#; and doubly aware him being there means bad things for jon

[nobodysuspectsthebutterfly]

If the Stark children were to be married to Stark banner men (like many Stark did before) who do you think they would marry (I hope you understand the question!) :)

Even in a world where the plot of ASOIAF never happens, I don’t think the Stark children ever would have all married northern bannermen. I mean, look at the Stark family tree – even in generations where boys were marrying daughters of bannermen, girls were being sent to the Vale and Stormlands. And Blackwood brides went north more than once, a Royce too. In this generation, particularly with Catelyn’s southern connections, Sansa almost certainly would have gone south (to the Riverlands or Vale if not further), and probably Bran too (especially with his dreams of knighthood). You can see some ideas along those lines here and here.

But let’s assume for some reason Ned Stark is in a super-isolationist mode, and prefers to neither import nor export brides. So let’s look at the eligible young people of the North, see who’s out there. I’m going to use how old they’d be in 300AC as a baseline because it’s easiest for math, although even Robb and Jon and Sansa would very probably marry after that date (yes, Robb and Jon would be 17, but boys usually marry later, and Sansa’s only 14 and girls normally marry after adulthood at 16, not immediately after menarche). Also since the plot doesn’t happen, anyone who died past the start of AGOT is still alive in this AU.

House Bolton: Roose (50s, widowed, but lol no Ned’s not giving him one of his daughters), Domeric (20s, but dead in 297, so nope), Ramsay Snow (20s, but fuck no) – none of these

House Cassel: Jory (20s), Beth (11) – nobleborn, if not a major house, but Wintefell courtiers. Not super likely as marriage material, but they can’t be entirely ignored. But if Jory marries, it would likely be before the girls are eligible, so nope for him. Beth has a slight possibility for Bran, though.

House Cerwyn: Cley (15) is possible for Sansa or Arya. However, his sister Jonelle is a maid past thirty, very unlikely to marry anyone.

House Condon: House of the famed Ser Kyle Condon. May be sworn to House Cerwyn, so I’d put them as not highborn enough to be an option.

House Flint: Robin is in his 40s, so probably a nope here.

House Glover: Not a lordly house, a masterly one, but still. Galbart is in his 40s/50s and unmarried, dunno why, but therefore doubly no here. His nephew, Gawen (5) is too young for Arya even. Erena (newborn in 300AC) has a chance for Rickon, maybe.

House Hornwood: Daryn (~20?) is betrothed to Alys Karstark, and they’d be married before 300AC in this AU, so nope. Larence Snow (14) - a bastard, so nope again.

House Karstark: Alys (15) is with Daryn Hornwood. However, her brothers Harrion, Torrhen, and Eddard (~20ish-teens?) all have chances with Sansa or Arya. Especially since Lord Rickard is very social climbing (he’d hoped he could get a betrothal between Alys and Robb when she was 6 for goodness sake), I can definitely see him bugging Ned about the girls later on. Their cousins (Arnolf Karstark’s three grandsons) probably don’t have a chance in hell, though.

House Locke: I don’t know a thing about Ser Donnel so I’ll just say no.

House Manderly: Wendel (40s) is unmarried, dunno why, but probably for reasons, so (besides his age, and things) let’s say no again. Wynafryd (19) and Wylla (15) have a definite chance for Robb, however.

House Mollen: Hallis (20s) is again a Winterfell courtier, probably unlikely for Ned’s girls (also a bit too old).

House Mormont: Dacey (older 20s), Alysane (20s), Lyra (late teens-20s?), Jorelle (teens), Lyanna (10) – look, I love the Mormont women, I do. But nobody knows who Maege’s daughters’ father is. (/fathers are?) Alysane already also has two kids, again without a father in sight. Fan favorites, yes, but marriage material for Robb or Bran or Rickon? Not bloody likely. Maybe Jon might look to Bear Island if Ned stops angsting long enough to help him with his future, though.

House Poole: Jeyne (14ish) – like the Cassels and Mollens, lower-level noble; not likely for Robb, but Jon is a chance, though Vayon probably thinks she can do much better than a bastard. (In a world where Sansa goes south, or in one where Sansa does marry the crown prince but he’s not Joffrey or at least not an asshole and the plot doesn’t happen, Jeyne probably marries a lord’s son, maybe not an heir, but up there.)

House Reed: Meera (17) and Jojen (14) – very good chances with any of the older Stark kids, especially considering Ned’s friendship with Howland.

House Ryswell: the three Ryswell sons are in their 30s-40s, most likely; don’t know their marriage status, but I’m just going to say no anyway. Though they might have kids of the right ages, mind you, but none are listed yet, oh well.

House Tallhart: not a lordly house, but a masterly one, but still, Torrhen’s Square is an important location in the North. So Benfred (19ish) is possible for Sansa, and his sister Eddara (9) is possible for Bran; also their cousins Brandon (15) and Beren (10) have a possibility with Sansa or Arya, but less so since they’re sons of a younger son.

House Umber: Jon “Smalljon” (20s?) and also his brothers and sisters (unnamed) have some potential for the Starks.

House Flint of the Mountains: No idea how old Donnel or Artos are, or whether they’re single, or anything; they’re old enough to go to war and lead men, that’s all.

