Three theories on Roose Bolton (The fate of Domeric, Last day in Harrenhal, Lady Dustin)

[Optimus Brian]

The Lord of the Dreadfort is a very shrewd and calculating man. I believe he killed Domeric as part of the game of thrones.

I believe he did kill his trueborn son and there was method behind his madness. Domeric was also a Ryswell. Killing Domeric actually makes Roose's house stronger as it negates the influence of the Ryswells in House Bolton's politics. There is no mention of any uncles or other Boltons only Roose so in effect his house is actually very weak in this regard and open to interference from houses married into his.

If Domeric was alive and took over from Roose there would be a heavy influence of Ryswell on the young lord. Domeric was sent to squire and page away from the Dreadfort - 4 years as page to Barbrey Ryswell and 3 years in the vale as a squire for the Redforts. He spent his formative years away from Roose and judging by how highly regarded he is by the Ryswells it would seem Domeric would be closer to them than the Boltons. Also it is known Domeric was close to the Redforts, seeing Lord Redfort's sons as brothers. Roose perhaps did not want Ryswell/Redfort houses to gain any close allegiance to Bolton or worse still for house Bolton, use their standing with Domeric to affect Domeric's rule. Domeric's ability to play the Game of Thrones would be severely weakened by his closeness to these houses.

Subsequently, Roose knew he had a bastard son born of lowborn status. Therefore, there is no noble house to interfere with House Bolton as Ramsay is technically coming from out of left field in the whole game of thrones. Roose has full control (utilizing his spies) of Ramsay and it is very plain to see he is using him as a way to cement the Boltons as the primary house in the North, by marrying 'Arya Stark'. In Ramsay he has a very potent pawn to greatly increase House Bolton's power.

Domeric, using the descriptions given by both Barbrey Ryswell and Roose, does not seem capable of being a ruthless leader. He doesn't sound anything like Roose and I believe Roose saw this as a weakness in him. Ramsay's amusements as Roose puts it seem to irk Roose to the point he mentions it in a very annoyed tone. Roose made a calculated risk by replacing Domeric with Ramsay and Ramsay's behaviour is a cause of concern for Roose as he probably fears Ramsay has the capacity to fuck up his plans which is why Roose has Ramsay spied on.

I think Roose has some very good motives to kill Domeric,

[Starks Among Us]

Could be the hearttree roots (I think the crypts could be a cavern of the Children originally), and an old weirthrone which could give access to the information network of the weirwoods, or something more substantial. Don't know if it is plausible that is what Roose is after though (there should be a hearttree in the Dreadfort too), but it could be connected to it.

I hadn't thought of this, and I like this idea. I'm also curious into just how far the crypts go down and how far those tunnels run (the tunnels under the crypts and the ones above/under the wall)

I alwaiys thought Jon didn't like the idea of the crypts of "not belonging there" because of the R+L=J theory in which case he really wouldn't belong there....or it could just be his own inner turmoil of being a bastard that he feels as though he doesn't belong?

Or there has also been the theory that there is a dragon under WF, perhaps the book Roose was reading was about dragons (someone else theorized that) and that is why he is so interested in WF?

[Faydra]

It can't be true... I see Roose more as a strategic thinker than a psychopath. For all I know, Domeric was more fitted to rule than Ramsay.

[Babeldygob]

heres my thing... why wouldn't he want successors? He knows he can't live forever... and i thinks hints he's dropped about his shortness of life would have him suspect ramsey of possibly even killing him eventually.

Interesting in how you say that. What do we really know of the Others? Craster's got 'protection' from the Others, but maybe he got something more? It's also interesting to note that although Roose is supposed to be of an age with Catelyn he's always described as not showing any physical signs of older age. We've already seen what blood amgic can do, perhaps his leechings serve a darker purpose than his 'health'.

[Denny Crane]

I posted this in this week's Heresy but given that this thread seems to be reawakening I'll sumbit it here for the consideration of all you Roose Bolton fans out there.

Excuse me if this is a bit rambling because to be honest I don't have a conclusion for it or anything, but rather I'm hoping maybe someone else will have an explanation for these seeming contradictions that have been bugging me.

