I think it’s Rhaegar Targaryen + Lyanna Stark = Jon Snow.
ETA: They’re Jon’s real parents. He’s not Ned’s child. Ned protected him by concealing that he’s a Targaryen.
I thought the return of the magic/dragons was connected to the return of the White Walkers. “They come when it’s cold, or it gets cold when they come.” “They come when it snows, or it snows when they come.” There is a theme of the effect they have, which the world has forgotten. I have a feeling that much is in those scrolls beneath Castle Black which desperately needs to be unearthed.
Also Melisandre says she’s more powerful ebing near The Wall, can do things she never could before. But is it really the proximity to the Others?
I hope Sam emerges as the most powerful wizard of all. . .
I wonder what Jon would think being the child of rape (presumably), and the son of a Targaryen. He carries around an enormous chip on his shoulder just from being a “bastard.”
Do people just think he can’t be Ned Stark’s son because Ned, simply, was too honorable to cheat? Surely he would have told Catelyn the truth to keep her from treating Jon like shit. In fact, I can’t stand Catelyn… mostly because of how she treats Jon. But also because of her rash decision making, which seems to derive from an inflated sense of self/personal honor.
It was probably not rape at all. There is a shit ton of stuff backing up the theory, it’s not simply because Ned wouldn’t cheat.
I guess I will have to dig around a bit to flesh this theory out. Ironically, my work has blocked tons and tons of websites for security. They blocked Lexis, and I am a lawyer. :smack: But Straight Dope is a-ok, apparently. 
IIRC, Catelyn got told to STFU and MYOB when she questioned Eddard on this matter. Tho I believe he did confirm Jon’s Stark heritage in that conversation.
This scene struck me differently. It seems to me that the Dothraki-handmaiden is feeling a bit, “fish out of water,” in Quarth. She is probably miffed that Hotchick-handmaiden is acting very “un-dothraki-ish” by cooing over the dress, and wanting to dress Dany up like a princess. I think she just wants Dany to act more like a Khaleesi and less like dragon Barbie.
Is this “conversation” in the book or show? Can you tell me which book?
I definitely need to re-read. I flew through the first two books… then stalled during the third.
There are a million details you miss out on your first read because they really make no sense unless you know what comes later.
Jon thread started: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=15022547#post15022547
1st book, early on in the first 1/4 or so.
If you think about it, the only person who says that Rhaegar abducted Lyanna and raped her is Robert himself. It never even crossed his mind that just maybe, Lyanna wasn’t terribly interested in being married off to a cheating drunkard, and was enamored of Rhaegar, who by most non-Robert accounts was a good and noble person.
And the only time Ned thinks about Rhaegar it was a positive thought.
I personally think he can’t be Ned Stark’s son precisely because he won’t tell Catelyn the truth about him. Had it simply been a case of “scullery maid, long military campaign, empty staircase. Things happened.”, I don’t believe he would have kept quiet about it - he clearly loved and respected Cat enough to be honest about that much.
But what he wouldn’t have done is lie to her (or anyone, really).
Based on these considerations, I’m forced to conclude that telling the truth, whatever it may be, would have cause Problems, and more than simply weakened trust & resentment from infidelity (which was pretty much a done deal, in fact if anything keeping mum heightened those particular feelings). Possibly problems affecting more than just his couple/family/Jon’s childhood. “He’s really the legitimate heir to the throne” would be one such Problem - it’s not something Cat could really have kept under her hat.
I totally remember that now. Really must do a better re-read.
Additionally, there’s a complementary theory about the Knight of the Laughing Tree, the mystery knight from the Tourney at Harrenhal. If you recall, Rhaegar won and choose to make Lyanna Stark the tourney’s Queen of Love and Beauty over his own wife. Now just prior to that, the mystery knight came into the tournament and kicked all kinds of ass, but disappeared before it was over. All we know is that the knight was small of stature, and beat some knights whose squires had taunted Howland Reed. This leaves the reader to assume that Reed was the mystery knight. It was likely Lyanna who Arya is said to resemble in disposition. At some point “off camera” Rhaegar discovers this, she stops dressing as the knight, and he awards her the Love and Beauty prize for reasons only he knows.
Then later they make a baby. Ned is sworn to keep a promise, which is likely ‘never tell anyone but the child that I willingly went with Rhaegar and loved him, and we’re this baby’s parents.’ I think Ned likely didn’t tell Cat both because of his honor and he needed her to openly and convincingly treat Jon like a bastard to help support the lie. Otherwise, his best friend, King Robert would literally have the baby smashed to bits.
Rhaegar discovered it because in his paranoia the Mad King decided the Knight of the Laughing Tree was against him and sent Rhaegar to find him.
Yeah, nice. Even better. Whatever turns out to be the actual book-printed truth will pale in comparison if it’s not this.
I’ll be mad if George ever reveals it directly.
Let’s assume that this is not the topic that George asked D&D to see whether they were real fans. What would he ask them other than this?