Small Questions XIII

[Slurms McKenzie]

does anyone else find it weird (or cynical) that Queen Cercei's champion is named Robert???

Very good point, I never noticed that...yeah Robert the Strong......hmm 'tis weird.....

[Westerirei]

Ok I know that whole 5 year gap idea was abandoned by GRRM but in recent two books we've had maybe like one year of progress in the storyline.

It naturally raises a question. If original idea was to advance all characters in age, giving possibility for children to spread their wings while they mature, has it been tottaly abandoned? Will future books will be written in the same manner as the ones already published, packed with action over couple of months or will we see much action for certain characters, less for others but with timeline still advancing rapidly? Had GRRM mentioned anything about it?

Please excuse all of my mistakes, I'm not native speaker.

[Alia of the knife]

Thanks Lothbrok and FanTasy!

[dark sister]

does anyone else find it weird (or cynical) that Queen Cercei's champion is named Robert???

it's probably irony, b/c Robert Baratheon never championed her in anything when she was married to him. "Strong" is also apparently a famous Westerosi House name...some of the exiles in the Golden Company have the surname strong, and I think it pops up in some of the Dunk & Egg stories.

[zmflavius]

Ok I know that whole 5 year gap idea was abandoned by GRRM but in recent two books we've had maybe like one year of progress in the storyline.

It naturally raises a question. If original idea was to advance all characters in age, giving possibility for children to spread their wings while they mature, has it been tottaly abandoned? Will future books will be written in the same manner as the ones already published, packed with action over couple of months or will we see much action for certain characters, less for others but with timeline still advancing rapidly? Had GRRM mentioned anything about it?

Please excuse all of my mistakes, I'm not native speaker.

Ok I know that whole 5 year gap idea was abandoned by GRRM but in recent two books we've had maybe like one year of progress in the storyline.

It naturally raises a question. If original idea was to advance all characters in age, giving possibility for children to spread their wings while they mature, has it been tottaly abandoned? Will future books will be written in the same manner as the ones already published, packed with action over couple of months or will we see much action for certain characters, less for others but with timeline still advancing rapidly? Had GRRM mentioned anything about it?

Please excuse all of my mistakes, I'm not native speaker.

I'm of the opinion that it's unlikely to pop up. Many events which occurred in ADWD or which are being set up to occur very quickly should only have happened after a five year gap, had it not become unworkable.

As it is, I think we'll just have some rapid maturation on the part of the younger characters, and some speeding up of other events.

[dark sister]

A couple of questions:

1). Did Rhaegar and Aerys ever have a good relationship, or was there tension because there was no love between Aerys and Rhaella, so he punished Rhaegar for it? (It sounded as if Rhaella and Rhaegar may have been closer since Varys was whispering against both of them).

2). Coming off question 1. Did Aerys favor Jaimie because he did love his Mother, (Joanna), and in taking him into KG and keeping him with him, was he deliberately slighting Tywin?

3). When Brandon went after Rhaegar, did Aerys behave as he did because he had any care for his son, or did he do it because of the overall principle that one didn't threaten the blood royal, especially the Crown Prince?

1.) From what we know, Aerys began to distrust his son Rhaegar more and more as his lapses into madness and paranoia increased. By the end, Rhaegar wanted to call a Great Council to discuss the problem of having an obviously mad ruler on the throne. Rhaella and Aerys never had a good relationship, but we know nothing of Rhaella and Rhaegar's fondness for each other (or lack thereof). I like to assume that Dany has Rhaella's nature -- naturally sweet and kind -- and I'm sure that she loved her son, since she wasn't mad. She also seemed to have loved her younger son Viserys, even tho he was a lot like her husband even at an early age. I assume this much because Viserys would probably have complained about lack of love from his mother if it weren't so.

