#kitn weathers

[imherkindagirl]

weathers - kids in the night

[mera-mann-kehne-laga]

Aaj dil shaayrana Lagta hai..............

[nightswatchdisbandmentera]

I’m waking up this fine morning to do more Jon Snow posting because I’m lowkey obsessed with him, and I’m thinking about how I actually don’t want him to be the King in the North. Because I think KING OF WINTER is a much more meaningful title.

We’ve had some wonderful meta about how there’s a reversion of the Starks. The Stark kids are getting more in tune with their ancestral heritage as the story goes on. But I think Jon and Bran go even further than the rest. Both actually go way north and establish connections and relationships with groups and concepts that are historically northern. Bran will be the last greenseer and has met the CotF (a bit like the Last Hero, a northern legend). He is also the heir to Winterfell and the North; his official title is Prince of Winterfell. On the other hand, Jon is a strong warg and joins the NW, a historically northern institution; he eventually becomes it’s lord commander. He also establishes a relationship with the Wildlings (a northern ethnic group) to the extent that by ADWD, he’s the king beyond the wall in all but name. AND he’s also heir to Winterfell and the North (per the provisions of Robb’s Will).

Like ok, Jon is being positioned to have a key role in a mythical war against ice demons from the North! Again, his connections to the North and northern mythology are going crazy. Given how important this coming war is, I don’t think KiTN title does the job.

I’m thinking of the history behind the title King of Winter. So the Starks held this title for millennia but at some point decided to go by Kings in the North. I’m not too sure about when they made this change. The wiki is a little unclear. Did they always have the KiTN title as well or is that something they switched to as time went on?

My head cannon is them going by the KiTN title is actually a mistake on the Stark kings’ part. I think the first King of Winter, Bran the Builder, had a part to play in the original Long Night (maybe he was even the Last Hero). So after he built the Wall, presumably helped established the NW, and built Winterfell (the place where Winter fell!!), he installed himself as the King of Winter to assert his dominion. Then he made his house words “winter is coming” so that his descendants who would also be kings of winter would look at the house words and remember their title. It’s not just a weather forecast but a reminder, “hey kids, winter is coming so you must be prepared to defeat it as I once did!”

But then at some point, subsequent kings forgot the true meaning of the house words and their royal title. So by the time Westeros is united under Aegon I, they had switched to the much lamer Kings in the North.

But now the ice demons are back again! Can the Starks really continue to go by a title that doesn’t represent the truth of their origin? I don’t think so. They’re already going back in a sense. Robb started it after he was crowned King in the North, but I think they need to go even further back; btw Robb’s crown is the crown of the kings of winter. The remaining Starks (but more specifically Jon and Bran) have to remember that they are kings of winter. Kings who rule in the winter, kings who ruled the winter.

Given that Jon is heir to Winterfell, then he’s kinda also heir to Wintefell’s legacy. Specifically the legacy that has to do with the Long Night. It looks like a new age of heroes is upon us so Jon needs a title that actually denotes his special status. Bran too! Both of them are actually at the forefront of this fight. They’re the front line. So with their ancestor beating back winter and becoming its overlord, Bran and Jon will have to take up this new mantle and do the damn thing all over again. I don’t think it’s by mistake that both seem to have connections to the legend of the Last Hero. Bran’s are a bit stronger but we cannot discount Jon.

So we have two winter kings; one connected to spring and the other connected to summer. Both are connected to death and rebirth, and prosperity after rebirth. Both are carrying House Stark’s magical legacy in different ways that are complimentary. BTW someone needs to write something on how Jon and Bran are so deeply connected on a mythological level. Because the parallels are driving me insane!

So my point is that I hope Jon doesn’t go by the King in the North title. I much prefer King of Winter because it’s more in line with his role as a magical being; he is a magical heir. King of Winter is a magical title. Also the cool factor is just that much bigger. Imagine people saying “winter is coming” in relation to the king of winter?! And they’re saying this during an actual winter?! One that apparently decimates entire generations?!

Like Jon SNOW (!!) king of winter -> Winter is coming -> Jon Snow is a play on Jack Frost -> Jack Frost is known as Old Man Winter or the Spirit of Winter. But the difference with Jon is that he’s got that fire in him as well. He’s an entirely different beast. God I need to go sleep!! Idk what I’m saying anymore…..

TL;DR

Broke: Jon is the King in the North

Woke: Jon is the King of Winter! It’s a mythical title meant to be borne in a mythical war. Winter means death, and snow means death as well. But Jon isn’t Winter’s king because he is an agent of death. No! He is Winter’s king because is the overlord. He died, but was resurrected! He cheated death and so death has no power over him or his kingdom. Death is in subjugation to him! And because death is subjugated, then Winter must bend the knee! With Jon, it’s never about death but about rebirth!! Jon is made anew and his lands are as well! Jon is the King of Winter who brings about the spring! Praise be to our lord and savior!

[ratcatcher0325]

Hi Penn! My name's Kit and I'm probably one of your biggest fans. (And also Travis of Sticks and Stones. He's pretty amazing too). I've been following you since Seattle and I'm having a bit of a fangirl moment sending you this Ask...

OK... my question: Describe an average day in your life.

Oh, hi, @kitn-underfoot ! It’s amazing to meet you! Biggest fan you say? Since Seattle? Damn, that’s like… early days…. I was still knocking at the knees back then. Hey! Hey Trav!! You can tune that later, come here…. We’ve got our biggest fan, Kit, say hi!

Hi Kit!! Pleasure to meet you! Thanks for enjoying our stuff! Who knows, maybe we’ll stop near you on tour and we can say hi in person!

Okay you’ve said your piece, now get outta my ask inbox. Shoo! (He just rolled his eyes at me and jabbed me in the shoulder with his finger). He’s lucky I’m in a chipper mood…. I’m kidding, I love that man, I dunno what I’d do without him.

Describe an average day in my life? Hmm, it still blows my mind how much that’s changed, and so quickly too. God, I mean, the lives I’ve lived before now, compared to the one I count myself lucky to wake up to every morning??? It’s like night and day. So, I’ll give you a window into my current little slice of heaven:

Most mornings I stir awake at 11 at the absolute earliest, most often lying atop Eveline’s heart, but sometimes we switch it up and I curl up in her hand or her hair. Neither of us are big on rising early. Most of the time we snooze our alarm three and four times. Travis usually ends up having to slam on our hotel room door just to finally get us up. He loves that, I know (sorry, Trav…). One of the things I absolutely love about my life is I find myself someplace new sometimes within the span of 24 hours. We always love exploring wherever we are: see the sights, get lost, meet up with friends if we have them there. Sometimes we all hang as a group, sometimes it’s just Ev and I.

Alternatively, if the weather’s shitty or we’re tired from being on the road, we’ll just hole up in one of our hotel rooms and jam or write something or just order room service and pig out.

Then, when the sun goes down, it’s time to get to work. Sticks and Stones warms up and goes through sound check and I check my equipment backstage… then, before I know it, I’m suddenly onstage with my best friends behind me and so many wonderful friends in the making in front of me, swaying and singing along with me. I play my heart out, have fun, usually make an idiot of myself one way or another, meet people backstage, sign a million things until I’m terrified my skin is just going to permanently turn silver, and then, we crash, and I find myself settled back over the beating heart of the woman I love and we get ready to do it all again, someplace else.

Isn’t it insane that I get to claim that as my routine? Never in my life would I have thought something like that would ever be possible for someone like me. And yet, here I am, living it. It’s craziness. But…. It’s our craziness and it’s something I enjoy sharing with people like you. So… thanks for enjoying my stupidity captured in sound waves. And thanks for believing in me. It means in the world.

With love, one of Kit’s biggest fans,

Penn

[jackoshadows]

In the books:

Wex stole after the two, a woman and a boy. He must have stayed downwind, so the wolf would not catch his scent."

"He knows where they went," Lord Wyman said.

Davos understood. "You want the boy."

"Roose Bolton has Lord Eddard's daughter. To thwart him White Harbor must have Ned's son … and the direwolf. The wolf will prove the boy is who we say he is, should the Dreadfort attempt to deny him. That is my price, Lord Davos. Smuggle me back my liege lord, and I will take Stannis Baratheon as my king." - Davos, ADwD

GRRM interview:

He was asked where is Rickon and what will happen to him (a reader who forgot a part of ADWD it seems). GRRM said Rickon will appear in TWOW.

