The Sunland Lord

Roose is born as a traitor.

Men Without Hats - Safety Dance music video. Look it up, that's how they'll meet again. Not sure the blonde is Cersei or Daenerys though.

Shakespearean vibe: 1. Ned and Cersei's honest convo. But it would've went something like this if it was up to Shakespeare: Ned and Cersei meeting accidentally: Cersei: "Ah, there you are, Lord Stark. Just so you know, I'm onto you." Ned: "Well I'm onto you too. Your children are bastards." Cersei: "So they are." Ned: "Leave away in foreign lands, my dear Queen, and you shall be spared." Cersei: "I'm offering my body to you, so you keep your mouth shut." Ned: "No." Cersei: "Gods! Now we have no choice, its either me or you." Ned: "So it is." 2. Tyrion's trial at the Eyrie and the duel. The whole story about it, IMO, is played properly, as it should, by the book. A man is accused of murder and dragged from point A to point B, even though there's quite a ride between those two points. He can easily suffer some "misfortune" on the long and weary road, but he doesn't. On the place where they arrive, the man is despised almost by everyone, from the hosts and crowd too. Yet, his rights are honored: He is a noble, so he has a right to demand a trial by combat, and so he does. A mercenary steps up and does what he should do: tries his luck to save the accused, out of his self-benefit of course, and wins the duel. Tyrion is allowed to leave. 3. Jon Arryn's refusal of Aerys's demand to give him Robert's and Ned's lives. 4. Also, yeah, gonna agree with @The Transporter on Sandor's departure during Blackwater battle. When people make extreme decisions when they feel they must, there's always some interesting outcome.

GRRM couldn't do the twins born in rebellion story, but did the twincest story. Lucas didn't have the courage to go further than that Leia/Luke kiss.

Accurate. Here comes the part when Constantine makes Constantinople the capital of the Roman Empire, and it remains so until the end (330-1453). So yeah, the Roman Empire's capital is actually not Rome after Constantine, for more than a thousand years. Christianity becomes official religion in 380. In the fifth century, the Western Roman Empire collapses. After that, Byzantine Empire (previously known as Eastern Roman Empire) becomes the successor of the old Empire, therefore Constantinople is sometimes called "The New Rome." Since on the territories of the Empire (previously Republic and Kingdom) lived many different peoples, they worshiped different Gods. So Romans were accepting different Gods from different peoples they got in touch with, but cared to keep the Greek Gods above all. For the most part, they were practical. They believed in what suited them, and were making sacrifices they saw fit. On the Wolf thing: Romans practiced the so called "Lupercalia", or "Februa" (purification). Interesting, the ritual demanded sacrifice of a goat and a dog. (Gregor the Dog, fed Hoat (Goat) meat to the Stark (the Wolves) vassals at Harrenhal, including Wylis Manderly) So the two "Luperci" ("brothers of the wolf", members of the Lupercalia priesthood) sacrificed the animals, after which their foreheads were painted with blood, and than cleaned with wool soaked in milk. After this, they laughed, cut pieces of the flayed skin, and ran naked around. But their running was supposed to end at the Lupercal, the cave where according to the legend, the she-wolf was breastfeeding Romulus and Remus. This ritual was believed to bring fruitfulness and prosperity. Sorry, gonna have to read your post you are referring to first, and maybe write after.

These comparisons are always fun to read. First it was the Roman Kingdom, then the Republic, after that was the Empire. Maybe Robb is the Caesar in this story: First king (Dictator) after three hundred years of Targaryen rule (500 years of Roman Republic), undefeated in battle, but stabbed to death by his subordinates in what seemed to be a peaceful event. However, the Republic wasn't really restored, just like the 7K won't last, their destruction is inevitable. The Empire lived for another 1500 years despite Caesar's death. Octavius took over Rome after being named as Caesar's heir in his will, like probably Jon Snow is named Robb's heir in his will. Octavius was Caesar's adopted son, Jon Snow is Robb's adopted brother, by his father of course. Well it's one parallel among the thousands other which you can drove, but while we're waiting for the remaining two books, why not.

Marching south. Proclaim independence, stop paying taxes to the Iron Throne and wait for them to march North if they wanted it so badly to be a part of the Seven Kingdoms. Of course, this couldn't happen because the South would be weakened and taken easily by Renly / Stannis and Balon Greyjoy. If Stannis or Renly won the war, accept one of them as a king, you have nothing against them either way. Demand Ned, Sansa and Arya to be taken back North safely in return for the North to become part of their precious Iron Throne again. If not, a healthy, independent North with him as heir to Winterfell, and Bran, Rickon and Catelyn beside him at home, Jon being close at the Wall, Theon Greyjoy remaining hostage, sounds good in hindsight. After all, his marching south didn't save Ned, and didn't harm Sansa and Arya. Their fates were determined by other factors anyways.

It occurred randomly to me that Karstark's words are: "The Sun of Winter".

If it was called "A time for Wolves" it would've been too obvious what he is planning to write. I think that some members on this forum will be very, very disappointed.

Depends on what you believe in. I don't think that Ramsay acted on his own in the first place. Because taking Winterfell after backstabbing Rodrick Cassel's army sounds like a crazy gamble by Ramsay, and being in discord with his father would've meant a great trouble for him. The Boltons decided to take the big chair from Starks. That's why Ramsay stayed up North and didn't join the fighting south.

Theon was also worth a ransom. Ramsay didn't care. I don't think that Ramsay would take Winterfell in Bolton's name without his father's say so. That would put him in a very dangerous position. That way It seems like Ramsay made Roose turn his cloak and betray Robb just to cover Ramsay's usurping of Winterfell, which I am not buying. Or, it all sounds like a crazy coincidence, which is also not likely.

Had to work so I had only time for a short answer. If Ramsay knew that Freys are to be spared, then he must've had some communication with his father. So I think you have the answer here. If you ask exactly about the time being when the letter was sent to Edmure, I am not sure. Maybe Roose really thinks Ramsay is dead. He still didn't capture Harrenhal, where I think that he certainly had to find that out at some point.

No, that's why the Frey boys were spared at Winterfell.

He would probably be diagnosed with an "anti-social personality disorder". Maybe some expert can tell.

There is nothing concrete in the text about Ned going to the Dreadfort. All we know is Ned's mentioning Roose when the latter suggested Robert to have Barristan executed after battle. But Jon thinks this in DwD, which might be an indication that Roose visited Winterfell or Ned took Jon at the Dreadfort before AGoT: "Eddard Stark had never had any reason to complain of the Lord of the Dreadfort, so far as Jon knew, but even so he had never trusted him, with his whispery voice and his pale, pale eyes." So it's either: Jon has met Roose personally at the Dreadfort/Winterfell, or Eddard was telling tales to his kids of his vassals, describing Roose with pale eyes. But Jon's description of Roose is quite personal: "pale, pale eyes", sounds as if he's seen him. So we can't be sure.