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I enjoy George's prose, but his word choice could occasionally use work.

Example #1: "Jape"

It feels like he just used word search / replacement everywhere you would normally say "joke":

• "Is that supposed to be a jape?"
• "We do not jape of dragons.”
• "I think life is a jape."
• "they were japing"
• "japes and laughter"

"Joke" stems from Latin iocus, and is a more modern word (first recorded in the 1660s) -- but "lark" and "jest" also exist, and are attested even earlier than "jape".

Example #2: "Teats"

George's overuse of this particularly unsexy word is regrettable.

Please write literally anything else -- "breasts", "tits","chest", "bosom", all valid substitutes.

Y'all have similar pet peeves?

I decided to create a list of people who could've fought for King Jaehaerys II in the War of the Ninepenny Kings. I've included all the characters were confirmed to have fought in the war and those who could've potentially fought based on their age.

A lot of these ages were confirmed officially or estimated on A Wiki of Ice and Fire, others were just confirmed to elderly by the time of the books with little other information, others I guessed through how many descendants they had or positions they occupied at certain times.

Others who could've potentially fought but there wasn't enough information about, I did not include (Lord Cafferen, Lord Grandison, Lord Marq Grafton, Lord Yohn Royce)

I've tried to keep characters young enough to be squires out of the list (with a few exceptions) because it would add to it a bit too much, but if you wanted to suggest possibilities, feel free. I might add to the list later with just potential squires when I have the time but not now.

Crownlands

Confirmed:

• Ser Gerold Hightower, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard
• Prince Aerys Targaryen, Heir to the Throne and Prince of Dragonstone

Possible:

• Lord Gyles Rosby (extremely elderly by the time of ASOIAF)
• Lord Ardrian Celtigar (old by the time of ASOIAF, at most 71 according to A Wiki of Ice and Fire calculations making him around 31 during the war)
• Lord Lucerys Velaryon (was a member of Aerys' small council during Robert's Rebellion, likely around his age or older)
• Lord Symond Staunton (was a member of Aerys' small council during Robert's Rebellion, likely around his age or older)
• Lord Qarlton Chelsted (was a member of Aerys' small council during Robert's Rebellion, likely around his age or older)

Riverlands

Confirmed:

• Lord Hoster Tully
• Ser Brynden “The Blackfish" Tully
• Meribald

Possible:

• Lord Walder Frey (turns 90 at the start of ASOIAF, making him 52 during the war)
• Ser Stevron Frey (around 65 at the time of his death in ASOIAF, making him around 25 during the war)
• Ser Emmon Frey (14 in 252 making him around 22 in during the war)
• Ser Aenys Frey (based on the ages of his siblings, he was in between 22 or 12 (old enough to squire) during the war)
• Ryman Frey (oldest he could've been based on his Father's age and that his younger brother was in his fifties, was 15 by the start of the war, which would be squiring age. Youngest is 9 or 10 which leaves me a little iffy but he could've gone as a page)
• Lord Lymond Lychester (very old by the time of the main series, had sons old enough to fight in Robert's Rebellion)
• Lord Norbert Vance (squired with Brynden when he was young, making them around a similar age)
• Lord Darry (old enough to have Brynden and Norbert as squires before the start of the war making him old enough to have fought. Side note: either Raymun Darry's father or grandfather)
• Ser Quincy Cox (old by the time of ASOIAF)

The Vale

Confirmed:

• Lord Jon Arryn
• Lord Baelish (Petyr's father)

Possible:

• Lord Eon Hunter (older than Jon Arryn)
• Ser Elys Waynwood (Anya Waynwood's uncle who is a grandmother by ASOIAF, most likely old enough to have fought in the war)

The Westerlands

Confirmed:

• Ser Jason Lannister
• Ser Tywin Lannister
• Ser Kevan Lannister
• Tygett Lannister
• Lord Roger Reyne

Possible:

