Simple Solutions for Simple Folks

[TheWanderer]

I think it's a lot stranger that Stannis didn't talk to his little brother. Renly was there, he had power, if Stannis was in danger, shouldn't he had warned his brother??? Well, maybe he thought the stormlords would follow him either way, or maybe he did talk to Renly and was rebuffed

He doesn't tell Robert. If he won't tell the man who is most directly affected by what he's found why would he tell anyone else? I imagine that Stannis expected that both Renly and Ned would run directly to Robert (thier older brother and best friend respectively) if he told them. Stannis figured this would be a bad idea (for some reason, possibly greed) so he didn't want it to happen.

Cersei Lannister - if Robert was so uninterested in her children, could she not have had Jaime at least train the boys in sword-fighting? Sure, having Jaime be the "favourite uncle who's always around" could have caused suspicion, but I don't think anyone would think it strange if she got one of the greatest swordsmen in the realm to spend time training Joffrey how to fight. (My interpretation is that Cersei only used this as an excuse - that really her intention was to cut both Robert and Jaime out of her children's lives, so only she would influence them.)

I agree with your interpretation. Cersei is paranoid to the extent that it's almost certainly pathological. Expecting her to act rationally is therefore foolish.

Tyrion Lannister - as you say, it would not be so strange if Tyrion kept his whore in a whorehouse. I guess emotion got the better of him, as he broke his own safety rules with Shae.

Tyrion made exactly the right call here. If Tyrion keeps Shae in the whorehouse than Shae gets grabbed and he gets blackmailed into doing Cersei's bidding. It's complicated to be sure, but it's not needlessly so.

Eddard Stark - Jon is going to join the Night's Watch, and he himself was headed to King's Landing, yet he couldn't take him aside before he left, ride out a league or so nobody's around, and then tell him who his mother really was ? WTF? No, Ned tell the boy.

Assuming that it ever mattered it doesn't now. Once Jon takes the Oath his heritage is gone. By not telling him (assuming he is a Targaryean, which I don't personally believe) he simply removes the possibility of future temptation from Jon.

For that matter, how many of Eddard's mistakes involve not telling people the things they need to know ? Cersei's kids are all from incest ? Maybe tell Stannis, Renly, Robert, or even Barristan, before you tell anyone else anything about your intentions.

Stannis knew and Ned knew he knew. Renly and Barristan would've gone directly to Robert. Robert would've flipped his lid and had the kids murdered. This is exactly what Ned is trying to avoid by telling Cersei to leave before he tells Robert. Ned's mistake here is not expecting Cersei to be a vicious murderous bitch, not in not telling Robert.

Robert Baratheon - A dispute has arisen because your son has somehow gotten hit in the head and disarmed by your best friend's daughter, and bitten by a direwolf. Also this has something to do with some butcher's boy. Your wife is nagging you in one ear, your friend pleading with you in the other. You have you Master of Laws there. You have your super-honourable Lord Commander of the Kingsguard there. Can't decide ? Use them ! Send Cersei and Eddard away. Hear the witnesses out, each of them one by one and alone. Find the butcher's boy - alive - and hear his account of events too.

Instead Ozzy Osbourne King Robert decides: "So, the little shit Crown Prince got beat up by a wolf and bitten by a girl ? *hiccup* Ah, who cares - I'll cave in to Cersei's bitching and let her kill the butcher's boy and also the other girl's pet mammoth... *hiccup* Dog ? Wolf ? Septa ? Whatever it is. More wine !"

Killing the butcher's boy was the Hound's work and thus Joffery's wish not Roberts, it is included nowhere in the sentence (and I believe the search for the butcher's boy is motivated by trying to hear his account, not that it likely would've been much use). Killing a provably dangerous animal is a pretty decent compromize, he completely avoids punishing Arya, which Cersei and Joffery both want. Besides which, this isn't a scheme (and your solution is actually more complicated than his was).

[PrinceHenryris]

I think his promise to Lyanna involved that he was to raise Jon as his own son and possibly to keep his origins a secret. Telling Cat may break his promise to Lyanna, as she would treat Jon as her and Ned's nephew.

edited for spelling

I think that if Ned had told Cat, it might have softened her attitude towards Jon. People might have gotten suspicious if she treated Jon nicely.