GRRM about Osha, SSM, Deeper than Swords: 26 Mar 2014 (its around the 56 min mark)

Q: Can you think of instances in seeing these portrayals, the actor’s take that gave you a new perspective?

GRRM: When Osha comes back in the books, it’s possible, I haven’t actually gotten to it yet that she will be influenced by what I’ve seen, that I will write a more interesting character.

Unicorns in TWoW, SSM: Neil DeGrasse Tyson's Startalk: 17 May 2019

Unicorns will appear in TWOW and GRRM will have a "unique" take on them

GRRM SSM,  8 Sept 2014

Q: Let us quote J. K. Rowling, queen of fantasy: “Fantasy has its own laws. Some things are prohibited. No sex near unicorns. ”

A: There are unicorns in my next book, and probably sex not far from unicorns. There's a lot of sex in "The Iron Throne" despite the dragons.

GRRM notes while writing season 4 of GOT, Vanity fair article:

Speaking of which: Martin leaves a little note for the producers when writing about Ramsay’s flesh-eating hounds, whom we see hunting down a girl for sport.

[N.B. A note for future reference. A season or two down the line Ramsay’s pack of wolfhounds are going to be sent against the Stark direwolves, so we should build up the dogs as much as possible in this and subsequent episodes]

This is the alignment of houses in the North:

Houses supporting the Boltons: Frey, Dustin and Ryswell. Manderly (Fake), Umber, Locke, Hornwood, Stout, Cerwyns, Tallharts, Slates  - all most probably not loyal to the Boltons

Northern houses with Stannis Baratheon, fighting to free Arya Stark: Mountain clans - Flints, Norreys, Wulls and Liddles, Glover, Mormont, Umber, Karstark (Fake)

Note: Manderly has promised that he will be leige lord to Stannis if Davos gets him Rickon. Many of Roose’s bannermen (Umber is seen talking to Manderly, Stout consults with Umber etc.) maybe aware of what Manderly is planning and know about Rickon Stark.

House Glover is also interesting. Sybelle Glover declares for Stannis after he defeats the Iron Born at Deepwood Motte. Robett Glover is plotting with Manderly at White Harbor with respect to Rickon.  Arya Stark helps free Robett Glover and other Northmen at Harrenhal. Galbart Glover is in the Neck with Robb’s decree legitimizing Jon Snow and naming him KITN.

This is the current weather in the North in ADwD:

“Lord Stannis is lost in the storm,” said Lady Dustin. “He’s leagues away, dead or dying. Let winter do its worst. A few more days and the snows will bury him and his army both.” - A ghost in Winterfell, ADwD

---

The first flakes came drifting down as the sun was setting in the west. By nightfall snow was coming down so heavily that the moon rose behind a white curtain, unseen. -  The Turncloak, ADwD

---

The yard was a white wilderness, full of half-heard sounds that echoed strangely amidst the storm.The icy trenches rose around them, knee high, then waist high, then higher than their heads.They were in the heart of Winterfell with the castle all around them, but no sign of it could be seen.They might have easily been lost amidst the Land of Always Winter,a thousand leagues beyond the Wall. - Theon, ADwD

---

Lord Bolton unrolled the parchment. “His host lies not three days’ ride from here, snowbound and starving, and I for one am tired of waiting on his pleasure.” - Theon, ADwD 

---

“The gods have turned against us,” old Lord Locke was heard to say in the Great Hall. “This is their wroth. A wind as cold as hell itself and snows that never end. We are cursed.” -  A Ghost in Winterfell, ADwD

---

By the ninth day of the storm, every camp saw the captains and commanders entering the king's tent wet and weary...and report their losses for the day.

The fifteenth day of the march came and went, and they had crossed less than half the distance.

On the twenty-sixth day...the last of the vegetables was consumed...On the thirty-second day, the last of the grain and fodder. - The Sacrifice, ADwD

---

Justin Massey looked up from his horsemeat. “The cold count last night reached eighty.” He pulled a piece of gristle from his teeth and flicked it to the nearest dog. “If we march, we will die by the hundreds.”

“We had eight hundred horses when we marched from Deepwood Motte. Last night the count was sixty-four.” That did not shock her. Almost all of their big destriers had failed, including Massey's own. Most of their palfreys were gone as well. Even the garrons of the northmen were faltering for want of fodder - The Sacrifice, ADwD

---

“Winter is almost upon us, boy. And winter is death. I would sooner my men die fighting for the Ned’s little girl than alone and hungry in the snow, weeping tears that freeze upon their cheeks.” - The King’s Prize, ADwD

---

We had expected to find the king at Winterfell. This same blizzard has engulfed the castle, alas. Beneath its walls we found Mors Umber with a troop of raw green boys, waiting for the king’s coming.” - The Sacrifice, ADwD

---

The snow was following heavily outside."Wind's from the south," Yarwick observed. It's blowing the snow right up against the Wall.See?

He was right.The switchback stair was buried almost to the first landing, Jon saw, and the wooden doors of the ice cells and storerooms had vanished behind a wall of white - Jon, ADwD

This is the state of things in the North before actual Winter hits, which happens at the end of ADwD. Winter is not coming anymore, it is here in the books. This is Arya warging Nymeria in the Riverlands:

Her nights were lit by distant stars and the shimmer of moonlight on snow, but every dawn she woke to darkness. 

------

"What three new things do you know, that you did not know before?"

"I know that some men are saying that Tormo Fregar will surely be the new sealord," she answered. "Some drunken men."

"Better. And what else do you know?"

It is snowing in the riverlands, in Westeros, she almost said. - The Blind Girl, ADwD

---

The castle dominated the broad fertile valley that maps and men alike called Blackwood Vale. A vale it was, beyond a doubt, but no wood had grown here for several thousand years, be it black or brown or green. Once, yes, but axes had long since cleared the trees away. Homes and mills and holdfasts had risen where once the oaks stood tall. The ground was bare and muddy, and dotted here and there with drifts of melting snow. - Jaime, ADwD

And finally KL:

"On the window seat a raven loitered, pale, huge, its feathers ruffled. It was the largest raven that Kevan Lannister had ever seen. Larger than any hunting hawk at Casterly Rock, larger than the largest owl. Blowing snow danced around it, and the moon painted it silver.

Not silver. White. The bird is white.

The white ravens of the Citadel did not carry messages, as their dark cousins did. When they went forth from Oldtown, it was for one purpose only: to herald a change of seasons.

"Winter," said Ser Kevan. The word made a white mist in the air. - epilogue, ADwD

Just a reminder that Rickon Stark and his direwolf are important and will be important in TWoW. One of the richest and most powerful houses in the North is backing Rickon Stark as Lord of Winterfell. Without Bran there, Rickon is the rightful heir to the North. Other Northerners in play include the Mountain clans marching for Arya Stark and the folks who know of and have Robb’s decree. And various Northern houses and clans are doing their own plotting to put a Stark in Winterfell.

Also a reminder that Stannis is stranded in a snow storm 3 days from Winterfell.

Marching from the Vale all the way to Winterfell in these harsh snowstorms,  with a Vale army - who have no experience with the harsh conditions of the North - is near impossible.

Davos, Rickon, Shaggydog and Osha are certainly going to get to WF faster than Sansa and an army. Rickon has an actual Direwolf - the symbol of house Stark. House Stark follows male-preference primogeniture law of inheritance.

The Vale have their own problems brewing with winter here. Aegon has landed in the Stormlands, there is trouble in the Riverlands and KL is in chaos. Is the army going to abandon the Vale and go North in the harshest Winterstorms, experiencing huge loss of lives just to get Sansa to Winterfell?

The show is not the books. Nonsensical show plots don’t belong in the books. I will let just leave GRRM’s own words here:

In a convention panel this year, George said on the record that he had no idea what they were doing with Sansa or where they’re taking her storyline, which now makes sense perhaps.

[moonflower91]

Um... the reason Sansa "undermined" Jon was because she didn't have much of a choice. Once a decision is made by the KitN, it can't be unmade later. She had to speak up then and there because he's suppose to consult with her beforehand as Lady of Winterfell. But he didn't. He made a spontaneous decision that wasn't good. She probably didn't even want to say that in front of others but again, he left her no other choice.

