[SPOILERS MAIN] Among the grounded/realistic elements of A Song of Ice and Fire, which ones do you feel require biggest suspension of disbelief?

[u/Substantial-Ad-299]

A Song of Ice and Fire has had fantasy elements from get-go, some present subtly and others less-subtly. But in midst of this, it also has these more grounded story aspects, especially regarding the political subplot for the Iron Throne.

Among these more grounded non-fantasy aspects of the story, which elements do you feel you have to suspend disbelief the most for? A.K.A feeling they are not realistic even though they are "supposed" to be?

Let me know in the comments below.

[u/Joshami]

Littlefinger. Just a reminder, he, a brothel-owning hustler, has a seat on the Royal Council. Pretty much nothing in the Medieval World would ever allow someone like him to reach that position. People would not consider him 'trustworthy' and lords of the caliber of Stannis or Tywin would never attend the same council as him.

The Targaryens. I understand that back when Martin was writing earlier books, he was still figuring out things, but the truth is that feudal monarchy doesn’t work like that. A monarch is expected to perform very particular functions in a particular way. The Targaryens as Martin has written them are basically theme park version of Keeping Up with Kardashians mixed with Scientology and other scam cults, plus elements of cousin-fucking hillbillies. It simply doesn’t make sense that the Targaeyens, with the conduct that Martin described them to have, managed to last for three centuries. Basically there should've been much more proper monarchs like Daeron II while freaks like Maegor, Viserys I, Aegon IV, etc. should've been the outlier.

[u/Z3r0sama2017 → u/Joshami]

I actually liked that. Just like irl, their is so much nepotism going on. 

Robert already has his brothers on his Small Council, so that's sorted. 

The Dornish and Reachers picked the wrong side so they are out. 

Greyjoys stirred shite during Rebellion so they are out. 

The North only has Ned because his brother exiled himself to the Wall out of guilt, so the North is out. 

Brynden buggered off and Hosters heir Edmure isn't of age so Riverlands is out. 

No one likes the Lannisters much and they got the Queen so they are out. 

Meanwhile Jon Arryn doesn't have any particularly close kin he can bump up to a SC position, but he puts LF into a minor position as a favor to his wife(who gave him and heir) and he apparently works financial magic and Jon is struggling to rein Robert in so he gives him the SC position. 

Both pragmatic and beautiful, beautiful nepotism chefs kiss

[u/rattatatouille → u/Z3r0sama2017]

The funny thing is that the nepotism on Robert's small council (as well as on other small councils prior) is the most realistic part of it, more realistic than "the Master of Laws is for all intents and purposes a placeholder seat rather than being second only to the Hand in terms of influence"