Significance of the deaths of Steffon and Cassana Baratheon?

[Natasi]

So Steffon and Cassana were sent by King Aerys II across the Narrow Sea to find a suitable bride for Prince Rhaegar. We know they didn't succeed in this, but found and brought Patchface with them instead. Then their ship wrecks when they're almost home, witnessed by Stannis and Robert. I know we've discussed Patchface at length and some speculation exists for his involvement in the wreck but that's not what I have been wondering about.

What is the significance to the story that the Baratheon's mission was to find the right bride for Rhaegar? And then they failed that mission, only for Rhaegar to be matched with Elia Martell of Dorne. If you consider it, Steffon and Cassana could have been on any other mission for all the apparent impact it has had on the story. It could have been written that they were on a pleasure cruise for that matter. It also could have been written that any other House did this deed instead of the Baratheons. Storywise we could have skipped to Aerys' match of Rhaegar with Elia without the Baratheons involvement whatsoever. If they needed to die for the story, they could have passed away from a plague or something.

Also, what is the significance of Stannis and Robert being witness to this tragedy?

Strange questions, but I just can't wrap my brain around them. I'm convinced it will become significant later down the road.

[joluoto2]

Their quest had an importance because

a) Patchface, something's up with him.

b ) Who was the mystery bride they were looking for in Essos

c) They left the Baratheon bros orphans, which has an impact on their character development.

[Lady Fevre Dream]

I think the point of the Baratheons dying that way is to show they died trying to serve the King. Also, the reason they were the ones sent to look for a suitable bride for Rhaegar was because they were family, not just from the days of Conquest, but through more recent weddings. They were judged worthy to look for Rhaegar's bride, in Aerys eyes anyway. The reason for the their deaths was to facilitate Robert being raised by Jon Arryn, to further the distance between Robert and Stannis, and also to further emphasize Stannis not believing in the Seven after witnessing their death.

I think that is really the entire point. It's also to point out, pre Rebellion, that Baratheon's seemed to be not only allies, but family still in the Targaryen's eyes.

[Stormland's Fury]

I suspect that it could have some significance for Stannis' story:

1) It was the event that pushed him to atheism, ironically he becomes the leader of religious zealots.

2) Patchface who survived (and should have drowned) stayed with Stannis and not in Storm's End or went with Robert

3) Stannis becomes lord of an island and Master of Ships (achieving a victory over the Ironborn)

4) His right hand man is also a seaman who should have drowned

5) He took 2 Greyjoys captive

6) Damphair preaches about the Drowned God who opposes the Storm God (Stannis is a Stormlord)

It's not their specific deaths but they figure in the whole storm/aquatic theme Stannis has going on and I believe if he survives Winterfell his journey will take him against Euron in some fashion.

For Robert it could be simply link to him rebelling against Aerys and killing Rhaegar, the ones who were indirectly "responsible" for their death, although he seems not be as affected by it as Stannis

[Syrio the Dancer]

Were they possibly looking for known female survivor of the house Blackfyre? it makes sense as Aerys wouldn't let his heir marry a random "whore" from the free cities. And maybe they had to die, because they learned she was married to Ilyrio? What do you think?

[Stormland's Fury]

Were they possibly looking for known female survivor of the house Blackfyre? it makes sense as Aerys wouldn't let his heir marry a random "whore" from the free cities. And maybe they had to die, because they learned she was married to Ilyrio? What do you think?

I really like that theory, but I think it would be hard for a potential assassin to orchestrate a storm, there are easier ways ;) . The Baratheon brothers clearly saw them sinking. We hear it from both on separate occasions, so there's no reason to question that it was in fact an accident.

[joluoto2]

I don't think they were looking for a Blackfyre. I just can't see the Targs wanting to have anything to do with them. I think maybe they were looking for decendants of Aerion Brightflame.

[The Unborn]

I had a thought about it this morning... why did Aerys want Rhaegar to marry an Essos girl ?

[joluoto2]

I had a thought about it this morning... why did Aerys want Rhaegar to marry an Essos girl ?

There has been speculations Aerys wanted Rhaegar to marry a girl with Targaryen blood (which is why Dorne is chosen in the end). So he probably was looking for either decendants of the Blackfyres (unlikely), or decendants of Brightflame.

[Stormland's Fury]

I had a thought about it this morning... why did Aerys want Rhaegar to marry an Essos girl ?

Maybe he wanted an heir without further inbreeding, but without giving power to one of the great houses that a marriage would entail? Also he could probably find someone with Valeryan ancestry there.

At least that's my best guess.

[CJ McLannister]

Ultimately Rhaegar's search for a "suitable" wife is what led to the whole mess in the first place. We're told that Aerys sent them, but would this have been after Rhaegar started getting into prophecy? Were they looking for the wife that he thought was to deliver The Prince that was Promised?

I do like the idea that they got too close to something and Patchface had been ordered to take them out, but I don't have any evidence to support that. Were their bodies found? I'm not suggesting they're still alive chilling in Pentos, but could the wreck have been staged after they were already dead? Wrecking within site of Storm's End is terribly convenient...

[Stormland's Fury]

Ultimately Rhaegar's search for a "suitable" wife is what led to the whole mess in the first place. We're told that Aerys sent them, but would this have been after Rhaegar started getting into prophecy? Were they looking for the wife that he thought was to deliver The Prince that was Promised?

I do like the idea that they got too close to something and Patchface had been ordered to take them out, but I don't have any evidence to support that. Were their bodies found? I'm not suggesting they're still alive chilling in Pentos, but could the wreck have been staged after they were already dead? Wrecking within site of Storm's End is terribly convenient...

It only got mentioned that Patchface was washed ashore, but nothing about the corpses of the rest. So anything could happened with them as far as we know.

