George R.R. Martin's A DANCE WITH DRAGONS - Spoiled Discussion

[Winslow]

... I often wonder what Varys and Illyrio's plans with Viserys were.

I think it was just a contingency. That is, when playing the game of thrones, it's better to have two heirs than one. Splitting them up would increase the odds of having at least one successor.

[the_coldest_sun]

I'm starting to believe Viserys was to be the test run or first wave. He had a pact to marry Arianne Martell and bring the Dornish armies into the mix, so he wasn't completely useless to Varys and Illyrio's plans (did they even know about that or was it the dead knight Darry that set it up?). Viserys could have lead the first attack for the Iron Throne and if he would've won, Varys and Illyrio would have the perfect puppet king and if he was to be a problem (or when the time was right), they could reveal Aegon the "true" heir to replace him. Similar to what Littlefinger suggested to Ned Stark before betraying him. Make peace among the realm, support Joffery's claim and if he became a problem, reveal his true parentage and unseat him with Renly. It's all about having a king the puppetmaster could control. If Viserys couldn't win the Iron Throne, at least he would get the ball rolling. Unfortunately, that never happened.

Now its Aegon starting the attack, with Daenerys to eventually follow. I think that works in her favor somehow.

[Superbeast]

Has anyone considered that Illyrio spoilers:

may be of House Dayne and Blackfyre, hence why his hair darkened with age? We know there is a missing son Dayne who fathered Edric Dayne and on the other side of the family there is a daughter called Allyria and we've seen how their naming practices work. Perhaps he left intentionally to protect Aegon from a Targaryen purge under Robert. Daena Targaryen became pregnant and refused to name the father so perhaps Aegon is Daena and Aegon's bastard Illyrio took charge of when the Backfyres fled to the Free Cities and turned to him for support.

end of spoilers

It might also bring the legendary Lightbringer into play for the eventual emergence of the spoilers:

Azor Ahai if the Dawn sword that's a Dornish legacy weapon is in fact it and Illyrio could use family ties to access it.

end of spoilers

[Captain Clarkie]

Stannis will be King. Dany, Jon, Aegon, they'll all exhaust themselves against the Others, and Stannis will betray and kill them all. Henry Tudor style.

[vampiric_cannibal]

Stannis will be King. Dany, Jon, Aegon, they'll all exhaust themselves against the Others, and Stannis will betray and kill them all. Henry Tudor style.

I suspect that will be the case. The lord that changes sides and chooses the winner of the final battle will be a Frey, Tyrion (why not?), Jon or, probably, a Martell. Possibly a leader of the many mercenaries that will descend on Westeros.

[Winslow]

Stannis will be King. Dany, Jon, Aegon, they'll all exhaust themselves against the Others, and Stannis will betray and kill them all. Henry Tudor style.

But then Bran, warging through the infamous Black Tom Cat, slices Stannis' throat in his sleep. And the "Children of the Forest" reclaim theri rightful place when Arya leads a pack of ravenous wolves and an army of "Little People" down from the North. Her wolf is called Nemeria for a prophetic reason!

[Blueferret]

Stannis will be King. Dany, Jon, Aegon, they'll all exhaust themselves against the Others, and Stannis will betray and kill them all. Henry Tudor style.

I think you're right. Martin has admitted that the books reflect the War of the Roses.

[Blue Blazes!]

Wow ... 50 pages of Comments ...

[the_coldest_sun]

Wow ... 50 pages of Comments ...

That's nothing compared to the original A Song of Ice & Fire thread that got deleted with the message board change-over. That thread was just as long as the book series itself (exaggerated for effect but not far off).

[Puma]

amusing & true

[Inkthinker]

Hah. Nice to see those guys get a proper video. Still hilarious. :D

[Jared]

Yep, that's the general idea.

Although I go back and forth on whether or not the Seven have any power anywhere, North or South. The Stranger seems to be "real," but the rest . . .

When he was stranded on a rock, Davos heard the Mother's voice right before he rescuers appeared.

I wonder if the R'hllor and The Seven (who are one) are really just different takes on the same entity. Melisandre would recoil at the thought, but it does make a certain sense. R'llor is the Lord of Light, and light through prism splits into seven colors. Prisms are common decorations in septs for that reason.
One might also equate the Great Other with the Drowned God, mostly cuz both come across as religions for evil people.

Also, to be an Others "zombie," do you have to be killed by The Others?

Apparently not. The wildlings were burning all their dead for precisely this reason. You never know when one might get back up.

[AdA]

Stannis will be King. Dany, Jon, Aegon, they'll all exhaust themselves against the Others, and Stannis will betray and kill them all. Henry Tudor style.

There is a lot of talk when Cersei is POVing about a prophecy that she would only be beaten by a woman prettier than herself. I think GRRM is setting the stage for a big Danny vs Cersei finale. My bet is that once Stannis fnds out all about Danny, he will take her side. ( she is fire and legit heir, after all...) The big ending will see Danny and the Red woman riding Dragons and providing air support for a force led by Stannis, launching a final assault against the last stand of the Lanisters. Before that, they will vanquish the Others.

[Vibranium]

I dont buy that....red #$%^ needs to die

[Inkthinker]

Tyrion will be the one who kills Cersei. It's been prophesied since early on.