A Bolton-ruled North

[Here's Looking At You, Kid]

Giant Ice Spider posted a topic on the subforum that made me think about the Boltons.  Be warned, this is another "what if" question that our member either love or hate.  

What if . . . . . . . . .

1. there is no threat from the white walkers.
2. a long winter is not coming but normal winter.
3. the Lannisters allow the Boltons to have permanent control of the north under King Tommen.
4. Fat Walda births many children, girls and boys.
5. Time frame is ten years after the red wedding.

What will the north be like under the rule of House Bolton?   

[hodorisfaclessman]

I doubt they last ten years the manderlys with their hostages back will stomp them esp given the groundswell of lesser lords etc will be anti bolton

[Euron III Greyjoy]

It would involve Roose Bolton looking over his shoulder 24/7. I think it would be impossible for him to last 10 years with all the Northern Lords knowing his part in the Red Wedding. He would have to take wards from each of the Northern Houses to even possibly survive, and even then he would probably be scared that one of his wards would kill him. 

The Northern Lords would probably try to crown either Bran, Rickon or Jon as the King of the North. Bran possibly cant have children, Rickon would be more wildling then most wildlings, and Jon is a bastard, but I think the Northern Lords would happily choose one of them over a Bolton any day. 

Then once they undoubtedly beat the Boltons they would strengthen Moat Cailin, and let the Southerns try to attack them. 

[Hugorfonics]

King in the North

[Stormking902]

Yea all it would take is one slip up and Roose would be murdered by one of his vassals, he has litterally no friends in the North even Barbrey Dustin isnt team Roose and would betray him fast if it suited her needs. The red wedding was a bad move for the Freys and Boltons it truly alienated them from the other nobility who think what they did was disgusting and it only brought them temporary gains as im sure we will see in WINDS. 

[Wolf's Bane]

Roose should be fine if he can weather the Manderly storm.  I see no reason to make me think Roose is a less able man than Ned.  On the contrary, his connection with the riverland powerhouse  of Frey can improve commerce and make life better for the poor northmen.

[Trigger Warning]

A peaceful land, a quiet people. 

[Euron III Greyjoy]

1 hour ago, Wolf's Bane said:

Roose should be fine if he can weather the Manderly storm.  I see no reason to make me think Roose is a less able man than Ned.  On the contrary, his connection with the riverland powerhouse  of Frey can improve commerce and make life better for the poor northmen.

I think he's capable of ruling the North in theory. The problem is House Stark ruled the North for thousands of years, and everyone loved them. Just look at House Targaryen, they only ruled for less then 300 years and their last King was a mad man, and yet for many years after the rebellion they still had supporters. 

Unfortunately House Manderly isn't the only House who hates him either, pretty much every House from the North lost a loved one at the Red Wedding. If it was literally just House Stark who died at the Red Wedding then maybe, and that's a big maybe, the North could stomach House Bolton as their rulers, but with everyone loosing people they loved? Not a chance. 

Roose being on 'friendly' terms with House Frey certainly wouldn't help the situation either. Right now the Freys are swanning around the North like they own the place, and claiming that they where in the right to kill Robb Stark. I'm not sure how long exactly it has been since the Red Wedding and current events in the book, but we already have Freys dropping like flies, and it hasn't even been a single year yet. 

[Lord Varys]

2 hours ago, Trigger Warning said:

A peaceful land, a quiet people. 

Pretty much that.

Also an empty land. Roose would ensure that most of those sad men who stuck to the past would get no wolf pelts to sleep in, if you get my meaning.

He would ensure that only men he could trust would be well-fed during winter, making sure that cold and starvation to his job for him. Come next spring most Stark loyalists would be dead.

And those who still lived would be kept in line via hostages.

Ramsay's corpse would be fed to his dogs as soon as Roose had a grandson from 'Arya'.

[Bowen Marsh]

The Boltons could be better than the Starks.  The Starks called their banners to war because some member of the family fucked up in the south.  I can understand why the Boltons would be pissed about this.  In their eyes, Rickard can't properly control his children.  Lyanna broke an engagement and then Brandon stirs up trouble in King's Landing with the royal family.  Less than 20 years later the lady of winterfell arrests a son of House Lannister.  The lord of winterfell tries to take the throne away from Robert's heir.  First son calls them to war to rescue this man.  

[Dorian Martell's son]

11 hours ago, Here's Looking At You, Kid said:

Giant Ice Spider posted a topic on the subforum that made me think about the Boltons.  Be warned, this is another "what if" question that our member either love or hate.  

What if . . . . . . . . .

1. there is no threat from the white walkers.
2. a long winter is not coming but normal winter.
3. the Lannisters allow the Boltons to have permanent control of the north under King Tommen.
4. Fat Walda births many children, girls and boys.
5. Time frame is ten years after the red wedding.

What will the north be like under the rule of House Bolton?   

This isn't a "what if?" this is a completely different book. You should write it, but make up your own character names, and plots. I mean, you already have the basic story outline. change enough names and it couldn't even be plagiarism or fan fic it's so far off from the ASOIAF novels 

[Bernie Mac]

With Ramsay alive it will only be a short time till there is an uprising, the guy is a psychopath no one would want him being the heir of the north. It is the one ticking time bomb that Roose has, it guarantee's support for any Stark faction (even those distant cousins in the Vale). 