Basically, ever since I read it I've had real trouble buying the story that Roose tells Theon about Ramsay's conception. The one thing that is emphasised over and over about Roose is calculating and cold he is, and this story just seems totally out of character. Certainly I am not denying that he is capable of great cruelty, he proves he is with his treatment of captured women at Harrenhal and with the hanging of all the squatters at Winterfell.

But there is surely a difference between the hard, callus lord ordering men be hanged etc as a demonstration of his power, and the mad petty tyrant going around raping and murdering in person. Ramsay is very much the second type but Roose doesn't ever show inclination towards committing atrocities for his own personal gratification in this way, except for in the story he tells Theon.

Indeed, as we all know, he repeatedly chastises Ramsay for his flagrant and public displays of cruelty. Now I'm sure hypocrisy is well within Roose's capabilities but it does seem odd that he would criticise his son for his cruelties then basically brag about doing the same things in his youth. It is also worth considering that Roose is chastising Ramsay at a time when the Boltons are (for now at least) the predominant power in the North. When Roose was supposedly going around raping and hanging peasants for no reason, Rickard Stark would presumably be in power and the Starks were strong and dominant. Thus, Roose had arguably far more reason to fear reprisal for his cruelties than Ramsay does now.

I also just find it very hard to believe that this woman who was raped and had her husband murdered before her eyes would keep coming back to the lord who did it asking for help for the child, surely she would assume Roose would simply kill them both (as he claims he considered I think).

The story also does not seem to be well known in the North in general even in the current period, it is never considered by Robb or Cat even though they both spend time during GoT talking about how striking and odd Roose Bolton was. However, in DwD Robett Glover calls Ramsay 'a bastard born of rape' indicating that he at least knows the story.

Glover was in Harrenhal with Roose so it is possible the story is well known amongst Dreadfort men and Glover was told it then, but it doesn't seem like the kind of thing Roose would tolerate his men gossiping about, and indeed why they would be discussing a story that took place over 20 years ago(I assume, not sure how old Ramsay is?) and concerns Ramsay who was not even on the campaign with them. Thus, is it possible that Glover was perhaps told this story by Roose himself, perhaps for the same reason he told it to Theon, whatever that was.

It is also worth considering that at the point Roose tells this to Theon, Theon is about the only person who could be considered anything close to genuinely being 'Ramsay's man'. The bastard boys are of course all in Roose's employ, but Theon is sufficiently scared of Ramsay to be just about the only person around him who would follow Ramsay's orders alone. Thus, Roose can be certain that if Ramsay wants to hear the truth of what he told Theon, Theon will almost certainly tell him.

I know it has been speculated before that Roose deliberately told Theon about Ramsay murdering Domeric, knowing it would get back to Ramsay. To me however, it seems as if we really cannot take ANYTHING Roose tells Theon at face value, and that his whole conversation with him is presumably crafted to be exactly what Roose wants to trickle down to Ramsay.

There has also, I believe been speculation about Ramsay being some sort of 'changeling' and I suppose this might fit with that, but really I am not sure of the significance of this, I am just fairly sure that in the future Roose's story about Ramsay's conception will prove to be false, or a new wrinkle to it will be revealed. Course, there might be nothing too it and it might be pure wishful thinking for it not to be true on my part, given I'd have to rate the image of Roose Bolton raping a woman under her newlywed husband's murdered corpse as possibly the most horrifying in ASOIAF! (and there's certainly some competition)

[alienarea]

I posted this in this week's Heresy but given that this thread seems to be reawakening I'll sumbit it here for the consideration of all you Roose Bolton fans out there.

Excuse me if this is a bit rambling because to be honest I don't have a conclusion for it or anything, but rather I'm hoping maybe someone else will have an explanation for these seeming contradictions that have been bugging me.

Basically, ever since I read it I've had real trouble buying the story that Roose tells Theon about Ramsay's conception. The one thing that is emphasised over and over about Roose is calculating and cold he is, and this story just seems totally out of character. Certainly I am not denying that he is capable of great cruelty, he proves he is with his treatment of captured women at Harrenhal and with the hanging of all the squatters at Winterfell.

