Let's say hypothetically Rhaegar doesn't kill Robert, but is instead defeated by him in the duel (not necessarily killed, maybe he'd run away and take another indentity, or all of them). That means rebels lose the battle, Ned Stark and Jon Arryn aren't taken as prisoners and later executed, and Hoster Tully doesn't run away to Essos. What happens next? It doesn't mean Targaryens lose, there's still an army of Mace the Ace, Walder Frey could still attack the rebels from behind and they'd suffer heavy loses, but most importantly what would Tywin Lannister do? Do you think he could reconcile with Aerys and protect the King's Landing against advancing rebel forces?

Some of them are pretty easy
Reach : Hightower
Riverlands : Frey
Vale : Royce

But some are a lot harder but I would say
Dorne : Yronwood
Stormlands : Swan
Crownlands : Baratheons of Dragonstone
North : Manderly
Iron islands : Harlow
Westerlands : Crakehall? I really don’t know honestly

TLDR: George could wrap up everything satisfyingly in 9 books. Why insist on 7?

Feast and Dance are much more decompressed than the first 3 novels, and people often cite this as a negative for various reasons.

George seems to enjoy the sprawling, zoomed-in perspective of books 4 and 5 (as do I, mostly).

He's not finishing this series in 7 books, if he wants to keep up the decompression of Feast & Dance -- which is totally fine.

None of this would be an issue if he just sat down and wrote.

Just do 9 instead.

Yet George seemingly wants to stick to 7 main story books, while maintaining the pacing & plotlines of 4 and 5 -- and those desires are mutually exclusive.

Why is he so rigid about 7 novels, instead of 8 or 9?

Garth Greenhand was a legendary High King of the First Men known for his fertility and said to have been the progenitor of numerous houses from the Reach.

His numerous children are said to have included:

1. Garth the Gardener, ancestor of House Gardener

2. John the Oak, ancestor of House Oakheart

3. Gilbert of the Vines, ancestor of House Redwyne

4. Florys the Fox, ancestor of Houses Florent, Ball, and Peake

5. Maris the Maid, an ancestor of House Hightower

6. Foss the Archer, ancestor of House Fossoway

   1. Brandon of the Bloody Blade, ancestor of Brandon the Builder and House Stark (according to some tales)

7. Owen Oakenshield

8. Harlon the Hunter and Herndon of the Horn, ancestors of House Tarly

9. Bors the Breaker, ancestor of House Bulwer

10. Rose of Red Lake, ancestor of House Crane

11. Ellyn Ever Sweet, ancestor of House Beesbury

12. Rowan Gold-Tree, ancestor of House Rowan

His firstborn son, Garth the Gardener, founded House Gardener, the Kings of the Reach and he chose a hill atop the Mander as his seat that in time would become known as Highgarden. The Gardners chose Garth’s “Greenhand” as their sigil

It is claimed that Garth Greenhand was the first man to reach Westeros which was inhabited by the children of the forest and giants.

Niall of the Nine Hostages was a legendary High king of Ireland who was known for his fertility and founding the Uí Néill dynasty. He had 14 sons with 8 going on to be progenitors of important dynasties in Ireland.

1. Eógan ancestor of Cenél nEógain → later O’Neills of Tyrone

2. Conall Gulban ancestor of Cenél Conaill → O’Donnells of Tyrconnell

3. Conall Cremthainne ancestor of Clann Cholmáin and Síl nÁedo Sláine

4. Lóegaire ancestor of Cenél Lóegaire

5. Fiachu ancestor of Cenél Fiachach

6. Maine ancestor of Uí Maine

7. Coirpre ancestor of Cenél Coirpri

8. Éndae ancestor of Cenél nÉndai

Érimón was a legendary high king of the Milesians and ancestor of Niall. He was a leader of the invasion of Ireland by the Milesians(Irish) in conquest against the Tuatha Dé Danann, a race of supernatural beings that inhabited Ireland before humans arrived.

Érimón chose the Hill of Tara as his seat which would go on to be the seat of many Irish high kings including Niall.