Weather Sansa’s reasons were right or wrong isn’t what I’m talking about. It’s about the simple fact that she undermined him and it made him look weaker in front of the people who need to trust him. 

[nightqueendany]

The Original Final Season 7 - Episode 1: Family, Duty, Honor

This is a combination of events from “show canon” and what I believe would have happened in the “Original Final Season 7.”

Should be noted that King’s Landing is gray and not sunny and the weather gets worse as the season progresses. It does not stay sunny at all...because that’s just fucking stupid.

IN THE RIVERLANDS

The episode opens in the same fashion as the show canon 7x01, Arya Stark as Walder Frey, taking out the rest of the Frey men

After walking out of the hall, Arya heads to the dungeons and frees Edmure Tully. Arya tells him what she’s done, the Riverlands belong to House Tully again. Edmure asks what Arya will do now and she says she’s heading back home, her brother Jon is now KITN. 

Edmure, honoring the previous pledge he made to House Stark, asks Arya to send his pledge to Jon; the Riverlands will remain under Stark rule, under the King in the North

On her journey North, Arya runs into the Brotherhood Without Banners and the Hound. She’s still pissed at them for what they did to Gendry. As reparation, the Brotherhood decide to accompany Arya to Winterfell to see her safely home

IN THE FAR NORTH

The Winter Winds are rising, the Night King and his massive army of the undead march south...

AT THE WALL

Bran Stark makes it safely south of the Wall with the help of Meera and the Black Brothers. 

As Bran’s there, preparing to leave for Winterfell, we notice several of the Black Brothers are in incredibly bad health - either due to illness, lack of supplies, the cold, or some combination.

In looking for medicine/supplies, Lord Commander Edd Tollett comes across some of Sam’s old things, a cloak with a few remaining shards of dragonglass in it AND The Horn of Winter (though Edd doesn’t know what it is)

IN KING’S LANDING

Cersei Lannister - in losing all her allies and discovering news of the Frey massacre, Jon/Sansa ruling the North, and Dany/Tyrion coming to Westeros - becomes more obsessed with the Younger More Beautiful Queen prophecy. 

Because Sansa would be Jon’s heir if he dies and therefore QITN, Cersei isn’t certain if the YMBQ is Sansa or Dany, yet is convinced it’s one of them. This is when Cersei tells Qyburn to send word to Jon to come south to bend the knee to her

Cersei tells Jaime of the YMBQ prophecy and he worries for her mental state - having just lost Tommen, their last child...

...Until Qyburn reveals Cersei is pregnant. Cersei is then convinced this means the prophecy was indeed wrong, as she will now have more children than the prophecy foretold of

But, Jaime still worries about her as her actions and emotions are all over the place

IN OLDTOWN

Samwell Tarly finds out about the dragonglass on Dragonstone and writes to Jon

Sam also has his argument with Archmaester Ebros about the Army of the Dead, after which he steals the books from the Restricted Section of the library

IN WINTERFELL

Jon Snow receives Cersei’s raven scroll about “suffering the fate of all traitors”

Jon also receives word from Sam about the dragonglass on Dragonstone. 

Petry Baelish informs Jon and Sansa that he’s heard rumor Daenerys Targaryen is on her way to Westeros with Tyrion Lannister and Lord Varys at her side, along with the allegiance of several key regions of Westeros - Dorne, The Reach, The Iron Islands - he says she will likely land on Dragonstone

Before Jon and Sansa can process this information or weigh its pros and cons, they’re informed of someone at the gate:

Bran has arrived. Jon and Sansa are beside themselves with joy, (Bran is not robo Bran, he’s normal Bran), Jon tells Bran “You’ve finally made it back home…” CUT TO:

ON DRAGONSTONE 

Daenerys Targaryen arrives in Westeros, she’s finally made it back home as well

The title of the episode comes from Arya’s rescuing Edmure and getting revenge for her mother’s death by killing all the Freys. We’ve had many episodes named after house words, but never House Tully so this finally honors them. It’s also the theme of the episode. 

Episode 1 Inside the Episode: Family, Duty, Honor

1a) The Cold Open - Arya kills all the Freys:

Yes, I know the original Cold Open of 7x01 show canon was the White Walkers, but I’m assuming D&D would have made the same executive decision in post to swap that scene with this one because it’s so badass. So there you go.

1b) Arya heading home immediately:

Back in 6x10 Arya tells Jaqen that she’s Arya Stark of Winterfell and she’s going home. So why did she head to the Riverlands first to kill the Freys, just to want to go back south to kill Cersei? 

Such bullshit. Arya wanted to go home. And if she thought the Boltons still had Winterfell, she’d want to kill them too. She’s a faceless assassin. They killed her mother and brother. She’d want them dead as much as Walder Frey. She snuck into the Twins, a place she’s never been, to kill them all. Winterfell, her home, would be a piece of cake to take from the Boltons. And geographically, it makes sense for her to continue heading North after the Twins anyway. Otherwise why not kill Cersei in King’s Landing first, then head North to the Riverlands, then finally home to Winterfell, where she told Jaqen she was going? Cersei might have always been on Arya’s list, but in 6x10, Arya wanted to go back to Winterfell. That should have remained her plan. D&D retconned this to delay Arya’s return to Winterfell in S7 for their idiotic Starkbowl plot. Which we all know was pointless filler because they had split the seasons and added three extra episodes.

And side note: Of course Arya would meet up with the Brotherhood. We know they’re in the Riverlands (based on them staying at that house with the father and daughter Sandor had previously screwed over). They had to meet up. It’s stupid that they didn’t in canon.

1c) Edmure pledging to Jon:

This one is a no-brainer. Of course the Riverlands would side with the North in the war against Cersei (which hasn’t happened yet, but with Jon being declared KITN, it’s only a matter of time). This move makes Jon the King of ALL the Northernmost Kingdoms and puts him in a really really powerful position - and an appealing position for any single ladies out there looking to secure an alliance *cough*Dany*cough*.

2) Sam’s raven:

Jon should have gotten word from Sam about the dragonglass in 7x01. Anyone who regularly reads my metas should remember, I have mentioned several times that the timing of Jon’s receipt of Sam’s raven is off. Sam sends Jon the raven in 7x01. Tyrion sends Jon a raven in 7x02. But Jon receives Tyrion’s raven first so, nope. Huge tip-off of a retcon. Jon should have gotten Sam’s raven first.

3) Baelish being the one to tell the Starks about Daenerys going to Dragonstone:

This another no-brainer and we already had hints of this in 7x07 show canon. Baelish has been keeping tabs on Dany, he just doesn’t ever get to really show this. “I’ve heard the dragon queen is quite beautiful.” Just as Qyburn had info on Drogon being injured in the fighting pits of Meereen, Baelish should have information on Daenerys, her advisors, and her movements. Why would he know she’s beautiful, but not know anything else about her when this is his primary function in the series?

Baelish, like Sam, Varys, and Bran, is an “information guy”. His job is to know things and inform the other characters, mostly to his own benefit. So Baelish having knowledge of Dany heading for Dragonstone, as Cersei had this knowledge in 7x01, just makes sense. And this way, when Tyrion sends the raven to Dragonstone next episode, it will be something Jon has been anticipating, because of course the first thing Dany will want to do when reaching Westeros, is gain more allies and allying with the North makes the most sense. 

4) Cersei’s onset of madness:

We know this was where the plot was supposed to go, what with the miscarriage from 7x07 and everything. Cersei has already mentioned the YMBQ prophecy to Jaime before, telling him about how she knew their children would all die and that he couldn’t have stopped Myrcella’s death. 

With Tommen’s death still fresh in mind, it would make sense this prophecy would come up again. Season 7 Cersei really doesn’t need much of a push into madness and her obsessing over this prophecy, especially with Dany on her way to Westeros, is a natural progression for her character. At the end of S6, D&D promised us that a Cersei without her children would be “very dangerous” and it was never delivered to us. A prophecy-obsessed Cersei would definitely deliver. 