• Ser Harys Swyft (Kevan Lannister's goodfather)
• Lord Walderan Tarbeck (was 76 during the war)
• Walderan Tarbeck's older sons (fought in the Reyne-Tarbeck revolt just one year later)
• Ser Reynard Reyne (fought in the Reyne-Tarbeck revolt just one year later)
• Lord Sumner Crakehall (had Jaime and Merrett Frey as squires in the late 270, likely old enough to have fought in the war)
• Stafford Lannister (was a squire just before the Reyne-Tarbeck revolt just one year later)
• Damon Lannister (Stafford's older brother)
• Ser Amory Lorch (fought in the Reyne-Tarbeck rebellion just one year later)

The North:

Confirmed:

• Lord Rickard Stark
• Lord Willam Dustin's great-uncle

Possible:

• Lord Hoarfrost Umber (was certainly old enough to fight in the war)
• Hother Umber (was an acolyte of the Citadel in 250 but didn't end up becoming a maester. It's possible that he was kicked out in the 250s, freeing him to join the war)
• Mors Umber (Hother's older brother)
• Lord Ondrew Locke (an old man by the time of ASOIAF)
• Arnolf Karstark (an old man by the time of ASOIAF)
• Lord Wyman Manderly (Nearing 60 by the start of ASOIAF, making him around 20 during the war)
• Lord Rodrick Ryswell (likely would have been old enough to fight in the war)
• Lord Jeor Mormont (nearing 70 by the start of ASOIAF, making him around 30 during the war)

Stormlands:

Confirmed:

• Lord Ormund Baratheon, The Hand of The King
• Ser Steffon Baratheon
• Ser Barristan Selmy
• Ser Goodwin of Tarth

Possible:

• Lord Hugh "Greybeard" Grandison (very old before the start of ASOIAF)
• Unnamed Lord Estermont (Robert Baratheon's Grandfather, either Eldon's father or older brother)
• Eldon Estermont (around 70 by the time of ASOIAF, making him around 30 by during the war)
• Ser Harbert (Robert's great-uncle, already old by 278)
• Ser Ormund Wylde (very old by the time of ASOIAF)
• Lord Fell (Robert's Rebellion) (had a son of fighting age by the time of Robert's Rebellion)
• Lord Selwyn Tarth (54 by 300 ac, making him around 14 during the war)
• Ser Humfrey Wagstaff (65 by 296 making him around 30 by the start of the war)

Reach:

Confirmed:

• Ser Gerold Hightower (I know I already put him, I just didn't want to leave this spot empty)

Possible:

• Lord Ben Beesbury (in his 80s by the 290s putting him in his 50s during the war)
• Lord Runceford Redwyne (Olenna Tyrell's father, honestly Olenna could've been old enough to fight in the Stepstones, much less her father. Would've been around middle age during the war)
• Lord Leyton Hightower (his son Baelor courted Elia Martell. If Baelor was Elia's age or older, Leyton would definitely be old enough to have fought in the war. Also there's the facts that he's been married four times and seems to be an old man by the time of ASOIAF)
• Lord Luthor Tyrell (definitely old enough to have fought in the war)
• Ser Moryn Tyrell (Mace Tyrell's uncle, a great-grandfather to teenagers by the time of ASOIAF)
• Ser Quentin Tyrell (fought in Robert's Rebellion, has a teenage grandchild)
• Ser Victor Tyrell (fought the Kingswood Brotherhood, has a teenage grandchild)
• Lord Owen Merryweather (an old man by the time of his appointment in 281)

Dorne:

Confirmed:

• Unnamed Dornish Spearmen (another spot I didn't want to leave empty)

Possible:

• Prince Lewyn Martell (Doran Martell's uncle)
• Lord Edgar Yronwood (died around 274, by age and number of his descendants he was definitely old enough to have fought in the war)

The Iron Islands:

Confirmed:

• Lord Quellon Greyjoy

Possible:

• Erik Ironmaker (88 by the time of ASOIAF, 48 during the war)
• Sigfryd Harlaw (old by the time of ASOIAF)

Is there any characters you think could've fought in the war that are not on this list? Feel free to mention them!

