The Knight of Skulls and Kisses: Richard Lonmouth (Spoilers Extended)

Lem Lemoncloak = Richard Lonmouth is a quite old theory that I readily believe. I'm sure it has already been done somewhere, but I thought it would be fun to try and bridge the time gap between Robert's Rebellion and the War of the Five Kings for LL/RL.

What Ser Richard Lonmouth was doing between the Wars

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Richard Lonmouth

Richard Lonmouth was a knight of House Lonmouth and a close friend of Rhaegar. He was knighted by Rhaegar after squiring for him.

"I make no such claim, ser. Myles Mooton was Prince Rhaegar's squire, and Richard Lonmouth after him. When they won their spurs, he knighted them himself, and they remained his close companions. Young Lord Connington was dear to the prince as well, but his oldest friend was Arthur Dayne." -ASOS, Daenerys II

Spent time at court with Rhaegar:

Chief amongst the Mad King's supporters were three lords of his small council: Qarlton Chelsted, master of coin, Lucerys Velaryon, master of ships, and Symond Staunton, master of laws. The eunuch Varys, master of whisperers, and Wisdom Rossart, grand master of the Guild of Alchemists, also enjoyed the king's trust. Prince Rhaegar's support came from the younger men at court, including Lord Jon Connington, Ser Myles Mooton of Maidenpool, and Ser Richard Lonmouth. The Dornishmen who had come to court with the Princess Elia were in the prince's confidence as well, particularly Prince Lewyn Martell, Elia's uncle and a Sworn Brother of the Kingsguard. But the most formidable of all Rhaegar's friends and allies in King's Landing was surely Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning.

Richard was definitely in a predicament as he was Rhaegar's friend and supporter, but Robert was his liege lord (House Lonmouth is in the Stormlands). We see him drinking with Robert in the Tourney at Harrenhal:

"Under Harren's roof he ate and drank with the wolves, and many of their sworn swords besides, barrowdown men and moose and bears and mermen. The dragon prince sang a song so sad it made the wolf maid sniffle, but when her pup brother teased her for crying she poured wine over his head. A black brother spoke, asking the knights to join the Night's Watch. The storm lord drank down the knight of skulls and kisses in a wine-cup war. The crannogman saw a maid with laughing purple eyes dance with a white sword, a red snake, and the lord of griffins, and lastly with the quiet wolf . . . but only after the wild wolf spoke to her on behalf of a brother too shy to leave his bench. -ASOS, Bran II

Both he and Robert claimed to be able to unmask the Knight of the Laughing Tree:

"No," said Meera. "That night at the great castle, the storm lord and the knight of skulls and kisses each swore they would unmask him, and the king himself urged men to challenge him, declaring that the face behind that helm was no friend of his. But the next morning, when the heralds blew their trumpets and the king took his seat, only two champions appeared. The Knight of the Laughing Tree had vanished. The king was wroth, and even sent his son the dragon prince to seek the man, but all they ever found was his painted shield, hanging abandoned in a tree. It was the dragon prince who won that tourney in the end." -ASOS, Bran II

While Myles Mootoon (Rhaegar's other squire) was killed by Robert, we get no information on Richard Lonmouth's fate or even who he fought for.

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House Lonmouth

House Lonmouth is a house from the Stormlands sworn to House Baratheon. Their arms are:

Quartered of six: red lips strewn on a yellow field, yellow skulls strewn on a black field.

According to semi canon sources their words are: "The Choice Is Yours"

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Lem Lemoncloak

During Arya and Brienne's time with the BWB, we find out a few facts about Lem. Not only does he wear an old worn yellow cloak but there are many other similiarities. It should be noted that Lem is an angry/bitter character. He is described as big/brawny/fierce with the look of a soldier.

Supports Robert (who is dead as compared to the other kings):

Arya frowned. "Which king?"

"King Robert," said Lem, in his yellow cloak. -ASOS, Arya II

Constantly refers to himself as a member of the small folk/supporting them:

"Anguy, Lem, Tom o' Sevens, Jack and Greenbeard, all of them. We mean your brother Robb no ill, milady . . . but it's not him we fight for. He has an army all his own, and many a great lord to bend the knee. The smallfolk have only us." He gave her a searching look. "Can you understand what I am telling you?" -ASOS, Arya III

and:

"You must be a lackwit, boy," said Lem. "We're outlaws. Lowborn scum, most of us, excepting his lordship. Don't think it'll be like Tom's fool songs neither. You won't be stealing no kisses from a princess, nor riding in no tourneys in stolen armor. You join us, you'll end with your neck in a noose, or your head mounted up above some castle gate." -ASOS, Arya VII

and:

What do a bunch o' bloody peasants know about a lord's honor? We know some about murder, though. -ASOS, Epilogue

Lost his wife and daughter at some point:

"I want my wife and daughter back," said the Hound. "Can your father give me that? If not, he can get buggered. The boy will rot beside you. Wolves will gnaw your bones." -AFFC, Brienne VIII

He knows of Jenny's Song:

"Dreams," grumbled Lem Lemoncloak, "what good are dreams? Fish women and drowned crows. I had a dream myself last night. I was kissing this tavern wench I used to know. Are you going to pay me for that, old woman?"

