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radiowallet · 2 years ago

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Meant to Be - Epilogue

The Endearment

Pairing: Oberyn Martell x Fem!OC (nameless, third person), Oberyn Martell x Ellaria Sand, Ellaria Sand x Fem!OC (nameless, third person) Summary: Time marches on. WC: 1.5K Warnings: 18+ MDNI Canon-typical violence, grief, death, political intrigue, arranged marriage, soulmate shenanigans, drinking, the barest hints of pregnancy, female on female dynamics, oral sex (female receiving). Oberyn Martell comes with his own warning.

A/N: This is it! The last chapter! I'm surprisingly emotional for this one to end and I really can't explain it. Please look to the end for more notes. As always, a few things to keep in mind: This is an alternate universe that takes place after the main events of the show. Bran is still king of Westeros. Sansa is still queen of the north. Oberyn lives. Doran never had any children. Our Fem!OC is from Winterfell, but she is not a Stark and is a blank canvas physically.

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~~Please see dedications at the end~~

Masterlist II Series Masterlist

Part 5 <<<

Endearing and sweet

Mine and yours

I hold your kiss on my lips

And my heart in your hands

Time is not always enough to heal. Some wounds are too deep, muscle and bone and blood unable to grow again over the gaping pain of loss. A sister and brother taken too soon are always a lingering scab across Oberyn Martell’s heart, and on the worst of days those wounds break open, and the treacherous concept of time starts all over.

But it does lend itself well to building something new. Sometimes something unexpected.

Oberyn leans back in his chair, head tilting to rest along the high back, crossing his legs and casting an eye out of the wide window framing the great hall, noting the position of the sun. Morning is nearly over, and despite his requests from the meeting the day prior, this council meeting is decidedly not. He sighs, loudly, before reaching for his cup, chasing his annoyance with a heavy slurp of wine.

“And with this year’s tax revenu—“

“I do believe,” he nearly shouts, trying and failing not to slam his cup down, “we went over these numbers just yesterday, is this not correct, Lord Daemon?”

The other man tries and fails to hide his fear, looking up from the scroll spread open in front of him and immediately shrinking back in his chair. “I think there may have been some o-overlap in our agendas, my lord.”

“This entire meeting has been nothing but overlap,” Oberyn continues, his demeanor shifting from bored to deadly in the blink of an eye.

“It felt prudent. His lordship will be gone for some time and we wanted to be prepared.”

Oberyn stands then, the legs of his chair scraping loudly across the floor, and he delights in the wave of discomfort that filters through his council.

“Let us consider you all prepared. My wife is waiting for me.”

He pays no mind to the raise of voices, the members of his council clearly convinced no good could come from his absence. Oberyn was nonplussed, ignoring their outcry as he made his way back to his quarters. She truly was waiting for him, and he was eager to be back at her side.

The visit north he had promised had been put on hold after Doran’s passing, the task of assuming his duties as Lord of Sunspear much more insistent upon his time than he cared for. She had handled the news with the same grace and duty he had come to know and love, standing at his side through it all. He could see now why Sansa Stark valued her friendship along with her support, and it was just another way he counted himself grateful that all manners of fate and choice brought them together.

Things were settled now, the transition from one brother to the next complete. The strength of Dorne held true, unbroken and unbent, the sandy shores living on in peace. Oberyn felt more secure in the standing of his homeland, and though he did not relish the drop in temperature, he was pleased that he was finally making good on this one promise.

Trunks were packed and loaded into the carriage, all manner of cloaks and fur lined fabrics stored safely away for the trip. Oberyn’s wardrobe had been distinctly lacking in that regard, but she was quick to a solution, the palace dressmakers tasked with her very specific requests.

He had snapped his teeth at the idea of it — heavy fabric and brass buttons, his coat cinched tight around his waist and up the column of his throat. But she somehow found a way to turn his eye, standing behind him as the finishing touches were made on a rich red cloak. He cut an imposing figure, the shade almost violent, the symbol of Sunspear stitched into the fabric.

He could feel her smile burning with pride as she brushed her hands along the wide expanse of his shoulders, her artistic fingers sending shivers down his spine.

“The color is a bit unorthodox for northern customs,” he had teased, even as he preened before the mirror, back straightening and chest puffing out. She took his tone in stride, lips pressing hot and wet just behind his ear, her hungry eyes glued to his in the looking glass.

“We do not see many vipers in the North. Allow me to present mine as I see fit.”

Oberyn moves his feet a touch faster, the memory of that day spurring him on. They had dismissed the seamstress with barely a glance, too busy stripping one another bare, and laying down together across the ruby red fabric. Oberyn can still feel the press of her lips as she whispered all the ways she intended to keep him warm between the stone walls of Winterfell as he fucked into her tight heat.

Their union had strengthened ten fold over the passing months, even as the responsibilities of leadership came to rest upon their shoulders. Her mark upon him had spread easily, complimenting him but never changing. Everywhere he looked he could see her imprint upon his life. Her own throne beside his, her paintings hung on the walls, her moans painting their sheets.

And in kind, she carries his marks with the same glow of pride. Books of poetry littered her desk, plum wine stained her lips, little pieces of himself left behind in her heart.

True to their promises all that time ago, he was free to seek out time and pleasure on his own, but he found he preferred it best when she or Ellaria joined him. He still remembers with a spiteful sense of glee how members of his council had mentioned seeing the Lord and Lady of Sunspear walk arm and arm into one of the more luxurious bathhouses.

It seemed the fates knew a thing or two, gifting him a match with just as voracious an appetite.

But more and more he found himself content to remain closer to home, his bed there as full as his heart. It’s overly sentimental and he rolls his eyes at it all on his own, but it does not stop his heart from picking up speed when he reaches the door of their chambers.

The sight that greets him on the other side is not exactly that of a woman who had assured him she would be ready to leave upon his return.

But he cannot find it in himself to be vexed.

Not when what he sees is so stunning.

His soul’s match is laying back amongst the plush dressings of their bed, her body bare and her legs spread wide. She’s twisting back and forth, eyes closed and lips parted, begging for more more more in a way that his own groan slipping out to join her own, the unforgiving leather of his britches suddenly too tight.

Ellaria is a generous lover, quick to meet his wife’s request and Oberyn steps closer just as one of her elegant fingers slides up inside her fluttering entrance, her lips never breaking away from that beautiful bundle of nerves.

It had been a natural progression, the two of them finding their way to each other. It was as seamless as two people walking together, their arms locked, and fingers laced, until finally they moved together as one, sides pressed together and cheeks on shoulders, closer than close and a sight to be held.

Oberyn feels a foolish man for ever thinking there was a choice to be made.

He does not go unnoticed for long, her eyelashes fluttering open, feverish eyes finding him and he is quick to move to her side, cupping the curve of her cheek in his palm.

“Am I to assume we will be leaving late?”

She smiles for him, nuzzling into his touch, but all words are stolen by Ellaria’s own lips pulling away.

“Do not be mad at her, my love. We were restless and she looked so beautiful in the bath. I could not help myself.”

Oberyn hums in agreement, letting his fingers trail down the column of her neck, squeezing gently, just enough to feel the gasp as it leaves her. He holds her gaze as his touch moves further down, up and over the peak of her breast until his hand rests along the slight swell of her belly, just starting to show with the promise of new life.

“You are right as alway, my paramour. Our little wolf can be so hard to resist.”

“Will you join us?” Ellaria asks the question sweetly, each word coated in honey, her dark eyes watching from where she rests her cheek along her thigh, two fingers now moving slowly in and out of her cunt. “Or must we leave her so unsatisfied?”

He smirks down at the two of them, before making a show of untying his robe and letting it fall to the floor. He could play coy, and insist they leave at once, but he knows there would be little use in denying either of them anything.

He lets the last of his clothing fall away before he slides into bed beside her, his hand drifting low enough to join Ellaria’s, her cries for more finally answered.

“I suppose not,” he murmurs, before pressing his lips to hers, always eager for the taste of her kiss.

A taste he thought he had only dreamed.

———

A/N: If you told me my bingo card for the end of 2022 had writing a Game of Thrones fanfic, I do not think I would believe you. But I am so proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone, for trying out tropes that I don't normally seek out, and for taking on a new writing style in the fanfic space. I feel like I learned a lot in this process and I think I grew as a writer. I have had so much fun and trust me, this is a world I could see myself revisiting if the right prompt or request tickled my fancy. 🖤

Dedications: I have said this many times before, but it remains true: stories like this do not happen in a vacuum. I am so very grateful for the community here that has supported me through this and all of my writing. To every reader out there, thank you! Endlessly! Your support means more to me than I will ever be able to coherently explain.

To my dearest @astroboots who didn't blink an eye when I started spouting nonsense about Oberyn and arranged marriages and soulmates, she simply replied "Write it." You never let me think I can't do anything I set my sights on, and I love you.

To @magpie-to-the-morning who supported all of my love for this cheeky prince and who I sent blocks of smut to completely unprompted. You took it all in stride and begged me for more and your enthusiasm made me feel higher than high! Thank you so much!

And to my wonderful wife and Ellaria Sand's biggest fan @jazzelsaur You read every chapter. You listened to GoT facts you never thought you would learn. You laughed with me and and encouraged me and helped push me to make this story better than I ever thought it could be. I love you and I would be lost without you.

#Oberyn Martell #Oberyn Martell fic #Oberyn Martell fanfic #Oberyn Martell x ofc #Ellaria Sand x ofc #polyam relationship #Game of Thrones

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jozor-johai · 9 months ago

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R'hllor in the Sept

In ACOK Catelyn IV, Catelyn visits the sept at the village by Renly's host, just before Renly is killed by the Stannis' shadow and the dark powers of R'hllor.

Before any of Stannis and Mel's actions, though, the power of R'hllor is present from the start.

Though it's a sept, and Catelyn is praying to each of the faces of the Seven in turn, note that it is the flickering torchlight which makes the faces "seem alive". In fact, the first sentence of every one of these paragraphs is a reminder of how the fire is affecting the appearance of the Seven's faces: flickering torchlight danced across the walls, the smoke makes her eyes burn, the shadows shift and sway, the torch spits. And with the light of the fire dancing across the masks, Catelyn begins to see visions, of a sort.

Over again over again in this passage, it sounds like, visually, Catelyn is really doing something similar to how a Red Priest gazes into the fires, seeing the shifting images of the flames and shadows.

