[Spoilers] What if Ser Barristan Selmy had backed Ned in the throne room

When Ned shows Selmy the order from Robert making Ned the regent, Selmy backs him up. How does this go down in this scene and how does it affect the series.

I think Selmy could have turned the tide of the battle. If so, Cersei is arrested and Stannis becomes king. Stannis rewards Ned and he goes back to Winterfell with both his children. Stannis may even betroth his daughter Shireen to Rickon Stark. Stannis keeps Cersei and her children as hostages to keep Tywin in line. I wonder how Tywin would react. I suspect he would revolt, but perhaps using subterfuge.

Sansa eventually marries some other lord, one picked by Ned and Cat and thus a good and kind man. Rob never meets his wife, but will marry someone else, likely also arranged. Arya continues to train at Winterfell. She never becomes an assassin, but she does become a good swordsman and likely grows up to become an explorer. Bran eventually makes it north of the wall, but it does take longer. When he goes, he goes with a small army to protect him.

Ned tells Jon about his mother. Jon, having taken the black, cannot take the Iron Throne, but he does not care for such things anyway. He might even start going by the name given to him by his mother. Either way, his story changes little. However, Jon does tell Ned about the White Walkers and Ned would believe him and Lord Commander Mormont. As a result, Ned organizes the north and tells Stannis.

Stannis believes Ned especially since Melisandre will confirm this. Stannis organizes the rest of Westeros to fight the biggest war in history. Since Stannis is proactive, the White Walker may even be defeated before Daenerys arrives in Westeros. When Daenerys finally does arrive, Stannis kills her with a shadow baby as he has not used one before. He will have to contend with the dragons, Dothraki, and Unsulled, but perhaps the dragons having lost their mother would obey no one and would just go feral. Eventually Stannis takes down the dragons with scorpions or soldiers. Dragons without leaders are still dangerous, but they aren't going to win any wars.

How do you think things would change if Barristan had backed Ned at that crucial moment?

Submitted September 11, 2021 at 01:30PM by hodorstorm https://ift.tt/3A6IwHY