Heartwarming / A Feast for Crows

• Prince Doran Martell setting aside time to watch the kids (both commoner and noble) in the Water Gardens pool with orders not to be disturbed. Before leaving to return to Sunspear, he says goodbye to a few kids he has come to dote on, again a mix of highborn and commoner kids.
• It's brief, but in Cersei's second POV chapter she notices that Tommen seems to be thinner than normal so she makes a note to herself to go and speak to the steward to make sure he's eating. And later at Tywin's funeral at the sept, she puts an arm around him and kisses his curls while promising to protect him.
• After years of thinking she was The Unfavorite, Arianne learns that her father loved her dearly all along and had great plans for her, namely making her Viserys III's queen. That plan didn't pan out, but she does come to see Doran in a new light and they reconcile. It's also worth noting that despite trying to overthrow him, Arianne never wanted her father to get hurt, only to acknowledge her rights. Even when she thought he didn't love her, she still loved him.
• Bronn names his bastard stepson "Tyrion," in a political climate where it would be impolitic to the point of suicide to do so. And gets away with it. And remember when Cersei tried to have him killed because of it? Thereby managing to combine Heartwarming, Awesome and Funny in a single action. There's a reason he's an Ensemble Dark Horse. And, honestly, the only thing likely to please Tyrion more than a baby named after him is a baby who was named after him to purposefully piss off Cersei.
• Jaime: *THWACK* "You are speaking of a highborn lady, Ser. Call her by her name. Call her Brienne."
• Jaime's kindness towards Pia, a physically and sexually abused peasant girl, is one of the most powerful moments of his Heel–Face Turn: He beheads one of his own men for raping her, and goes to great lengths to ensure that the budding relationship between her and his squire is a happy one. In a world where commoners, women, and above all commoner women are preyed upon by the likes of Gregor Clegane and Vargo Hoat, compassion like that really stands out.
• After the events of The Red Wedding, no one could blame Edmure if he resented or hated Roslin for what the Freys did to the Starks and Tullys, or refused to have sex with her for pragmatic reasons — one he begets a son, his life is forfeit. But he doesn't. Not only does he never say an unkind word about her, but he still clearly considers her to be his wife, hopes to be reunited with her, and defends her when Jaime implies that she had any active role in the massacre. In spite of everything that happened, Edmure still loves Roslin enough to understand that she was an innocent pawn in what happened. He also surrenders for her sake, while telling Jaime off for thinking he's a good person.
• Jaime offering his condolences to Robb Stark's widow, praising the Young Wolf for his battlefield courage, even if they were on opposing sides. He's also clearly disgusted with the dishonourable way Robb died, to the point of telling the Freys disparaging the defeated Riverlords to shut their mouths because they're even worse; they rebelled against the crown with Robb then betrayed him when they saw an opportunity to gain from it, unlike the other Riverlords, who at least stayed loyal to Robb to the end.
• Though Brienne is sworn to find and protect Lady Stark’s daughters, she still risks her life to defend the nameless orphans of the Inn at the Crossroads. A true knight is sworn to protect the innocent, highborn or not.
• Lady Stoneheart tells off Brienne for breaking her promise and letting Sansa stay in Lannister hands and supposedly switching sides. It's Nightmare Fuel since Brienne knows the circumstances were different — by the time she and Jaime arrived at King's Landing, both the Red and Purple Weddings happened— but it shows that Lady Stoneheart is not all gone from being Catelyn, and wants her daughters safe. Brienne also gets her moment when she both refuses to give up Jaime to Stoneheart (and we assume this hasn't changed) and says her life isn't worth it but to spare Podrick's since he's only a boy.
• Tommen standing up for Margaery when Cersei threatens her. It shows that although he is far too young to love Margaery as a wife, he cares about her like a little brother would. Unfortunately, it doesn't end well for him.
• Arya throwing everything into the canals of Braavos except for Needle, because even if the Many-Faced God decreed that she could have no worldly possessions, the Old Gods are the ones in her heart. And Arya's thoughts on Needle in the same scene. Needle is her family, the home she lost - Needle is Arya, and everything she ever loved, even when she's trying to be no one. Also doubles as a Tearjerker in the light of what has happened to House Stark.
  Needle was Robb and Bran and Rickon, her mother and her father, even Sansa. Needle was Winterfell's grey walls, and the laughter of its people. Needle was the summer snows, Old Nan's stories, the heart tree with its red leaves and scary face, the warm earthy smell of the glass gardens, the sound of the north wind rattling the shutters of her room. Needle was Jon Snow's smile.
• It crosses over with tearjerker, but the first thing that Cersei does when she learns of Margaery's arrest is to go and cuddle with Tommen while thinking that he's safe. Compare this to show Cersei, who has Loras and Margaery arrested for spiteful reasons only, book Cersei is motivated to do so to save Tommen's life. If she stops the younger and more beautiful queen, she stops the rest of the prophecy including all of her children dying.
• Sansa saying that "it would be so sweet" to see her half brother, Jon Snow, whom she was never close with when their family was together but now believes Jon is the only brother she has left.
  "Jon Snow?" [Sansa] blurted out, surprised.
