#&& rob v sansa

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the stark kids and their direwolves can be something that's so personal to me

[myladysapphire]

Love, the death of duty

duty part two

married near six years, you learn that duty is truly the death of love, and yet when Robbs brother, jon, returns to winterfell, you find that perhpas you where wrong, perhaps love is the death of duty.

You can find the requests here and here

word count: 3,838

CW: MDI, 18+, Smut, cheating, p in v, fingering, oral (f reciving), slight breeding kink (if you squint), not beta read!

Jon Snow x Frey!reader/ Robb Stark x Frey!reader

Masterlist | Part one

dividers by @zaldritzosrose

Jon snow had been at the wall for near ten years before he returned home. Ten years, six as lord commander before he was betrayed by his own men. And though he had gone to the wall of his own volition, a choice he made to better himself, to find a place in the world, he knew it was time to return to Winterfell. His brother Rob had written him begging him and asking for his homecoming, and even declaring as King he could commanded him home, and now he was finally listening.

He didn’t know what to expect, if he would be welcomed or scorned.

But one thing he did not expect was you.

He knew his brother had married, had had children, but never did he expect you to be his wife.

Someone of such beauty and kindness, and with such a profound view of duty it made his heart ache.

He had expected you to be harsh, almost too similar to the lady Catelyn. But instead, you had shown him nothing but kindness.

“Jon Snow?” you asked, approaching his as he brought his horse into the stable.

“My lady” he greeted, head bowing in recognition.

“It’s an honour to finally meet you” she spoke, a soft smile on her lips. And Jon had been struck instantly by you, you smile had stirred something in him that he had never felt before. And the way you had gone out of your way to greet him, even walking him to his rooms, rooms you had picked and had made ready for him.

You had made him feel welcomed in a way no one had before at Winterfell. Of course, his half siblings had always welcomed him, but he never found a home here, until you made sure he did.

“How far along are you” he asked, as you walked him to his chambers.

“Near eight moons now.”

“And it is your third?”

You flinched, had his eyes never left yours, stuck on you at every moment, he was sure he would have missed it.

“No, my second” you spoke that part with happiness, the second however was a tone he had hear many times, the tone of a lady fulfilling her duty, “Robbs third”.

He had never thought Robb would father a bastard, he knew of Jons woes and how hard his life had been, and yet he had actively gone about it. He felt nothing but anger at the fact and even more at the clear pain in your eyes. It was clear from the start what your marriage was, there was no love or respect, simply wedding vows long broken.

He shook his head in disappointment, “I am sorry, my lady, I did not know” he hesitated for a moment, as the doors to his chambers opened. They were different from his youth, where he now slept in the same halls as his half siblings and not in the servants quarters as he once had, “Robb only spoke of a wife and two children, I never thought-“

“Do not worry, Jon…I am not offended” you shook your head, turning to face him, “it is something I must bear…not you”.

“I am sorry, my lady” he bowed his head, as he entered his room.

“I hope it is to your liking, I…Sansa told me a few things that you liked in her visit a few moons ago, and Arya helped find the things you had left from before”.

“It is perfect, my lady…truly it is more than enough”.

You smiled, insisting he call you by your name, “let me know of anything you may need” you said turning to leave.

And Jon remained struck by you and your kindness, not many would make a bastard feel so welcome, especially one scorned as you had been.

They say that duty is the death of love, and that love is the death of duty.

You believed you were the very meaning of this statement.

Your marriage was a one of duty, such duty that love had died before it could even blossom, and where Robb had neglected his own duty to you, in favour of love, causing duty to die for him, and love to blossom. But not with you, never with you.

You had known that every day of your marriage.

Even more so the day she had died.

He had spent every moment of her labours beside her, a vast contrast to yours.

Holding her hand and crying tears of joy and then of grief.

And you realised you were only a duty, a duty he happily forgot of.

And yet for a year you had chosen to ignore it, only for more hurt to be caused.

And in the  five moons since that day, the day where he chooses the ghost of a dead woman over his wife, you realised there would never be love where there was duty.

Though you painted the image of the dutiful wife, happy and content to be a wife, mother and lady, you still craved love.

Desired it.

Even if it was not with your husband.

There was nothing, not even respect to be found with him.

Not when know you lost all hope of ever having a marriage of love. It seemed to be the burden of woman. Where men can fuck and love as many women as they desire, woman are more often than not left with the duty of marriage.

You and Robb were strangers now, you had moved away from your old chambers, though still in the great keep, your rooms were now closer to Jon’s quarters than his.

Jon.

Your mind was stuck on him, though he seemed shy and guarded, you couldn’t stop of thinking of him. Assessing every detail of him, taking in every word he spoke, every action he did.

Of the ways his eyes followed you, how he seemed to hang on every word you said.

In all honestly, she sought him out more often than not, they even developed a routine. Spending their lunches together and always at beside each other at dinner.

And though you both had your duties, he had been given as hand of the king, and yet despite his ever-building duties, you both saw each other much more often than what was appropriate.

He made time for you where Robb neglected you.

He cared for you where Robb scorned you.

And as time passed, you found Cregan more in the presence of Jon than his own father, found yourself looking for Jon wherever you went you slowly realised that you loved Jon in a way you had only dreamt about loving Robb.

He was always there, either by your side or in your thoughts.

Whereas your husband was never there either in presence or thought, even less in the lives of his children.

He had no quells when Talissa mother came from the summer isles and took Minisa away, eland you had even less. A part of you wished you had cared more, having taken care of her for the past two years and yet you only felt slight relief when she left, though you would never admit it.

Even as you remember the conversation you and her had had years before.

“do you hate me?” you remember her asking, as she bounced baby Minisa in her arms, and you Cradled Cregan in yours.

“why do you think that?” you sighed, having only been civil, out of fear of facing a side of your husband you did not think existed.

“why shouldn’t i?”

“you are the reason I will never find love in my marriage, I resent you for it but I suppose you resent me for marrying Robb, for being his duty”

“I am more jealous, I am simple a mistress, the mother of his bastard, you are the wife the mother of his heir. You have everything-“

“no I don’t” you spoke softly, “I do not have love, respect or happiness in my marriage, I do not have a husband that wants me” you placed Cregan softly in his crib. “I do not hate you, but I will not be your friend…I can’t not when you have stolen the one thing I wanted…love”

“I didn’t mean too”

“I know, and that’s why I don’t hate you…Robb is the one at fault here, not us…and yet I must face the burden of his mistakes, I must act for duty where he can act for love…if I hate anyone it is him”

She nodded in understanding.

You stood in silence, watching your babes as they fell to sleep, neither of you saying a word.

As most of your time was spent with her.

“would you keep them apart?” she spoke after moments.

“they are siblings, half or not…I would not keep them apart if they did not want to be”

“good” she smiled.

And yet that had changed.

The day she died, the bed fever taking her and yet she had asked for you as she suffered in pain.

“do not hate her” she breathed, “I do not ask you to love her…but please don’t hate her” “I won’t” you swallowed, a feeling of sadness washing over you.

“my mother- my mother will come for her…please don’t let her” she breathed heavily, “I want her with Robb…please” she coughed, her eyes drooping.

Robb barged back in the room, stopping the conversation. And moons later you could do little to respect her final words as her mother took Minisa, little as Robb command her gone, and even less as a weight began to lift of your shoulder.

