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Did Asha Greyjoy steal trinkets from Salladhor Saan?


namasikanam

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In AFFC18 The Iron Captain, Asha Greyjoy said:

"I had taken Black Wind around the Arbor to the Stepstones, to steal a few trinkets from the Lyseni pirates."

"Steal a few trinkets" indicates that the strength of the Lyseni pirates around the Stepstones is stronger than Black Wind. The most powerful and known Lyseni pirate is of course Salladhor Saan, who styles himself the Prince of the Narrow Sea. As one of Band of Nine, Salladhor Saan has conquered the Stepstones. So, it's also possible he reigns the pirates, especially Lyseni pirates, active around the Stepstones after the War of the Ninepenny Kings.

Is there any other clues that indicate it's Salladhor Saan that was stolen by Asha Greyjoy in 297 AC?

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In that same chapter its said that Euron was gone for three years. Asha said she was away when Euron left, so her trip to the Stepstones occurred three years ago also. 297 is a year before A Game of Thrones begins which is widely accepted as beginning in 298. Sallador Sean is very much part of the story when Stannis battles at the Blackwater in 299.

The way Asha phrases her stealing, I don't think she actually engaged in battle with pirates, only that she raided the area before the pirates could.

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It is my belief that the titled chapters tell two stories with the second one hidden amongst the parallels, symbolism, and metaphors. I did a bit of research on the passage in question regarding the trinkets and came up with what I believe is the hidden meaning.

First a (very) short introduction. The Greyjoys are parallels to the Targaryens and Blackfyres. Balon, Theon, and Asha seem to be Targaryens, but Victarion and Euron are bastard relatives. Victarion is a parallel to Aegor "Bittersteel" Rivers, and Euron is a parallel to Brynden "Bloodraven" Rivers.

Balon considered Asha as his heir. Most times I've located parallels between Asha and Rhaella, but in this instance she's actually a parallel to Rhaenyra aka the Realm's Delight, whose father King Visery I also wanted his daughter to be his heir. 

The "Lyseni pirates" seems to point towards Prince Daemon Targaryen who took a mistress from Flea Bottom - a pale Lysene dancer and maegi working as a prostitute - named Mysaria. Everyone called her Lady Misery or referred to her as the White Worm. She became Daemon's favorite and later an accomplished Mistress of Whispers on par with Bloodraven.

Prince Daemon gave himself the title King of the Stepstones and the Narrow Sea. Mysaria became pregnant with his bastard while on Dragonstone, so Daemon gave her an egg, which angered King Viserys I who demanded the egg be returned. Daemon sent Mysaria with the egg to Lys, but she lost the child while crossing the Narrow Sea during a storm.

GRRM has inserted this comment about stealing trinkets from Lyseni pirates as a clue so that we'd know which female Targaryen Asha is a parallel for in this chapter. Asha is actually a parallel for every female Targaryen heir that should have inherited the throne, but for one reason or another was supplanted by a male heir. Rhaenyra was of course the dead king's choice as heir in the Dance of the Dragons, which ended when she was burned and eaten by her brother, Aegon II's dragon.

Not only are the stolen "trinkets" (dragon egg) and "Lys" clues for the time period, Prince Daemon first took 16-year old Rhaenyra's virginity, and years later they were married. This was years after the whole dragon-egg stealing business with his mistress.

Prince Daemon supported his wife's claim against Aegon II and fought many battles on her behalf, but he took a mistress from the enemy's side. Nettles was one of the dragonseed bastards recruited to ride Sheepstealer against Rhaenyra who demanded that Daemon kill her, but he refused. He remained true to her cause however, and died battling Aemond in the Battle Above the Gods Eye.

 

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