[TWOW Spoilers] Alayne I, v. 2

[Mithras]

Regarding Shadrich: I'm still (optimistically) wagering that he's a Young Wolf sympathizer, based upon the Rat Cook-like sigil, and the similarity between Dusken-dale and Shady Glen. I know it's not much to go on, but everyone needs a crackpot or two.

I am intrigued by the possibility that he's a former Illyrio-Varys "mouse," but at the same time feel that the skill set of the little mice is rather different from that of a hedge knight, and both Brienne and Sansa see him as having serious experience at arms.

But of course he could just be a mercenary hedge knight!

I don't think we have seen Shadrich showing any skill with arms or even its mention.

[Colonel Green]

It's always about Sansan with you, isn't it?

Watch out, you may be subjected to another quote bombardment.

Just how freakin rich is Littlefinger?

Well, if you believe the theories that he's made off with a large chunk of the royal treasury, with the Crown's debts being substantially a mirage for embezzlement, very freakin rich indeed.

[Mithras]

About Shadrich kidnapping Sansa:

I think Sansa will initially go with him willingly believing that he would take her to the North where Rickon will be restored by Stannis. But somewhere on the road, Shadrich will show his true color.

[Veltigar]

Just how freakin rich is Littlefinger?

The richest people in Westeros right now are Cersei Lannister, Paxter Redwyne, Littlefinger and Leyton Hightower. However, I have no idea in which order you'd have to rank them, but I wouldn't be surprised if LF is close to number one.

[messem]

I think Sansa will initially go with him willingly believing that he would take her to the North where Rickon will be restored by Stannis. But somewhere on the road, Shadrich will show his true color.

idk his sigil screams Old Gods. Might be red herring but if Howland Reed has left the swamp he might be Shadrich.

[Colonel Green]

About Shadrich kidnapping Sansa:

I think Sansa will initially go with him willingly believing that he would take her to the North where Rickon will be restored by Stannis. But somewhere on the road, Shadrich will show his true color.

That I don't believe. If Sansa wanted to ditch Littlefinger and go North, she has way more options than to accompany one random sellsword she has no particular reason to trust.

Also, more in terms of story, Sansa's incipient specialty is court intrigue. Taking her on another kidnap travelogue through the country really doesn't seem like it would serve a real story purpose. You need a court to have court intrigue.

[Hrafntýr]

I don't think we have seen Shadrich showing any skill with arms or even its mention.

Sorry, I didn't mean that we saw him demonstrating his experience in arms but rather that it's the impression he gives to both Brienne and Alayne. Brienne says of him, "He had the sort of easy arrogance that comes with skill at arms" and then Alayne's description is "She saw long leagues in the wrinkles at the corner of his mouth, old battles in the scar beneath his ear, and a hardness behind the eyes that no boy would ever have."

Of course these are impressions, but I think Brienne, and to a less extent Sansa, have been around soldiers sufficiently to read such things with some degree of accuracy.

[Harry the Hair]

Based on this:

Alayne turned abruptly from the yard… and bumped into a short, sharp-faced man with a brush of orange hair who had come up behind her.

....

“We mice are quiet creatures.”

....

“A good melee is all a hedge knight can hope for, unless he stumbles on a bag of dragons. And that’s not likely, is it?”

I'm leaning towards the theory that Ser Shadrich will attempt to kidnap Sansa during the tourney. He'll sneak up on her while everyone is distracted with the festivities and try to make a run for it.

[Wmarshal]

I am not getting the hate for this chapter, yes it could use some cleaning, but as a whole it is exactly the kind of story you would expect from Sansa in these scenerio, the only issue I have is no idea when it took place.

[RezBarbie24]

I remember the last Alayne chapter in AFFC which ended when Petyr proposed the marriage with Harry the Heir, saying he was a perfect knight etc. etc. and how I thought that Sansa was really going to be unenthused. She certainly doesn't seem enthused here, and, thankfully, has no illusions about Harry's character. Again, I like that she's learning to play the game. Devious!Sansa is my favorite.

I'm also thinking of the Ashford Tourney theory/crackpot and it seems like Harry is going to be a non-starter - I do NOT think he and Sansa will marry. So if Aegon or fAegon or whoever he is happens by, he might just fall for Sansa. I'm starting to think that Sansa might not be married to anyone at all (Tyrion or anyone else) by the end of the series. I think she might be being set up as an Elizabeth I type of figure. If she decides she doesn't want to marry anyone ever, I won't blame her.

