Both could be the case. While usually hostages were too important to mistreat, there was a surprising number of medieval and Renaissance rulers who preferred the Keyser Soze method of interpersonal negotiations.
Is there any real life historical parallel for what Ramsay did to Theon? Were noble, high value hostages ever tortured, or was being captured by the enemy a relatively comfortable existence (at least compared to what the commoners experienced)?
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