It seems like a real moment of the power of fire and light combined with the faces of the seven, revealing to Catelyn insights about the people around her:

Flickering torchlight danced across the walls, making the faces seem half alive, twisting them, changing them. The statues in the great septs of the cities wore the faces the stonemasons had given them, but these charcoal scratchings were so crude they might be anyone. The Father's face made her think of her own father, dying in his bed at Riverrun. The Warrior was Renly and Stannis, Robb and Robert, Jaime Lannister and Jon Snow. She even glimpsed Arya in those lines, just for an instant. Then a gust of wind through the door made the torch sputter, and the semblance was gone, washed away in orange glare. The smoke was making her eyes burn. She rubbed at them with the heels of her scarred hands. When she looked up at the Mother again, it was her own mother she saw. Lady Minisa Tully had died in childbed, trying to give Lord Hoster a second son. The baby had perished with her, and afterward some of the life had gone out of Father. She was always so calm, Catelyn thought, remembering her mother's soft hands, her warm smile. If she had lived, how different our lives might have been. She wondered what Lady Minisa would make of her eldest daughter, kneeling here before her. I have come so many thousands of leagues, and for what? Who have I served? I have lost my daughters, Robb does not want me, and Bran and Rickon must surely think me a cold and unnatural mother. I was not even with Ned when he died . . . Her head swam, and the sept seemed to move around her. The shadows swayed and shifted, furtive animals racing across the cracked white walls. Catelyn had not eaten today. Perhaps that had been unwise. She told herself that there had been no time, but the truth was that food had lost its savor in a world without Ned. When they took his head off, they killed me too. Behind her the torch spit, and suddenly it seemed to her that it was her sister's face on the wall, though the eyes were harder than she recalled, not Lysa's eyes but Cersei's. Cersei is a mother too. No matter who fathered those children, she felt them kick inside her, brought them forth with her pain and blood, nursed them at her breast. If they are truly Jaime's . . .

This is mostly an observation, but I have a few thoughts on it, too:

First, I think it's cool that we have a moment where the influence of R'hllor appears even inside a sept, even before we really understand what we're seeing here.

Metaphorically, this scene is even better as a foundation for what happens later in this chapter: Renly, whose rainbow guard proclaims him a particularly devout champion of the Seven, is overcome by R'hllor's power and Stannis' shadow like how the torchlight and shifting shadows dance across the masks in the sept.

There's room for this moment to affect an understanding of magic, too; perhaps it adds a layer to the interpretation of these fire-inspired visions that Melisandre and Thoros experience. Does this mean that a layperson, like Catelyn, can also access this power, and just doesn't know what to make of it? Or should we think that Mel and Thoros are seeing only the flickering forms of fire and not magic at all, only interpreting it?

It's possible that this is a hint to the universality of whatever magical/religious power exists in the world, despite the different religions or names for it that different cultures have. This is the power of R'hllor projected onto the masks of the Seven—perhaps both the flames and the masks are guises for a shared, common power, unknowable behind the scenes.

#jozor thoughts #asoiaf meta #asoiaf analysis #valyrianscrolls

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jackoshadows · 3 years ago

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“You,” Ned said, kissing her lightly on the brow, “will marry a king and rule his castle, and your sons will be Knights and princes and lords and, yes, perhaps even a High Septon.” - Eddard, A Game of Thrones

My featherbed is deep and soft, and there I’ll lay you down, I’ll dress you all in yellow silk, and on your head a crown - Arya, A Storm of Swords

“Aegon has been shaped for rule since before he could walk. He has been trained in arms, as befits a knight to be, but that was not the end of his education. He reads and writes, he speaks several tongues, he has studied history and law and poetry. A septa has instructed him in the mysteries of the Faith since he was old enough to understand them. He has lived with fisherfolk, worked with his hands, swum in rivers and mended nets and learned to wash his own clothes at need. He can fish and cook and bind up a wound, he knows what it is like to be hungry, to be hunted, to be afraid. Tommen has been taught that kingship is his right. Aegon knows that kingship is his duty, that a king must put his people first, and live and rule for them.” - Kevan, A Dance with Dragons

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So this is an essay of sorts on my speculation/theory that Arya is going to end up as a leader of the North by the end of the series. I will split this into several parts:

Arya and leadership

Arya and Northern leadership

Arya and Nymeria

Skillsets

Importance of being a Warg/Skinchanger

Succession

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Arya Stark and leadership

“Know the men who follow you,” she heard him tell Robb once, “and let them know you. Don’t ask your men to die for a stranger.“ - Arya, AGoT

Arya has always been a leader rather than a follower. Just like Jon at the wall, she initially chafes at having to follow orders instead of doing what she thinks is the right thing to do. Despite Gendry and Hot Pie being older than her, she’s the one giving the orders and making the plans. She manipulates or forces characters into doing what she wants – getting Gendry to leave Harrenhal and forcing Jaqen to help her free the Northmen.

Arya took the lead, kicking her stolen horse to a brisk heedless trot until the trees close in around her. Hot Pie and Gendry followed as best they could. From time to time Arya glanced over her shoulder, to make sure the two boys had not fallen too far behind, and to see if they were being pursued - Arya, ASoS

Like most of our protagonists, Arya is ambitious and interested in being an active participant at the top. She wanted to become a King’s councilor and build castles. That entire little speech that Varys gives about the ideal candidate for ruling fits Arya to a T.

Arya has gone hungry, scrubbed and cleaned, cooked and kept house, sewed and mended clothes, bound up wounds, been hunted, been scared for her life – and done all this with limited protection. Just survived on her wits. Arya can wield a sword, is fluent in several languages and has studied with a Septa.

We also see war torn Westeros and the suffering of the smallfolk through Arya’s eyes in ACoK and ASoS. It doesn’t matter if it’s Stark or Lannister, the smallfolk suffer the same – Septon Meribald’s ‘Broken Men’ speech in AFfC embodies what Arya observes. After Arya frees the Northmen using weasel soup and Vargo Hoat betrays the Lannisters, there are reprisal killings, torture and rape enacted by Stark bannermen and the sellswords. The smith, Maester and the head maid are executed for merely serving Tywin – something on which they had no choice. Gendry points this out to Arya and she feels guilty for her part in all this.

“I hate this lot worse. Ser Amory was fighting for his lord, but the Mummers are sellswords and turncloaks. Half of them can’t even speak the Common Tongue. Septon Utt likes little boys, Qyburn does black magic, and your friend Biter eats people.”

The worst thing was, she couldn’t even say he was wrong. The Brave Companions did most of the foraging for Harrenhal, and Roose Bolton had given them the task of rooting out Lannisters. Vargo Hoat had divided them into four bands, to visit as many villages as possible. He led the largest group himself, and gave the others to his most trusted captains. She had heard Rorge laughing over Lord Vargo’s way of finding traitors. All he did was return to places he had visited before under Lord Tywin’s banner and seize those who had helped him. – Arya, ACoK

"It’s not a village, it’s only black stones and old bones. “Did the Lannisters kill the people who lived here?” Arya asked as she helped Anguy dry the horses.

“No.” He pointed. “Look at how thick the moss grows on the stones. No one’s moved them for a long time. And there’s a tree growing out of the wall there, see? This place was put to the torch a long time ago.”

“Who did it, then?” asked Gendry.

“Hoster Tully.” Notch was a stooped thin grey-haired man, born in these parts. “This was Lord Goodbrook’s village. When Riverrun declared for Robert, Goodbrook stayed loyal to the king, so Lord Tully came down on him with fire and sword. After the Trident, Goodbrook’s son made his peace with Robert and Lord Hoster, but that didn’t help the dead none.”

A silence fell." - Arya, ASoS

"Wolves, she thought again. Like me. Was this her pack? How could they be Robb’s men? She wanted to hit them. She wanted to hurt them. She wanted to cry.” - Arya, ASoS

The smallfolk in the Riverlands are caught between the Starks, Tullys and Lannisters with no good choices. And on the ground level, Arya sees this, understands this and acknowledges this. Her actions benefited house Stark and no one else. She understands the cost of war.

Arya is also very keen on justice. In that she not only thinks that characters deserve justice, but she wants to actively participate and deliver justice. She considers the execution of Dareon from the NW as a just one.

Dareon had been a deserter from the Night's Watch; he had deserved to die. - Arya, AFfC

“Guilty!” Arya shouted with the rest. “Guilty, guilty, kill him, guilty!” …

Arya could only think of Mycah and all the stupid prayers she’d prayed for the Hound to die. If there were gods, why didn’t Lord Beric win? She knew the Hound was guilty… - Arya, ASoS

Her father beat her so often and so brutally that she was never truly free of pain or fear until she came to us.”

“Did you kill him?”

“She asked the gift for herself, not for her father.”

You should have killed him.“ - Arya, ADWD

Arya drew back from him. "He killed the slave?" That did not sound right. "He should have killed the masters!" – Arya, aDwD

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Arya and Northern leadership

I would sooner my men die fighting for the Ned’s little girl than alone and hungry in the snow, weeping tears that freeze upon their cheeks. - Hugo Wull

The North has famously never had a female leader in House Stark. So is it possible for valiant Ned’s precious little girl to become the first Lady Stark to lead the North?

In terms of personality, Arya resembles some of the other female leaders/members of Northern houses. She is bold and forward like Lyanna Mormont and Wylla Manderly. She has trained with the sword and learned how to use a bow and arrow. She proactively engineers her own escape like Alys Karstark. Characters like Ygritte and Alys remind Jon Snow of Arya.

Arya venerates Ned Stark. She follows his advice as much as Robb, Bran and Jon do. Even more so. She executes a NW brother for desertion. And that is important for the Starks.

I should kill them myself. Whenever her father had condemned a man to death, he did the deed himself with Ice, his greatsword. - Arya, ACoK

The blood of the First Men still flows in the veins of the Starks, and we hold to the belief that the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. - Bran, AGoT

“The Starks do not use headsmen. Ned always said that the man who passes the sentence should swing the blade, though he never took any joy in the duty.” - Catelyn, ACoK

“Rickard Karstark, Lord of Karhold.” Robb lifted the heavy axe with both hands. “Here in sight of gods and men, I judge you guilty of murder and high treason. In mine own name I condemn you. With mine own hand I take your life. Would you speak a final word?” - Catelyn, ASoS

The pale morning sunlight ran up and down his blade as Jon clasped the hilt of the bastard sword with both hands and raised it high. “If you have any last words, now is the time to speak them,” he said, expecting one last curse. - Jon, ADwD

Arya is one of the Starkiest Starks of the whole lot. She is also the only Stark to actually have the Stark look. She is stubborn and determined to do things the Stark way. She often uses her father’s advice to guide her way.

