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Spoilers: Meera's Story


The Reeds

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I put a spoiler warning in the title just in case, but I don't know if this spoils very much.....

Anyway, I wanted to talk about Meera's story. This part really interested me when I was reading it. It's the part where Meera tells Bran about the crannogman that goes ashore and finds himself at a tournament. He's then set upon and beat up by people from three different houses, one of them being House Frey. He's rescued by a she-wolf, who asks him to eat with them. He's dines sits with her and talks with one of her brothers. The next day, a mystery knight bests all the other riders on the field and tells them to reward him by teaching their squires to be respectful. He vanishes afterwards and no one finds him again.

I'm of the opinion that this was more than a story and it actually happened, especially since Jojen keeps asking Bran, "Didn't your father tell you this story?" I'm guessing the mystery knight was Howland Reed and the she-wolf was Lyanna. The question is, who was the brother in the story? Was it Brandon, Benjen or Ned? If it was Ned who was there, then I wonder why he wouldn't have told anyone about this meeting?

I also wonder who the other two houses were that attack the crannogman when he was attacked at the tournament. Anyone have any ideas?

I don't know, I guess I think this might be important eventually, just as I have a hunch that House Reed will play a big role for the Starks at the end of the book.

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  • 1 month later...

It was the tourney at harrenhall. Reed was the crannog man. Lyana was the she wolf. The mystery knight was either Ned or lyanna. It would be nice if someone had any proof either way. But Ned has never rode in any tourneys at least not as himself. So it could be him. I don't know if lyanna was ever taught how to joust

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You guys should read that story again and pay attention to all the details.

Yes, it was a tourney at Harrenhal, which is located right on the northern shore of the Gods' Eye.

The mystery knight, commonly known as The Knight of Laughing Tree appears after the little crannogman prays to the old gods.

All the Stark siblings were there: Lyanna (the she-wolf), Ned (the quiet wolf), Brandon (the wild wolf), and Benjen (the wolf pup)

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The mystery knight probably was Lyanna. The Mystery Knight was small (so it couldn't be Ned, who was 18 by that time, IIRC), had armor that didn't fit (so it can't be Benjen, who had a fitting suit of armor with him), and was a good enough rider to win the joust (so it couldn't be Reed, who couldn't ride a horse, as Meera stresses repeatedly; while we know from both Ned and Harwin that Lyanna was an outstanding horserider).

It also makes sense that Rhaegar must have become interested in Lyanna at some point, and finding her after the tourney of Harrenhal and admiring her courage and determination could have gone a long way in making Rhaegar fall for Lyanna...

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The Mystery Knight was Lyanna imo.

If it was Ned, he had no reason to hide his face and disappear after the tournament.

And it is implied in the post before, that because of the size and the riding skills, Lyanna is the only person in the story, who actually fits the description.

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  • 1 month later...

You guys should read that story again and pay attention to all the details.

Yes, it was a tourney at Harrenhal, which is located right on the northern shore of the Gods' Eye.

The mystery knight, commonly known as The Knight of Laughing Tree appears after the little crannogman prays to the old gods.

All the Stark siblings were there: Lyanna (the she-wolf), Ned (the quiet wolf), Brandon (the wild wolf), and Benjen (the wolf pup)

Howland Reed is the Mystery Knight,

Eddard Stark is the quiet wolf,

Lyanna is the she-wolf,

Benjen offered Reed armor and a horse to fight.

Very interesting, I did not see that. Too much symbolism for me >_<

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And, if you pay further attention, that same tourney at Harrenhal is remembered by Jaime and Arstan later in the text. That was the same tourney where Jaime was inducted into the Kingsguard, and Rhaegar was the overall winner of the tourney, declaring Lyanna the Queen of Love and Beauty afterwards.

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King Aerys tasked Rhaegar with uncovering the identity of the Knight of the Laughing Tree. IF he did, and IF it's Lyanna, then it would make sense for him to crown her the Queen of Love and Beauty given that he is by most accounts an honorable prince. He is secretly acknowledging her ability in the lists while still protecting her from the King's wrath.

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I put a spoiler warning in the title just in case, but I don't know if this spoils very much.....

Anyway, I wanted to talk about Meera's story. This part really interested me when I was reading it. It's the part where Meera tells Bran about the crannogman that goes ashore and finds himself at a tournament. He's then set upon and beat up by people from three different houses, one of them being House Frey. He's rescued by a she-wolf, who asks him to eat with them. He's dines sits with her and talks with one of her brothers. The next day, a mystery knight bests all the other riders on the field and tells them to reward him by teaching their squires to be respectful. He vanishes afterwards and no one finds him again.

I'm of the opinion that this was more than a story and it actually happened, especially since Jojen keeps asking Bran, "Didn't your father tell you this story?" I'm guessing the mystery knight was Howland Reed and the she-wolf was Lyanna. The question is, who was the brother in the story? Was it Brandon, Benjen or Ned? If it was Ned who was there, then I wonder why he wouldn't have told anyone about this meeting?

