A Thread for Small Questions II

[PestilencE]

3) The extent of coordination is not certain, but there was presumably at least some. Roose did keep open the option of disowning Ramsay and staying on Robb's side right up until his dinner with Jaime in ASoS.

See, that's what confuses me.

Jaime was Roose's tramp card for a safe change of allegiance. However, we see Roose's treacherous actions long before Jaime comes into his possession. Sentencing the Tallharts and Glovers to their peril at Duskendale is one such action. Also, the fact that Bolton men were so willfully following Ramsay means that they must have already known that they would be switching sides. (Roose must have sent word to the Dreadfort, otherwise I don't see how Ramsay would have established such an authority.)

So, what confuses me is, why would Roose Bolton undermine Robb's efforts? By doing so, he is endangering himself as well. Only when Jaime falls into his hands do his actions take some meaning. Prior to that they are purely illogical.

[A wilding]

This is speculation, but I think Roose was always looking out for himself first. After the "deaths" of Ned, Bran and Rickon and the Battle of the Blackwater he saw the chance to betray Robb and went for it, but without completely burning his bridges. Hence the Duskendale raid. He would have gone ahead without Jaime's capture by Vargo, which was unforeseen and might have pushed him back to Robb's side if Jaime had not been willing to absolve him from blame.

As for Ramsay, he was obviously delegated some authority to make mischief by Roose, but acted too boldly and messed up by getting captured by Ser Rodrik. From that point on his only hope was the downfall of the Starks, and he acted correspondingly, without necessarily having the full support of Roose.

[PestilencE]

Hm, I don't see how the "deaths" of Bran and Rickon were significant enough to prompt Bolton's actions. The losing of Winterfell, however, does seem like a good reason for him to become doubtful about his allegiance. After all, the fact that Robb allowed his seat to be taken so easily, and by one who was once in his service, surely puts a serious dent on his authority as leader. I could see that as a reason. Still, I can't imagine how Bolton would have pushed through in the end had Jaime not fallen into his hands.

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Since we're on the topic of Roose Bolton, I have another small question. The last Arya chapter in ACoK is a pretty important one. In it, word reaches Harrenhal that Robb Stark has broken his vow, so the Freys are pretty mad about it. (Of course, Arya does not realise any of this) Also, in this chapter, Roose Bolton gives the command that would condemn one third of Robb's foot to a crushing defeat at Duskendale. And also, there is foreshadowing of Bolton's betrayal: He goes out hunting for wolves, and returns with a big kill.

At one point in the chapter, Arya goes to Roose Bolton's solar to deliver his supper. As she enters, she finds him reading a thick leatherbound book. Soon, he closes it and puts it into the fire, and then watches it burn. The description is pretty detailed, and the mood gets pretty tense.

Since the chapter contains a lot of foreshadowing and references to events of which we would learn later, I thought that this book must also have some significance, but can't say why exactly. Does anyone know?

[Ran]

George has responded to questions along those lines in the past. It's somewhere in the SSM collection. In brief, it was not any particular book. It was just a scene to show something about his character: Bolton's nature is to destroy things rather than let others have them. Destroying the book was a particularly petty example of this.

[PestilencE]

Interesting... I don't think I've seen much of this facet of Bolton's personality. But if GRRM says it, it is so, I guess.

[Guest Other-in-Law]

Jaime's little dinner with Roose wasn't about gaining the initial green light from Tywin to switch sides, it was all about salvaging his standing after Vargo mucked it up on him by having Jaime's hand chopped off. Before that possibility of incurring Tywin's wrath, Roose was golden with Tywin. And no doubt some of the letters that Tywin was writing when he spoke to Tyrion (and threatened to smile) earlier in aSoS would have been intended for Roose.

The deaths of Bran and Rickon were very significant because it puts the entire Stark line within striking distance of being exterminated.

[schpat]

I think that Roose only decided to betray Rob after Ramsey took winterfell.

[Spastic Plastic]

Roose ordered Ramsey to burn down Winterfell. To curry favor with House Lannister, most likely.

He decided to switch sides after the Battle of the Blackwater, because he knew Robb did not stand a chance against Lannister and Tyrell together.

It's pretty much agreed upon that Roose makes the decision to betray Robb when he goes out and hunts wolves.

[Alexia]

There's no way the timeline works out for Roose to order Ramsey to burn Winterfell. Ramsey was in Winterfell's dungeon for a long time where he and his father had no way to communicate and the burning of Winterfell, the Battle of the Blackwater, and Robb's marriage happened at roughly the same time.

