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If Balon had to give up Asha not Theon.....


Wavey Sauce

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She would likely had simply been married off.

To which house? Because none of the Stark children were married off yet, except for Sansa in that way, and then Robbs fuck up. But way their house was who in the heck would they match her with that would benefit a Stark cause?

Or you saying she would be married off by time she returned home or if she returned home

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Rob would have tagged Asha and she would have been lady Stark.

No way would the Starks view a Greyjoy girl (also a captive) worth of marrying the eldest son in the Stark household who will be Lord of Winterfell. They would never trust the fact of Robb being safe either knowing that if something happened to him she became Winterfells lady, no way

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Theon is 20, when we meet him in AGoT. Come to think about it, isn't it odd that there has never been any talk as to whom Theon should marry. It's perfectly reasonable that he still wouldn't be betrothed especially given his complicated "hostage" situation but you'd expect that the topic has at least been discussed and possibly some arrangements have been made.



I think the idea of marrying Sansa is purely Theon's invention. I doubt that Catelyn or Ned ever mentioned it as a possibility.



To the OP: I can't imagine a situation where the rebels would let Balon keep his position of Lord Paramount while simultaneously letting him to keep his male heir. If anything, they would have taken Asha and Theon both. I am honestly surprised that no other relatives were taken as hostages (e.g. Balon's brothers or nephews). What is the point to only have Theon? You can't really execute him if Balon decides to rebel again because that would be utterly pointless. If Balon rebelled despite the fact that his son and heir has been kept hostage, he is not going to stop, once Ned chopped Theon's head off as a consequence. Executing some of Balon's "lesser relatives" first might just make him reconsider in order to save Theon's life.



Edit: spelling


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To the OP: I can't imagine a situation where the rebels would let Balon keep his position of Lord Paramount while simultaneously letting him to keep his male heir. If anything, they would have taken Asha and Theon both. I am honestly surprised that no other relatives were taken as hostages (e.g. Balon's brothers or nephews). What is the point to only have Theon? You can't really execute him if Balon decides to rebel again because that would be utterly pointless. If Balon rebelled despite the fact that his son and heir has been kept hostage, he is not going to stop, once Ned chopped Theon's head off as a consequence. Executing some of Balon's "lesser relatives" first might just make him reconsider in order to save Theon's life.

if Balon rebelled it would have already been clear that he didn't care for Theon, not executing him would not help because the invasion would have started already, it would have been clear that a hostage wasn't gonna stop him anymore. I think it would have been the same if they took more hostages, they execute one, hoping Balon will stop but he doesn't because if he attacks it means he's totally willing to risk the life of his family for the sake of trying to "free his people from oppression".

if he would have rebelled they had to kill theon, not because it would stop the rebellion but to show that Ned stark makes no empty threats, if he didn't execute theon everyone who had had the idea of rebelling would be like "well, he threathens to kill hostages but he doesn't go through with it any way so why would we fear him? even if he does manage to take hostages he wouldn't harm them any way" that is the point of killing a hostage even when in that specific case it wouldn't change anything anyway.

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Hostage taking should not just be seen as "I can kill your heir if you do something wrong"... If it were just that, then hostages would be locked up in a cell all their life for when needed. The most interesting avantage of separating an heir from a rebellious leader is that the heir becomes under your political influence and separate them from the father's influence. This works best if the hostages are children. That is why especially child hostages are a frequent used leverage.



It is indeed curious that Theon has not yet been bethrothed. And I also find it very curious that Asha was not taken hostage either and married to a loyalist.


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Theon is 20, when we meet him in AGoT. Come to think about it, isn't it odd that there has never been any talk as to whom Theon should marry. It's perfectly reasonable that he still wouldn't be berthed especially given his complicated "hostage" situation but you'd expect that the topic has at least been discussed and possibly some arrangements have been made.

I think the idea of marrying Sansa is purely Theon's invention. I doubt that Catelyn or Ned ever mentioned it as a possibility.

To the OP: I can't imagine a situation where the rebels would let Balon keep his position of Lord Paramount while simultaneously letting him to keep his male heir. If anything, they would have taken Asha and Theon both. I am honestly surprised that no other relatives were taken as hostages (e.g. Balon's brothers or nephews). What is the point to only have Theon? You can't really execute him if Balon decides to rebel again because that would be utterly pointless. If Balon rebelled despite the fact that his son and heir has been kept hostage, he is not going to stop, once Ned chopped Theon's head off as a consequence. Executing some of Balon's "lesser relatives" first might just make him reconsider in order to save Theon's life.

Well if they took Euron he would have to be in a dungeon or he would have ended up killing people in Winterfell and then try to escape.

Agreed as far as Theon and marriage, No way in hell would Cat and Ned waste their oldest daughter in a prominent family to marry a hostage

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if Balon rebelled it would have already been clear that he didn't care for Theon, not executing him would not help because the invasion would have started already, it would have been clear that a hostage wasn't gonna stop him anymore. I think it would have been the same if they took more hostages, they execute one, hoping Balon will stop but he doesn't because if he attacks it means he's totally willing to risk the life of his family for the sake of trying to "free his people from oppression".

if he would have rebelled they had to kill theon, not because it would stop the rebellion but to show that Ned stark makes no empty threats, if he didn't execute theon everyone who had had the idea of rebelling would be like "well, he threathens to kill hostages but he doesn't go through with it any way so why would we fear him? even if he does manage to take hostages he wouldn't harm them any way" that is the point of killing a hostage even when in that specific case it wouldn't change anything anyway.

Correct me if im wrong but didnt he have the full plan to rebel again once both Robert and Ned were dead? Or was he preparing to do it sometime soon anyway?

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if Balon rebelled it would have already been clear that he didn't care for Theon, not executing him would not help because the invasion would have started already, it would have been clear that a hostage wasn't gonna stop him anymore. I think it would have been the same if they took more hostages, they execute one, hoping Balon will stop but he doesn't because if he attacks it means he's totally willing to risk the life of his family for the sake of trying to "free his people from oppression".

if he would have rebelled they had to kill theon, not because it would stop the rebellion but to show that Ned stark makes no empty threats, if he didn't execute theon everyone who had had the idea of rebelling would be like "well, he threathens to kill hostages but he doesn't go through with it any way so why would we fear him? even if he does manage to take hostages he wouldn't harm them any way" that is the point of killing a hostage even when in that specific case it wouldn't change anything anyway.

That was kinda my point and why I think they should have taken some lesser hostages. Executing them, should Balon rebel, would send the message that Ned and co meant business without having to kill a valuable hostage such as Theon. Disposing of Theon would really accomplish nothing. It is much better to get him on their side (technically it is Theon's father who sentenced him to death) and to try to use him as a figurehead of contra rebellion in order to sway some of the IB not so keen to join Balon.

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Hostage taking should not just be seen as "I can kill your heir if you do something wrong"... If it were just that, then hostages would be locked up in a cell all their life for when needed. The most interesting avantage of separating an heir from a rebellious leader is that the heir becomes under your political influence and separate them from the father's influence. This works best if the hostages are children. That is why especially child hostages are a frequent used leverage.

It is indeed curious that Theon has not yet been bethrothed. And I also find it very curious that Asha was not taken hostage either and married to a loyalist.

Thats why Ned took him and not Robert. Robert probably would not have treated him well like Ned, nor teach him how to use weapons and be raised among his "kids"

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