"The wench is dead," the woman hissed. "Only worms may kiss her now." And then to Tom Sevenstrings she said, "I'll have my song or I'll have you gone." -ASOS, Arya IV

I doubt hes a member of the kingsguard, but the idea washing the roughness off him and him being someone else does make sense:

The buxom red-haired innkeep howled with pleasure at the sight of them, then promptly set to tweaking them. "Greenbeard, is it? Or Greybeard? Mother take mercy, when did you get so old? Lem, is that you? Still wearing the same ratty cloak, are you? I know why you never wash it, I do. You're afraid all the piss will wash out and we'll see you're really a knight o' the Kingsguard! And Tom o' Sevens, you randy old goat! You come to see that son o' yours? Well, you're too late, he's off riding with that bloody Huntsman. And don't tell me he's not yours!" -ASOS, Arya V

Probably referring to Beric here, but it seems that R'hllor has given Lem some meaning/purpose:

One brother, a young novice, was bold enough to tell the red priest not to pray to his false god so long as he was under their roof.** "Bugger that," said Lem Lemoncloak. "He's our god too, and you owe us for your bloody lives. And what's false about him? Might be your Smith can mend a broken sword, but can he heal a broken man?"** -ASOS, Arya VII

His Yellow Cloak

The man beside him stood a good foot taller, and had the look of a soldier. A longsword and dirk hung from his studded leather belt, rows of overlapping steel rings were sewn onto his shirt, and his head was covered by a black iron halfhelm shaped like a cone. He had bad teeth and a bushy brown beard,** but it was his hooded yellow cloak that drew the eye. Thick and heavy, stained here with grass and there with blood, frayed along the bottom and patched with deerskin on the right shoulder, the greatcloak gave the big man the look of some huge yellow bird**. -ASOS, Arya II

Becomes the legacy version of The Hound.

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Theorizing

Why does Beric wait for Lem to leave to say this to a child?.

"A wound," said Lem Lemoncloak. "A grievous wound, aye, but Thoros healed it. There's never been no better healer."

Lord Beric gazed at Lem with a queer look in his good eye and no look at all in the other, only scars and dried blood. "No better healer," he agreed wearily. "Lem, past time to change the watch, I'd think. See to it, if you'd be so good."

"Aye, m'lord." Lem's big yellow cloak swirled behind him as he strode out into the windy night.

"Even brave men blind themselves sometimes, when they are afraid to see," Lord Beric said when Lem was gone. "Thoros, how many times have you brought me back now?"

The red priest bowed his head. "It is R'hllor who brings you back, my lord. The Lord of Light. I am only his instrument." -ASOS, Arya VII

Mel's Vision:

Some people have theorized that this is Richard Lonmouth and not Patchface (I tend to disagree).

Melisandre's face darkened. "That creature is dangerous. Many a time I have glimpsed him in my flames. Sometimes there are skulls about him, and his lips are red with blood." -ADWD, Jon X

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Some final thoughts

From the limited info we have, if LL = RL than the following seem to be true:

• Unless Lem is apparently lying for no reason he went and lived amongst the small folk in the Riverlands. He married and had a wife and daughter who died at some point and he is/was extremely bitter/angry about it (and other stuff). Due to the tone of his remark about his family it seems as though they were killed recently (as a result of the devastation to the smallfolk in the Riverlands).

• Lem knew Rhaegar very well

• Lem has met the Ghost of Heart (she wanted a kiss), she not only was at Summerhall, Tom plays Jenny's song, weirwoods "whisper in her ear"

• Lem rides with Thoros (who can see into the flames) and has seemingly converted to the Lord of Light

Things to think about:

• If Lem was Rhaegar's close companion, but was drinking with Robert at the Tourney of Harrenhal, who did he choose in the rebellion?

• Did Robert/Lem both lose to the Knight of the Laughing Tree in the lists? (I think so)

• What made Lem settle in the Riverlands? Was it the tavern wench or his wife? Are they the same person?

• How will Lem affect the story going forward? I struggle with his character because he is on the fringes of so many of the intricate storylines without seemingly having info on them (Rhaegar/Lyanna/Jon, etc.).

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Outside of being in the riverlands/living amongst the smallfolk/being extremely fierce/bitter/wife and child who died, there wasn't much more to extract from.

So just using logic it seems:

Robert's Rebellion ends in 283 AC and Robert died in 298 AC. So there is a fifteen year gap in which he is unaccounted for. Numerous events take place in which if he truly supported Robert then it seems he would have appeared (Balon's Rebellion.)

Lem would have to have been hiding/gone incognito for a reason and if he fought for Robert in the rebellion it seems that wouldn't have happened unless he did something that required that.

TLDR: Trying to piece together some of the missing timeline for Lem Lemoncloak/Richard Lonmouth