The Brightfyre theory

[Lady Blizzardborn]

Why not Sera and Illyrio as brother and sister?

Because that leaves Varys out of the loop completely.

:idea: If Varys and Serra are brother and sister, and she's older...does Varys get to kill Cersei? :D

[Frey family reunion]

Because that leaves Varys out of the loop completely.

:idea: If Varys and Serra are brother and sister, and she's older...does Varys get to kill Cersei? :D

Here's my theory in short:

Varys is Brightflame descendant

Aegon is a Blackfyre descendant but through the Black Pearl courtesans

Illyrio, Serra, and Melisandra are the children of Bloodraven and Shiera Seastar

[J. Stargaryen]

Here's my theory in short:

Varys is Brightflame descendant

Aegon is a Blackfyre descendant but through the Black Pearl courtesans

Illyrio, Serra, and Melisandra are the children of Bloodraven and Shiera Seastar

Bloodraven was sent to the Wall in 233, so it's highly unlikely that Illyrio and Serra are his children by anyone. We're all familiar with Yolkboy's Melony Seastar theory. Is there any evidence suggesting that B+S=I&S?

[Frey family reunion]

Bloodraven was sent to the Wall in 233, so it's highly unlikely that Illyrio and Serra are his children by anyone. We're all familiar with Yolkboy's Melony Seastar theory. Is there any evidence suggesting that B+S=I&S?

It's kind of at the "sneaking" suspicion stage at this point, but in another thread I'll get around to completely going through it. First go back and read the paragraphs introducing Illyrio in AGOT and then Melisandre in ACOK. There are some interesting similarities with the way they are introduced. I think Illyrio's chapters with Tyrion also suggests that there may be more to Illyrio than meets the eye, basically there is a hint of sorcery surrounding Illyrio, including possibly warging into the children and servants whose tongues he's cutting. I have a feeling that like the extended life of Bloodraven and the hint of Shiera prolonging her life, Illyrio is quite a bit older than he appears. (Much like the suspicion of many that Melisandre is a bit older than she appears as well)

But in a nutshell Melisandre, Illyrio, and Serra through different combinations express the unusual genetics of Bloodraven, Shiera and granddaddy, Aegon IV. I think the descriptions of the various characters including their preferred ornamentations is also a clue as well.

ETA also the Greek tale of Cadmus and Harmonia might possibly be an extrinsic clue.

[J. Stargaryen]

It's kind of at the "sneaking" suspicion stage at this point, but in another thread I'll get around to completely going through it. First go back and read the paragraphs introducing Illyrio in AGOT and then Melisandre in ACOK. There are some interesting similarities with the way they are introduced. I think Illyrio's chapters with Tyrion also suggests that there may be more to Illyrio than meets the eye, basically there is a hint of sorcery surrounding Illyrio, including possibly warging into the children and servants whose tongues he's cutting. I have a feeling that like the extended life of Bloodraven and the hint of Shiera prolonging her life, Illyrio is quite a bit older than he appears. (Much like the suspicion of many that Melisandre is a bit older than she appears as well)

But in a nutshell Melisandre, Illyrio, and Serra through different combinations express the unusual genetics of Bloodraven, Shiera and granddaddy, Aegon IV. I think the descriptions of the various characters including their preferred ornamentations is also a clue as well.

ETA also the Greek tale of Cadmus and Harmonia might possibly be an extrinsic clue.

We have almost no evidence regarding Serra, so I'm not sure what you're basing this on.

As far as any potential similarities in the introductions of Mel and Illyrio, it could easily be accounted for by them both having Targ blood. If you have evidence to back up your position I'd look at it. Otherwise, this looks like a pretty big reach so far.

[Veltigar]

Why not Sera and Illyrio as brother and sister?

Because of Sera's Lyseni connection I peg her down as a Brightflame descendant. Illyrio on the other hand, by the good graces of his resemblance to Aegon IV, his martial past, his connection to Tyrosh and his rather odd faith in the GC is much more likely to be a Blackfyre descendant.

And thus they can't be brother and sister imo.

[Veltigar]

Here's my theory in short:

Varys is Brightflame descendant

Aegon is a Blackfyre descendant but through the Black Pearl courtesans

Illyrio, Serra, and Melisandra are the children of Bloodraven and Shiera Seastar

And who are Faegon's parents in your scenario?

