This is one of the first theories I came up with after reading the main series of books. And I'll be the first to admit that this theory is a little crackpot!
However, equally the idea that of the six companions who went with Prince Rhaegar into the Riverlands; none of them took a squire. Is a bit odd if you stop to consider it?
We know that Prince Rhaegar had more than one squire during his time. Two are named; Myles Mooton & Richard Lonmouth. Who were both likely to be amongst those six most trusted companions? But we don't know who his squire was at the time of setting out on that fateful journey.
I am now going to propose a candidate for this squire who therefore would have been present at the Tower of Joy, would know the truth of Jon's parentage, and if there was a marriage between Rhaegar & Lyanna.
The thing which led me to this theory was the bizarre dialogue in the Arrianne chapter where Myrcella loses her ear. It set me to thinking about Gerold Dayne and why he said all that odd stuff! I never set out to prove there was a squire at the tower of Joy. But that was where this dialogue led me.
The first thing I did was look up his age, we are given late twenties by GRRM and the Wiki has his birth at between 270 and 274 making him between 9 and 13 at the time of Roberts Rebellion. Which is the perfect age for him to be a squire. I looked up his age in order to ascertain who he may have known growing up and what life stage he would have been at during significant points in the backstory. This was how I realised he would have been of squiring age during the rebellion; I was intrigued!
In fact, he is one of the few known characters who would have been at the right age to be a Squire at the time. The end of the rebellion took place in 283 and there are many in book references to boys squiring at his age. Prince Doran says he went to Squire at age 9, the Frey boys who Squire for Ramsay Snow after the sack of Winterfell are 8, Edric Dayne is 12 when we meet him in A Storm Of Swords and has been squire to Ser Beric for a few years at least, as the Brotherhood Without Banners have been in the riverlands at least a year and he was already Squire to Beric prior to them setting out at Neds behest in A Game Of Thrones.
Another thing to note about Gerold Dayne is that he is described as the most dangerous man in Dorne, but why? He is a good swordsman but is he really so amazing to be granted such a title?
Many people have proposed that it is who he is which makes him so dangerous, with some rather far-fetched secret identity theories having been put forward. All of which fall flat under scrutiny. So I decided it must be not who he is which is dangerous but something he knows. I asked myself what he might know which would pose a danger?
If he was present at the Tower of Joy, perhaps even at Rhaegar & Lyanna's wedding, then this knowledge would be a threat to Prince Doran's plan to wed his child to the Targaryen heir, thus avenging Elia through taking the throne from the Baratheon-Lannister dynasty.
Should a new heir come to light then this would destroy his careful plans. He initially plans to wed Arianne to Viserys. But once Viserys dies he decides to back Danaerys and wed his son Quentyn to her instead. But the plan is the same, marry his child to the Targaryen heir and take the Iron Throne.
So should the son of the woman who Rhaegar eloped with come to light as the true heir his plan is not so perfect. He's not going to be so keen on placing her son on the Iron Throne. So it is in his interests to keep Jon's existence a secret. Even if Elia was onboard with the second marriage as some suspect, I doubt her brother would be keen on crowning that other woman's son given Elia died due to events set in motion by this second marriage.
Ned Stark kills no children; this gives us an answer as to how a squire survived the wer of Joy, we know Ned and Howland were not the only survivors as Ned recalls that "they" found him. This is largely taken to mean servants who would be present, but a Squire could feasibly be included in that number. We know from Jaime taking a squire into the Riverlands that the Kings Guard do at times have Squires. So they themselves too are a Reason why a squire might be there.
I said earlier that I looked at the dialogue in Arrianne's chapter and one thing which is inescapable is how bitter Darkstar is. I decided to try to work out why he is so full of resentment. If Darkstar was there and Ned spared him I believe he would have returned him to the main branch of his family with a vow never to speak of Lyanna's child The Martells would surely wish to speak with this boy who was privy to the events at the conclusion to the rebellion, and so Oberyn or even Doran might show up to speak to him, again swearing him to secrecy, perhaps even using less pleasant tactics, threats lies, manipulation. This could be the Venom Gerold says he was weaned on. And the answer to why he is so bitter.
When Gared speaks with pride about his own namesake, Darkstar gives a scathing speech about namesakes. I concluded that Perhaps Darkstar is not so keen upon his own namesake, who is assumed to have been Gerold Hightower. If he were a Squire to one of the Kings Guard or Rhaegars squire - left behind at the tower, he would have spent time with Hightower so maybe he didn't like what he saw? During his speech, Darkstar says of his assumed name at least it is my own as if he feels a desire to distance himself from his given name and that it is not a name he wishes to bare. He points out in their exchange that the Gared of history was no hero, but in fact led many to their deaths, so not someone to be truly proud to share a name with. In spite of what the songs and stories may infer.
