Thinking about the show where Duncan kicks prince Aerion, cause he saw him hurting Tanselle. Thinking about the asoiaf books where Arya Stark hit the crown prince Joffrey because he was cutting her friend out of cruel glee.
Thinking about the show where a lowborn hedge knight is thrown in the cell because you can't just hurt a prince, no matter if he broke someone's finger for a perceived insult. Thinking about Arya, who stood up to Joffrey's cruelty, but was spared the same fate because she was the highborn daughter of the king's childhood friend-she was lost in the forest and was hunted by the queen's brother and would have been killed if found out by the Lannister twin; but when her father's men found her and brought her back, she was given a chance to put forth her case in front of the king, under her father's protection.
Thinking about Baelor looking through books and scrolls in the show, to find out if there was some loophole he can exploit to let Dunk go, cause the system is built that way that you can never hurt those who are in power no matter how just your cause is. Robert Baratheon was no Baelor Targaryen- he couldn't care less about what is just and what is not, but he refused to maim Arya the way Cersei wanted to. She was a child and the daughter of his friend and he knew what Joffrey was capable of.
Thinking about the lowborn hedge knight being made to fight in the trial of seven cause you can't just kick a prince no matter his cruelty. Thinking about how you cannot hit prince Joffrey no matter his sadism and how Lady was sentenced to death because of it.
Thinking about Tanselle and her uncle fleeing so as to not get caught up in the aftermath. Thinking about Mycah not getting the chance to flee to his father, cause the crown prince has the power to order his sworn shield to chase a butcher's boy down and cut him up.
Thinking about Baelor calling what Aegon did, an unkindness, because he involved a lowborn Dunk into saving Tanselle, instead of calling on any other member of the royal family. Thinking about Arya hearing about Mycah's murder and being brought close to tears in disgust, when she realized none of her father's men cared for the fate that befell the butcher's boy.
Thinking about what all of this means and how over a hundred years apart, almost the same incident is repeated ( someone having to punch up at a sadist prince). Thinking about how it doesn't matter whether it is Aerion or Joffrey, Tanselle or Mycah, Dunk and Egg or Arya Stark, Baelor Targaryen or Robert Baratheon, because they are all bound by the same system that preserves the status quo. It doesn't matter who sits on the Iron throne- how cruel or just he/she is, ultimately they will have to make a compromise to preserve the sanctity and power of the throne to rule over everyone else. This battle for the dawn that looms over our protagonists in the current timeline- the battle which will be fought for freedom from slavery even in death; what comes after? Will the world of asoiaf once again return to being slaves of the system?
