Theon Greyjoy Returns to King Robb Stark?

[The Prince of Ice]

My thread on Theon going to the Nights Watch got this in my head. If Theon returned to Robb after his father told him the alliance was not going to happen between Greyjoy and Stark how would that affect the war? I think it would have drastically changes because Theon would warn and help aid the North. When i first read the part when Balon tells him that the alliance is off and that theyre going to attack the north i knew Theon should go back to Robb or he was in for some shit. He shoulda gone back anyways Robb probably woulda given him a lordship or even help him take the Seastone Chair. What do you guys think of this what it scenario?

[Night's Ranger]

He wasnt alowed to return,he had no ship

[Minsc]

He would have probably been arrested and tortured by Balon after warning Robb, in how Night's Ranger said he doesn't have a ship to escape with and Theon always pulls the short straw in life.

[The Prince of Ice]

He would have probably been arrested and tortured by Balon after warning Robb, in how Night's Ranger said he doesn't have a ship to escape with and Theon always pulls the short straw in life.

He would have been tortured IF Balon captured him, if Theon made the decision to betray his family he would know not to be captured. He did have a boat when he was heading to Stony Shore, however i know it was full of Ironmen who would kill him of he betrayed but when they got to mainland i think he would be able to get away easily because Ironmen arent good horsemen and Theon knows the North far better. This is all a hypotheical situation of course lols

[Night's Ranger]

i think it was the same deal as with Dragonstone,no ship,boat,raven...was alowed to leave Islands.

[BreastplateWithNipples]

He could have sent the raven off by himself and then stolen a ship.

Robb wouldn't have been able to do much to react to a warning about the coming Ironborn attacks so they still go ahead and seize Moat Cailin as well as a couple of castles. However if there's no sneakery between Dagmar Cleftjaw and Theon then there is also no trap laid to the Hares and no distraction of the Winterfell garrison. The Ironborn, unfamiliar with the territory and with shits for brains, dither around plundering their way around the western shore of the North while Rodrik Cassel marshals what Northern levies are available and eventually goes about flushing the Ironborn out of one place after another.

Robb's war in the south doesn't necessarily go any better than it did in ACOK but his prestige is quite a bit higher as Winterfell would still be alright and Stark power is unbroken. Bran and Rickon would be fine for the time being. Whether the Bolton schemery would come to anything is an iffy question. Rodrik Cassel was quite the trusting type of person and while he's safe in Winterfell with a 400 man strong garrison, if Cassel takes to the field against the Ironborn incursions he makes himself vulnerable to schemery without knowing it.

The biggest change would obviously be Robb never needing Jeyne's consolation since he'd never get a message telling him his brothers are dead. Instead, Theon is at his side when they storm the Crag, and he's the one needing consolation for going through an emotional identity struggle. So Theon is the one who shacks Jeyne and Robb decides he'll do him a favor and asks her father for her hand, to give him a new home and a place. ;) You can take it from here...

[The Prince of Ice]

Yea but not after the Iron Fleet sailed to war, he had a ship to attack Stony Shore Theon coulda gone AWOL on his way to the Stone Shore.

[Minsc]

He could have sent the raven off by himself and then stolen a ship.

How is he supposed to steal and sail a ship all by himself?

Yea but not after the Iron Fleet sailed to war, he had a ship to attack Stony Shore Theon coulda gone AWOL on his way to the Stone Shore.

I don't think his crew are going to fly for that.

[The Prince of Ice]

He could have sent the raven off by himself and then stolen a ship.

Robb wouldn't have been able to do much to react to a warning about the coming Ironborn attacks so they still go ahead and seize Moat Cailin as well as a couple of castles. However if there's no sneakery between Dagmar Cleftjaw and Theon then there is also no trap laid to the Hares and no distraction of the Winterfell garrison. The Ironborn, unfamiliar with the territory and with shits for brains, dither around plundering their way around the western shore of the North while Rodrik Cassel marshals what Northern levies are available and eventually goes about flushing the Ironborn out of one place after another.