You hated it, how easy it was to forgo a dying woman’s final words, but you had forced her mother to write to Robb and allow Minisa to write to Creagan. You would let them know there sibling even if they were an ocean apart.

Your marriage was a farce and the birth of your second child was all the proof you needed to show that.

A moon since Jon return and yet you had grown more closer to him in a moon than you had with your husband in six years.

Where Robb had left both times you went into labour, taking days to visit, Jon had held your hand through it all, and had been the first after you and the midwife to hold the babe.

If anyone saw you both, the way he was with you every day and night, sleeping in your rooms, albeit on a coat, it  would have been easy to assume he was your husband, especially with the way his gaze never left yours, his hand holding yours through your pains and never letting go, even after.

“What will you name him?” he asked, after you had finally been left alone, the babe cradled in his arm.

“Eddard, mayhaps” you started, though there was hesitation at the name, “I know Robb wanted to name…to name Minisa that is she were a boy”.

“So not Eddard” Jon spoke, handing the babe to you, he crouched to your side, “mayhaps Edric or Benjen?” he suggested, Benjen you assumed after his uncle.

You hummed, “Edric is a good name” tasting the name on your tongue, “Cregan and Edric”

“So, Edric Stark?” he spoke, tone soft as he gazed up at you.

“yes”

With the birth of your second, you deemed your Marriage officially over, you had given him and heir and a spare and even then, his sister Sansa had married Willis Tyrell and birthed her own sons, and Rickon had begun to court an Erena Glover. You were sure Robb would find no shortage of heirs and so was he. And he was more than content to let you be, ignoring your presence at any time bar feasts and officially Gatherings, or on occasion the few times he and you were in the same room with your children.

You and Jon however, your friendship had blossomed into so much more.

With lingering stares and casual touches, you felt your heart blossom in his presence.

no longer did you feel the chains of duty, no longer did the word duty fill your mind and taunt your nights.

Now the word love did.

Jon had been here six moons now and you were thoroughly and completely in love with him.

Your mind was always on him, you time spent with him or your children. Even Cregan and Edric spent more time with him than Robb.

Robb seemed to care little for the family, stuck in his own misery, misery he made himself and every effort to get out of it was half arsed and only done as a distraction with no true meaning to it.

But Love, you finally knew what it was, you felt it when Jon looked at you and when you looked at him and yet neither of you said it.

Neither of you were prepared to cross the line.

You were still married by law and in the eyes of the gods, and yet there was no marriage. Nothing of your marriage followed the meaning of the word.

Your heart belonged to Jon, you just needed to tell him.

A year into Jons homecoming and your fleeting romance though nothing ever was said or acted upon.

But now you stood under the weirwood tree, your heart bared to Jon.

“Jon” you whispered, his head in your lap, your hand running through his curls.

“yes?” he hummed, focusing his gaze away from the book he had been reading.

“I…I love you” you final spoke, after moons of feeling it, of the sheer desire for him and want to bare yourself to him. And yet you had waited, for what you did not know, but today, in this moment it felt perfect.

He smiled, a pure smile of joy at your words, as he quickly moved of your lap “I love you” he spoke in return, his face moving inches away from yours, your breaths becoming one for a moment before your lips where on his.

You had never kissed anyone before, even after all these years of marriage, only a small peck on your wedding day.

But this, a slow passionate kiss, pouring every ounce of your emotions, your love into it was so different than a small dutiful peck.

Your lips followed his movements, moving with his, as he pulled you into his lap. Your hands moving to his hair as you continued to kiss.

A low moan left you, only to be swallowed by Jon as he began to kiss you harder, more passionately.

“Jon” you whimpered, separating your lips from his.

His face chasing yours as you moved away.

“what is it?” he hummed, his hands caressing your sides.

“anyone could see us…” though the thrill of being caught was not lost on you, you were still a married woman, and your children’s legitimacy would be put into question if you were caught.

He hummed, “come with me” he spoke, moving you off his lap before standing a reaching for your hand.

You had thought you had explored the gods woods in its entirety, found every nook and cranny and yet it seemed a youth spent running the woods had allowed Jon to find a spot only years spent getting lost in the woods would allow you to find.

It was a small cave, covered in leaves and blocked off by trees and endless bushes.

A small whole a the top allowed the summer sun to shine through, lighting up the small space and to reveal a moss covered floor.

“we could go back to your rooms…or mine” he spoke, hesitantly, unsure if you would approve of his small little space. It was clear that he had been here a good few time, like this was his space away from everyone, and the basket sat in the corner was a clear indicator of it. With a blanket, a book and an old bottle of wine.

you turned to face him, “its fine…we can save a bed for another time” you said, before leaning up and pressing your lips to his once more, in a heated, sloppy kiss.

He slowly backed you into the wall as he kissed you back, his hands gripping your waist as he began to play the laces on the side of your dress.

You gently pushed him off you, sending him a teasing smile as you started to undress in front of him.

You had never been fully naked in front of anyone, not even Robb, something always stayed on, a barrier from truly being intimate.

And as Jon joined you, undressing himself and allowing you both to stand bare before the other, you had never felt more intimate. Never felt that a moment was more right.

With you sat upon the blanket, Jon moved towards you, caressing your face and leaning his body over yours.

Your eyes locked in a heated gaze as your lips modelled together in a heated, passionate kiss.

His body grinding against yours as his hands moved to cup your breasts.

“your beautiful” he spoke, placing soft kisses on your lips, before moving down your body towards your breasts and placing soft kisses around your nipple, before taking your breast in to his mouth, licking and sucking as he did.

You moaned as he alternated between your breasts, Your gripped his hair, tugging softly at each flick of his tongue.

“your perfect” he spoke once more, letting go of your breast, “I love you” he whispered before moving down your body and licked at your folds, causing you to whimper and moan even more.

Your hands found there way to his hair once more. And they always seemed to, you loved his hair, his curls, even more so now as the peeped out between your thigsh as he lapped at your cunt.

“Jon” you moaned, as you felt a pleasure your own fingers nor Robb had ever given you before, it was overwhelming, the sensation filling your senses as he continued to lick at your clit, and slowly brought his fingers to your entrance.

Groaning as his fingers entered your, he relished in the tightness of your cunt.

He continued to lap at your clit as his fingers pumped in and out of you, licking at your heat as if he was a man starved and you were his last meal.

You felt your peak fast approaching, your hands gripping and tugging his hair harder, your legs wrapping around his head in away you were sure would choke him.

“JON!” you screamed as your peak finally hit your cunt clenching tightly around his fingers as you came.

You swallowed roughly as he moved up your body, taking your mouth with his in a possessive kiss, the taste of you evident on your tongue.

His hard cock was positioned between your thighs.

“can i?” he breathed against your lips.

“yes.” You breathed, and he finally entered you.

He slowly rocked his hips into yours, allowing you time to adjust to his cock.

After so long, with only your fingers, the feeling of a cock, of Jon was more than enough to send you over the edge as he became to thrust in and out of you, hi space moving picking up, as your legs wrapped around his waist.

He groaned into your neck, as your cunt tightened around him.

Your peak fast approaching.

“I’m going to cum” he moaned into you, as your cunt fluttered around his cock.

“gods” you moaned, your arms pulling hi closer to you, urging him to finish inside of you.

