Back in 1993, there was no mention of The Greyjoys or indeed any of the other Iron Born turncoats, and there's no suggestion that Theon was even associated with the Starks, let alone being their betrayer. In the original plan, Winterfell would still fall and the Starks would be made homeless, but the order would have actually been made by Tyrion Lannister, and not the future Reek. Was It A Good Change? In a word yes: Theon's transformation into Reek is one of the most compelling sub-plots in the entire series, and is a particularly irresistible part of the TV show thanks to the performances. Not to mention, the decision to make Tyrion far more of a sympathetic character was a master-stroke: even if his familial betrayal (under great duress, obviously) was still going to happen, having him be a villain initially rather than an anti-hero would have taken something great away.