How do you guys feel about Arya Stark + Edric Dayne = future Sword of the Morning, post-ASOIAF?

[The Map Guy]

There is currently another thread talking about the credentials of the Sword of the Morning for the current ASOIAF timeline 300AC.
Dawn has been MIA since 283AC, so what is another two decades?

My pet theory for Arya's fate has always been that she returns to Westeros, and assumes command of the Brotherhood without Banners after Lady Stoneheart finally dies ... something similar to the story of Nymeria: both the direwolf and the Queen.

... I don't know if this topic was ever brought up, but it just hit me now:

Queen Nymeria actually married a Dayne, an actual Sword of the Morning.

What if Arya Stark marries Edric (Ned) Dayne after ASOIAF is said and done?

Their future son becomes Sword of the Morning and gets Dawn, the sword that Ned Stark had temporarily.

Ned Stark would actually be the grandfather of the future Sword of the Morning.
I don't know how canon this is, but the short HBO animation suggested that a young Ned Stark aspired to be like Ser Arthur Dayne.

I think Starfall and Winterfell were meant to be.

I believe in the Ashara Dayne + Brandon Stark theory. But they both died, along with their daughter. Tragic story.
How poetic and bittersweet if the Dayne/Stark relationship carries on through Edric Dayne and Arya Stark ... with a son named Eddard Dayne, the future Sword of the Morning?

[zandru]

Your scenario really sounds more Disney/Hollywood than George RR Martin. His tales have a way of snatching away happy endings. If anything "poetic" occurs, it's either "poetic justice" or more likely, justice denied.

Nymeria married Mors Martell, then Uller Hellholt, and finally Davos Dayne. But all this was centuries, maybe even millenia, before the events of "A Song." And there's nothing special about little Neddie Stark wanting to be like Arthur Dayne - literally every boy in Westeros did, too. It's hardly enough to establish some kind of traditional Stark/Dayne linkage.

Having dumped maybe too much cold water, I will refrain from giving my opinions on shipping and the resulting offspring. ;-)

[Lady Dacey]

The only place I feel this is likely to happen is fan fiction, truly. 

[The Map Guy]

8 hours ago, zandru said:

Your scenario really sounds more Disney/Hollywood than George RR Martin. His tales have a way of snatching away happy endings. If anything "poetic" occurs, it's either "poetic justice" or more likely, justice denied.

GRRM doesn't write happy endings or bad endings (unlike HBO) ... he writes good endings and earned endings.
I just think the Stark/Dayne connection would be a good story, an earned story.
Besides, GRRM is not going to give everyone a sad ending. Some characters deserve a happy ending.

Out of the Starks, I believe Rickon's future son(s) will carry the Stark bloodline. Bran will have a sad ending when Meera dies. Arya can have a happy ending with Edric Dayne. Sansa I believe she will end up committing suicide by jumping out of a tower (just a hunch). Robb had a very sad ending, so did Ned & Cat ... but it was earned. Jon will have a bittersweet ending.

8 hours ago, zandru said:

Nymeria married Mors Martell, then Uller Hellholt, and finally Davos Dayne. But all this was centuries, maybe even millenia, before the events of "A Song."

I know, but Arya has Queen Nymeria as a role-model ... therefore naming her direwolf after her. If she marries Edric and has his Dayne children, her children will have Queen Nymeria's blood in their veins. I think that is good story telling.

8 hours ago, Lady Dacey said:

The only place I feel this is likely to happen is fan fiction, truly. 

Fan-fiction is where Arya marries Gendry, and somehow Jon Snow ends up with Dawn. Could it happen? Maybe. But I believe GRRM can write a better story than that.