“where?” he breathed, his pace moving faster and faster as he chased his pleasure, as you came down from your own.

“Inside!” you moaned.

He looked at you unsure, but as your legs pushed in closer to you, your hands arms pulling you in as you urged him to cum, he let go and his seed filled you.

And a part of you hoped it took root.

Days blurred together as your affair blossomed.

You woke up and fell asleep in his arms every night. Every meal was shared. And you treated Jon like a husband, and you were treated as a wife.

Words of love and acts of affection was shared and no ounce of you regretted your actions.

Love.

The word circled his mind when he looked at you and Jon.

 Robb Stark, with all his faults and flaws, would be the first to admit he had ruined all chances of being a good husband the day he feel in love with Talisa, and now, when he had given himself into the desires of wanting you for a wife, of the comforts that came with it, he had gone and ruined it, worse than he ever could of imagined he would.

He was not cruel or cunning and yet too you he was.

To you he was a neglectful man, and absent father and a terrible husband.

He would be the first to admit that part was true.

But he was a good king, that had to account for something?

But now you had found love as he once had, but with his own brother and no part of him wanted to stop it, though he craved the idea of him in Jons place, as he was sure a part of Jon craved his own place.

He watched you both, how your eyes danced with one another in silent conversation only you both understood, how your hand was always touching him or his was always touching you.

That he thought he could live with, he himself a cheating husband. First a mistress now whores in brothels.

A wife having and affair with his brother was fine, as long as they were happy.                                                                      

Even after he had caught them in bed, or as she told him of the babe in her belly.

But then he started to watch you both carefully, how you interacted together in public and in private, of the makeshift marriage you had made, and of how Jon had become what he had failed at.

And he realised just how bad of a father he had become.

“father!” Cregan shouted in greeting, but not at him, at Jon.

He hadn’t even seen him, and had ran straight for Jon, who had swept him up in his arms and placed a kiss to his cheek.

It wasn’t his first time calling Jon father, and Robb was sure it wouldn’t be the last, not as you walked over, Edric in your arms, only for him to say “papa” at the sight of Jon.

He swallowed harshly, storming out of the room before they could see or hear him.

And he suffered the harsh reality that you once had, but this time, it was deserved.

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[tofeelthecold]

sansa tags

[starlitecoupe]

thinking about when i genuinely would cry tears thinking about harry potter listening to my bedtime cd my dad made for me at age 7. that was so moving to me. listening to the song which was track 7 which one the one that made me think about this. i can envision it again. this really might be the seed and root of my mauraders vitriol. in that i was essentially imagining edits of harry potter in my head as a child. if i really do rid myself of a phone i have to go through and scribe my entire notes app down. jesus christ i can remember exactly what about my envisioned harry potter edits (which were also rather christianised? a la my childhood? it didn’t occur to me until just now that harry potter is not explicitly a christian man). like in my head i imagine him with lupin (which. also extremely moving to me as a child that he dies?? holy fucking shit?? and nymphadora?) at that point child me went and called bullshit and said that was bad writing. you can’t kill everyone for no reason. you bitch. i recall now seeing a meme online comparing a harry potter book marked with kills vs one of the asoiaf books. and obviously grrm wrote more kills, his books are not for children, but it was presented as like a gotcha moment about violence. and at the time this was my first hearing of him at all so i had no context for that grievance. but now that i do i can say it’s so unfounded! rowling kills so unthoughtfully which is exactly the problem i had with both dora and remus dying. that is neeever true of grrm. also his books are way longer and there’s way more people of course more of them die. dummy. he got so robbed of that hugo. so robbed. i’ve read both books. i think the judges just didn’t get it from an accessibility standpoint. the setup is so much more. but it’s such a good reward. ugh. i still think the jaime lannister v hermione fanfiction is so funny that’s so objectively hilarious someone’s like ‘who would win’ and he writes it all out. jaime beating up and killing this kid. and people got so mad as if he doesn’t try and kill a kid in the books in the first chapter he’s in. like that’s just so silly. grrm if you can hear me pleasepleaseplease finish the books so that i can have a fully formed opinion on jaime lannister. and theon. and sansa. but mostly jaime i’ll dieeeeeee if i don’t have that

[agentem]

Mysaria trying to protect the children was a surprise. Since in “F&B” she is “Lady Misery” and the one who sends Blood and Cheese. The source of all evils.

But then she is a lowborn woman and Archmaester Gyldayn is gross so she is probably the best woman ever. I wonder if we might get an actual “good of the people” vs “power hungry monster” spy duel in this show. I feel like we were a bit robbed of no final Littlefinger v Varys showdown (though of course we all know Sansa would ultimately kill LF, I thought he might get Varys).

Pick your fighter: Larys or Mysaria. Who is the master of whispers? Mysaria did find Aegon first. But Larys has more insider info.

ETA: A woman, lowborn and foreign. Disgusting. But I wonder what it says about GRRM in his fictional imaginings of our past culture that only people from other lands appreciate the common man?

[a-libra-writes]

what do you have against catelyn? aside from her treatment of jon snow and her irrational decisions

(Referring to book!Cat here) i mean .... the biggest thing i dislike about her IS how she treated not just jon, but theon and arya. she also has a lot of judgemental thoughts toward others & that makes her come across as self-righteous imo. I enjoy her chapters regardless though; there's a lot of insight to them because she's so knowledgable and you can piece together why she can be so judgemental and rigid in her beliefs based on her upbringing.

Tbh i vastly prefer Cersei and Arianne POVs if we're talking court ladies. Cersei is a buck ass wild ride and Arianne is a fabulous mix of tropes I love... Tho Catelyn's chapters have a lot of delicious worldbuilding, esp in the beginning.

But TL;DR sometimes i dont like a character

[queenaryastark]

Arya Stark + Feminism

George R. R. Martin created Arya specifically as a feminist character:

I can’t say there’s any one specific model, but a lot of the women I’ve known over the years have had aspects of Arya with them. Especially some of the women I knew when I was a young man back in the ’60s and ’70s, you know — the decade of the sexual revolution and the feminist movement. I knew a lot of young women who weren’t buying into the, “Oh, I have to find a husband and be a housewife.”

That’s certainly part of Arya’s thing. There’s that scene where Ned is telling her, “Well, one day you’ll grow up and you’ll marry a great lord and you’ll be the lady of the castle.” And she says, “No, I won’t. I don’t want that. That’s Sansa, that’s not me.” I knew women who were saying things like that: “I don’t wanna be Mrs. Smith, I wanna be my own person.” -- GRRM, Rolling Stone 2019

This is illustrated in her first chapter where she argues the value of women with Jon and insists she should have the same opportunities to learn as her little brother, Bran:

She watched her little brother whack at Tommen. "I could do just as good as Bran," she said. "He's only seven. I'm nine."

---

"The Lannisters are proud," Jon observed. "You'd think the royal sigil would be sufficient, but no. He makes his mother's House equal in honor to the king's." "The woman is important too!" Arya protested. -- Arya I, AGOT

Later in the novel, she asks her father about three different careers she aspires to, all of which involve power and influence in her own right rather than through a husband or male relations:

"Yet someday he may be the lord of a great holdfast and sit on the king's council. He might raise castles like Brandon the Builder, or sail a ship across the Sunset Sea, or enter your mother's Faith and become the High Septon." But he will never run beside his wolf again, he thought with a sadness too deep for words, or lie with a woman, or hold his own son in his arms. Arya cocked her head to one side. "Can I be a king's councillor and build castles and become the High Septon?" -- Eddard V, AGOT

It’s interesting to note that while Arya and Ned are talking about how Bran’s aspirations to be a knight are over and Ned mentions sailing a ship across the Narrow Sea for his son, Arya doesn’t latch onto knighthood or sailing. She focuses on being a king’s councillor, architect, and high septon.

