Andrés Garcia Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 The premise: Rickard Stark and Eddard Stark are killed by the Mad King. Brandon Stark becomes Lord of Winterfell. Their back stories are essentially the same. The only difference is that Rickard for some reason or other joins Eddard on his way down to King's Landing to confront Rhaegar, while Brandon stays in Winterfell with Benjen Stark. This is a very unlikely scenario, I realize, but it's not an inconceivable one. Some questions: Would he have joined his forces with Robert's? Would he have been as successful at the Battle of the Bells? Would he have felt Eddard's outrage at the death of Elia's children? Would he have killed Jaime Lannister? Would he have sat on the throne? Would he have kept Lyanna's promise? Would he ever be considered for Hand of the King twenty years later? Once Stannis publicizes the secrecy of Cersei's bastard children, would he gain Brandon's support? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordQorgyle Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 This cenarium isn't plausible, Rickard got killed because Brandon was arrested, Ned was in the Vale so how could they die and Brandon don't? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrés Garcia Posted May 8, 2015 Author Share Posted May 8, 2015 This cenarium isn't plausible, Rickard got killed because Brandon was arrested, Ned was in the Vale so how could they die and Brandon don't? I realize this to an extent. I was editing my original post with this in mind when you responded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordQorgyle Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 Even that way...Brandon was close to Riverrun when he heard about the abduction, even Hoster tried to stop him, and it wouldn't be Ned if he was the one to go to KL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrés Garcia Posted May 8, 2015 Author Share Posted May 8, 2015 Even that way...Brandon was close to Riverrun when he heard about the abduction, even Hoster tried to stop him, and it wouldn't be Ned if he was the one to go to KL You have to imagine that whatever minimal set of events have to occur in order to make my premise come out true have in fact occurred, but have had no substantial effect on the personalities of the characters up until that point. It's completely understandable if you can't do that, but that is still a sort of requirement. Exactly what that minimal set of events consists in is an interesting question, but it's not the one that this thread is primarily concerned with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolan Clegane Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 I hear what you're saying. Maybe Ned is imprisoned not Brandon... Either way, years later you're saying, how do tho vs shake up if Brandon had married Cat, went down to the Tower of Joy heard Lyanna's request, etc, etc. I believe the war turns out differently. Brandon is not as invested in Robert as Ned. The trust and bond isn't the same. From what I gather from accounts of Brandon he's hot tempered and rather abrupt. I don't think he holds on to the secret of Lyanna's child the way Ned does. One of the things that makes Ned so remarkable is his honor. It is his greatest strength and maybe his weakness too. It is a burden that probably only Eddard Stark could bear. He seems to rise to every occasion, doing what must be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MooseHB Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 The premise: Rickard Stark and Eddard Stark are killed by the Mad King. Brandon Stark becomes Lord of Winterfell. Their back stories are essentially the same. The only difference is that Rickard for some reason or other joins Eddard on his way down to King's Landing to confront Rhaegar, while Brandon stays in Winterfell with Benjen Stark. This is a very unlikely scenario, I realize, but it's not an inconceivable one. Some questions: Would he have joined his forces with Robert's? Would he have been as successful at the Battle of the Bells? Would he have felt Eddard's outrage at the death of Elia's children? Would he have killed Jaime Lannister? Would he have sat on the throne? Would he have kept Lyanna's promise? Would he ever be considered for Hand of the King twenty years later? Once Stannis publicizes the secrecy of Cersei's bastard children, would he gain Brandon's support? What-If Scenarios for fictional characters are futile exercises. The characters are who they are, and do what they do, because they are written to be so and do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrés Garcia Posted May 8, 2015 Author Share Posted May 8, 2015 What-If Scenarios for fictional characters are futile exercises. Some people say so, but I've never understood why. The characters are who they are, and do what they do, because they are written to be so and do so. Yes, but it still makes sense to ask what would happen if things were written slightly differently. It's a kind of conceptual thinking that I find very enjoyable. If you don't, then you can just leave the thread be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordQorgyle Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 If Brandon didn't go to KL like he did it wouldn't be the hot tempered Brandon..Basically you are asking us to change Brandon for Ned and Ned for Brandon..like keep the characters and change the names Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
