Political Marriages for the Stark Children

[eggs]

Are we basing this on Ned's personality?

Robb: Wynafryd, Alys, Myrcella

Sansa: SmallJon, Hornwood, Harry the Heir maybe?

Arya: Cley Cerwyn

Bran: No clue. cant think of any young girls. maybe a Manderly if Robb doesnt get one..

[rystine]

For Robb: Arianne and Asha are simply too old. For Arianne, that would also require her to give up her position as heiress of Dorne. And for Asha, neither her nor Balon would consent to that.

Most likely candidates would be one of the Manderlys, Mormonts, Alys Karstark, or Meera Reed in the North. A Royce or a Blackwood (maybe even a Frey) if they went to the Vale or Riverlands. And if they had serious "Southern ambitions" Margaery.

For Sansa: on paper Joffrey was actually a great match. Theon, Willas, or even Renly, if they wanted to look south. If they stayed in the North, maybe Smalljon, or Harrion Karstark?

Arya, Bran, and Rickon: honestly they are a little too young for me to speculate.

One thing that I do find interesting is if Jon hadn't joined the NW, would Ned have tried to find a match for him and create a "bastard house" in the North?

[TheCrannogDweller]

I don't think Ned was a fan of those marriages outside the North, especially after he saw how much grief and death they caused his family during Robert's rebellion.

That being said, I agree to a large extent with Bright Blue Eyes' suggestions, with one sidenote:

If Robb was to marry any southern girl, it would've been Myrcella - I can't imagine any reason that Ned would want to wed his heir to Margaery. If he was to marry a northern girl - there are quite a few Mormonts to go around, too (obviously not the oldest one though, since she was the heir to Bear Island). And then there is Meera Reed - the daughter of Ned's closest friend.

[Lady Shadow Cat]

Im going to go with Robb and Myrcella to make the match Robert would want (I would feel too badly for Sansa to be stuck with Joff)

Sansa and Loras or Wyllas

Arya I like with Trystanne-Totally agree that if she had to marry someone she'd be happiest in Dorne

Bran wanted to be a Kingsguard member so he doesn't need a match. Can't believe no one remembered that. I don't think Ned would object either considering Robb is heir and he has Rickon as a "backup heir".

Rickon would be matched to someone not born yet, probably a Northern girl. Rickon would probably have the most freedom of choice for trueborn children in who he marries.

I wonder what Ned would have done with Jon. He did intend to tell him about his mother. If events would not have played out as they did, and Jon didn't go to the wall, would Ned have made the waves that Jon would create if R+L=J? I don't think so, he wouldn't risk Jon getting killed by Robert, or putting the Realm at War intentionally...or would he? He did fish around about Cercei's kids. But I digress, what I'm trying to get at is, of all the Stark kids, if R+L=J then Jon is the one who should make the best marriage match. But if Ned let things be, Jon could marry whoever he wanted....from the common folk.

[Penguin king]

Well for a start I doubt that Ned would be inclined to wed his sons to his own bannermen, especially not Robb. It's just pointless, because he would be handing out claims to WF for no gain, seeing as he is already in charge of the North.

There's a couple of good reasons for Ned to marry his sons to the daughters of Northern Lords.

Firstly it encourages loyalty. These men may already be sworn to house Stark, but that loyalty isn't unconditional. Bannermen need to be rewarded from time to time, and what better reward than a political marriage? What Bannerman doesn't want to see his grandchildren as Lords and Ladies of Winterfell?

Secondly it strengthen's Stark blood ties to the North. If Starks only ever marry southerners soon they'll have no more northern blood than the Lannisters. The Starks take a lot of pride in their Northern traditions, so it only makes sense to top up the northern blood occasionally.

Marrying into other great houses has it's own rewards too, but it also comes with certain dangers. Your Bannermen are a lot less likely to pull you into a war that you can't win. and if house Manderly having a claim on winterfell is a problem, then House Greyjoy or Lannister having one is surely a much bigger problem.

[eggs]

I don't think Ned was a fan of those marriages outside the North, especially after he saw how much grief and death they caused his family during Robert's rebellion. That being said, I agree to a large extent with Bright Blue Eyes' suggestions, with one sidenote: If Robb was to marry any southern girl, it would've been Myrcella - I can't imagine any reason that Ned would want to wed his heir to Margaery. If he was to marry a northern girl - there are quite a few Mormonts to go around, too (obviously not the oldest one though, since she was the heir to Bear Island). And then there is Meera Reed - the daughter of Ned's closest friend.

well the Tyrells are a powerhouse.

[AvengerofWinterfell]

Id try to wed Jon to one of the Sand Snakes (Maybe Nymeria), Robb to Alys Karstark (I think Asha Greyjoy would be great but cant see Balon being smart enough to accept the offer.), Arya to Edric Dayne, Bran (assuming he has use of his legs) to Myrcella, and Rickon's too young to consider.

A natural alliance between the North and Dorne actually makes more sense that you would think. Granted they are too far apart to launch an attack on the same battlefront, but they could trap pretty much any Southern region in a two front war (think an entire war resembling the Hammer & Anvil battle) if it came to that. Granted one of the Sand Snakes isnt a HUGE amount of influence, but its better than nothing.

Again, Robb marrying Asha would be best but Balon being Balon i cant see it happening. Politically Robb to Alys doesnt really do much since the Karskarks are already aligned with the Starks but still.