5) And finally, Castle Black:

We were so fucked out of seeing more of the Night’s Watch in the last two seasons in show canon. Edd finding the Horn of Winter in Sam’s old room will be incredibly important and be a final, long awaited pay-off for the scene from Season 2 in which Sam first discovered the dragonglass at the Fist of the First Men, when the horn was first shown to the audience. 

Aaaaaand that’s it for Episode 1! I know it’s short and for the most part looks very similar to show canon, so I will post Episode 2 as well today, though you guys will have to wait until next week for Episode 3.

Original Final Season 7: Preface Post

Season 7 Episode 1: Family, Duty, Honor (current episode)

Season 7 Episode 2: Greywater Watch

Season 7 Episode 3: The Last of the Dragons

Season 7 Episode 4: Dragonglass

Season 7 Episode 5: The Storm

Season 7 Episode 6: Summerhall 

Season 7 Episode 7: A City Fit For A King

Season 7 Episode 8: Protectors of the Realm

Season 7 Episode 9: The Battle For The Dawn

Season 7 Episode 10: ?

[earthstory]

May 7 - A Hell of a Week in Hawaii

Things are happening so  fast in Hawaii that info that was true 3 days ago has completely changed. I've been following Pu'u O'o for 32 years, so here's a quick summary as of 3PM HST/6PM HST, Monday, May 7.

April 21-27: Pu'u O'o crater and summit lava lakes inflating. Videos: Helicopter flyover of brimming Pu'u O'o, timelapse video by USGS.

Monday April 30: Some deflation, although Halema'uma'u lava lake still bubbling vigorously (amateur video). Monday afternoon, Pu'u O'o Crater floor begins to collapse in stages, tosses red ash everywhere.

Tuesday May 1: Pu'u O'o crater obscured by poor weather, billowing red ash plume (dramatic video). Steaming crack to west shows traces of spatter from small overnight eruption, already coated with red ash from crater collapses. Swarm of earthquakes indicate magma intrusion heading down East Rift Zone, passing under Highway 130.

Wednesday May 2: Magma intrusion inferred to have reached Leilani Estates in Puna district, 11 miles downrift from Pu'u O'o. Neighborhood streets show many cracks, although lack of steam or heat gives false hope. Geologists, officials warn residents to be ready to evacuate, fearing repeat of 1960 Kapoho fissure eruption in same area (which turns out to be prescient.) That night, Leilani residents report earthquakes like subway going by underfoot.

Thursday May 3: Pu'u O'o crater interior continues to collapse, sending up billowing pink plume and ash; M5.0 earthquake at 10:30AM disturbs both it and Halema'uma'u lake with rockfalls. Rainclouds finally clear enough to show Pu'u O'o dramatically empty (large USGS photo, great flyover vid from Paradise helicopters) after being full (See blog post, photos) just a few days before. FIRST FISSURE ERUPTION in Leilani subdivision about 5PM (helicopter video: USGS) residents ordered to evacuate. Fissure eruption drone video by Jeremiah Osuna goes viral. Elevated earthquake activity continues in rift zone/Kilauea region.

Friday May 4: Two shelters opened, drone flyovers banned. Second fissure opens 1AM (USGS night video). Mandatory evacuation for Leilani Estates, and also for Lanipuni Gardens downwind due to dangerous sulfur dioxide levels. M6.9 earthquake at 12:33PM causes power outages around the Big Island, small landslides, a minor local tsunami, cracks around Hawaii Volcano Observatory, explosive rockfalls at Halema'uma'u lava lake (video), more ash plume from Pu'u O'o Crater (video). Hawaii National Park closes and evacuates. More fissure eruptions continue in Leilani Subdivision, mostly spatter/fountains. Good USGS video of third fissure shows progress from steaming crack (I think the alarms may be SO2 detectors?) to spatter rampart.

Saturday May 5: More vigorous fissure eruptions, some minor lava flow (flyover vid from Paradise Helicopters). Fissure 7 opens around 6AM; USGS photo shows "bubble burst" in one spot. Some police, fire, civil defense personnel working in evacuation zone reported ill from SO2 fumes. At least 2 structures destroyed. Eight fissures by day's end.

Sunday May 6: Officials allow local residents into Leilani subdivision to retrieve pets, medicines, vital belongings during daytime. Fissure eruptions (up to 10) now continuous, producing small lava flows. 21 structures now destroyed. Hawaii Volcanoes Observatory releases Volcano Watch weekly blog post with photos, seismograph summarizing eruption so far. Good video of a'a flow from USGS. Incredible helicopter flyover video showing lava flow, 200-foot-tall fountains along fissure eruption. See also short USGS video. Water to communities downhill from Leilani cut off by lava; water trucks brought in while water company attempts to run new line.

Monday May 7: Residents allowed in again to retrieve belongings/check houses; KITN reports 11 fissures now active, although most sites say 10. Toxic sulfur dioxide emissions continuing to cause problems. Cracks in highway 130 increase. HDOT starts prepping dirt road alternate route, expecting lava to break out there. 35 structures destroyed. Video of a'a lava eating car, sturdy metal gate, impressive sounds.

Main news sources:

USGS Photo & Video blog, usually lagging a bit behind, webcams ("Lower East Rift Zone" = Leilani Estates), videos

KITN eruption timeline updated throughout day

Paradise Helicopters daily video flyovers (main company during volcano helicopter tours)

Honolulu Star-Examiner has videos, eruption news, coverage of evacuations, shelters, infrastructure and civil defense issues

Hawaiinewsnow website (KHNL) and Twitter; often post videos from those defying evacuation orders to film lava, so these tend to be dramatic

Radio station KWXX has been posting frequent updates on website, twitter

KHON2 has video interviews with geologists, more news coverage.

[thelawyerthatwaspromised]

Did Jon Already Crown Sansa as QiTN?

@cmatrone91 Had a pretty interesting post about what it really meant when Jon bent the knee and if he had already given up the authority to do so.

I will probably go into more depth on this later but I wanted to throw this out there because I think that’s a really plausible scenario. Here’s why:

1) Jon still doesn’t really feel he deserves to be KiTN

Jon accepted the his kingship because it’s awfully hard not to when a roomful of people declare you their king. He gave the Lord’s chambers to Sansa. He calls her the Lady of Winterfell. She’s sitting right by his side for meetings. This is backed up by book!Jon’s own words:

“Winterfell belongs to my sister, Sansa.”

So it stands to reason that if asked which one SHOULD rule, I think he’d answer Sansa.

2) He has heard and repeated multiple times that the North will not accept a ruler from the South

“We know no King but the King in the North whose name is Stark.”

“With respect, Your Grace, a Targaryen cannot be trusted, nor a Lannister.”

How many times have these sentiments been repeated over the course of the show? A lot.

So this idea that they will suddenly accept Daenerys as the Queen is extremely unlikely. Jon knows this as well. He told her as much. He also told Stannis the same. He understands his people. Daenerys’ dragons make them even less likely to accept her as Queen because (rightfully so) the Northerners do not associate dragons with salvation and peace.

3) He gave the North to Sansa before he left

My line of work trains me to look very carefully at wording. That’s one of the reasons why I liked the scene of Jon giving the North to Sansa so much. He didn’t couch his terms at all. He spoke bluntly and honestly and showed a ton of faith in Sansa. “Until I return, the North is yours.” It’s really hard to stress enough how significant that wording seems. He didn’t say “watch the North while I’m gone” or “you’re now my second in command” he said it is hers. 

There’s a difference between saying the North is hers instead of something like “she speaks for me while I’m gone.”

4) Jon hedging his language with Daenerys

I can’t get over how weirdly this scroll is written. 

“Sansa”

-he addresses her informally. This is already weird.

“Cersei Lannister has pledged her forces to our cause...”

-he leads off with Cersei instead of Daenerys!? After the talk with Sansa, either he knew how that would look or he didn’t. I’m betting on him remembering his conversations with Sansa.

“as has Daenerys Targaryen.” 

-does this not seem pretty strange to just lump Cersei and Daenerys Targaryen together? Didn’t Jon leave specifically to get Daenerys’ support? Wouldn’t he include a little bit more about how this was done?

“And if we survive this war”

-sounds like someone that’s doing this only because he MUST do this for survival. Not a word indicating much endorsement here.

“I have pledged our forces to Daenerys Targaryen as the Rightful Queen of the Seven Kingdoms”

-How many echoes of Sansa’s scroll sent to Robb (forced by Cersei) does this need before it becomes just too obvious? 