2.) He was deliberately slighting Tywin. Aerys hated that Tywin was a more competent de facto ruler than he was, and was jealous of the respect Tywin's peers gave to him. Aerys would "compensate" by laughing at jokes made at his Hand's expense...and when the king laughs, the court follows. Basically he wanted to deprive Tywin of his perfect, handsome son inheriting Casterly Rock, leaving the property to either a woman or a dwarf, both of which Ty obviously hated. Aerys also used Jaime as a sort of Kingsguard "hostage"; he thought that if he always kept Jaime around him, Tywin would never dare rebel against him. It's interesting that you mention Joanna, because I think that might have been a motivation for someone who had a different personality, but I believe this move was simply calculated, although it was really Cersei who convinced Jaime to volunteer for the white cloak.

3.) Aerys was at his most paranoid when Brandon called for Rhaegar to "come out and die", so while he definitely killed him for threatening one of the blood royal (ESP the crown prince) he probably also saw it as a threat to himself.

Ok I know that whole 5 year gap idea was abandoned by GRRM but in recent two books we've had maybe like one year of progress in the storyline.

It naturally raises a question. If original idea was to advance all characters in age, giving possibility for children to spread their wings while they mature, has it been tottaly abandoned? Will future books will be written in the same manner as the ones already published, packed with action over couple of months or will we see much action for certain characters, less for others but with timeline still advancing rapidly? Had GRRM mentioned anything about it?

Please excuse all of my mistakes, I'm not native speaker.

GRRM has completely, unequivocally abandoned the 5-year-gap idea. He realized that there would be too many chapters full of characters having flashbacks to prior events for it to work properly. I believe the idea was originally for the sake of the dragons - they needed time to grow to enormous size. However, he's just speeded up their growth cycle and now the timeline will advance probably a year at a time, as it has been for some time now. A lot of people have noted that the latest book has "slowed down" in terms of action, but he will probably have to make up for that if he wants to finish the series in only two more books. Here is an advance chapter from the next book, The Winds of Winter, if you were interested (it's from Theon's point of view): http://www.georgerrmartin.com/if-sample.html

Apparently this chapter was his "Christmas gift" to us :-)

[Alia of the knife]

1.) From what we know, Aerys began to distrust his son Rhaegar more and more as his lapses into madness and paranoia increased. By the end, Rhaegar wanted to call a Great Council to discuss the problem of having an obviously mad ruler on the throne. Rhaella and Aerys never had a good relationship, but we know nothing of Rhaella and Rhaegar's fondness for each other (or lack thereof). I like to assume that Dany has Rhaella's nature -- naturally sweet and kind -- and I'm sure that she loved her son, since she wasn't mad. She also seemed to have loved her younger son Viserys, even tho he was a lot like her husband even at an early age. I assume this much because Viserys would probably have complained about lack of love from his mother if it weren't so.

2.) He was deliberately slighting Tywin. Aerys hated that Tywin was a more competent de facto ruler than he was, and was jealous of the respect Tywin's peers gave to him. Aerys would "compensate" by laughing at jokes made at his Hand's expense...and when the king laughs, the court follows. Basically he wanted to deprive Tywin of his perfect, handsome son inheriting Casterly Rock, leaving the property to either a woman or a dwarf, both of which Ty obviously hated. Aerys also used Jaime as a sort of Kingsguard "hostage"; he thought that if he always kept Jaime around him, Tywin would never dare rebel against him. It's interesting that you mention Joanna, because I think that might have been a motivation for someone who had a different personality, but I believe this move was simply calculated, although it was really Cersei who convinced Jaime to volunteer for the white cloak.

3.) Aerys was at his most paranoid when Brandon called for Rhaegar to "come out and die", so while he definitely killed him for threatening one of the blood royal (ESP the crown prince) he probably also saw it as a threat to himself.