[Frey family reunion]

We have almost no evidence regarding Serra, so I'm not sure what you're basing this on.

As far as any potential similarities in the introductions of Mel and Illyrio, it could easily be accounted for by them both having Targ blood. If you have evidence to back up your position I'd look at it. Otherwise, this looks like a pretty big reach so far.

Hopefully without hijacking the thread too much (even though this is kind of on point), I'll go into a little more detail.

Yes, I'm piggybacking my theory a good bit on Yolkboy's theory about Melisandre being the daughter of Bloodraven and Shiera Seastar. But I'll start with going into my suspicions regarding Illyrio and why I don't think the Blackfyre angle is Illyrio's main plot point.

Let's start with Illyrio's statue in front of his manse. The statue of himself is standing in a pool surrounded by six cherry trees. The symbol of the cherry tree is death and rebirth. I also think (also from Yolkboys thread) that this symbolically mirrors what will happen to Jon in one of the next books. I believe that there will be a resurrection of Jon amongst the circle of weirwoods outside of the Wall.

There's at least one other very subtle clue about Illyrio's true nature. The tale of Patchface washing up as the sole survivor of the shipwreck outside of Storm's End has certain parallels with Bram Stoker's Dracula book. Dracula was the sole survivor of a shipwreck outside of the English coast. Of course in a way it more closely resembles the movie version of Dracula where Renfeld, Dracula's insane underling was found in the hold of the wrecked ship. So we get the image of Patchface, who was drowned and then come back to life, tied at least superficially in with the Dracula mythos.

Well in ASOS, when Davos, (ironically also just having survived his shipwreck and near(?) drowning in the Battle of Blackwater) comes back to Dragonstone the first person he comes into contact with is Sallhador Saan. Saan has commandeered the ship that Illyrio uses to cross over to Westeros. The name of the ship is the Bountiful Harvest. Well it just so happens that the name of the ship that brings Dracula over to England is the Demeter (or the Greek goddess of the harvest). I think GRRM is trying to tell us something here. Also, what is Tyrion's thought when he sees Illyrio for the first time? That he looks like a drowned sea cow that washed up on the shore. ETA: i.e. I think Illyrio is undead like Patchface.

We also know that Illyrio is the one who procures Varys' little birds (or mice). So the birds' have their tongues removed, but why do they stay loyal? I think Illyrio is doing to the children something akin to what Moqorro did to Victarion. In addition to cutting the children, he is making them his thralls. I think GRRM is subtly retelling the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin (a rat catcher who magically uses his powers against the children of the town when the town refuses to pay for his services). Also Illyrio blithely tells Tyrion that he trusts his servants (none of whom speak save the blond haired girl) implicitly. If in fact they were mystically enthralled to him that would certainly explain why he is so certain of their loyalty.

We also have the fact that Illyrio keeps Sherra's hands in his bedroom. An odd detail, except for Melisandre's explanation about fingerbones being useful in certain spells because they are a good source for the identity of the deceased.

Now none of this necessarily makes Illyrio the son of Bloodraven and Sheira, granted. Which is why I said this is more of a gut reaction than a very well developed theory. But just as certain descriptions of Melisandre invokes the odd visual of Bloodraven, Illyrio too is often described as having "white" flesh. In fact Illyrio is often described as a "White Whale" or a "White Elephant". It also parallels the start of the Targaryen dynasty where Aerion Targaryen (Bloodraven) and Velena Velaryion (Shiera Seastar) have three children, Aegon the Conqueror (Illyrio), Visenya (Melisandre) and Rhaenys (Serra).

Now both Serra's name and description evoke Sheira. She just inherited the hair color and the blue eyes from her mother, she just did not inherit the one green eye. The locket her painting is kept in is silver, which is also noted in the wiki as Shiera's metal of choice. Which incidentally, if we link silver to Serra (silver in her hair and the color of the locket), we should also note that Illyrio's hair is described to have been oiled until it turned gold. While Melisandre's hair is described not to be red but specifically to be copper. So we have this recurring theme:

Illyrio Gold, Melisandre Copper, Serra Silver.

