Bronn

[ChasenFate]

What do you think will happen with Bronn? I have been thinking on it and I need to reread the book and get my thoughts in order. I was just wondering what everyone else was thinking.

[AryaUnderfoot]

Originally Posted by ChasenFate

What do you think will happen with Bronn? I have been thinking on it and I need to reread the book and get my thoughts in order. I was just wondering what everyone else was thinking.

SPOILERS!!!!.......................






Well, we all know that he's pretty much taken over Lady Falys' family estate. At this point it's really all up in the air. Bronn's not the type of man who can inspire enough loyalty in men for them to risk their necks for him, and he probably would not have enough gold to pay for their loyalty. I think it will be his best option to swear fealty to one lord or another.

I'm wondering if the Tyrells have their hooks in him yet?

[Boaz]

Aside from the money that the Stokeworth estates may have, Bronn does not have anything else... no power at court, no real standing army (that we know of), no political alliances. What he has is what he's always had... his wits, his lack of morals, and his sword.

Bronn was backed by Tyrion and then Tywin. He has no benefactor now. And since Tywin's heir tried to kill him, I think Bronn will look to someone who could appreciate his abilities. Now who could use a conniving, heartless, sellsword? Mace? No, he already has too many knights. Euron? Dany? Too far away. Stannis? Too noble. Littlefinger? Ah, methinks they'd make excellent bedfellows.

[Sword of the Morning]

Littlefinger? Ah, methinks they'd make excellent bedfellows.

Me thinks you could be right.

[Raven]

Arya:

Bronn's not the type of man who can inspire enough loyalty in men for them to risk their necks for him

well, on first glance you might think so. But reread the section where we hear about Bronn's little duel with Falyse's hubby. 'They called him Lord Stokeworth!'

Apart from being one of the funniest lines in the book, this shows us Bronn has won the loyalty of the Stokeworth's men away from Falyse - even with the suspicious death of her mother.

And if you think back to ACOK, you see that Bronn proves surprisingly effective at recruiting men for Tyrion. He wins their loyalty, IIRC, by letting them have a go at beating him. His men are not Tyrion's most loyal servants... but they're not the least loyal either, for all that they are sellswords and scum.

Bronn will go to whoever pays him best. But he's not stupid. Certainly, he's not stupid enough to trust LF. Besides, he is not well loved in the Vale. Neither of those things rules out him working for LF: but they do make the prospect more interesting.

[hedgeknight]

For all we know Bronn could end up siding with the Ironborn! Wouldn't surprise me at all. Also, is there a chance that Tyrion could return and look up "Lord Stokeworth?"
Either way, I think ultimately, Bronn will end up feeding the crows.
-g-

[Boaz]

Tyrion and Bronn could get along well again, if they are reunited. Tyrion told Bronn that he'd always pay more than anyone trying to buy Bronn away... but Tyrion did not anticipate his father buying Bronn.

Bronn is ambitious and Tyrion respects that. Tyrion knows Bronn's strenths and Bronn respects that. Both of them understand each other's appetites fairly well.

It'll be interesting to see Bronn's future. Do you think we'll see it in a POV?

Bronn

Damn the dwarf! Damn him straight to hell.

Bronn was in a foul mood. He had no desire to lose everything so quickly. The land, the power, and the title were all in jeopardy. To hell with his wife, too... well not yet, three sons would be enough to ensure his title.

Why couldn't Tyrion just disappear like any other dwarf in a mummer's troupe? Why did he have to show up now? Why did he have to show up here?

He remembered just yesterday he'd been on top of the world. Cersei had been behind the attempt on his life... she ordered his stupid kinsman to challenge him to a duel. Bronn had loved every second of it. He was born to fight, to scrap. Dueling put every sense on edge and he never felt more alive than when his life was in danger. But Bronn had never lost. Victory was sweet because he was alive and his enemy was not.

Yesterday he enjoyed a new thrill, personally slaying an enemy in front of his sworn men. He'd killed in front of friends, but never vassals. His vassals had roared their approval at his skill and style... and they accepted him as their leader in their hearts now, Bronn could feel it.

Yesterday life was grand. Today the dwarf had returned. Now Bronn was in a duel he did not understand. This Game of Thrones had attacks and ambushes that he was unaware of... Bronn felt his neck exposed to his enemies.

The choices seemed limited to three. Send Tyrion on his way and pretend that he'd never seen the Imp... but, surely the story would get back to the crown and then the bounty hunters arrive. No, sending Tyrion away would not do at all.