The historical figures Arya admires are progressive and assertive women who led others:

Nymeria nipped eagerly at her hand as Arya untied her. She had yellow eyes. When they caught the sunlight, they gleamed like two golden coins. Arya had named her after the warrior queen of the Rhoyne, who had led her people across the narrow sea. -- Arya I, AGOT

Anguy would teach her to use a bow, and she could ride with Gendry and be an outlaw, like Wenda the White Fawn in the songs. -- Arya XII, ASOS

In addition to admiring historical women, Arya defends other women by executing two rapists for their crime against another girl she never met, Layna. First she uses one of her death wishes on Chiswyck right after he tells the story of what he did. Raff the Sweetling’s execution was also due to his murder of Lommy, but he admitted to participating in the gang rape. Not only does she trick Raff into repeating Lommy’s last words, she presents herself as a young girl he can rape, only to turn the situation around on him.

Arya also has multiple positive female relationships and helps drive business to the Happy Port:

"The best whores are at the Happy Port, down by where the mummers' Ship is moored." She pointed. Some of the dockside whores were vicious, and sailors fresh from the sea never knew which ones. S'vrone was the worst. Everyone said she had robbed and killed a dozen men, rolling the bodies into the canals to feed the eels. The Drunken Daughter could be sweet when sober, but not with wine in her. And Canker Jeyne was really a man. "Ask for Merry. Meralyn is her true name, but everyone calls her Merry, and she is." Merry bought a dozen oysters every time Cat came by the brothel and shared them with her girls. She had a good heart, everyone agreed. "That, and the biggest pair of teats in all of Braavos," Merry herself was fond of boasting. Her girls were nice as well; Blushing Bethany and the Sailor's Wife, one-eyed Yna who could tell your fortune from a drop of blood, pretty little Lanna, even Assadora, the Ibbenese woman with the mustache. They might not be beautiful, but they were kind to her. "The Happy Port is where all the porters go," Cat assured the men of the Brazen Monkey. "'The boys unload the ships,' Merry says, 'and my girls unload the lads who sail them.'" -- Arya III, AFFC

[rcdwclf]

closed starter for @stvrrk​ !!

it had been awful being stuck in king’s landing without her family, having had trouble sleeping since her father was imprisoned, not knowing what it meant for him or how she would protect arya if something happened to him and it was only them left. she had a nightmare about trying to make their way back north after chaos unleashed. it wasn’t as if sansa could even write her mother and tell her all of this, for worry that someone might intercept and the last thing the starks needed right now was another enemy in king’s landing. 

sansa had heard of her eldest brother arriving soon, she been pacing inside her chamber for the past few hours, and if it wasn’t stone the young girl would’ve worn a hole in it by now with the pace she set. gods, sansa wanted to see robb so badly, for some comfort at least if not to have someone else beside her to help carry the guilt and fear she held within.  at the noise of her door opening, sansa froze, putting on a polite but fake smile, tongue already prepared to slip off something sweet but dumb to get whoever it was to leave. 

[istumpysk]

Operation Stumpy Re-Read

ASOS: Catelyn II (Chapter 14)

Edmure had not returned after his first visit, preferring to spend his days with Marq Piper and Patrek Mallister, listening to Rymund the Rhymer's verses about the battle at the Stone Mill. Robb is not Edmure, though. Robb will see me.

Oh, Edmure.

Catelyn smiled, wondering what Edmure would think of that. Another singer had once bedded a girl her brother fancied; he had hated the breed ever since. - Catelyn V, AGOT

+.+.+

Her father was growing weaker and more delirious with every passing day, waking only to mutter, "Tansy," and beg forgiveness.

This man has been dying for three books now. Get on with it.

+.+.+

"Aye, my lady." Lord Rickard Karstark pushed past the Greatjon, like some grim specter with his black mail and long ragged grey beard, his narrow face pinched and cold. "And I have one son, who once had three. You have robbed me of my vengeance."

Catelyn faced him calmly. "Lord Rickard, the Kingslayer's dying would not have bought life for your children. His living may buy life for mine."

Will she remember these words?

+.+.+

"Enough." For just an instant Robb sounded more like Brandon than his father.

Just for an instant?

+.+.+

"No man calls my lady of Winterfell a traitor in my hearing, Lord Rickard." When he turned to Catelyn, his voice softened. "If I could wish the Kingslayer back in chains I would. You freed him without my knowledge or consent . . . but what you did, I know you did for love. For Arya and Sansa, and out of grief for Bran and Rickon. Love's not always wise, I've learned. It can lead us to great folly, but we follow our hearts . . . wherever they take us. Don't we, Mother?"

What's done is done, putting her in chains isn't going to accomplish anything, but I might have put on a bigger show for the people in the room who are seething.

+.+.+

The maid came forward last, and very shy. Robb took her hand. "Mother," he said, "I have the great honor to present you the Lady Jeyne Westerling. Lord Gawen's elder daughter, and my . . . ah . . . my lady wife."

The first thought that flew across Catelyn's mind was, No, that cannot be, you are only a child.

The second was, And besides, you have pledged another.

The third was, Mother have mercy, Robb, what have you done?

Only then came her belated remembrance. Follies done for love? He has bagged me neat as a hare in a snare. I seem to have already forgiven him. Mixed with her annoyance was a rueful admiration; the scene had been staged with the cunning worthy of a master mummer . . . or a king.

I know a king who likes to stage scenes!

+.+.+

Queen. Yes, this pretty little girl is a queen, I must remember that. She was pretty, undeniably, with her chestnut curls and heart-shaped face, and that shy smile. Slender, but with good hips, Catelyn noted. She should have no trouble bearing children, at least.

+.+.+

"Yes. Jason Mallister captured him in the Whispering Wood and has been holding him at Seagard for ransom. Of course I'll free him now, though he may not wish to join me. We wed without his consent, I fear, and this marriage puts him in dire peril. The Crag is not strong. For love of me, Jeyne may lose all."

+.+.+

"Tell me how this came to be."

"I took her castle and she took my heart." Robb smiled.

Teenagers.

+.+.+

"The Crag was weakly garrisoned, so we took it by storm one night. Black Walder and the Smalljon led scaling parties over the walls, while I broke the main gate with a ram. I took an arrow in the arm just before Ser Rolph yielded us the castle. It seemed nothing at first, but it festered. Jeyne had me taken to her own bed, and she nursed me until the fever passed. And she was with me when the Greatjon brought me the news of . . . of Winterfell. Bran and Rickon." He seemed to have trouble saying his brothers' names. "That night, she . . . she comforted me, Mother."

Why is he in her bed? Why is she nursing him? Where's the maester? Why is this happening?

He's razing the westerlands, he stormed their castle, and he's held Gawen Westerling hostage since AGOT. Why is this family allowed anywhere near him?