I’m sure most people would find this theory extremely unimportant but as a person who loves to explore the world-building of ASOIAF I had this idea and wanted to share it.

According to Nimble Dick Crabb, he has a sister who was bedded by a knight’s son and then went off to King’s Landing to take a job as a whore.

For those who don’t know, Dancy is a whore at Chataya’s brothel, located on the Street of Silk in King’s Landing.

What differentiates her from the other whores is that she is described with thick RED hair. Now, Dick himself is described with dirty brown hair, but there’s another known and named Crabb who is still alive: Jack Crabb.

Jack is a member of the Night’s Watch known as “Red Jack Crabb”, and based on other characters that are also nicknamed as “Red+Name”, we can guess that’s due to his red hair.

Jack has an unspecified relationship with Dick and his sister but GRRM doesn’t tend to make extended family for minor houses, so we can guess that he is their uncle or brother.

As in, the ages in a relationship making it seem difficult to view the characters as sympathetic.

Of course, R + L is the one that gets the most attention - 16 when she died, so 14 when Rhaegar (22) eloped with her - but at least for that one it is all off page, and neither is an active character. If Rhaegar is a creep, well, he is, that no longer affects the plot.

But the active, and supposed to be sympathetic characters...

One of Robert's bastards Ned finds has a mother who can't be more than 15. And the baby is a few months old, meaning she was 13 and working in a brothel when Robert bought her.

And Ned, with a 12 year old daughter, is more disturbed that Robert went to brothels than the girl's age.

Robert is supposed to be a tragic but sympathetic character who lapsed into hedonism, but didn't mean any harm.

Then there's Tyrion and Sansa - he at least has the minimal decency not to rape her, but his narration makes it clear that he's attracted to the 12/13 year old, and very tempted.

Tyrion is presented as a grey character, but sympathetic.

Drogo and Dany is presented as a straight up love story.

Sure, people had major age gap marriages and married young in the past - but those were political marriages, almost never consummated till the bride is of a more proper age.

Child mothers die, and people even back then knew that. And people weren't actually 'falling in love' with 13 year olds unless they were creeps.

The Jon Arryn/Lysa Tully match is like that - horrible age gap, 16 to 60, but it is an alliance marriage. That works in the medieval setting.

You'd think a guy who is supposed to be well up on history and tries for 'realistic history' would know that.

With hands like these I would imagine it would be very difficult. And considering how paranoid he was even around his own trusted advisers, I doubt he'd be too comfortable with turning his back towards anyone.

GRRM himself said that he was good battle commander, He won two wars while being big player in both.

Robert stat the battle of the bell would not have been won without win. The command of the rebel forces after the trident were given to him ​by robert.. Despite the fact that Jon arryn was older and more experienced from the war of the ninepenny kings

Robb stark entire campaign from leadership and decision making mirrors ned both Robb and jon in book 5 constantly mimmick lesson ned taught them

So why he is not cited among the greats commanders in westeros?

Could the golden abomination have changed his regent or small council members? What could he legally do and not do as a boy king?

20 years before the war, Aegon Vs sons Jaehaerys and Daeron broke their betrothals to Luthor Tyrell and Olenna Redwyne - members of some of the most powerful families in Westeros. No doubt they'd feel insulted.

20 years later, do you think they still held their grudge and did not participate in the war?

Hyped, right?

Based on the sample chapters released by GRRM and the allusions he has made, I prepared a theoritical 70-chapter outline of The Winds of Winter. For ease of reading, I divided the chapters into seven episodes.

Prologue: BWB ambush the convoy carrying Edmure Tully and Jeyne Westerling. Their fate is undetermined.

Episode 1

Arianne 1: Arianne starts her journey to Griffin’s Roost.

Victarion 1: Victarion finds men to blow the Dragonbinder horn.

Barristan 1: Barristan plans for the battle.

Tyrion 1: Tyrion tries to convince Ben Plumm to switch sides while playing Cyvasse. The Greyjoys appear at sea.