But there is surely a difference between the hard, callus lord ordering men be hanged etc as a demonstration of his power, and the mad petty tyrant going around raping and murdering in person. Ramsay is very much the second type but Roose doesn't ever show inclination towards committing atrocities for his own personal gratification in this way, except for in the story he tells Theon.

Indeed, as we all know, he repeatedly chastises Ramsay for his flagrant and public displays of cruelty. Now I'm sure hypocrisy is well within Roose's capabilities but it does seem odd that he would criticise his son for his cruelties then basically brag about doing the same things in his youth. It is also worth considering that Roose is chastising Ramsay at a time when the Boltons are (for now at least) the predominant power in the North. When Roose was supposedly going around raping and hanging peasants for no reason, Rickard Stark would presumably be in power and the Starks were strong and dominant. Thus, Roose had arguably far more reason to fear reprisal for his cruelties than Ramsay does now.

I also just find it very hard to believe that this woman who was raped and had her husband murdered before her eyes would keep coming back to the lord who did it asking for help for the child, surely she would assume Roose would simply kill them both (as he claims he considered I think).

The story also does not seem to be well known in the North in general even in the current period, it is never considered by Robb or Cat even though they both spend time during GoT talking about how striking and odd Roose Bolton was. However, in DwD Robett Glover calls Ramsay 'a bastard born of rape' indicating that he at least knows the story.

Glover was in Harrenhal with Roose so it is possible the story is well known amongst Dreadfort men and Glover was told it then, but it doesn't seem like the kind of thing Roose would tolerate his men gossiping about, and indeed why they would be discussing a story that took place over 20 years ago(I assume, not sure how old Ramsay is?) and concerns Ramsay who was not even on the campaign with them. Thus, is it possible that Glover was perhaps told this story by Roose himself, perhaps for the same reason he told it to Theon, whatever that was.

It is also worth considering that at the point Roose tells this to Theon, Theon is about the only person who could be considered anything close to genuinely being 'Ramsay's man'. The bastard boys are of course all in Roose's employ, but Theon is sufficiently scared of Ramsay to be just about the only person around him who would follow Ramsay's orders alone. Thus, Roose can be certain that if Ramsay wants to hear the truth of what he told Theon, Theon will almost certainly tell him.

I know it has been speculated before that Roose deliberately told Theon about Ramsay murdering Domeric, knowing it would get back to Ramsay. To me however, it seems as if we really cannot take ANYTHING Roose tells Theon at face value, and that his whole conversation with him is presumably crafted to be exactly what Roose wants to trickle down to Ramsay.

There has also, I believe been speculation about Ramsay being some sort of 'changeling' and I suppose this might fit with that, but really I am not sure of the significance of this, I am just fairly sure that in the future Roose's story about Ramsay's conception will prove to be false, or a new wrinkle to it will be revealed. Course, there might be nothing too it and it might be pure wishful thinking for it not to be true on my part, given I'd have to rate the image of Roose Bolton raping a woman under her newlywed husband's murdered corpse as possibly the most horrifying in ASOIAF! (and there's certainly some competition)

To me the important thing is that Roose isn't afraid to do cruel and vicious things, but he is very careful of not breaking the old rules, i.e. doesn't break the guest right and won't kill Ramsay because he doesn't do kinslaying. In this he can be compared to Craster, IMHO. I assume Roose would call himself a godly man.

[Wade of House Wilson]

I didn't read the entire thread, so please forgive me if this is mentioned already. But in response to the questions of why Roose would leave Domeric alive if he was killing his other sons and then kill him eventually anyway isn't too hard to discern. Roose did want one heir, so he let Domeric live. Then Ramsay was born, and Roose thought he'd be a better heir for various reasons, so he then kills Domeric. As to why he's killing his children (and why he only seems to father males), I have no idea. Maybe the Roose/Ice Magic ideas are correct. Maybe he's just crazy. I know he is constantly presented as cold, calculating and controlled, but so did Ted Bundy.

