She gives him a wagon-load of gold and sends him off to kill her brothers, who both happen to be good friends of his and are hundreds of miles away from her sphere of influence. She also is known for treachery and likely won't pay him the rest upon completion.
You really think he won't either join them or just take off with his gold?
No way is Bronn going to try to kill them. What would be in it for him?
If he thinks Cersei will end up winning, it would make sense. She could make him a major lord, like Lord of Highgarden and Warden of the South.
shareBut surely he's not so naive as to trust her.
shareIf he thinks Cersei will end up winning, it would make sense.
The whole plot device is just lame because it'd be so out of character for him to go through with it. Like someone mentioned in another thread, that would make it ridiculous if he does and predictable if he doesn't.
shareNo it isn't. At the end of a day, he is a sellsword, and remember, he defied his first employer to stand for Tyrion because he thought it would land him a payday (and it did). And a man of honor? Remember what he said when asked if he would kill a baby? He said he would ask "how much (money)."
And Tyrion understands this about Bronn. To gain his loyalty, he doesn't appeal to his sense of honor, or friendship. He promises to double the price.
Yet he risked his life to save Jaime from a dragon last season instead of recovering his fallen bag of gold.
If he is really what you say they wouldn't have spoonfed us a scene like that. That's why this plot device is contrived.
Bronn wasn't employed by Catelyn Stark. He essentially volunteered for the expedition (as did others) but only in the hopes of it paying off later for him which it did.
If it boiled down to his life vs Tyrion's or Jaime's he would certainly choose himself e.g. His refusal to fight the Mountain on Tyrion's behalff but based on everything else we have seen of the character and his relationship with Tyrion & Jaime it would be ridiculously out of character for him to go through with it.
If Cersei was certain he wouldn't do it she'd probably just have The Mountain crush his skull. She knows Bronn was close with her brothers, especially Tyrion, but he comes across as the type of guy whose loyalty can be bought with money and titles. What she's paid him isn't a lot by her standards. If he takes off and never comes back, or gets killed trying to carry out her instructions, no big loss.
If he returns having succeeded ... well, either she follows through with the rest of the money and makes him a minor noble (since he's proven himself an asset) or she decides to tie him up as a loose end. I'm inclined to think she'd probably keep up her side of the deal though. Self-interest is a motive Cersei understands well. That makes Bronn a known quantity for her, and easy to manipulate. Plus once he's thrown in that completely with her he's pretty much burned all his other bridges. Bronn isn't a man who intends to die poor, and with Tyrion and Jaime both gone Cersei would be the only one left in his life who could ensure that.
I don't think he will. It doesn't seem like he trusts Cersei enough, or has any intention of placing himself under her thumb. Plus he does consider Jaime and Tyrion his friends.
"She gives him a wagon-load of gold"
That's why. Bronn is a sellsword
Who got the gold in advance from a woman known to be extremely untrustworthy as payment for the job of killing his friends...
shareYeah, in reality, Bronn should be taking that gold and sailing East. In fact, he should have gone that last year after he saved Jaime and was supposed to get paid when they got to KL.
shareI don't think he would. Seems like a pretty poor attempt at creating some additional drama.
shareHe has to get thru the white walkers first.
How come Bran didn't mention this to Jamie?
As far as I understand, with Bran being new to the three-eyed-raven-business he currently still has problems to pick out details from the mass of information (basically, ALL there is to know) he gets. So, if you tell him: "Hey, have if look if Rhaegar Targaryen ever married Lyanna Stark", or: "Could you please take a peek what the Night King is doing right now", or: "Did, by any chance, Cersei hire Bronn to kill her brothers", then he’ll be able to switch to the appropriate channel and tell you what’s up.
But if he doesn’t concentrate on a specific event, he may miss important information because of all the noise.
As I’ve said, that’s the way I got it, I might be wrong.