The Red Wedding in 'Game of Thrones' Broke One of the Main Rules of Westeros — But George Martin Has No Regrets About It

Game of Thrones concluded several years ago, but it still lives on in the memories of it's fans — and not always in the most joyful recollections. The series became famous for the brutality of it's scenes, with particularly terrifying events like the Red Wedding or Oberyn Martell's duel with the Mountain causing George Martin to lose several dozen devoted fans. Nevertheless, the writer was not deterred by this — and he clearly has no regrets about breaking his own established rule.

The Red Wedding violated the law of hospitality in Westeros

In 'A Song of Ice and Fire,' George Martin explicitly states that the tradition of bread and salt, also known as the law of hospitality, is an ancient and somewhat sacred custom in Westeros. Treating one's guest well is one of the main rules of the civilized world, and violating it is considered sacrilege and a genuine crime. The Red Wedding is one of the most striking examples of ignoring this tradition: after Lord Walder Frey welcomes his guests into his home and greets them with bread and salt, his servants begin a massacre, brutally killing Robb Stark, his mother Catelyn, and his pregnant wife Talisa.

George Martin used the Red Wedding to reflect real events — and he has no regrets about killing the Starks

Although many fans immediately thought that the writer was unnecessarily breaking his own rule, that's not quite the case — Martin himself once admitted that the outcome of the Red Wedding was actually inspired by real historical events from Scotland, where the law of hospitality was also frequently violated, and guest receptions ended in bloodshed. Despite all the anger directed at him by fans, the writer does not regret his decision to "remove" key characters in such a way — after all, Game of Thrones was never a fairy tale with a happy ending.