GRRM has completely, unequivocally abandoned the 5-year-gap idea. He realized that there would be too many chapters full of characters having flashbacks to prior events for it to work properly. I believe the idea was originally for the sake of the dragons - they needed time to grow to enormous size. However, he's just speeded up their growth cycle and now the timeline will advance probably a year at a time, as it has been for some time now. A lot of people have noted that the latest book has "slowed down" in terms of action, but he will probably have to make up for that if he wants to finish the series in only two more books. Here is an advance chapter from the next book, The Winds of Winter, if you were interested (it's from Theon's point of view): http://www.georgerrm.../if-sample.html

Apparently this chapter was his "Christmas gift" to us :-)

Thanks very much!

[Talleyrand]

Is Goodbrook a noble family? I could have sworn it was but according to that Sporcle thing Its not.

[iraen]

I'm rereading Storm of Swords and just came to the infamous wedding scene, and I am still kind of confused by the whole Joffrey dying scene.

As far as I know, the short version is: Littlefinger gave the hairnet to Dontos who in turn gave it to Sansa to wear. Then at the feast, Queen of thorns comes near Sansa, fidgeting around with the hairnet thing. Then, everybody gets drunk, enter dwarves, Joff and Tyrion start their little feud thing etc. Joff eats of Tyrions pie, drinks of Tyrion's wine. Then he coughs and dies.

Now, from my understanding, the most accepted idea is that the queen of thorns takes the poison-stone when she comes up to Sansa in the beginning of the feast, and she or some unknown person put it in Tyrion's wineglass just before Joff drinks it.

Is that correct? Because if it is, then I can't help asking ... why the heck?! I do understand why the poison would be put in Tyrion's glass, as to take the suspicion off the real plotters. But why the whole hairnet-thing? Why didn't the queen of thorns (if it was her, or whoever) just bring her own damn poison stone to the feast? Why bring Sansa (unknowingly, of course) into the whole thing? Is it more fun if it's more complicated?

I'm putting this in the "small question"-thread, because I'm wondering if I am missing something that is either in the text, or has been figured out years ago by avid fans (if so, would you kindly direct me to that thread?). I mean, were they worried there might be a poison-stone-detector at the entrance to the feast, and therefore they/she/whoever didn't want to carry it on themselves?

Thanks in advance for helping me out!

[Iron Captain]

That is a good question, and I don't have an answer for it. But I could only assume that it Sansa was somehow caught, there would be no way it could be pinned on the Tyrells. She would have plenty of reason to want to poison Joffrey herself, and perhaps Olenna knew that Cersei hardly trusted any of the Tyrells. That's just my 2 cents though,I really have no idea.

I do have a question though. I just read the three Dunk and Egg stories, and I have a couple of minor questions. First of all, did Ser Arlan ever actually knight Dunk, or did he just claim to be a knight and let things play out how they did, I never really got any confirmation one way or the other. Second I was wondering about the Laughing Storm's (Lyonell Baratheon) coat of arms. A couple of times in the stories it mentions the 'Crowned Stag' of Baratheon (and I think once it mentioned just a stag, not crowned). I remember specifically in the TV show Bran said the Stag was crowned because Robert was king, but I don't remember if this is mentioned in the books at all. Was that an error by GRRM, in that the stag shouldn't have been crowned back then, or has the sigil just always been crowned due to them once being Storm Kings?

[ViperOfTheSun]

A question about the ancient Freehold of Valyria: is it clear who actually destroyed it? I mean I know it was volcano related somehow but did someone have a hand in it? I think I remember reading something about the Faceless Men having a hand in it but I'm not sure. Any clarification would be great.

[mtwebster]

A question about the ancient Freehold of Valyria: is it clear who actually destroyed it? I mean I know it was volcano related somehow but did someone have a hand in it? I think I remember reading something about the Faceless Men having a hand in it but I'm not sure. Any clarification would be great.

I always understood that it was some natural disaster, but over history and legend it was 'blamed' on them becoming too proud or powerful and the Gods punished them. It certainly seems from descriptions of the region to be volcanic/earthquake-related. I never got the impression that it was 'intentionally' done.

[LuisDantas]

Is Goodbrook a noble family? I could have sworn it was but according to that Sporcle thing Its not.