100 Whispering Woods Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 I hear what you're saying. Maybe Ned is imprisoned not Brandon... Either way, years later you're saying, how do tho vs shake up if Brandon had married Cat, went down to the Tower of Joy heard Lyanna's request, etc, etc. I believe the war turns out differently. Brandon is not as invested in Robert as Ned. The trust and bond isn't the same. From what I gather from accounts of Brandon he's hot tempered and rather abrupt. I don't think he holds on to the secret of Lyanna's child the way Ned does. One of the things that makes Ned so remarkable is his honor. It is his greatest strength and maybe his weakness too. It is a burden that probably only Eddard Stark could bear. He seems to rise to every occasion, doing what must be done.[/quEddard is obviously the epitome of honor but I wouldn't go so far to assume Brandon couldn't have handled the secret. Yes Brandon was more wild and impulsive than Ned but his family loyalty and honor is never questioned. Honor and family are the highest values for all the Starks. And if Brandon was leading the northern forces he would have been just as committed to avenging his family and winning the rebellion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordQorgyle Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 Yeah but he would have been imprioned by the Borrels when he went North... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDrunkenDornishman Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 Ned, at least, probably would have had the sense to not just show up and demand that Rhaegar come out and die.So I think that the whole burning thing may not have happened if their positions were reversed, honestly. Then again, this is the Mad King we're talking about. No real guarantee there :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyrhex Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 If we are going for a switch in places, Brandon would do as good as Ned in managing the war, if not better. He would also likely claim the Iron Throne by right of conquest in the end, and we would end up with a totally different story, with Catelyn as Queen and Cersei as Lady of Winterfell, married to Benjen, or lady of Storm's End, married to Robert. Rhaegar comes out to die on the Trident to Brandon's sword rather than Robert's hammer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BronnBlackwater Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 I think if this scenario actually happened there would not have been a rebellion. Ned would have gone to Kings Landing to ascertain the truth of what happened to Lyanna similar to what he did after the death of his pseudo father Jon Arryn. Eventually Ned, who is reasonable and has been shown to have a positive view of Rhaegar, would have determined that Lyanna had gone willingly and Aerys II had nothing to do with it. At this point Lord Rickard would have come to Kings Landing to discuss with Aerys II what to do about their rebellious children. I think Aerys II would ask the High Septon to absolve the marriage between Rhaegar and Lyanna (assuming they did marry) to appease Dorne and would legitimize the child as a Stark so that Jon would not be a threat to the royal inheritance. To appease the Starks, I think Aerys II would have offered a future marriage to a female Targ which would have most likely meant that Dany would have married Brandon and Catelyn's oldest son. To appease Robert I think they would have still allowed him to marry Lyanna if he still wished it and if not he most likely would have (ironically) tried to arrange a marriage with Cersie with the help of Tywin. The only losers in the whole deal would have been Rhaegar and Lyanna. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICRYRAGE Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 I agree that Ned being much more level headed might have been able to being peace terms, if the Mad King was not too far gone. If the Mad King still had killed Ned then I think the rebellion would have been unsuccessful. Ned was a clear balance to Roberts boldness. Brandon was even bolder then Robert and in battle might have made mistakes that would have lost them the rebellion. I could see him tying to be the one that slayed Rhaegar on the Trident or not lifting the siege at Storms End, ect. So in this line of events if their had been a rebellion then I think Brandon would have not been very successful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon's Queen Consort Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 Ι feel like this is a fanfiction. Sorry but I cannot understand the logic or how it could be possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrés Garcia Posted May 9, 2015 Author Share Posted May 9, 2015 ... and Cersei as Lady of Winterfell, married to Benjen, or lady of Storm's End, married to Robert. Wow, the first of these is strange to think about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrés Garcia Posted May 9, 2015 Author Share Posted May 9, 2015 Ι feel like this is a fanfiction. Sorry but I cannot understand the logic or how it could be possible. That's unfortunate. I will have to make do without you, then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon's Queen Consort Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 That's unfortunate. I will have to make do without you, then. You see. It looks like fanfiction; it has no text evidence, goes against everything we know for sure and depends only at fan made wishful thinking.Tell me it is a fanfiction or it isn't and if isn't why it isn't one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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