+.+.+

Catelyn did not need to be told what sort of comfort Jeyne Westerling had offered her son. "And you wed her the next day."

He looked her in the eyes, proud and miserable all at once. "It was the only honorable thing to do. She's gentle and sweet, Mother, she will make me a good wife."

Would Ned Stark marry Jeyne Westerling under these same circumstances?

I'm going to say no.

+.+.+

I've made a botch of everything but the battles, haven't I?

Yes.

+.+.+

Black Walder . . . that one was not named for the color of his beard, I promise you. He went so far as to say that his sisters would not be loath to wed a widower. I would have killed him for that if Jeyne had not begged me to be merciful."

"You have done House Frey a grievous insult, Robb."

[...]

"I never meant to. Ser Stevron died for me, and Olyvar was as loyal a squire as any king could want. He asked to stay with me, but Ser Ryman took him with the rest. All their strength. The Greatjon urged me to attack them . . ."

"Fighting your own in the midst of your enemies?" she said. "It would have been the end of you."

Mind blown Robb was going to kill Black Walder on top of everything else. Baffled at Greatjon suggesting they attack.

I'm ready to be done with this.

+.+.+

It was only then that Catelyn realized what was amiss. The wolf. The wolf is not here. Where is Grey Wind? She knew the direwolf had returned with Robb, she had heard the dogs, but he was not in the hall, not at her son's side where he belonged.

[...]

"Robb, where is Grey Wind?"

"In the yard, with a haunch of mutton. I told the kennelmaster to see that he was fed."

"You always kept him with you before."

"A hall is no place for a wolf. He gets restless, you've seen. Growling and snapping. I should never have taken him into battle with me. He's killed too many men to fear them now. Jeyne's anxious around him, and he terrifies her mother."

And there's the heart of it, Catelyn thought. "He is part of you, Robb. To fear him is to fear you."

Uh oh, I spot a troubling parallel in back-to-back chapters.

-> Jon II, ASOS

"Find another place for Ghost to sleep tonight, Jon Snow. It's like Mance said. Deeds is truer than words."

+.+.+

"I am not a wolf, no matter what they call me." Robb sounded cross.

That's a healthy mindset, but you're going about this the wrong way.

+.+.+

"That's different. The man at the Crag was a knight Jeyne had known all her life. You can't blame her for being afraid. Grey Wind doesn't like her uncle either. He bares his teeth every time Ser Rolph comes near him."

A chill went through her. "Send Ser Rolph away. At once."

There's a lot of debate over when Sybell Spicer started working with Tywin Lannister. The above suggests members of this family are already a problem.

+.+.+

Edmure was taken aback. "Boasting? What do you mean?"

"I mean," said the Blackfish, "that you owe His Grace your thanks for his forbearance. He played out that mummer's farce in the Great Hall so as not to shame you before your own people. Had it been me I would have flayed you for your stupidity rather than praising this folly of the fords."

"Good men died to defend those fords, Uncle." Edmure sounded outraged. "What, is no one to win victories but the Young Wolf? Did I steal some glory meant for you, Robb?"

The Blackfish said, "You were commanded to hold Riverrun, Edmure, no more."

"I held Riverrun, and I bloodied Lord Tywin's nose—"

"So you did," said Robb. "But a bloody nose won't win the war, will it? Did you ever think to ask yourself why we remained in the west so long after Oxcross? You knew I did not have enough men to threaten Lannisport or Casterly Rock."

"Why . . . there were other castles . . . gold, cattle . . ."

"You think we stayed for plunder?" Robb was incredulous. "Uncle, I wanted Lord Tywin to come west."

[...]

Edmure looked from uncle to nephew. "You never told me."

"I told you to hold Riverrun," said Robb. "What part of that command did you fail to comprehend?"

This is fucking ridiculous. Edmure Tully is the highest ranking lord in Robb's retinue, how could you not communicate anything to him?

The Lannisters attempt to cross the river within eyesight of the castle. Holding Riverrun could easily be interpreted as holding the ford directly south of it.

Wrapped in a bedrobe, Catelyn climbed to the roof of the keep. From there she could see over the walls and the moonlit river to where the battle raged. The defenders had built watchfires along the bank, and perhaps the Lannisters thought to find them night-blind or unwary. - Catelyn VI, ACOK

You seriously expected him to hide in his castle?

+.+.+

Catelyn remembered King Renly's court, as she had seen it at Bitterbridge. A thousand golden roses streaming in the wind, Queen Margaery's shy smile and soft words, her brother the Knight of Flowers with the bloody linen around his temples. If you had to fall into a woman's arms, my son, why couldn't they have been Margaery Tyrell's?

Further confirmation that Sansa is wiser than Robb. No broke boys for her!

+.+.+

"So long as Theon Greyjoy sits in your father's seat with your brothers' blood on his hands, these other foes must wait," Catelyn told her son. "Your first duty is to defend your own people, win back Winterfell, and hang Theon in a crow's cage to die slowly. Or else put off that crown for good, Robb, for men will know that you are no true king at all."

From the way Robb looked at her, she could tell that it had been a long while since anyone had dared speak to him so bluntly. "When they told me Winterfell had fallen, I wanted to go north at once," he said, with a hint of defensiveness.

[...]

"The last word we had from the north, Ser Rodrik had defeated a force of ironmen near Torrhen's Square, and was assembling a host at Castle Cerwyn to retake Winterfell," said Robb. "By now he may have done it. There has been no news for a long while. And what of the Trident, if I turn north? I can't ask the river lords to abandon their own people."

Robb appears to have little motivation to go back north and retake the land back from the Greyjoys. That's... not good. You're worried about the river lords abandoning their people? How about your own people currently getting slaughtered? Figure it out.

Also:

From the way Robb looked at her, she could tell that it had been a long while since anyone had dared speak to him so bluntly.

Isn't that what Blackfish is for?

+.+.+

"It is too late for ifs, and too late for rescues," Catelyn said. "All that remains is vengeance."

She will not.

+.+.+

"The next battle," Robb said. "Well, that will be soon enough. Once Joffrey is wed, the Lannisters will take the field against me once more, I don't doubt, and this time the Tyrells will march beside them. And I may need to fight the Freys as well, if Black Walder has his way . . ."

[...]

"We must win back the Freys," said Robb. "With them, we still have some chance of success, however small. Without them, I see no hope. I am willing to give Lord Walder whatever he requires . . . apologies, honors, lands, gold . . . there must be something that would soothe his pride . . ."

"Not something," said Catelyn. "Someone."

IT'S OVER. YOU LOST.

GET ME OUT OF HERE.

Final thoughts:

I can already tell Catelyn and Robb are going to torpedo all of my momentum in this book.

-> return to menu <-

[stormcloudrising]

Jenny of Oldstones: Song Lyrics From Show Make No Sense

I was just doing some housekeeping and deleting some draft essays that I know that I’m probably never going to complete and came across this one that I wrote back in 2019 when the show ended. I don’t know why I didn’t post it then.  Maybe I meant to add more to it but never got around to doing so. 

My concentration for the next few months will be to complete the Florian and Jonquil and the Dragon vs the Wolf series and so I doubt I’ll have time to expand anymore on this topic in death. And actually, Jenny of Oldstones will be coming up in the F&J series and so I’m just going to go ahead and post as is what I previously wrote.  