I would have to find the quotes, but it's stated that Stannis and Robert saw the ships sinking with their own eyes, so I don't know if it would be possible to stage a wreck afterwards. Neither of the two would have any reason to lie about it either.

[CJ McLannister]

They saw the ship sink, sure, but that doesn't mean their parents were on it and alive before it wrecked.

Creating the storm would be the tricky part. As far as I know, none of the "real" magic in the world can do that. So it would either have to be a very fortunate coincidence, or the ship waited somewhere until there was a suitable storm brewing up.

I'm not saying I believe any of this, I'm just exploring the possibility. We all know how much we need more dead characters to not really be dead, and secret conspiracies that took generations to set up.

[Stormland's Fury]

They saw the ship sink, sure, but that doesn't mean their parents were on it and alive before it wrecked.

Creating the storm would be the tricky part. As far as I know, none of the "real" magic in the world can do that. So it would either have to be a very fortunate coincidence, or the ship waited somewhere until there was a suitable storm brewing up.

I'm not saying I believe any of this, I'm just exploring the possibility. We all know how much we need more dead characters to not really be dead, and secret conspiracies that took generations to set up.

Yes, I guess they could have been killed beforehand and then they just came to Storm's End during a storm because it, well storms all the time in the Stormlands.

Still though, I thought it was implied that they died in sight, close enough that the brothers saw the actual parents, not only the ship. Although that's just speculation.

[CJ McLannister]

Alright, new crackpot theory: Patchface was orchestrating a classic "Weekend at Bernie's" ruse to convince Robert and Stannis that their parents were still alive up until the wreck, which he caused before swimming to shore.

[Stormland's Fury]

Alright, new crackpot theory: Patchface was orchestrating a classic "Weekend at Bernie's" ruse to convince Robert and Stannis that their parents were still alive up until the wreck, which he caused before swimming to shore.

I imagine Patchface surviving the whole story, getting rich and screwing everyone over. Revealing he was behind everything ever, then dropping the act and walk off like Doofy at the end of Scary Movie.

[Syrio the Dancer]

Ok, lets take it into crackpot territory.

first of I assume here that fAegon Blackfyre theory is true, but it works equally well with "brightfyre" theory with a few adjustments

Either Rhaegar or Aerys is convinced that Rhaegar must marry the "blood of the dragon", and they are awere that Maelys the monstrous had a sister (it seems in Kings Landing they kept track of Blackfyres in Essos). So the Baratheons are sent to locae her. They find she is married/going to marry Illyrio, but couldn't contact her. they also learned about some trouble, so decided thatthey can't trusyt mail and must report in person.

However, Illyrio, conspiring with Varys, relatively new arrival in KL, still not as powerful as later decide they have to die, so the hire a faceless man to do the job. however, to make it not suspicious, he is given instructions not to kill them in Essos, and tomake it look like an accident. So he pretends to be a fool (a job not that different from a mummer, and we know FM train with mummers), and gets hired. They Set sail home, then the storm comes. So our FM decides to use it and pull of a Balon-Like scenario, but is seen, wich causes all kind of mess on board - and it's the worst thatcan happen on a ship during Storm on dangerous waters.the Ship crashes, and the FM stays in water long enough to go crazy an become our old Patchface

how do you like it?

ETA in the aftermath Varys Claims to know the BF girl died, and there is no one to challange that claim, so Aerys and Rhaegar in search for dragonblood turn to Dorne

[Stormland's Fury]

Ok, lets take it into crackpot territory.

first of I assume here that fAegon Blackfyre theory is true, but it works equally well with "brightfyre" theory with a few adjustments

Either Rhaegar or Aerys is convinced that Rhaegar must marry the "blood of the dragon", and they are awere that Maelys the monstrous had a sister (it seems in Kings Landing they kept track of Blackfyres in Essos). So the Baratheons are sent to locae her. They find she is married/going to marry Illyrio, but couldn't contact her. they also learned about some trouble, so decided thatthey can't trusyt mail and must report in person.

However, Illyrio, conspiring with Varys, relatively new arrival in KL, still not as powerful as later decide they have to die, so the hire a faceless man to do the job. however, to make it not suspicious, he is given instructions not to kill them in Essos, and tomake it look like an accident. So he pretends to be a fool (a job not that different from a mummer, and we know FM train with mummers), and gets hired. They Set sail home, then the storm comes. So our FM decides to use it and pull of a Balon-Like scenario, but is seen, wich causes all kind of mess on board - and it's the worst thatcan happen on a ship during Storm on dangerous waters.the Ship crashes, and the FM stays in water long enough to go crazy an become our old Patchface

how do you like it?

To be honest I just think that Aerys simply sent his cousin Steffon to find a suitable wife for his son because he was family and thus trusted him with such a clandestine task. It's not necessarily something you want the other high lords to know about.

[Syrio the Dancer]

To be honest I just think that Aerys simply sent his cousin Steffon to find a suitable wife for his son because he was family and thus trusted him with such a clandestine task. It's not necessarily something you want the other high lords to know about.

Yeh but why would he look in essos, and after their failure settle on, of all people on Elia of Dorne? what's the main difference between Martells and other great houses? and whom they could find in Essos who was better than both Elia and say a Tyrell, Stark or Arryn girl?

[Stormland's Fury]

I think he tried that first, but in secrecy. Like I mentioned above maybe he wanted someone of Valeryan descent who wasn't tied to a Westerosi house, because he would like to keep the Targs politically and genetically as closed as possible without resorting to incest.

If he tried it openly it would have maybe angered the great houses because he tried to bypass them. The Baratheons would be no problem because it seems Steffon was the only one, married already and Aerys' first cousin.