With Ramsay dead it is a whole new ball game, Roose has a decent amount of support and those Lords that are too hostile can be replaced with ambitious relatives.

 

Ultimately, under Roose, the North does not look much different than it did under the Starks, it is a feudal realm after all, lords will still be ruling their own lands. 

[Varysblackfyre321]

18 minutes ago, Bernie Mac said:

With Ramsay alive it will only be a short time till there is an uprising, the guy is a psychopath no one would want him being the heir of the north.

A psychopath, as well as bastard-peasant who murdered a Lady who by all reasons should be his better in a horrific manner. I have a feeling Roose tried to repair Ramsey's image by broadcasting he had "saved" the women and children of winterfel-but the man was doomed to eventually become a liability.

[Varysblackfyre321]

39 minutes ago, Bernie Mac said:

Ultimately, under Roose, the North does not look much different than it did under the Starks, it is a feudal realm after all, lords will still be ruling their own lands. 

Likely true. If the Bolton line continued to rule the the north over time, them governing will be seen as natural. 

5 hours ago, Lord Varys said:

Pretty much that.

Also an empty land. Roose would ensure that most of those sad men who stuck to the past would get no wolf pelts to sleep in, if you get my meaning.

He would ensure that only men he could trust would be well-fed during winter, making sure that cold and starvation to his job for him. Come next spring most Stark loyalists would be dead.

And those who still lived would be kept in line via hostages.

Ramsay's corpse would be fed to his dogs as soon as Roose had a grandson from 'Arya'.

Good plan. Not so sure about the philicide immediately after the first son of Ramsey is produced; there's a real chance the child could die. 2 or 3 sons at least. And no need to kill Ramsey actually; just chain him up so he doesn't cause any more disturbance anymore.

[Lord Varys]

3 hours ago, Varysblackfyre321 said:

Good plan. Not so sure about the philicide immediately after the first son of Ramsey is produced; there's a real chance the child could die. 2 or 3 sons at least. And no need to kill Ramsey actually; just chain him up so he doesn't cause any more disturbance anymore.

The scenario was that Roose also gets many children from Walda. He should have a son by 'Arya' to have Stark blood in the Bolton line, but Ramsay is not really necessary.

The man cannot hope to ever rule anything. He cannot rule himself.

[Skahaz mo Kandaq]

21 hours ago, Here's Looking At You, Kid said:

Giant Ice Spider posted a topic on the subforum that made me think about the Boltons.  Be warned, this is another "what if" question that our member either love or hate.  

What if . . . . . . . . .

1. there is no threat from the white walkers.
2. a long winter is not coming but normal winter.
3. the Lannisters allow the Boltons to have permanent control of the north under King Tommen.
4. Fat Walda births many children, girls and boys.
5. Time frame is ten years after the red wedding.

What will the north be like under the rule of House Bolton?   

The north is under new management.  Resistance is to be expected.  In the end, it will not be different from the Stark managed north.  There will be some who will still smart over the red wedding but they will not cause trouble.  Well, except for Manderly.  Roose will have to kill Manderly.  

Roose needs to do three things.  Get rid of Wayman Manderly and Ramsay.  Keep an eye on Jon Snow because he might cause trouble in the future.  

[Varysblackfyre321]

10 hours ago, Lord Varys said:

The scenario was that Roose also gets many children from Walda. He should have a son by 'Arya' to have Stark blood in the Bolton line, but Ramsay is not really necessary.

 

Again there's a real chance any chance produced  between Ramsey and Poole could die; its best to at least have back up before killing Ramsey-which Roose doesn't necessarily need to do-it's totally in his power to lock Ramsey away forever, if Roose truly doesn't want this particular sin on his soul as he claims. 

[Euron Lannister]

i will be.... not ruled by the boltons.

either the manderlys, the umbers, the glovers or someone else would have started a rebellion and all he others would have joined.

there is no way a bolton, or worse; a Frey-Bolton could rule the north very long

[Son of Man]

3 hours ago, Euron Lannister said:

i will be.... not ruled by the boltons.

either the manderlys, the umbers, the glovers or someone else would have started a rebellion and all he others would have joined.

there is no way a bolton, or worse; a Frey-Bolton could rule the north very long

Many families must have said that while the Starks were conquering the north.  The power transition to the Boltons is actually much smoother.  The Starks destroyed the warg king and took his daughters by force.  Which is what the Boltons are doing to the Starks.  The resistant families who still hold affection for the Starks will get over it and move on.

[Euron Lannister]

2 minutes ago, Son of Man said:

The resistant families who still hold affection for the Starks will get over it and move on.

i don't think so, house manderly has a deep connection with the starks especially them will never accept bolton rule. and they allied with house glover, and when the fighting breaks out house umber will join.

while roose might be a acceptable ruler for some of the other houses, ramsay is not acceptable and if roose does not get rid of him, manderly will have more allies.