Hi. I know this might be a stupid question, but, when I reread the books, I noticed that Jaime Lannister had been the Warden of the East, at least technically, when Tyrion was arrested by Catelyn. Instead of directly ambushing Eddard Stark, could he have used his authority in that position? (I know that people in the Vale were not very pleased with Jaime being Warden, but as far as legitimacy was concerned, could he have done something?)
Related to my other ask, could you explain how Jaime Lannister, being a Kingsguard, stood as Tywin’s heir to the Wardenship of the West? I thought that Kingsguard cannot hold titles… In the same vein, how could Robert name him the Warden of the East? I’m sorry if this question has already been asked!
Well, while he could have called upon the Vale levies to muster for a punitive expedition against the rogue Starks, chances are good they wouldn’t have responded. Eddard can countermand any order to muster as Hand of the King as a higher authority, and the Vale hates the Lannisters and Jaime for stealing the rightful position of young Robert Arryn.
The Wardenship is not a title in the way a titled land holding is, it’s a special title of senior command and steeped in tradition. A Warden is a merely appointment and mark of leadership, and is traditionally held by the Arryns, Lannisters, Starks, and Tyrells as a further honor of their position in the feudal hierarchy in a tradition that dates back to the early Targaryen monarchy. Not naming the current lord of those positions is an unusual circumstance. Specifically in this case, Jaime’s naming to the Warden of the East would be a temporary measure. The title would be ceded back to Robert Arryn when he reaches the age of majority or presumably right after he earns his knighthood in a formal ceremony, so it’s a unique set of circumstances in this scenario.
I agree though that the Warden of the West is a bit strange. Tywin wouldn’t pass the Wardenship of the West to Jaime upon his death, it would fall to Tyrion, or more than likely, another senior male Lannister after Tywin’s death such as Stafford or Daven. This could be a worldbuilding mixup, a symptom of the early worldbuilding weirdness, or perhaps Eddard believed that Jaime would be appointed anyway in Tyrion’s stead, since Tyrion’s physical stature causes difficulties in the lead-from-the-front style of Westerosi nobles.
Thanks for the questions, Scribbler.
SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King