Bronn could also turn Tyrion over to Cersei. The Queen would forgive Bronn of all his crimes and would deliver the Lordship that she'd promised for the Imp. But what stories would Tyrion tell as they tortured him? Undoubtedly, he'd confess to ordering Bronn commit murder and other sins. The damned dwarf would probably name him as accomplice in Lord Tywin's death. No, the dwarf was too dangerous to be turned over alive.

On the other hand a dead Tyrion, might not give the Queen Bitch as much pleasure as a live Tyrion, but he would not spread any malicious tales about his former bodyguard either. Hmmmm. What to do?

Bronn climed down to the Stokeworth dungeons. Smells like hell. Well, he'd been in worse places.

"What shall I do with you, dwarf" said Bronn.

The answer floated from behind the black cell door, "Free me and I'll pay..."

"All the gold in Casterly Rock," replied Bronn. "I've heard that one before."

He heard jangling of chains in the cell. So his gaoler put Tyrion in chains... good man. "No, you upjumped son of a whore! I'm talking about..."

"You always said your tongue would be the death of you. Just so happens that'd make your sister happy."

"Look, I understand your reticence to belive that gold will fix everything. But I'm not offering gold."

Bronn chuckled to himself, "Are you gonna offer me one of your whores?" And to his amusement he heard the Imp's muttered curses from within the cell. To further his enjoyment, he opened the door and let the torchlight wash over Tyrion's hideous face.

"Imp, you'd better get serious real quick. Make sense and make it before this torch goes out, because your slut of a sister is gonna make me rich and powerful."

Tyrion's mismatched eyes seemed mesmerizing as they bored into Bronn. "I can get you on the Small Council."

"I know nothing of ships, coins, whispers, or maesters," snorted Bronn.

"Ah, but you do know something of being a bodyguard, no?"

Bronn smiled, "I'd have to renounce my lands." The torch burned lower.

"So what? Your son can keep them, on second thought I'll give him better ones. Your half-wit wife can stay here with him... you'll get a couple of the finest courtesans in King's Landing."

The torch flickered. "Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, huh?"

"Queensguard, actually. You'll be the first... a legend."

Respect from vassals felt good to Bronn... admiration and loyalty from the best knights in that land would be grand.

"You want me to crown your sister? Bitch tried to kill both of us."

"Not Cersei Lannister, nor Sansa Stark and not even Margaery Tyrell. I mean to crown a Targaryen."

"You're almost out of time, dwarf. What secret do you have that's gonna make this all come true?"

Bronn's torch fluttered and went out. From the black he heard one word... Dragons.

[Dolorous Edd]

Did no one else get the suspicion in AFFC that Bronn might actually have found a conscience at last? That he regreted not standing by Tyrion? Why else would he name the child after him? Bronn is not stupid, he must have known how it would have angered Cersei, so why do it?

[Boaz]

Perhaps paying homage to the man who really got him his start. The most that Bronn probably thought he'd ever amount to might have been a captain of a sellswrod company.

[Kingslayer Snow]

No, I think that naming the child was his way of saying "Eat me and Tyrion!".

Also, I don't think he regrets not standing by Tyrion as his champion. It would have been madness and certain death to go against Gregor Clegane, they both knew it. But I do think he doesn't wish Tyrion to die. So I guess that's as close to a conscience as he's going to get. For Bronn, that's huge!

I like his character, though. He, like Tyrion, told you from the beginning what they were about. In a real abstract way he's one of the more honorable characters in the series. Alright, screw it, he's a mercenary, but a very likeable one.

[Niolani]

I think Bronn and the Stokesworth guards will turn out to be the new band of monsters like Gregors troupe & the Bloody Mummers and terrorise the land with loyalty to no one but themselves and plunder.

[Boaz]

I reread the Tyrion chapter in ACOK where the mob overwhelms Joff's party returning from the docks. You remember, the High Septon and Ser Preston die, Lollys is raped, and Tyrek disappears. Anyway, at the end of the chapter Bronn brings Varys to Tyrion.

Bronn starts eating Tyrion's dinner, obviously provoking Tyrion. Varys is quiet. Tyrion gets angrier and angrier as Bronn's insolence grows. Bronn then casually proposes assassinating Joffrey. Varys says nothing, while Tyrion fumes.

Could Bronn be working for Varys? A year or so ago, I proposed that Bronn had secretly been in Tywin's pay, but what if Bronn one of Vary's birds?