Robb's war in the south doesn't necessarily go any better than it did in ACOK but his prestige is quite a bit higher as Winterfell would still be alright and Stark power is unbroken. Bran and Rickon would be fine for the time being. Whether the Bolton schemery would come to anything is an iffy question. Rodrik Cassel was quite the trusting type of person and while he's safe in Winterfell with a 400 man strong garrison, if Cassel takes to the field against the Ironborn incursions he makes himself vulnerable to schemery without knowing it.

The biggest change would obviously be Robb never needing Jeyne's consolation since he'd never get a message telling him his brothers are dead. Instead, Theon is at his side when they storm the Crag, and he's the one needing consolation for going through an emotional identity struggle. So Theon is the one who shacks Jeyne and Robb decides he'll do him a favor and asks her father for her hand, to give him a new home and a place. ;) You can take it from here...

I like this interpretation. Works really well for a fan of House Stark. Almost exactly what i think would happen except for the Jeyne part thats really interesting avoids the RW entirely.

[The Prince of Ice]

How is he supposed to steal and sail a ship all by himself?

I don't think his crew are going to fly for that.

I agree with you on that but once they reach the North its free game if Theon has a horse, he knows the North much better and the Ironborn are notoriously bad horsemen Theon is actually a good horsemen because of growing up on the mainland. Also he doesn't need a ship he already has one from Balon.

[Minsc]

So Theon is the one who shacks Jeyne and Robb decides he'll do him a favor and asks her father for her hand, to give him a new home and a place. ;) You can take it from here...

Why would Theon want to marry Jeyne just because he shagged her?

While, I don't think he is that terrible (besides his actions made in desperation after his betrayal) he doesn't seem like that he would be all that torn up that he just deflowered some random noble woman that he will feel honor bound to marry her.

Hell, I could see it being more likely that if they don't try a Sansa/Tyrell plot that Robb might offer Sansa to Theon as a reward for Theon's loyalty to him and as an unofficial welcome into a family.

[Night's Ranger]

Why would Theon want to marry Jeyne just because he shagged her?

While, I don't think he is that terrible (besides his actions made in desperation after his betrayal) he doesn't seem like that he would be all that torn up that he just deflowered some random noble woman that he will feel honor bound to marry her.

Hell, I could see it being more likely that if they don't try a Sansa/Tyrell plot that Robb might offer Sansa to Theon as a reward for Theon's loyalty to him and as an unofficial welcome into a family.

yea,i dont think that Robb would give Sansa to him

[BreastplateWithNipples]

Why would Theon want to marry Jeyne just because he shagged her?

While, I don't think he is that terrible (besides his actions made in desperation after his betrayal) he doesn't seem like that he would be all that torn up that he just deflowered some random noble woman that he will feel honor bound to marry her.

Hell, I could see it being more likely that if they don't try a Sansa/Tyrell plot that Robb might offer Sansa to Theon as a reward for Theon's loyalty to him and as an unofficial welcome into a family.

Robb isn't going to give Sansa to Theon. He would value his loyalty, but he doesn't think THAT highly of him. (Not mutual, Theon does think highly of him.) Sansa is way too high for a landless exile like Theon, and Robb only has Sansa available for matches since Arya would presumably already be promised to a Frey boy.

Theon would be a homeless guy, more or less, after deserting from the Greyjoy cause. He has no home any more and can't be a ward of Winterfell forever. He needs a good marriage with a well endowed bride so he can live off his own incomes. The bride should also be of a high station if he wants to remain "eligible" to remain in King Robb's inner circle after the war is over. Honor and duty towards a deflowered maid don't really go into it, the man needs a woman for practical reasons ;)

That being said, a Westerling wouldn't really be that optimal for Theon... the name carries enough prestige and they'd be able to give Jeyne a nice dowry but their position as Tywin's bannermen makes it a rather bad spot. Also even if there's a dowry to go with the deflowered maid, there wouldn't be any lands since she has two brothers. But if Robb wins his war he would have lands aplenty to hand out anyways... he'd give Theon and Jeyne the lands of some extinct or dispossessed house, or an altogether new holdfast along his new southern borders. Theon would be the ideal candidate for a marcher lord along the Trident or the eastern foothills of the westerlands.

[PrimeRhaegar]

he shouldn't have sent him there in the 1st place.

