# Game of Thrones 7.04 "The Spoils of War" 8/6/2017 \[Show discussion only\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 6, 2017, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-7-04-the-spoils-of-war-8-6-2017-show-discussion-only/792955 "2017-08-06T22:53:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 21
**Author:** ![Garula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ea666f/32.png) [@Garula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garula)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-7-04-the-spoils-of-war-8-6-2017-show-discussion-only/792955/401 "2017-08-11T15:41:26Z")
> [@Oswald\_Bastable](#): > > My main point here though is that why should there be any assumption that the assassination attempt has anything to do with what Bran saw or the fact he has been crippled? If it was indeed Littlefinger who planned it, with the intent of laying the blame on Tyrion to ignite hostilities between the Starks and the Lannisters, it could (and probably would) have been planned long before Bran’s ‘accident’, which is entirely incidental to the assassination attempt. This is the point I wanted to add. People seem to be assuming that Bran’s tumble and the assassination attempt must be linked, but we have no evidence of that. If Littlefinger wanted to set the Starks and Lannisters against each other it would have made sense for him to set several schemes in motion. The assassination attempt could have been set in motion much earlier. Littlefinger seems to be the only reasonable candidate. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-7-04-the-spoils-of-war-8-6-2017-show-discussion-only/792955/402 "2017-08-11T15:58:25Z")
> [@Smid](#): > > I am really quite confused here as to your information on the subject. Could you go back and look at the cast lists and synopsis of those episodes. I think you are actually quite confused about the time line and the locations of the various suspects. [QUOTE=Smid] 1. Joffrey was in Winterfell when Brann had his accident. He refused to go and pay respects to the boy. They then left. So he had the opportunity. [/QUOTE] Joffrey did not have the opportunity. He was present at Winterfell when Bran had his “accident,” but the royal party including him was on the road when the assassination attempt took place. (I admit I was in error saying he was a thousand miles away, but he wasn’t at Winterfell.) It is not clear exactly how much time had passed. However, it was enough that Robb had become worried that the maintenance of Winterfell had become neglected because Catelyn was spending all of her time with Bran, suggesting it was weeks. > [@Oswald\_Bastable](#): > > As has been pointed out, there doesn’t seem to be any mention in the show that the weapon was originally in the king’s stash. All that is known is what Littlefinger has said. Namely that it was in his (Littlefinger’s) possession and that Tyrion acquired it from him (supposedly in a bet). Tyrion does not deny that it is his, only that it would be imbecilic to arm an assassin with ones own weapon. Right. There is no indication on the show that the dagger came from Robert’s weapons stash in King’s Landing. And even it it did, since he was on the road Joffrey would have had even less access to it than Littlefinger. The only way Joffrey would have a advantage over Littlefinger in access would be if the royal party had it with them on the road, and there is no indication this was the case. And even if Joffrey had wanted to do it, there would be no reason for him to use an easily identifiable dagger. Even if we accept that he might have wanted to frame Tyrion for slapping him, if it came from the King’s stash _there would be nothing to connect it to Tyrion_. It would only implicate someone in the royal party. The information that it was connected to Tyrion came from Littlefinger. [QUOTE=Smid] 2) Littlefinger was not featured in the first episode. He was not in Winterfell, and did not visit in that time. He was still in Kings Landing. So finding out such an event, and then setting up an assassin seems incredibly unlikely. Had neither weapon, nor ability to steal it (I assume that you can’t just bribe the guards to steal things from the kings personal weapon stash), nor the ability to do that remotely. [/QUOTE] The assassination attempt took place in the second episode, some unspecified time after Bran’s accident. As for Littlefinger finding out about it, it is plausible that a raven might have been sent from Winterfell to King’s Landing notifying them of the royal party’s departure, which might reasonably have mentioned Bran’s accident. Littlefinger could have found out about it in a few days, and then sent an assassin north. > [@Oswald\_Bastable](#): > > My main point here though is that why should there be any assumption that the assassination attempt has anything to do with what Bran saw or the fact he has been crippled? If it was indeed Littlefinger who planned it, with the intent of laying the blame on Tyrion to ignite hostilities between the Starks and the Lannisters, it could (and probably would) have been planned long before Bran’s ‘accident’, which is entirely incidental to the assassination attempt. > > OB Exactly. Littlefinger was unaware that Bran saw anything or why he had his “accident.” He could have set the assassination plot in motion months earlier. The assassin might not even had had instructions to target Bran in particular, just one of the Starks. When he found out that Bran was incapacitated he might have selected him as a target of opportunity. > [@Smid](#): > > I still can’t believe there is confusion over this. Littlefinger wasn’t there. Joffrey was. As pointed out, Joffrey wasn’t there either, and had no more access to the dagger and no reason to select it as the weapon. He was an inexperienced and stupid adolescent with zero capacity for carrying out anything more complicated than tying his shoes. The idea that Joffrey was responsible is simply preposterous. It’s like proposing that Hot Pie was the mastermind behind the Red Wedding. There is an argument to be made that Jaime/Cersei (more likely Cersei) could have done it, since they were the only ones to have a clear motive to eliminate Bran specifically. But there would be no reason for them to use an identifiable dagger. Even if Cersei already hated Tyrion enough to frame him, she wouldn’t want to link the crime to the Lannisters since that would also bring suspicion on herself and Jaime. And again, the only information linking the dagger to Tyrion came from Littlefinger. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-7-04-the-spoils-of-war-8-6-2017-show-discussion-only/792955/403 "2017-08-11T18:06:50Z")