House Liddle: Same with Morgan (Middle Liddle) or Rickard (Little Liddle)

House Norrey: And same with Brandon and Owen, sorry

Also note there may be other unnamed girls of the mountain clans’ lordly families, and the crannogmen too, or heck even Skagosi, but since I don’t know any details about them, I can’t factor them in for anything.

So, for Robb: Wynafryd or Wylla Manderly, or Meera Reed, or possibly an Umber girl. Of these, Wynafryd seems likely to be her father’s heir, so marrying another heir is not that probable. (Possibly the reason she’s still unmarried at 19, Wyman trying to find the best match for his granddaughter, the future Lady of White Harbor?) Wylla is a bit more possible, though. But I really think Meera is the most likely option for Robb’s bride, especially because of Ned and Howland Reed’s connection.

Jon: this is complicated, because Jon at age 14 apparently had no idea if Ned had any plans for him, hence his consideration of the Night’s Watch because “what place could a bastard hope to earn” otherwise. Which means Jon was not aware of any betrothal offers Ned was getting, if any. And that’s because Jon, to everyone, is a bastard, and even nobleborn acknowledged bastards don’t get those options. And I thoroughly doubt Ned would reveal Jon’s secret parentage to anyone just to get him married – even if he tells Jon in confidence one day, it would be no doubt with the promise not to tell anyone ever. So, if Jon doesn’t go to the Night’s Watch, then he doesn’t have a lot of options for a bride; most nobles would only consider him if they have a lot of daughters and are running low on dowry money, or if the girl is shamed somehow (was publicly known to not be a virgin, basically). So of the known noble girls Jon’s age in the North, honestly I can only see him with one of the middle Mormont girls, Lyra or Jorelle. Or maybe a northern clansman’s daughter wouldn’t be too picky, or maybe even a younger Umber girl (they like their men tough, y’know). But most likely Jon still goes to the Night’s Watch.

Sansa: If she’s not going south, then Catelyn would accept no less for her than a lord’s heir, and preferably one of the highest born houses of the North. Jojen Reed is a strong possibility here, but if Robb’s marrying Meera, then it wouldn’t look right to again favor House Reed with the eldest (and most traditionally beautiful) daughter. (Sansa probably wouldn’t like the swamps of the Neck, anyway.) Cley Cerwyn is a good choice, Smalljon Umber probably isn’t bad… but honestly I think the most likely option is Harrion “Harry” Karstark. (Who’s hopefully not that old, and Alys is a good person who seems to think well of her brothers, so a recommendation there. And yes, this is another Harry for Sansa, heh.) Not only would it reaffirm the familial connection between the Starks and Karstarks (useful because of their significant strategic location at Karhold), but it would also make Rickard less grumpy about Alys never having a real chance with Robb. Mind you Harry isn’t a knight (and Sansa does love her knights), but in the North it’s harder to find them to begin with. Benfred Tallhart’s father is a knight, so he might be one eventually, but the Tallharts aren’t lords, so I’m thinking Cat would be “nope” there. Sansa will just deal, oh well.

Arya: Here we run into Arya’s less… pliant personality – however, Ned was the one who said she needed to learn court manners before she wed, so… that almost certainly still happens. (Especially since Arya will gain a “wild beauty” as she ages.) Again, Cley Cerwyn is a good choice, with the benefit that Castle Cerwyn is very close to Winterfell so they often visit the Starks, so Arya wouldn’t lose her closeness to her family. Jojen Reed also has potential, as does Beren Tallhart… but if Meera’s for Robb, again that probably puts Jojen out, and Beren’s the second son of a second son so I doubt Ned and Cat would consider him (unless it’s a love match, then maybe). Possibly it might be good for Arya to consider the mountain clans (where her namesake, her great-grandmother Arya Flint came from), but I don’t know any names of noble boys her age there.

Bran: Eddara Tallhart is the only girl we know of the right age who’s nobleborn enough, really. Beth Cassel might not be highborn enough… though maybe since Bran’s a second son who’s likely just getting a towerhouse to manage and make a cadet house there, maybe she would be, idk. Lyanna Mormont is very unlikely unless Maege’s marriage status becomes less… bearish. Wylla Manderly is a maybe, as she’s a bit too old for him and would probably already be betrothed or married by the time he comes of age to be so. And there might be other girls, Umbers or mountain clan or crannogmen, but I don’t know their names so I can’t give them as options, sorry.

Rickon: Not a lot of choice with what we know of northern children at the moment. So Erena Glover, I guess.

So, to sum up, in a world where the plot never happens and the Stark children only marry northern bannermen: Robb marries Meera Reed, Sansa marries Harrion Karstark (and eventually becomes Lady of Karhold), Arya marries Cley Cerwyn (and eventually becomes Lady of Castle Cerwyn), Bran marries Eddara Tallhart, Rickon marries Erena Glover. (And Jon either marries a Mormont girl or goes to the Night’s Watch.) Reed, Karstark, Cerwyn, Tallhart, Glover, (Mormont) – a nice mix of loyal bannermen across the north, without too much favor given to one or the other. Hope that helps!