Bronn is a very nasty fighter, a very cunning man, a good calculated risk taker, an ambitious player of the game, and a fairly thourough planner. How many penniless sellswords have these characteristics? Any shrewd lord could find a place for Bronn on his staff, well ones that are not caught up on birthrights anyway.

The two players I would expect not to be put off by low birth are Littlefinger and the Spider. Bronn is a man I'd expect to find in their employ.

The point is this... Joffrey is going to ruin the kingdom (or what's left of it). Varys knows that instability for the Lannisters is good for his Targayen loyalties, yet he knows that he has to preserve something for Danaerys to inherit. Varys could have told Bronn to suggest ousting Joff in favor of Tommen. In the above scene, Bronn (a nobody) is the boldest in playing the game that he ever is, while Varys (the consumate player) appears to be shocked. Varys and Bronn could have planned this exchange in order to open Tyrion's eyes to the possibilities.

Conversely, Tyrion and Bronn might have cooked up this exchange as a play for Varys. Tyrion could never overtly assassinate Joffrey. But if his own man hinted obliquely at King Tommen while Tyrion appears apalled, then Varys might think he could oust Joffrey and get away with it.

Also, what if Shae was working for Varys? It seems, from the mysterious conversation overheard by Arya, that Varys likes to use children as spies. How old was Shae when she met Tyrion? Eighteen? If she'd been one of Vary's little birds as a child, why could she not continue spying as an adult? When Tyrion first goes to meet Shae in KL, Varys is already there. Shae acts the innocent while Varys and Tyrion exchange veiled threats. By threatening Shae so openly, Varys disconnects himself from her... Tyrion is misled to think Varys has never met her when in fact she already belongs to Varys.

Why did Cersei, Littlefinger, Pycelle, and Tywin never find Shae? Perhaps because Varys kept her secret from them. He wanted her to get all Tyrion's secrets for himself.

In another thread, it was said that Varys could not have known Tyrion's hatred for Tywin over the Tysha marriage/rape. But Tyrion told Bronn that tale when they thought they might die in the Mountains of the Moon. And Shae knew intimately that Tyrion could not stand to be mocked in matters of the heart. So, knowing Tyrion's anger over Tysha, knowing Shae's betrayal, and knowing that Shae was at that very moment in Tywin's bed, it can be argued that Varys had a pretty good idea that blood was going to be spilled one way or another.

Why was Shae in Tywin's bed? Publicly he abhorred whores. Yet privately it seems he was still a man. So he ruined both of Tyrion's serious romances, did he take both women to bed after? Tyrion asks him where Tysha is and he is evasive. Why? Was he ashamed for taking his son's ex-wife to bed?

Back to Bronn, what will he do now? He is in a public feud with Cersei's supporters. With Cersei in jail, this looks good for Bronn. But can he keep it up? What if Varys is with him? If Varys is not with Bronn, perhaps Bronn has taken over Varys' spy network while Varys is away.

Who is Bronn? Could he be someone important in disguise? He's too old to be Aegon. Could he be someone's bastard? Bronn is a nasty piece of work, sort of like Ramsay Snow, err, Bolton.

This will be the last paragraph for this post I swear it. Do we really know if Rhaegar is dead? Robert caved in Rhagar's armor and then the fighting stopped while soldiers from both sides scrambled for the rubies. Since Rhaegar was a demon in Robert's eyes, I doubt he had a state funeral. I assume the victors verified the body, but what if Rhaegar had a stand in? There are too many precedents in Hebrew, Greek, Roman, French, and English history to say it's improbable. If there was no stand in, could the Targs have pulled a switch while pandemonium reigned on the Trident? I doubt it. They'd have pulled Rhaegar to safety if they could've and then they'd have fled. Bronn is tall and lean as was Rhaegar. Bronn could dye his hair and use Varys' tricks to alter his trademark Targaryen eyes. But I guess that Rhaegar would be at least ten years older than Bronn. Just thinking aloud.

[Peeves]

do we really know if Rhaegar is dead

uhmm.. let me think .... uhm ...


YES !

[Snagas Tender Blades]

do you people not get bored of cooking up newer more random theories? Its only a few months till the new ones out... Nice story tho Boaz.

[Boaz]

Originally Posted by Snagas Tender Blades

do you people not get bored of cooking up newer more random theories?

I love coming up with ideas that go against conventional wisdom. Martin has some major suprises left so I figure the wilder my speculations get, the closer I am to the truth.