One thing to keep in mind about the whole “the dagger is identifiable” discussion is that the dagger was only found because the attempt failed. It’s possible that if the assassin had succeeded, he would have left the dagger in Bran’s dead body. In that case, the dagger being identifiable would be a relevant clue. But that makes very little sense. “Hey, you, hired thug… I’m going to pay you 10 pieces of gold to kill a nobleman’s son. I’m also going to give you this fabulously valuable dagger. Please kill him with it and leave the dagger there by his dead body.” More plausible is “hey, you, hired thug… I want you to kill a nobleman’s son. For payment, I’ll give you this super valuable dagger, which you can keep.” And in the more plausible context, the dagger wouldn’t be sending a message because it wouldn’t ever become a clue. Bran’s dead body would have been found, end of story. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-7-04-the-spoils-of-war-8-6-2017-show-discussion-only/792955/404 "2017-08-11T18:14:16Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > One thing to keep in mind about the whole “the dagger is identifiable” discussion is that the dagger was only found because the attempt failed. > > It’s possible that if the assassin had succeeded, he would have left the dagger in Bran’s dead body. In that case, the dagger being identifiable would be a relevant clue. > > But that makes very little sense. “Hey, you, hired thug… I’m going to pay you 10 pieces of gold to kill a nobleman’s son. I’m also going to give you this fabulously valuable dagger. Please kill him with it and leave the dagger there by his dead body.” > > More plausible is “hey, you, hired thug… I want you to kill a nobleman’s son. For payment, I’ll give you this super valuable dagger, which you can keep.” > > And in the more plausible context, the dagger wouldn’t be sending a message because it wouldn’t ever become a clue. Bran’s dead body would have been found, end of story. In that more plausible context, the killer would still have probably been found, because he was an idiot (“…you’re not supposed to be here…”). And he would have been found with the dagger. Any competent plotter would hire a competent killer, and wouldn’t give them an identifiable weapon (unless it was supposed to incriminate someone else). If it was Littlefinger, he deliberately hired an idiot, which I don’t find plausible, unless he intended the attempt to fail. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-7-04-the-spoils-of-war-8-6-2017-show-discussion-only/792955/405 "2017-08-11T18:30:56Z")
I know some the show is hard to follow however I was listening to the radio the other morning and the hosts were talking about a recent episode of GOT. Some lady called in who had seen all seasons and episodes up to that point and didn’t understand why the hosts were talking about Jon being a Targaryen since his real father was Robert Baratheon:smack:. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-7-04-the-spoils-of-war-8-6-2017-show-discussion-only/792955/406 "2017-08-11T18:38:31Z")
It’s been so long… remind me of the circumstances in which the assassin was caught, please. Bran’s dire wolf defended him, didn’t he? Was the assassin killed or captured? Who did he turn out to be? What did he say for himself, if anything? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-7-04-the-spoils-of-war-8-6-2017-show-discussion-only/792955/407 "2017-08-11T18:40:12Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > In that more plausible context, the killer would still have probably been found, because he was an idiot (“…you’re not supposed to be here…”). And he would have been found with the dagger. > > Any competent plotter would hire a competent killer, and wouldn’t give them an identifiable weapon (unless it was supposed to incriminate someone else). If it was Littlefinger, he deliberately hired an idiot, which I don’t find plausible, unless he intended the attempt to fail. I definitely think there’s something to the deliberate failure scheme, Ozymandias style, as [looking back](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nWeC2tmrHw) the assassin is having trouble with freaking _Cat_, for Christ’s sakes, who isn’t exactly known for being a renowned warrior. My guess is Littlefinger through an intermediary hired some chucklehead and told him _“I’ll give you a bunch of gold plus this totally sweet dagger if you off a crippled child, just set a fire as a distraction, job done. There’ll definitely not be any direwolves there or anything!”_ Then LF knows the distinctive dagger would fall into Stark hands, he tells them it’s Tyrion’s, and the rest is history. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-7-04-the-spoils-of-war-8-6-2017-show-discussion-only/792955/408 "2017-08-11T18:50:03Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > It’s been so long… remind me of the circumstances in which the assassin was caught, please. Bran’s dire wolf defended him, didn’t he? Was the assassin killed or captured? Who did he turn out to be? What did he say for himself, if anything? Cat fought him and summer ripped his throat out. The assassin even said several times she wasn’t supposed to be there. It was some random guy. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-7-04-the-spoils-of-war-8-6-2017-show-discussion-only/792955/409 "2017-08-11T18:51:35Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > I know some the show is hard to follow however I was listening to the radio the other morning and the hosts were talking about a recent episode of GOT. > Some lady called in who had seen all seasons and episodes up to that point and didn’t understand why the hosts were talking about Jon being a Targaryen since his real father was Robert Baratheon:smack:. You haven’t seen Jon and Gendry in the same place, have you? What a twist! > [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > It’s been so long… remind me of the circumstances in which the assassin was caught, please. Bran’s dire wolf defended him, didn’t he? Was the assassin killed or captured? Who did he turn out to be? What did he say for himself, if anything? He’s dead, 'et to death, and some random hobo. He says “You’re not supposed to be here. No one is supposed to be here. It’s a mercy. He’s dead already” to Cat and then says “aaarargh” ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Burden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/958977/32.png) [@Jack\_Burden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Burden)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-7-04-the-spoils-of-war-8-6-2017-show-discussion-only/792955/410 "2017-08-11T19:04:46Z")
Based on the information we’re given in the show, it could just as easily have been Robert who gave the order to mercy-kill Bran, and do him honor by using a Valyrian steel blade since he’d never get to be a knight. We just don’t know about that end of it until someone confesses or Bran goes into 3-eyed Raven expository mode. What we do know is when presented with the dagger by Cat, Littlefinger took advantage of the opportunity to stoke the flames of war between Stark and Lannister, which erupted into the War of the 5 Kings after Robert’s and Ned’s deaths. All the while Littlefinger sits back and watches his ladder grow taller. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-7-04-the-spoils-of-war-8-6-2017-show-discussion-only/792955/411 "2017-08-11T19:07:54Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > He says “You’re not supposed to be here. No one is supposed to be here. It’s a mercy. He’s dead already” to Cat and then says “aaarargh” From the castle of the same name. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-7-04-the-spoils-of-war-8-6-2017-show-discussion-only/792955/412 "2017-08-11T19:24:09Z")
> [@Jack\_Burden](#): > > Based on the information we’re given in the show, it could just as easily have been Robert who gave the order to mercy-kill Bran, and do him honor by using a Valyrian steel blade since he’d never get to be a knight. We just don’t know about that end of it until someone confesses or Bran goes into 3-eyed Raven expository mode. What we do know is when presented with the dagger by Cat, Littlefinger took advantage of the opportunity to stoke the flames of war between Stark and Lannister, which erupted into the War of the 5 Kings after Robert’s and Ned’s deaths. All the while Littlefinger sits back and watches his ladder grow taller. Ned was Bobby B’s best mate, no way he gives an order to murder his son. The dagger plot being prearranged by LF, if it were, would be a consistent but comparatively minor part of his overall scheme to start the War of the 5 Kings, he’s the one who convince Lysa to off Jon Arryn and frame the Lannisters for it in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Burden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/958977/32.png) [@Jack\_Burden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Burden)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-7-04-the-spoils-of-war-8-6-2017-show-discussion-only/792955/413 "2017-08-11T19:42:22Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > Ned was Bobby B’s best mate, no way he gives an order to murder his son. The dagger plot being prearranged by LF, if it were, would be a consistent but comparatively minor part of his overall scheme to start the War of the 5 Kings, he’s the one who convince Lysa to off Jon Arryn and frame the Lannisters for it in the first place. The point I’m making is this whole argument is based on inference, not evidence. I don’t think Robert did it, but can make an argument that it was him that holds as much water as any other _based on what we’ve seen in the show_. First, he said that Bran would be better off dead than a cripple. Second, he has a track record of sending assasins to kill babies. Third, he doesn’t want his newly named Hand to be tempted to leave Kings Landing to go back to the North to deal with domestic issues. Again, I don’t buy any of that, but it makes as much sense as anything else that’s been thrown out here. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-7-04-the-spoils-of-war-8-6-2017-show-discussion-only/792955/414 "2017-08-11T19:45:27Z")
> [@Jack\_Burden](#): > > The point I’m making is this whole argument is based on inference, not evidence. I don’t think Robert did it, but can make an argument that it was him that holds as much water as any other _based on what we’ve seen in the show_. First, he said that Bran would be better off dead than a cripple. Second, he has a track record of sending assasins to kill babies. Third, he doesn’t want his newly named Hand to be tempted to leave Kings Landing to go back to the North to deal with domestic issues. Again, I don’t buy any of that, but it makes as much sense as anything else that’s been thrown out here. Oh right, apologies as I mistook your meaning there. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-7-04-the-spoils-of-war-8-6-2017-show-discussion-only/792955/415 "2017-08-11T19:54:02Z")