[schpat]

Bolton is practical, we know this because he married the Frey woman for money. He likely killed the wolves because they were causing a problem for his supply lines. It might be foreshadowing, but I dont think it's the point where he makes a decision.

I think that the sum of the factors convinced him that there was greater profit in suporting the Lanisters, with the taking of WF and the loss of the Freys being the major catalysts. Both of these events happend a few weeks before the Glovers fight Tarly.

[Dreadwolf]

George has responded to questions along those lines in the past. It's somewhere in the SSM collection. In brief, it was not any particular book. It was just a scene to show something about his character: Bolton's nature is to destroy things rather than let others have them. Destroying the book was a particularly petty example of this.

Hm. . . I used to think that book has something to do with the secret conspiracy between Roose and Tywin. Something as a code book so they can exchange messages containing numbers (the chapter, the line and a serial number for the word which is intended to be the meaningful one or something).

Any way if that*s not the case then we have a single act of vandalism to match the way king Joffrey expressed his gratitude to Tyrion*s wedding gift later in the series or even another criminal act against old and very rare tomes and scrolls we encoutered in AGOT.

- the Fire in WF library to facilitate the attempt on Bran*s life. Coincidence or not but Joffrey and Tyrion were once again involved in a similar manner there. Tyrion who felt in admiration for the treasure of the books being carefully collected and kept in the library for many years (he even borrowed some books on Dragons for his travelling) and Joffrey who was the most probable originator or initiator of the plan that resulted in destroying the WF invaluable books.

ETA I even sometimes though that book burnt by Roose might have contained some very secret and long forgotten information on the Night King. :)

[jmastar]

Question from AGOT: When Ned and Robert are talking about making Jamie Warden of the west as a knight of the kingsguard.. As far as i know it never never happens and its never brought up again. Question is, can a knight of the kingsguard be a warden, and if you are going to do it shouldnt it be the Lord Commander? Seems like a slap in the face to Sir Barristan...

[Datepalm]

Question from AGOT: When Ned and Robert are talking about making Jamie Warden of the west as a knight of the kingsguard.. As far as i know it never never happens and its never brought up again. Question is, can a knight of the kingsguard be a warden, and if you are going to do it shouldnt it be the Lord Commander? Seems like a slap in the face to Sir Barristan...

The importance of the Wardens seems to have been something that has gone by the wayside with subsequent books, but one of the points is that Jaime dosen't really act like a KG knight, and no one thinking the politics thinks of him that way - Robert and Tywin both act as though he is Tywins heir, whatever the oath says. I think both know in practice that if Tywin croaks, no one is going to be saying anything if Jaime becomes the first person to dump the white cloak.

[aqualung]

I'm near the end of 'Feast for Crows' which essentially means I will be picking up 'Game of Thrones' aferwards and starting the series again.

At this point, there is one question that keeps bugging me...why is Sam still fat?

I know it sounds like a silly thing, but really, the poor guy must have dropped some serious weight by now.

Any ideas?

[Dreadwolf]

I'm near the end of 'Feast for Crows' which essentially means I will be picking up 'Game of Thrones' aferwards and starting the series again.

At this point, there is one question that keeps bugging me...why is Sam still fat?

I know it sounds like a silly thing, but really, the poor guy must have dropped some serious weight by now.

Any ideas?

A lot of ideas you can find here

"Why is Sam still fat?"

Otherwise I am indifirent to that topic. But if I really must answer I think he is not so fat by now however he cannot notice that and all other around him are not too much concerned about his vison in order to point that fact out to him.

And there coud be some medical problem as well.(connected with glandulars or not).

[aqualung]

Thanks man - I guess that thread just about covers it!

[OrionNeb]

Brienne's last chapter in Crows, she's getting hanged, what does everyone think is the word she screamed out?

[Dracarys!]

Brienne's last chapter in Crows, she's getting hanged, what does everyone think is the word she screamed out?

There's already a thread on that here:

Brienne's one word

Personally, I think she says "Stannis", but there are many other (and maybe more likely) hypothesis.

[Errant Bard]

As a rule if the question involves speculation, that's not a small question. (even more if it involves collecting everyone's speculation... there are more than 16000 members on this board, and threads get locked when going above 400 replies)

[Liliedhe]

Is it possible that the name Arya actually derives from "Arryn" (in Westeros, not on earth^^)? I thought it might be a name in the tradition of Lanna or Barra.

Since it seems that some of the Stark children were named after famous figures, but not directly, only in variations (Robb instead of Robert, Rickon instead of Rickard), Arya would fit right in.