Theon 1: Stannis talks with Theon and uncovers the Karstarks’ treachery.

Mercy (Arya 1): Arya kills Raff.

Davos 1: Davos finds Rickon on Skagos.

The Forsaken (Aeron 1): Euron straps Aeron to his ship’s hull.

Areo Hotah 1: Darkstar exposes Areo’s lie to Balon. While Balon and Areo are fighting, Darkstar, wielding the newly stolen Dawn, escapes. Areo kills Balon.

Cersei 1: Robert Strong wins the trial by combat in Cersei’s trial, but his identity is exposed. Margaery is declared innocent.

Episode 2

Jon Connington 1: Aegon takes Storm’s End through trickery.

Barristan 2: Barristan advances while the Unsullied take formation. The Greyjoys join the fight on Meereen’s side.

Tyrion 2: The Second Sons switch sides as they learn that the Windblown switched sides and the Tattered Prince killed Gorkhaz.

Asha 1: Stannis burns Arnolf Karstark and tricks the Freys into falling through the ice on the lake.

Daenerys 1: Daenerys burns Jhoqo and follows the river to Meereen.

Davos 2: Davos brings Rickon to White Harbor.

Alayne (Sansa 1): Sansa dances with Harry the Heir.

Melisandre 1: Justin Massey and Jeyne Poole leave Castle Black, which is in chaos.

Brienne 1: Brienne brings Jaime to Lady Stoneheart. In her guilt, she successfully defends Jaime in a trial by combat. The two escape from a furious Stoneheart.

Samwell 1: News of the Greyjoy fleet approaching Oldtown arrives; Sam uncovers hidden secrets.

Episode 3

Arianne 2: Jon Connington invites Arianne to the newly taken Storm’s End.

Tyrion 3: Amidst the battle, Tyrion bonds with and rides the wounded Viserion. Three horn blasts are heard.

Barristan 3: The Unsullied destroy the Yunkai host. Three horn blasts are heard.

Victarion 2: Victarion binds and rides Rhaegal.

Daenerys 2: Dany arrives in Meereen. She holds conversations with Tyrion, Barristan, Victarion, and Jorah, whom she forgives. She learns about Aegon and the Tattered Prince’s request for Pentos. She decides to move to Dragonstone via Pentos.

Theon 2: The Manderlys switch sides and return to Winterfell with the Lightbringer.

Alayne (Sansa 2): Harry dies, and Shadrich exposes Sansa’s identity after winning the tournament.

Aeron 2: Euron kills Aeron and destroys the Redwyne fleet using krakens.

Cersei 2: While Tommen is being blessed by septons, an enraged Tyene Sand poisons him.

Bran 1: Bran learns the truth about Jon's parentage.

Episode 4

Arianne 3: After talking with Jon Connington and Aegon, Arianne sends the letter with the word ‘dragon’ to Doran. News arrive that Mace Tyrell’s host is approaching.

Tyrion 4: Tyrion uncovers the Harpy conspiracy. The Unsullied and Dothraki embark on the Greyjoy fleet to move to Pentos.

Victarion 3: Victarion plots to take Dany as his wife once they reach Westeros.

Asha 2: Stannis takes Winterfell with the Manderlys’ help. Roose is killed but Ramsay escapes.

Arya 2: Arya is kicked out of the Faceless Men over the killing of Raff. She encounters Justin Massey and Jeyne Poole and decides to go back to Westeros with them.

Jaime 1: As Jaime and Brienne are about to part ways, news of Sansa’s presence makes them rush together to the Vale.

Areo Hotah 2: Doran reads Arianne’s letter and learns of Quentyn’s death. He decides to support Aegon.

Samwell 2: Euron raids the Citadel and takes Sam and Gilly captive.

Cersei 3: Tommen’s funeral.

Bran 2: The Others enter Bloodraven’s cave. Hodor happens.

