Throughout the first three books of A Song of Ice and Fire, readers fell in love with Robb Stark. The eldest son of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Tully oozes charisma off the page. After the execution of Robb's father, Robb becomes King in the North, declaring war on the vicious King Joffrey Baratheon, and serving as a key force in the War of the Five Kings.
A more traditional fantasy series would most likely have painted Robb as the novels' next great hero after Ned's death, filling his father's shoes. However, A Song of Ice and Fire is not a traditional fantasy series, and not too long after Ned loses his head, Robb himself meets a similar fate. Robb's death in the middle of the third novel, A Storm of Swords, became known as one of the most infamous moments in the entire franchise.
Robb Stark is, undeniably, a one of a kind character. However, his story may secretly share some similarities with someone else in the A Song of Ice and Fire universe. One figure from Westerosi history might be hiding a very similar story to Robb's in plain sight.
The downfall of Robb Stark
Robb Stark's fatal mistakes play out slightly differently in the books and on screen. In both sources, however, Robb seals his fate when making a deal with Walder Frey, the Lord of the Crossing, in order to access a strategically important bridge. As part of this deal, Robb is set to marry one of Walder's daughters.
In the books, Robb breaks this agreement when he seeks comfort in Jeyne Westerling after learning of the alleged death of his brothers, Bran and Rickon. When Robb takes Jeyne's virginity, he marries her to preserve her honor, going back on his deal with Walder. and losing the Freys as allies.
Game of Thrones, the HBO adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire, reinvents the character of Jeyne Westerling, replacing her with battle medic Talisa Maegyr. Robb quickly falls in love with Talisa, and they marry, which, again, insults Walder enough that he takes back his forces.
In both the book and show, Robb attempts to make amends with Walder when he realizes he'll need Frey troops to win the war. Robb offers his uncle, Edmure Tully, up to marry one of Walder's daughters, and the Stark forces celebrate at the Twins for their wedding. However, the wedding quickly turns into a massacre. Walder secretly allied himself with Robb's enemy, Tywin Lannister, to coordinate this surprise attack, which ends up killing Robb, his mother Catelyn, his direwolf Grey Wind, several important Stark troops, and (only in the show) his wife Talisa. This event is known both in and out of universe as the Red Wedding.
The secret marriage of Jacaerys Velaryon
Long before Robb Stark became King in the North, another key figure from Westeros' history may have made a similar mistake to the one that cost Robb his life. According to Fire & Blood, George R.R. Martin's book which tells the history of the Targaryen family, Jacaerys Velaryon, the son of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, never married his betrothed, Baela Targaryen, due to their young age at the time of Jace's death. However, one source suggests a different possibility.
According to Mushroom, a fool in service to the Targaryens who acts as a first hand account to many key moments throughout history, Jace fell in love with and wed Sara Snow, the bastard daughter of Lord Rickon Stark, during his time at Winterfell. He kept this marriage a secret, and, as such, continually delayed his wedding to Baela.
It is worth noting that many of Mushroom's testimonies are hand-waved within the text of Fire & Blood as outlandish, and Jace and Baela's ages, plus the ongoing Dance of Dragons, are perfectly valid reasons to delay a wedding. Additionally, Sara has been left out of HBO's adaptation of Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon. However, the show has incorporated some details provided by Mushroom in the book, suggesting the veracity of his claims, so Sara Snow can't be entirely dismissed as a rumor.
Robb Stark and Jacaerys Velarion's fatal flaw
Assuming Jace did marry Sara Snow, it didn't cost him his life, unlike Robb. However, if Jace did, in fact, wed in secret, it exemplifies a fatal flaw that he shares with Robb Stark that eventually does lead to his demise.
Jace and Robb are both vicitms of their age. In their youth, they believe themselves invincible, which costs both young men their lives. In marrying Jeyne/Talisa, Robb, in his arrogance, forgets that the rules apply to him, and he is not immune to the consequences of his actions. Similarly, Jace's cockiness in a victory for his faction leads to his death during the Battle of the Gullet at only fifteen years old. As such, Jace and Robb serve as foils to each other, reminding readers of the dangers of overconfidence.
For more from the world of Westeros, make sure to catch A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which airs new episodes on Sundays at 10:00 p.m. ET.