Supreme Court of Westeros, ruling 126

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And now, up to ruling 126! Our guest judge this week is K-K Bracken. She writes for The Geekiary and is working on a novel. She is a volunteer for Ice and Fire Con and has a Geekiary page here.

How did Ned come to have Ice? Wouldn't his father have had it when he went to King's Landing? If Ice was left at Winterfell because Rickard wanted to avoid exacerbating the situation (although traveling unarmed all that way seems a little crazy), did Ned travel back to Winterfell in the midst of Robert's Rebellion to retrieve it?

Main Opinion: Amin

Either Ice was left in Winterfell or it was retrieved at the end of the war. Rickard wouldn’t have gone unarmed if he left it behind, he just would have had a regular sword with him. If it was with Rickard, then it was probably put into storage at KL rather than sent back, given that the rest of the Starks were considered traitors. There was no immediate need to do anything with it, the Targaryens being less desperate than the Lannisters for Valyrian steel and did not think to melt it to create new weapons.

Concurring in part, dissenting in part: Stefan

In my head-canon, Ice isn’t really used in combat. It doesn’t make a practical weapon for a commander of any sort, and Eddard doesn’t seem the type to use a Greatsword in combat, either. He’s not an Umber. Besides, given how closely he follows family tradition, it seems likely that Ice has been used as a ritualistic weapon for quite some time. If you look at the way Theon hands it to Eddard in the first AGOT chapter, it seems very likely that it is only used for ceremonial purposes, not for fighting. Plus, you don’t take a greatsword to court. How does that look?!

Concurring opinion: K-K Bracken

A greatsword of Ice's size seems like an impractical weapon for normal-sized men. Rickard would have had a sword/weapon that he could use in normal combat. We only see Ice in action for executions, so I don't think it rightly matters where it was when the Starks went to King's Landing on behalf of Lyanna. Either it stayed in Winterfell or Robert gave it back to Ned after the war was finished.

Final Verdict: Rickard likely didn't have Ice with him. 

The child Eddard Stark brings back from the South to be raised at Winterfell is a girl, what changes? (Is the world doomed?)

Main Opinion: Amin

She may have a somewhat easier upbringing than Jon, if Catelyn sees her as less of a threat to her legitimate children. She might be fostered elsewhere early on or sent to live with a loyal lord’s family if not remaining at Winterfell when Ned leaves. I don’t think Ned takes her south. As for the Wall, things might have been worse up there but for Westeros and the world in general, the prophecy would find a way to work out.

Concurring in part, dissenting in part: Stefan

I agree that Catelyn’s reaction would be somewhat mullified by a girl because she wouldn’t pose a threat to Robb’s legitimacy. I guess she would have a much easier time including the girl in the rest of the family. As for the dooming part, it wouldn’t. No one says that Azor Ahai Reborn needs to wield a sword, after all, nor is it guaranteed that Jonina Snow wouldn’t come after Arya and Lyanna and, being a bastard, follow down a path like Meera did. Even if she became a lady-type, she could do much to still fulfill the prophecy. I think there’s no reason why she couldn’t.

Concurring in part, dissenting in part: K-K Bracken

Catelyn's anger at Jon was mostly misdirected anger at Ned, so I don't think her feelings toward girl-Jon would have been that different than her feelings toward boy-Jon. Considering it would have been better for Jon if Ned had fostered him out like other noble bastards, I don't think he would have let girl-Jon go either. Instead of the Wall, she would have been married off to a respectable Northern bannerman (which Ned would have let her help choose, lest history repeat itself like it did with Lyanna and Robert). I think the prophecy would still find a way to work itself out, regardless of the gender of Jon Snow.

Final Verdict: It has an easier time with Catelyn, and the prophecy would find a way.

What’s Edmure’s endgame?

Main Opinion: Amin

Survive. Do what it takes to live, outlive your enemies, and ultimately rise back to power. It worked so far for Stannis, it may work for Edmure, to the point that he ends up again as ruler of the Riverlands. He will have been hardened by his experiences and he will be somewhat different, while still retaining that Edmure core personality.

Concurring Opinion: Stefan

Edmure will survive, and finally take up residence as lord of Riverrun, although not as Lord Paramount of the Riverlands. But the latter title always was too big for him anyway, and ruling a somewhat manageable estate wise and well and without fuzz seems to be the right thing for him.

Concurring opinion: K-K Bracken

Keep his son alive, keep his wife alive, keep his bannermen and smallfolk alive, keep himself alive, in that order.

Final Verdict: He survives.