Chapter 37 - Turncloak - Theon's love

The host at Winterfell sits and waits for Stannis to arrive.  Roose Bolton announces that Stannis' host has slowed to a crawl amidst cheers.  Roose seems to think that Stannis presents no threat and part of me agrees.  However, Lady Dustin offers a glimpse into the reality of the situation a bit later in the chapter.  Apparently, Ramsey has not done a good job of keeping Fakarya happy (and who can blame her?).  She weeps constantly and the men can hear it.  The Northmen fear Roose Bolton, but they loved the Starks.  Even in the world that Martin has built, love tends to win over fear and men will fight and die for the former long before the latter.  I think that Stannis may have a chance...if he ever gets to Winterfell.

In the meantime, Theon is left to hobble around the castle eating gruel and visiting old memories.  As the chapter begins, Theon is eating when he is approached by a washerwoman (i.e. whore) who has attached herself to a singer.  She promises to write a song about Theon and begs him for the story of how he took Winterfell.  Theon rejects her advances in case she is another one of Ramsey's tricks.  She very well could be.  What it is to be Theon Turncloak...to live in constant fear of his master and his games.  Perhaps there is more to this washerwoman however.  She was very intent on getting the secret of Theon's success.  Could she be working against the Boltons from the inside?

The chapter ends with Theon leading Lady Barbrey Dustin into the crypts beneath Winterfell.  This was a very, very interesting part as we learn some things about the Stark's history.  I loved when Lady Dustin told Theon that she hated the Starks for the same reason that he loved them.  She's right.  Theon loved the Starks.  Why he did what he did is still beyond me.  Theon could be one of the dumbest characters in the series.

We learn that Lady Dustin was, for all intents and purposes, in love with Brandon Stark and even gave him her virginity.  According to her Brandon Stark loved to fight and didn't even want to marry Catelyn.  That was interesting for a couple of reasons.  I believe that it was Brandon who severely wounded Littlefinger over Catelyn.  If he didn't even want her, then he did it for honor and possibly also because he wanted to hurt someone.  It seems that Brandon and Ned were as different as Robert and Stannis or as Jaime and Tyrion.  How would things have been different if Brandon had never died in King's Landing?  We also learn that Lady Dustin wants to feed Ned's bones to her dogs.  The way she snarls when she says it is a bit creepy as well.

They leave and as they do she tells Theon that he best keep all of this information to himself.  He replies "Hold my tongue or lose it."  She tells him that "Roose has trained you well."  That he has, but will Theon Turncloak keep to that when he has the opportunity to show his love for the Starks?  Love is stronger than fear.