Do think Dorne could have be incorporated into the realm without the Conquest successfully? Daeron was unmarried and had three sisters, a double marriage united the Seven Kingdoms in one timeline why not another?

Oh, you mean Daeron I. Interesting. Part of the issue there is that Aegon’s First Dornish War had some really profound path dependency issues – the Dornish aren’t going to forget their kingdom ravaged by dragonfire, the Reachermen aren’t going to forget their kinsmen slaughtered in the sands or the raid on Oldtown, the Stormlanders aren’t going to forget their kinsmen mutilated after a prisoner exchange or the burning of the rainwood.

Also, Daeron I desperately needed a big military project to unite the realm and restore the authority of the monarchy after the Dance and the False Spring. While he’d probably have an easier time selling such a pact than Baelor and Daeron II did, thanks to not being murdered under a peace banner, bringing Dorne into the realm peaceably doesn’t quite solve the problem.

It’s actually quite reminiscent of Edward III’s position when he took the throne of England – recent civil wars, a king deposed and then murdered (although for Aegon II they didn’t bother with the deposing), defeats abroad, a long period of regency, etc. Hence the idea of claiming the Throne of France as a way to get the barons on-side with the lure of French territories.

So maybe Daeron I could have looked east? Stepstones are a bit meh, but maybe a holy war to reclaim Andalos for the Faith of the Seven? That might have done the trick.

No, the White Walkers Aren’t Good Guys

serfriendzonetoth:

racefortheironthrone:

No, the White Walkers Aren’t Good Guys

The idea that the White Walkers are secretly the good guys or not the final enemy or that they built the Wall or had some sort of secret peace treaty is a theory that’s become weirdly prominent in the ASOIAF fandom; I say weirdly because not only is there basically no evidence for this theory, but the very existence of this theory requires you to dive head first into the hermeneutics of suspicion…

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I can’t believe this is even a thing…

Check out the r/asoiaf thread. It’s seriously a thing. People seem really drawn to this particular brand of contrarianism.

RFTIT Tumblr Weekly Roundup!

Hello everyone! It’s been a banner week here at Race for the Iron Throne – Harrenhal fell, I kicked off a huge debate about the White Walkers and got 35,000 views in a day, the…

House Jordayne of the Tor being the altered form of the Tor Daynes, ala Karstarks, would make so much sense and I am baffled as to why GRRM didn’t do it. (Thoughts?)

I don’t think that’s the case.

No, the White Walkers Aren’t Good Guys

The idea that the White Walkers are secretly the good guys or not the final enemy or that they built the Wall or had some sort of secret peace treaty is a theory that’s become weirdly prominent in the ASOIAF fandom; I say weirdly because not only is there basically no evidence for this theory, but the very existence of this theory requires you to dive head first into the hermeneutics of suspicion…

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Hi! I know we’re working off little information here, but what do you make of all the deformed stillborn born of Maegor I if there is anything to be made at all. Was it just a combo of bad luck and bad inbred genes (even tho most of his wives were not Targs)? Do you think Tyanna really did poison the pregnancies of his other wives or could there be a large coup against her there? she wasn’t exactly popular as a woman with a council position AND a foreigner…

Probably a mix of genes and something else? We know from Rhaenyra and Dany that Targaryens can produce deformed and stillborn offspring, hence why the Targaryens practiced eugenics as well as incest.

At the same time, as with Dany, outside factors (magic, poison, etc.) can cause that tendency to be expressed where otherwise the fetus would have been healthy.

Here’s a third possibility: maybe Maegor died after the Trial By Seven, and Visenya brought him back to life as a revenant?

What do you think about the Dance? Two legimate claimants duking it out or one treacherous side out to kinslay the other and take the crown over a pile of corspes.

Both Aegon II and Rhaenrya are warmongering tyrants who didn’t give a damn for the smallfolk they burned by the thousands as “collateral damage” in their war.

The Shepherd was right. Team Smallfolk 4 Life!

Predictions Bragging, VERY Spoilery

boiledleather:

racefortheironthrone:

Predictions Bragging, **VERY Spoilery**

Crossposting this from Tumblr and adding a giant spoiler WARNING, just in case:

I F*CKING CALLED IT!
(more…)

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Steve, what’s the nature of the spoiler here? Are you spoiling something that isn’t in one of the five books?