Originally Posted by
Biggie62
Originally Posted by truthmain
Can someone who read the books explain how Robert got the throne in the first place? After Jamie killed the mad king, why didn't the Lannisters swoop the throne?
Maybe I just don't get overall how a different house takes over the throne...
Knight's Guard members can't hold land or honors like that once they are sworn in, but he could have technically if he wanted to. Ned could have sat upon it as well as he was in King's Landing before Robert. But because Robert was the main leader of the rebellion, he was the obvious one to take over the throne upon completion of the rebellion.
Robert's Rebellion:
The conflict began when
Brandon Stark, who was about to be married to
Catelyn Tully, learned that his sister,
Lyanna Stark, had been kidnapped by
Rhaegar Targaryen. Despite the pleading of
Hoster Tully for patience, Brandon rode to the city of
King's Landing. There, he went into the
Red Keep shouting for Prince Rhaegar to come out and die. King
Aerys II had Brandon arrested for threatening the crown prince, and summoned
Rickard Stark, Brandon's father and Lord of
Winterfell, to King’s Landing to fight in a trial by combat for his son’s treason. Aerys had Brandon and Rickard killed, with two hundred of Lord Stark’s best men.
Along with the Starks, Brandon's companions,
Jeffory Mallister,
Kyle Royce, and
Elbert Arryn (nephew and heir of Lord
Jon Arryn of the Vale), were accused of treason, and when their fathers came to King’s Landing to answer for their sons’ indiscretions, they were all killed after perfunctory trials by King Aerys. Brandon's squire
Ethan Glover, however, was not killed along with his companions. When Aerys demanded that Jon Arryn release
Robert Baratheon and
Eddard Stark so that they too could be executed, Jon instead raised his banners in revolt. However, many of Jon's bannermen sided with the King, chief among them Lord Grafton, who called the other loyalists to aid him in barring Jon and Robert from entering his port of Gulltown. After the fall of Gulltown's defenses, Robert was able to return to
Storm's End, while Eddard returned North. Both men called on their own bannermen.
House Tully was recruited to the rebels when Eddard and Jon married
Catelyn and
Lysa respectively, the daughters of
Hoster Tully, Lord of Riverrun.[sup]
[1][/sup] The other great houses,
Tyrell and
Martell stayed loyal to the throne. There is no information about the choice of
House Greyjoy.