Walking or horse probably. 

Yes, and not sure yet, still working on that.

I think he absolutely knew about the incest and was going to use that to set aside those kids. 

I covered this here. 

1. Sansa didn’t inform Cersei of the existence of Ned’s counter-coup, Ned did that himself. 

2. Sansa didn’t allow Cersei to foil Ned’s counter-coup. LF did that.

3. Sansa may have contributed to her own capture, because the only things she could have shared with Cersei were the precise timing of Ned’s coup and the fact that he planned to put them on board ship.

Cersei makes a big deal about it to Tyrion because it’s the one thing she can take credit for besides Robert’s death. 

I think they absolutely had a grudge. Yes, it’s true, the Dornish are quite open about paramours, but you’ll note that paramours tend to be of a lower class than the wife or husband of the person in question, and thus not a social threat. Lyanna was a Stark of Winterfell and thus of sufficient standing to marry a prince and totally inappropriate to be a mistress. If Rhaegar elopes with her, everyone’s first thought is going to be that he’s setting his wife aside. There’s also an expectation of some discretion – and Rhaegar had openly snubbed his wife (who had just been told could not have another child) in favor of the new hottie. 

Secondly, there’s a good deal of evidence that the Martells especially were pretty pissed off – they only sent 10,000 men to save the capitol, Aerys was resorting to open hostage-taking to ensure loyalty, and the surviving Martells tend to speak of Rhaegar with some tension. 

Sadly, I think this is a pretty stable system, as it’s been going on for the better part of 300 years. The Dothraki play a major constitutive role in the Essosi economy, essentially farming central Essos for people. And being the very good herdsmen that they are, they know not to cull the herd too much. 

I’m not at all sure about these numbers – then again, keep in mind we’re talking about a later stage of technological development. The Free Cities are firmly in the Renaissance, not the Roman Empire, and they went through much less of a “dark ages” (as much as that term is a loaded and inaccurate one) than did the great colonial metropolises of Western Europe during the collapse of the Roman Empire. Then again, Renaissance Venice peaked at 200,000, Florence at 80,000, Milan at 100,000 – although all those figures leave out the rural populations they controlled. 

However, you have to adjust for GRRM’s scope. King’s Landing is 500,000 people – historical London wouldn’t hit that size until roughly 1700. Likewise, we know for a fact that Volantis’ colonies are 500,000 each, which is likewise way out of proportion. 

Well, here’s the thing, I think there’s going to be a good deal of conflict, or at least potentially: 

1. Rickon will no doubt have the support of the Manderlys and probably Stannis too, but other people might be resistant to giving the southerners that much power, especially if Rickon is hastily betrothed to a female Manderly (Manderly is a loyal northman, but he’s also a loyal northman who makes sure he gets rewarded in full). 
2. Sansa is older, and is being championed by the Vale. OTHO, she was married to Tyrion Lannister before, and the North isn’t going to like that her first husband might try to assert a claim. 
3. Robb’s will naming the significantly older Jon Snow as his heir may be championed by the Glovers, Mormonts, and Reeds.
4. The Liddles and the other hill clans might back Bran Stark, who they know is alive and the older of the surviving trueborn sons. 

bryndenbfish:

racefortheironthrone:

Rhaenrya had her good qualities and her bad. I think chiefly among her bad qualities was an early-Stannis-like inability to let anything slide, thus the moment she actually gets into power she spends more time taking revenge than actually ruling. Hence, mass arrests and executions and torture, and people side-eyeing her because of putting Alicent in chains and poor Haelena committing suicide over the death of her children, hence completely counterproductive orders to execute her own dragonriders. 

I’m sure we can chalk some of it up to propaganda, but some things are historical fact – Rhaenrya so alienated the people of King’s Landing that they rose up against her and killed her dragons, breaking the power of her House. That on its own discredits her as a politician.

But ultimately, Viserys II’s mistake was that he couldn’t make up his mind. If Rhaenrya was going to be his heir, he shouldn’t have remarried and had more children. 
 

I like this comparison between Stannis and Rhaenyra a lot — though so far, Stannis has been relatively forgiving of his enemies and traitors. Though I doubt that Stannis will ever sit the Iron Throne, I am curious if we’d have a “heads, stakes, walls” phase of rule by Stannis — especially if he didn’t have a war to fight.

Sure. Hence why I say early Stannis. Post-Castle Black, Post-Blackwater, even Post-Storms End Stannis is a different man from Prologue Stannis.

Stannis has the capacity for growth and change, and I think it will be his salvation.