Her father used to say that a lord needed to eat with his men, if he hoped to keep them. “Know the men who follow you,” she heard him tell Robb once, “and let them know you. Don’t ask your men to die for a stranger.“ - Arya, aGoT

Arya had loved nothing better than to sit at her father’s table and listen to them talk. She had loved listening to the men on the benches too; to freeriders tough as leather, courtly knights and bold young squires, grizzled old men-at-arms.- Arya, AGoT

Whenever her father had condemned a man to death, he did the deed himself with Ice, his greatsword. “If you would take a man’s life, you owe it to him go look him in the face and hear his last words,” she’d heard him tell Robb and Jon once. - Arya, ACoK

Now there are theories that it is future Bran who was communicating with Arya through the weirwood at Harrenhal, but she does gain strength from her father’s words when she prays to the Old Gods.

Gooseprickles rose on Arya’s skin, and for an instant she felt dizzy. Then, so faintly, it seemed as if she heard her father’s voice. “When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives,” he said. “But there is no pack,” she whispered to the weirwood. Bran and Rickon were dead, the Lannisters had Sansa, Jon had gone to the Wall. “I’m not even me now, I’m Nan.” “You are Arya of Winterfell, daughter of the north. You told me you could be strong. You have the wolf blood in you.” - Arya, ACoK

And while Arya is travelling incognito, GRRM keeps her connected to the North, house Stark and the Northern plot. She starts her journey from KL with a NW brother Yoren. She’s disguised as a boy like Danny Flint, Manderly requests a song about brave Danny Flint at Ramsay’s wedding with ‘Arya’. In the Riverlands, Arya’s plot intersects with her father’s bannermen, she participates in the capture of Harrenhal for house Stark and is there for Roose Bolton’s war council. She meets both Roose Bolton and Aenys Frey – our antagonists in Winterfell facing off against Stannis in ADwD. She meets Robett Glover – who is currently in White Harbor - when she lets him out of the dungeons. She gets Jaqen to help her father’s men.

“Vargo Hoat’s come back with prisoners. I saw their badges. There’s a Glover, from Deepwood Motte, he’s my father’s man. The rest too, mostly.” All of a sudden, Arya knew why her feet had brought her here. “You have to help me get them out.” – Arya, ACoK

Arya looked. She knew all of her father’s men. The three in the grey cloaks were strangers. Arya, AGoT

Twin towers. Sunburst. Bloody man. Battle-axe. The battle-axe is for Cerwyn, and the white sun on black is Karstark. They’re northmen. My father’s men, and Robb’s. - Arya, ACoK

Harwin?” Arya whispered. It was! Under the beard and the tangled hair was the face of Hullen’s son, who used to lead her pony around the yard, ride at quintain with Jon and Robb, and drink too much on feast days. He was thinner, harder somehow, and at Winterfell he had never worn a beard, but it was him—her father’s man. Arya, ASoS

“I bet there are Winterfell men too.” Her father’s men, the Young Wolf’s men, the direwolves of Stark. - Arya, ASoS

Arya is also involved in betrothals/marriage – first to Elmar Frey and then married off to Ramsay Bolton to hold the North. As a side note, her connection to all these bastards is indeed interesting - Elmar Frey, Ramsay Bolton, Gendry and Jon Snow. Is GRRM trying to say something here?

We now have the Northerners and Freys that Arya sees in Harrenhal transposed to Winterfell and ‘her father’s men’ rising up for Arya Stark.

Now, we can speculate and assume that these Northerners would have done the same for the other Starks, but that’s not the point here. In the books, GRRM has written this story to revolve around Arya. The mountain clans are marching for ARYA. The Northern houses are fighting alongside Stannis for ARYA. When lady Barbrey Dustin points out the anger of the Northmen at the treatment of ‘Valiant Ned's precious little girl’ she is talking about ARYA.

GRRM has Stannis wanting to rescue Arya for Jon. He has Mance trying to rescue Arya for Jon. He has Jon breaking his vows and dying trying to rescue Arya. A large part of what drives this plot forward is that it’s Arya, and her special relationship with Jon Snow influences a lot of what is happening south of the wall. The story only happens this way with Arya in the North. And that’s why it’s Arya’s story and not that of any other Stark. Superimposing this or that Stark in place of Arya to make a case for why they would be leader of the North makes no sense. GRRM writing in the marriage of Arya Stark to hold the North makes the case for why Arya is important to the North.

So, Arya has actively helped free Northmen in the Riverlands, engaged with important Northerners and Freys at Harrenhal and drives the plot to take down the Boltons in the North. With her leadership skills, her ability to wield a weapon and fight, looking like Ned, following in Ned’s footsteps and advice, her fierce personality, her loyalty to bannermen, her desire for justice and to help the weak and powerless, her huge direwolf - she would be like the Kings in the North of yore. I think the Northerners will be fine with Arya Stark being the Stark in charge.

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Arya and Nymeria

“What if the wolves come?” “Yield,” Arya suggested - Arya, ACoK

The direwolves are an important part of the books, and an important aspect of the Starks.They are as much a part of the Starks as Dany’s dragons are a part of her. They cannot be ignored as unimportant pets who will end up serving no purpose.

“He is part of you, Robb. To fear him is to fear you.” - Catelyn, ASoS

Ghost did not count. Ghost was closer than a friend. Ghost was part of him - Jon, ADWD

“Part of you is Summer, and part of Summer is you. You know that, Bran.” - Bran, ACoK

“Wolves and women wed for life,” Haggon often said. “You take one, that’s a marriage. The wolf is part of you from that day on, and you’re part of him. Both of you will change.” - Varamyr, ADWD

You have five trueborn children,” Jon said. “Three sons, two daughters. The direwolf is the sigil of your House. Your children were meant to have these pups, my lord…The direwolf graces the banners of House Stark,” Jon pointed out. - Bran, AGoT

“Roose Bolton has Lord Eddard’s daughter. To thwart him White Harbor must have Ned’s son … and the direwolf. The wolf will prove the boy is who we say he is, should the Dreadfort attempt to deny him.“ - Davos, ADWD

GRRM has mentioned several times that they are important.

The Lannisters are always likening themselves to lions, for example, and their motto “Hear me roar” speaks of a certain way of looking at life. But I think for the Starks it goes a little bit beyond that, especially in this generation, with these direwolves. It’s more than just a handy metaphor with them - GRRM, interview

"Wolves have been part of European folklore, of which America's descended, going back thousands of years. In Rome, Romulus and Remus -- there's always been this relationship between wolves and men." That relationship is seen time and again in Martin's series, and it's one that will Martin says will continue as the last two books are eventually released. Arya's wolf, Nymeria, in particular, will play an important role. "You know, I don't like to give things away." says Martin, a grin spreading across his face. "But you don't hang a giant wolf pack on the wall unless you intend to use it." - GRRM interview

The direwolves are important especially for Arya whose theme is ‘The lone wolf dies but the pack survives’ and there are constant mentions of the pack in her POV chapters. Nymeria is an alpha, a leader of her pack like Arya is a leader of hers.

“She says there’s this great pack, hundreds of them, mankillers. The one that leads them is a she-wolf, a bitch from the seventh hell.” - Arya, ACoK

Throughout ACoK and ASoS, Arya mentions the wolves in the Riverlands. They appear to be just ahead of her or behind her. In her chapters there are mentions of wolves eating people, of Roose going wolf hunting. It’s almost like the wolves are traveling with her. They even help her escape – the wolf howl giving the signal – from harrenhal. And it’s possible the pack was picking off Roose Bolton’s riders chasing Arya because they were following right behind.

She could hear the sound of her own breath, and the wolves as well, a great pack of them now. They are closer than the one I heard in the godswood, she thought. They are calling to me. - Arya, ACoK

Once, from the crest of a ridge, she spied dark shapes crossing a stream in the valley behind them, and for half a heartbeat she feared that Roose Bolton’s riders were on them, but when she looked again she realized they were only a pack of wolves. She cupped her hands around her mouth and howled down at them, “Ahooooooooo, ahooooooooo.” When the largest of the wolves lifted its head and howled back, the sound made Arya shiver. - Arya ASoS

Nymeria keeps amassing this huge wolf pack and Arya being a strong warg can sense this

She was no little girl in the dream; she was a wolf, huge and powerful, and when she emerged from beneath the trees in front of them and bared her teeth in a low rumbling growl, she could smell the rank stench of fear from horse and man alike. - Arya, ASoS

She dreamed of wolves most every night. A great pack of wolves, with her at the head. She was bigger than any of them, stronger, swifter, faster. And her brothers and sisters were with her, many and more of them, fierce and terrible and hers. - Arya, ASoS

In her wolf dreams she was swift and strong, running down her prey with her pack at her heels. - Cat of the Canals, AFfC

The wolf dreams also helps Arya connect to Bran, Jon and Rickon. We see Ghost able to sense the other direwolves and Bran trying to communicate with Jon.

Nymeria is a grey wolf and the stark sigil is a grey wolf on a white background.

“The rain had washed the guard’s blood off her fingers, she wore a sword across her back, wolves were prowling through the dark like lean grey shadows, and Arya Stark was unafraid.” - Arya, ACoK

“Arya had her father’s eyes, the grey eyes of the Starks.” - Reek, ADwD

What’s in a name? I have already mentioned in another post, the symbolism of the names for the direwolves and them being an indication of the future for the Starks. Arya’s direwolf is named Nymeria – a Rhoynish warrior queen who led her people to safety. Something that Arya may well do in the future when the North is under attack from the Others.

More importantly, Nymeria in Dorne changed the customs and rules of house Martell to follow those of Rhoynar and allowed for female rulers. Nymeria herself was the first female leader and was followed by her daughter. Nymeria changed the norm for Dorne and we could see the same happening with Arya Stark in the North.

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Skills and Education

Look with your eyes, Syrio had said, listen with your ears.- Arya, ACoK

Education at Winterfell:

Arya was mainly taught by Septa Mordane and received the same education as Sansa. She would have been taught history and about the Faith by the Septa, she can read and write, and is good with sums. She’s better than Sansa at managing a household. She can ride a horse like a Northman and is an excellent swimmer. She knows some high Valyrian. Besides the Septa, Arya also hangs around Ned Stark when he is teaching the boys. Many of his words of wisdom that she remembers is from when he is teaching the boys. She mingles with her father’s men, the cooks, the stable boys etc.

Kings Landing:

Water Dancing style of swordfighting from Syrio Forel.