[alienarea]

I didn't read the entire thread, so please forgive me if this is mentioned already. But in response to the questions of why Roose would leave Domeric alive if he was killing his other sons and then kill him eventually anyway isn't too hard to discern. Roose did want one heir, so he let Domeric live. Then Ramsay was born, and Roose thought he'd be a better heir for various reasons, so he then kills Domeric. As to why he's killing his children (and why he only seems to father males), I have no idea. Maybe the Roose/Ice Magic ideas are correct. Maybe he's just crazy. I know he is constantly presented as cold, calculating and controlled, but so did Ted Bundy.

Just realized this might link to the Rat Cook tale. Wasn't he cursed to devour his own children? And being cursed might be a reason for his constant leeching.

[RavenJosh]

It's interesting that Roose tells Theon he won't live to see new sons to manhood. I thought he was supposed to be around the same age as Ned, maybe a little older, Certainly not so old as to think he would die in the next 17 years for sure. Maybe he has some kind of illness that we don't know about, that would explain his obsessions with leechings and healthy food, he wants to live as long as he can, but he knows it won't last much longer

[Mayura]

It's interesting that Roose tells Theon he won't live to see new sons to manhood. I thought he was supposed to be around the same age as Ned, maybe a little older, Certainly not so old as to think he would die in the next 17 years for sure. Maybe he has some kind of illness that we don't know about, that would explain his obsessions with leechings and healthy food, he wants to live as long as he can, but he knows it won't last much longer

Tbh it is also what I thought. Roose Bolton seems to want to secure a sure spot in the North for his family and legitimizing Ramsay as he had no heir at the time is probably the only option he had for house Bolton to continue should anything happen to him. His talk about boy-lords certainly means that if he only had young boys as his heirs (which can potentially happen if Fat Walda gives him sons), they would still need to reach a certain age without dying/being killed before ruling as strong Lord Bolton.

I think Roose's habits and described appearance seem to show that, if he is not sick (which he might be), he is probably a hypochondriac (no idea if this is th right english word) hence the use of leeches and the healthy food.

On the other hand, I also think Roose Bolton is a massive liar and I don't really trust what he says. He seems to be more dangerous than he seems IMO.

[Starks Among Us]

Not sure if I'm thinking this correctly, but what I have to say has to do with the tv series in relation to this thread. At the end of this season, Roose and Lord Frey are talking and IIRC I think Roose makes a toast to Lord Frey and says something along the lines of "to being forever young". Now, I only watched it once, and obviously there is a lot going on. And perhaps I'm just making this all up in my head. But if he said something like that in the series, couldn't that be indicative of something in the books as well? Perhaps he is doing some sort of magic to stay young.

[C0bR]

Interesting in how you say that. What do we really know of the Others? Craster's got 'protection' from the Others, but maybe he got something more? It's also interesting to note that although Roose is supposed to be of an age with Catelyn he's always described as not showing any physical signs of older age. We've already seen what blood amgic can do, perhaps his leechings serve a darker purpose than his 'health'.

Wasn't Catelyn like 35? You can look 25 at that age without being some kind of vampire weirdo.

[Ferrous]

Not sure if I'm thinking this correctly, but what I have to say has to do with the tv series in relation to this thread. At the end of this season, Roose and Lord Frey are talking and IIRC I think Roose makes a toast to Lord Frey and says something along the lines of "to being forever young". Now, I only watched it once, and obviously there is a lot going on. And perhaps I'm just making this all up in my head. But if he said something like that in the series, couldn't that be indicative of something in the books as well? Perhaps he is doing some sort of magic to stay young.

He was having a laugh about Robb.

Walder Frey said "He called himself the Young Wolf"

Roose replied "forever young"

[Persicaria]

I saw the connection made already , I forget who said it and can't seem to locate it, that there is an instance where Lady Dustin is said to resemble Ramsay. It is Theon who says this and I don't think that he would be the type of person to equate anyone to Ramsay's without damn good reason, considering the fear he has of his master.