I think GRRM is telling us with this story that Gerold Dayne does not wish to bear the name of Gerold Hightower because he was not the man history tells us he was, that he too needlessly led his men to their deaths. If he was there and saw how pointless the fight was and that Hightower led Arthur & Oswald to their deaths for a lost cause; the war was lost the Targaryens destroyed. He would feel that refusing Ned access to his sister because of Jon was a pointless last stand. They could not have hoped to win the war was lost, the Targaryen forces smashed, Kings Landing taken, and the rest of the royal family fled to Dragonstone.
Arrianne thinks of him as a good swordsman and implies he is unpredictable and not easy to read. Which implies to the reader that he plays his hand close to his chest. This tells us that he is a very good swordsman, which might mean he trained with someone who was also an excellent swordsman such as Arthur Dayne. Or that he has had a strong impetus to become the best fighter he can be, such as living a life under threat. His unpredictability and secretiveness also imply a need to keep himself safe.
Darkstar does not drink the wine and instead drinks unsweetened lemon water this has the effect of imprinting his bitter persona in the reader's mind. But also shows us that he does not want his mind clouded by wine, either because he had already planned to take his moment to attack Myrcella, or that it is his custom from always feeling threatened by the Martell brothers. Doran says later that Oberyn should have dealt with him years ago, maybe Darkstar was always aware that one day The Viper may come for him?
And so to the talk of venom & Vipers, what has oft been taken as an indicator he is the son of Oberyn; I think implies a life of threat.
"Watch where you put your feet," "It has been a while since prince Oberyn milked the local vipers"
"I was weaned on Venom Dalt, any Viper takes a bite of me will rue it."
He was weaned on venom ie: he endured prince Oberyn's venom from a young age when the Martell Princes began their campaign to keep him quiet, not that he was ever going to speak of the ToJ, and this is why he is so angry, he proclaims any Viper takes a bite of him will rue it. That sounds like a threat to me, he's grown up now he's a man, not a boy and he has honed his swordsmanship and won't be pushed around anymore if they come for him now they'll regret it.
Look at how similar that wording is to Doran's speech to Arianne about his and Oberyn's symbiotic rulership style.
Is Gerold so unafraid because the Viper is dead and he thinks the grass benign?
Many people have proposed that it is who he is which makes him so dangerous, with some rather far-fetched secret identity theories having been put forward. All of which fall flat under scrutiny. So I decided it must be not who he is which is dangerous but something he knows. I asked myself what he might know which would pose a danger?
If he was present at the Tower of Joy, perhaps even at Rhaegar & Lyanna's wedding, then this knowledge would be a threat to Prince Doran's plan to wed his child to the Targaryen heir, thus avenging Elia through taking the throne from the Baratheon-Lannister dynasty.
Should a new heir come to light then this would destroy his careful plans. He initially plans to wed Arianne to Viserys. But once Viserys dies he decides to back Danaerys and wed his son Quentyn to her instead. But the plan is the same, marry his child to the Targaryen heir and take the Iron Throne.
So should the son of the woman who Rhaegar eloped with come to light as the true heir his plan is not so perfect. He's not going to be so keen on placing her son on the Iron Throne. So it is in his interests to keep Jon's existence a secret. Even if Elia was onboard with the second marriage as some suspect, I doubt her brother would be keen on crowning that other woman's son given Elia died due to events set in motion by this second marriage.
Ned Stark kills no children; this gives us an answer as to how a squire survived the wer of Joy, we know Ned and Howland were not the only survivors as Ned recalls that "they" found him. This is largely taken to mean servants who would be present, but a Squire could feasibly be included in that number. We know from Jaime taking a squire into the Riverlands that the Kings Guard do at times have Squires. So they themselves too are a Reason why a squire might be there.
I said earlier that I looked at the dialogue in Arrianne's chapter and one thing which is inescapable is how bitter Darkstar is. I decided to try to work out why he is so full of resentment. If Darkstar was there and Ned spared him I believe he would have returned him to the main branch of his family with a vow never to speak of Lyanna's child The Martells would surely wish to speak with this boy who was privy to the events at the conclusion to the rebellion, and so Oberyn or even Doran might show up to speak to him, again swearing him to secrecy, perhaps even using less pleasant tactics, threats lies, manipulation. This could be the Venom Gerold says he was weaned on. And the answer to why he is so bitter.
When Gared speaks with pride about his own namesake, Darkstar gives a scathing speech about namesakes. I concluded that Perhaps Darkstar is not so keen upon his own namesake, who is assumed to have been Gerold Hightower. If he were a Squire to one of the Kings Guard or Rhaegars squire - left behind at the tower, he would have spent time with Hightower so maybe he didn't like what he saw? During his speech, Darkstar says of his assumed name at least it is my own as if he feels a desire to distance himself from his given name and that it is not a name he wishes to bare. He points out in their exchange that the Gared of history was no hero, but in fact led many to their deaths, so not someone to be truly proud to share a name with. In spite of what the songs and stories may infer.
I think GRRM is telling us with this story that Gerold Dayne does not wish to bear the name of Gerold Hightower because he was not the man history tells us he was, that he too needlessly led his men to their deaths. If he was there and saw how pointless the fight was and that Hightower led Arthur & Oswald to their deaths for a lost cause; the war was lost the Targaryens destroyed. He would feel that refusing Ned access to his sister because of Jon was a pointless last stand. They could not have hoped to win the war was lost, the Targaryen forces smashed, Kings Landing taken, and the rest of the royal family fled to Dragonstone.