Also if Bloodraven and Shiera did have children, the fact that Bloodraven and Shiera both have the same father would lead to a unique genetic set up for their children. Aegon IV's DNA(the grandfather) could be as predominate as the parent's DNA (bloodraven and Shiera) for the children. And we get Melisandre, thin with her red eyes, and white skin certainly taking after the father, Serra more taking after her mother Shiera. And finally Illyrio taking after the grandfather, Aegon IV.

Then I think Illyrio's rings may hold some clues as well. He has a certain pairing of rings on his fat little fingers. Included in this pairing is a ruby (think Bloodravens eyes and Melisandre's ruby) paired with the Amethyst (the purple eye trademark of House Targaryen) and a pairing of sapphire and emerald (certainly invoking Shiera Seastar).

Now my least developed part of the theory is that Illrio may be warging the children and servants. I don't have too much evidence of this other than it would certainly be a useful information gathering tool, it might also explain why Illyrio was privy to Tyrion's conversation with the washerwoman and Tyrion's dalliance with the poison mushrooms. There are also some interesting phrasing of Illyrio's that makes me a tad suspicious as well. But regardless, if indeed Illyrio is warging, it's been pointed out that this is probably a skill inherent with the First Men. If Illyrio's father is indeed Bloodraven (a known warg) then this would explain how he would have this talent.

[Frey family reunion]

And who are Faegon's parents in your scenario?

I think Faegon is a Blackfyre through the "Black Pearl" line of courtesans. Here is a link to my sadly little read theory. Any comments would be appreciated btw.

http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/104910-aegon-is-a-blackfyre-just-not-for-the-reasons-everyone-thinks/

But to answer your question I think Faegon's parents are Bellegere Otherys and Lysono Maar

[Ragnorak]

A couple small items.

“In Myr he was a prince of thieves, until a rival thief informed on him. In Pentos his accent marked him, and once he was known for a eunuch he was despised and beaten. Why he chose me to protect him I may never know, but we came to an arrangement. Varys spied on lesser thieves and took their takings. I offered my help to their victims, promising to recover their valuables for a fee. Soon every man who had suffered a loss knew to come to me, whilst city’s footpads and cutpurses sought out Varys … half to slit his throat, the other half to sell him what they’d stolen. We both grew rich, and richer still when Varys trained his mice.”

This could be taken as a hint that there is a "why" behind Varys' selection of Illyrio.

A very anxious king, who did not wholly trust his son, nor his wife, nor his Hand, a friend of his youth who had grown arrogant and overproud. I do believe that you know the rest of this tale, is that not so?”
“Much of it,” Tyrion admitted. “I see that you are somewhat more than a cheesemonger after all.”

This can be a hint that Illyrio is in fact more than he appears to readers. Both are minor but could serve to support the theory since it has been established with other evidence.

I really like LordToo-Fat-to-Sit-a-Horse's catch with the blackberry bushes and blackberry wine. Great catch!

As a whole this theory, and even a Brightflame exclusive one, relies on the same core high level concepts-- an ousted Targaryen branch with a grudge looking to take back the Iron Throne and a combination of family and marriage ties to unite Illyrio and Varys behind an authentic Aegon of House Targaryen that just isn't Rhaegar's son.

I do share Lady Gwynhyfvar's curiosity about the Blackfyre and Brightflame roles being potentially reversed. The Blackfyre claim is the one so strongly tied to the notion of being better fit to rule which seems to be far more of a Varys theme than it does an Illyrio one. Some of the D&E foreshadowing elements could possibly support a reversal, but the Egg castration threats (which are great clues) seem to only work with Varys as an Aerion descendant. Aerion's descendants entering the equation at some point is a likelihood and this offers a very plausible way to integrate this into the story. I have questions based on some of that theme reversal, but none of those questions rise to the level of discounting the premise. Very well done.

[KingOfTheDirewolves]

I hate it when people keep trying to say Varys has a sister, or that Serra was something more than Illyiro's wife. Aegon might be a blackfyre, but you Aegon Blackfyre supporters say we who believe Aegon is real have no proof, you've got no proof that Varys is related to Serra or Illyrio is a targ, it's just another secret targ theory, the theory that he's a blackfyre might be real, but i can't stand these Brightflame theory's

[Aerys Ahai Reborn]

Aegon might be a blackfyre, but you Aegon Blackfyre supporters say we who believe Aegon is real have no proof, you've got no proof that Varys is related to Serra or Illyrio is a targ, it's just another secret targ theory, the theory that he's a blackfyre might be real, but i can't stand these Brightflame theory's

They're are hints and connections though, as opposed to the support of "Varys says so." And obviously there is no "proof." GRRM has written it that was on purpose.

