What if ….? Oh, my Lord, these decisions!

GRRM wrote characters that look and sound very human in many ways. He managed to get inside the head and state of mind of his characters and had them react in very believable ways. Most of the decisions they take make sense given the society they lived in, the circumstances they found themselves in and what they knew at the time … even if they affect or merely don't help your favourite character! … Sometimes I read people's opinions criticizing some characters' decisions and I ask myself: "But, what else were they supposed to do?"

Let's take a look at some of these decisions that were supposedly so terribly wrong …

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1) Sansa should have told the truth at the Trident when Nymeria attacked Joffrey.

"So, Sansa, please tell us what you saw?" the King asked her.

"Your Grace, your son is a liar. Arya did not attack Joffrey, it was Joffrey who attacked Mycah."

"All, right. Do you have any evidence?" he asked, clearly tired and not wanting to deal with this right now

"No, you Grace, just my word."

"Why should I trust you, a simple girl, over my son, the Prince?" Queen Cersei asked. "How do I know you are not the one lying to save your sister from the punishment she deserves?"

"I'm telling the truth, Your Grace."

"All right" the King Robert drew her attention again. "So tell me, what was your sister doing at the time?"

"She was playing with the butcher's boy."

"Why was she playing with such a boy and not spending her time with her family, or my family?"

"Is my Myrcella not good enough for her?" Cersei interjected clearly hurt. "She should have done as told, unruly brat. Behaving like a beast and then hurting my Joffrey" she shook her head with disdain.

"Ned, you really should control your children better" Robert addressed his friend. "In any case, what I gather is that Arya and the butcher's boy were playing with swords, Joffrey turns up and wants to play with the boy, but Arya sends her wolf on my son. Is that so?"

"Yes and no, Your Grace. My sister was playing with the butcher's boy, but it was Joffrey who attacked him."

"That's's not what my son said."

"But it's the truth."

"Yet, I only see wounds and scars on my son. Both the butcher's boy and your sister are unharmed. So my son never attacked them. Sansa, do you know the punishment for lying to your King? Do you know the punishment for falsely accusing the Prince?"

"Yes, your Grace" she answered hesitantly.

"And yet, without anything to back your story and evidence against it, you insist on saying that my son attacked a butcher's boy without provocation."

"Yes, Your Grace"

"What about the wolf? Can you control your wolf? Can your sister do it?"

"Yes, your Grace. Well, more or less. I can more or less direct her to what I want her to do."

"Show me. Tell it to come and lie on its back so I can pet it."

"I can't, your Grace. It doesn't work that way. Besides, she knows I'm scared, so she will feel scared as well."

"Oh, so the animal can feel your feelings?"

"Yes, your Grace"

"So, let's say your sister didn't like my son, will the wolf feel this as well?"

"Well …" she trailed unsure how to answer.

"Let's say your sister wanted to hurt Joffrey, but didn't think she could, would the wolf do it for her?"

"Well …" Sansa hesitated.

"I've heard enough. Ned, see that both your girls are disciplined for lying. Arya and the butcher's boy will be punished for attacking the Prince. Guards, have both wolves killed. They are uncontrollable beasts."

And so, the journey to the capital continued with the Starks and the Lannisters at odds. Joffrey never forgave the girls and made their lives a living hell. Robert and Ned's relation cooled and Ned had to be extremely careful not to anger the royal family again. Sansa, who hadn't done anything wrong still lost her wolf.

Oh, but Sansa told the truth!

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MY OPINION: If she had told the truth, she wouldn't have "saved Arya", she would have endangered her family. Accusing the Prince was never an option. Lying and excusing Joffrey (which she didn't do as some fans claim!) was not an option either. Saying that she did not see or did not remember anything was the safest way out of this mess. She was innocent in all of this and was the one who ended up losing the most. And yet, fandom blames her. Unbelievable!