Harrenhal:

Being incognito allows Arya to move around like a mouse or the ghost of Harrenhal and observe and learn things. She is privy to Roose Bolton’s war council and listens to them discuss the Northern campaign against the Lannisters. We get the first inkling of the Red Wedding in these chapters between Roose and the Freys.

Arya observes the different people, analyzes their movements and figures out how to approach them.

The night she was caught, the Lannister men had been nameless strangers with faces as alike as their nasal helms, but she’d come to know them all. You had to know who was lazy and who was cruel, who was smart and who was stupid. You had to learn that even though the one they called Shitmouth had the foulest tongue she’d ever heard, he’d give you an extra piece of bread if you asked, while jolly old Chiswyck and soft-spoken Raff would just give you the back of their hand. - Arya, ACoK

And as lords and ladies never notice the little grey mice under their feet, Arya heard all sorts of secrets just by keeping her ears open as she went about her duties. Pretty Pia from the buttery was a slut who was working her way through every knight in the castle. The wife of the gaoler was with child, but the real father was either Ser Alyn Stackspear or a singer Lord Lefford made mock of ghosts at table, but always kept a candle burning by his bed. Ser Dunaver’s squire Jodge could not hold his water when he slept. The cooks despised Ser Harys Swyft and spit in all his food. Once she even overheard Maester Tothmure’s serving girl confiding to her brother about some message that said Joffrey was a bastard and not the rightful king at all. “Lord Tywin told him to burn the letter and never speak such filth again,” the girl whispered. - Arya, ACoK

She aids in the escape of the near hundred Northmen imprisoned in the dungeons and even Roose is impressed enough to make her his cupbearer. And the next time, she conceives of, plans and executes their entire escape all by herself. She plans for the logistics – weapons, transportation, people, travel route, what to wear. She makes sure she is warmly dressed, takes the map from Roose’s chamber, uses her position of cupbearer to manipulate several men, manipulates Gendry into escaping with her, takes down the guard and leads them away. It’s an endeavor that showcases her intelligence, cunning, determination, ability to strategize and lead.

Arya also shows a lot of restraint and keeps her secrets. She doesn’t trust the Glovers or any of the Northmen in Harrenhal - and considering the Red Wedding, it’s a good decision.

Their captors permitted no chatter. A broken lip taught Arya to hold her tongue. Others never learned at all. - Arya, ACoK

Arya watched them die and did nothing. What good did it do you to be brave? One of the women picked for questioning had tried to be brave, but she had died screaming like all the rest. There were no brave people on that march, only scared and hungry ones. - Arya, ACoK

On the road Arya had felt like a sheep, but Harrenhal turned her into a mouse. She was grey as a mouse in her scratchy wool shift, and like a mouse she kept to the crannies and crevices and dark holes of the castle, scurrying out of the way of the mighty.- Arya, ACoK

Braavos:

Arya’s education here is not limited to killing for the Faceless Men. She is also educated in poisons and languages. She improves on her high Valyrian and is now fluent in Braavosi and other Essosi languages. She learns acting/mummery. Not showing emotions on one’s face, detecting emotions in another person.

“A man does not need to be a wizard to know truth from falsehood, not if he has eyes. You need only learn to read a face. Look at the eyes. The mouth. The muscles here, at the corners of the jaw, and here, where the neck joins the shoulders.” He touched her lightly with two fingers. “Some liars blink. Some stare. Some look away. Some lick their lips. Many cover their mouths just before they tell a lie, as if to hide their deceit. Other signs may be more subtle, but they are always there. A false smile and a true one may look alike, but they are as different as dusk from dawn. Can you tell dusk from dawn?”

Arya nodded, though she was not certain that she could. “Then you can learn to see a lie… and once you do, no secret will be safe from you.” - Arya, AFFC

------------------------

People skills

“I will remember, Your Grace," said Sansa, though she had always heard that love was a surer route to the people's loyalty than fear. If I am ever a queen, I'll make them love me.” - Sansa, ACoK

Arya’s ability to make friends wherever she goes highlights her people skills. And Arya is able to communicate and connect with people from all walks of life.

Sansa knew all about the sorts of people Arya liked to talk to: squires and grooms and serving girls, old men and naked children, rough-spoken freeriders of uncertain birth. Arya would make friends with anybody. - Sansa, AGoT

She had loved listening to the men on the benches too; to freeriders tough as leather, courtly knights and bold young squires, grizzled old men-at-arms. She used to throw snowballs at them and help them steal pies from the kitchen. Their wives gave her scones and she invented names for their babies and played monsters-and-maidens and hide-the-treasure and come-into-my-castle with their children., Arya, AGoT

Cat had made friends along the wharves; porters and mummers, ropemakers and sailmenders, taverners, Brewers and bakers and beggars and whores - Cat of the Canals, AFfC

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 - Cat of the Canals, AFfC

She’s also loyal to her pack. She doesn’t betray Jon even to her father. She helps free her father’s men. Despite Gendry talking of leaving Lommy or Weasel behind, she refuses. And despite the odds, she tries to help Gendry.

It didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was that they had Gendry. Even if he was stubborn and stupid, she had to get him out. She wondered if they knew that the queen wanted him. - Arya, ACoK

-------------------------------

Importance of being a Warg/Skinchanger

She was the night wolf, no scraps of skin could frighten her. - Arya, ADwD

Since this is a fantasy series, magic is a big part of the story with a magical existential apocalyptic threat on the horizon. The North is the first bastion facing this threat. Jon and Dany both have magical pets and prophetic dreams. Bran is the 3ER. They are leaders or will become leaders by the end. Arya is a strong warg/skinchanger. Apart from Jon and Bran, she’s the only other Stark to use these abilities so far. As GRRM as indicated, having a direwolf is going to be useful in battle – we are going to be seeing direwolves involved in the battle for Winterfell for example. Arya is able to warg Nymeria from all the way over in Braavos. She skinchanges cats and sees through their eyes, when she is blind. She is deft with a sword, knife and decent with a bow and arrow (she could be better now using her FM senses). She would be an effective fighter to have against the Others and her warging skills could prove useful in battle.

------------------------------

Succession

I’m not a lady, Arya wanted to tell her, I’m a wolf. - Arya, ASoS

And finally we come to succession. This is the hardest part and entirely speculation and we need the next book to get an inkling of where GRRM is heading towards. I am also basing all of this on Hibberd more or less confirming that King Bran on the Iron Throne is GRRM’s ending.

So of the true born Starks, Arya is pretty much last in line. With the inclusion of Robb’s will, we have 5 Starks left. Bran is the rightful heir to the North. Taking him out of the running, leaves Jon, Rickon, Sansa and Arya. Assuming Jon ends up North of the wall – in his dreams the Old Kings in the North in the crypts reject him, maybe foreshadowing that he doesn’t belong in Winterfell - that leaves Rickon, Sansa and Arya.

As for Sansa, again there is a plot significant reason for why GRRM has put an obstacle in her path, allowing for Arya to jump the queue. Sansa is currently married to Tyrion Lannister, a marriage that cannot be easily annulled (With an enemy regime in KL) or ignored like the show did. Robb Stark has most likely disinherited/removed her from the line of succession and named a legitimized Jon Stark his heir and Lord of Winterfell. If he has the support of the Northern houses who want an experienced, older Stark to lead them, Jon Stark could well be the next KITN over Rickon Stark. I don’t think a 7 year old Rickon would object to Jon in charge. So that makes it Jon Stark, Rickon Stark and Arya Stark.

Does Rickon have to die for Arya to become Wardeness of the North? It’s possible Rickon dies, but it’s also possible he doesn’t. It could be that Rickon does not want to lead the North – by the end of the book, he would be 8 or 9. Of course there’s the argument of a regent doing the job for Rickon until he’s ready. Or, he could just give way to his sister because he wants to. Something similar to Aemon refusing the throne and it passing to his younger brother Aegon.

Or we could have the traditional situation where Rickon becomes lord of Winterfell as next in line, while it’s Arya who is involved in running the day to day affairs. However, that would very much be status quo - with Rickon at WF and Bran down south in KL, it would be men ending up in positions of power everywhere once again, except maybe Dorne. If this happens, then Arya would be a leader of the North, but the Stark line would continue with the male line.

It’s possible Jon Stark as King could change things for the North. Jon treats the spearwives the same as the brothers of the NW, he respects Val’s abilities, he trusts in Alys Karstark. If Rickon refuses the mantle, it could very well be that Jon Stark relinquishes his position to his favorite person ever, Arya Stark, to be the next Wardeness of the North. Thus paving the way for Arya Stark to be the first female leader of the North like her hero Nymeria in Dorne.

It would be fitting for the character who introduced Jon Snow to equal rights for women.

“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, AGoT

Could King Jon reverse Sansa’s disinheritance after her marriage is annulled when KL is in friendly hands? Sure. But we don’t know how the Sansa/LF/Vale group will react to Jon as KITN and whether they will mount a challenge in Sansa’s name. And if Jon has to choose between Sansa and Arya as to whom he wants in charge of Winterfell, we know who it is he will think is more capable and will always choose.

I do think Winterfell succession will not be as clearcut as many Stark fans are hoping. Too many factions supporting the different Starks. GRRM loves to write about dysfunctional families and the Starks are not anything special in that regard. TWoW will tell us of whether there will be any kind of Stark civil war.

Is Arya too young for all this? I predict that by the time we get to the end of the books, about 5 years would have gone by. At 14, Arya would still need a regent – one of the many lords of the houses in the North. But I think considering her experiences, skillsets, a huge direwolf, Ned Stark’s wisdom and strong connections to the North, she will be an able leader. As GRRM said,

“[Arya is] older than some of the 40-year-olds in the book.” - GRRM

Either way, whether she gets Winterfell or not, Arya will end up as a leader in the North. Either she rules for Rickon and takes care of the day to day responsibilities or she does so in her own right as Lady of Winterfell/Wardeness of the North. She’s not going anywhere or sailing off on a boat. The show’s ending makes absolutely no sense for a character yearning for home in 5 books after going on the nightmare ‘adventure’ from hell. She will be in the North, in Winterfell, being a leader and continuing Ned Stark’s legacy. She will counsel her brothers and build and her people will love her just like they loved her father.

So in conclusion, I think there is enough story, character build up, characterization and set up for Arya to go North and take over as a leader of house Stark to face the threat of the Others along with Bran, Jon, Dany and Tyrion.