“We are both coming to organize the defense of the Realm.”

-My key phrase? The defense of the realm. Jon is the shield that guards the realms of men. Daenerys is the storm. One half of the storm, at least. But Jon does not care for the conquest of the South and he does not intend to participate in that campaign. He’s couched his terms. He led off talking about Cersei (how is that not a huge red flag or a signal to Sansa?) He spends a large chunk of the note on matters concerning the Iron Throne, which he doesn’t care about.

“Jon Snow. Warden of the North.”

-If he leads off with just “Sansa” why doesn’t he conclude with just “Jon”? Because he thought his scroll would be scrutinized by his new “ally”. This is an image released by HBO. Every word is going to be selected carefully. So Jon Snow specifically calling himself Warden of the North is so strange. He’s never cared about titles. He just doesn’t. Who cares about titles? Who would be hung up on whether he affirmed his place as Warden to be sure he gave his title as King? I’ll give you two guesses but you’ll only need one.

5) Jon and Sansa both know the Northern lords can be stubborn and fickle

Does anyone think Jon or Sansa forget how difficult it was to rally the support form the Northern lords in the build up to the re-taking of Winterfell?

Sansa certainly remembers. She refers to the Northern lords as weather vanes to Littlefinger. She is still unhappy at the lack of loyalty the other lords showed House Stark - as was Jon. They were clearly frustrated more than once about this. Jon and Sansa were seen as a ruling “pair” while at Winterfell. Yet how would it look if Jon and Sansa were seen to have given the North to the Dragon Queen?

Jon knows his bending the knee will offend the Northern lords.

He didn’t tell Sansa in order to protect her.

He knows the backlash could cost him the KiTN title.

He doesn’t want this to fall upon the rest of House Stark.

He’s attempted to distance himself from Sansa specifically while he’s been gone in order to preserve her credibility with the other houses.

Jon gave Sansa the North.

Jon then gave away the North?

That alone does not make much sense unless he considered a scenario where he could deflect skepticism away from Sansa and keep the North united around House Stark. 

He gave Sansa an “out”.

Sansa’s “passionate fight” will be her protecting Jon first, from the anger of the Northern lords, and later form the anger of the Dragon Queen. Instead of wanting Jon and Sansa’s heads or abandoning House Stark, Sansa will be the only one in the position politically to protect Jon.

I think that’s poetic!

Conclusion: 

There’s a really good chance that Jon thinks of Sansa already as QiTN or that she will end up ruling the North and that he’ll be “unnamed as King”. At the very least, he really has no idea what Westeros will look like if they are able to defeat the Night King but in case they DO win, he’s prepared to be hated by the North. He is willing to be scorned. But he is NOT willing to put his family at risk. The way in which he accomplishes bringing Daenerys North provides the North with the dragons and armies they need but also keeps Sansa’s fate in her own hands.

[technuter]

Now interact with Amazon Alexa in Hindi or Hinglish

In a major step to make Alexa more 'Indian', Amazon announced that Alexa will now support interactions in Hindi or Hinglish. This launch will enable hundreds of thousands of Alexa customers in India to interact with Alexa to ask for music, get Bollywood or sports updates and much more in Hindi or Hinglish. Alexa is the brain that powers Amazon Echo devices. The new Hindi experience is available on all Echo family of voice-controlled smart speakers. Since Alexa runs in the cloud, the service is always getting smarter. When Alexa launched in India in 2017, she was able to understand and pronounce names of popular places, names, songs and more in many regional languages such as Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Punjabi. With this update, Alexa can now understand customers speaking to her completely in Hindi or Hinglish, in multiple contexts, and varied regional accents and dialects. You can enjoy asking Alexa for diverse Hindi content such as jokes, shayaris, games, Kabir ke dohe, Panchatantra stories, Bollywood dialogues, more than 500 Alexa skills, and even spellings of words in Hindi.

Rohit Prasad, Vice President, and Head Scientist, Alexa AI, Amazon, said, "India has uniquely challenged our AI teams with its cultural and linguistic diversity. We are thrilled to bring a suite of AI advances in multilingual understanding so that customers can interact with Alexa in different regional variants of colloquial Hindi. We are also grateful to Indian customers who contributed to Hindi development through the Cleo skill. We look forward to Alexa delighting our Hindi-speaking customers and working with developers in India to invent many more Hindi skills." To get started with Hindi, customers can just ask, "Alexa, help me set up Hindi." Existing Echo customers in India can change their device language to Hindi via the Language options inside the Device settings on the Alexa App. Echo Show users can access the settings section to change the language by swiping down from the top of the screen. Puneesh Kumar, Country Manager for Alexa Experiences and Devices, Amazon India, said, "We are a customer-first company than a technology-first company. In India pronunciation, diction, and accents in Hindi is different across the country even if the language being spoken is the same. Conversations in Hinglish are common. With today's launch, you will notice that Alexa has become more local. Alexa will not only understand and respond in Hindi or Hinglish but, is also armed with a lot of knowledge about topics that interest users in the country ranging from local information to music, and from Bollywood to cricket." Coming soon, customers can speak to Alexa in Hindi and English without changing the language setting back and forth. For example, if a customer asks for the weather in Hindi, Alexa will reply in Hindi, e.x. "Alexa, aaj mausam kaisa hai?"  and when they ask for information in English, Alexa will understand and respond in English e.x. "Alexa, tell me about Chandrayaan-2". This feature is specially built for Indian households where users speak both Hindi and English. Interact with Alexa in Hindi or Hinglish With Alexa, you can use your voice to play music, ask questions, read the news, set timers and alarms, check the calendar, provide sports scores, control lights at home, watch videos on Echo devices with a screen and much more. With Echo's far-field voice control, you can do all this from across the room using just your voice. Play Music Alexa offers a seamless, hands-free music  experience with premier music services including Amazon Prime Music, Gaana, Hungama, JioSaavn, TuneIn, and more. Listening to music across a wide catalog of Hindi, English and multiple Indian regional language songs with Alexa is as simple as saying "Alexa, Bollywood ke latest gaane sunao" or "Alexa, Kishore Kumar ke gaane sunaiye". If you are in the mood to exercise, say "Alexa, workout music chalao" . Control volume and playback for millions of songs by saying "Alexa, volume badhao"  or "Alexa, agla gaana lagao". If you aren't sure who an artist is, just say "Alexa, yeh kaunsa gaana hai?". Alexa will also offer over 100 relaxation sounds in Hindi. To get started, say "Alexa, mujhe aaraam karna hai". Ask Questions Ask Alexa all kinds of questions, including those about cricket, Bollywood, famous people and places, festivals, calculations, sports, stocks, spelling and much more in Hindi. For example, "Alexa, Diwali kab hai",  "Alexa, 64 ka cube root kya hai", "Alexa, Spain ka capital kya hai?" and "Alexa, sone ka bhaav batao". Alexa is now more Indian. Her fun personality can entertain everyone in the family. You can ask Alexa for a joke by saying "Alexa, chutkula sunao". You can also say "Alexa, koi filmy dialogue sunao", "Alexa seeti bajao", "Alexa taali bajao",  "Alexa, ek kahani sunao", or "Alexa, tum kaun ho". For more enterainment, ask Alexa to play fun games by saying, "Alexa, chalo ek game khele". Control your Smart Home Use Echo smart speakers to control the TV from the couch when watching a movie, or switch off the tubelight when getting in bed—all using just your voice. You can say "Alexa, light band kar do" or "Alexa, Geyser on karo" or "Alexa, TV mute karo". Alexa works with devices such as smart lights and plugs from brands including Wipro, Philips Hue, SYSKA LED, Xiaomi, TP-Link, and more. You can also control your compatible security cameras, fans, ACs and air purifiers from brands such as D-Link, Voltas, Orient, LG, Xiaomi and more.  Set Reminders, Alarms and Timers Set up multiple reminders, alarms and timers with your voice, including setting repeating alarms. Just say "Alexa, phone bill bharne ka reminder lagao" , "Alexa, subah saat baje ka alarm set karo", or "Alexa, timer mei kitne minute baki hai?"  Create and Manage Lists Alexa can help you stay organised by creating and managing your To-Do and Shopping lists. Just say "Alexa, meri shopping list mein jeera add kar do",  "Alexa, meri to-do list mein doctor's appointment daal do", or "Alexa, meri shopping list mein kya hai". Hear the Latest News and Cricket Updates Alexa can read the news and give customized updates based on your news preferences. You can choose your favorite outlets to provide the news or sports results, including Dainik Jagran, Aaj Tak, NDTV, and Bollywood Hungama. Just say "Alexa, kya chal raha hai?", "Alexa, filmy khabrein sunao", "Alexa, cricket score batao", or "Alexa, India ka agala match kab hai?". Get the Weather Ask Alexa about local, national, and international weather forecasts. For example: "Alexa, aaj mausam kaisa hai?", "Alexa, kya kal baarish hogi?", "Alexa, Mumbai ka weather update batao?", or "Alexa, is weekend Bangalore mein mausam kaisa rahega?" Play with Alexa Alexa has exciting Hindi skills for kids, from playing games to listening to Hindi rhymes and stories. Some of India's most popular characters are now available through Alexa Skills including Vir The Robot Boy, Chacha Chaudhary, Kids TV, Koo Koo TV, Jugnu Kids and the evergreen Shambu and Suppandi from Amar Chitra Katha. Kids can get started by saying "Alexa, ChuChu TV shuru karo", or "Alexa, sher ki aawaaz sunao". Third Party Skills Thousands of developers have already started building Alexa skills with a Hindi flavor. Customers can choose from over 500 Alexa skills in Hindi offered by more than 30 brands including Ola, ChuChu TV, GaneshaSpeaks, All India Radio, RedFM,  Sanjeev Kapoor Recipes, Pearsons, Career Launcher, Art of Living, Sadhguru, VR Devotee, Shemaroo, Hungama, Hubhopper, Aastha TV and Amar Chitra Katha. These skills range from devotional music, horoscope, kids' education and games, recipes, and more. You can ask, "Alexa, Hindi Shayari shuru karo", "Alexa, Panchtantra ki kahaniyan shuru karo", "Alexa, Kabir ke dohe sunao" or "Alexa, tumhare paas kya skills hai?" to know more about skills.  Hindi on other Alexa Built-in devices Starting today, Alexa in Hindi is also available on a range of smart speakers by Bose. These include Home Speaker 500, Portable Home Speaker, Home Speaker 450, and Home Speaker 300. Coming soon, brands such as Motorola, MyBox, Boat, Portronics, Fingers, Sony, iBall and Dish will launch and update their existing Alexa-built in devices to support Hindi. Availability of Echo devices and demo of Alexa in Hindi All Amazon Echo smart speakers such as Echo Dot, Echo Show 5, Echo, Echo Spot, Echo Plus, Echo Show, and Echo Input are available on amazon.in/echo/. Customers can also visit Amazon devices kiosk at popular shopping malls such as Pacific Mall in Delhi, Seawoods Mall in Mumbai, Mantri Mall in Bangalore and off-line retailers such as Croma and Reliance Digital stores for a demo of the Alexa Hindi experience and to purchase. Read the full article

