Episode 3 and Episode 4 predictions.
This will be lengthy post that will use tangible evidence and logic to attempt to predict the future of the Forresters.
Ironrath
First of all, having a traitor among the small council can potentially become a great strategic asset for the Forresters. Rodrick should be able to easily find the traitor (by doing the Tyrion trick or other methods) and that said traitor can become an asset to feed the Whilehills misinformation whether by force or through trickery. Ludd has shown to be an extremely prideful man who would never suspect that his inside man (or woman) would betray him, even Gwyn states that his father boasts the fact that there's a snitch within the small council.
Now as of right now, I truly believe there is no way to pinpoint who the traitor is. Telltale also does an excellent job of creating uncertainty and suspicion so that every character becomes a suspect. Game Theory must be utilized in order to see who's most likely the traitor, and take into consideration that just because a character is not the most suspicious suspect, they can't be the one who betrays you. Anyway, let's begin.
Elissa Forrester- She can be perceived as a traitor due to the fact that she has a history of doing things behind her children back (Sending Malcolm to Essos, inviting Ludd Whitehill without notifying Rodrick, etc). We also quickly learn that she is strongly devoted to her children's safety and would do anything to secure it. Is it possible that she's feeding Ludd Whitehill information to secure Ryon's safety? Of course, in matter of fact this seems precisely like the sort of strategy Ludd Whitehill would utilized because it not only gives him inside information concerning Forrester plans, but also the satisfaction of having a Forrester herself submit to him which is a common theme throughout the game.
Whitehills strongly seek the submission of Forresters (Rodrick kissing the ring, Rodrick getting kicked down and not getting up, Gryff demanding to be recognized as the "Lord" of the house) aa Gryff said himself "You Forresters never know when to give up". But it's also worth noting that even if you choose the option to save Ryon, Gwyn stills become aware of this information. It seems strange that Lady Forrester would give information that would jeopardize her son's chances of being rescured, but at the same time it's not inconceivable to think that she would snitch because she believes that the Forrester's are too weak and attempting to save Ryon would only put him in harms way even more so than he is now.
Ser Royland- He's known to be a very straight-forward man who is loyal as a dog. Although there is some evidence that points to him being the traitor. I can't confirm this but I heard somewhere that Gwyn Whitehill says that the traitor is "always seeking to incite trouble" or further hostility between the Forresters and Whitehills which sounds a lot like Ser Royland. Also if Rodrick tells Lady Forrester that there is a traitor within the small council, she predicts the traitor to be Ser Royland. In the confrontation in the courtyard between Rodrick and Gryff towards the end of the episode, If Rodrick chooses to tell Ser Royland to attack, Ser Royland is apprehended and not harmed one bit which seems strange (but like alluded earlier before, this could just be Telltale implementing suspicion to every character). Lastly, since Ser Royland is such a honest, straight forward man it makes him the unlikely candidate to betray you, in which often times the unlikely candidate is the one that betrays you. With all that being said, I wouldn't consider Ser Royland one of the most prominent characters to betray you, it would simply be way to out of character, and even thought there are hints which point towards him being the traitor, they are not very sufficient and can simply be dismiss as Telltale attempting to arouse suspicion.
Maester Ortengryn- If you know about the lore of ASOIAF, then you know that often times Maesters are not the most loyal bunch in Westeros (Grand Maester Pycelle). This is due to the fact that they swear an oath to protect the land they've been assigned too, not necessarily the Lords which inhabit that land at that time. There is an abundance of evidence which conveys Maester Ortengryn as the traitor. Lets begin with the fact that Maesters are the one's who send and receive ravens, and it would be foolish not to assume or at least conclude that in all likelihood that the traitor is not feeding Ludd information through ravens. It's also extremely convenient how the Maester goes missing during crucial moments such as Ethan's death. Also who opened the gates for the Boltons? One might conclude that it was either Duncan or Ser Royland depending on who one chose as their sentinel, but then that would mean either of them would have betrayed the Forresters depending on the sentinel decision which doesn't sound like Telltale at all. The obvious conclusion is that the Maester was the one who opened the gates for the Boltons. Throughout the series, the Maester is shown to have a very noticeable interest of the Forrester family, he's always trying to chip in for more information and asks an awful lot of questions. Some members have said that the Maester can't be the traitor as he saved Rodrick, but as a rebuttal other members have said this wasn't possible due to the interference of Lady Forrester and that he wanted you to drink the milk of the poppy in order to cripple you even further. The one thing in my mind that leads me to believe that the Maester is not the traitor is the fact that it would be way to obvious but the Maester is certainly a promising member to betray you.
Duncan Tuttle- Duncan is extremely smart and if there was someone who could manipulate House Forrester without arousing suspicion it would be him. Ironically, his intelligence and high wit is what makes him a suspect. But it's unfeasible to believe that he would side with the Lord whose men killed his brother, a niece, and send his nephew to the wall. He also had the undeniable trust for Lord Forrester, and I am inclined to trust his judgment. Also if he was the traitor, he would want to incite violence with Gryff which is what Ludd wants as Gwyn stated, but he approves of Rodrick temporarily submitting and taking a more tactical approach. It would sure as hell make the story more interesting if he was the traitor but it would be completely out of character and make little to no sense.
Chances of being traitor
Maester 40%
Lady Forrester 35%
Ser Royland 20%
Duncan 5%
Kings Landing
Things seem to be falling apart for Mira with Tyrion being arrested and Maergery's resentment toward Mira. It's hard to predict what's to come for Mira but these are some predictions and notable facts/assumptions.
Notable, feasible predictions
- If Mira stole the Tyrell Seal it is conceivable that the Royal Decree could still be passed
- It can be concluded that in all likelihood the coal boy (Tom) works for either Varys or one of the merchant Lords probably the former.
- Cersei will ask Mira to testify against Tyrion. I can even possibly see Mira using the Lannister blade to accuse Tyrion of murder but that might be a reach
- Sera will betray you by becoming a spy in exchange for a husband. The match will be set up by either Cersei or Maergery
- If you play you cards well with Sera, and she marries a wealth lord, it might be possible to have her army in the battle against the Whitehills.
- Controlling the price of the Ironwood is essential as the revenue earned will be used to pay Asher's sellswords.
- Some have said that Mira is bound to be expelled from King's landing soon but I don't believe that will happen at least till the very end as she plays too much of a pivotal role
- If Mira played the game horribly, she will end up dead.
Castle Black and Asher
These are a bit hard to predict, especially Asher considering he hasn't gotten much screen time but here it goes.
- Gared will definitely dessert the night's watch. Whether he goes with Cotter (as the trailer suggest) or in some other way remains to be seen. Maybe he pulls a Jon snow and says he was captured and returns later it's hard to say. I still don't understand how whatever Garred finds in the North Grove will be transported to Ironrath.
- Finn might dessert with Cotter and Garred, he might recognize the nights watch is fucked and would rather be in the winning side to get his freedom back. If not, then there's no way Finn survives this season he will die by Garred's will some way or another
I find it hard to see how Garred will survive or at least even come back from north of the wall, maybe through the assimilation of wildlings that happens later in the series.
Daenerys will pledge some of her Second Sons if Asher helps locate Drogon.
- Asher might win the loyalty of Daenerys by promising to back her when she returns to Westoros
- Asher might be able to simply buy the Second Sons or some other sellswords away from Daenerys
Now I will admit that there's a high chance that things will not play out the way I have in mind, but it's still worth noting the possibilities.