H Wadsey Longfellow

That and also because large, standing armies complete with horses will be hard to supply and finance. Most hands are needed to bring in the harvest and provide food. Horses require a lot of care. War horses are very expensive to acquire and maintain. Not even the Lannisters would be so foolish as to maintain a large cavalry on speed dial.

Hell

Westeros is not going to be in any condition to make that kind of change. And it is questionable whether that is even progress. The whole continent is about to experience an Ice Age. Conditions are not right for a complicated system. Now, thanks to the incompetence of the Baratheons, the Lannisters, and lord commander Jon Snow, the human population is not going to be able to stop the White Walkers from advancing to the South. Aegon I and V realized that the only way to improve the lives of the majority, which are the smallfolk, is to regulate the Great Lords. Unfortunately, these "great" lords will need convincing. You need to have superior power in order to do that. It is not as hard as the emancipation of slaves in the east but it is close to that level of resistance. Large, standing armies are not possible. Agriculture and animal husbandry are not so efficient as to allow thousands of idle hands that need to be supplied and fed. The Targaryen family was and will be a blessing to the people of Westeros. They and their mighty dragons united the quarrelsome "great" lords and made possible long periods of peace. The Baratheons and their Stark friend, as well as their toady Jon Arryn, got their chance. And badly blew it. The realm has held together for 300 years under Targaryen rule. The Baratheons could not even keep it together for 20!!!!!!!!! The Wall has held for 8000 years or more, Jon could not even manage a couple of years. These are the types of people you will get if you ask for a Great Council. Maybe they won't all be like this but a few on that council will be more interested in advancing his/her family's interest instead of the long-term greater good. The leader that Westeros needs is right now fighting hard to emancipate the enslaved majority in the east.

That part of the palace burned down. So thankfully that terrible door is gone. The Undying too went up in flames.

The people of Westeros have not forgotten the Targaryens. Many will be excited to behold the magnificent dragons. Daenerys Targaryen and her dragons will be instant celebrities. Most of the noble families will want a return of Targaryen rule. The Baratheons have been proven incapable of managing Westeros. The kingdom that has held together for 300 years broke apart under their watch. Robert died but not before bankrupting the kingdom. The Baratheon brothers fought and caused the deaths of thousands because they could not decide who would get the throne. Robert's best friend, the Hand, made a public admission to treason and got executed in front of the whole city. The crowd was hating on Ned after his admission. His son then calls a rebellion that, once again, killed thousands upon thousands of people. What's beyond the pale, Robb had the nerve to declare the north independent. The bastard son of said Hand brings Wildlings through for the purpose of attacking the Warden of the North and thereby betrayed the Nights Watch. Balon and his children starts causing problems in the north. The much disliked Boltons finally rid the north of the ironborn. I wonder how long they will be disliked if only Roose could control Ramsay. Jaime, the most dishonorable man to ever wear the white cloak is the damn lord commander of the Kingsguard. The silent Martells are plotting revenge and are working to snare Aegon Blackfyre in their conspiracy against the Lannisters. Stannis is wasting lives and soldiers in the north. Westeros has never been in this bad of shape. The people will be ready for a return to Targaryen rule. The Unsullied are good for public relation because everybody knows they will not rape and steal. The Dothraki will raise some eyebrows but everybody knows they are not interested in making a permanent home in Westeros because they are a nomadic people. The only resistance will come from the Lannisters and Petyr Baelish. Cersei, Jaime, Petyr, and Sansa could burn for all I care. The north will be ice zombies by then and their Other masters will resist too but some kind of treaty can be made where they get to keep everything on the north side of Moat Cailin.

Not to mention that Cole would be tapping well above his station. Jealousy? No. What he would feel at that moment is excitement and anticipation. He's looking at paradise by the dashboard lights. The boy is on base. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C11MzbEcHlw

I guess this is a sensitive topic right now to those of us who live in the bigger U.S. cities.

Realism would force GRRM to accept some science. The whole planet cannot go completely cold and dark. The skies may go overcast and cloudy in the south lands but it will not be the darkness of the northern latitudes.

You are so right about Cat. All her compassion is lost. Humanity encompass both the good and the bad. Death removes much of that humanity. Oxygen deprivation due to not breathing damages the brain. The intellect no longer function properly. Resurrection brings the life back but does not correct for the damage to the body. Cat is operating on feelings and emotions now. The same will happen to Jon. He will come back angry. It will not matter if Bowen Marsh had the right justification. I don't believe it will even matter to Jon how awfully bad it is to attack the Boltons. He will attack them anyway. With an army of wights.

I agree with #1 and #3. I could see Arya and Gendry getting together and upsetting Jon though. Jon may harbor secret love for Arya.

I do wonder to what degree those islands will be affected by the long winter.

The information fed to Westeros about these culture may be inaccurate. Dany may stop at the islands on her way to Westeros and discover cannibalism among the island folk. We just don't know more than sailor's tales. The good people of Naath may be not all that good. Making love all day long would lead to unwanted babies. Do they sacrifice to the butterflies for protection?

Clegane duel. The Hound is either dead or found contentment away from violence.

I want to personally thank the owners of this web site for creating a place where Martin's readers can gather to discuss the story we all love. I know it is veering off the forum but it is nice to have a place of calm in the middle of the social storm our world is experiencing right now. George Martin uses social unrest to show the power of the people. It is unfathomable when you think about Cersei's humiliation. This is the queen mother for god's sake. The High Sparrow knows how to use the power of many people to push his will along. The Harpy knows how to use terrorism to create fear and disorder. The street people of Kings Landing are not organized but the numbers they had was enough to put fear in the hearts of King Joffrey and Sansa Stark. The Eyrie will bring riot to Petyr's door teps if he isn't careful. All that grain stored in place because he is speculating carries its own high risk from spoilage. The North is not a place where large public demonstrations will work because it has no cities. The next big riot will happen in places like KL and Oldtown. What do you feel will contribute to the social unrest which could lead to a larger mass riot in the capital city? I would think the spread of Greyscale will be worsened by something like a riot. Will the fear of contracting the disease discourage public demonstrations?

I believe Daenerys will win but not through playing the game. She is the ideal ruler to bring order back to Westeros. It has been proven that no other house can hold the kingdom together as well as the Targaryens. The Baratheons and their alllies have had their chances and failed. The Blackfyres will get their chance through Aegon and they too will fail.