[jackoshadows]

Look, one can write all the essays about how Sansa having a super brain allowed her to see through to the future to Dany burning down KL, how her being an arrogant ass to the person who has come to save the North was justified because Sansa was just trying to save her people from a tyrant queen, it was because Dany and Sansa had different worldviews on ruling, Dany being a Targaryen/mad king’s daughter made it obvious that she was going to be evil etc.

But all this is not in any way supported by the show’s writing and especially the ending.

Just a Reminder: As per the show’s ending, Sansa did not want Bran Stark ruling over the North. She wanted to be QITN over Ned Stark’s son Bran Stark who was born and raised in the North and knows more of the North than she ever did. Just like Sansa did not want Dany as Queen of the 7K ruling the North, she did not want Bran Stark as King of the 7K ruling over the North. Show Sansa did not see a difference between Daenerys Targaryen and Bran Stark ruling over the North.

Imagine the benefits to the people of the North to have a Stark and a son of Ned on the Iron Throne? In the books, we have seen how Starks like Rickard have been making alliances through marriage to gain power in the South.  There’s entire theories about Rickard Stark’s southron ambitions.

https://winteriscoming.net/2015/10/02/game-of-thrones-theorycrafting-southron-ambitions/

Imagine one of their own now ruling in KL?

And princess Brexit did not want that! Just imagine how selfish and utterly moronic one has to be to make such a decision undoing decades of work put in by previous generations. To secede the North from a union ruled by one of their own! Even though the new King knows the North really well, has a solid connection with the Old Gods, is a greenseer, has learned from Ned Stark and has actually ruled Winterfell as a prince of Winterfell.

Sansa got a crown. But what did the people of the North get out of it? Imagine Manderly with his ports and ships and all the easy trade he could in an union of kingdoms now that a Stark rules in KL? Sansa took that option away from him. It’s clear that the Starks benefited under Robert Baratheon’s rule considering Ned’s enforcement of his best bud’s reign and his endeavors in putting down any rebellions (Greyjoy rebellion for ex.).

Remember when Sansa compared Jon to vile Joffrey because he did not listen to her terrible advice? Did Sansa consult any of the Northern houses before demanding that the North secede? Did she offer the other Northern houses the choice of being in an union under Bran Stark or her?

This is what the GreatJon told the Northerners when he made Robb KITN:

MY LORDS! Here is what I say to these two kings! Renly Baratheon is nothing to me, nor Stannis neither. Why should they rule over me and mine, from some flowery seat in Highgarden or Dorne? What do they know of the Wall or the wolfswood or the barrows of the First Men? Even their gods are wrong. The Others take the Lannisters too, I've had a bellyful of them. Why shouldn't we rule ourselves again? It was the dragons we married, and the dragons are all dead! There sits the only king I mean to bow my knee to, m'lords. The King in the North!

Would the GreatJon have objected to Bran Stark ruling over the North? Hell, he wouldn’t even have objected to Daenerys Targaryen! It was the Lannisters and Baratheons he objected to.

I think this should immediately end any discussion about Sansa’s feud with Dany.  It was not about whether Dany was a good queen or a bad one. Or whether Dany would do right by the people of the North. It was about Sansa wanting a crown on her head and having personal power. The ending makes that very clear and is supported by 3 seasons of Sansa squabbling with her siblings, undermining them, lying to them, betraying them, planning to depose them, considering executing them etc.

Queen Sansa is possibly why show Arya skedaddled out of Westeros as soon as possible, Brienne decides to stay south and Jon must be thanking the Old Gods for being exiled beyond the wall with his favorite people and Ghost!

Bran Stark down south is well supported by the likes of Brienne, Davos, Tyrion and Sam. Sansa has no one but a group of Lords she described as ‘weather vanes’ - disloyal cowards like Glover who refused to fight against the dead even when they were right at his doorstep! She no longer has a Littlefinger or Jon Snow to do her work for her.

In other words Sansa is going to find out real quick the meaning of ‘Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown’. 

[jackoshadows]

This is a write-up regarding the situation in the North as of the last book A Dance with Dragons regarding the Starks and their claim to WF and the North. It’s a rather long post with book quotes that looks at why each character has a claim to the North/WF and how much support they have for that claim going from the character with the strongest claim/support to the weakest.

Contenders currently in the North:

Bran Stark: Currently in the lands beyond the wall with the 3ER. Prince Bran Stark was the Prince of Winterfell and the Stark in Winterfell when King Robb Stark was campaigning in the South. He ruled over the North until Theon’s betrayal and attack wherein Theon became the Prince of Winterfell with his father Balon Greyjoy as King. Ramsay then sacked Winterfell and Roose Bolton took over as Warden of the North with Ramsay Bolton as the Lord of Winterfell, by way of marriage to ‘Arya Stark’.

Rickon Stark: Currently in Skagos. Next in line to Bran Stark.  Has the support of the powerful Wyman Manderly to become the Lord of Winterfell/Warden of the North under King Stannis Baratheon as per the deal made with Stannis’ envoy Davos seaworth. Robett Glover also agrees to join Stannis’ campaign if Davos brings back Rickon safely from Skagos and sends weapons and hunters to Stannis to help in his march on Winterfell against the Boltons. Davos is currently headed to Skagos to bring Rickon back.