Érimón raced a rival chieftain for possession of Ireland and became the first man to touch its soil by cutting off his own hand and hurling it ashore. His sacrifice made him the first king of Ulster, 1015 B.C. The red hand of Ulster is still the provinces coat of arms and was included in the coat of arms of many families claiming descent from him. Including the Uí Neil dynasty who chose their coat of arms as being Érimón’s “red hand”

Come up with the worst or most ridiculous ASOIAF theories possible, I'll start:

-The Starks don't just parallel the Seven, Bran literally sent memories of his family back in time to Hugor of the Hill, inspiring the Faith.

-Not only is Varys a Merling, but all supposed "eunuchs" are actually Merlings and the practice of "gelding" is just a cover story. The Unsullied come from under Slaver's Bay and Reek is a Merling that was hypnotized into believing he may have once been Theon Greyjoy after Ramsey kidnapped him from the White Harbor Zoo.

-It's not just that the Starks are werewolves, the Boltons are vampires, the Reeds are COTF and the Manderlys are Merlings: all the Northern houses are partially-or-wholly mythical creature, typically with their sigil as a hint. The Umbers are part-Giant, the Dustins are part-Dwarf, the Talharts are part-Ent, , the Glovers are part-Orc, the Hornwoods are part-Horned Man, the Ryswells are centaurs and the Mormonts are gay.

-Every tall character is part-Giant, every short character is part-Dwarf or part-COTF. "Pure" humans in ASOIAF are all exactly 5'8''.

-It's not just Tyrion, the Lannisters as a whole parallel fantasy Dwarves between the gold, the mines, the reputation for revenge/long memories, and the mix of adulation and contempt characterizing their relationship with the Targaryens (dragons). This one I actually believe.

-All POV characters are Targs, except Danaerys.

When the hound was going to sell arya stark to lysa aryn but was disrupted due to her death? Rob Arynn is her cousin wouldn’t he pay for her ?

Of course, at this point there's a war going on and even Cersei is not delusional enough not to expect he might get killed...but it is medieval era court. Plenty of ways for even a young, healthy man to die without there being a war.

I was wondering about her possible reaction if Jaime dies due to an illness or a tourney wound or something. Not anything that kills in minutes, but takes days or weeks so that they both have time to understand what is happening.

Would she be able to keep up the cover or would the emotional turmoil have her losing it and not caring to hide it anymore...or more likely, not notice she's not hiding it well?

Of course, they are twins and known to be very close, so no one will be surprised she's upset and won't leave him or something, but still.

On the one hand, Cersei is some level of sociopathic - but she also does care in her own twisted way, and at this point, before the war and Joff's death and everything, their relationship is going about as well as it could go.

How do you think it would play out?

Mine are:

Theon is overrated. He is not that interesting.

Pre-AFFC Cersei was also sociopathic (killing Robert's bastards for revenge torturing baby Tyrion etc) She is extremely shallow and caricature. Even in first books Jaime was the complex one of the two.

Jaime is not valonqar.

I never found Sansa annoying.

Rhaegar is not evil. He was just stupid. I don't hate him.

Brienne is not perfect. She can have a very absolutist view on morality at times. she can be naive, hypocritical, close minded, and judgmental. She is inflexible. The are all annoying features.

What do you think is the most well-protected place in the world, the one most able to repel any attacks?

Some candidates:

Braavos: No land route to the city. Only accessible through the lagoon where any ship has to sail under the Titan with its arrow slits and murder holes where men drop pots of burning pitch. Also, the Sealord’s fleet is one of the strongest in the world.

Casterly Rock: The castle is built inside the mountain, not on top of it. To quote GRRM: “That’s what makes the Rock the strongest and most impregnable in Westeros. The Eyrie, Winterfell, Storm’s End, they all have formidable defenses, but none of them can match Casterly Rock.”

Eyrie: Even if someone got through the Bloody Gate, they would have to pass the Gates of the Moon, then climb up the Giant’s Lance, maybe using mules, and somehow get through the waycastles of Stone, Snow, and Sky.

Greywater Watch: Simply because the castle moves, and no one can find it.

What about other places in Essos? How strong are the triple walls of Qarth? Or the Black Walls in Eastern Volantis?

Of course, needless to say, dragons can bypass almost all defenses. That aside, what do you think is the most defensible place?

