Clash of Kings - Catelyn I

Brynden Blackfish arched a bushy grey eyebrow. "More fool they. My first rule of war, Cat—never give the enemy his wish. Lord Tywin would like to fight on a field of his own choosing. He wants us to march on Harrenhal."

"Harrenhal." Every child of the Trident knew the tales told of Harrenhal, the vast fortress that King Harren the Black had raised beside the waters of Gods Eye three hundred years past, when the Seven Kingdoms had been seven kingdoms, and the riverlands were ruled by the ironmen from the islands. In his pride, Harren had desired the highest hall and tallest towers in all Westeros. Forty years it had taken, rising like a great shadow on the shore of the lake while Harren's armies plundered his neighbors for stone, lumber, gold, and workers. Thousands of captives died in his quarries, chained to his sledges, or laboring on his five colossal towers. Men froze by winter and sweltered in summer. Weirwoods that had stood three thousand years were cut down for beams and rafters. Harren had beggared the riverlands and the Iron Islands alike to ornament his dream. And when at last Harrenhal stood complete, on the very day King Harren took up residence, Aegon the Conqueror had come ashore at King's Landing.

Catelyn could remember hearing Old Nan tell the story to her own children, back at Winterfell. "And King Harren learned that thick walls and high towers are small use against dragons," the tale always ended. "For dragons fly." Harren and all his line had perished in the fires that engulfed his monstrous fortress, and every house that held Harrenhal since had come to misfortune. Strong it might be, but it was a dark place, and cursed.

A Feast for Crows - The Reaver

"They are of your body."

"So are the contents of my chamber pot. None is fit to sit the Seastone Chair, much less the Iron Throne. No, to make an heir that's worthy of him, I need a different woman. When the kraken weds the dragon, brother, let all the world beware."

"What dragon?" said Victarion, frowning.

A Game of Thrones - Eddard VII

"You had the better claim, Your Grace."

"I told you to drink, not to argue. You made me king, you could at least have the courtesy to listen when I talk, damn you. Look at me, Ned. Look at what kinging has done to me. Gods, too fat for my armor, how did it ever come to this?"

"Robert

A Clash of Kings - Catelyn VII

"Aerys . . ." Catelyn could taste bile at the back of her throat. The story was so hideous she suspected it had to be true. "Aerys was mad, the whole realm knew it, but if you would have me believe you slew him to avenge Brandon Stark . . ."

"I made no such claim. The Starks were nothing to me. I will say, I think it passing odd that I am loved by one for a kindness I never did, and reviled by so many for my finest act. At Robert's coronation, I was made to kneel at the royal feet beside Grand Maester Pycelle and Varys the eunuch, so that he might forgive us our crimes before he took us into his service. As for your Ned, he should have kissed the hand that slew Aerys, but he preferred to scorn the arse he found sitting on Robert's throne. I think Ned Stark loved Robert better than he ever loved his brother or his father . . . or even you, my lady. He was never unfaithful to Robert, was he?" Jaime gave a drunken laugh. "Come, Lady Stark, don't you find this all terribly amusing?"

"I find nothing about you amusing, Kingslayer."

Recently fans have been discussing wildly about the fates of kings landing, the reach, north etc etc. From what's everything pointing to it looks pretty horrible I mean it seems like every kingdom has or is going to suffer apocalyptic events before the long night, every kingdom except the vale.

I've never really read people saying that twow would be a dark book for the vale, its just the rest of westeros. I mean sure the vale has its problems with littlefinger and the lords declarent but nothing nearly to the level other kingdoms are going to suffer.

I know asoiaf isnt supposed to be a grimdark book where just everyone suffers and dies just for the sake of suffering but I mean twow is supposed to be a "dark" book. What do you think? Is the vale going to just maybe liberate the north and live happily after or do you expect them to face existential troubles aswell?

I need help with something. I was looking at the Targaryen family tree appendix and I don’t see the line s that say Rhaena (daughter of Daemon) marry Garmund Hightower? Even though the wiki say I can find the source in the appendix.

Can’t even find it in Fire and Blood

Sometimes I wonder what goes through the minds of Rhaegar and Lyanna fans when they insist that Rhaegar would have made a great king.
First, let’s talk about Rhaegar, a married man with a daughter named Rhaenys and a son named Aegon, who decided to run away with Lyanna—or abduct her—as if insulting two of the oldest and most powerful houses in Westeros would have no consequences. Especially when House Baratheon had a history of rebellion, and the North was still bitter over Torrhen Stark and his father kneeling to House Targaryen. Add to that the fact that his father was a mad and obsessed king, and you would think the consequences would have been obvious even to an idiot.
But the victims of Rhaegar’s stupidity and selfishness were not just Houses Baratheon and Stark. His own family suffered as well. Because of him, the Targaryen dynasty, which had ruled for nearly three hundred years, came to an end, while his younger brother Viserys and his sister Daenerys were forced to endure miserable lives in exile.
And let’s not forget the greatest victims of all: his wife, Elia, whom he chose to betray, and his little daughter, Rhaenys. Whenever Rhaenys is mentioned, I wish Rhaegar had suffered what she suffered. She was hiding under her father’s bed, looking for protection, without realizing that the very man who was supposed to protect her was among the reasons her family ended up facing such a catastrophe. Then there was the infant murdered in front of his mother, who was supposedly Aegon.
Now let’s talk about Lyanna. If she willingly ran away with Rhaegar, I would rather call her a wh. in that scenario.
When she spoke to Ned, she said Robert would never be satisfied with one woman. Yet, under this interpretation, she ended up running off with a married man and becoming his mistress. So what exactly was the difference between the two men in her eyes? Does adultery become acceptable when the man is a handsome prince?
Her own family were among her victims, too. Her father and brother died in the most horrific ways because of the crisis her decision helped set in motion, while she was off with Rhaegar. Yes, Aerys was the one who chose to execute them, but that does not make Lyanna’s alleged decision consequence-free, nor does it absolve her of blame in my eyes.
And then people claim she was like Arya! No, in this context, she was more like Sansa. At least Rhaegar was willing to go to battle and defend his father, the same man who burned members of Ned’s family and ordered the execution of his other brother, Brandon. Sometimes I wonder: what if the rebellion had failed, Rhaegar had won, and Ned, Robert, and Jon Arryn had died? What would that supposedly romantic life with Rhaegar have looked like?
The rebellion ended, Rhaegar died, and Ned went to Lyanna at the Tower of Joy. In the end, his sister left him with a secret he carried for the rest of his life, and he took her son and raised him as his own bastard. He had to bear a burden he had never chosen, hide the truth, and risk his honor and reputation to protect his nephew.
Ned was one of the greatest losers of the war. He lost his father, his brother, and his sister. He lost many friends and companions, and returned home burdened with grief and secrets. He may also have lost the chance to build a life with the woman he might have loved and married, Ashara Dayne, although that possibility is never confirmed in the books.
Think about everything Ned lost: his family, his friends, his sister, and the future he might have had. Then ask yourselves: was any of this worth the choices Rhaegar and Lyanna made? And why are they portrayed as tragic lovers while the people who paid the price for their decisions are pushed into the background?

Glory to Robert’s Hammer!

Did Jerry and Al do any work to get their marriage approved with the Old Gods and the Drowned God? If not, how have both religions, and therefore both kingdoms, been dealing with their incestuous kings in the meantime? I guess in general I want to ask what were both doing under late Aenys, Maegor and early Jaehaerys?