Volantis? It's on the way to Meereen: could they be joining Dany?
- Lord Tyrell is going to attack Stannis's Storm's End
- The Freys are beseiging Riverrun (but aren't' they also supposed to be helping Bolton take Moat Cailin?)
- Daven Lannister is new the warden of the West and is helping the Freys with Riverrun.
- Lord Paxter Redwyne has ships which are attaking Stannis's Dragonstone.
- Stannis helping wildlings is expected to annoy the Northmen into joining Roose Bolton to help take Moat Cailin from the Ironmen.
- Wyman Manderley from White Harbor is on the brink of joining with the Lannisters, if only they can rescue his heir from Harrenhal (where he was previously held by GREGOR).
- Davos is in a cell at White Harbor after Stannis sent him to bring Manderley to his side. Cersei has asked Manderley to chop off his head. Somehow I don't think Davos will end up that way.
- There are rumours of dragons which Cersei is not taking seriously.
- Neither is Cersei taking the Night's Watch seriously.
Cersei still thinks Sansa helped Tyrion kill Joffrey and she means to kill Sansa. She thinks Arya is already dead and that Fake Araya will ensure Bolton gets Winterfell. But, of course, Littlefinger is ambitious and has Sansa and it turns out he is behind the Fake Arya scheme and can presumably end it at his convenience.
Catelyn hatches a plan with Taena's help to have the younger, non-Kingsguard Kettleblack Osney seduce Maergery. Then she can behead Maergery, send Osney to the wall with a hundred fake Watch volunteers to take out Jon Snow. She's relying on Jon being as trusting as his dad was.
How GRRM keeps track of all this I have no idea.
