James Steller Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 I read the Theon sample chapter a while back, and for some reason I just felt doubtful that Stannis should put so much responsibility on Massey's shoulders. He's basically saying "Here, take all the money that this banker's giving me, hire an army of men and bring them back here to help me out. And if I'm dead, put my child daughter on the Iron Throne." We've already seen how ambitious Massey is, and frankly I feel like this will be too much of a temptation for him. Sure, he'll get to marry Asha if he comes back, but will that really be enough to keep him in line? I have a bad feeling that he's just going to take the money and run, or something along those lines. And maybe Stannis will die in WoW (hopefully not), so he'll be able to get away scot free. Granted, he did follow Stannis all the way into the winter snows of the North, so maybe he'll keep following his king from hereon out, but I still have my doubts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GallowsKnight Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Justin Massey has shown his loyalty at both the Blackwater and the Wall. He's of noble birth and charismatic.Plus he's not fanatical with his new religion. Those are good traits to have in someone who is going to have to do a lot of negotiating. Yes he is ambitious but his best hope for advancement lies with Stannis, who we have seen is open-handed with rewarding loyalty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassidyaj Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Does seem odd. Maybe Melisandre showed him something from the fires? I never thought of it until now, but it does not seem in Stannis's nature to place trust in people easily. The only one he really seemed to trust was Davos and maybe Melisande. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Steller Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 Does seem odd. Maybe Melisandre showed him something from the fires? I never thought of it until now, but it does not seem in Stannis's nature to place trust in people easily. The only one he really seemed to trust was Davos and maybe Melisande. Jon Snow as well, to be fair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordToo-Fat-to-Sit-a-Horse Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 house massey betrayed the stomking and went over to Aegon the conqueror... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Steller Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 house massey betrayed the stomking and went over to Aegon the conqueror... Are you suggesting that House Massey will once again betray the 'storm king' Stannis to go with the new Aegon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances Bean Corbray Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 We've already seen how ambitious Massey is, and frankly I feel like this will be too much of a temptation for him. Sure, he'll get to marry Asha if he comes back, but will that really be enough to keep him in line? Dude really wants to bone marry Asha, though. :drool: Now, of course, you and I and every other reader knows he has no chance, and that even if he did it wouldn't be the sweet deal he is assuming in his greenlander ignorance of how things work on the Iron Islands. But he doesn't know any of that. All he knows is she's a Lord Paramount's daughter (albeit the least prestigious of the Paramount houses/seats) and that's a BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIG step up, better than any offer he's ever gonna get elsewhere. Also she's kinda hot too. And all he's gotta do is get himself out of harm's way and hire some mercenaries with somebody else's money? Stannis knows his men and he picked Massey for this task specifically, despite it not necessarily being most in line with his skill set. The Mannis knows what he's doing :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Steller Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 The Mannis knows what he's doing :) Let's hope so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theon_NoJoy Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Or Massey will be to Stannis' campaign what Aurane Waters is to Cersei's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ned Stark's Honor Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 The same question went through my mind when Stannis sent him off on this mission. It seemed odd to entrust such a mission to one man, and a landed knight at that. I do think he can be trusted though. For one, he has proved his loyalty to Stannis many times over: through the Blackwater, the Wall, the march north. Also, most importanly, you better believe (as I'm sure Massey does) that no one is making off with the Iron Bank's money. He wouldn't get to spend one month's worth of that before the Iron Bank found him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pod The Impaler Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 I read the Theon sample chapter a while back, and for some reason I just felt doubtful that Stannis should put so much responsibility on Massey's shoulders. He's basically saying "Here, take all the money that this banker's giving me, hire an army of men and bring them back here to help me out. And if I'm dead, put my child daughter on the Iron Throne." We've already seen how ambitious Massey is, and frankly I feel like this will be too much of a temptation for him. Sure, he'll get to marry Asha if he comes back, but will that