#i use that tag as if I'm every reading past AGOT ever again

[likehephaestionwhodied]

I don’t know if GRRM has said anything about this. If so RIP but if not-- 

I’m 85 pages into what is probably near my 15th reread of A Game of Thrones��and I’m actually annotating this time. Which means I’m remembering better than I ever have. and I don’t think Jaime Lannister was originally part of the Kings Guard let me explain. 

When Cat tells Ned that the Lannister brothers are coming with Robert to Winterfell Ned makes a face and Cat thinks 

“The Lannisters of Casterly Rock had come late to Robert’s cause when victory was all but certain, and he had never forgiven them” 

There is no mention of the fact that Jaime killed the king while being a member of the kingsguard. Something that is not a secret, Ned wouldn’t have had to keep that from her everyone knows that this happened. 

When Ned sees Jaime come though the gates he has “hair as bright as beaten gold” but no white cloak.

Perhaps the best indication of “Jamie was not origionally part of the kingsguard”  is when Bran is thinking about going south. 

“Two of the kingsguard had come north with King Robert. Bran had watched them with Fascination, never quite daring to speak to them. Ser Boros was a bald man with a jowly face, and ser Meryn had droopy eyes and a beard like the color of rust” 

Why the whole kingsgurad did not come I don’t know. But presumably this passage means that the two members who DID come were Ser Boros and Ser Meryn.

However, immediately following that sentence is this one 

“Ser Jaime Lannister looked more like the knigts in the stories, and he was of the kingsguard too, but Robb said he had killed the old mad king and shouldn’t count anymore.” 

“Jake it literally says he’s a member of the Kingsguard” I know and i think that came after, and here’s why

In the same chapter Bran over hears Jaime and Cersei, Cersei is going on and on and on about how Jaime should have been hand. And while I don’t know if there are laws about holding two offices at once that seems a bit power hungry, even for a Lannister. 

The only other reference to the Kingslaying business is when Jon introduces him at the banquet. Look at what he is wearing. 

“Ser Jaime Lannister was twin to Queen Cersei; tall and golden, with flashing green eyes and a smile that cut like a knife. He wore crimson silk, high black boots, a black satin cloak. On the breast of his tunic, the lion of his House was embroidered in gold thread, roaring its defiance. They called him the Lion of Lannister to his face and whispered “Kingslayer” behind his back” 

I know that part of being a Lannister is doing whatever you want and so for Jaime not to be dressed as a member of the Kingsgurad might not be that wild, but from what I remember he usually is for the rest of the book. 

Anyways, my point is I think that originally Jaime was not a member of the kingsgurad and those two references were added later. We know the story has grown in complexity (and length) since GRRM first imagined it. And I don’t think this makes the story incomprehensible. It’s just interesting. And has nothing to do with me ignoring the 15 page paper I have due on Friday

also as Ned Stark’s biggest fan let me just primitively shut down arguments. This is not me saying Jaime isn’t good enough for the kingsgurad, or making any judgement at all about Jaime, simply pointing out I think GRRM ctrl+f and added back story for Jaime after  at least the first 85 pages were written that’s all.