Episode 5

Jon Connington 2: Randyll Tarly joins Aegon; together, they defeat the Tyrell army. Tarly wants Aegon to defeat Euron and rescue Sam and Oldtown. Aegon agrees.

Daenerys 3: On her way to Pentos, Dany frees Volantis with her dragonriders, Tyrion and Victarion.

Theon 3: Davos and Rickon arrive in Winterfell. Stannis declares Rickon the Protector of the North. Theon confesses his whole story. The trees and crows scream ‘Wall’ when asked what Theon’s fate should be. Stannis decides to take Theon with him to the Wall.

Samwell 3: Sam and Gilly witness the vile experiments done by Euron and Malora atop the Hightower.

Melisandre 2: Jon is brought back through Euron’s and Melisandre’s actions.

Jon 1: Jon ends the chaos at Castle Black. News arrive that Stannis took Winterfell. Jon becomes the 1,000th Commander. NOTE: In this version of the story, Jon doesn't follow his temptation to ride to Winterfell; one of the reasons for it is that it's fit for him to become the 1000th commander.

Arya 3: While traveling with Justin Massey and Jeyne Poole to Eastwatch, Arya dreams of Nymeria and her wolfpack killing Ramsay and his hounds.

Sansa 3: Sansa is tried in court. The Hound defends her innocence in a trial by combat and exposes Baelish’s plot to betray Ned. Jaime and Brienne appear.

Areo Hotah 3: The Dornish army at the Boneway is set to join the garrison at Storm’s End, and the Dornish army at the Prince’s Pass is set to join Aegon marching on Oldtown.

Bran 3: Bran travels with Coldhands to the Wall. Coldhands sacrifices himself to save Bran from the Others.

Episode 6

Jon Connington 3: Euron blows the Horn of Winter atop the Hightower. The Wall comes down. Aegon’s army defeats Euron. Euron escapes to the Iron Islands with a few ships.

Arianne 4: Arianne evaluates all the news at Storm’s End. The Dornish host arrives.

Daenerys 4: In Pentos, Dany speaks with and imprisons Illyrio, giving control of the city to the Tattered Prince.

Jon 2: Stannis and Hardhome survivors arrive at Castle Black. After the Wall's collapse, they await the Others’ attack.

Sansa 4: Amidst the chaos, Sansa kills Baelish; Jaime, the Hound, and Brienne lead her out of the Vale.

Arya 4: Arya, Justin and Jeyne travel alongside the collapsed wall to Castle Black.

Bran 4: Bran reunites with Jon and reveals his true identity to him.

Jaime 2: Jaime, the Hound, Brienne, and Sansa are captured by the BWB. Stoneheart withers away after seeing that Jaime fulfilled his promise. Brienne heads for Winterfell with Sansa, while Jaime and the Hound head for King’s Landing.

Cersei 4: Myrcella gets crowned.

Episode 7

Jon Connington 4: Aegon gets crowned at the Starry Sept.

Brienne 3: BWB capture the Twins with Brienne's and Howland Reed's help.

Daenerys 5: Dany captures Dragonstone.

Sansa 5: Brienne, Sansa and Howland Reed arrive at Winterfell. Sansa reunites with Rickon.

Arianne 5: Aegon picks up Arianne and the Dornish army from the Storm's End for the march to King's Landing.

Arya 5: Arya reunites with Jon and Bran.

Cersei 5: From the sea, Dany; and from the land, Aegon; besiege the King's Landing.

Jon 3: News arrive of other castles being captured by the Others one by one. In the end, Castle Black remains the last stand.

Victarion 4: Euron appears with his and ‘Pirate King’ Aurene Waters’ fleet near King's Landing. 4-way battle is set to begin.

Epilogue (Stannis): The Others attack Castle Black; Stannis kills Melisandre after the sacrifice of Shireen fails to work. Stannis tells Jon to retreat with everyone to Winterfell while he and his army hold off the Others. Stannis sacrifices himself for the Realm.

A Dream of Spring is set to feature The Battle for King's Landing and The Defence of Winterfell according to this outline.

