Canon Claude

Kinslaying is kinslaying. Aemond wasn’t less of a kinslayer just because it was his dragon that killed Lucerys.

I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not, but that honestly does sound scary. Imagine if the one person who knows medicine doesn’t like you? Imagine if they decide to kill you. Nobody would know, and maesters usually avoid justice. A serial killer could get a lot of people wiped out if he trains as a maester first.

Admittedly, it’s pretty good world building to have some characters believe in wild conspiracy theories about their own society within the books.

Manderly doesn’t trust his Lannister maester. I don’t think it’s at all a stretch that maesters have taken sides enough times for people to be suspicious of them.

Agreed. Given Robert’s tendency for nepotism, we can only assume that either that one Baratheon uncle or one of his Estermont relatives was serving on the council before Renly showed up to replace them.

That’s assuming Mel informs the fellow what her intentions are. She could easily just seduce someone, then use their life force until they die. It’s unethical, but it keeps the secret.

Given how much of Stannis’ life force was drained for the shadow babies, I’d say the risk would have been worth it. At least use one of those shadowbabies to kill someone important, as opposed to one old man who could have easily been cut down in single combat. Hell, maybe Stannis himself could have done it.

I still find it really hard to believe that Stannis didn’t just take Courtnay Penrose up on his offer to fight in single combat for Storm’s End. We hear no word about Courtnay being on the level of someone like Brynden Tully or Barristan Selmy. He’s a middle-aged man who isn’t being protected by some god or whatever. I’m pretty sure that someone as young, fit, and well-trained as Bryce Caron could have defeated him. It also means that Melisandre doesn’t waste another shadowbaby on Penrose and Stannis’ life force isn’t drained away even further. And yes, I’m aware that Stannis suspected some kind of treachery on Penrose’s part, but on what grounds? Why was he so suspicious of a guy who obviously had no cards in his hand besides his own ability as a fighter? Also, why does it have to be Stannis’ life force that makes shadowbabies? Surely Melisandre could have had sex with any random soldier under Stannis’ command?

Tyrion Lannister Stannis Baratheon Wyman Manderly

Blaming Arya and Micah for what is basically children playing together… that’s some weird victim blaming. That’d be like blaming Ramsay’s victims for not outrunning the hounds chasing after them.

He’s also living on borrowed time due to the greyscale. I feel like if Aegon is revealed to be an imposter, or if he dies, then Jon Con will go berserk and try to kill as many people as he can.

Presumably it’s not easy to train and raise Unsullied. You might as well ask why nobody’s been growing weirwood forests to make a fortune from selling the wood.

Repeat customers. And thinking ahead for future issues which will require more Unsullied.

The vision of the Red Wedding in the House of Undying.

Fair enough, but for my part, I don’t think that hint was required. Was it ever a mystery that Larys was a duplicitous man? It just feels like overkill to me.

Most of the “mad” Targaryens wouldn’t count as being “insane”. They’ve certainly got behavioural issues up the wazoo, but the term “mad” was never meant to be a genuine diagnosis.

Speak for yourself, I hate all the main Lannisters. Tytos was at least a decent man.

I’d say the worst is the fact that GRRM took two different men, each with their own unique backstories, and even each had a unique physical trait which separated them from their peers, and named them Larys and Varys. I’m almost impressed by that level of laziness.

All of those obstacles were gone by the time he came of age. Aegon was in the saddle with Viserys as his Hand. Neither of them were pushovers, as they proved, and neither of them would have wanted to hear a bad word against their mother.

You dare bring up the abomination here? Begone with you, ser. Begone!

Marston was definitely in on it. He had the most to lose when Aegon came of age. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Aegon had taken Marston up on his word and ordered him to kill himself with his own sword.

I mean, in terms of succession, Renly was absolutely the aggressor. He forsook duty and family for the sake of his own ambition, as most Baratheons are wont to do.

Lyanna was still missing at that time, to be fair.

The rebels would never have accepted a Targaryen king whose father they’d killed in battle. What happens when that baby grows up and wants revenge?

And then instead it would be Renly who has to deal with being a kinslayer. Though I doubt it would have bothered him much.