#Arya Stark #asoiaf #TWoW speculation

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i-drink-and-i-write-fics · 3 years ago

Text

The Wolf & The Hound

Chapter 4: Blessed Name Day

Summary: Ever since your conversation with Sansa, Sandor has disappeared. Was she right?

Notes: First update on the new blog!

The next two weeks were so crazy preparing for Sansa’s coronation that you barely noticed that Sandor wasn’t around as much as before. It crossed your mind as you lied down in bed at the end of the night, but you were so exhausted from the day that you fell asleep before your mind could begin to panic.

But it was felt, on a subconscious level. Your protective shadow was not there and it left you cold. Maybe Sansa was wrong. Maybe it wasn’t you that he wanted to court, but he told Sansa that to hide his true motives.

The morning of the ceremony, you were up long before dawn and dressed so you could race to Sansa’s room to help her. As Brienne was the only woman of the Queen’s Guard she met you at the door and entered a step behind.

“Good morning, my lady. Are you ready to begin your day?” You curtsied shortly after you entered the room, Sansa standing next to the window to look out over the courtyard.

“Good morning, ___. Yes, please. We have a long day ahead of us. Ser Brienne? While ____ tends to me, can you please have the kitchen bring up breakfast for all of us?”

“Yes, my lady,” Brienne bowed and left the room.

While Brienne was gone, you went to work filling Sansa’s bath with hot water, bathing and dressing her, and finally brushing her hair as Brienne returned with a member of the kitchen staff carrying a huge tray of food. Sansa wanted to wear her hair unbound as she wanted all the attention on her new crown and gown. So you gently curled the ends.

You then helped her dress in her dark grey dress that had many representations of the North. From the red leaves of the Weirwood Trees to a sleeve made of crow feathers to the metallic bodice that was a mirror of Weirwood branches. One sleeved looked like fish scales to represent her mother while the collar looked like a dire wolf for her father. She was beautiful.

If she was nervous, Sansa never let on. Holding her head high as you busied yourself getting her ready for the ceremony. You then stepped back so Brienne could escort her to the Great Hall. Normally, you would follow Sansa everywhere, but you wanted to quickly get her room ready so it was more fit for a queen.

You raced to change the sheets on the bed, clean her bathroom, douse the fire and clean out the ashes before creating a fresh fire. The floors were swept and cleaned and windows opened to air out the room. The last thing you did was dash down to the kitchen to make a small bundle of cinnamon and rosemary and ran back to place it in the fireplace to burn, so her room would smell welcoming when she returned.

Then you went to your room to bathe and change into clean clothes before you raced to the Great Hall. The room was packed with representatives of the remaining Northern Houses, her brother, Bran Stark, as well as Sansa’s uncle, Edmure Tulley from Riverrun, and Robin Arryn of the Eyrie. You tucked yourself into a back corner where you could easily see the dais. The normal high table had been removed and replaced with a new Throne of the North, with dire wolves on each end on the back.

Sansa entered the room and was trailed behind by her new Queen’s Guard. You hadn’t had a chance to admire the new armor this morning. The current five members wore black armor with a grey dire wolf head on the chest plate and grey capes trailing behind them. Sandor looked amazing in the new armor. He had even trimmed his beard to appear less scruffy for his new queen. And like the other guards, he kept his eyes ahead as he escorted Sansa to her new throne.

Once there, the maester placed the new crown upon her head as he announced the new Queen of the North. It was a simple band, molded to look like the Stark pattern with two dire wolves meeting at the front.

The moment the crown touched her head, the North chanted: “The Queen of the North!”

You could not be more proud of the young woman you had helped raise. She looked every bit the queen that she had planned to be when she was a little girl and promised to that monster, Joffrey.

That night, all of Winterfell filled with loud voices, music, and the distant howling of wolves as everyone celebrated their new queen. You took a moment here and there to drink a glass of ale or wine, but mostly you tried to busy yourself so you wouldn’t focus on the fact that Sandor and Sansa were talking once again.

Yes, Sansa told you that Sandor really wanted you. But seeing them together made it so hard to believe those words. Especially when Sandor had yet to confirm them.

So that night you went to bed early to save your heart.

The next morning you were up early again and off to Sansa’s room, where you got a surprise from Arya in the hall.

“And where are you going?”

You furrowed your eyebrows. “To Queen’s Sansa’s room? I have to get her grace ready for the day.”

“Absolutely not! We know you’ve been lying to the staff about when your name day is, but you forgot we grew up with you. You have today off while the feast is prepared. Now head back to your room, a bath is being drawn and food is being brought up.”

Your jaw dropped in shock. “But Ser, I’m just a handmaid.”

Arya wouldn’t hear it. “You kept by my sister’s side, especially in King’s Landing when I couldn’t. You are family. Now go.”

Confused, but slowly growing happy at the sisters’ insistence of taking care of you, you went back to your room to enjoy a quiet morning. A brand new dress was awaiting you on the bed, no doubt a gift from Sansa and you couldn’t wait to change into it. You took your time, enjoying the warm bath, the good food, and then sitting in front of the fireplace in your room in a towel as you gently dried your hair, using your fingers to break up any tangles.

After you finally put on the new dress, you left your room to walk the grounds. Fresh snow had fallen during the night and your footsteps were muted as you made your way to the Gods’ Wood. For once, Bran was not parked in front of the giant weirwood tree and so you took a seat at the stone by the trunk.

You were quietly praying to the Old Gods when a deep voice interrupted your thoughts.

“Forgive me, Little Wolf. I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

Your heart leaped in your chest at his voice. A voice you had not heard in weeks. Raising your head, a small smile graced your face as you answered. “No. I was merely speaking with the Old Gods. Thanking them for another year and for watching over me so I was able to return home safely.”

Sandor frowned at your words and you wondered what his relationship with religion was. He was from the South, but he never seemed the type to visit the Great Sept while in King’s Landing.

“You believe in all that?” He slowly approached you.

“I don’t know,” you looked down at your hands as he stopped at your feet. “I did when I was a child, but much of that changed when I traveled South. But I know I cannot turn my back on them completely.”

“And why is that?” Sandor questioned.

“I believe they kept me alive. No one taught me to fight like Arya, no one taught me how to scheme my way to safety like Queen Sansa, and no one was by my side to fight for me. And yet, I not only survived King’s Landing but getting home as well.”

Sandor crouched until he was in your line of sight. Snow was drifting down from the deep red weirwood leaves, dotting hit hair and beard giving him a soft look to his tough face.

“I believe you are not giving yourself enough credit, Little Wolf. I saw with my own eyes how you can take down a man when cornered.”

Your face grew warm at his praise. “Thank you. But I hope to never have to do that again.”

He cleared his throat and shifted on his feet. “You won’t. Not while I’m here.”

“You promise?”

A small smile graced his lips. “I promise, Little Wolf. I will never leave your side until you command it.”

You let out a shaky breath. “That’s unrealistic. You’re Sansa’s guard.”

“Aye, I am. But you are her handmaid and where she is, you are. I will protect both of you.”

“Thank you, Sandor. That means a great deal to me.”

“Does it?” Doubt crept into his eyes. “Most might be scared off by the idea of my following them around.”

“Aye. There was a time you frightened me as well. But that was before I truly got to know you.” You held a hand up to stop him from interrupting. “Now, that is not to say I don’t know your past. I am well aware of you who were. But any fool can clearly see you are no longer the man who left King’s Landing during the battle against Stannis.”

“I’ve tried. After my fight with Brienne, I was saved by a Septon. He taught me a few things. And before you comment - I can see your curiosity - he was once like me. So he would be the only religious fucker I’d listen to.”

You gave a small laugh. “Yes, that makes sense.”

His face grew serious. “There is something I’ve wanted to speak with you about. Something that has been on my mind for a while. But with the coronation, I haven’t had the time.”

“Well, you’re here now and I have the whole day to myself.”

“Aye, I know. Sansa told me where I could find you.” He ran a hand over his beard, trying to find his next words. “Little Wolf, I know who I am. I’ve done horrible things, things no one should be proud of. I’m no knight and I’m not a rich man. But I’m trying to change so I don’t- so I won’t be someone so frightening. You are a beautiful, quick-witted woman who can survive, even if she may not believe so. Any man would be lucky to court you.”

You took a shaky breath as he forced himself to meet your eyes.

“Would you...allow me to court you?”

The God’s Wood became still at his words and you tried to comprehend what he had asked you. Did Sandor really ask to court you?

“You...want to court me?”

Sandor tried to hide his face falling, mistaking your words for a no. “I know that may not seem something I would do, but I wanted to do right by you and our queen.”

You reached over and took his hand. “Sandor, I would love to court you.”

While his face did not betray any emotions - as was standard for this stoic man - but he reached up with his other hand and cupped your cheek. You placed your free hand over his as you felt yourself smile. Sansa was right! He really did want to court you.

He shifted on his feet and leaned in, the question in his eyes. And the answer was on your lips as you leaned in the remainder of the way to close the gap. It was the first sign of affection Sandor had ever given and he felt no place was more appropriate for a Northern girl than under a weirwood tree. So you would know how serious he was about you.

His large hand moved from your cheek to the back of your head to hold you closer to him and you moved both of your hands around his neck. Sandor pulled away after a few moments and you could feel how warm your face was, despite winter flowing all around.

“We should get you back inside, Little Wolf. The Queen will have the feast ready soon.”

“You’re right, we shouldn’t keep Her Grace waiting.”

He climbed to his feet and held out a hand to help you up. Then after tucking your hand into the crook of his arm, he lead you out of the God’s Wood and back to Winterfell. You could tell he felt a bit awkward at the formality of courting so you squeezed his arm.

“Sandor, I know you are worried about doing things right for me - for us - with our courting. But perhaps instead of doing what others would expect, we do what truly would work for us?”

“What do you mean?”

“I know you are trying to change yourself, but we both know you are not a romantic man. There will be no vase of Winter Roses awaiting me in my chamber. So instead, let us move forward as us. You will show your affection your own way. And I will do the same.”

You looked up at him and could see the smirk forming. “Aye, that sounds like that path may suit us better.”

Inside the Great Hall, many of the lords and ladies who had traveled for Sansa’s coronation were there and the feast was already set up. All that was missing was you.

Sansa looked up from talking to Arya, a smile growing on her face. “There you are! We were afraid we would have to begin without you two.”

Arya snorted. “Looks like the old shit got some words to share.”

Sandor growled. “No one asked you.”

Sansa smirked. “Are we celebrating two things today?”

Your face grew warm. “Yes, Your Grace. Sandor has asked to court me.”

Arya rolled her eyes. “About damn time. You haven’t kept your eyes off her since we found her in the woods.”