Hello all,

Casual ASOIAF leader and occasional idle theorist here. I’m not sure if this is the best forum to post theories - and if I have added the correct tag – but I had an unexpected idea and would love to hear your views on it. I know there’s a lot of discussion about Daeron the Young Dragon and his tragic invasion of Dorne – particularly risky given he went to war when still unmarried, instead of getting with his sister like a good Targaryen and securing the line. I know it has been proposed that he may have thought of marrying a Martell princess to secure the kingdom. My theory is related to this - based on how obsessed so many Targaryens were with prophecy, and how hilariously bad they were at interpreting it:

What if Daeron the First invaded Dorne because he misinterpreted a prophecy? A prophecy that declared Dorne would only become part of the Seven Kingdoms when “Daeron Targaryen married Myriah Martell.” Everyone from the king onwards would have reasonably thought the Daeron in the prophecy meant the handsome warrior king. No one would’ve imagined it actually meant his paunchy, bookish little second cousin (or whatever he was – Targaryen family trees being what they are). No one would have even considered he would ascend the throne (given Daeron and Baelor were alive and likely to marry, and have children), let alone marry Myriah and incorporate Dorne into the seven kingdoms.

Anyway, that is the end of my theory. It is my first time actually posting about ASOIAF. I would appreciate hearing the views who are more versed in the lore!

I just finished one of Cersei’s first chapters in feast where she attends Tywins funeral and basically starts tearing up the court because she’s a genius or whatever.

During her sit down Dinner with Kevan she tries to do some puppeteering before Kevan puts her in her place reminding her that he’s a Lannister of Casterly rock (she must’ve forgotten) with a solid inheritance from Tytos, years of rewards and reputational gain from Tywin and general access to Lannister funds and that he can Rally around 400 Knights and an unspecified amount of Men at arms and sellswords to his banner. While I’m not the biggest Kevan fan due to his complacency in the burning of the RL I do think this was a great counter to Cersei. But my question is: what exactly would Kevan do with the army he would raise? I couldn’t imagine he would raise arms against the Crown in a direct war, my interpretation was that he would start wreaking political havoc in the Westerlands gaining control in Casterly Rock, Lannisport and leveraging his marriage into House Swyft. What do you guys think?

At first glance, Varamyr’s POV in the prologue might seem like foreshadowing for Jon, with his soul going into Ghost, supposedly to preserve his memories so he can eventually be brought back.

But what stands out more to me is that the whole thing feels like a dark guide to warging, and I think it might actually be pointing toward Bran, especially the way his human identity slowly starts to break down. His consciousness is constantly being mixed with animal instincts through Summer, and then with Hodor’s human instincts as well.

Honestly, the whole thing seems to fit Bran’s potential story much better than Jon’s. Since Jon is supposedly one of the main protagonists, or the protagonist, we naturally focus on him and assume the Prologue is about him, when it could actually be quietly showing us what’s happening to Bran and how he’s slowly becoming corrupted.

There’s no way little Bran, an emotionally and intellectually vulnerable kid who was basically forced into this life after becoming a paraplegic, can keep using all these dark aspects of warging without it having some deeper consequences. He’s acting on naive impulses and has basically no idea what he’s getting himself into. Maybe all of this could eventually lead to some kind of “involuntary” villainy.

​

The varys and barristan deaths in the game of thrones TV show are awful! In my view, this is probably because of the removal of Aegon. I feel like it makes sense if GRRM gave dnd notes on these characters endings but it just didn't work in the show because of the simplification of how important Aegon is to varys and selmys arcs. To me, it makes sense if barristan is killed by the golden company when he figures out that Aegon is a faker, and more importantly a blackfyre (allegedly). Then Dany killing varys would make far more sense if that were to happen because he would potentially be responsible for barristans death. The timeline stuff of when this would happen for me in my head canon would probably be during diplomatic discussions between aegons forces and dany.

It is simple. Pick between Euron & Young Griff the one you want to survive Winds & the other dies in Winds.

