A Song of Ice and Fire Discussion (warning: possible spoilers)

Here's a nice little interview with Martin. He mentions a few broad things that will happen in the next book. Obviously some spoilers for those who haven't finished A Dance with Dragons, and some mild spoilers if you want to know absolutely nothing about The Winds of Winter.

http://www.smartertravel.com/blogs/today-in-travel/game-of-thrones-exclusive-george-martin-talks-season-the-winds-of-winter-and-real-world-influences-for-song-of-ice-and-fire.html?id=10593041

 

TL,DR version?

 

Signs pointing that Jon Stark parents are Rheagar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark:
-Lyanna dying in a bed of blood. Die giving birth?
-Lyanna promise and Ned promise to keep it. Why is the promise keep haunting Ned? That promise can't truly be to bring her back and bury her in Winterfell. Obvious sign that the promise was pretty important and that could mean to keep Jon secret and maybe her romance with Rheagar from King Robert.
-Ned have no problem of letting Jon take the Black(Aemon Targaryen is safe there even from Robert). It's for his own safety since Robert hated the Targaryen and want them all dead.
-Ned never once mention Jon his as a son.
-Ned is quite an honorable man and you can see how he gets upset when Catelyn question him about his honour and about Jon.
- Meera's story hint at Rheagar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark romance.
-the meaning and significant of "Blue Winter Roses"
-there are also many hints/premonitions from Dany's POV that point to Jon as part Targaryen

 

Can anyone name a few?

 

Martin posted a chapter from Winds of Winter last week on his website. Its an Arianne Martel chapter:

http://georgerrmartin.com/if-sample.html

 

Boo to the Martel chapters...

Yay for the progress overall!

 

I'm resisting the temptation to read any TWoW chapters, but is your boo directed towards the Martel chapters in the first 5 books? I thought Doran's and subsequently the female Martels' development as players to be a great wild card in the game of thrones.

 

One theory that supports this was that if Lyanna was the secret knight at this tourney then there was opportunity for them to meet alone and maybe fall for each other, when Rhaegar was sent to hunt that knight down, but came up empty handed.

 

Its interesting that Howland Reed, the only remaining survivor from the Tower of Joy, is right in the midst of that too (Lyanna became the Knight of the Laughing Tree in order to defend his honor). I don't think its stated whether he was aware that it was Lyanna but pretty sure he was able to piece it together later on.

Really a ton of stuff would be cleared up once Reed makes his inevitable debut in the books.

 

Concerning R + L = J and whether Jon is legitimate or a b*stard, this particular scene where Ned dreams of his confrontation at the Tower of Joy pretty much sealed it for me.

http://www.bestfree-book.com/Vampires/A-Game-of-Thrones/39.html

As of this moment Viserys is now the King of the Seven Kingdoms but 3 members of the Kingsguard is choosing to stay with Lyanna. Why? Rhaegar may have given them orders to stay and protect Lyanna but their vows as the Kingsguard take precedent and at the very last line Ser Gerold is emphasizing that they ARE carrying out their vows by remaining with Lyanna, which can only point to that she is indeed carrying a Targaryen heir and Jon is legitimate or else the Kingsguard would be with Viserys rather than remaining at the Tower of Joy.

 

It's the most widely supported theory with the most evidence in the book. But knowing Martin he could easily have been heading that way and now sees that everyone is guessing that and he could just decide to go another way to screw with us.

 

Just a heads up, GRRM is coming to Texas A&M in march, get your tickets!

 

Dang, Kevin Sumlin can recruit ANYBODY now!