> [@Jack\_Burden](#): > > First, he said that Bran would be better off dead than a cripple. Jaime said that, not Robert. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-7-04-the-spoils-of-war-8-6-2017-show-discussion-only/792955/416 "2017-08-11T19:55:05Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > Then LF knows the distinctive dagger would fall into Stark hands, he tells them it’s Tyrion’s, and the rest is history. Another point to keep in mind is that until the assassination attempt, everyone mostly believed that Bran’s fall was a complete accident. It wasn’t until hobo-with-a-dagger showed up that they began to suspect that he’d been pushed by someone after seeing something he wasn’t supposed to see. > [@Jack\_Burden](#): > > I don’t think Robert did it, but can make an argument that it was him that holds as much water as any other _based on what we’ve seen in the show_. First, he said that Bran would be better off dead than a cripple. Second, he has a track record of sending assasins to kill babies. It was Joffrey, not Robert, who murdered babies. Robert did order a hit on Daenerys, but she was near full-grown (and pregnant) and posed a direct threat to his throne. Even Joffrey’s Slaughter of the Innocents was directed specifically at Robert’s bastard children; neither he nor his father ever murdered anyone just because they believed they would be better off dead. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Burden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/958977/32.png) [@Jack\_Burden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Burden)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-7-04-the-spoils-of-war-8-6-2017-show-discussion-only/792955/417 "2017-08-11T19:59:23Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > It was Joffrey, not Robert, who murdered babies. Robert did order a hit on Daenerys, but she was near full-grown (and pregnant) and posed a direct threat to his throne. Even Joffrey’s Slaughter of the Innocents was directed specifically at Robert’s bastard children; neither he nor his father ever murdered anyone just because they believed they would be better off dead. Daenerys specifically said in the last episode that Robert sent assasins to kill her when she was a baby at Dragonstone. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-7-04-the-spoils-of-war-8-6-2017-show-discussion-only/792955/418 "2017-08-11T20:05:46Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > It was Joffrey, not Robert, who murdered babies. Robert did order a hit on Daenerys, but she was near full-grown (and pregnant) and posed a direct threat to his throne. Even Joffrey’s Slaughter of the Innocents was directed specifically at Robert’s bastard children; neither he nor his father ever murdered anyone just because they believed they would be better off dead. I think he means Rhaegar’s kids, as although he didn’t kill Aegon and Rhaenys himself there’s no indication he was all that broken up about the Mountain murdering them, as far as we can tell Gregor was never even given a stern talking to about the whole baby-killing thing. He also sent Stannis to capture Dany and Viserys at Dragonstone, I doubt they would be in for a good time if they had been. Most damning is Lyanna’s _“If Robert finds out, he’ll kill him, you know he will”_ about Jon. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Burden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/958977/32.png) [@Jack\_Burden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Burden)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-7-04-the-spoils-of-war-8-6-2017-show-discussion-only/792955/419 "2017-08-11T20:19:12Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > I think he means Rhaegar’s kids, as although he didn’t kill Aegon and Rhaenys himself there’s no indication he was all that broken up about the Mountain murdering them, as far as we can tell Gregor was never even given a stern talking to about the whole baby-killing thing. He also sent Stannis to capture Dany and Viserys at Dragonstone, I doubt they would be in for a good time if they had been. > > Most damning is Lyanna’s _“If Robert finds out, he’ll kill him, you know he will”_ about Jon. No, that was Tywin, the Mountain is his bannerman. When Tywin Lannister has someone killed, he wants you to know who did it. This was his way of proving his loyalty to Robert after the Battle of the Trident was fought. Let’s face it, not many of these Westerosi “noble” men are above ruthlessly slaughtering infants or cripples to advance their political career. Maybe the Dothraki way is better after all; at least you hear them coming. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-7-04-the-spoils-of-war-8-6-2017-show-discussion-only/792955/420 "2017-08-11T20:23:24Z")
> [@Jack\_Burden](#): > > No, that was Tywin, the Mountain is his bannerman. When Tywin Lannister has someone killed, he wants you to know who did it. This was his way of proving his loyalty to Robert after the Battle of the Trident was fought. > > Let’s face it, not many of these Westerosi “noble” men are above ruthlessly slaughtering infants or cripples to advance their political career. Maybe the Dothraki way is better after all; at least you hear them coming. Point being if child murder was a big no no for Robert, at the very least we could expect some sort of remonstration for the man who physically did the deed, Gregor, which he didn’t. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-7-04-the-spoils-of-war-8-6-2017-show-discussion-only/792955.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-7-04-the-spoils-of-war-8-6-2017-show-discussion-only/792955.md?page=22)