really be enough to keep him in line? I have a bad feeling that he's just going to take the money and run, or something along those lines. And maybe Stannis will die in WoW (hopefully not), so he'll be able to get away scot free. Granted, he did follow Stannis all the way into the winter snows of the North, so maybe he'll keep following his king from hereon out, but I still have my doubts. Massey seems a tad craven less than enthusiastic about his king's cause lately. He's not really a bad guy, I think, but he is focused on his own concerns first. However, he may still be a good choice on Stannis' part, as Massey would be a better choice to send away from the snowy battlefield of death, compared with people like Horpe or Suggs (who will gladly do the fighting, but little or no diplomatic side to them). Better for Massey to be an asset in Braavos than a liability outside Winterfell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Steller Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 Or Massey will be to Stannis' campaign what Aurane Waters is to Cersei's. Heh, the first thing that came to my mind after reading this comment was the idea of a spinoff featuring Aurane and Justin meeting up after siezing a fleet, army, and abundant treasure, going on a series of grand adventures together. "Massey Waters" would be the appropriately awful title for this spinoff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordToo-Fat-to-Sit-a-Horse Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Are you suggesting that House Massey will once again betray the 'storm king' Stannis to go with the new Aegon? maybe also the forth blackfyre rebellion started in massey´s hook.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mithras Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 house massey betrayed the stomking and went over to Aegon the conqueror... I think he will join Dany after she takes Dragonstone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slender Aimry Hill Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 I rather like Massey ('Ser Worm', thanks Theon). I feel I'd act similarly to him if I were, gods forbid, one of Stannis's lieutenants. I think he's basically loyal to and fond of the dour king who pays him largely in contempt, and he'd do a lot, yes, to get hold of Asha's hand for courtly, sexual and feudal imperatives. But I do doubt he'd stick to Stannis's cause post Stannis. You could see him gulping and going, yeah, I'll swear to this, whatever, no one need know if it gets difficult later, when Stannis asked him to fight for Shireen. For a start, he's no true believer and, however sweet Shireen may be, Queen Shireen = Queen Regent Selyse. If he hears of Stannis's demise, yes, a Targaryen cause may look attractive. Worms are little dragons, in a sense, after all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joluoto2 Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 He can be trusted to try to marry any highborn ladies he meet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainGhost Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 He wants lands and titles, not money and he knows that the only chance he has of that is with Stannis - he's followed Stannis too long for any other king or queen to give him anything. He has no choice but to keep following Stannis. If Stannis dies though, or if he hears that Stannis is dead... he may think that he no longer has any chance for land and will make off with the money. Or maybe he'll try to fight for Asha instead, if she's still alive, in the hope that she rewards him one way or another. On that subject, I really mislike the idea of Stannis 'giving' Asha to Justin. She's not Stannis's property to give away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torrhen Blackwood Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Damn. Nice post, OP. I tend to agree with most on here in that Justin Massey is loyal for the "wrong" reasons ( I mean, land and titles). He seems a bit disingenuous but he isn't a violent, religious zealot or a misogynist rapist so in the scheme of things in AWOIAF he's an alright dude. But here's the thing: Massey has followed Stannis for too long to turn cloak. Ser Justin's eggs are all in one basket. And I don't think he has enough balls to fuck Stannis over when he is across the Narrow Sea. Actually, Ya that'll probably happen knowing GRRM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slender Aimry Hill Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Better Massey, who wants a wife and a domain, than Horpe who wants glory as a Kingsguard and killing, or the likes of Ser Godry and Ser Patrek who want glory in the name of the Red God, if you ask me. Massey's not on Rolland Storm's level, granted (though Storm also clearly has a non-altruistic motivation, being deStormed) but he's alright by me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mountain That Flies Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 I always figured this was a case of Stannis choosing the best option available to him at the time to go get mercenaries. He can't go himself (would see that as running away and would lose what little ground he has), can't send Davos (who he thinks is dead), and most other noble lords have either deserted his cause or died for it.Also, the Iron Bank's loan was to Stannis. The only way Massey can change that without having a FacelessMan sent after him i if the bank itself changes allegiances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.