True, no proof that Varys and Serra are siblings, but both are Lysenni - Varys a slave, and Serra maybe a slave too.

True, no proof they are secret Targs, but Serra has a somewhat Targ appearance, and Varys might have Targ hair, and he knows the secrets of the Red Keep ("Only the blood of the dragon would ever know the secrets of" the Red Keep.)

We've also got hints of a Blackfyre return. And a few things point to a Brightflame too (Moqorro's dragons).

[Veltigar]

I hate it when people keep trying to say Varys has a sister, or that Serra was something more than Illyiro's wife. Aegon might be a blackfyre, but you Aegon Blackfyre supporters say we who believe Aegon is real have no proof, you've got no proof that Varys is related to Serra or Illyrio is a targ, it's just another secret targ theory, the theory that he's a blackfyre might be real, but i can't stand these Brightflame theory's

:dunno: No one has proof for anything silly. I wish it was that simple. The only thing we have are clues, which hint at the truth. And those who believe in the Brightfyre theory (or the Classic BF theory) have a lot more clues than that shoddy speech by Varys you ®aegon supporters have :smug:

So no, we don't have any proof that Illyrio is a BF or Serra and Varys are siblings. But we do have clues that point to that though. And besides those clues there is an absolute crapton of other clues that supports our case. All things ®Aegon theorists don't have.

[Veltigar]

A couple small items.

This could be taken as a hint that there is a "why" behind Varys' selection of Illyrio.

This can be a hint that Illyrio is in fact more than he appears to readers. Both are minor but could serve to support the theory since it has been established with other evidence.

I really like LordToo-Fat-to-Sit-a-Horse's catch with the blackberry bushes and blackberry wine. Great catch!

As a whole this theory, and even a Brightflame exclusive one, relies on the same core high level concepts-- an ousted Targaryen branch with a grudge looking to take back the Iron Throne and a combination of family and marriage ties to unite Illyrio and Varys behind an authentic Aegon of House Targaryen that just isn't Rhaegar's son.

I do share Lady Gwynhyfvar's curiosity about the Blackfyre and Brightflame roles being potentially reversed. The Blackfyre claim is the one so strongly tied to the notion of being better fit to rule which seems to be far more of a Varys theme than it does an Illyrio one. Some of the D&E foreshadowing elements could possibly support a reversal, but the Egg castration threats (which are great clues) seem to only work with Varys as an Aerion descendant. Aerion's descendants entering the equation at some point is a likelihood and this offers a very plausible way to integrate this into the story. I have questions based on some of that theme reversal, but none of those questions rise to the level of discounting the premise. Very well done.

Imo the BF claim of being better fit to rule was mostly based on Daemon's martial prowess. Daeron the Good was many things but not a warrior. Illyrio has the strong Aegon IV resemblance, but he was also a warrior and he seemed very knowledgeable and even passionate about the GC. It showed a certain affinity/pride with the BF story that I can't really see in Varys.

+ as you pointed out yourself there are a lot of nice clues that hint at Varys being a Brightflame, which would become quite worthless if he turned out to be a BF.

[yolkboy]

I've been thinking about how much sense Varys' castration might make in the proposed scenario. if he and Serra are related, the team-up with Illyrio Blackfyre would be essential to getting his 'blood' on the throne. If he'd not been castrated, he would have presumably tried to make a son himself, and put him on the throne. After castration, pairing Serra with Illyrio is perfect for all concerned. Varys might be the last male Brightflame (with no sperm), so Blackflame is a great solution for him.

[Veltigar]

Hopefully without hijacking the thread too much (even though this is kind of on point), I'll go into a little more detail.

Yes, I'm piggybacking my theory a good bit on Yolkboy's theory about Melisandre being the daughter of Bloodraven and Shiera Seastar. But I'll start with going into my suspicions regarding Illyrio and why I don't think the Blackfyre angle is Illyrio's main plot point.

