Sace

Yes, I have, and I think it's exaplained by three reasons: The girls, like the boys, could claim dragons. So even in the Freehold a family would sooner have their girls stay in the family to be sure not to give the dragons away to other families by marrying them away (it happens with Rhaenys when she brings dragons to the Velaryons). The girls could inherit and govern in Valyrian society, in fact the Freehold's policies were done by all the landowners, and if a girl inherited, her uncle or first cousins would be the obvious choice to keep it in the family. They were likely obsessed with blood magic as well, and marrying to a kin was the best way not to diluate it, but not necessarily a brother, like Aenys has to do with a cousin. And this matters because of the dragons, the moment the dragons are dead, the Targaryens start marrying outsiders. Considering we don't practically know many Targaryen brides on Dragonstone, it's possible one of them wasn't even a Targaryen but just a Celtigar or a Velaryon, so breaking the female line even before Aegon I. Aegon III didn't order or want the dragons killed. He just ordered the dragon eggs in KL to be brought away after Laena's monstrous dragon was birth, but in fact he killed no dragon, the Last Dragon died on its own. 4 dragons survived the Dance, he seemingy has never ordered the death of his sister's dragon, Morning, and surely has never killed Sheepstealer and the Cannibal. Aegon III actually tried to bring dragons back: And even Viserys II failed to hatch his egg, despite both him and Aegon descending from the female line. Elaena Targaryen had a dragon egg, and she descended from a male Targaryen line (Aegon III) and a female one most likely (Daenaera Velaryon descends from Aethan Velaryon, and his daughter Alyssa is Aenys' cousin. Most likely Aethan was a brother to Velaena Velaryon, mother of the conquerors, hence Aethan's line descended from a Targaryen, so despite a very small one, even Corlys and Vaemond would have Targaryen blood), yet she failed to bring dragons back to life. I think Daenerys succedeed because of a miracle, creating her own line of dragon from her blood indipendently of her mother's one. This is true (although Viserys II's marriage wasn't a choice), but their blood wasn't already pure. Viserys II descends from Rhaenyra, who's in part Arryn. And both Daemon and Rhaenyra descneded from Velaryons and Massey, who while possibly having a drop of dragonblood, were certainly not "pure" or even 50% Targaryens. And if only a drop is sufficient, then yeah it could come from Saera. I don't think a 0,1% difference in her concentration of dragonblood could result in a major narrative point. Also it's important to note that Daenerys could have even more dragon genes than her great grandad Aegon V. Each parent receives 50% from a grand parent, but a grandkid doesn't receive exactly 25% from every grandparent, because the genes in the chromosome of the egg/sperm are a random combination of the initial grandparents' chromosomes. So theoretically one could have 50% of their DNA by one grandparent and 0 from the other. And with recursive intermarring, this could have hightened Daenerys' "dragon genes" and made them higher than her parents, her grandparents and Aegon, possibly lowering the Blackwood and Daynes genes. Anyway, if the Blackwoods actually have a female Taragryen as ancestor, my bet is on Rhaena's daughters' descendants. 6 daughters from a cousin line means the potential for halfof Westeros houses to have dragonblood honestly.

Why? I mean, I don't understand why you're giving so much importance to Daenerys' female ancestors. How would Daenerys having a drop of blood from a pre-Rhaenys branch of the Targaryens (let's assume Gaemon's daughter) make her anymore Targaryen or Daenerys? With hundreds of years passing it would be a small drop of blood. I think the only realistic ways for Blackwoods to have Targaryen blood are trough Aegon IV's daughters Gwenys and Mya who would have remarried into the main cousin line or trough one of Rhaena's Hightower girls line.

I think George didn't do justice to Harrenhal. We know that the lands near Harrenhal are green and fertile, there is a massive lake just outside the wall, a decent sized town ready, the Trident is not far, the fief extends to the borders of the crownlands to the hills where House Wode has its seat. The castle itself is a gargantuan building, too much to be managed in its totality even by the king of the rivers, let alone a vassal. But that doesn't change the fact that the castle is actually fairly manageable if only some parts are occupied, like it happens in Winterfell, where many parts of the buildings are empty and not used. A lord could use just one tower, have the walls manned and the stables/kitchens manned for a normal proprtion, they don't have to fill them uselessly. And considering the Lord of Harrenhal should be pretty rich since the fief is one of the best in Westeros as highlighted before, this should be doable. What George did was make the Lords of Harrenhal either incredibly dumb or put them in the most improbable or unlucky situations (there are many less rich and manageable lands that aren't appearently cursed with stupid decisions): House Qoherys: a question of disloyalty from a servant of Lord Gargon sells him to an improbable Harren the Red. Gargon's grandsire had two sons and had married again a Tully after his first wife died. Conveniently for the "Curse of Harrenhal", in 10 years of marriage he didn't have other kids, nor did his two sons had other kids and at least 1 predeceased his father. Not impossible, but a serie of very convenient events. House Harroway: Lucas Harroway and his whole family, multiple children and grandkids and a cousin, and even all the Harroway in LH town get conveniently wiped out by Maegor (not even Aerys had fully extinguished House Hollard) House Towers: the first Lord Towers dies immediatly, his grandsons all die bar one, Walton's other sons die childless as well apearently, Maegor dies a kid, but in marriage age, he was sick. Considering most of them died due to war or illness, it's the most normal. House Targaryen: Queen Rhaena is de facto the Lady of Harrenhall for more than a decade, but both her daughters conveniently bar themseleves from a possible inheritance that their uncle, the king, could bestow upon them or their male heirs. House Strong: it counts many members both from Simon and his brother's side and none of them manages to flee Harrenhal during the times where the castle is not in captivity. House Lothston: they received Harrenhal randomly and die out because the Head of the House (and appearently the only member) becomes mad. House Whent: the House seems to florish, with many members and a big tournament organised (although sponsored by others). They lose Harrenhal during the war, which is at least sensible as an outcome. House Slynt: never took possession of it House Baelish: while Petyr has been Lord for awhile, it's just on paper, the castle is free to claim for many (Vargo Hoat, Gregor)

