“As next in line to be king of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Nayef was unaccustomed to being told what to do. Then, one night in June, he was summoned to a palace in Mecca, held against his will and pressured for hours to give up his claim to the throne.” It turns out HBO doesn’t have a monopoly when it comes to games of thrones. From the NYT: How a Saudi king’s son plotted effort to oust his rival. (This guy sounds like a real prince…)

+ Mohammed bin Nayef “remains under house arrest to keep him out of circulation following his overthrow, with no visitors allowed except close family members. He is not taking calls, the source close to MbN said. In the past week he was only granted permission to visit his elderly mother with the new guards assigned to him.” Reuters: Addiction and intrigue: Inside the Saudi palace coup.

+ WaPo: Saudi Arabia says woman arrested for wearing skirt in viral video has been released.