Let's start with Illyrio's statue in front of his manse. The statue of himself is standing in a pool surrounded by six cherry trees. The symbol of the cherry tree is death and rebirth. I also think (also from Yolkboys thread) that this symbolically mirrors what will happen to Jon in one of the next books. I believe that there will be a resurrection of Jon amongst the circle of weirwoods outside of the Wall.

There's at least one other very subtle clue about Illyrio's true nature. The tale of Patchface washing up as the sole survivor of the shipwreck outside of Storm's End has certain parallels with Bram Stoker's Dracula book. Dracula was the sole survivor of a shipwreck outside of the English coast. Of course in a way it more closely resembles the movie version of Dracula where Renfeld, Dracula's insane underling was found in the hold of the wrecked ship. So we get the image of Patchface, who was drowned and then come back to life, tied at least superficially in with the Dracula mythos.

Well in ASOS, when Davos, (ironically also just having survived his shipwreck and near(?) drowning in the Battle of Blackwater) comes back to Dragonstone the first person he comes into contact with is Sallhador Saan. Saan has commandeered the ship that Illyrio uses to cross over to Westeros. The name of the ship is the Bountiful Harvest. Well it just so happens that the name of the ship that brings Dracula over to England is the Demeter (or the Greek goddess of the harvest). I think GRRM is trying to tell us something here. Also, what is Tyrion's thought when he sees Illyrio for the first time? That he looks like a drowned sea cow that washed up on the shore. ETA: i.e. I think Illyrio is undead like Patchface.

We also know that Illyrio is the one who procures Varys' little birds (or mice). So the birds' have their tongues removed, but why do they stay loyal? I think Illyrio is doing to the children something akin to what Moqorro did to Victarion. In addition to cutting the children, he is making them his thralls. I think GRRM is subtly retelling the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin (a rat catcher who magically uses his powers against the children of the town when the town refuses to pay for his services). Also Illyrio blithely tells Tyrion that he trusts his servants (none of whom speak save the blond haired girl) implicitly. If in fact they were mystically enthralled to him that would certainly explain why he is so certain of their loyalty.

We also have the fact that Illyrio keeps Sherra's hands in his bedroom. An odd detail, except for Melisandre's explanation about fingerbones being useful in certain spells because they are a good source for the identity of the deceased.

Now none of this necessarily makes Illyrio the son of Bloodraven and Sheira, granted. Which is why I said this is more of a gut reaction than a very well developed theory. But just as certain descriptions of Melisandre invokes the odd visual of Bloodraven, Illyrio too is often described as having "white" flesh. In fact Illyrio is often described as a "White Whale" or a "White Elephant". It also parallels the start of the Targaryen dynasty where Aerion Targaryen (Bloodraven) and Velena Velaryion (Shiera Seastar) have three children, Aegon the Conqueror (Illyrio), Visenya (Melisandre) and Rhaenys (Serra).

Now both Serra's name and description evoke Sheira. She just inherited the hair color and the blue eyes from her mother, she just did not inherit the one green eye. The locket her painting is kept in is silver, which is also noted in the wiki as Shiera's metal of choice. Which incidentally, if we link silver to Serra (silver in her hair and the color of the locket), we should also note that Illyrio's hair is described to have been oiled until it turned gold. While Melisandre's hair is described not to be red but specifically to be copper. So we have this recurring theme:

Illyrio Gold, Melisandre Copper, Serra Silver.

Also if Bloodraven and Shiera did have children, the fact that Bloodraven and Shiera both have the same father would lead to a unique genetic set up for their children. Aegon IV's DNA(the grandfather) could be as predominate as the parent's DNA (bloodraven and Shiera) for the children. And we get Melisandre, thin with her red eyes, and white skin certainly taking after the father, Serra more taking after her mother Shiera. And finally Illyrio taking after the grandfather, Aegon IV.

Then I think Illyrio's rings may hold some clues as well. He has a certain pairing of rings on his fat little fingers. Included in this pairing is a ruby (think Bloodravens eyes and Melisandre's ruby) paired with the Amethyst (the purple eye trademark of House Targaryen) and a pairing of sapphire and emerald (certainly invoking Shiera Seastar).

Now my least developed part of the theory is that Illrio may be warging the children and servants. I don't have too much evidence of this other than it would certainly be a useful information gathering tool, it might also explain why Illyrio was privy to Tyrion's conversation with the washerwoman and Tyrion's dalliance with the poison mushrooms. There are also some interesting phrasing of Illyrio's that makes me a tad suspicious as well. But regardless, if indeed Illyrio is warging, it's been pointed out that this is probably a skill inherent with the First Men. If Illyrio's father is indeed Bloodraven (a known warg) then this would explain how he would have this talent.

