Will the pro-Stark Riverlords eventually join Dany's cause?

[Lord Celtigar]

During the siege of Riverrun, the banners of the Rygers, Paeges, Blackwoods, Mootons and Mallisters were absent -these houses were the ones most loyal to the Stark-Tully cause during Robb's campaign. It is also worth noting that the Mootons and the Rygers stayed loyal to Aerys during Robert's Rebellion.

House Blackwood's loyalty hangs by a thread, and can only come to an end by Hoster being freed -which will happen one way or another. I think that Lord Tytos will be one of Dany's most prominent supporters: they have a connection to the Targs through Bloodraven and his house also supported the blacks during the DoD.

I think that Seagard will eventually be freed either by the BwB: either that, or badass Jason Mallister will give Black Walder a taste of his own medicine. Also, for the sake of a historical note, the Mallisters aided Aegon in his conquest to rid the Riverlands of the Iron Born: maybe this time he will help Dany rid the Riverlands of Freys/Lannisters.

I also think that when the BwB frees the Red Wedding hostages (I think it is inevitable), the Riverlords will be free to support whoever they want: which at this point, will either be Dany, Aegon, Euron, Stannis or the Lannisters. I think that the Riverlords have far too much honour to support (who, in their view, is) a fake; and Stannis is a) far away; b ) wants to burn their Septs and Weirwoods. I think it will pretty obvious that the Riverlords would do anything to avoid an alliance with the Lannisters and Euron. So what would a bunch of honourable lords do when a Targaryen (whose claim is unquestionable) appears to conquer Westeros, with three dragons (and appears to be the only ruler who cares about the wellbeing about her people)?

[TallTyrion]

Tough to say what the Riverlords will do going forward. Winter is going to hit them the hardest by far. Famine will probably kill tens of thousands so Riverland support may not amount to much by the time Dany arrives.

The Mallisters, however, will be well positioned since their lands haven't been touched as much by the war. If they can defeat the Freys they are set up to be a major player in the Riverlands.

[AryaNymeriaVisenya]

Why do the realms have to take one dragon's side or another? I don't get it. People say this about the North and the Vale too. The Riverlands are spent, why would they even bother?

[shadow282]

Or they could support KITN Jon. Or KITN Rickon. Or KITN Hodor. Or stay neutral or wait it out. Why would they support Dany? She's the daughter of Mad King Aerys, and seems to at least suffer from extreme tunnel-vision if not madness too.

And at this point, it seems the odds of Dany actually controlling all three dragons when she gets to Westoros are slim. She can't even control Drogon; there's no indication that she could do any better with the other 2, or that whoever gets control of the other 2 will be on her side.

Nothing rallies people together better then a foreign invasion. And whether or not Dany is a Targ, she's still going to land with an army of foreigners and at least one powerful dragon, which is bound to scare people. I'd say everyone dropping their struggles and working together to get rid of her is more likely then a mass of lords supporting her.

[King of the Rock]

Why do the realms have to take one dragon's side or another? I don't get it. People say this about the North and the Vale too. The Riverlands are spent, why would they even bother?

Pretty much what I was about to say. The Riverlands can't afford to lose anymore men, or get into anymore wars. If Daenerys takes the throne, then they can bend the knee, but they're not supporting anyone in taking the throne. Same goes for the majority of the North.

[AryaNymeriaVisenya]

Or they could support KITN Jon. Or KITN Rickon. Or KITN Hodor. Or stay neutral or wait it out. Why would they support Dany? She's the daughter of Mad King Aerys, and seems to at least suffer from extreme tunnel-vision if not madness too.

And at this point, it seems the odds of Dany actually controlling all three dragons when she gets to Westoros are slim. She can't even control Drogon; there's no indication that she could do any better with the other 2, or that whoever gets control of the other 2 will be on her side.

Nothing rallies people together better then a foreign invasion. And whether or not Dany is a Targ, she's still going to land with an army of foreigners and at least one powerful dragon, which is bound to scare people. I'd say everyone dropping their struggles and working together to get rid of her is more likely then a mass of lords supporting her.

Here is Dany, daughter of the Mad King, with an army of slaves, rapist Dothraki on Iron Born ships with three dragons. They'll be lining up to welcome her home? Word is she's left Slaver's Bay a wreck and is coming for Westeros. Meanwhile, Winter is coming, the dead rise, the North is broken and the Night's Watch has mutinied. Now, where to send your troops?!

[Ser Cold Fingers]

Here is Dany, daughter of the Mad King, with an army of slaves, rapist Dothraki on Iron Born ships with three dragons. They'll be lining up to welcome her home? Word is she's left Slaver's Bay a wreck and is coming for Westeros. Meanwhile, Winter is coming, the dead rise, the North is broken and the Night's Watch has mutinied. Now, where to send your troops?!

This pretty much sums it up.

[Mithras]

Yes. Rhaenyra had Riverlands and Vale during the First Dance. Dany as her parallel will do the same.

And Riverlands is not spent at all.

[aryagonnakill#2]

^ That basically sums up my view of it.

A couple fact checker type things tho, Hoster Tully is dead, and Dany now controls Drogon as of the end of ADWD he responded to her commands after she bled on him/ had her dragon dream.