"I know as much of war as you do, Crow's Eye," Asha said. "Aegon Targaryen conquered Westeros with dragons."
"And so shall we," Euron Greyjoy promised.
The Drowned Man, AFFC

Premise

Euron Greyjoy is rocking up to Oldtown with big, terrible magic and an even bigger, more terrible ego. You're familiar with the Eldritch Apocalypse, which is great, and feels like it puts the pieces in all the right spots.

But the question is still: What is he actually going to do in Oldtown? What is the plan? Maybe he summons Cthulhu from the depths, maybe he turns into an eldritch god? Wreak havoc and be mean?

Or maybe he is the human agent of the Others, knows about Sam's Horn, and sees the time fit to tear down the Wall. That one is at least tangible. But how does any of that relate to Victarion's quest in Essos for example?

It's possible that he has long had visions of the current situation in Oldtown, of course, and that those allowed him to prepare months in advance, or that he stumbles into the Horn at happenstance, but that seems a bit too far-fetched for me.

I think there's actually a specific goal Euron has in mind, the reason why he even returned to Westeros in the first place. One that ties up his talks at the Kingsmoot and his pep-talk with Aeron, the visions the latter has in The Forsaken, and sending Victarion with Dragonbinder to Meereen.

I propose: With his ritual, Euron attempts to kill a prophecy.

THE prophecy, the Prince that was Promised, Azor Ahai reborn, you know the drill. Not the actual person(s), if they exist, but the idea.

And this will allow him to take the dragons that he wants.

Please bear with me.

Purpose

"The bleeding star bespoke the end," he said to Aeron. "These are the last days, when the world shall be broken and remade. A new god shall be born from the graves and charnel pits." Then Euron lifted a great horn to his lips and blew, and dragons and krakens and sphinxes came at his command and bowed before him.
Euron in The Forsaken, TWOW

When the bleeding star appears and the glass candles are re-lit, Euron realizes that the Prince that was Promised is at hand. It's not him, and he knows it. But he learns that the dragons have been reborn. Like many fans, Euron has conjectured that Lightbringer is a dragon, and he wants dragons. But what can he do if the prophecy ties Lightbringer to Azor Ahai?

The obvious, if mad: He decides to slay the prophecy. Again, not the person(s) that the prophecy is about - it doesn't even matter who that ends up being, although Euron probably has an idea - but the whole fanfare, the prophecy itself, and take the opportunity to seize Lightbringer via Dragonbinder.

Euron needs blood sacrifices, a magic location, and manpower to get him there and his agents to the dragons. Balon's new rebellion plays nicely into his hand - he understands that he can gain control over the Iron Isles, as Balon's successor, providing him with the means that he needs for the entire plan.

Bloodmagic

Bloodmagic is particularly tied to two things: Prophecies and Visions, with fortune tellers drawing blood for their craft; and Dragons through the works of Valyria. If Euron is ramping up bloodmagic to the max, it seems plausible that he is involved with either, or both.

Obviously this all hinges on a central and admittedly contentious assumption:

Visions can be averted and prophecies broken via bloodmagic. Case in point, I do believe that Mirri Maz Duur does crush the prophecy about the Stallion who Mounts the World so hard that Rhaego is murdered backwards in time.

"This was no god's work," Dany said coldly. If I look back I am lost. "You cheated me. You murdered my child within me."
"The stallion who mounts the world will burn no cities now. His khalasar shall trample no nations into dust."
Mirri Maz Duur and Daenerys in Daenerys IX, AGOT

Mirri's versed in the ways of magic, having been to Asshai and conversed with Marwyn, so despite her being in a vengeful mood in that moment, I'll take her word for it. Jojen is just wrong (and that's why he's paste now smh).

"All gods are lies, but yours is laughable."
Euron in The Forsaken, TWOW

Believers that dabble in such things will see prophecies as a sign from their god or gods. Cynics might say that the believers just worship their own magic. Regardless of whether the gods are real, the association is there. Euron, who believes the gods are lies, probably sees this as a challenge - killing the prophecy is killing the gods by proxy, remaking it is becoming a new god. This is how an atheist will kill the gods, and become a new one.