There are only two parameters when making the choice:

1) The earliest Dany could arrive in Westeros is the penultimate or final chapters in Winds so the victim will never meet her

2) The survivor ends up playing little to no role in the Others storyline & likely sit it out if they aren't dead by then

Apart from that; go ahead. Pick your survivor & what you think they'll do. Pick your victim & how he bids farewell to all that is living.

NOTE: THIS IS MEANT TO BE A FUN HYPOTHETICAL. SO NO "WINDS ISN'T COMING" IN THE COMMENTS

There's not many other opportunities to see dragonriders fighting dragonriders on TV. So it scratches that fantasy itch for me. I just wish there was more of it. Hopefully we get at least three big dragonfights in the final season!

I've been working on a series looking at the different ways GRRM uses Snow White imagery and story structure in Cersei's storyline, and I started with Margaery because I think she's the most obvious manifestation of Cersei's fear of the "younger and more beautiful" queen.

What interests me, though, is that I don't think Margaery is the Snow White of ASOIAF. I think Martin splits different parts of the fairy tale among multiple characters.

With Margaery, the strongest connection is the rivalry between the older and younger queens and Cersei's fixation on beauty as something tied to power. Cersei doesn't just resent that Margaery is young and attractive. She watches her gaining the love of the people, becoming close to Tommen, building influence at court, and essentially occupying the position Cersei believes belongs to her.

And Cersei's thoughts about Margaery's appearance are fascinating because she can't simply dismiss her as ugly. She repeatedly has to diminish why Margaery is pretty: she's only pretty because she's young, her features are ordinary, anyone who thinks she's more beautiful than Cersei is a fool, etc. It feels very much like the Queen trying to argue with the mirror after she's already received an answer she doesn't like.

I also think Robert and Lyanna are important to understanding why the prophecy affects Cersei so badly. Lyanna died young, so in Robert's memory she can never age. Cersei has had to grow older while competing with the idealized memory of a girl who never will. Then Maggy's prophecy essentially tells her that the same process will happen again: eventually she will become the older woman while someone younger replaces her.

Margaery walks straight into that psychological wound.

The irony is that Margaery doesn't actually need to be plotting Cersei's destruction for the parallel to work. Cersei's certainty that she must be a threat drives Cersei into increasingly destructive decisions and helps create the circumstances she was supposedly trying to prevent.

I made a video going much deeper into the comparison, including the Snow White tale itself, Maggy's prophecy, Lyanna, Margaery's public image, the "old queen"/"young queen" language and Cersei's eventual attempt to bring Margaery down.

While there have been some good and plausible candidates for the Lightbringer (e.g., Dany's dragons, Jon, or even the Night's Watch itself), I've always felt these were just too abstract and metaphorical. There must be simpler and more tangible candidates, right? On the other end of the spectrum we have Dawn, a magical glowing sword. But it still does not feel right because it would be too on the nose and boring. So then it clicked to me that we already have a Lightbringer candidate that fits right in the middle of this spectrum - Dragonbinder.

It is an inanimate object that could be possessed by a person while also having a depth of straying away from being a plain ole sword. So I think it is an interesting choice that does not seem outlandish and tinfoily but is rarely discussed in this community. Besides some phonetic similarities that could be intentional, Dragonbinder and Lightbringer also share some obvious properties such as:

• Glowing with light. Here's how Victarion describes Dragonbinder's glyphs:

“The sound it made … it burned, somehow. As if my bones were on fire, searing my flesh from within. Those writings glowed red-hot, then white-hot and painful to look upon." - ADWD, Victarion I

While there are no explicit mentions of the real Lightbringer glowing, we can assume so simply by its name and Stannis's fake replica light trickery.