  "Snow? Yes, it would be Snow, I suppose."
  She had not thought of Jon in ages. He was only her half brother, but still... with Robb and Bran and Rickon dead, Jon Snow was the only brother that remained to her. I am a bastard too now, just like him. Oh, it would be so sweet, to see him once again. But of course that could never be. Alayne Stone had no brothers, baseborn or otherwise.
• Loras offering to take over Tywin's vigil so that Jaime can rest. Finally, the Sworn Brothers of the Kingsguard are acting like real brothers, as they should be (two of them, at least, but it's a start).
• Septon Meribald's "Broken Men" speech is mostly just sad, but the way he beseeches the others to have compassion for Shell Shocked Veterans who were once honest men definitely falls into this. Most people just write them off as worthless outlaws, but Meribald recognizes what PTSD does to a person.
• Sam and Gilly's voyage to Oldtown aboard the Cinnamon Wind contains many sweet moments and memories:
  • As Maester Aemon is dying, they do their best to ease his passage and help him enjoy his last days. Sam listens dutifully to everything he has to say, including his fears of what comes in the afterlife, and promises to carry his message about Daenerys being the promised prince to the maesters of Oldtown.
  • To soothe the maester, Gilly sings a lullaby that she learned from Craster's other wives. Even in the hell that was Craster's Keep, the women still found ways to comfort each other.
  • Sam and Gilly deciding to name Dalla's baby after Aemon when he turns two.
  • The fact that the Summer Islanders are kind enough to give Aemon, a foreigner they met only a couple weeks ago as he was gravely ill, a lavish funeral with full honors. In a world where most people die screaming in agony and terror, a peaceful and painless end came for a wise, kind, and just man, as he was surrounded by people who loved him and strangers who honored his last days. Rest in peace, Maester Aemon, and watch over everyone from the seven heavens.
  • The female Summer Islanders aboard the ship fall in love with Gilly's (actually Dalla's) baby. Kojja Mo, the captain's daughter, enjoys bouncing him on her knee and singing to him in the language of the Summer Isles.
  • After Sam and Gilly have sex for the first time, he starts avoiding her the day after, ashamed of having broken his vows to the Night's Watch. Kojja confronts him, telling him that he can either go to Gilly or jump off the ship and swim to Dorne, and that she has lost her entire family and only has him. Why is this last bit important? It means that at some point, Gilly must have confided in Kojja about her past. After a lifetime of imprisonment and abuse in Craster's Keep, she is willing to open up to the Summer Islander. She has found someone she can trust, and perhaps even call a friend.
    Gilly: (to Sam) I was afraid of her at first. She was so black, and her teeth were so white, I was afraid she was a beastling or a monster, but she’s not. She’s good. I like her.
• In flashbacks, we get to see Aunt Genna being a motherly figure to young Cersei, confiding to her that she will be betrothed to Prince Rhaegar at the Harrenhal tourney, and comforting her when King Aerys foolishly and cruelly rejects the match.
  Genna: Dry those tears, little one. Have you ever seen a lion weep? Your father will find another man for you, a better man than Rhaegar.
• Although they fell out in later life and she admits she doesn't approve of all his actions, Jaime's aunt Genna admits she did love Tywin because he was the only one who protested the insulting Arranged Marriage their father let Walder Frey bully him into making for Genna, despite only being ten at the time. For all his many faults, Tywin loved his siblings.
  Jaime: Did you love him?
  Genna: I was seven when my father arranged for me to marry Walder Frey's second son. [...] My betrothal was announced at a feast with half the west in attendance. Ellyn Tarbeck laughed and the Red Lion went angry from the hall. The rest sat on their tongues. Only Tywin dared speak against the match. A boy of ten. Father turned as white as mare's milk, and Walder Frey was quivering. How could I not love him after that? That is not to say I approved of all he did, or much enjoyed the company of the man he became ... but every little girl needs a big brother to protect her. Tywin was big even when he was little.
  • Also, the reason why Genna fell out with Tywin? She told her brother to his face that Tyrion was the child who took after Tywin the most. Another of Tyrion's extended family who acknowledges his worth.
• On the way down to the Gates of the Moon, Sansa coaxes little Robert Arryn into crossing a narrow bridge by asking for his help, giving him a chance to feel brave.
  Sansa: Sweetrobin, I’m scared. Hold my hand, and help me get across. I know you’re not afraid.
  Robert: I'm not?
  Sansa: Not you. You're my winged knight, Ser Sweetrobin.
  Robert: The Winged Knight could fly.
  Sansa: Higher than the mountains.
• Mya Stone's recounting a memory of her father, King Robert, playing with her when she was a child when telling Sansa and Myranda why she is never afraid while scaling the mountains. It's a touching but rather sad description of one of the only times we know that Robert was ever a real father to one his many real children, before Cersei forced him to leave her behind for her own safety. "I remember a man throwing me in the air when I was very little. He stands as tall as the sky, and he throws me up so high it feels as though I'm flying. We're both laughing, laughing so much that I can hardly catch a breath, and finally I laugh so hard I wet myself, but that only makes him laugh the louder. I was never afraid when he was throwing me. I knew that he would always be there to catch me. Then one day he wasn't."