How would the war of 5 Kings have played out if Eddard Stark (somehow miraculously)
How would the war of 5 Kings have played out if Eddard Stark (somehow miraculously)
managed to escape Kings Landing and get back North? What happens next?
Well let’s say Varys helps soon to be dead Ned escape. Or should I say Varys maybe has a couple of his most trusted little birds and a palace guard on his payroll help Ned escape. Why might he do this? The only reason I can think is he respects Lord Eddard and he thinks it is better for the realm.
But now we do not have a War of the 5 Kings. History is ultimately changed a lot at this point. I’m going to say Varys sends a single trusted rider out ahead of Ned’s release to Riverrun to inform the Blackfish of what is happening. The Blackfish can send a raven with a coded message to Winterfell letting them know who is heading home. It will take Ned about a month to get back home. Ned knew Arya wasn’t in Cersei’s control and he knows they still have Sansa but he knows Cersei isn’t going to let anything happen to her with Winterfell and Stannis and his army all bearing down on the capital (once the shadow baby takes out Renly).
So with Ned coming home, and especially once he gets home, there will be no crowning of Robb as King in the North. Ned will not accept any such title. He will do the “right thing” and tell the people they will back Stannis as the one true King of Westeros. Theon might offer to go to the Iron Islands but Ned will tell him absolutely not. He’ll say that’s a stupid idea because Balon Greyjoy cannot be trusted. So Winterfell will not get sacked. There will be no Red Wedding. The North may well still capture Jaime and if that happens they have their bargaining chip for Sansa, as it will break Tywin. Robb was a good leader, but with Ned in charge I can imagine the North being unstoppable in their battles against the Westerlands. If Joffrey does something really stupid with Sansa after all this (like killing her accidentally or on purpose) then Jaime is a dead man and the North and Stannis will destroy the Lannisters.
All in all it would have been amazing to see Ned released and what could have happened, but his death inspired the wars and the character motivations for years to come.
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