Now it is time for the crackpot: What if Roose considers his children guinea pigs. What better way to test the path of immortality (longevity, or whatever the hell other sick curiosities Roose shared with Qyburn) than on ones own flesh and blood. Such experiments would then prove more successful upon oneself. What if his first, and then his second wife figured out something was wrong. Two things could have happened

A) Having only Domeric survive into childhood, Bethany becomes suspicious and investigates the life and death of the first wife. Sensing there is danger there for her and her only living child she arranges, without Bolton's knowledge, for Domeric to become the ward of another house, thereby, protecting him from her husbands machinations. Though he would be furious she was already pregnant with another child, and knew this gave her some leverage. She hears about the miller's wife and has her handmaids approach the girl. They offer the girl money to pretend that she is also pregnant. As the pregnancy progresses Bethany goes to her sisters castle while late in her term. They manage to induce labor and the child is sent with a gift of money to the Miller's wife. However, the Miller's wife doesn't take into account her brother -n-laws reaction and thinks she can use this new child to her advantage. So she approaches Bolton claiming the bastard as her own. She then blackmails Bethany at the same time. Roose becomes suspicious and sends Reek off to spy on the bastard. He then learns that Ramsay is indeed his own true son. With bth men grown he cannot simply make them disappear at least not easily. he also becomes convinced of the potential ruthlessness of Ramsay and decides he presents certain advantages. He finds Domeric to be too weak and too gentle to be able to handle the future of the Bolton line. So he decides Domeric, is his new guinea pig. Remember Domeric died from sickness of the bowels, which I imagine takes time. For all we know Bolton was using some of the same potions he would have done on the child Domeric had he the chance. However, as an adult the experiments take a longer time to kill him. The problem I have with my own was Why Lady Bethany outlived him, unless Roose wanted her to suffer with the thought that one brother had killed another.

2. This is really, really beyond crackpot. What if Ramsay's is Domeric, but twisted and physically changed because of the experiments conducted on him (Jekyll and Hyde). Those who knew Domeric as soft and gentle would instantly be alarmed by the transformation and realize things weren't quiet kosher in the Bolton household. Arranging for the supposed death of a son and then reintroducing him as a deranged bastard eliminates some of the more troublesome questions.

Sorry, if the theories are really, really crackpot and out there. This mystery is very complicated and when presented with the complicated I tend to go for the strange.

[bemused]

Theon doesn't actually think Lady Barbrey looks like Ramsay . She gives a nasty smile , which reminds him of Ramsay's nasty smiles. She may be putting it on for Theon's benefit..or it may imply a deep passion for vengeance ,or to hurt those who have wronged her. ( and the objects of her hatred may not be the ones she suggests to Theon. )

[Mayura]

There is something I don't understand in this theory: Roose doesn't want to kill Ramsay because it would be kinslaying, as he respects the old rules. But he would be perfectly ok to kill his legitimate child? Wouldn't that be kinslaying as well? That doesn't make any sense in my opinion.

I am pretty sure Bolton is a manipulative man who is telling some lies and he is certainly up to something. But I doubt he killed Domeric himself... The wee brother's killing fits very much with the description of Ramsay's character. And then it was an easy choice for Roose to legitimate his only living child, so his house would not die in case he doesn't have any boy that comes of age from Fat Walda.

As far as Roose is concerned, however, I believe he is either sick or a hypochondriac, which would explain the diet, the leeching and also why despite the fact he takes care of his health and clearly intends to live a long life, he still sometimes say that he won't be around forever. In fact, the most logical thing for this character would be for him to be secretly sick and thus to take every advantage he can from the war to guarantee house Bolton will survive, even if it has to be through Ramsay.

[Persicaria]

Theon doesn't actually think Lady Barbrey looks like Ramsay . She gives a nasty smile , which reminds him of Ramsay's nasty smiles. She may be putting it on for Theon's benefit..or it may imply a deep passion for vengeance ,or to hurt those who have wronged her. ( and the objects of her hatred may not be the ones she suggests to Theon. )

I did warn that it is crackpot.

Ok, I do have a tamer theory. it is still a little crackpot , but what if he is telling Reek/ Theon this to give Ramsey's a falls sense of security. Roose is a manipulative SOB and he expects Reek to share this info with his master. It maybe because he is planning Ramsey's death . To what benefit? The death of Domeric is not clear cut, as noted there are several reasons why it doesn't seem to be in ramsey's Mo. Without, clear certainty of what happened to Domeric Ramsey needed an heir and so acknowledged his bastard. However, like Tywin's Gregor, he did not know what type of monster his son was. He is a useful killing machine that serves its purpose in war, like an attack dog to keep ones interest safe. However, Ramsey's like any rabid dog eventually has to be put down. So let Ramsey think he is safe, and when Roose has had enough of him he will be gone. However, when he goes the "Lady Arya " will be pregnant and he will have control over the heir of the north.