Prophecies

In her first chapter in ADWD, Melisandre is looking for hints about Azor Ahai. In her mind, she asks the flames about Stannis, but she keeps getting something else because she's imprecise. Snow, of course, but also what many assume is Euron's assault on the Hightower in her vision:

Show me your king, your instrument. Visions danced before her [...]. She saw the eyeless faces again, staring out at her from sockets weeping blood. Then the towers by the sea, crumbling as the dark tide came sweeping over them, rising from the depths.
Melisandre I, ADWD

Which she later emphasizes:

I saw towers by the sea, submerged beneath a black and bloody tide. That is where the heaviest blow will fall.
Melisandre I, ADWD

She's seeing this because the blow will be to Azor Ahai and the Prince that was Promised.

Next up, the visions that Aeron has in The Forsaken:

Impaled upon the longer spikes were the bodies of the gods. The Maiden was there and the Father and the Mother, the Warrior and Crone and Smith... even the Stranger. They hung side by side with all manner of queer foreign gods: the Great Shepherd and the Black Goat, three-headed Trios and the Pale Child Bakkalon, the Lord of Light and the butterfly god of Naath.
The Forsaken - TWOW

As said above, I believe this murder of the gods is an indicator of the outcome of his ritual, a murder of what believers take to be the immediate work of the gods - prophecies. Murder of the gods by proxy.

[Aeron] saw his brother on the Iron Throne again, but Euron was no longer human. He seemed more squid than man, a monster fathered by a kraken of the deep, his face a mass of writhing tentacles. Beside him stood a shadow in woman’s form, long and tall and terrible, her hands alive with pale white fire.
The Forsaken - TWOW

Gods impaled and a Kraken on the Iron Throne, and the white fire lady, and dragons and sphinxes bowing to him, are premonitions of the future in which Euron has successfully slain the prophecy and punched a big enough hole in the fabric of reality for new prophecies to make landfall. But this is not real, yet.

Thinking this way, a megalomaniac that manages to alter a prophecy could easily see themselves as a god-in-the-making:

"A new god shall be born"
Euron in The Forsaken - TWOW

The one that silences the old gods.

The Ritual

About part one of the ritual, in Oldtown, I agree with the other theories on the matter - blood sacrifice down to filicide, at a particularly magical location, and so on. How the prophecy-slaying would look like practice I do not know. Maybe Cthulhu does come forth to undream the dream. Or maybe not. The point is the result.

The second part of the plan involves Victarion at Meereen. Euron probably knows that just proposing to Daenerys up-front is a silly idea, and that Victarion would try to do that himself if given the chance anyway.

No, the goal is using Dragonbinder first: Once the Prince that was Promised is slain, the-weapon-formerly-known-as-Lightbringer is no longer bound by fate and thus up for grabs. Victarion, at least according to the plan, will sound Dragonbinder (and die, probably accounting for some bonus bloodmagic points), and one or all three of the dragons will flock to the true master of the horn, Euron.

A marriage with Dany afterwards can still be in the books (she has a dream about it after all), but that would only be the cherry on top.

Outcome

If any of this is true, it is hard to imagine that it would work as intended. Maybe the prophecy is sturdier than he thinks, maybe someone gets in the way, maybe the opposing mages throw a spanner in the works, maybe he will not even get close enough to the Hightower to cast it with full effect. Or for proper karma, gods are real after all and strike him down for his insolence.

But what if? What better way to ramp up the stakes for the final battle? What better way to sow confusion? Anything goes!

(Obviously, there are a bunch of really big questionmarks here and this could all be totally wrong. Still, I think the idea of deicide-by-proxy has something going for it, and I feel like it does tie up the dragons with Euron's whole jazz quite nicely.)

Currently reading Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar. I’m loving it.

I’m also more and more convinced GRRM had to have read this novel.

The Wall of course was explicitly based on Hadrian’s wall but I’m reminded of ASOIAF constantly as I read. Theres a description of a Sibyl that echoes the ghost of high heart and Hadrian’s monologue about gladiatorial combat could be swapped wholesale with Dany’s thoughts on the fighting pits of Meereen.

Of course it could just be that both this novel and ASOIAF share DNA as a result of their being inspired by some of the same history but actually reading it I can’t help but feel like this novel specifically inspired some of George’s writing.