[Glenn of House Patrick]

Robb isn't going to give Sansa to Theon. He would value his loyalty, but he doesn't think THAT highly of him. (Not mutual, Theon does think highly of him.) Sansa is way too high for a landless exile like Theon, and Robb only has Sansa available for matches since Arya would presumably already be promised to a Frey boy.

Theon would be a homeless guy, more or less, after deserting from the Greyjoy cause. He has no home any more and can't be a ward of Winterfell forever. He needs a good marriage with a well endowed bride so he can live off his own incomes. The bride should also be of a high station if he wants to remain "eligible" to remain in King Robb's inner circle after the war is over. Honor and duty towards a deflowered maid don't really go into it, the man needs a woman for practical reasons ;)

That being said, a Westerling wouldn't really be that optimal for Theon... the name carries enough prestige and they'd be able to give Jeyne a nice dowry but their position as Tywin's bannermen makes it a rather bad spot. Also even if there's a dowry to go with the deflowered maid, there wouldn't be any lands since she has two brothers. But if Robb wins his war he would have lands aplenty to hand out anyways... he'd give Theon and Jeyne the lands of some extinct or dispossessed house, or an altogether new holdfast along his new southern borders. Theon would be the ideal candidate for a marcher lord along the Trident or the eastern foothills of the westerlands.

What do you mean Robb didn't think that highly of him? I don't see him offering up Sansa either, but Theon was Robb's best friend growing up. Everything I read indicates that they were very close. If he didn't think highly of Theon he wouldn't have sent him to the Iron Islands against Cat's will, nor would he have been THAT torn up by the betrayal.

[Minsc]

Robb isn't going to give Sansa to Theon. He would value his loyalty, but he doesn't think THAT highly of him. (Not mutual, Theon does think highly of him.) Sansa is way too high for a landless exile like Theon, and Robb only has Sansa available for matches since Arya would presumably already be promised to a Frey boy.

That is why it would make sense for Robb to do it, because it would be a terrible political decision. And if there is anything Robb is good for it is making terrible political decisions.

Moreover, I could see Theon trying to pressure Robb into it as compensation for how he basically abandoned his entire family and life for Robb thus him wanting something pretty important in exchange rather then just some piss poor girl from the Westerlands. And that way Robb could establish a new cadet house for House Stark under Theon (maybe they could revive the Greystark name)

[Glenn of House Patrick]

One big difference between Robb and Theon: Robb didn't feel comfortable bedding Jeyne and leaving her. He felt honor-bound to marry her. Theon, on the other hand, would have done his business with Jeyne and left her high and dry, without any issues.

[The Night's Prince]

Theon's destiny was to be played with by Ramsay.

[Erkan12]

Theon missed big opportunity by following his stupid father... If he try to connect Robb, in worst scenario they can return north, and Robb gives him a lordship

Also Robb is fool, he let go very valuable hostage... He can send raven to Balon without sending Theon

[juanml82]

Assuming Theon can sneak to send a raven warning of the attack, he would still need to wait until the attack begins to desert the ironborn Balon put under his nominal command, so the early stages go as planned. There is the issue of whether Theon is smart enough to send a raven to, say, Seagard instead of Riverrun, so the Stony Shore can be better prepared.

In any event, Deepwood Motte and Moat Caitlin fall anyway, as the Northerners won't have a lot of time to prepare. Maybe the Reeds and Freys can reinforce Moat Caitlin just in time, but it will be a close call and the best of the Ironborn are heading there.

Robb doesn't marry Jeyne, so the Freys remain in Robb's camp, and maybe Bolton as well.

Sansa is too valuable to be married to Theon, who is, essentially, a homeless now. Robb will need to find another high born desirable bride and a proper land however. Maybe Harrenhall might be fitting - the only possible heirs seem to be the Tullys and Starks, who are otherwise occupied. OTOH, the Riverlords might not like to have another Ironborn, even if exiled, ruling Harrenhall.

However, unless Mace Tyrell moves too slow and waits to attack the Riverlands until Euron attacks the Mander, Robb is doomed anyway. He's just too outnumbered and in an very hard to defend position.