Arrianne thinks of him as a good swordsman and implies he is unpredictable and not easy to read. Which implies to the reader that he plays his hand close to his chest. This tells us that he is a very good swordsman, which might mean he trained with someone who was also an excellent swordsman such as Arthur Dayne. Or that he has had a strong impetus to become the best fighter he can be, such as living a life under threat. His unpredictability and secretiveness also imply a need to keep himself safe.
Darkstar does not drink the wine and instead drinks unsweetened lemon water this has the effect of imprinting his bitter persona in the reader's mind. But also shows us that he does not want his mind clouded by wine, either because he had already planned to take his moment to attack Myrcella, or that it is his custom from always feeling threatened by the Martell brothers. Doran says later that Oberyn should have dealt with him years ago, maybe Darkstar was always aware that one day The Viper may come for him?
And so to the talk of venom & Vipers, what has oft been taken as an indicator he is the son of Oberyn; I think implies a life of threat.
"Watch where you put your feet," "It has been a while since prince Oberyn milked the local vipers"
"I was weaned on Venom Dalt, any Viper takes a bite of me will rue it."
He was weaned on venom ie: he endured prince Oberyn's venom from a young age when the Martell Princes began their campaign to keep him quiet, not that he was ever going to speak of the ToJ, and this is why he is so angry, he proclaims any Viper takes a bite of him will rue it. That sounds like a threat to me, he's grown up now he's a man, not a boy and he has honed his swordsmanship and won't be pushed around anymore if they come for him now they'll regret it.
Look at how similar that wording is to Doran's speech to Arianne about his and Oberyn's symbiotic rulership style.
Is Gerold so unafraid because the Viper is dead and he thinks the grass benign?
"I am not blind, nor deaf. I know you all believe me weak, frightened, feeble. Your father knew me better. Oberyn was ever the viper. Deadly, dangerous, unpredictable. No man dared tread on him. I was the grass. Pleasant, complaisant, sweet-smelling, swaying with every breeze. Who fears to walk upon the grass? But it is the grass that hides the viper from his enemies and shelters him until he strikes."
Here we are literally being told that Oberyn is the Viper, the two turns of phrase are too similar to be coincidental in my opinion.
Dalt tells Gerold to be wary of stepping on a viper and Doran says Oberyn was the Viper that no man dared tread on, Gerold says he is not afraid of the viper, that he was weaned upon its venom. And that if the viper bites him it will rue the day.
If we take it that Oberyn is the Viper being discussed and I think given Doran's later proclamation that Oberyn should have killed Darkstar long ago taken alongside these two dialogues that we ought to. Then it makes sense that there has been an ongoing hostile relationship between the three men.
Doran then calls Gerold the most dangerous man in Dorne. It could be because he knows how Myrcella was injured, or it could be because of whatever this ongoing hostility between the Martells and Ser Gerold is? I find the fact that so much of this chapter is given over to seemingly obscure conversations between Darkstar and the other members of the party very compelling towards the idea that he is significant in some way. That these odd snippets of conversation are significant.
Gerold seems jealous of Arthurs reputation when Marcella refers to him on their introduction. In retort to being told Arthur was a great knight, He says that Arthur had a great sword, that his house goes back tens of thousands of years yet all anyone remembers is his cousin.
Gerold if he was this proposed squire would know how good Arthur was and have seen him die. Did Arthur die without Dawn in his hand. Is this why Gerold thinks it was the sword not the man who was great?
He certainly seems disillusioned with the fable of Arthurs prowess. In keeping with a child who thought for sure his cousin would win the fight but instead saw him loose.
It would seem he is determined to have war, he urges Arianne to kill Myrcella not crown her as a surer route and mentions the suggestion again in jest when the sun begins to come up, then when it seems Doran has discovered the plot and the plan is lost he seeks to secure war by attempting to kill the princess. I propose that he wants war with House Lannister as revenge for Ned Stark, the man who spared his life all those years ago?
Later Prince Doran finally brings Arianne out of the tower and they talk, she asks if they have cought Ser Gerold. Doran replies.
"would that we had, you were a fool to make him part of this.Darkstar is the most dangerous man in Dorne. You and he have done us all great harm."
Doran is berating Arianne, and says Darkstar is the most dangerous man in Dorne, I believe because of what he knows. not because of what he just did to Myrcella. though his actions could indeed be deadly for Dorne; we know they are not as militarily strong as the realm believes and all out war could crush them.
As I said at the beginning this is not the strongest theory but for me, the weird dialogue has to mean something. Darkstar as a character is one of very few who would be the right age to be squiring at the time of the rebellion, it would be most strange for there to have been no squires at the Tower of Joy, and he is related to one of the KG so had the connections to be given such an auspicious position as squire to Prince Rhaegar or indeed to his cousin himself.
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