I also wonder who the other two houses were that attack the crannogman when he was attacked at the tournament. Anyone have any ideas?

I don't know, I guess I think this might be important eventually, just as I have a hunch that House Reed will play a big role for the Starks at the end of the book.

I totally agree with this. For some reason the Reeds remind me of Rafiki in lion king lol. Very wise and very loyal to the Starks especially at their darkest hour.

More importantly though Howland Reed is the only surviving witness from the tower of joy, and as such he's the only character alive who knows what Ned promised Lyanna before she died.

Somewhat of a spoiler below, more of a mainstream theory though but just in case..............................

Many believe, myself included, that Jon Snow is really Jon Targaryen, the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna (this also assumes that Rhaegar married Lyanna, which would explain why the Kingsguard, Arthur Dayne included, were with Lyanna at the ToJ). Assuming this theory to be true, only Howland Reed would know the truth about Jon's true identity. If the theory is false, I still believe something weird took place at the ToJ, and that whatever Ned promised Lyanna is somehow relevant to the overall story. Again, only Howland would know what Ned promised her. Unless of course Meera and Jojen know but are withholding the information from Bran.

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  • 1 month later...

I loved this story as it was one of many recollections of the Tourney at Harnhall. I think that the full account of events that transpired there will be important. I love the idea that Lyanna was the mystery knight and as mentioned above that this is where Rhaegar first noticed Lyanna.

That I can recall the story mentions: Jaimie, Howland Reed, King Aerys, Rhaegar, Lyanna, Brandon, Ned, Benjen, and Robert Baratheon. The one person I could not figure out was the "knight of skulls and kisses". A dorishman?

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  • 1 month later...

I only wonder, if Meera knows stories like this from her father, does she also know the truth about Jon? (assuming it is true) It would be smart of Howland Reed to tell someone else the story, considering he is now the only person knowing it, just as a safety check in case something happened to him.

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King Aerys tasked Rhaegar with uncovering the identity of the Knight of the Laughing Tree. IF he did, and IF it's Lyanna, then it would make sense for him to crown her the Queen of Love and Beauty given that he is by most accounts an honorable prince. He is secretly acknowledging her ability in the lists while still protecting her from the King's wrath.

I'd never thought of it that way. Excellent suggestion

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The question I have is how they are going to present this in the show. To me one of the best parts about how these books are written is how we are slowly piecing together what happened before. This story is so awesome for that.

I just feel like they are going to have to do something visual. Something resembling a flashback to make the story really hit home with viewers. But I don't think they are doing any flashbacks really and it would lose some of its poetic coolness if it was just blatantly the people who they are and not coded Young Wolf Quiet Wolf etc. Just wondering how to make it as effective as it is in the book.

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  • 2 years later...

I think that the Tourney at Harrenhal is what made Lyanna fall in love with Rhaegar, but I am pretty sure that Rhaegar had eyes for her before then. In The World of Ice and Fire it is mentioned that the prizes given out by House Whent to the victors were far to generous to have been funded by House Whent at all.



"Most took this as an attempt by Whent to outdo the former Hand and demonstrate the wealth and splendor of his house. There were those, however, who believed this no more than a ruse, and Lord Whent was no more than a catspaw. His lordship lacked the funds to pay such munificent prizes, they argued; someone else must surely have stood behind him, someone who did not lack for gold but preferred to remain in the shadows whilst allowing the Lord of Harrenhal to claim the glory for hosting this magnificent event. We have no shred of evidence that such a "shadow host" ever existed, but the notion was widely believed at the time and remains so today."



"But if indeed there was a shadow, who was he, and why did he choose to keep his role a secret? A dozen names have been put forward over the years, but only one seems truly compelling: Rhaegar Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone."



Both of these quotes are proof that Rhaegar set up the tournament for some unknown purpose. It was a common belief that he was planning to amass forces to cut his father's reign short, but I believe this to be a false pretext. Rhaegar must have seen-or at least heard about-Lyanna before and thus desired her. He funded the tournament hoping that she would appear so that he could gaze upon her with his own eyes. After finding out the Lyanna was the Knight of the Laughing Tree, Rhaegar knew that he did in fact love her. Lyanna then fell for Rhaegar due to his sense of mercy, his understanding of honour, and-let's face it-his looks.


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Lyanna was not the mystery knight. Explain how she all of a sudden she has a bomming voice, yes she was a very good rider but not good enough to defeat three squires. Brandon fits the mystery knight. The reason Rheagar was interested in Lyanna is because he was into prophecies regarding the prince that was promise that he see's Lyanna just as woman from the Stark dynasty as well as the north that he can breed with because his wife can no longer have that third child he wanted.

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