Here for the Starks

I don't even know what to say.

I thought everyone in the ASOIAF fandom knew that. 😆

Hello, wise anon.

he was trying to please his lords and trying to hold leverage over the lannisters but i feel like the narrative disagrees with his decision. 

tywin planned the red wedding before he found out about jaime being released. 

it led to the lannisters marrying sansa to tyrion which threatened the succession so much that robb had to legitimise jon, a brother of the night’s watch. it’s unprecedented to say the least.

it also lost the starks a marriage alliance. even tywin knew that if they let sansa go, catelyn would arrange a marriage for her, bringing in potential allies

without another heir, the northern- riverland alliance broke which allowed the freys, boltons and lannisters to solidify their hold on the 2 kingdoms

of course sansa being a hostage meant that she wasn’t killed in the red wedding. i doubt robb would have taken her with him to his western campaign and i’m sure he would have married jeyne after hearing about winterfell’s destruction.

1.Tyrion was the one who offered the trade, this was before Tywin had come to Kings Landing. Which meant, it was the perfect time for the Starks to except the trade because Tyrion and Cersei both cared about getting Jaime back and were willing to give more for him than Tywin.

2. Jaime was a useless political hostage, the leverage Robb had over the Lannister's was completely sentimental. Jaime was a Kings guard, he could never marry and bring the Lannister's a new alliance by marriage. He wasn't even the heir to Casterly Rock, technically. Given Jaime back wouldn't have lost them that much leverage. IMO

3. If Robb agreed and got Sansa back, he could have given her hand to one of his bannerman, contradicting the bullshit that if Robb made the trade he would have lost the respect of his men. He also could have made an even better alliance if he had Sansa. Arya was already promised to a Frey, but Sansa could have married a number of people that would have strengthened and expanded Robb's influence and alliances.

4.Robb was rightfully distrustful towards Tyrion's and the Lannister's as a whole. Which I absolutely get, but if he had just loved Sansa enough to take that chance I think we Tyrion might have actually honored the trade and arrange the swap without any devious plotting.

6. Tywin understood Sansa Starks value for more than her own brother and I think that is sad. That is why the trade would never have been possible if Tywin was in power rather than Tyrion. Tyrion was too emotional when it came to Jaime, would be willing to give more up to get him back.

Though I can't see Sansa holding a grudge against Robb, but was it ever explored if Sansa knew that Robb had outright refused to trade Jaime for her? I think if she did know she would have felt really hurt. She believed in Robb, held out hope that he would come for her and yet he had already let her go, was resigned to not getting her back, refusing to sacrifice for her while she was beaten every time he wont a battle.