In Westeros, there are really only two beverages: beer and wine. (Because water is for children and for drowning your enemies.) So naturally a few years back, HBO teamed up with Ommegang for a tasty line of brews inspired by Game of Thrones. It was only a matter of time before a matching line of wines came along, and that time has come. HBO announced today that they’re teaming up with California’s Vintage Wine Estates in an exclusive partnership to produce a trio of Game of Thrones wines that will be available in the spring of 2017.  The wines will be available in standard-sized 750ml bottles. As for the range of prices and varietals/blends,  Game of Thrones Chardonnay and Game of Thrones Red Blend is $19.99, while the  Game of Thrones Cabernet Sauvignon is $39.99 a bottle. “Given the prominent role of wine on Game of Thrones and our previous success in the beverage category, an officially licensed wine for the show feels like a natural extension for our fans,” says Jeff Peters, Director of Licensing and Retail for HBO.

“Game of Thrones wines most definitely will add to the fan experience as the battle for the Iron Throne heats up heading into the final seasons.” As a fan of wines, I’m even more excited about the line of wines than I was about the brews, so I wish they were debuting before Christmas- it would be a neat gift. But at least the Game of Thrones wines will arrive before season 7. So raise your glass, and toast the future of Thrones drunk-watching!The night is dark and full of multiballs. Now the finest prize in Westeros isn't just a big chair made of metal, it's a tiny ball made of metal as well. HBO revealed a special pinball machine on Tuesday inspired by the characters and locations from Game of Thrones . See also: 'Game of Thrones' is way quirkier when drawn like 'Bob's Burgers' The machine was created by Stern Pinball, a longtime pinball manufacturer. Players may choose to be a knight under the banner of the house of Stark, Lannister, Greyjoy, Baratheon, Martell or Tyrell and fight against other houses.

The models range in price from $5,995 for the pro, $7,595 for the premium and $8,795 for the limited edition. According to a press release from Stern, all three models include features that are fit for a king — or at least a pinball wizard — including an interactive fire-breathing dragon on the playing field, details and artwork inspired by the show, an "animated mechanical Sword of Multiball [that] holds back reinforcements until it’s time to attack" and more. The pro edition also includes seven multicolor shield inserts that represent the great houses of Westeros and the Limited Edition also boasts "a Certificate of Authenticity, a numbered plaque, a designer-autographed playfield, a beautiful, hand- drawn cabinet and backglass artwork by Bob Stevlic. Exclusive, glossy, black- powder-coated, laser-cut side armor features dragon elements of the Targaryen Sigil and is inscribed with the Targaryen House motto, 'Fire & Blood,' all highlighted with a rich, red-mirrored backing."

Whoever is fit to win this game is clearly fit to sit upon the Iron Throne. More information about the machine can be found on the Stern website. [H/T: Wall Street Journal]Because when they go off screen, royal manipulations often yield surprises. The author was deputy director and acting director of the CIA from 2000 to 2004 and now teaches at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. The age of monarchs may, in most places, be dead — but the age of palace intrigue remains alive and well in some corners of the world. folding camp chair partsIn Saudi Arabia, a ruler not even a year into his reign is engineering a veritable Shakespearean shake-up in his kingdom.table and chairs for sale in cork The 79-year-old monarch, fresh off his first official Washington visit, is beginning a complex strategy game that, from the outside, might look like a mere case of musical chairs. hospital chairs for sale sydney

But his juggling of titles belies something larger: King Salman is altering power relationships, playing with inheritance, changing traditional policy structures and essentially redefining who gets access to the Saudi throne in coming decades. Step one in pulling this off: He moved aside 69-year-old Crown Prince Muqrin — the youngest surviving son of the kingdom’s founder — in favor of 56-year-old Mohammed bin Nayef, a man who, as interior minister, has been at the center of Saudi security policy in the post-9/11 era. white rattan chair ikeaThe shifts are anything but nominal. wood slat chairs for saleSkipping from Muqrin to Nayef, one of the founder’s grandsons, moves power for the first time to the royal family’s third generation — a generation that has been mostly educated abroad and may ultimately be less tradition-bound than their forebears.cheap leather swivel chair uk

But Nayef is not the most novel player here — he is well-known and highly respected in the West for his work on counterterrorism over the past decade, during which he has survived at least four assassination attempts by terrorists. Much lesser known is the king’s choice for deputy crown prince: his youngest son, Mohammed bin Salman, who at about 30 years old (his exact age is unknown) is one of the youngest and least experienced royals to ever hold such a high position. bean bag chair 3dsThis choice of bin Salman, who accompanied the king to Washington, would not be noteworthy were he simply “in training,” but the king has also piled heavy responsibilities on him, making him defense minister, giving him a new super committee with power over the economy and oil industry, putting him in charge of the royal court (controlling access to the king) and sending him off on sensitive diplomatic missions.table and chair rentals big bear

This much power in the hands of a newcomer has startled the Saudi establishment, which is accustomed to long apprenticeships for those who attain a high position. But bin Salman has run aggressively with his mandates, ambitiously involving himself in nearly every aspect of Saudi government. The royal family is very tight-lipped, but the rumor mill and leaks in social media from bloggers with ties to family seniors suggest considerable concern about bin Salman’s limited experience and untested judgment. cheap salon chairs sydneyExhibit A for many is the Saudi war effort in Yemen, which bin Salman runs and which has drawn criticism for civilian casualties, while also failing to put down rebellion. So what is at stake for the new generation of Saudi leaders settling into their positions? All this change comes at a time when the oil-rich Saudis are facing many other challenges, both foreign and domestic.

On the foreign front, the Saudis’ overarching worry is their Iranian rival. Tehran, after all, was America’s closest partner in the region before the 1979 Iranian revolution. Saudis now worry that the nuclear agreement with Iran, driven mainly by the U.S., will lead to improved Iran-U.S. relations and move Riyadh into the background — a fear President Obama presumably sought to allay last week when he met with King Salman. And of course, the Saudis also worry about the Islamic State, knowing that it prizes the Mecca holy site inside the kingdom. Indeed, not even the country’s vast oil wealth is a guarantor of stability, as it cannot insulate them forever from an economic crunch. Even as oil prices sit at a historic low (around $40 a barrel), Saudis cannot turn as confidently to their classic tool — bottlenecking supply — to hike up prices. There are many reasons: Iran wants to start selling as much oil as possible once sanctions are lifted; Iraq is trying to grab more of the market;