u/Wanda_andTargaryen3

We see plenty of examples of Targaryen kings altering laws, issuing decrees, or arbitrating disputes (Jaehaerys I’s reforms, the codification of the Old and New laws, etc.), but it got me thinking about systemic state-building. From purely the book (Fire & Blood), we can estimate Kings like Jaehaerys I Conciliator (and his wife Alysanne) or Viserys I have made enormous changed in the Realm. Jaehaerys, for instance, had expanded the roads, connected the Seven Kingdoms via roads, and even disarmed the Faith over the Crown.

So, I think we can assume that the King can do whatever he wants with the laws and within the Crownlands. However, what if a Targaryen king, or say, Robert (due to his extreme fear of Dany's pregnancy and Khal Drogo in AGOT) wanted to create a permanent army of the Crown that's consisting of hundreds of men (who would be recruited from the slums of Flea Bottom or Crownlands), be trained by legends like Barristan Selmy or Jaime, and be armed with weapons like polearms, swords, shields and bore the banner of House Baratheon and Lannister? Could it work? How would this institution fare during the War of the Five Kings, or Blackfyre Rebellions or Robert's Rebellion (if it were founded before Robert)?

Bonus: How would your army of the Crown be in Westeros?

So, while Arya (working for Weese), Gendry, Hot Pie and other peasants and commoners suffer in the Harrenhal and the Riverlands, sleep in mud, dirt and soil and witness horrible things in the entirety of ACOK and ASOS.. notice how the Tyrells lived in complete opulence and abundance. They closed their gates, cut the food supply and hid their gold for themselves.

Or, when it comes to Essos, where slavery is common and brutality is much more widespread compared to Westeros, the Iron Bank (keyholders) and or other nobles in the Essos live in their palaces and estates.

Even though I think it PERFECTLY mirrors what's happening today.. just what are your opinions on who would be the equivelant of Tyrells and Iron Bank or Essosi nobles in modern world?

While reading through AGoT-ASOS, I could feel the authority of King Robert (AGOT only obv), Cersei and Joffrey.. like the entire Winterfell sequence alone, and the description of Cersei's big wheelhouse made me believe they were respected and feared. And the fact that Joffrey had e*ecuted Ned Stark, the literal Warden of the North and Lord of Winterfell, with a single word.. was absolutely terrifying. Joffrey was able to eliminate Lord Stark in the steps of Sept of Baelor, and even though the High Septon (at that time) was mad about this, he could do nothing to Joffrey or even excommunicate him.

However, then reading AFFC and seeing Cersei, the literal Queen Mother and a Lannister, and Margaery, the Queen and a Tyrell, being imprisoned by the Faith made me realize how fragile and weak they were. Though, Margaery is now under Randyll Tarly's custody. Like, I know no ONE cares about Cersei and the smallfolk despise her but, wasn't the entire Walk of Atonement absurd for the medieval nobility and royalty standarts? How come a Queen can be humiliated by the High Sparrow in such a manner? It's true that the capital despised her, but how did the Golden Cloaks or Lannister-Tyrell troops allow both Queens to be imprisoned and Cersei to perform the Walk?

When it comes for the Tyrells, I think the Faith would've been cornered if they cut off the food supply. Like do you think nobles had far more authority over their lands, people and taxes before the main events (from Fire & Blood, character descriptions)? If the Kingsguard or Lannister-Tyrell troops can't even handle a light-armed group, there's no point of obeying them.

As we all know that Cersei re-armed the Faith in AFFC to forgive the Crown's debts to the Faith and plotted for Margaery's downfall by false accusations, and deceived Osney Kettleback to falsely confess the High Sparrow that he and Margaery had a relationship. However, acting on his testimony, High Sparrow arrests Cersei as well. Even though Margaery's situation is conditionally better than her mother-in-law, the fact that Mace Tyrell stands before the Sept and promises he'll wait there until his daughter is declared innocent is.. bizarre.

Well, why didn't the Kingsguard or guards Red Keep just raid the Sept of Baelor for their Queen (the same thing applies for the Tyrells as well)? If you look at our world's medieval history, you'd see that the Archbishop of Canterbury was a*sassinated by the four knights of King Henry II when the Bishop thought (and cornered him) the King would support the Church.

Like, why wouldn't any Golden Cloaks or, say, Lannister troops intervene to their Queen being imprisoned? Because Tommen is a naive and gentle boy king and he surely didn't have complete control over all of them. There must've been the loyalists of Cersei.

I know the Sept of Baelor was a religious and such a significant place but so was the Church in our history, but it didn't prevent the death of the Archbishop.

Reading through Fire & Blood, A World of Ice and Fire, and the main series, it struck me just how ridiculously unsafe it is to be a royal in Westeros. Even accounting for general medieval mortality rates, Targaryen and Baratheon royals die to covert violence, "suspicious" accidents, and internal betrayals at an astounding rate.