The idea floated that Sansa will be sending food to the Riverlands later on is interesting. After all, Petyr IS Lord Paramount of that region, and if they're starving, he might be told to go help them. I don't see how Sansa would go unrecognized then, as she looks like Catelyn (not just in hair coloring) and so many Riverlords would know what Catelyn looked like. (I don't see Tytos Blackwood or Jason Mallister, to name two, being fooled for very long.)

Lol that's crazy cuz the whole chapter I was thinking of Anne Boleyn played by Natalie Dormer in The Tudors the ENTIRE chapter!!! Everything from her turning down SR for wanting to dishonor her with bastards and flirting in a very smart and seductive way to get her man... I loved it! I'm so proud of Sansa... It's about damn time!

With that said... I hope she gets her "fairy tale" in the end by taking it... Her fairy tale is more of Winterfell instead of a knight in shining armour... I'm so sick of the damsel in distress thing so I'll be so annoyed if GRRM ends up marrying her off with her "one true love" in the end... so yeah I'd agree he may end up setting her up as Elizabeth I in the end rather than Anne Boleyn.... cuz we all know how that ended lol [emoji39]

[Gerg Sknab]

I haven't gone thru the 69 pages posted since April 2, however, did anyone else note the web fingered knights from the Sisters....Leads me to believe that the Borrells of Sisterton are there since they are the only characters specifically suggested to have webbed fingers...It also leads me to surmise John Snow Sisterton (Eddard Stark's natural born son) has accompanied them...How long does it take for Alayne/Sansa to recognize her bastard brother and will she be more approving of him considering what she herself has been thru since being in The Vale

The Mad Mouse scenario...I crackpotted a theory a few years ago whereby Sansa, Arya, Nymeria, Sandor and Stranger all end up on Quiet Isle....

And we see how LF is going to attempt to stay relevant not only in the Vale but wherever the Vale exports to considering he has lost the ability for direct action due to his loss of station (Master of Coin) and with courtiers The Kettleblacks losing influence along with Cersei's ear and his absence from KL

[Mithras]

That I don't believe. If Sansa wanted to ditch Littlefinger and go North, she has way more options than to accompany one random sellsword she has no particular reason to trust.

Also, more in terms of story, Sansa's incipient specialty is court intrigue. Taking her on another kidnap travelogue through the country really doesn't seem like it would serve a real story purpose. You need a court to have court intrigue.

What are her options?

[Gerg Sknab]

What are her options?

Her option is to give a Stark pin to John Snow Sisterton....That leads to another crackpot theory of mine involving Davos, Rickon, Shaggy Dog and John Snow Sisterton

[messem]

What are her options?

Well certainly Bronze Yohn would be a better option.

[Lord Thaeglei of Frostpyre]

The richest people in Westeros right now are Cersei Lannister, Paxter Redwyne, Littlefinger and Leyton Hightower. However, I have no idea in which order you'd have to rank them, but I wouldn't be surprised if LF is close to number one.

I'll include Wyman Manderly and Walder Frey to the list for sure.. Littlefinger has amassed great wealth during his time as master of coin but i don't think that it's enough to rival the wealth of great houses who's wealth has already been legendary for centuries.. Cersei Lannister and Leyton Hightower would still be in the top i reckon.. Littlefinger may be equal is not a little richer that Paxter Redwyne or at the very least equal or slightly richer than Wyman Manderly.. For sure he is richer than Walder Frey i believe..

[messem]

John Snow Sisterton

Is that a real character or just your crackpot wish?

[Gerg Sknab]

Is that a real character or just your crackpot wish?

Real character (the Fisherman's daughter's son) if you believe Godric Borrell's story told to Davos....see ADWD chapter 9 Davos

[Lord Varys]

Shadrich being just some dude would make the story somewhat less interesting as pretty much every real hedge knight would not exactly be eager to risk the wrath of the Lord Protector of the Vale - and all the Vale Lords - while actually being in the Vale.

What Shadrich would do if he is just some guy is that he would send word to KL that Sansa Stark is in the Vale and posing as Littlefinger's bastard daughter. No idea, though, what Cersei in the height of her power or the Lannisters/Tyrells now would do with such an information. They are not in the shape to attack the Vale, and the outing of Sansa should actually strengthen Sansa's position due to the Stark cousins in the Vale.

Thus I'd find it more interesting if there was another layer to Ser Shadrich.

