Winter may be coming on "Game of Thrones," but will anyone survive to see it?
Certainly not many who attended what became known as the Red Wedding -- the massacre that fans of George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy novels have been anticipating/dreading since the HBO series began.
Spoilers ahead, so read on at your own risk!
Robb Stark and his mother, Catelynn, were murdered! Lord Walder Frey exacted the ultimate revenge against the King in the North for breaking his pact to marry one of the Frey daughters -- slaughtering all of the honored guests at the make-up nuptials between Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey.
The Starks and Tullys really shouldn't have checked the "attending" box on that RSVP, but they couldn't again insult the Freys, who'd offered their support in Robb's rebellion against King Joffrey.
Robb's death alone wasn't enough to satisfy Lord Frey's thirst for vengeance. In fact, the first victim of the bloodbath was Robb's queen, Talisa Maegyr -- and their unborn child. As her wounded husband looked on in her horror, a Frey henchman stabbed her, over and over again, in her womb.
Catelynn tried one last desperate act to save her son, grabbing a knife and threatening to kill Frey's young wife.
"I'll find another," the primogenitor replied dryly before Roose Bolton fatally stabbed Robb.
Catelyn made good on her threat, and then she, too, was cut down -- the blood spewing out of their necks like wine from a fresh cask.
And that, folks, is why they call it the Red Wedding.
The celebrants weren't the only victims: Frey also ordered his men to kill Robb's direwolf, Grey Wind -- an act Arya witnessed from her hiding place outside the hall.
The Hound had brought her to the Twins just moments before the carnage -- and then carried her away before she could see what had become of her family.
At least her three other brothers are still alive. Bran, Rickon and Jon Snow even reunited -- sort of -- near The Wall. Bran warged into both Hodor and his own direwolf, Summer, where he saw Jon betray the Wildings and abandon Ygritte.
More blood was spilled across the Narrow Sea, where Daenerys set the stage to invade Yunkai.
Although the title of this episode, "The Rains of Castamere," is the name of a song -- celebrating Tywin Lannister's crushing victory over an earlier rebellion -- no music was played over the closing credits. Fitting, since most viewers were likely shocked into silence themselves.
How shocked were you by the Red Wedding? Who will you mourn most? Tell us on our Facebook page!