Looking closely at royal protection throughout history, a few massive systemic failures are:

- King Maegor's death remaining suspicious since he wasn't surrounded by his guards. (Fire & Blood)

- King Aerys II being murdered by Jaime (his own guard) in the Throne Room.

- Blood and Cheese sneaking into the royal apartments of Queen Alicent and Princess Helaena, and making Helaena choose between Maelor and Jaehaerys and then ending Jaehaerys's life. (As described in Fire & Blood)

- Tyrion being able to sneak into Tywin's (Hand of the King) chambers and striking him with a crossbow in A Storm of Swords. How there wasn't any guards in front of his chambers?

Bonus question: if a commoner had struck a royal child, you'd except them to face severe punishment.. how do you think a commoner would be punished if they had struck Tommen or Myrcella? (We're obviously not going to talk about Joffrey's situation with Mycah, because it was his demonstration of power).

Westerosi history is written by Maesters or septons, many of whom have their own political inclination (e.g., Septon Eustace in Fire & Blood), blind spots, or instructions to keep the peace.

We know poison is called "a woman's weapon" (or a coward's), but Westeros is also home to Faceless Men, Alchemists, Sorrowful Men, and shadow-binders. In the main series, deaths like Balon Greyjoy's fall or Joffrey's poisoning were initially passed off as accidents, choking, or divine retribution by those in power.

This makes me wonder: Were there any historical assassinations throughout the Targaryen dynasty or the Age of Heroes that were recorded as accidents or illness?

1- Do y'all believe the Citadel covers up some of the assassinations because of their political bias?

2- How would the perpetrator get away unnoticed? Given to the fact that not every house could afford a Faceless Man.

We constantly debate feudal troop counts, siege tactics, and dragon logistics, but I’ve been thinking about the logistics of the Westerosi underworld.

Cities like King’s Landing (half a million residents), Oldtown, and Gulltown have all the ingredients for massive, organized crime syndicates: extreme wealth inequality, sprawling slums like Flea Bottom, corrupt City Watch captains, and high trade tariffs.

Yet outside of localized outfits like the Kingswood Brotherhood, low-level cutpurses, and the Alchemists' Guild, George R.R. Martin rarely describes organized, multi-generational criminal cartels in Westeros—unlike Essos, which is crawling with pirate cartels, assassin guilds, and shadowy syndicates (e.g., the Sorrowful Men, the Faceless Men, the Myrish slavers).

1- Is Westerosi feudalism simply too brutal for a traditional "Mafia" to survive without a High Lord crushing them, or do Lords silently profit off illegal trades?

2- Was Littlefinger essentially running an underworld syndicate using brothels and debt collection, disguised as Crown finance?

3- What would an actual Westerosi cartel look like—smuggling Arbor wine, illegal Valyrian steel/poisons, or human trafficking across the Narrow Sea?

Let's be real, Westeros isn't being ruled only by lords and noble houses, but also the outlaw groups that roams around in places like Flea Bottom or Riverlands. Well, we know that some of their members are pretty rigid.. and brutal. For example, Brave Companion. They literally maimed Jaime and the group itself had consisted of many ethnic groups.

Although not an outlaw group, House Darklyn was able to hold Aerys II as an hostage. Tyrek Lannister has also been vanished after the riot in KL. Well, truth be told, it is highly likely that Varys is the mastermind of it.. BUT: Varys is still a commoner by birth, Tyrek is a noble and a relative of House Lannister, even if he's a lower one. I think he should've had more protection.

Not only that but also Joffrey was poisoned in front of the entire royal court, a thousand guest and his own Kingsguard.. the security system should've been more stable, especially during such a crowded and extravagant affair. Joffrey should've had foodtasters...

Now, do you think that;

1- A noble can be kidnapped by the Brotherhood or Brave Companions in Riverlands? Like attacking Walder Frey's latter and envoy?

2- An outlaw group like those in Flea Bottom can raid or cause chaos at Red Keep, or other castles?

3- Can the King increase the safety measures in order to prevent these?

In Westeros, the noble houses are always referred to as "House Lannister", "House Stark", "House Tyrell", or "House Frey".. not as "House of Lannister" or "Tyrell dynasty". Are the noble houses of Westeros, especially the Great Houses, remain as mere nobles and lords since they only rule a region, castle or town, or can they be considered as dynasties?

For example, if you read the ASOIAF books in Turkish, you'll see that every house, even the minor ones like Stokeworth, Florent, Mallister or Westerling are being referred to as "hanedan" which means "dynasty" in Turkish. However, the word "hane" could also be used for them as well, which means "house" in Turkish.