If you're Littlefinger, shouldn't your next move be to take the Knights of the Vale and rout that shit? They'll erupt into chaos as the half-dozen tenuous claims at lordship all start fighting each other. The house will be in such disarray that they'll be ripe for the taking.

Take the Twins and you're going to be able to take Riverrun in fairly short order as I'm fairly certain that the vale has best army still standing at this point. The Eyrie would be a very convenient seat to control that territory, especially since he's still technically the Lord of Harrenhal. All of that territory is immediately adjacent to each other.

Littlefingers 'reward' for helping re-take Winterfell could be the North endorsing Littlefingers rule of the Riverlands.

If he consolidates power there and lets Daenerys take apart the Westerlands/Crownlands, everything would fall into place pretty nicely for him. Especially since Oleanna seems to have no quarrel with him so she wouldn't seem likely to insist on his ouster as part of her payment for aligning with Dany.
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Yeah that's why I was asking why she isn't a Baratheon.
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Probably because she doesn't want to be. I think she's pretty much doing whatever the fuck she wants at this point.
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Robin is the Lord of the Vale, it'll be interesting to see if Littlefinger keeps control of him, or if Sansa can take his ear now. I think the only reason he let Littlefinger take his army is because he said it was to save Sansa and her home. Jon Snow being King of the North now might have ruined his plans of them teaming up, taking Kingslanding, and marrying Sansa.
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She may have, but to whatever degree Baratheon troops were backing Tommen (and likely they were -- whoever Robert had who didn't already go over to Stannis/Renly) wouldnt' back Cercei. She's a Lannister first, and they would know it.

In all seriousness, the only forces I can think of that coudl back her are:

1. Lannister troops, but ONLY IF Jaime was ok with it. You can't convince me in 100 years that those troops wouldn't be more loyal to Jaime than Cercei. Especially after she had Kevan blown up.

2. House Frey. Yeah, which is in complete disarray and wasn't terribly powerful to begin with.

3. City guard. The guys that Janos Slynt formerly headed. They basically work for whoever pays them, but aren't really soldiers per se.


That's it.

Meanwhile, there is a massive power vacuum in the Stormlands (region of Westeros formerly ruled by House Baratheon) and the Riverlands (region of Westeros formerly ruled by House Tully, then House Frey).

Worse, Casterly Rock (home of House Lannister) is on the far west of Westeros, while King's Landing is in the far East of Westeros. They aren't mutually supporting, and it's hard to see how Jaime/Cercei could hold both with literally no support.

At this point, Cercei is toast. Olenna (Queen of Thorns) had it right. "You have no support, not anymore..."
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This makes perfect sense to me. Baelish as the new lord of the Riverlands, which ahs effectively lost House Tully (though what happens to that complete moron Edmure now?) and House Frey. Harrenhall is in teh Riverlands.

But JOn Snow isn't going to let what is left of the STark/Wildling forces go south. He's focused North on the White Walkers.
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This might prove helpful.
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At some point the series has to dial back on the whole "Baelish wants the iron throne at all costs" thing, right?

I mean, the guy's damn smart. And while taking the Riverlands and bending the knee would seem to pretty much plateau his ambition, he has to realize that he ain't beating !@#$ing dragons. That throne may have been available until air superiority showed up on the scene.

Surely he'll recognize that the ceiling has shifted somewhat and he'll re-direct from his quixotic attempts at the iron throne to merely seizing as much power and influence as he can.

I'd say claiming Harrenhal as his seat, declaring himself Warden of the East and Lord of the Riverlands is a pretty damn big step up in the world. Robyn would be years away from challenging that authority...if he ever does at all. Hell, Sansa could even end up marrying Robyn and using her influence over him to further consolidate Littlefinger's rule if that kept things calm in the north.

I just have to believe that GRRM recognizes that the character he's fleshed out here is ambitious, but not retarded. Even Littlefinger will know when it's time to stand down. There's no way he'd try to take on Dany, Dorne, Highgarden, tens of thousands of Dothraki AND MFing dragons.
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Yeah, good points all. The Twins are ripe for the taking. If Starks had more juice is like to have seen them turn that place into House Tormund and consolidate the North that direction.
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Gotta figure that Tormund's already measuring for drapes out in the Dreadfort, don't ya?

Or is that Lady Mormont's? Shit....Lady Mormont may end up in Winterfell before all is said and done. Would you tell her no?
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Oh that would be good. Tall good.
And hell no. Is follow her way before Jon Snow.
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Keep in mind just how much of EVERYTHING that's happened has been Littlefinger. He started the War of the Five Kings. Him. That guy. He literally flung the seven kingdoms into utter chaos just to get the ball rolling toward his eventual goal. And since then he's played every possible angle and side against each other. Never, ever underestimate his hunger for power.

Hell, end of the day, maybe he's the ice to varys' fire. Especially when you consider the books (varys just returned to KL and used his birds to assassinate Kevan Lannister).
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I could see: Tyrell takes Lannister land, Martell takes Baratheon land, Arryn takes Tully land, Dany takes King's Landing. The North starts fighting zombies.
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Makes sense. The geography works out, the interests align.

In the books, there's even an end game as Wylis is still alive and I believe the Martell's still have an heir as well. In the show, I'm not sure what the hell the Tyrell's have left; surely there's a cousin or something left to inherit.
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What's interesting to me is...what happens next? Dany's forces have to defend King's Landing but where will they spread and conquer? Are they strong enough to subjugate the South and spread to the North? Will they wait until the zombies weaken the armies of the North and take it?
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