[Penguin king]

One thing that I do find interesting is if Jon hadn't joined the NW, would Ned have tried to find a match for him and create a "bastard house" in the North?

Jon would probably be the Perfect match for Dacey Mormont. Yes she's a few years older than him, and being a Bastard carries a bit of a stigma, but he's still Ned's son, and Jon being a bastard means their children would get to keep the Mormont family name. Maege would probably approve.

[eggs]

I don't think Ned was a fan of those marriages outside the North, especially after he saw how much grief and death they caused his family during Robert's rebellion. That being said, I agree to a large extent with Bright Blue Eyes' suggestions, with one sidenote: If Robb was to marry any southern girl, it would've been Myrcella - I can't imagine any reason that Ned would want to wed his heir to Margaery. If he was to marry a northern girl - there are quite a few Mormonts to go around, too (obviously not the oldest one though, since she was the heir to Bear Island). And then there is Meera Reed - the daughter of Ned's closest friend.

what grief did they cause? Im pretty sure Rickards southern ambitions saved Ned's ass.

[Corvo Attano]

I would marry Jon to Mya Stone.

[Rhaegarsjoy]

I wasn't talking about Sansa. I meant one of Stark's children. Notice I said "Edmure's child", we don't even have the sex.

Of all the ppl in westeros why would they marry their first cousin, the Starks are not Targs or lannisters.

[TheCrannogDweller]

what grief did they cause? Im pretty sure Rickards southern ambitions saved Ned's ass.

I'm pretty sure that Lyanna's betrothal to Robert and her acquaintance with Rhaegar (the latter being more or less a by-product of Brandon's engagement to Cat) pretty much set up the Rebellion and led to the deaths of Ned's father, brother and sister, along with many others.

well the Tyrells are a powerhouse.

The Tyrells are southerners, with almost no ties to the North, and with an ambition towards the Iron Throne. Margaery would've probably still married Renly, IMO.

[Ice Turtle]

what grief did they cause? Im pretty sure Rickards southern ambitions saved Ned's ass.

Ehm Robert/Lyanna fiasco?

Anyway: Robb wouldn't be marrying Wynafred she is a heir that would cause a lot o complications, Wylla on the other hand is a perfect candidate, Alys Karstark and most of Mormont girl would also do or some girls from Riverlands and Vale like a Royce, Blackwood, Bracken would do. Myrcella too.

Sansa: If not Joffrey, Willas, or HtH once he became heir would do, or even heir of some prominent House from the North, Riverlands or Vale.

I don't think Cat would agree with betrothal between any of her daughters and Sweetrobin if she ever met him.

Arya: would be trouble, maybe Ned Dayne, Trystane or Hosteen would do. I don't think she would necessarily marry a hair.

Bran: If he wouldn't become member of KG then probably a girl from lesser house. As long as Robb would be alive Myrcella would be way out of his league.

Jon Snow: Mormont or Meera Reed

[Penguin king]

Of all the ppl in westeros why would they marry their first cousin, the Starks are not Targs or lannisters.

First cousin marriage really isn't that big a deal historically. It was legal in all US states before the American cival war, and it's still legal in the vast majority of the world. Unless it's continually practiced over many generations it doesn't really provide much of a genetic problem.

[Rhaegarsjoy]

I can see the tyrells marrying their sons into their cousins with better claim to highgarden or tywin to get some land or tittle but NED n CAT looking to sweet robin or edmure kids I just can't see that.

[not in the face]

Would Renly & Loras still be plotting to replace Cersei with Margeary in this scenario?

[eggs]

I'm pretty sure that Lyanna's betrothal to Robert and her acquaintance with Rhaegar (the latter being more or less a by-product of Brandon's engagement to Cat) pretty much set up the Rebellion and led to the deaths of Ned's father, brother and sister, along with many others.

What? Lyanna being engaged to Robert didnt cause any problems.

The Tyrells are southerners, with almost no ties to the North, and with an ambition towards the Iron Throne. Margaery would've probably still married Renly, IMO.

Well I didnt say it would happen. I was giving the reason as to why Ned would want to marry in.

[Penguin king]

I can see the tyrells marrying their sons into their cousins with better claim to highgarden or tywin to get some land or tittle but NED n CAT looking to sweet robin or edmure kids I just can't see that.

I agree that neither match is very likely. Sweet Robin is too sickly to make a good match, and Edmure seems pretty loyal to his family anyway.

Would Renly & Loras still be plotting to replace Cersei with Margeary in this scenario?

Probably, given the scenario I laid out, but don't let it stop you making matches with them. The details of the scenario aren't so important, all that really matters is that the realm is at peace, so that war and death don't get in the way of the matchmaking ;)

[TheCrannogDweller]

What? Lyanna being engaged to Robert didnt cause any problems.

That's debatable. I myself think that the Tully-Stark-Arryn-Baratheon unions had an effect similar to the alliances of the European countries on the eve of World War I.

I was giving the reason as to why Ned would want to marry in.

I don't think Ned was ever playing for power. I think he would've preferred the North to go back to its traditional isolationism, and leave the southerners to their own devices.

[Bright Blue Eyes]

Again, Robb marrying Asha would be best but Balon being Balon i cant see it happening. Politically Robb to Alys doesnt really do much since the Karskarks are already aligned with the Starks but still.

Not at all. Asha is almost ten years older than Robb. That's a big disadvantage since her time to birth heirs is cut in half and the second half at that, with all the health problems a 30+ (or even 40+) year old mother could cause for a child.