“Shut your mouth, you little shit.”

“Whatever. Let’s get the drinks going.”

“Good idea, Arya.” Sansa turned back to you. “If you wish to announce your courtship tonight, just say the word. Otherwise, the kitchen has made your favorite tonight. Blessed Name Day, ____.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

Sansa stepped forward to give you a quick hug before she continued around the room to speak with the other lords. Sandor took this cue to lead you to a table where he poured you a glass of wine. Plates of food were brought over and Sandor took a seat across from you.

“So what will you do?”

A smile graced your face as you picked up your fork. “Tonight, I will just enjoy the food and wine. And perhaps, a few moments alone with you. Tomorrow, we can worry about expressing our news.”

“Moments alone?” He raised an eyebrow.

“If you feel up for it later.”

“Anything for you, Little Wolf.”

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maisiestyle · 5 years ago

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Jon’s Love for Arya and Sansa are not the same

@sweetlingsansa

Your recent Jon x Love post gave me a chuckle. You appear quite confused in how Jon feels about the two Stark sisters. I’m going to address the way you chose to highlight this point: I sense you’re obviously projecting the feelings he has for one sister that George goes to great lengths to show his readers. In fact, George was specifically asked that question and his answer couldn’t be more clear:

On Jon/Arya:

Granny: Are you trying to say something to the reader by drilling into us how much Arya and Jon love each other?

George_RR_Martin: “Say something to the reader?” I’m just reporting how the characters feel. Of course, everything in the book says something to the reader.

Yet @sweetlingsansa reduces Jon’s feelings for Arya as simple family affection. Sigh. What books did you read? Very suspect. Then you falsely claim Jon apparently feels PURE, PERFECT, UNCONDITIONAL love (where?! lol) for the sister he barely spares a second, third or forth thought on? The sister he can go without seeing again if it meant he could have the other more important people back in his life. The sister that only thought about him when he was the last family she had left.

The sister Jon didn’t spare a thought for over her plight in King’s Landing surrounded by enemies. YET multiple times, he wonders how Arya is… even though deep down he knows she must be dead. Only one sister was worth breaking his vows for. It was only one sister that occupied his last thought before he died. His dearest wishes involved her. When Jon wakes from this “death” like Beric described and Lady Stoneheart is demonstrating, the last things that were most important to the undead person at the end of their life will be their fixation when they rise again. Lady Stoneheart’s search for Arya and killing Freys & Lannisters. Revenge. With Jon, he died with a mission he pledged himself to in riding south to Winterfell to face Ramsay Bolton and get Arya back.

“… I want my bride back … I want my bride back … I want my bride back …” was the last thing Jon considers before he decides to break his vows.

“I have my swords, thought Jon Snow, and we are coming for you, Bastard.”

Jon’s death scene in ADWD was significant. His last word was Ghost, his last feeling was pain, and his last thoughts were about a girl he loved more than anything:

Jon fell to his knees. He found the dagger’s hilt and wrenched it free. In the cold night air the wound was smoking. “Ghost,” he whispered. Pain washed over him. Stick them with the pointy end. When the third dagger took him between the shoulder blades, he gave a grunt and fell face-first into the snow. He never felt the fourth knife. Only the cold. - Jon, ADWD

“Jon will want me, even if no one else does.” (Unconditional) - Arya

George is just reporting how the characters feel remember:

The memory of her laughter warmed him on the long ride north.

~*~

And Arya … he missed her even more than Robb, so fierce and willful. she could always make Jon smile. He would give anything to be with her now...

~*~

He remembered the day he had left Winterfell, all the bittersweet farewells; Bran lying broken, Robb with snow in his hair, Arya raining kisses on him after he’d given her Needle.

~*~

That might mean Lord Eddard would return to Winterfell, and his sisters as well. He might even be allowed to visit them, with Lord Mormont’s permission. It would be good to see Arya’s grin again and to talk with his father.

(These two last quotes above are striking in their exclusion of one sister. Yikes.)

~*~

He remembered suddenly how he used to muss Arya’s hair. His little stick of a sister. He wondered how she was faring. It made him a little sad to think that he might never muss her hair again.

This is from Book 2. He thinks she is still alive? When everyone else thinks she’s dead.

~*~

Jon had never met anyone so stubborn, except maybe for his little sister Arya. Is she still my sister? he wondered. Was she ever?

This is just so major, the implications. Wow.

~*~

“He’s to marry Arya Stark. My little sister.” Jon could almost see her in that moment, long-faced and gawky, all knobby knees and sharp elbows, with her dirty face and tangled hair. They would wash the one and comb the other, he did not doubt, but he could not imagine Arya in a wedding gown, nor Ramsay Bolton’s bed. No matter how afraid she is, she will not show it. If he tries to lay a hand on her, she’ll fight him.

~*~

By now she’d be eleven, Jon thought. Still a child. “I have no sister. Only brothers. Only you.” Lady Catelyn would have rejoiced to hear those words, he knew. That did not make them easier to say. His fingers closed around the parchment. Would that they could crush Ramsay Bolton’s throat as easily.

~*~

His thoughts kept returning to Arya. There is no way I can help her. I put all kin aside when I said my words. If one of my men told me his sister was in peril, I would tell him that was no concern of his. Once a man had said the words his blood was black. Black as a bastard’s heart. He’d had Mikken make a sword for Arya once, a bravo’s blade, made small to fit her hand. Needle. He wondered if she still had it. Stick them with the pointy end, he’d told her, but if she tried to stick the Bastard, it could mean her life.

~*~

“I have no sister.” The words were knives. What do you know of my heart, priestess? What do you know of my sister?

I love winning.

~*~

Melisandre seemed amused. “What is her name, this little sister that you do not have?”

“Arya.” His voice was hoarse. “My half-sister, truly …”

~*~

Gods of my fathers, protect these men. And Arya too, my little sister, wherever she might be. I pray you, let Mance find her and bring her safe to me.

~*~

He glanced at the letter again. I will save your sister if I can. A surprisingly tender sentiment from Stannis, though undercut by that final, brutal if I can and the addendum and find a better match for her than Ramsay Snow. But what if Arya was not there to be saved? What if Lady Melisandre’s flames had told it true? Could his sister truly have escaped such captors? How would she do that? Arya was always quick and clever, but in the end she’s just a little girl, and Roose Bolton is not the sort who would be careless with a prize of such great worth.

He keeps hitting that right spot. Jon the president of the Arya Stark stanclub from day mf 1.

~*~

What if Bolton never had his sister? This wedding could well be just some ruse to lure Stannis into a trap. A grey girl on a dying horse, fleeing from her marriage. On the strength of those words he had loosed Mance Rayder and six spearwives on the north. He had even less trust in Melisandre. Yet somehow here he was, pinning his hopes on them. All to save my sister. But the men of the Night’s Watch have no sisters.

~*~

And keep him away from the red woman. She knows who he is. She sees things in her fires.”

Arya, he thought, hoping it was so.

~*~

“That’s good.” Jon felt fifteen years old again. Little sister. He rose and donned his cloak.

~*~

He wanted to believe it would be Arya. He wanted to see her face again, to smile at her and muss her hair, to tell her she was safe.

~*~

The girl smiled in a way that reminded Jon so much of his little sister that it almost broke his heart.

~*~

The girl smiled in a way that reminded Jon so much of his little sister that it almost broke his heart. “Let him be scared of me.” The snowflakes were melting on her cheeks, but her hair was wrapped in a swirl of lace that Satin had found somewhere, and the snow had begun to collect there, giving her a frosty crown. Her cheeks were flushed and red, and her eyes sparkled.

“Winter’s lady.” Jon squeezed her hand.

~*~

He wondered where Mance was now. Did he ever find you, little sister? Or were you just a ploy he used so I would set him free?

~*~

It had been so long since he had last seen Arya. What would she look like now? Would he even know her? Would she still have that little sword he’d had Mikken forge for her? Stick them with the pointy end, he’d told her. Wisdom for her wedding night if half of what he heard of Ramsay Snow was true.

Sill worrying about Arya’s wedding night. Wow.

~*~

Bring her home, Mance. I saved your son from Melisandre, and now I am about to save four thousand of your free folk. You owe me this one little girl.

~*~

You know nothing, Jon Snow. He thought of Arya, her hair as tangled as a bird’s nest. I made him a warm cloak from the skins of the six whores who came with him to Winterfell … I want my bride back … I want my bride back … I want my bride back …

These aren’t even ALL the Jon/Arya quotes from the books, no conjecture, tortured symbolism, imaginary themes/loose connections/extrapolations or weak nonsense explanations, just direct quotes.

Direct. quotes.said.by/about.two.people. Something most Jonsas have very little experience with I know. The Arya quotes would fill pages.

This wasn’t done by accident. George didn’t do this for fun.

These two matter to eachother on a level you don’t seem to understand or want to acknowledge.

#jon snow #Arya Stark #Sansa Stark #house stark #jon x arya #Jon x Sansa #jonrya #jonsa #anti jonsa #asoaif #game of thrones #grrmartin #winterfell #winds of winter #greek mythology

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a-secret-bolton-vampire · 3 years ago

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Hardhome in TWOW

I've seen a lot of takes that we won't see Hardhome in TWOW and that whatever happens there will remain offpage. I was in this camp for a while too; it'd be very creepy to not have a view of what happens there and only learn later on. However, I'm more convinced that we actually will see it in TWOW, and that it's a far more important location than we give it credit for.

In ADWD, Hardhome is first mentioned in Jon VIII, and is mentioned by name 23 times. A woods witch named Mother Mole has witnessed a vision promising ships that will carry the free folk to salvation across the narrow sea from Hardhome, and so they settle there. Of course, prophecies are a pain in the ass, and while it comes true it's... not as advertised. There are ships coming to Hardhome to rescue them, sent by Jon Snow, but they are beat by slavers from the Free Cities who captured the free folk. Of course, a storm makes one ship drift off course and land in Braavos, where they immediately free the free folk who were enslaved. But it remains a very important location for Jon.

Expedition to Hardhome

When Jon mentions this location and Mother Mole, his officers say it is a cursed and unholy place, and Jon recounts the story of what happened there centuries prior.

