But what is a “Kings Fall” game? And why are the “Bastards” winning?

: A former man transformed into a woman who acts as a guide, possessing the power to force others to speak their true thoughts.

The tragedy for the King is that he often believes he is the author of this game. He utilizes the bastard players—the "little birds," the ambitious minor lords, the bastard children, and the Mercenaries—to bypass the rigid constraints of his own laws. He thinks he is using the chaos to secure his order. He fails to realize that chaos is not a tool; it is a living thing. Once a ruler invites the Bastard Game to circumvent his enemies, he has introduced a predator into his own court.