[mcb]

I don't see how Doran's plans were needlessly complicated since i don't see what alternatives he had. The plans themselves aren't even that complicated. Wait for the Targ heir to grow up and if he has enough power wed him to your daughter. It's not complicated, it would just take a long time. and like i said i see no better alternatives.

Here's one: forgive and forget. Effectively it would be indistinguishable from his awesome revenge plan anyway, to all but very few, the most attentive observers.

[Kittykatknits]

Here's one: forgive and forget. Effectively it would be indistinguishable from his awesome revenge plan anyway, to all but very few, the most attentive observers.

LOL. Another one: he could go the way of the North and declare independence. That would probably also be indistinguishable to all but the most attentive observers too though.

Poor Doran...

[Ser Duncan of Flea Bottom]

Shae wouldn't come if she was going to stay in a brothel, she wanted to be in the Red Keep, so Tyrion managed to hire a mansion for her, she wanted to live in the court, not with the whores (she was one, but she wanted to be leveled up)

It was dumbness to bring her to the Red Keep, there she was more in danger than in the Mansion

[Ludd]

Ned would have been bonkers to tell Cat of Jon's origins - she would have dobbed him in to protect her darlings

Ned would have had to take the black and Jon would be dead, dead dead

[Ludd]

Put simply Shae was a gold digger and fairly shallow - she wanted the court life and pretty dresses.

Also I suspect she was a Tywin spy.

Has anyone notices how similar Shae and the Robb love interest (ie not Jeyne) are? Both Tywin spies.

[Light a wight tonight]

The entire Martell scheme.

And yes Stannis made it ridiculously hard on himself by fleeing when Arryn died.

I'm assuming that he thought one or another Lannister was behind the poisoning and that he was next in line.

[Fat Mac]

Stannis fleeing to Dragonstone and making his claim after Robert was dead. Why not waiit for Ned and tell him about what you know? Simpler and more effective. No need to hire sellsails and sellswords, since you would have the North, Riverlands, Vale and the Royal Fleet with you

Stannis always resented Ned for being the brother to Robert that he couldn't. It is kind of childish on Stannis' part, but clear as to why he wouldn't trust Ned. Also, Stannis thought his life was in danger, as he thought the Lannisters poisoned Jon Arryn. He thought he would be next.

[Pod The Impaler]

Stannis brings his findiings to Jon Arryn, why didn't he do the same with Ned? A quick raven to Winterfell before the king and everyone else arrives.

That raven would have been read by none other than Grandmaester Pycelle.

Sending Davos (in secret if need be) would have been better.

Killing the butcher's boy was the Hound's work and thus Joffery's wish not Roberts, it is included nowhere in the sentence (and I believe the search for the butcher's boy is motivated by trying to hear his account, not that it likely would've been much use). Killing a provably dangerous animal is a pretty decent compromize, he completely avoids punishing Arya, which Cersei and Joffery both want. Besides which, this isn't a scheme (and your solution is actually more complicated than his was).

Well, the Hound would answer to the King if the King had said something.

We get no indication of what exactly happened when Joffrey came crying back to his mom and dad, and while Arya was missing.

We know at some point Jaime and the Hound were both sent out looking for Arya, Mycah, and presumably Nymeria.

Yes, Joffrey would have said "go kill them", but this could be countermanded at any point by the King saying "no, bring them all in alive".

But I see your point, maybe Robert was actually oversimplifying. In any case, it was an important thing and the king messed it up.

[Pod The Impaler]

Stannis always resented Ned for being the brother to Robert that he couldn't. It is kind of childish on Stannis' part, but clear as to why he wouldn't trust Ned. Also, Stannis thought his life was in danger, as he thought the Lannisters poisoned Jon Arryn. He thought he would be next.

Well, sure, but Stannis also seems allergic to having allies. He worked with Jon Arryn well enough, someone who also was loved by Robert (and by Ned), and who had a position Stannis himself might have thought he deserved (since not being lord of the Stormlands).

In any case, I think Stannis made a big mistake - Eddard Stark was the one person who clearly was not in on any plotting and could be counted on as loyal.