Truth be told, Cat hasn't been in the Vale for years, and has only recently gone there for a short stay, and much older than Sansa currently is, so way different looking. And the same with Lysa, while she was once beautiful, age and pregnancies weren't lienent on her. Also, the Tully/Whent kids main feature, the auburn hair of Sansa, are dyed. But I'd not call the lords dumb. Apart for those in LF's party (Lothor Brune, Oswell Kettleblack, possibly Lyn Corbray), there are others who probably know and have seen trough Petys's scheme. Bronze Yohn quite certainly knows, Anya Waynwood, Miranda Royce and ser Shadrick too. Also, Sansa's behaviours is becoming more and more a giveaway, it will soon become clear under the sun who Alayne actually is. For Jon, there are a couple of points. Talking about bastards and their origin is unpolite and avoided. It's seen as a non discussal matter, in fact even Cat doesn't push it with her own husband. While Jon is the very image of Lyanna, he also looks like Ned. And Ned is still the "Honourable Ned Stark". If he says he's had a bastard and spends his life growing that bastard among his trueborn kids, people are going to assume it's because Jon is really his son. In-world people have way less clues then we have (they surely didn't see a blue rose growing from the Wall, and the only person who's seen it has no idea who Jon Snow is), so on this matter I wouldn't call them dumb.

David and Goliath would like a word

True, and you'd also have to go into the books and actually discover that a Baratheon/Durrandon - Lannister match always produces black haired kids to start wondering how come all three of Robert's children are blonde, like Ned and Jon did. For an outsider, it's totally reasonable that a child takes from the mother.

R + L = J. Simply the best theory, it's too much calling it a theory now, it's practically canon Blackfyre theory. Despite not being completely sold to it, I love it and find the clues compelling Marei and Donnel Hill are Tywin's children. Well, a bit inconsequiential, but funny Sansa will be Head of House Stark at the end of ADOS Harry the Heir will die in the upcoming tourney Coldhands is the man Bran sees being slain in the Weirwood vision. Grand Northern Conspiracy Myrcella will be Queen, albeit briefly Night Lamp for the upcoming Battle of Ice When Dragonbinder will be blown by Victarion, Rhaegal and Viserion will fly to Westeros and claimed by Aegon VI and Euron III

Well, I actually agree and I personally see the Gardeners as the prototype fabled rulers. The House is founded by the mythical figure supposed to be the High King of the First Men, who in turn had so many heirs that half of the houses descend by his children and grandchildren. Many of them are competent rulers as far as we know, and live in the Reach, surely the most typical fantasy setting, a green land with prosper fields and harbors, knights, tourneys, the home of Westerosi chivalry, Highgarden itself resembling a typical fantasy castle. The House counts lots of great warriors, like Garth V and Gyles I, as well as great leaders and rulers, like Garth VII, who defeated the Dornishmen, the Ironborn and Durrandon-Lannister alliance, thus creating the Shield Island and 75 years of peace for the Reach people. Then the Three Sage Kings, who decided not to fight but to assimilate, a wise tactic which enabled the Gardeners and the Reach to become the centre of the Faith and knigthood in Westeros, with the foundation of the Order of the Green Hand. After Garth X and the civil war between Peakes and Manderlys, the power started to crumble. Mern VI was probably one of the last, if not the last, capable kings, but all his descendant, cousins of the main branch, weren't as good. The two worst things were Perceon III ruling in favour of the Peakes and banishing the Manderlys away from the Reach, and Mern IX, who was so stupid to face a dragon assault on open field. Their major flaws were, apart for the two aforementionoed, similar to any other lords, so just constant warring, with some ample peace time in the middle though. Considering they still have a strong legacy in Westeros (some coins from the Gardeners, the hands, can still be found and used, many houses claim descendant from Garth Greenhand to claim Highgarden, like the Florents, the Peakes, the Hightowers etc, the Manderlys still being members of the OotGH and the Reach still being seen as a peak in Westeros) I'd say their purpose in the story is probably that of picturing the legendary fantasy heroes along with the extensive mythology from the North and the Iron Islands.

Gregor Clegane, Amory Lorch, the Bloody Mummers. I mean, I can't see a justification or something that would make me symphatize with them considering their atrocious acts.

Sure it will be, but the fight against the Others will probably not be as stupid as it was in the show, it may expand to the whole country. I believe that king's landing and the throne room are places where the Others will be for some time