This theory is based almost exclusively on events that haven't yet happened in the TV series, so read ahead at your own peril!Summary: The Northern lords are only using Stannis as a means to remove the Boltons from power, with no intention of bending the knee to him. They know that Robb legitimised Jon Snow before his death, and plan to bring Jon Snow into power as King of the North. Reasoning: At the end of A Dance with Dragons, we're left with Stannis Baratheon's and Roose Bolton's forces being pitted against each other. Many of the Northern lords appear to have sided with Stannis. The idea behind this theory is that even the victor of what will surely be a long series of bloody battles will be too weakened to withstand an assault from a new force. The Northerners plan to withhold what they know about Jon until a later, more opportune date, before backing his claim as the King in the North. Likelihood: It's seeming very likely that the Great Northern Conspiracy is a thing. The majority of the Northern lords were always notoriously loyal to the Stark house, and figures like Wyman Manderly have already been shown to be capable of underhanded tactics to achieve what they want. Whether the plan would ever work out seems less likely though, considering the condition we last saw Jon in.
This theory is based almost exclusively on events that haven't yet happened in the TV series, so read ahead at your own peril!Summary: The Northern lords are only using Stannis as a means to remove the Boltons from power, with no intention of bending the knee to him. They know that Robb legitimised Jon Snow before his death, and plan to bring Jon Snow into power as King of the North. Reasoning: At the end of A Dance with Dragons, we're left with Stannis Baratheon's and Roose Bolton's forces being pitted against each other. Many of the Northern lords appear to have sided with Stannis. The idea behind this theory is that even the victor of what will surely be a long series of bloody battles will be too weakened to withstand an assault from a new force. The Northerners plan to withhold what they know about Jon until a later, more opportune date, before backing his claim as the King in the North. Likelihood: It's seeming very likely that the Great Northern Conspiracy is a thing. The majority of the Northern lords were always notoriously loyal to the Stark house, and figures like Wyman Manderly have already been shown to be capable of underhanded tactics to achieve what they want. Whether the plan would ever work out seems less likely though, considering the condition we last saw Jon in.