Hello, everyone!
As you may or may not know, Wars and Politics of Ice and Fire has its own Tumblr page (as well as its own Twitter and Facebook pages). Even more excitingly, we here at the blog have partnered with ASOIAF University to answer questions about A Song of Ice and Fire. We – that is, SomethingLikeaLawyer and I – take the text-based questions submitted to us, write up thoughtful, text-based answers, and publish these answers on the Tumblr.
Another productive week for us in the Tumblr-verse. The Hand always has the best answers to meta questions because he is all kinds of brilliant, and his answer to favorite aspects of ASOIAF warfare is no exception. Just as well, the Hand tackled the false assertion that the Freys were justified in enacting the Red Wedding, and dreamed up some excellent alternate histories about Aegon IV dying before the follies of his reign and Jaime Lannister protecting Elia Martell. As for me, I wrote another essay – The Windblown Grass, all about terrible strategist Doran Martell – thought up some Blackfyre words, and added a defining character moment for Theon to Tumblr friend Poor Quentyn’s excellent post to the same.
Without further ado, here’s The Ravenry for the week of March 7:
- SomethingLikeaLawyer doubts Silverwing ever grew larger than Balerion
- NFriel highlights the problems of asserting Gendry or Edric Storm at a new Great Council
- NFriel breaks down potential brides for the would-be Aegon VI
- NFriel considers how Vaemond and Daeron Velaryons were related
- NFriel imagines potential House words for the Blackfyres
- SomethingLikeaLawyer organizes the timeline of when the Westerling-Lannister alliance was formed
- SomethingLikeaLawyer indicates the lack of suspicion that Aegon is specifically a Blackfyre
- NFriel wonders if Aerys II would have sent some of his children to the Faith or Citadel provided they all lived
- SomethingLikeaLawyer discusses his favorite aspects of warfare in ASOIAF
- NFriel outlines her ideas for the last two chapters of TWOW
- SomethingLikeaLawyer foresees the consequences of Aegon IV dying before or early into his reign
- SomethingLikeaLawyer confirms Rhaegar’s re-forming of the Conquest generation as “fanon”
- SomethingLikeaLawyer briefly notes what Robert would do if told about the incest on his deathbed
- SomethingLikeaLawyer disagrees that the Freys were justified for the Red Wedding
- NFriel looks at whether Baelor the Blessed controlled a dragon
- NFriel examines the relationship between Aegon III and Daenaera Velaryon
- SomethingLikeaLawyer emphasizes Renly’s political strategy for his denial of the Lannister incest
- SomethingLikeaLawyer visualizes what Balon might have done differently to the Robb offer of alliance
- NFriel explains why Euron could make an attractive husband for Daenerys
- NFriel adds a defining character moment for Theon
- SomethingLikeaLawyer offers his favorite Bittersteel-related theory
- SomethingLikeaLawyer, as Hoster Tully, whips Walder Frey into line as his vassal
- NFriel talks about Season 6 and spoilers for the future
- SomethingLikeaLawyer briefly spells out why no riverlord built another bridge to combat the Twins
- SomethingLikeaLawyer briefly affirms ASOIAF cultural dissonance
- NFriel predicts the result of the Great Council of 101 AC if Alysanne were present
- SomethingLikeaLawyer rationalizes Varys’ counseling Aerys not to open his gates
- NFriel presumes personal recommendations inform the selection of far-flung small council members
- SomethingLikeaLawyer finds hiring a Faceless Man to kill Aegon I problematic
- SomethingLikeaLawyer analyzes why Daeron II loved Baelor the Blessed
- SomethingLikeaLawyer backs his point of Stannis not leaving the North
- NFriel hypothesizes what Aegon I would do if both of his children were girls
- NFriel investigates the point of Lady Stoneheart in the story
- NFriel traces Valyrian descent in Westerosi houses
- SomethingLikeaLawyer surveys Aegon’s involvement in the Pentos-Tyrosh war against Volantis
- SomethingLikeaLawyer briefly agrees that a woman’s taking vows would legally end her marriage
- SomethingLikeaLawyer pictures how the Greyjoys were chosen as the Iron Islands overlords
- NFriel underlines the problems of Rhaenyra’s reign even if she ascended “unopposed”
- NFriel reviews Westerosi genetics in relation to Rhaenyra’s Velaryon sons
- SomethingLikeaLawyer describes why the Yronwoods backed the Blackfyres
- SomethingLikeaLawyer envisions the Greyjoy Rebellion’s war councils
- SomethingLikeaLawyer believes Daemon did mock the death of Viserys’ newborn son
- SomethingLikeaLawyer contemplates how Daeron II would be remembered had he lost to the Blackfyres
- SomethingLikeaLawyer places Domeric Bolton in Robb’s wolfsguard had he lived
- SomethingLikeaLawyer sheds light on Tywin’s pursuit of Robb toward the west
- SomethingLikeaLawyer hypothesizes what would happen if post-kinglsaying Jaime went to protect Elia and her children
- SomethingLikeaLawyer judges when a feudal contract can likely be rewritten
- SomethingLikeaLawyer asserts that Margaery would make a fine queen in ordinary circumstances
- NFriel details why Rhaenys’ bones were never returned to the Targaryens
- NFriel enumerates green options of Alicent only had a girl
- NFriel verifies that a ruling lady could use non-consummation to annul a marriage
- NFriel studies ironborn-mainland marriages and R’hllorite marriage ceremonies
- NFriel suspects Jon’s Targaryen identity will remain largely unknown
- NFriel guesses what might have become of Aegon II’s and Aemond’s illegitimate children
- SomethingLikeaLawyer anticipates the Golden Company getting ka-boomed
- NFriel assesses the future of guest right sacredness
- SomethingLikeaLawyer briefly challenges the notion that the end of Drowned God worship would be the end of ironborn reaving
- NFriel inspects Citadel admission and study policies
- NFriel suggests a theological origin for the story of Elenei’s parents
- SomethingLikeaLawyer shows how secrecy of the Dornish Targaryen restoration plot affected the Aegon plot
- SomethingLikeaLawyer cites the many causes of the decline of Viking raiding culture
- SomethingLikeaLawyer world-builds some geographic changes to ASOIAF
- NFriel foretells the repercussions of the granting of Brightwater Keep
- NFriel names the most sadistic Targaryen
- SomethingLikeaLawyer clarifies his Hoster scheme
As always, we love to hear your text-based questions, so if you have a burning question about ASOIAF, click this link to send us a raven.
Be safe and make good choices,
The Queen Regent (NFriel)
Wars and Politics of Ice and Fire 
A comment on “SomethingLikeaLawyer briefly affirms ASOIAF cultural dissonance”.
In the parallel era in the actual history, the situation was somewhat similar. Only city states and fringe societies in barely habitable lands tended to be democratic, because nobody at that time knew how to build a democracy at large scale like we have today. Monarchy was the only game in town when it came to organizing large countries. It was a hard problem to crack.
I fully believe Jon will sit on the Iron Throne when all is said and done, who would be left by the time the dust settles? He’ll be partly compelled to in order to unite the realm behind his efforts against the Others, being resurrected might change him personality wise, and his existence will blow a hole in Stannis’ messiah story and cause quite a bit of controversy when he gets back, which btw is not something that can be hushed up, especially if Mel gets behind him as Azor Ahai/the Prince that was Promised. Also, no one will dispute Jon’s claim if he makes it on the back of a dragon….