One thing that did jump out at me as I was re-reading is that “Oldstones” could potentially be spelled as Oldestones with the extra *e* after old being the archaic spelling. George is very fond of using anagrams in the text and If we think of it that way, Oldestones becomes an anagram for lodestone and now my mind is just going off is so many directions because of the possible implications. Of course, I could be reaching.  Any way, here are my thoughts on the song from as written 3 years ago.

High in the halls of the kings who are gone Jenny would dance with her ghosts The ones she had lost and the ones she had found And the ones who had loved her the most

The ones who'd been gone for so very long She couldn't remember their names They spun her around on the damp old stones Spun away all her sorrow and pain

And she never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave Never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave

They danced through the day And into the night through the snow that swept through the hall From winter to summer then winter again 'Til the walls did crumble and fall

And she never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave Never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave And she never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave Never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave

High in the halls of the kings who are gone Jenny would dance with her ghosts The ones she had lost and the ones she had found And the ones Who had loved her the most

A video with the Jenny of Oldstones lyrics from the show just popped up in my youtube feed. I didn’t watch the video but the lyrics went through my head and it occurred that other than the use of Jenny’s name and the reference to the halls of kings, the lyrics have absolutely nothing to do with Martin’s story.

The show lyrics are about a woman who has lost her loved ones to death and constantly revisits the place that holds the most memories of them. The Jenny of D&D’s song is not dead. 

Jenny died at Summer Hall

The lyrics to the song are actually more appropriate to the Ghost of High Heart. She is the one living with her ghosts in the halls of the kings who have gone. She’s the one who doesn’t want to leave. Of course, the GOHH has not forgotten the names of her ghost.  She remembers Jenny all too well.

Finally, where are the flowers in Jenny’s hair. There is not one mention of flowers in the song even though she is so identified with them, Rob tells us that it

"Oldstones, all the smallfolk called it when I was a girl, but no doubt it had some other name when it was still a hall of kings." She had camped here once with her father, on their way to Seagard. Petyr was with us too . . .

"There's a song," he remembered. "'Jenny of Oldstones, with the flowers in her hair.'"

"We're all just songs in the end. If we are lucky." She had played at being Jenny that day, had even wound flowers in her hair. And Petyr had pretended to be her Prince of Dragonflies. Catelyn could not have been more than twelve, Petyr just a boy.

A Storm of Swords - Catelyn V

Yes, one car argue that the lyrics make sense in regards to the show...probably most in Sansa’s arc as the series ends with her alone at Winterfell living with all of her ghosts. And she definitely never wants to leave. However, the lyrics are further proof that in the last few years, D&D were writing their story and not George’s. Yes, the ending will basically be the same...just different garden paths to get there

We can be certain that when we get the true lyrics of the song from George, there will be a reference to flowers in Jenny’s hair but it just irks me that D&D didn’t even attempt to get that one detail right. 

[agentrouka-blog]

I don't remember correctly but are there terms from Lannisters in exchange for bending the knee by Robb and North besides freeing Jaime?

This is Rob's motivation for his terms:

“More bloodshed will not bring your father back to us, or Lord Rickard’s sons,” Catelyn said. “An offer had to be made—though a wiser man might have offered sweeter terms.”

“Any sweeter and I would have gagged.” Her son’s beard had grown in redder than his auburn hair. Robb seemed to think it made him look fierce, royal . . . older. But bearded or no, he was still a youth of fifteen, and wanted vengeance no less than Rickard Karstark. It had been no easy thing to convince him to make even this offer, poor as it was. (ACOK, Catelyn I)

They are bold but they are genuine.

This is Tyrion's motivation in treating with Robb Stark:

It seemed to him that Robb Stark had given them a golden chance. Let the boy wait at Riverrun dreaming of an easy peace. Tyrion would reply with terms of his own, giving the King in the North just enough of what he wanted to keep him hopeful. Let Ser Cleos wear out his bony Frey rump riding to and fro with offers and counters. All the while, their cousin Ser Stafford would be training and arming the new host he'd raised at Casterly Rock. Once he was ready, he and Lord Tywin could smash the Tullys and Starks between them. (ACOK, Tyrion V)

It's all to buy time. He means none of this. It is intended to be rejected. These are the terms:

"Here are our terms," said Tyrion. "Robb Stark must lay down his sword, swear fealty, and return to Winterfell. He must free my brother unharmed, and place his host under Jaime's command, to march against the rebels Renly and Stannis Baratheon. Each of Stark's bannermen must send us a son as hostage. A daughter will suffice where there is no son. They shall be treated gently and given high places here at court, so long as their fathers commit no new treasons."

Cleos Frey looked ill. "My lord Hand," he said, "Lord Stark will never consent to these terms."

We never expected he would, Cleos. “Tell him that we have raised another great host at Casterly Rock, that soon it will march on him from the west while my lord father advances from the east. Tell him that he stands alone, without hope of allies. Stannis and Renly Baratheon war against each other, and the Prince of Dorne has consented to wed his son Trystane to the Princess Myrcella.” Murmurs of delight and consternation alike arose from the gallery and the back of the hall.

“As to this of my cousins,” Tyrion went on, “we offer Harrion Karstark and Ser Wylis Manderly for Willem Lannister, and Lord Cerwyn and Ser Donnel Locke for your brother Tion. Tell Stark that two Lannisters are worth four northmen in any season.” He waited for the laughter to die. “His father’s bones he shall have, as a gesture of Joffrey’s good faith.”

“Lord Stark asked for his sisters and his father’s sword as well,” Ser Cleos reminded him.

Ser Ilyn Payne stood mute, the hilt of Eddard Stark’s greatsword rising over one shoulder. “Ice,” said Tyrion. “He’ll have that when he makes his peace with us, not before.”

“As you say. And his sisters?”

Tyrion glanced toward Sansa, and felt a stab of pity as he said, “Until such time as he frees my brother Jaime, unharmed, they shall remain here as hostages. How well they are treated depends on him.” And if the gods are good, Bywater will find Arya alive, before Robb learns she’s gone missing. (ACOK, Tyrion VI)

Alongside that, he sends the secret agents supposed to free Jaime, utterly not caring that he is easily risking his own cousin's life, since he doesn't warn Cleos that he's breaking the rules of the peace banner.

Nothing about these negotiations is done in good faith by Tyrion, and the Starks are ultimately lucky that they got Ned's bones out of this farce. Which is actually a very fitting image. Few of the lives supposed to be saved in this negotiation are saved.

Countless smallfolk die. Cleos, Willem and Tion die. Donnel Locke and Lord Cerwyn die. Ice is unmade.

The bones of the dead is all they get.

[fedonciadale]

Do you have any theories about who will actually kill LF in books? I am sure that it's Sansa who will expose his crimes and play key role in bringing him down but will she also be the one who will physically deliver the killing blow? Bcs as much as I would like Sansa to actually kill LF, we know she isn't exactly trained to do that. Ignoring the stupid @rya v/s Sansa fight, I liked how all starklings stood together against LF in the show & @rya killed him. Can this happen in books as well? Sansa passing the sentence and someone else swinging the sword? I mean, the Jonsa shipper in me would totally love it if Jon pulls a fetch me a block moment to kill LF when Sansa exposes him. Plus it can be foil to Cat begging Brandon to spare LF while Sansa ignores LF's pleadings while Jon executes him?