Characters that know that Bran and Rickon are alive: Theon Greyjoy, Wex, Wyman Manderly, Robett Glover, Stannis Baratheon, Davos Seaworth, Samwell Tarly, Gilly, Osha, Hodor, the Reeds and the Liddle of the mountain clans.

Additionally, Bran is communicating with Jon, Arya and possibly Rickon through their wolf dreams and in Theon’s case through the WF Godswood. Jon sees Shaggydog eating a unicorn in Skagos through Ghost. He sort of ‘knows’ that Bran and Rickon are alive through the direwolves communicating with each other.

Jon Snow:  Ned’s bastard son only comes into the picture through Robb Stark’s will. So let’s take a look at this will. Before his death, Robb Stark creates a will to ensure that the Northern kingdom does not die with him. At this point, Robb thinks that Bran, Rickon and Arya are dead. First, he needs to make sure that the Lannisters don’t get the North:

By law Sansa is next in line of succession, so Winterfell and the north would pass to her.” His mouth tightened. “To her, and her lord husband. Tyrion Lannister. I cannot allow that. I will not allow that. That dwarf must never have the north.”

“No,” Catelyn agreed. “You must name another heir, until such time as Jeyne gives you a son.”

Robb and Cat seem pretty determined that Sansa, her husband and any children they have will never get the North/WF. This indicates that there is a provision in the will where Sansa is explicitly debarred/disinherited from getting the North. This seems to be a pretty popular idea as, up North, Stannis is of a similar mind –

"Lady Lannister, you mean? Are you so eager to see the Imp perched on your father's seat? I promise you, that will not happen whilst I live, Lord Snow."

So anyways, Sansa is out. Next, Robb decides to legitimize Jon Snow and he trusts Jon so much that he decides to do this before even knowing whether his wife Jeyne Westerling is pregnant or not. Catelyn is so distressed over this, that she would rather Robb select some cousin from the Vale to be Lord of WF/KITN than Jon Snow because she thinks that Jon will steal Robb’s child’s birthright. And that once Jon is legitimized it cannot be taken back. They argue over this:

He is set on this. Catelyn knew how stubborn her son could be. “A bastard cannot inherit.”

“Not unless he’s legitimized by a royal decree,” said Robb. “There is more precedent for that than for releasing a Sworn Brother from his oath.”

“If you make Jon legitimate, there is no way to turn him bastard again. Should he wed and breed, any sons you may have by Jeyne will never be safe.”

“Have you considered your sisters? What of their rights? I agree that the north must not be permitted to pass to the Imp, but what of Arya? By law, she comes after Sansa . . . your own sister, trueborn . . . ”

“ . . . and dead. No one has seen or heard of Arya since they cut Father’s head off. Why do you lie to yourself? Arya’s gone, the same as Bran and Rickon, and they’ll kill Sansa too once the dwarf gets a child from her. Jon is the only brother that remains to me. Should I die without issue, I want him to succeed me as King in the North. I had hoped you would support my choice.”

From all this we can speculate that the Robb’s will has provisions that disinherits Sansa, legitimizes Jon and makes him KITN if Jeyne does not have a child – since the only uncertainty at the time the will is written up is whether Robb will have a child or not. 

The following lords are signatories and witnesses to this will: Jason Mallister, Raynald Westerling, Greatjon Umber, Galbart Glover, Maege Mormont and Edmure Tully.  We don’t know where this will is – it’s speculated that Galbart Glover and  Maege Mormont are in possession of the will and were last headed for Greywater watch, the residence of Howland Reed.

If Robb’s will comes into play, then Jon goes from Jon Snow to Jon Stark and that automatically pushes him to the head of the queue as the eldest Stark, even if Bran and Rickon are alive. Of course, ultimately it all depends on which houses will support Jon Stark and which houses will support Bran, Rickon or Arya stark.

Contenders currently outside the North:

Because much of the North and house Stark is patriarchal, the girls come further down the line when it comes to their claims to WF and the North.

Arya Stark: Currently in Braavos. She is involved in the Northern plot in the book through Jeyne Poole – who marries Ramsay Bolton as ‘Arya Stark’ to help the Boltons hold the North. With Jon’s help, Stannis engages with the Mountain clans and they agree to fight under him to defeat the Boltons and free Arya. As Big Bucket Wull explains:

Winter is almost upon us, boy. And winter is death. I would sooner my men die fighting for the Ned’s little girl than alone and hungry in the snow, weeping tears that freeze upon their cheeks. No one sings songs of men who die like that. As for me, I am old. This will be my last winter. Let me bathe in Bolton blood before I die. I want to feel it spatter across my face when my axe bites deep into a Bolton skull. I want to lick it off my lips and die with the taste of it on my tongue.

So the clans and Stannis are fighting to save Arya. While Stannis himself is not interested in Arya as a heir to WF (he wants to rescue Arya for Jon’s sake and send her to him), the clans and some of the Northern houses in the game – who don’t know about Bran and Rickon being alive – could be plotting to get rid of house Bolton and restore WF/North to Arya as Queen in the North. Even Roose’s so called Northern allies are not pleased with the way ‘Arya’ is being treated.

Barbrey: The bride weeps ... Dressing her in grey and white serves no good if the girl is left to sob. The Freys might not care, but the northmen ... they fear the Dreadfort, but they love the Starks.

Theon: Not you.

Barbrey: Not me, but the rest, yes. Old Whoresbane is only here because the Freys hold the Greatjon captive. And do you imagine the Hornwood men have forgotten the Bastard's last marriage, and how his lady wife was left to starve, chewing her own fingers? What do you think passes through their heads when they hear the new bride weeping? Valiant Ned's precious little girl. Lady Arya's sobs do us more harm than all of Lord Stannis's swords and spears.

“Night work is not knight’s work,” Lady Dustin said. “And Lord Wyman is not the only man who lost kin at your Red Wedding, Frey. Do you imagine Whoresbane loves you any better? If you did not hold the Greatjon, he would pull out your entrails and make you eat them, as Lady Hornwood ate her fingers. Flints, Cerwyns, Tallharts, Slates … they all had men with the Young Wolf.”

“House Ryswell too,” said Roger Ryswell. “Even Dustins out of Barrowton.” Lady Dustin parted her lips in a thin, feral smile. “The north remembers, Frey.”

Meanwhile, Lord Commander Jon Snow at the Wall has send Mance Raydar – the King beyond the wall – to rescue his sister. After he receives a letter from Ramsay Bolton informing him that Stannis has failed and that Mance is dead, Jon rallies the Wildlings to go attack the Boltons and save Arya. He is assassinated at this point.

So while all this is happening in the North, the real Arya is in Braavos. How would she connect to this plot? Well, if Jon is dead at the wall, fake Arya/Jeyne Poole may end up going with Justin Massey to Braavos – where Stannis has send him to get more mercenary soldiers and men to fight against the Boltons. Imagine Arya’s surprise when she comes across Jeyne masquerading as Arya in Braavos while Arya is walking around with someone else’s face?! This could very well be the spur that pushes her to make a trip to the Wall or the North. The only obstacle is of course that Winter has come in the books and the snowstorms are so bad that Stannis and his army is stranded unable to march even to WF. It’s not going to be easy for Arya to get North at this point. It’s possible that Arya therefore travels to the Riverlands or even the Vale since weather wise that’s easier to do.

Sansa Stark: Currently in the Vale. She is LF’s nominee for the North/WF. The major obstacle for her getting the North is her marriage to Tyrion. Currently she is still married to Tyrion as of the last book. This marriage can only be annulled by the high Septon in KL – which means there should be a regime friendly to Sansa in KL before this can happen. Or Tyrion should die. This is what LF is hoping for - that Cersei somehow manages to kill Tyrion. LF’s plans depends on both Tyrion and SweetRobin dying. Hence why Sweetrobin is being given dangerous levels of sweetsleep, despite the Maester’s warnings. LF also thinks that Bran and Rickon are dead.

So according to LF’s plans, Cersei kills Tyrion, SweetRobin dies, Sansa marries Harry the heir and is unveiled as Queen in the North/Lady of Winterfell.She gets the North and the Vale in one swoop.

