Yes, I think that would be best. More to the point, it reads better.
There's some disdain for feudalism in this thread. First, let me say I am no fan of its present-day equivalents, nor would I enjoy the real thing if I were to experience it today. But treating it as a childish affectation to be swept away by the dawning light of enlightened democracy does, I feel, a grave disservice to history.
And I see no reason why the arrival of magic on Planetos would be sufficient catalyst for change in that direction, for the following reasons:
- Feudalism still matters (nearly) as much as it ever did. Feudalism, in its purest form, is fealty to a person able to secure it. Power is hereditary, yes, but that's the thing about power bases: you can leverage them to keep the advantage. If all else fails, there's the option to ennoble those with the proper power level. What has changed is largely the magnitude of potential unrest.
- Quantity is a quality all of its own, and by not marrying dynastically, Viserys squanders a shitton of potential influence. This is objective fact. It translates into armies and ships and long-term control of land, which is the only enduring coin there is. Rhaella knows this, and she's not wrong.
- Feudalism is the entire system. If you obviate it, you break the entire infrastructure of the country. That wouldn't happen, of course: nobody would listen. Tell the nobility they don't matter, and your title of King is suddenly no more, because nobody will follow you. Nor should they. Why? Because you just broke fealty with them.
Feudalism endured for 600 years, and for a reason. I'm concerned by what I perceive as a lack of appreciation for its historic strengths and what it accomplished.
And then I cancelled the viewing when DP modified things xD