Hi there!

Allow me to answer this with this question

Hi! Do you think Sansa will be the one to kill Petyr? If so, how?

By @neurodivergentguy

From what has been foreshadowed in the books we can at least be sure about one thing! It will happen in Winterfell.

I'm also quite certain that Sansa will indeed not kill Littlefinger with her own hands. Ned's famous 'the man who passes should swing the sword' is not about the necessity to do it yourself but about taking responsibility when robbing someone of his life. It's GRRM'S version of Gandalf's words to Frodo : since we cannot give life we should not easily condemn to death. So, Sansa will weigh Littlefinger's crimes and I'm certain he'll get a trial. Because the Starks uphold the rule of law.

I also think that it might not happen that differently from the show. Ary@ last saw Sansa when she was pleading for Ned's life happy in the expectation that Joffrey would listen to her pleas. Ary@ also participated in a very convoluted play about the events in King's Landing. In addition, Ary@'s memory about her time in Winterfell becomes more 'anti-Sansa' the further she gets away. I think Ary@ will maybe also have information by Lady Stoneheart at the time she reaches Winterfell. I think it is likely that Ary@ will mistrust Sansa at first especially if she sees Littlefinger as a trusted advisor.

Make no mistake, I think it will be far better done in the books, but the sisters will have to sort out their differences and reconcile and what better way is there than destroying their family's enemy together.

I actually think that Ary@ will bear a face when she returns and Jon probably won't recognise her. I definitely think that Ary@ will be suspicious of Jon and Sansa's relationship.

I must admit I'm not sure if Jon will be there for Littlefinger's downfall. I'd certainly love it für him to see Ned/Cat 2.0. before his eyes before he dies. I'm petty like that.

But to be quite honest Jon is not needed for that. GRRM might give this moment to us anyway. 😃

However it will come to pass I'm sure that Littlefinger's well earned death will be satisfying.

I'd love a trial, Ary@ giving evidence (according to her arc searching for justice - and real evidence not like on the show with dreams and visions), Jon doing the execution. And Sansa telling him: I told you not to trust me, Lord Baelish.

Starks united!

Thanks for the asks!

[circe1fanatic]

Saying Sansa was removed from succession isn't anti Sansa. Nor does it mean she has no importance. It's just a fact from the books. Sansa was the heir after Bran and Rickon were reported killed and she was married to Tyrion for her claim. Robb and Cat knew this and both agreed that Tyrion could never have the North.

"Young, and a king," he said. "A king must have an heir. If I should die in my next battle, the kingdom must not die with me. By law Sansa is next in line of succession, so Winterfell and the north would pass to her." His mouth tightened. "To her, and her lord husband. Tyrion Lannister. I cannot allow that. I will not allow that. That dwarf must never have the north."

"No," Catelyn agreed. "You must name another heir, until such time as Jeyne gives you a son."

ASOS, Catelyn V

So you pray. Have you considered your sisters? What of their rights? I agree that the north must not be permitted to pass to the Imp, but what of Arya? By law, she comes after Sansa . . . your own sister, trueborn . . ."

". . . and dead. No one has seen or heard of Arya since they cut Father's head off. Why do you lie to yourself? Arya's gone, the same as Bran and Rickon, and they'll kill Sansa too once the dwarf gets a child from her. Jon is the only brother that remains to me. Should I die without issue, I want him to succeed me as King in the North. I had hoped you would support my choice."

ASOS, Catelyn V

"I left my wife at Riverrun. I want my mother elsewhere. If you keep all your treasures in one purse, you only make it easier for those who would rob you. After the wedding, you shall go to Seagard, that is my royal command." Robb stood, and as quick as that, her fate was settled. He picked up a sheet of parchment. "One more matter. Lord Balon has left chaos in his wake, we hope. I would not do the same. Yet I have no son as yet, my brothers Bran and Rickon are dead, and my sister is wed to a Lannister. I've thought long and hard about who might follow me. I command you now as my true and loyal lords to fix your seals to this document as witnesses to my decision."

ASOS, Catelyn V

Again, and as you can see from passages taken directly from the books, Robb and Cat clearly wanted to keep Tyrion from getting the North. Moving Sansa behind Jon, as many Sansa stans claim, does not do that. All the Lannisters had to do was kill Jon, which they could easily do, and Sansa is the heir again. Robb and Cat definitely made mistakes but they weren't dumb enough to think moving Sansa down one would keep the North out of Lannister hands. The only way to do it was to remove Sansa from succession.

And yes, the Lannisters called her the key to the North for their own nefarious plans, but Robb and Cat became aware of those plans and remedied the problem. And once Joffrey was killed and Sansa was wanted for King slaying, she was no longer Cersei's "key to the North".

Need more proof? Check the official ASOIAF app, the World of Ice and Fire. Sansa is the only Stark sibling that doesn't have a royal title (princess).

Sansa not being the heir doesn't mean she's "useless" or has no importance in the books. Her storyline wasn't about being the heir. That's Bran. She's got her own storyline in the Vale and GRRM isn't going to drop it or ignore the previous books just to get Sansa to WF before anyone else like they did in the show.

And if Sansa stans think Sansa is "useless" if she's not the heir, how is she their favorite character?

[the-daily-dreamer]

What about the North?

What. A. Scene.

Where do I even start? The misdirection was incredible. This was such a good instance in which we see Sanaa’s political prowess. She’s analyzing Dany, seeing what makes her tick, and very quickly Sansa realizes ego boosts work on Dany. That’s why Sansa does it. The whole scene is one big misdirection of affections. Sansa realizes that if she thanks Dany and boosts Dany’s already large ego, she can get somewhere. And it works! Dany is extremely easily manipulated and receptive to the praise and thanks.

Then it shifts, and boy is it glorious.

I honestly thought that the writers would chicken out of the narrative of Sansa v. Dany over the issue of the North. Instead they doubled down. “What about the North?” It’s such a powerful question. It makes clear who’s in charge, Sansa. This is the first true questioning of Dany’s motives, of her selfishness, of her greed, of the lives given for independence. It’s the first time that anyone has truly brought up the fact that so many people died for the North to be free, both in Rob’s war and the Battle of the Bastards. I absolutely loved seeing Sansa’s strength. She’s not the same naive little girl. Sansa had grown and learned from the best politicians, and now she’s home and she doesn’t intend to lose it. As she said, the North swore to never bow to a southern ruler, and they won’t.

Then, there’s Dany’s reaction. The smile faultering. The confused “And then I take the throne.” The grimace. The stern tone. The shifting of hands away. Her reaction shows just how little she cares about the North. She cares about herself and her goals. As Dany said herself, she came to the north for Jon. If she is in love with him, then that’s the only reason she came north. Not to protect the people she so desperately wants to rule. To get the magic D (obviously). Dany’s reaction exemplifies everything I despise about her. She’s so entitled and can’t understand why people wouldn’t want to bow to her and call her queen. She assumes that power derives respect, but respect is something earned not something freely given.

Quite honestly, I used to dislike Sansa in the early seasons (for reasons I may list in a later post), but for the last few seasons she has been absolutely amazing. And this scene, in which she analyzes her opponent, uses their weakness against them, and then shows her strength and lack of fear, was the perfect showing of power. Sansa reminds me of Tywin in a way. She knows how to hold power, even with a lesser title. That’s why she has no fear in front of Dany. This is her home, and she has the power.

