Hi! How do you think ned stark would have mamaged his children marriages ?

In general terms, he’d prefer to wait till they are old enough if given the chance and he’d care about the character of who he’s marrying them to. In terms of possible matches for the Starklings (bar Jon), I’ve discussed some possible matches here . You might also like to check nobodysuspectsthebutterfly’s list of all possible northern matches for a more comprehensive analysis.

Had Myrcella been the firstborn what matches could be made for her? Robb Stark? Edmure Tully? Willas Tyrell? 12 would be the traditional age for betrothals.

Of these future lords, only Robb Stark is in the appropriate age range. Both Edmure and Willas are too old for Myrcella (and the Tyrells knew of Myrcella’s illegitimacy and were angling for making Margaery Robert’s queen so that match ain’t happening). Of course, Cersei would have a lot to say about shipping her daughter to the cold barren North and giving the Starks a leverage over the Lannisters, while Robert was more interested in recreating his match with Lyanna to look to betrothing his daughter to Ned’s son rather than his son to Ned’s daughter.

Honestly, I have no idea who Cersei would deem appropriate for Myrcella because Cersei was way too possessive of her children, and way too superior to believe anyone worthy of her Lannisters. She derided the Starks. She was furious over Tyrion’s agreement with the Martells. Hell would have to freeze over before she (or Robert, honestly) gave Myrcella to Robert Arryn. No Tyrells, no Tullys, definitely no Greyjoys. That’s all the Great Houses. The non-paramount houses might have possible matches but honestly, Cersei would have to be forced to agree to betroth Myrcella just as she was forced into agreeing to Joffrey and Tommen’s matches (though, of course, Joffrey and Tommen’s matches had the YMBQ aspect to pile on top of Cersei’s innate possessiveness), but as I don’t think Robert had a pressing reason to find Myrcella a betrothal at her age and his interest in his children’s marital future seems restricted to marrying into the Starks, chances are she’d remain unpromised till Tyrion betroths her to Trystane Martell. 

Follow-up question: Thoughts on Tommen? I don’t fancy his chances in TWOW but I’ll be sad if he dies!

turtle-paced:

I like Tommen a lot too! Maybe he’s not as smart as his sister, but there’s plenty good to be said of him. Aside from the same kindness as Myrcella, Tommen’s a brave little kid.

Tommen got his pony up to a brisk trot, waved his sword vigorously, and struck the knight’s
shield a solid blow as he went by. The quintain spun, the padded mace flying around to give the
prince a mighty whack in the back of his head. Tommen spilled from the saddle, his new armor
rattling like a bag of old pots as he hit the ground. His sword went flying, his pony cantered
away across the bailey, and a great gale of derision went up. King Joffrey laughed longest and
loudest of all.

[…]

“Look,” the Hound interrupted. “The boy has courage. He’s going to try again.”

They were helping Prince Tommen mount his pony.

– Sansa I, ACoK

I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m impressed. We see Tommen most in AFFC, where he shows the same persistence with learning to joust as he does here. He’s a caring and affectionate boy, too, going to far as to hug Loras in public (Cersei VIII). He stands up for Margaery to his mother in that chapter as well.

“I should go to court with you every day, to listen. Margaery says—”

“—a deal too much,” Cersei snapped. “For half a groat I’d gladly have her tongue torn out.”

“Don’t you say that,” Tommen shouted suddenly, his round little face turning red. “You leave
her tongue alone. Don’t you touch her. I’m the king, not you.”

She stared at him, incredulous. “What did you say?”

“I’m the king. I get to say who has their tongues torn out, not you. I won’t let you hurt
Margaery. I won’t. I forbid it.”

– Cersei VIII, AFFC

Can’t see that ending well, I’m afraid, just as this instance doesn’t, but dammit Tommen tried.

And of course there’s my favourite Tommen moment, his plans for the ultimate political power he (nominally) holds in Westeros:

“Yes, but I’m the king. Margaery says that everyone has to do what the king says. I want my
white courser saddled on the morrow so Ser Loras can teach me how to joust. I want a kitten too,
and I don’t want to eat beets.” He crossed his arms.

– Cersei V, AFFC

Aww, Tommen.

Next time someone tells me that Lyanna was on board with Rhaegar declaring for his father and leaving to war against Ned, I’m just gonna show them this.

“I was with her when she died,” Ned reminded the king. “She wanted to come home, to rest beside Brandon and Father.”

Are you honestly trying to tell me that the girl who extracted a promise from her brother to take her home and bury her beside the father and brother she lost willingly accepted Rhaegar fighting in the name of the guy who killed them with no qualms about him potentially killing another of her brothers? The girl who went after the three squires at Harrenhal because Howland was “[her] father’s man”, the girl who entrusted her child’s life to her brother and was comforted in her death throes by Ned’s promise would never be alright with something that put her family or her people in danger.

Can we not undermine Lyanna’s bond with her family? From what we know about her, Lyanna was fiercely protective of her own with a high sense of honor, justice and Northern nationalism. She had a strong relationship with her brothers that one rode to the capital at once in her defense, one strove to keep his word to her no matter the cost to his person, and one joined the Night’s Watch probably out of guilt. Two of her brothers loved her son as their own. She may have felt stifled by her father and hated his plans for her but that does not mean she loved him any less. She wanted to be buried beside him (and no, that’s not about Brandon. Lyanna wanted to be next to Rickard as much as she wanted to be next to Brandon.) This is a family with very strong familial bonds and a girl with deep love for her family. Please do not reduce that just to ease the implications of Rhaegar fighting in Aerys’ name. No prophecy would be worth her family’s life, their blood would never be an acceptable cost to Lyanna. That’s not who she was.