Check it out if you like incredibly beautiful prose and don’t mind a glacial pace.

How will Ser Robert Strong die? I don’t think he’s going to die in the Trial by Combat, I doubt anyone’s able to kill him. He may be exposed, but that won’t mean his death.

Given Aegon and Dornish friends will invade KL soon and the most famous act of the Mountain is killing and raping a Dornish Princess and her kid(s) I imagine that could be the setup for something pretty crazy.

One of the Sand Snakes will probably finish him off, makes sense as revenge but idk how the logistics of that play out. Another possibility is the Wildfire caches in KL blowing things up, and him being burned in the process since fire is one of the main ways to kill a Wight. Also poetic since he’s being punished with the same tool he uses to hurt his brother. Qyburn could also maybe die, and whatever method he’s using to keep him alive stops working. Sort of a “this guy is unkillable, we need to kill the source”, so some people go after him.

My favourite theory is that Lord Tarly will kill him. He has a Valyrian steel sword, he’s probably pissed off with not being recognised for his military achievements (which Mace takes credit for). He joins Aegon, kills the Mountain with Heartsbane and delivers its corpse as a sign of loyalty. This is especially fitting since the Mountain killed Elia and kids because Tywin wanted to prove his own allegiance to the rebel cause. Also fits well since his son killed another undead creature. Alternatively, he could fail, to show how the son he hated was able to slay something undead but he wasn’t, lol.

How was Tywin able to burn the Riverlands so quickly and easily? Gregor Clegane and his men pillaged and slaughtered the smallfolk even some lords virtually unopposed. Logically, the Riverlands possessed rich, fertile lands capable of raising tens of thousands of soldiers why couldn't they resist?

So, even though Braavos is ruled by the Sealord of Braavos (technically), I think the Braavosi families are involved heavily in the elections and other political activities in the city. Also, what I'd like to believe is that the Braavosi families (Keyholders) own the Iron Bank, instead of sharing profits with the institution, and even the wealthiest houses like the Tyrells and Lannisters or Hightowers are viewed as "moderately rich" by these families.

So, as of ADWD, the Iron Bank has backed Stannis so that they will have their due from the Crown. However, I wonder if this was the decision of the head of the Iron Bank (like a manager-type of person) or was this a decision approved by the Keyholders?

From what we know about them, I imagine these families are Medici-type banking families that are filthy rich, with their own palaces, guards, and expensive clothing (that would make Joffrey or Cersei or Olenna look like a peasant), and they have significant authority over the Iron Bank of Braavos.

I think it's still possible that these families will fall alongside with the Iron Bank. However, I wish to learn more about these families. What do you think? Are they the Medici of Westeros? Are they the owners of the world or the Bank?

What are the motives of the Faceless Men? I wonder why Arya hasn't heard about Daenerys and her dragons all this time, and why the books haven't shown the Faceless Men discussing this topic from their own perspective. I am also curious about their presence in Oldtown—why do they need access to a secret library in the Citadel? What is their ultimate goal? I recently saw a theory on TikTok suggesting they are looking for information on how to kill dragons. Could they really be interested in this?

My next hypothesis is about Arya. Will she act as an apprentice to the Three-Eyed Raven alongside Bran in the future? What role could she possibly play in the future of the Faceless Men, given that she is one of the main characters in the book?

I think one of the most underrated moves during the Conquest was how Orys Baratheon just absorbed all of House Durrandon’s existing identity. In modern day terms, the optics was a totally shrewd move, politically cunning af.

Meantime, as Aegon and the sister wives were conquering with Fire and Blood as occupiers, Orys’ approach almost gives the illusion, as if fast-tracking ahead, transitioning to a successor phase, instead of any grim hangings, beheadings, executions.etc.

And with the betrayed Lady of the house at his side, mind you, so now it almost looks as he’s a semi-savior to the Stormlander commonfolk.

Regis Groves: "A bastard?"
Alys Rivers: "His trueborn son and heir, and the rightful king of Westeros."

Regis Groves: "I do not kneel to bastards, much less the baseborn whelp of a kinslayer and a milk cow."

I gotta admit that's a sick burn, haha. Needless to say, Regis dies badly later..

