Why Are The Boltons Keeping Theon Alive?

[Morienthar]

For Fun and I think Ramsay needs a Reek to survive.

[The Pain Yak]

Roose kept Theon alive for Ramsay, as well as so Theon could hand away 'Arya Stark' and make the charade seem that much more real. After that, Roose doesn't want to kill Theon and thereby take away Ramsay's pet Reek. I mean, he could, but I'm guessing his son is more controllable when he has a plaything.

[Mrs_Darcy]

I understand the value of Theon to House Bolton in that he is the only one who knows that the Stark boys are still alive, but that is precisely why Theon should have been killed from the outset. Theon being alive has cost Roose more than he is worth. Torturing him has not produced Bran and Rickon and now he is going to blab to Stannis that they are still alive, evaporating Roose's claim to Winterfell and the North.

Can anyone really give a good reason for exactly why they decided to spare Theon's life? It just seems like they would have had him executed because he knows too much....

At first I thought the same. The knowledge that Theon has (not just the survival of the two youngest Stark boys but additionally the fact, that it was Ramsay who killed the lords of House Cerwyn, Tallhart and Ser Rodrik Cassel ) could be very dangerous for the Boltons.

Then I stumbled on a post in the Northern conspiracy thread and my opinion changed.

From what a clansman of house Liddle tells the Stark boys, when they are hiding in a cave, it seems Bolton men were asking after Bran and Rickon after the burning of Winterfell and offered to pay money for information.

That should have a lot of people suspicious.

Additionally, since some soldiers of the houses Tallhart, Manderly and Cerwyn survived the battle of Winterfell, the fact that it was actually Ramsay who sacked the castle seems to be no secret at all.

So the Boltons have not so much to lose, since the information Theon could give is either widely known (sack of Winterfell) or at least suspected (Stark heirs alive).

[Prince of Dragonstone]

I'd imagine that if Roose ordered Theon to be killed, Ramsay would pretend he did the deed and then keep the real Theon locked away in secret somewhere. As sick as it is, I find their relationship to be one of the most compelling in the series. It's almost as if Ramsay is in love with Reek on some dark level. He cannot go anywhere without his pet, not even his bride's bed chambers at Winterfell. He actually needed Reek's presence in the bed chamber...sick, sick, sick.

[Jamie Lannister]

I honestly think Roose just doesn't care. He didn't go out of his way to be cruel to Theon (he even offered him a bath, some proper clothes, and casual conversation), but by the same token he's completely impassive about Theon's shattered state when Lady Dustin inquires.

Theon still has use to the Boltons though. They needed a witness to vouch for "Arya" being the real deal, and he was the only person on hand who could do it.

Now I think of it... wasn't that exactly what Theon fears? That now he's outlived his usefulness, Roose will just give him back to Ramsay and leave him to whatever grisly fate awaits him?

[binga]

He is still heir to something or the other under the right conditions.

[jarl the climber]

My take is that they kept him living because they needed hin to give away Arya at the wedding and because he has a claim to the Iron Islands, which might be valuable. Roose indicated that even if he did kill him he would want something for it from the current ruler of the Iron Islands for removing him and his claim. The Boltons having him as their lapdog shows their power and what they do to their enemies.

[SerJeremiahLouistark]

Because they are sick, twisted, horrible people.

[young.wolf]

But Theon's life is no longer in their hands, he's Stannis' captive now and possibly about to be executed before a heart tree