At the Sasquan science fiction convention nearly two weeks ago, George R.R. Martin unveiled a new chapter from "The Winds of Winter."

The sixth of seven planned books in Martin's famed fantasy series "A Song of Ice and Fire," "Winds" does not have a release date and has been in development for years. After the chapter reading, GeekWire reported asking Martin if he expected the HBO series based of his novels, "Game of Thrones," to finish before his final book comes out.

Unsurprisingly, Martin gave nothing away and only stated, "Anything is possible." But for the uninitiated, Martin has a deliberate writing process that he will not alter to get his books to press sooner, so he has in all likelihood known all along the show would leapfrog him at some point.

Now, for the spoilery regarding the chapter Martin read at Sasquan. The following is mostly concerning past events in Martin's books that are shaping how "Winds" will turn out, at least early on. Many of the characters discussed here do not even exist in "Thrones," though there are some parallels.

GeekWire reported that Martin read a chapter Princess Arianne Martell's point of view. She is the daughter and heir of Doran Martell, the Prince of Dorne. "Thrones" viewers met Doran and his son Trystane in the show, which Arianne and her brother Quentyn have not been part of thus far.

Martin has released two of Arianne's chapters, which are chronicling her trip to the Stormlands to meet with the boy calling himself Aegon Targaryen, the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell. Doran is skeptical, not only by his cautious nature, but because Aegon was said to have been murdered as a baby when his grandfather was de-throned and his family all but wiped out.

In her first two "Winds" chapters, Arianne makes her way to Storm's End, the seat of the Stormlands's primary lord, despite an army headed there to take it back from Aegon and his mentor and a close friend to his father, Jon Connington. Arianne is anxious to meet the boy, so she throws caution aside and continues on.

Martin may be trying to guard Arianne's arrival at Storm's End, as such a huge reveal before the full book's release would certainly be deserving of the chapter being made available. It is also possible that Arianne did not arrive at Storm's End in the chapter.

Some may take Martin's string of recent public appearances as a sign the book is undergoing the finishing touches with his editors, but it is worth nothing that Martin has said himself he will be fully transparent when "Winds" is finally ready for release.

The new chapter does not seem to be anywhere online, nor is there a synopsis. It seems entirely possible that no one outside the Sasquan convention even knew Martin was going to read the chapter there. The last chapter reveal came in April and was from the point of view of Alayne, Sansa Stark's alter ego. Overviews of Arianne's first and second chapters can be seen here and here.

(H/T: GeekWire)