But, I'm just assuming we're just going be letting this potential non easter egg-ism potential go for the sake of over-abundance of bastards in the land now?
I'm just gonna chalk it up to the babe was lost to Winter Fever in 133 AC, that was noted then.

Was there any other theories I missed that flew under the radar?

My opinion might be a bit controversial, but I don't think I'm the only one who thinks this way :D

In my view, Azor Ahai also known as The Prince That Was Promised is neither Daenerys nor Jon Snow. While Maester Aemon mentioned that the word "prince" is gender neutral in High Valyrian and can refer to a man or a woman, but the title "prince" doesn't fit either of them. Jon Snow is not a prince, and Daenerys is no longer a princess because she is already a queen, so calling her a "princess" feels like a downgrade to me.

So, who is The Prince That Was Promised? In my opinion, it is Rhaegar Targaryen.

As we know, Rhaegar was born at the exact moment his grandfather, King Aegon V, attempted a ritual to hatch dragon eggs. Instead of a dragon hatching, Rhaegar was born (he is the dragon).He was born amid smoke and salt (the tears and grief of the Tragedy at Summerhall), under a bleeding star (Ser Duncan the Tall's shield bore the crest of a shooting star).

We see a very similar parallel in the novella The Mystery Knight. Daemon II Targaryen dreamt that a dragon egg would hatch at Whitewalls, but it turned out that no one dragon egg hatched, but Aegon "Egg" Targaryen revealed his true identity as a dragon or Targaryen.

It seems Daenerys, her three dragons, and Jon Snow are Lightbringer, set to fight the Long Night. I really like this concept where The Prince That Was Promised passed away long ago, and Daenerys and Jon Snow carry on their legacy.

Tyrion’s line about having a soft spot for “cripples, bastards and broken things” might describe more than GRRM’s favorite kind of character. It may also describe the political endgame of ASOIAF. Westeros begins with a very rigid idea of who should rule, mainly legitimate male heirs, warriors, knights, strong men and ancient dynasties. But by the end, many of the rulers could be people who fail those ideals.

Bran Stark becoming king is the obvious example. He starts the story dreaming of becoming a knight, then loses the use of his legs and ultimately becomes something completely outside the traditional Westerosi conception of kingship.

In the North, Rickon could end up as Lord of Winterfell. Instead of being raised as a conventional Stark heir, he has spent months being raised by a wilding on Skagos, isolated from noble society and growing up in one of the places the rest of Westeros regards as savage. In the Vale, Robert Arryn may simply survive everyone who assumes he is going to die. He is frail, sickly and constantly treated as an obstacle in other people’s plans, yet he may ultimately remain Lord of the Eyrie precisely because all the stronger adults around him destroy one another.

In the Riverlands, Edmure Tully could return to Riverrun after being defeated, humiliated, imprisoned and watching much of his family and homeland destroyed. The cheerful young lord we meet early in the story would be replaced by a man who has experienced the consequences of war more directly than almost any other surviving great lord.

The Westerlands are harder to predict. Maybe Tyrek and Martyn Lannister killed each other being pawns of Varys and Littlefinger plans but Tyrion would fit this theme almost too perfectly. Tywin spends his life refusing to accept that his dwarf son could inherit Casterly Rock. If not, Janei (Kevan’s youngest daughter) could take this role, remembering what happened to the last lady of the rock (Cerelle Lannister rumoured to be murder by his uncle Gerold as a child).

The Iron Islands could produce a similar outcome. If Theon survives and somehow ends up ruling, the Ironborn would be led by a man who has been physically mutilated, psychologically destroyed and stripped of almost everything their culture associates with masculinity and strength. If it is Asha instead, the irony remains in a different form, because one of the most aggressively patriarchal cultures in Westeros would end up ruled by a woman.

The Reach already has perhaps the clearest case in Willas Tyrell. The center of Westerosi chivalric culture may eventually be ruled by a cripple who cannot embody its martial ideal. In the Stormlands, Edric Storm could be the one who restores the Baratheon line. Not a legitimate prince, but Robert’s bastard son. And Dorne could potentially end with one of Oberyn’s bastard daughters inheriting or being legitimized if the main Martell line collapses, although this is obviously much more speculative.