Yes, it is. Here is the proof.

http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/House_Goodbrook

http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/Heraldry/Houses/4/

[LuisDantas]

But why the whole hairnet-thing? Why didn't the queen of thorns (if it was her, or whoever) just bring her own damn poison stone to the feast? Why bring Sansa (unknowingly, of course) into the whole thing? Is it more fun if it's more complicated?

Actually, in a way that is exactly it, from what I figure.

By breaking the proccess of poisoning Joffrey among various people, the scheme becomes that much safer. No one will see suspicious people doing business with the QoT, so she is not a suspect. It is even possible that Lady Olenna doesn't know who brought the poison into the scene, or has been lied about the matter.

It is a beautiful scheme from the perspective of the perpetrator, because the risks of being denounced are that much smaller.

But I think the main reason was so to make it so that Sansa became involved in the murder, even if unknowingly. That makes her that much more confused and vulnerable, and more receptible to Petyr's continuous bending of facts and corrupting influence.

She now has a layer upon layer of deception that she must maintain in order to feel safe: that she was fleeing with Dontos Hollard, that she was witness to his murder, that she is not who she currently claims to be, and that she is now actively lying about that other, more recent murder as well. And that is without bringing the matter that she is technically married and a wanted fugitive that may well be executed if found.

It has been an expertly done proccess, with several stances of Sansa nurturing hope only to find herself pressured into even deeper and more damning deception.

Petyr Baelish is scum.

[LuisDantas]

I do have a question though. I just read the three Dunk and Egg stories, and I have a couple of minor questions. First of all, did Ser Arlan ever actually knight Dunk, or did he just claim to be a knight and let things play out how they did, I never really got any confirmation one way or the other.

It is not explicitly shown, and technicaly could go either way. But from Dunk's internal monologue we must assume that he wasn't knighted. Or, perhaps, that he knew that people would doubt his knighting since he had no witnesses - but that is pushing it IMO.

I feel that one of the themes of The Hedge Knight is that what actually makes a knight isn't the knighting ceremony, so that is a further reason to believe that he did not went through the ceremony.

Second I was wondering about the Laughing Storm's (Lyonell Baratheon) coat of arms. A couple of times in the stories it mentions the 'Crowned Stag' of Baratheon (and I think once it mentioned just a stag, not crowned). I remember specifically in the TV show Bran said the Stag was crowned because Robert was king, but I don't remember if this is mentioned in the books at all. Was that an error by GRRM, in that the stag shouldn't have been crowned back then, or has the sigil just always been crowned due to them once being Storm Kings?

Dunno.

[Lexy Boleyn]

In the "wedding night" chapter, Ramsay asks Theon/Reek to undress his wife, and when she's naked, he asks his favorite victim if she makes his cock hard. Does it means that Theon's supposed castration didn't occur actually, or was he ironic?

[zmflavius]

In the "wedding night" chapter, Ramsay asks Theon/Reek to undress his wife, and when she's naked, he asks his favorite victim if she makes his cock hard. Does it means that Theon's supposed castration didn't occur actually, or was he ironic?

Ironic. IIRC, Ramsay also mockingly adds that it's useless for him to feel that way.

[Ghost Wrytre]

In the "wedding night" chapter, Ramsay asks Theon/Reek to undress his wife, and when she's naked, he asks his favorite victim if she makes his cock hard. Does it means that Theon's supposed castration didn't occur actually, or was he ironic?

We don't have enough information to know for certain the precise condition of Theon's genitals. Most likely, though, Ramsay was being ironic.

[Lord Tywin's Privy]

I like a few of the comments made earlier about Pate and the alchemist, and im sorry if these questions have already been dealt with on another thread,

but I'm still wondering if anyone has any further theories about Pate and the Alchemist and what is going on there-- esp when sam meets un-Pate at the end of AFFC. Generally the prologues and epilogues GRRM writes in this series have proven to have alot of significance and far-reaching implications later on, and so far Pate has taken up an entire prologue (AFFC) and figures prominently in an epilogue (Sam's POV chapter at the end of AFFC).