[AryaNymeriaVisenya]

Yes. Rhaenyra had Riverlands and Vale during the First Dance. Dany as her parallel will do the same.

And Riverlands is not spent at all.

Will she also be barbecued and eaten?

Why are people expecting an exact repeat especially without any motivation for these people to side with her? I think that will be Dany's problem, she's gone around Slaver's bay with a messiah complex, giving rousing speeches and letting the oppressed largely do the fighting for her. She lands in Westeros, there are no slaves. Its not going to fall from within. No one is going to rush to her side with her motley crew of forces that represent the biggest evils on the earth.

[Mithras]

Will she also be barbecued and eaten?

Why are people expecting an exact repeat especially without any motivation for these people to side with her? I think that will be Dany's problem, she's gone around Slaver's bay with a messiah complex, giving rousing speeches and letting the oppressed largely do the fighting for her. She lands in Westeros, there are no slaves. Its not going to fall from within. No one is going to rush to her side with her motley crew of forces that represent the biggest evils on the earth.

If Dany promises them to burn the Twins similar to what Aegon did to Harrenhal, there becomes your motivation.

[aryagonnakill#2]

^ No 1 is expecting an exact repeat, I myself am expecting a mixture of the dance and the conquest, and either way Dany gets the Vale and Riverlands in that scenario.

[Lord Lannister]

The Riverlords owe neither the Targaryens nor Dany personally anything. If they bend the knee it will only be because she pulls another Harrenhall. Sorry, any remaining sympathy I have for Dany will be lost if she pulls that though. Protagonists don't destroy all who oppose them.

[Mithras]

The Riverlords owe neither the Targaryens nor Dany personally anything. If they bend the knee it will only be because she pulls another Harrenhall. Sorry, any remaining sympathy I have for Dany will be lost if she pulls that though. Protagonists don't destroy all who oppose them.

False.

Riverlords see Aegon I as their savior from the bloody tyrant Harren the Black.

[juanml82]

In the immediate term and if the Frey hostages get released, I guess the Riverlords will support Baelish. Further down the road, they'd be hard pressed to support anyone but King Bread.

[Lord Lannister]

False.

Riverlords see Aegon I as their savior from the bloody tyrant Harren the Black.

I think 280 or so years of fidelity satisfies any remaining debt to his descendants. Given the Riverlords joined Robert's rebellion, they would seem to agree as well. If Dany's out to subdue the Riverlands, Riverrun is likely her target. She already her own revisionist version of history that doesn't differentiate between the Lannisters and the Starks, so she's not going to differentiate between pro-Stark and pro-Lannister lords.

[AryaNymeriaVisenya]

If Dany promises them to burn the Twins similar to what Aegon did to Harrenhal, there becomes your motivation.

I don't see that getting Brackens on side. Maybe Blackwoods and Mallisters but I think the Blackwoods have a more mystical purpose.

Right now my feeling is that Nymeria and the brotherhood will destroy the Lannister-Freys at the Twins and Riverrun and that the final battle will take place around the Inn of the Kneeling Man, where Ice submitted to Fire. And we will see the Rebellion Alliance return again in some form. They have been kept apart for various reasons throughout the novels, Lysa keeping the Vale out, Renly dying and not making his alliance with Robb, Stannis being Stannis and thinking Robb is a traitor. Now Stannis is in the North making some sort of alliance with the Northmen, Sansa is in the Vale either using Robert or Harry to her advantage, hopefully Arya returns to the Riverlands to lead Nymeria's pack and the brotherhood to liberate the River Lords. I can see Dany galvanising the Westerlands after the fall of the Lannisters when she and Tyrion take Casterly Rock, making an alliance with the Aegon defeated-Tyrells. The Dance is the Connington loyal- Stormlands/Crownlands and Dorne vs The Reach and Westerlands. Dany stamps on them before going North to engage the North-Riverlands-Vale-Baratheon Loyal Stormlands and Florents. The usurpers of her father, there she finds a bigger battle that she does not win.

[Mithras]

I agree that Brackens will side with fAegon. There will be a lot of shifting allegiances and the regions will be divided. fAegon will have Dorne, Stormlands and the Reach but some Dornish, Reach and Stormlands Houses will join Dany.

[Endymion I Targaryen]

Not all Riverlords faught on Robert's side from the beginning.Usually they were Targaryen loyalists,especially house Tully.

If Dany has Tyrion as her advisor he will inform her of the Red Wedding and turn her efforts at restoring the Tullys.Blackwoods will follow her too.But most Riverlords will be undone by winter.Some will follow Aegon and some will follow Stannis(if he establishes himself at Winderfell).

[King of the Rock]

Not all Riverlords faught on Robert's side from the beginning.Usually they were Targaryen loyalists,especially house Tully.

If Dany has Tyrion as her advisor he will inform her of the Red Wedding and turn her efforts at restoring the Tullys.Blackwoods will follow her too.But most Riverlords will be undone by winter.Some will follow Aegon and some will follow Stannis(if he establishes himself at Winderfell).

Why would she care? As far as she's concerned the Tully's, Stark's, Arryn's, and Baratheon's are all usurpers. She'd probably rather have the Bolton's and Frey's than the Stark's and Tully's.