[thelawyerthatwaspromised]

A Tweet Thread I made about Dany’s decision to burn King’s Landing

I am going to make the case that the show did more than enough to tell us that Dany wasn't only going to become an antagonist - but that she would make an intentional and monstrous decision. No one would question that Dany would not hesitate to burn her enemies en masse.

Really the only thing that needs established, then, is that Dany considers everyone in King's Landing to be an enemy. One of the main themes of not only THIS season but season's past is how quickly Dany is willing to start seeing someone as an enemy.

Dany believed arriving at Dragonstone would feel like a homecoming. It was established in 7x02 that it didn't feel that way to her. As time went along, she lost her Westerosi allies one by one - and Cersei continued to outmaneuver her. 

In Essos, it wasn't a problem to identify her enemies. It was black & white and based clearly on socioeconomic status. Slave v Master. She never had the problem of rallying the support of the poor. The same dynamics don't exist in Westeros. The poor don't inherently like or dislike rulers as long as they eat. 

So Dany always resented that there wasn't an groundswell of support from the poor to make her the queen. She didn't offer them the same things she offered the former slaves in Essos...something she never quite grasped. Then she committed to Jon's war and suffered losses, including Jorah. A sacrifice for which she expected to gain adoration rather than polite thanks. It didn't affect the North's desire to see her become queen. She was frustrated that the poor in King's Landing didn't really know what she did for them.

It became more and more clear that she was becoming increasingly antagonistic towards anyone who didn't actively yearn for her ascension. She hated Sansa for asking her to delay the attack. She hated Tyrion for...a lot of things. She hated Jon for telling Sansa his identity and she even argued to Tyrion that the common folk were complicit in Cersei remaining on the Throne. She spoke of "mercy" for FUTURE generations. She never truly indicated anything other than resentment for the people of King's Landing. 

Even last episode she spoke of making sure people "knew who to blame" when the skies began to fall. It was haunting but also indicated that she considered the innocents in KL to not be particularly innocent. It appears she had thought a firestorm on the city was already a foregone conclusion. She never expected Cersei or the Lannisters to surrender. IMO she never entertained the idea that she'd hear the bells. Then the bells rang. And it momentarily robbed her of the fire and blood she'd already resolved to inflict on the city. This is her dilemma in the moment.

She didn't JUST want the Throne. She wanted Fire and Blood and her vengeance. Before, she wanted the realm to love and welcome her and share toasts to her name. When that became impossible, she wanted the realm to fear her and she wanted to punish the people for not loving her.

The bells had robbed her of that opportunity - until she decided she wanted it anyway. Her act wasn't reasonable but it WAS based on a rational choice. She saw the people as part of the problem. The bells took away her chance of punishing them, if she honored the surrender. 

"Do I want the Throne, or do I want the Throne AND my bloody vengeance?" The only reason she did what she did to the city is because Daenerys decided the people were her enemies. Fire and Blood had to be hers.

[tabloidtoc]

Entertainment Weekly, May 31/June 7

Cover: Game of Thrones -- Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark, Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark, Kit Harington as Jon Snow, Maisie Williams as Arya Stark

Page 2: Contents, the other cover featuring Emilia Clarke

Page 4: Sound Bites -- Mark Hoppus of Blink-182, Kit Harington as Jon Snow, Tina Fey, Peter Mackenzie, Fiona Shaw, Melissa Fumero and Terry Crews, Anthony Carrigan 

Page 6: Editor Note -- Entertainment Weekly/People Upfront Party -- Mandy Moore and Henry Goldblatt and Chrissy Metz, Jimmy Smits and Bradley Whitford, Mike Colter, Terry Crews, Ariel Winter and Nolan Gould, Jason George, Christina Hendricks 

Page 8: The Must List -- Good Omens, Q+A with David Tennant and Michael Sheen 

Page 9: An Emmy for Megan, This Storm by James Ellroy 

Page 10: Ma, Octavia Spencer and Tate Taylor 

Page 12: Booksmart, Center Point Road by Thomas Rhett 

Page 13: When They See Us 

Page 14: Doin’ Time by Lana Del Rey, Always Be My Maybe

Page 16: Luther 

Page 19: Game of Thrones (please let me know if you’d like this or any other story scanned) 

Page 30: Spoiler Alerts -- the untold stories behind some of TV’s biggest shockers and they were kept secret (or not) 

Page 31: Dallas -- the first cliffhanger 

Page 32: ER -- George Clooney’s surprise return 

Page 34: Melrose Place -- Kimberly Shaw 

Page 35: The Good Wife -- Goodbye, Will Gardner 

Page 36: Survivor, Grey’s Anatomy, Pretty Little Liars 

Page 37: The Vampire Diaries and The Originals 

Page 38: The Good Place

Page 39: Chicago Fire, The Masked Singer 

Page 41: Summer TV Preview 

Page 42: Stranger Things 3 

Page 44: Four Weddings and a Funeral 

Page 45: Luther 

Page 46: Orange Is the New Black, Big Little Lies 

Page 47: Grand Hotel, Pennyworth 

Page 48: Power 

Page 49: Deadwood: The Movie 

Page 50: Black Mirror 

Page 51: Succession 

Page 52: Claws, The Terror: Infamy 

Page 53: City on a Hill 

Page 54: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance 

Page 55: The Boys, Fear the Walking Dead 

Page 56: Pearson 

Page 57: The Loudest Voice 

Page 58: Younger, The Inbetween, The Handmaid’s Tale 

Page 59: NOS4A2 

Page 60: Euphoria 

Page 61: The Hot Zone 

Page 62: Alternatino with Arturo Castro, Instinct

Page 63: Veronica Mars 

Page 64: What to Watch -- Summer TV Edition 

Page 68: 3 rounds with Booksmart -- Olivia Wilde, Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein 

Page 74: Summer Books Preview -- this summer’s hottest debut authors -- Taffy Brodesser-Akner, De’Shawn Charles Winslow, Sarah M. Broom, Linda Holmes and Lisa Taddeo

Page 79: This season’s 35 hottest reads -- City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert 

Page 80: The Wedding Party by Maureen Lee Lenker 

Page 81: The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal 

Page 82: Is There Still Sex in the City? by Candace Bushnell 

Page 83: Sci-fi epics are already Hollywood bound before they hit bookstores this summer -- Recursion by Blake Crouch, The Warehouse by Rob Hart, FKA USA by Reed King 

Page 84: Movies -- First Look -- Christian Bale and Matt Damon in Ford v Ferrari 

Page 85: Aladdin

Page 86: Booksmart, Richard Madden on Rocketman 

Page 87: 4 reason we’re obsessed with Always Be My Maybe 

Page 88: Millie Bobby Brown of Stranger Things in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Emma Thompson’s style in Late Night 

Page 89: John Wick: Chapter 3 -- Parabellum 

Page 90: TV -- Ava DuVernay on When They See Us 

Page 92: Renee Zellweger on What/If 

Page 96: The ultimate blindside: A Survivor oral history of when Erik Reichenbach gave away his immunity necklace 

Page 100: Music -- Hootie & the Blowfish 

Page 101: Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses on his solo album Tenderness 

Page 102: Books -- Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane 

Page 104: The Bullseye