But there is no chance that Alayne would run away with anyone now. She seems to be quite happy with her situation or at least not afraid. The idea thst she is going to trust anyone ever again in a Dontos-like fashion makes no sense to me. And, honestly, who would want that. Chapters that end with Littlefinger and Sansa trying to take over the world are much more interesting than her on the road.

As to the food thing:

That is clearly a ploy to maximize the profits as well as to use the stored grain as leverage in the coming war and winter to get concessions/power. And if Littlefinger plays his cards right he could really try to buy the Iron Throne with grain.

Littlefinger's wealth is difficult to determine as we don't know the wealth of the Lannisters or Hightowers in detail. Littlefinger's careless comments about money make it seem as if he is playing in the top league but this does not have to be the case.

[Bironic]

I'll include Wyman Manderly and Walder Frey to the list for sure.. Littlefinger has amassed great wealth during his time as master of coin but i don't think that it's enough to rival the wealth of great houses who's wealth has already been legendary for centuries.. Cersei Lannister and Leyton Hightower would still be in the top i reckon.. Littlefinger may be equal is not a little richer that Paxter Redwyne or at the very least equal or slightly richer than Wyman Manderly.. For sure he is richer than Walder Frey i believe..

Mace Tyrell is up there too. I think they Freys aren't as rich anymore, because they were never as rich as the Lannisters and they had comparable losses during the war(including ransoms for several Freys, ravaged lands, and killed men).

[Wouter]

Nice to finally have a new Sansa chapter, after so many years!

I'm slightly surprised that Sansa appears to be fully onboard with LF (she could also have attempted to sabotage the bethrotal with Harry, but she obviously went for it), based on her dislike of arranged marriages. It seems to me that Bran, Arya and Sansa all are learning from their mentors and all three are in some "moral" danger during that process: Bran with Hodor (allthough I think Bloodraven would put a stop to that if he knew), Arya with her first "hit" as a hired killer and Sansa with being quite comfortable as LF's ally. I think this situation won't last for Arya and Sansa though, sooner or later both will turn on their mentors. In this chapter, Sansa thought about Jeyne Poole and Eddard a couple of times, and given LF's role in what happened to those I suspect Sansa would turn on him with a vengeance if/when she learns.

I agree with the consensus that Shadrich knows who she is, and his mention of dragons indicates he does intent to claim the reward. He'd have to be mad to try to abduct the daughter of the lord protector in a Vale that's virtually sealed off from the outside world (other than by ship), but then he is the mad mouse. If he tries, I expect him to be succesful in taking Sansa but not getting very far with her. And afterwards, Sansa's identity would likely be known by a lot more people.

Regarding Sweetrobin, I think he may last longer than most think. Colemon has his best interests at heart, if he is giving this dangerous medicine than I suspect his antidote (I'm guessing that the vile taste in the milk, which Sweetrobin mentioned in AFFC, is a substance supposed to counteract the buildup of the poison in his body) will be sufficient to keep him alive. I also doubt LF wants Sweetrobin dead in the short term; he still needs time to use his position as lord protector until he has sufficient control over Harry. With the snows, his plans for the north are long-term anyway; as Stannis march in the snow shows, southern armies have no business being in the north in winter. As Harry may not even be included in the show, Sweetrobin seems more likely to last than him, to me.

He also has the problem that a Sansa/Harry marriage can't take place right now, due to Tyrion being alive, so counting on Harry meeting with an "accident" and then governing the Vale through a Harry/Sansa child would also have to be a plan for the long term.

Sansa's thought "No man can wed me so long as my dwarf husband still lives somewhere in this world."

is a clear reminder that she has unfinished business with Tyrion. Given that, as one of the three de-facto main characters (in terms of pages, plot impact and popularity), he is unlikely to die anytime soon that would mean a marriage to Harry or anyone else is not going to happen for a good long while.

I wonder to what extent Sansa really intends to go through with a marriage to Harry. She is certainly cooperating with LF's plan, but does she view her marriage to Tyrion as a blessing in this case (a shield against another, potentially unwanted match) or as an obstacle that should be removed as soon as possible? As it is, she can 'safely' flirt with Harry knowing that the marriage isn't going forward until Tyrion is out of the picture. The chapter does not give a hint whether or not Sansa would welcome news that Tyrion has died.

The presence of the Sunderlands is interesting. After their dealings with Davos, they could be a potential link to Stannis and the Wall.