Hardhome had been halfway toward becoming a town, the only true town north of the Wall, until the night six hundred years ago when hell had swallowed it. Its people had been carried off into slavery or slaughtered for meat, depending on which version of the tale you believed, their homes and halls consumed in a conflagration that burned so hot that watchers on the Wall far to the south had thought the sun was rising in the north. Afterward ashes rained down on haunted forest and Shivering Sea alike for almost half a year. Traders reported finding only nightmarish devastation where Hardhome had stood, a landscape of charred trees and burned bones, waters choked with swollen corpses, blood-chilling shrieks echoing from the cave mouths that pocked the great cliff that loomed above the settlement. Six centuries had come and gone since that night, but Hardhome was still shunned. The wild had reclaimed the site, Jon had been told, but rangers claimed that the overgrown ruins were haunted by ghouls and demons and burning ghosts with an unhealthy taste for blood.

Something happened that caused the free folk to shun it forever, and a lot of theories have sprung on what happened there; perhaps it was slavers raiding, or it was the Faceless Men doing their own mini-Doom as a precursor to the true Doom of Valyria. I have my own idea of what happened there, but first, set dressing (like salad dressing, but for settings).

Jon does not want for the free folk to succumb to a nasty fate at the hands of the Others. He doesn't want them to die and be added to the ever growing army of wights at their call. The free folk deserve to be rescued and given a better life. So Jon sends Cotter Pyke with 11 ships (3 Braavosi, 4 Lyseni, and 4 Night's Watch) to provide relief. However, since the slavers already came, when they arrive, the free folk are untrusting, and believe that the ships are slaver ships. The situation is also incredibly bad there, as Cotter notes in the infamous letter he sends to Jon from Hardhome.

At Hardhome, with six ships. Wild seas. Blackbird lost with all hands, two Lyseni ships driven aground on Skane, Talon taking water. Very bad here. Wildlings eating their own dead. Dead things in the woods. Braavosi captains will only take women, children on their ships. Witch women call us slavers. Attempt to take Storm Crow defeated, six crew dead, many wildlings. Eight ravens left. Dead things in the water. Send help by land, seas wracked by storms. From Talon, by hand of Maester Harmune.

So Jon decides to lead another great ranging to Hardhome to provide overland relief. The Night's Watch is really against it, as is Melisandre (more below), but Jon finds it important enough to try to do anyways. He makes plans with Tormund, before he gets the pink letter. After that, he decides instead to have Tormund lead the Night's Watch to Hardhome while he marches south with the free folk to murder the fuck out of Ramsay. And then he's stabbenated.

After that, it's unsure exactly if this expedition will still occur. However, I think that because Hardhome is mentioned so often, and because of an SSM, that we will at the least see Hardhome, and that the expedition will still occur, albeit maybe not exactly as planned.

The Doom of Hardhome

Melisandre says Hardhome is doomed and that nobody will return from it. She also has visions that fit well with Hardhome.

Snowflakes swirled from a dark sky and ashes rose to meet them, the grey and the white whirling around each other as flaming arrows arced above a wooden wall and dead things shambled silent through the cold, beneath a great grey cliff where fires burned inside a hundred caves. Then the wind rose and the white mist came sweeping in, impossibly cold, and one by one the fires went out. Afterward only the skulls remained. Death, thought Melisandre. The skulls are death.

The most interesting part of this quote is the flaming arrows arcing above a wooden wall. The rest is pretty obviously Hardhome, but this implies something more happening. Not necessarily a battle, but a glimpse at the confrontation to come? Thus far the wights are just nibbling at the edges, but according to the visions, it won't be long until the Others sweep in and put an end to everything there.

But there is one thing that to me confirms that Hardhome will appear onpage and it won't be something mentioned after the fact. In this post by nobodysuspectsthebutterfly, an SSM is brought up about GRRM visiting Rotorua park in New Zealand as inspiration for a future location in the books that hasn't appeared yet but eventually will. OP had previously noted similarities between Hardhome and Rotorua, specifically with the shrieking caves that both possess. They also mention that the aftermath of the initial destruction at Hardhome sounds a lot like a geothermic eruption (which I agree with), and Rotorua has thermal pools and geysers and bubbling mud and the like.

All this put together, I think that Rotorua is the inspiration for Hardhome, and that since it is the basis of a location that will eventually appear, Hardhome will appear onpage. To me, this makes a lot more sense than Hardhome being something that is merely mentioned offscreen. For one, while we have seen the wights in action before, we haven't exactly seen the Others come out in full force and seen what they are truly capable of. The closest was the Fist of the First Men, but that is mostly relayed in a flashback after the fact, and as far as we know, the Others themselves didn't make an appearance, just the wights.

In this way, Hardhome is an important place to see. In Mel's vision, she mentions the winds rising and an impossibly cold white mist sweeping in to kill all the fires in the cave. White mist and extreme (supernatural) cold are specific elements that appear when the Others approach, which implies to me the Others themselves are going to arrive at Hardhome. Essentially, Hardhome is a precursor to the truly horrible apocalyptic stuff that will happen once they breach the Wall. This will be the first time we see the Others truly in action and not just the wights, to give us a mere taste of just how bad things will get when the Long Night finally falls. Also it fits thematically. Hardhome was once destroyed by fire (volcanic events), and now it will be destroyed again by ice (the Others).

The big question of course is who will be there to witness it? While Jon Snow led the expedition in the show, I don't see this as very likely. His last thought was rushing south to deal with Ramsay, and I don't think he's going to suddenly change his mind to stay at the Wall after that. If anything, that's just going to harden him against Ramsay. So Jon as the POV there seems unlikely. That leaves only three more people, in my mind; Bran, Melisandre, or Davos.

Bran is a strong possibility, but if we are to really get a good look at the Others doing their thing, I think it's better and more powerful if we get an actual first person perspective. Bran could show us via skinchanging, but that lacks the personal intimacy of a very apocalyptic event. Melisandre meanwhile would have no interest in going to Hardhome. She believes it's doomed and there is nothing to be done about that.

That leaves Davos. While he is not connected to Hardhome in any way right now, Skagos is rather close to Hardhome. It's possible he gets Rickon and leaves for White Harbor, but since the seas are said to be very stormy right now, they wind up in Hardhome, or at Eastwatch, where you would want to leave for Hardhome instead of Castle Black. Davos is sort of the anti-Melisandre; the two are opposites in a lot of ways, and their influence on Stannis keeps him from steering too far into Melisandre's direction. She has no qualms with burning a child if it means a stone dragon will wake. Davos is vehemently opposed to such an act under any circumstances.

So if Davos learns that Stannis is dead (allegedly) and hears that Melisandre says Hardhome is hopeless and should be left alone, what would he do? I think he would want to help the free folk there, even under the bad circumstances. It may be a hopeless mission, but to Davos, I think trying to do something about it is better than not doing anything at all. I'm not entirely sure what is left for Davos if Stannis is dead. Perhaps he might not go to Hardhome at all, but it's just a possibility in my mind.

Another reason Davos at Hardhome might work well is that if this is a precursor to the Long Night in Westeros, someone like Davos as our POV there would be fitting. Most people in Westeros will be extremely unfamiliar with the Others, or not even think they are real. Davos has no real connection with the Others, never saw them. It would be completely unreal for someone like him, a former smuggler from King's Landing, to see something so powerful, supernatural, and inhuman at the Others. But if he does go to Hardhome... I worry he might not get back.

The problem is that it might not entirely be fitting of an end for him. Davos is one of those characters where I have literally no idea what or where his story is leading to, and that I think the show didn't spoil much about. Bran is another strong contender, but I feel like someone should be there physically to really drive home the horror of everything happening.

The point being, Hardhome is important to show. I get the argument that it's scarier not seeing everything, and that can work. But we know almost nothing about the Others, and despite being the main antagonist force of the series, we've seen them literally only twice in all five books. If we are to build them up as this big threat, and give us a glimpse as to how serious of a threat they are, then Hardhome should be shown onpage. Show, don't tell. That's storytelling 101.

Regardless, we will be seeing the Others a lot more in TWOW I'm sure. Winter is here, and the Long Night is not far from taking centre stage.

#asoiaf meta #hardhome #the others #the winds of winter predictions

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whateverthedragonswant · 4 years ago

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Hi, I recently came across your post talking about dark Daenerys always being the end game. I thought you did an excellent job showing the foreshadowing fans missed from the show. What surprised me on the show was JonxDany. I just couldn't wrap my head around the "romance". It felt out of character and illogical. As someone who loves Daenerys as a character and seems to really understand her, do you think they were in love? Is it tragic or political? I can't seem to reconcile it. Thank you!

Hi Nonnie! Thank you so much for the compliment, oh my goodness! And thank you for the ask!

Tbh with you, I never quite wrapped my head around the Jonerys romance either. I know a lot of people thought it was due to the lack of chemistry between Emilia and Kit on screen (I disagree, that dragon riding scene in 8x01 proved they did which makes me think their lack of romantic chemistry was intentional on the show’s part through the writing and editing), or that it was rushed (this part could be possible since they rushed her dark turn as well). But I honestly think it was meant to be tragic for both Jon and Daenerys, but more political on Jon’s side, at least in the beginning.

I know a lot of people don’t agree with the pol!Jon theory and think it’s just that, a theory, but looking at the time from when Jon has met Dany through to the end, I find it hard to think anything else. Because that certainly would have explained away the receding of Jon’s POV/character after he and Dany met. It also would have went in line with what Kit had said before the beginning of season 7 about Jon being more political that season, possibly manipulating (I don’t think he used that exact word but I’m paraphrasing for him), but doing it kindly. Even though GoT blew up everyone’s arcs at the end of the last season, at the time, we knew there was a reason that Sansa said the line to him in 7x01 “You need to be smarter than Father. You need to be smarter than Robb” and we had seen Jon listening to Sansa by him deciding to leave the North (and organizing their defense for the upcoming battle) in her hands, asking Sansa what she thought when he got Tyrion’s scroll in 7x02, and what he says to Tyrion in 7x03. So, I personally think they were gearing up for Jon to do whatever it took to get Dany and her dragons up North for the battle (while probably not feeling all that comfortable about it but knowing it had to be done), which is why I think we see him and his band of men go on that quest in 7x06 & meet with Cersei and Co along with Dany in 7x07.

