4. Too Much Debt Is a Killer
You might think that power in Westeros resides with the crown, and its gilded capital of King's Landing. Or perhaps with the Lannister family, thanks to their land holdings and famous taste for gold (Hence the popular saying, "rich as a Lannister.")
But according to some experts, real power lies somewhere else entirely: with the Iron Bank of Braavos, in a city across the seas. "It is absolutely the power behind the throne," says Lisa Woolfork, an associate professor at the University of Virginia who teaches a course on "Game of Thrones."
"Its bankers are not sentimental, and just want to back who is going to win. When you are in deep debt to the Iron Bank, it can weaken your hold on the throne. And when you can't get any more loans from them, that becomes a problem."
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