Mithras

fAegon and fArya are not essential for the overall flow of the story. If I were a showrunner adapting ASOIAF into TV medium, I would drop them without any hesitation. Why should the watchers care about them when they have rAegon and rArya?

Ned would never want to go to war against Robert over Jon's claim. If he were to do such a thing, he would have done that while Jon was a baby. And Jon wasn't mature enough to join the Night's Watch. That is the first thing in his story. He thought the Night's Watch was honorable and valiant knights wearing black, not the sweepings of the Realm.

most theorists are wrong lol

Ned's promises to Lyanna: Protect Jon by raising him as his own child and keeping his parentage secret. Tell Jon his true parentage when he grows mature enough to grasp it safely. Ned thought about broken promises only when he was thrown to the black cells. Ned was thinking that he would never go out of the black cells alive when he thought about the broken promises. Varys had not come with his offer of taking the black yet. That is one of the reasons why Ned accepted Varys' offer to take the black because he was going to see Jon and fulfil his promise to Lyanna by telling Jon who his actual parents were. This point is further emphasized by the following quote from the same chapter: Therefore, when Ned was executed unexpectedly, his promise to Lyanna was broken. However, I think Ned's ghost will fulfil the promise in that crypt dream which Jon will finally complete till the end.

BrAn tHE bRoKEn

ASoS was written with the intention of a 5 year gap to follow. That means people were going to sit on Robb's Will for 5 years. I don't think Robb's Will will matter in the future.

I agree. Stannis wants to be done with everything before the battle starts and that includes Theon's execution as well. Stannis definitely wants to burn Theon. "We have a warmer end in mind for you, turncloak. But not until we're done with you." ... “That is how I deal with betrayal, turncloak,” Stannis informed Theon. ... “There is not enough gold on all your Iron Islands. Your brother's hands are soaked with blood. Farring is urging me to give him to R’hllor.” “Clayton Suggs as well, I do not doubt.” “Him, Corliss Penny, all the rest. Even Ser Richard here, who only loves the Lord of Light when it suits his purposes.” “The red god’s choir only knows a single song.” “So long as the song is pleasing in god's ears, let them sing. Lord Bolton’s men will be here sooner than we would wish. Only Mors Umber stands between us, and your brother tells me his levies are made up entirely of green boys. Men like to know their god is with them when they go to battle.” “Not all your men worship the same god.” “I am aware of this. I am not the fool my brother was.” "Theon is my mother’s last surviving son. When his brothers died, it shattered her. His death will crush what remains of her... but I have not come to beg you for his life.” “Wise. I am sorry for your mother, but I do not spare the lives of turncloaks. This one, especially. He slew two sons of Eddard Stark. Every northman in my service would abandon me if I showed him any clemency. Your brother must die.” Stannis will make Theon's execution in such a way to please both faiths, perhaps something similar to Victarion and the slave girls. But regardless, Theon will confess before the heart tree and ask to take the black. I don't think a miraculous tree/bird talking Theon out of death would seem neat. That would be too deux ex machina. As for the "pray harder" line, that is a very common misinterpretation of the text by Stannis fans. Whenever this quote is brought up, I ask them why do they cut at pray harder and omit the next few lines. That quote is meant to convey the complete opposite meaning of what Stannis fans want us believe.

Two things: 1. Massey wont leave instantly. There needs to be preperations before such a journey. Even if Stannis wants them gone ASAP, that doesn't mean it will be so. 2. Stannis will command the execution of Theon very soon. He already learned the intel he needs from Theon about the Bolton army. He wants to use the burning of Theon for improving the morale in the army. That needs to happen fast, especially with the Karstark treachery revelation which caused discontent in the camp. Therefore, I am thinking that while Massey is still taking care of the provosions for the journey several hours after he leaves the room, Theon will be brought before the weirwood tree and he will be saved as I mentioned. As for the chronology, Massey's scouts will be taking them through mountain paths instead of the Kingsroad for fear of Ramsay coming after them. This will make their journey slower. By the time they come close enough to Castle Black (such as Moles Town), they will get rumours about what is happening at Castle Black. Massey will declare that it would be too risky to go to Castle Black and leave fArya there under these circumstances, though Theon will know that Massey desires to abandon Stannis and take fArya for himself. That is how they will all go to Eastwatch and Braavos, without seeing Jon.

He will be. The only way to save Theon's life is to have him make his confessions before the heart tree and ask to take the black, which should be granted. This way, Theon might be sent along with Massey's party. On the way to the Castle Black, they will get worrying news from Castle Black about Jon and the general chaos. Therefore, Massey takes the initiative and decides to directly go to Eastwatch to avoid that mess, which suits him because in his heart, he seems to have abandoned Stannis all together. Theon talks to Jeyne and makes sure that he comes with them, instead of going to the Wall.

You mean how GRRM trimmed 80! MS pages from ADwD which he named as cutting the fat. So according to George, there is no fat left in the published ADwD and it is all good stuff.

And whose fault is that? I know a gardener who doesn't make future plans.

I resurrect this thread to present my fan wish theory that the character "dead on the show, alive in the books" is Jon. I believe GRRM was not fully decided on whether he will kill and resurrect Jon as it happened in the show or just make him wounded and healed, similar to what happened with Bran in AGoT. Everything he said in the interviews fits, including the timing, for this idea to work.

Yes, though GRRM might leave their fates uncertain.

I can't see how GRRM can reconcile "human heart in a conflict with itself" with an undead Jon or non-POV Jon. If he wants to keep telling the story of such a major character in line with his credo as a writer, Jon should quickly return to the story with his own POV, as it happened in the show.

I couldn't care less about Dany's anti-slavery campaign, or Essos in general. It is all filler, and a very shallow one at that. It is quite useless to make character study of Dany based on this filler slavery story. Westeros is the place where the actual story takes place. Meereen has turned into a narrative pit that is swallowing GRRM and all the characters that he brought there.