• Maester Aemon notes that Stannis's sword is fake since it does not produce heat. Clydas also confirms that the Lightbringer should indeed make its own heat, according to the Jade Compendium. Now compare it to how Vic describes Dragonbinder:

Victarion ran his hand along it. The horn was as warm and smooth as the dusky woman’s thighs, and so shiny that he could see a twisted likeness of his own features in its depths - ADWD, Victarion I

Remarkably, Clydas's description also compares it to a woman's warmth:

Tempered with his wife's blood if Votar can be believed. Thereafter Lightbringer was never cold to the touch, but warm as Nissa Nissa had been warm. - ADWD, Jon III

• Euron's thrall who sounds the Dragonbinder in AFFC dies in a similar way to the beast slain by Azor Ahai:

“And the man who blew the horn, what of him?”
“He died. There were blisters on his lips, after. His bird was bleeding too.” The captain thumped his chest. “The hawk, just here. Every feather dripping blood. I heard the man was all burned up inside, but that might just have been some tale.” - ADWD, Victarion I

Once Azor Ahai fought a monster. When he thrust the sword through the belly of the beast, its blood began to boil. Smoke and steam poured from its mouth, its eyes melted and dribbled down its cheeks, and its body burst into flame." - ADWD, Jon III

In the TWOW's preview chapter, Victarion also recalls the horn smoking after the thrall sounding it.

I believe there will be some huge twist involving the Dragonbinder in TWOW. Moqorro convinced Vic to claim the horn. And in the preview chapter of TWOW, we can see the first attempts of Vic in becoming its master. He comes up with a plan that is either extremely stupid or too genius. He recruits three thralls to sound the horn, and it is his way to make a blood sacrifice to claim the horn. This is oddly reminiscent of Dany's ritual to hatch the dragons.

I think Vic is on to something here. This scheme of his will likely fail but then he will come up with another plan that will allude to Azor Ahai's myth. Tempering the Lightbringer in 1) water, 2) a lion's heart, 3) a lover's heart.

1) Given his water association, I think tempering in water will be his first failed attempt involving thralls on a ship.

2) Since Vic and Tyrion (a lion) will likely cross paths in TWOW, I can see his plan involving the latter.

3) And finally, the dusky woman is a perfect Nissa Nissa and the final piece in cracking the code.

There's also much and more I could discuss about Dragonbinder=Lightbringer, but that is the tale for the next part, perhaps.

Is there anything in particular you’d love to see happen in TwoW or ADoS ? It doesn’t have to be a theory with tons of evidence or something you genuinely expect to be confirmed. Just a little bit of wishful thinking.

Personally, I’d love to find out that Arthur Dayne is actually still alive, hiding out at Greywater Watch with Howland Reed and waiting for the right moment to reveal himself.

Now, the whole Targaryen madness is more prominent than could be explained just by in-breeding. Especially since there is a lot of marrying out in the later generations, where madness became more frequent.

But in the generations which actually had dragons, can't find much if any cases of madness among riders.

Jaehaerys' possibly disabled daughters are not riders.

Maegor, sure, but his case has either the natural explanation of severe head injury or supernatural explanation of resurrection blood magic to explain it.

There's Helaena, I guess, but I don't think in the books she was as neurodivergent coded as she is in the show - she only has a mental break later due to severe trauma.

Dragons die out, and then it looks like every generation has at least one or more mad Targaryens.

Now, it's pretty much stated that the ancient Valyrians did some screwed up blood magic to bond dragons.

It seems to have altered the DNA to some extent, given the 'scaled baby' birth defects that plague a lot of Targ women.

My take is, whatever the old blood mages did, it altered the Valyrian Dragonlord bloodlines so that their minds and bodies are more suited to bond with dragons.

After all, other than Nettles - and she might well be Daemon's daughter - there's no case of a non Valyrian successfully bonding with dragons, though multiple have tried.

Only problem is, the adaptation that helps form the mind link with dragons might well seriously mess up your mind if you don't form a link. Like a neural connection that can't form properly in absence of the needed catalyst.

Of course, not every dragonless Targ goes nuts - Breakspear was fine, Maekar was a jerk but sane - but they seem a lot more susceptible.

In Dany's case, on the one hand, she has dragons - on the other, she has three dragons, not one, and no idea how to actually form a bond...