[asimetrikal]

If Roose did do what the OP thinks, it has to be connected to him leeching himself. A person wouldn't leech themself willingly unless they thought they were tainted. I'm guessing that the taint could be illness, evilness or weakness. Maybe he sees this same taint in his children?

If it's weakness that Roose purges from himself with leeches, perhaps he found Domeric weak because he was a gentle boy that liked to read, if I remember correctly.

roose was fond of domeric. gave him sage advice 'stay away from your bastard brother' but it was domeric's decision as 'a man grown' (quoting roose to theon, here) to seek out ramsay. other than the fact that it's common custom for high lords to send sons to other high lords to squire and learn, roose sent domeric to the vale to cement alliances and learn things he couldn't have at the dreadfort, up to and including open compassion.

roose is not some unfeeling evil automaton. he is a cunning and intelligent man with his own goals and concerns for his family line. he won't kill ramsay because of the taboo against kinslaying, and i don't know if he even believes in the Others, since he's probably not been beyond the wall. if we look at it technically, roose didn't break guest right (that was walder frey), and that might have been enough of a legal loophole to permit roose to plot the downfall of his king. but remember he only did that after the battle of the blackwater when he surmised the stark cause was lost.

it is mentioned (i forget by whom) that roose has the eventual goal of being king in the north. his response to robb calling the banners and ordering ramsay to take winterfell show that he does believe in the political entity of the north, in addition to the importance of his own house. we know his thinking ranges farther than satisfying his own 'sociopathic' urges (not denying he's a sociopath here, but intelligent people driven by nearly singular goals are often labelled mad by those around them).

point being: roose was fond of domeric (maybe even loved him) and feels his line robbed by his passing. what he has to contend with now is ramsay, and the hope that he will die so that roose can raise his trueborn sons through fat walda to be proper wardens of the north, and if possible, kings there.

[asimetrikal]

There is something I don't understand in this theory: Roose doesn't want to kill Ramsay because it would be kinslaying, as he respects the old rules. But he would be perfectly ok to kill his legitimate child? Wouldn't that be kinslaying as well? That doesn't make any sense in my opinion.

I am pretty sure Bolton is a manipulative man who is telling some lies and he is certainly up to something. But I doubt he killed Domeric himself... The wee brother's killing fits very much with the description of Ramsay's character. And then it was an easy choice for Roose to legitimate his only living child, so his house would not die in case he doesn't have any boy that comes of age from Fat Walda.

As far as Roose is concerned, however, I believe he is either sick or a hypochondriac, which would explain the diet, the leeching and also why despite the fact he takes care of his health and clearly intends to live a long life, he still sometimes say that he won't be around forever. In fact, the most logical thing for this character would be for him to be secretly sick and thus to take every advantage he can from the war to guarantee house Bolton will survive, even if it has to be through Ramsay.

roose is openly engaged in warfare casting his net on both sides of the stream. the southerners know he is a proven traitor, half of the north views him as a breaker of guest right (technically not true) and he has a psychopathic son who he strongly suspects killed his trueborn son domeric. roose does not think he'll not be around long because of some sickness he has; he's extremely healthy and fit (he has the energy and fitness to please fat walda sexually night after night, as a man in his fifties). he figures he won't be around long because someone, the northmen loyal to the starks, the southerners who don't trust him anyway, or his own son looking to advance, will kill him. his ancestors were not fools and neither is he.

[Manfryd Lothston]

Wow, what an amazing thread. Got me thinking about things I never doubted previously.

Of course, I still acknowledge the common-sense understanding of Roose's character, well outlined by the poster directly above. It is, after all, the simplest and most probable explanation. However, with Martin things are sometimes not what they seem. And there is indeed certain room for speculation here.