But unfortunately for Littlefinger, the North is moving full speed ahead with their own plots and games. Bran and Rickon are still alive, some Northern houses are pushing for Rickon, others support Arya and Robb’s will basically disinherits Sansa Lannister. LF does not know any of this. There’s also the fact that with winter coming to Westeros and the snow storms, no army is going to be able go North any time soon. No single person would be able to do the same. Alys Karstark nearly died riding from Karhold to the Wall. So Sansa is going to be stuck in the south for a while yet.

So with Sansa in the vale, Arya in Braavos and Bran beyond the wall, the closest contenders for WF and the North location-wise are going to be Rickon and Jon. And Jon is still lying dead in the snow. So it’s very likely that we will get either Lord of Winterfell Rickon Stark if Stannis wins or KITN Rickon Stark if Stannis dies in the next book.

[jackoshadows]

So, because I keep getting a lot of anonymous hate for being a Sansa hating Dany stan, I would like to make a small correction for those interested.

I am a Sansa disliking JON stan, not a Dany stan. Kindly get that right, when you send me the anon hate. The few Dany stans I do follow tend to very much like Sansa and seem to walk around eggshells where the character is concerned - often having disclaimers about how much they love Sansa. I am not that person.

I dislike show Sansa. She’s nothing like the charming, courteous book version. Show Sansa is rude, petulant, whiny and does not seem to understand that openly questioning her king again and again in front of the lords, undermines the position of that newly elected bastard king. She treats Jon like an idiot, mocks Davos, is rude and dismissive of Brienne and demands that Arya get down on her knees and thank her because she and only she won the BOTB.  She has no friends or confidantes. The only two lords who supported her over Jon last season were described by Sansa herself as disloyal  ‘weather vanes’. The only person who genuinely liked her and wanted her to be queen was LF and he’s dead.

My dislike for the character was cemented last season when she compared Jon to frigging Joffrey because he did not follow her orders and do what she wanted. Jon’s authority as King would have vaporized if he had done as she demanded in there. But because he forgave those Karstark and Umber children, Sansa was so angry with him here:

that she informs Jon that he was behaving like Joffrey when he requests that she not try to undermine him. Just think about that. Sansa thinks that Jon - who has only ever looked out for Sansa, who helped her and protected her - is like the king who beat her and took sadistic pleasure out of it! She compared this guy:

to this guy:

How petty and stupid does one have to be to make that comparison? Ugh!

Even Jon, who usually puts up with her horseshit, is so offended by this that he immediately stops walking and confronts her - forcing her to walk back that statement. Sansa realizes that she has overstepped and changes tact - trying to now praise Jon - but Jon sees through this and aptly describes her praise as a whole load of horseshit. People think Jon is an idiot, but he is not. He can see through what Sansa is doing. Having correctly identified how resentful she is that he was made KITN, he leaves her in charge when he goes south.

I am just tired of Sansa’s non-stop whinging in all her scenes with Jon. It’s unpleasant, annoying, boring and freaking repetitive. I just fast forward their season 6/7 scenes on rewatches because all they do is argue. Jon does not want your unsolicited advice Sansa! 

If there is one thing I am hoping for next season it’s that Jon and Arya spend as few scenes as possible with Sansa. Sansa can become Queen of the North, Queen on the Iron Throne, Best Queen the world has ever seen for all I care. Just leave Jon and Arya out of it.  I just want some Jon scenes where Jon spends time with his favorite sibling, his best friend, his dog, his girlfriend, his brother, his old pals and new ones.

How anyone can ship Sansa and Jon is beyond me. A Sansa fan who dislikes Jon? That I can understand and even sympathize with considering my dislike of show Sansa.  A Sansa fan who ships Sansa with Jon? Totally baffling. They have nothing in common, they think too differently, Sansa has no problems lying to Jon and undermining him, Jon does not want or need Sansa’s ‘advice’ - the both of them would be far happier if they were far away from each other.

Which is why Sansa is going to be the one to suggest that Jon and Dany get married and leave the North to her. LF has already given her the hint for this last season - that line was in there for a reason.

[jackoshadows]

Regarding Northern independence... and the King who Knelt.

It’s slightly hilarious how certain Stark fans are so obsessed with Northern independence, when an existential apocalyptic threat is literally moving towards the North – acting exactly as the Westerosi lords focused on their petty politics while ignoring the real issue.

But anyways let’s explore Northern independence. Assuming that the show is hitting the same important plot points that GRRM told David and Dan would be happening in the books, then let’s see how it will happen in the books.

If Jon does indeed become KITN in the books, then it happens via Robb’s will. As per Robb’s will, Jon is legitimized – pushing him to the head of the line as the eldest Stark son. If Jon becomes KITN in the books, he does so as both Lord of Winterfell and KITN. No one is elected to this position, lol! That was just the show’s way of getting Jon to the same place he does in the books without Robb’s will and despite Sansa being there. Lord/Lady of Winterfell and KITN/QITN cannot be split as Winterfell is basically the seat of the KITN and his children will inherit WF. The show ignored all this because Jon is not going to be KITN/Lord of WF/Warden of the North for long considering his parentage. 

There is also a chance that Rickon becomes KITN since he is backed by Manderly and Manderly is playing a big role in taking down the Boltons currently in the books.

Now, if Jon bends the knee to Dany on the show, then the KITN (whether it’s Jon, Rickon or Bran) in the books will also most probably do the same. And just like Torrhen Stark, the KITN would have the authority to make that decision. It could be that several Northerners disagree with this and split from Jon – as they did with Torrhen Stark. But it’s Jon’s decision as KITN and final.

Jon is used to making unpopular decisions that go against the grain. He got assassinated the last time he enforced a highly unpopular decision – to let the Wildlings past the wall. He was the only one who thought it was the right decision – even Edd disagreed! But he went ahead and did it anyway – and that’s Jon. He went south to meet Dany – against the advice of every single person in the North – even Lyanna Mormont. But he did it – because as Tyrion points out, getting weapons and men for the depleted North was worth the risk. He went on a dangerous wight hunt – again, against everyone’s advice because he needed to convince people of the real threat beyond the wall.

This is who Jon is as a character. Even in the books, Jon is highly authoritarian – he does what he thinks is right and if anyone disagrees with him – he stops asking them for advice. On the show, Sansa complains to LF about Jon never asking for her opinions and she is right. He never does. Every single thing she asks him to do, he refuses.

As for the people who disagree with his decision…it will be interesting to see that next season. I think Arya and Bran will support Jon. The rest of them? Maybe they will break away from Jon and try to deal with the WW by themselves – good luck to them!

The North benefits from being in an union than outside of it. Ned certainly thought so, considering he continued under Robert’s rule despite hiding baby Jon from Robert’s wrath.

I think for the most part, the North will be okay with the Targaryen who has come to help. In the books, the North seceded because of the Lannisters and not the Targs. As the GreatJon says when he names Robb KITN:

MY LORDS! Here is what I say to these two kings! Renly Baratheon is nothing to me, nor Stannis neither. Why should they rule over me and mine, from some flowery seat in Highgarden or Dorne? What do they know of the Wall or the wolfswood or the barrows of the First Men? Even their gods are wrong. The Others take the Lannisters too, I've had a bellyful of them. Why shouldn't we rule ourselves again? It was the dragons we married, and the dragons are all dead! There sits the only king I mean to bow my knee to, m'lords. The King in the North!

And as Manderly points out in his North remembers speech:

You saw them, the arrogant Ser Jared and his nephew Rhaegar, that smirking worm who wears a dragon's name

That’s right. Manderly thinks that Rhaegar Frey is not worthy of the name. As we saw in the fire and blood excerpt, the Manderlys have ties to the Targs through the many alliances Alysanne made.

So if the KITN in the books – whether it be Jon, Rickon or Bran – decides to bend the knee to Queen Daenerys Targaryen, I don’t see the book Northerners having much of an issue with it. Of course the Northerners in the books are a bunch of hardy, loyal bad-asses and not the treacherous, whiny weather vanes they are on the show. So let’s see what they do next season. I am sure Jon will continue to do what he thinks is best – no matter their response.

And once they see Dany helping them fight the WW, I think they will accept her as Queen. In fact I could see them pushing for a Jon Snow/Dany marriage to make the Stark-Targ alliance even stronger.