My favorite speech from the entire ASOIAF series might be coming to GoT!

I can’t believe I missed this.  This is what I get for not keeping up with everything being discussed on Winter is Coming.

As I have mentioned here on the blog before, there is a scene in A Dance With Dragons (Book Five) that is one of my favorites, if not my absolute favorite, in the entire series.  It involves the family that is probably the wealthiest in all the North, as well as one of the most powerful and loyal to the Starks of any of their bannermen: House Manderly of White Harbor.  I keep hoping (seriously, I have mentioned it or talked about it more than a few times) that the epic speech in that scene by Lord Wyman Manderly when he speaks with Ser Davos Seaworth will somehow make its way into the TV show.  Although now I am not sure how that will happen, since the reason for Davos going to White Harbor seems rather pointless now.  But who knows, maybe he will still go there for whatever reason.

Seriously, I have geeked out about this whole Manderly thing so much that even our own House in Westeros  is loyal to the Manderlys and thus the Starks.  Yeah.  Hell, I even made one of the (in)famous Manderly meat pies based on Chelsea’s recipe.  And mmmmmmmm, it was good.

Anyway, as I have been trying to catch up a bit on all things Game of Thrones I read this old WiC post from six months ago that was talking about Season Six casting.  It has apparently been standard practice to change the names of characters being cast so as to preserve at least a small amount of secrecy.  But read this and see what you think:

“Boyce”: He’s a callow young nobleman in his 20’s who has been thrust into a position of power before he is ready. They’re looking for an actor using a Northern accent, and one who is physically fit, can play somewhat hot-headed and can look rugged. Our source says the character has a couple speeches in a scene with leading cast. He’s only expected to shoot for one day- December 16th- in Northern Ireland.

“Fletcher”: He is a fat nobleman in his 60’s. He has distinctive rugged features, a Northern accent, and a distinguished air. Our source says he has a stirring speech during which he unexpectedly shifts political allegiances. The actor is only expected to shoot for one day- the same day as the above role, on December 16th, in Northern Ireland.

Now, that second one sure sounds like Lord Manderly.  Reading that bit about the speech literally made my pulse speed up, I was so excited.  I would have let out a very loud “SQUEEEEE!!!!” if I was the squeeing type.

Anyway, I was thinking about who the first lord they described could be.  The same WiC post seems to think that it is young Lord Cerwyn.  I am inclined to agree, based on the description and on the fact that we know Lord Cerwyn and his wife and son were killed by Ramsay Bolton in Episode Three of Season Five.  Thus a young man thrust into a position of power before he is ready.  And it would make sense that such a wronged young lord would side with Lord Manderly, as he would want revenge on the Boltons for what they did to his parents and brother.  I would too.  Die, Boltons, die.

So yeah, I have that to look forward to now.  And I pray that there will be a Northern battle in which the Boltons get stomped.  Oh, how I long to see the banner of the flayed man ground into the mud.  Thanks for nothing, Stannis.

-Geoff