These are the principal moments I've noted:

1) An unusually long streak of deaths in Roose's family. He has no parents, siblings, other blood relatives. He is, in fact, the only Bolton alive not counting his own children. And these children have an unhappy tendency to drop off like flies. And so do his wives (two dead already). All this in the absence of a plague, war or other obvious calamity. For a man notoriously obsessed with health and supposedly keen on preserving his bloodline, he sure runs a high mortality rate household.

2) Roose's infant children die until Ramsay is born. He survives. Interestingly, Roose wants to kill him (too?..), but notices the boy has his eyes. This is enough to make Roose let the child live and provide him with sustenance and care. Eventually Ramsay grows up, at which point Roose's other surviving son (who may or many not have had that particular distinguishing trait) conveniently dies, allowing Ramsay to enter the Bolton household and eventually be legitimised.

3) The timing of Domeric's death. The boy's been away from the Dreadfort for seven years, and was in great health. Yet as soon as he returns home, he dies.

4) The manner of Domeric's death. Interestingly, Roose never mentions it, despite the fact that the official version contradicts his own words about it being murder. The Tears of Lys are an uncommon and expensive poison, and Ramsay's family was surviving on revenue from a mill and a bag of stars per year. There is a possibility that Reek stole the Tears of Lys from the Dreadfort and gave to Ramsay to murder Domeric while hosting the boy under their roof. However, that would imply that:

a ) the Dreadfort carries Tears of Lys (why? just in case Roose needs to poison someone and make it look like an accident? hmm...)

b ) Reek knew where they are held and had access to them (but why would a simple house boy have such knowledge? Unless someone wanted him to....)

_____________

So, here's the crackpot I entertain. The Bolton bloodline has a certain "gene", which manifests only on rare occasions. Its traits include cold white eyes like chinks of dirty ice, as well as ruthlessness and cruelty of character, but maybe also some... others we're not yet aware of. Perhaps they require regular leechings to be kept in check.

Only those with this "gene" are considered true Boltons. To keep the bloodline "pure", all other offspring are extinguished. However, as kinslaying is considered a grievous sin, in order to maintain "a quiet land" this has to be done discreetly.

So was there anything special about Ramsay's birth? Something that may have set him apart from all of Roose's other children?

Well, he was conceived in rape under the hanging corpse of his mother's husband. That could count for something.... or other.

Yeah, I'll say it. As far as crackpots go, I'm in the camp of Roose being a descendant of the Night's King. However, he is more an upholder of tradition than a particularly avid practitioner of the dark arts. He keeps to the customs of his ancestors, while simultaneously longing for a "normal" life but seeing no... other... alternative and being resigned to his fate.

_______________

Too tame? Well, let's king-size this crackpot.

Remember how Roose says he won't be around to see his new sons grow up? Strange thing to say considering his apparent health and reasonable age.

So what if Roose intends to warg into Ramsay and take over his body? What if this technique was passed down the generations of Boltons, but could only be used between those sharing the "special" gene? That would explain the need to remove Domeric and make Ramsay the heir to the Dreadfort (so that Roose doesn't lose his titles upon "transition"). It would also explain why Roose is so paranoid about his health - after all, he intends to live forever. And it would further explain Roose's promiscuity - he was trying to make a child suitable for becoming "the vessel"; unfortunately, the only time he succeeded was out of wedlock.

Well then, why not marry the miller's wife and avoid all the hassle? Roose is a lord, and proud of it. He is also very ambitious and power-hungry. Marriage is a mighty tool in feudal society, and he uses it to increase his House's wealth and influence. Whereas, if he were to marry a miller's wife, he'd lose lots of prestige, not to mention all the potential revenue and political gains coming from an arranged marriage.

But why didn't Roose get rid of Domeric straight away? Well, maybe the boy did exhibit a potential to become "the vessel". Maybe he had the eyes, or some other appropriate trait, that Roose could at least reasonably hope for success. Then the child is taken away from the Dreadfort, for seven or more years, residing with powerful families well out of Lord Bolton's reach. But once Domeric returns, Roose immediately sees that the requirements are not met. So the Master of the Dreadfort reverts to Plan B: Ramsay.

Roose is actually no different from Ramsay, who locks Lady Hornwood in a tower and starves her to death; only Roose proceeds much more discreetly. Quiet land, quiet people. So deathly quiet.