Let me start by saying that you should dump the Dracula parallels. It really doesn't improve the overall credibility of your theory. In facts it's a distraction from your main points. Don't take this the wrong way but I never get why people feel the need to shoehorn imaginary parallels with other stories into the narrative. I mean I would understand it if GRRM says that he was heavily inspired by Dracula for this particular story, but he just didn't.

As to the cherry tree symbolism. Where in ASOIAF is it established that they stand for death and rebirth in this story? Or is that what the tree represents here in real life?

As to inheriting blue eyes from Shiera, I would like to remind you that Shiera wasn't the first Targ with blue eyes. In fact they go back at least until the Good Queen Alysanne. And as you pointed out yourself Shiera has eyes that are coloured differently. And if IIRC Serra also has a different kind of hair (silver and blonde) where Shiera was pure silver. So, not that much physical resemblance.

I also fail to see the value to the Illyrio gold, Mel copper and Serra silver connection you try to establish. Those metals are unrelated so it seems kind of off to use them to establish a family tie.

As to why the kids and servants stay loyal to Illy. The answer is very simple fear and the fact that they seem to be "retired" quite soon.

[Veltigar]

I've been thinking about how much sense Varys' castration might make in the proposed scenario. if he and Serra are related, the team-up with Illyrio Blackfyre would be essential to getting his 'blood' on the throne. If he'd not been castrated, he would have presumably tried to make a son himself, and put him on the throne. After castration, pairing Serra with Illyrio is perfect for all concerned. Varys might be the last male Brightflame (with no sperm), so Blackflame is a great solution for him.

:agree:

[Aerys Ahai Reborn]

Blackflame

Moqorro is the Black Flame!

I mean Blackflame, Brightfyre, neither makes much of a difference for what to shorthand call this theory, but since Moqorro's dragons are important to this, saying Blackflame might confuse some. :dunno:

[yolkboy]

Moqorro is the Black Flame!

I mean Blackflame, Brightfyre, neither makes much of a difference for what to shorthand call this theory, but since Moqorro's dragons are important to this, saying Blackflame might confuse some. :dunno:

Haha that's true. TBH I wasn't concentrating, and meant to say Brightfyre!

[Frey family reunion]

Let me start by saying that you should dump the Dracula parallels. It really doesn't improve the overall credibility of your theory. In facts it's a distraction from your main points. Don't take this the wrong way but I never get why people feel the need to shoehorn imaginary parallels with other stories into the narrative. I mean I would understand it if GRRM says that he was heavily inspired by Dracula for this particular story, but he just didn't.

GRRM almost overtly puts Dracula imagery into his story. Look at the map of Westeros then look directly East of the Neck. The bay in the west of the neck is called the Bite. (get it Bite the neck?) Now look to the three islands inside the Bay, they are called the Sisters. In Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula has three female vampires living in his castles referred to only as the Sisters. And of course Davos (the character who interacts with the Renfeld character, Patchface, and comes across the "Bountiful Harvest" is also the character that visits one of the islands on the Sisters.

ETA: if you're not finding the parallels and references to other stories than you're not familiar enough with the sources. Almost every aspect of his series references mythology, literature, and even pop culture. My guess is, in some of these scenarios he's putting subtle clues. The events in the North often reference Norse and Celtic mythology. The Targaryen history is a reworking of a number of tales from Greek mythology. There's a great thread out there about the influence Zoroastrianism is having on this series, especially as it relates to Jon. It's been pointed out that Arya's journey in many ways parallels the Odyssey (and I believe also I think the Arabian Nights).

The Blackfyre set up is a good catch. I don't disagree that "Aegon" is a Blackfyre. What I disagree with, is the theory that half the series is a set up for trying to put a Blackfyre on the throne. It is certainly a major plot point but by no means the only one. The series has several overlying stories. The Game of Thrones (of which the Blackfyre angle is an important part), but it also includes on a mythological level, the Song of Ice and Fire. I think that Illyrio is engaged in the Song of Ice and Fire in addition to his meddling in the Game of Thrones.