Have most people come to the conclusion that Pate is (a) definitely dead, (B) he was killed by a Faceless Man, © this Faceless Man could've been Ja'qen Hagar, and (d) that whoever killed him for the key to the Citadel is now using a glamor to occupy Pate's place and go unnoticed in Marwyn's service?

A few more questions about this: if Marwyn is one of the few maester's who still believes in and can harness the powers of magic (like his dragonglass candle-- which also seems to give him the same oracle-like visions that melisandre gets from her fires) -- how would an imposter wearing Pate's face slip by him so easily-- no matter how impressive the glamour? Melisandre clearly sees that "rattleshirt" is not rattleshirt at all but mance rayder (although admittedly it was her who gave him that disguise in the first place). still, it seems unlikely that someone of marwyn's intensity and skill couldn't see past a glamour, esp with his candle giving him glimpses of the future...

Also are there any theories as to what the alchemist and the people he is working for (if he is working for anyone) are up to?

How does this affect Dany? Obviously un-Pate heard Sam spill his guts about everythng that has been happening on the Wall and all that maester aemon said to him about the prophecies. Marwyn rushes off believing dany is in imminent danger from the archmaesters of the citadel-- even though aemon thought that the maesters there would welcome her... Does anyone have any ideas about the Alchemist, the key, and what he is ultimately after?

it seems like a HUGE question hanging in the air, is there another thread that addresses this more comprehensively? or are most readers thinking that any possible answers would be too speculative at this point with the given info and are waiting for an explanation when TWOW comes out?

[zmflavius]

I like a few of the comments made earlier about Pate and the alchemist, and im sorry if these questions have already been dealt with on another thread,

but I'm still wondering if anyone has any further theories about Pate and the Alchemist and what is going on there-- esp when sam meets un-Pate at the end of AFFC. Generally the prologues and epilogues GRRM writes in this series have proven to have alot of significance and far-reaching implications later on, and so far Pate has taken up an entire prologue (AFFC) and figures prominently in an epilogue (Sam's POV chapter at the end of AFFC).

Have most people come to the conclusion that Pate is (a) definitely dead, ( B) he was killed by a Faceless Man, © this Faceless Man could've been Ja'qen Hagar, and (d) that whoever killed him for the key to the Citadel is now using a glamor to occupy Pate's place and go unnoticed in Marwyn's service?

Because the Alchemist's description is identical to Jaqen H'ghar's last confirmed disguise.

A few more questions about this: if Marwyn is one of the few maester's who still believes in and can harness the powers of magic (like his dragonglass candle-- which also seems to give him the same oracle-like visions that melisandre gets from her fires) -- how would an imposter wearing Pate's face slip by him so easily-- no matter how impressive the glamour? Melisandre clearly sees that "rattleshirt" is not rattleshirt at all but mance rayder (although admittedly it was her who gave him that disguise in the first place). still, it seems unlikely that someone of marwyn's intensity and skill couldn't see past a glamour, esp with his candle giving him glimpses of the future...

This, I personally would chalk up to Marwyn not being as smart as he thinks he is.

Also are there any theories as to what the alchemist and the people he is working for (if he is working for anyone) are up to?

How does this affect Dany? Obviously un-Pate heard Sam spill his guts about everythng that has been happening on the Wall and all that maester aemon said to him about the prophecies. Marwyn rushes off believing dany is in imminent danger from the archmaesters of the citadel-- even though aemon thought that the maesters there would welcome her... Does anyone have any ideas about the Alchemist, the key, and what he is ultimately after?

it seems like a HUGE question hanging in the air, is there another thread that addresses this more comprehensively? or are most readers thinking that any possible answers would be too speculative at this point with the given info and are waiting for an explanation when TWOW comes out?

This is a bit more complicated, so I'll leave it to someone else. I haven't done much theorizing in this area.