Game of Thrones: Will there ever be peace on Westeros?

“As a clever man once told me: ‘We make peace with our enemies, not our friends.’” So said Game of Thrones’ Tyrion Lannister.

We all enjoy the drama and intrigue of the power struggles in Westeros – but facing the prospect of an all-out war between the competing Houses raises the question of whether there might be a better way to resolve matters on the fictional continent.

Violent conflict is seen by many as a rational process involving sequential rounds of fighting, during which the various leaders weigh up the costs and benefits of their strategies