There’s just too many questionable moments that happen from 7x03 to 8x06 that prove Jon was not as smitten as Dany was with him:

The way he studies Dany reuniting with Jorah, the fact that he seems almost uncomfortable when Dany says in 7x05 “I’ve grown used to him” & his response “I wish you good fortune in the wars to come, Your Grace” and he doesn’t look back once as they push the boat out into the water (I think they purposely showed the contrast between Jorah saying goodbye to Dany vs Jon saying goodbye to Dany, there was definitely a reason they show Jorah looking back and not Jon but they play Jon and Dany’s love theme in the background - x)

Jon’s “what did I do face?” after he bends the knee figuratively in the boat cabin (3:23 - x) (though to be fair, the 7x06 script confirmed this is when Jon realizes he has feelings for her after seeing Dany mourning Viserion so this reaction of Jon’s could be that he basically just gave the North away)

Jon’s reaction and looking over at Varys and Missandei after Dany blows up on Tyrion in 7x04 and says “Your family, you mean? Perhaps you don’t want to hurt them after all” (1:11 - x) - which is really foreshadowing that Jon will have to make the same choice eventually, that Dany will give that ultimatum, me or your family, which she does in 8x04 and then inadvertently continues to in 8x05 and 8x06 - then Dany pushes him for advice, he gives it to her, and she doesn’t completely follow it to the letter, and then eventually she disregards it completely when she burns down KL in 8x05

Jon not showing any emotion when he receives word that Arya & Bran are alive & back home while in front of Dany though we see his reactions in 8x01 when he’s reunited with them (7x05) (8x01)

Jon’s reaction to the Northerners’ not so great reaction to Dany that was cut (0:43 - x)

Drogon watching Jon and Dany make out in 8x01 and Jon keeping his eyes open as he kisses Dany & keeping her in front of him (a very common trope, if that’s the right word, to indicate that something shifty is afoot or there is distrust - 4:11 x)

the infamous squint Jon has in response to Dany talking in response to Tyrion (x) which they definitely included for a reason and this for me solidified Kit as one of the Masters of Microexpressions

Jon’s reactions to Dany (that she can’t see) when she visits him in his room after the Feast in 8x04 (x)

Jon’s immediate whiplash worried turn to Dany when Tormund says proudly “or a King!” to check her reaction (x) plus the framing in this scene is not only meant to show the increasing isolation & paranoia Dany is feeling but for Jon to have his back to her (after they shared that warm smile no less which she realizes in 0:45 - x) I think it speaks very loudly that he is not as head over heels as people think he is but that he is placating her while also caring about her (she is family to him, the last of his real father’s family, & he’s also still attracted to her)

his glare to Sansa while planning the assault on KL to get her to shut up for lack of a better way to put it (2:36 x) which Tyrion later confirms in the same episode with his line to Sansa “why provoke her?” which leads to Sansa realizing Tyrion is afraid of Dany and then she also realizes Jon is too (Jon’s fear is not confirmed in dialogue in this moment but the ones seeing the writing on the wall for this whole thing, it wasn’t a large leap for them to make, knowing the characters they way they do) which then leads to her telling his secret

Jon giving himself up basically, to go South, I think he’s very aware he will not be coming North again once Dany wins and that is why he asks Tormund to take Ghost with him - you see him saying goodbye to Sam and Gilly, finding out about their child on the way, to Tormund, to Ghost (I know people were mad that Jon didn’t pet Ghost, I was too, but I think he honestly couldn’t handle it at that moment and I’ve seen brilliant metas circulate that talk about how Ghost is an extension of Jon and his injuries and look echo how Jon really feels - & if you see the sliced ear, it’s very possible that they are fully correct in that reading, Jon has stopped listening, he’s doing what he thinks is right, what he has to do, his duty, he’s not listening to Sam or Tormund or Sansa or even Arya) - this whole scene is meant as a goodbye to Jon Snow as a character (his Night’s Watch arc, his Wildling arc, even his bastard/Stark arc (and his wants that he has, his response to Gilly when she tells him they want tto name their child after him: “I hope it’s a girl” is just heartbreaking, Jon wanted a family someday (5:08 - x, notice how the Stark theme starts up subtly in the background) & he always wanted to be a Stark and in his mind, he is getting neither one nor does he think he deserve them at this point) and I think that’s why they don’t have any other Starks in that scene (& plus they had the Starks in that other scene in 8x04) (x) -- this whole scene really is the proof in the pudding for me regarding the whole duty vs love debate, coming down on the side of duty

Jon’s “I love you” in the fireplace scene seems to be more an answer to not just reassure her but tamp down any growing fury after just witnessing Varys’ execution (1:11 x) immediately followed up by his usual line “you will always be my queen” and then when she asks “is that all I am to you? Your queen?” notice that he doesn’t answer but lets her kiss him which he then doesn’t return and she realizes (notice his loud breathing too, it’s not passion, it’s fear, fear of what it might mean that he is not returning her affection so to speak, sadly for Dany I think she realizes this too and that’s why she subtly shakes her head, steps back and says “alright, let it be fear”, the part of me that loves Dany truly felt horrible for her in this moment though she scared the crap out of me too lol, it’s harsh because she really does love Jon, not enough to give up the IT and her destiny, but enough that she wants their relationship to work, that she did go up North to fight for him, delaying the attack on KL, she lost Jorah and Viserion, her forces were depleted, idk I just have some sympathy for her here because I still love her, and this is before she went full on dark, and Jon’s “I love you” was said softly with some measure of warmth in his eyes I think but I don’t believe he meant it the way she wanted him to)

Kit had this to say right before season 7 aired which I find fascinating because yes while he can’t give away spoilers, he didn’t need to answer this so definitively. And while he didn’t know what was going to happen in season 8 yet, I think this lends creedence (is that the right word?) to the fact that Jon was not head over heels in love with Dany (not like he was with Ygritte)

But saying all of that, I think by the end, Jon definitely cared for her. I don’t think he wanted her to die or even go bad. I think he was ready to give himself up to be with her to protect his home, to placate her, but also so there would no longer be a Targaryen living alone in the world. I think he remembers Aemon’s words all too well. However, I don’t think he could reconcile himself to a full on romance (which I think incest did play a part into it, but I think had that not been a factor, he still wouldn’t have been head over heels for Dany, incest with cousins and uncles/aunts was common in the GoT universe, Starks in history married their cousins at times [look back at their family tree, they were no strangers to it], and we all know about the Targaryen inbreeding, but I really think it has more to do with who Dany ends up being in the end than anything, and that’s why we see some moments that could be misconstrued as romantic and some warm, I would almost say tender, like the waterfall scene in 8x01 before Drogon enters the frame so to speak). I think, like every other character in the show that came into her orbit, Jon had feelings for the same Dany that they all did, that Jorah was in love with, that Tyrion believed in and was also in love with, that Varys supported until he couldn’t: the breaker of chains, the girl who walked into a fire with three eggs and out of the same fire with three dragons, etc. But once the curtain was pulled back and the Wizard was revealed, after he was around her long enough, I think Jon knew who she really was becoming and I really believe that played a major part in the portrayal of their “romance”. I also think that when Jon left to go to KL in 8x04, a part of him planned to take up Jorah’s role in Dany’s life. Not to say that he could replace Jorah or become a full on advisor to her, but that he would join Tyrion, Varys, Grey Worm, and Missandei in helping to win Dany back her IT like he promised but also to keep her placated, maybe help steer her in the right direction. And be someone who genuinely cares about her, another Targaryen (though no one knowing he was one had Sansa not told Tyrion). Until she tired of him or decided to kill him to end the threat his birthright posed. He says as much in 8x06 to Tyrion “That’s her decision”. I don’t think he ever thought Dany would actually ask him to join her on the IT and it definitely wasn’t something he wanted.

I did mention tragic for Jon, too, and I think that’s where the tragedy comes in. He has now become the Targaryen alone in the world, he is now a queenslayer, a kinslayer, and he is exiled back to the Night’s Watch. He had to kill someone he cared about, he had to kill a woman (he couldn’t do it twice before, with Ygritte and Melisandre), he had to kill his last living Targaryen family. And he had to do it while deceiving her in that last moment (which is why I think they dialed back the whole pol!Jon thing if it was ever on the table, which I definitely believe it was at some point) and watch her die. It wasn’t something he wanted to do as we know, but he had to, and we see him questioning himself even after she’s gone. (x) So I feel it was more political (in the beginning), complex (middle), and tragic (in the end) for Jon but for different reasons than Dany.

As for Dany, I think from her end, it was meant to be more of a tragic romance. In the books, I believe, there is a prophecy that Dany will know three betrayals and love is one of them. I don’t know if they carried that into the show here exactly, but there is a common theme of betrayal among Dany’s arc as we all know. I think she truly loved Jon and hoped he would be what she could never find before, had never seen in Viserys (not that she considered him romantically but I mean since he was the only other Targaryen she knew about at the time, and she knew the Targaryen history of siblings marrying siblings), or Drogo, or Daario, or even Jorah. Regardless of her feelings for any of them, regardless of their feelings for her, I think she thought she found what she wanted, what she needed, in Jon. Though I think finding out about Jon being her long lost nephew (and rival claim to the IT) deterred it maybe for a moment (or make her at least second guess it), but she still loved him and felt just as strongly. Not enough to deter her from her goal and her destiny (after the Great War is over, I mean), but as much as she possibly can. I think she really thought Jon was it for her. I also think she expected betrayal from Jon as she states in 8x05 to Tyrion (x), and then the look she gives Jon after Tyrion is taken away to a cell in 8x06 (1:50, you can also see Jon’s shock here because he wasn’t expecting her to be watching him so closely & he realizes oh crap, don’t blink, while they play the love theme in the background, she’s waiting for him to “betray” her too and had he defended Tyrion then and there, I have no doubt she would have thrown him in a jail cell, too, waiting for judgement aka execution x) but when he doesn’t “betray” her and she’s attained her goal, she is ready to make plans to rule together and be with him completely. It is definitely tragic for her end because here she expected him to betray her (like everyone else has at some time or another except Missandei, GW & Daario) twice by then, and the one time she doesn’t expect it, he does (no matter how it might have been justified & Jon’s only option) and it means her end. I’m not justifying her actions at all but I can see where they attempted to portray this as a tragic romance for her but only for her. Dany’s POV ends up swallowing most of the show in season 8, to the point where her story line becomes basically the show’s story line. Her arc becomes the sun that all other arcs are orbiting around and this is because she’s the other Big Bad after the Night King. Plus, I also think they were planning something big with Jon and that’s why they removed most of his story (so to speak) and important moments with the Starks, etc, for the big reveal in the end (it’s common in other shows I’ve seen and they did everything the same way they did in those other shows until 8x06 when they abandoned it). I don’t know what changed in the end, but that’s what I truly believe was what they were going for when it came to Dany herself. Tragic romance. I don’t believe it was ever political for her, in any way, shape, or form. I think once she fell in love with Jon, that was it.

The love theme itself “Truth” if you listen to it on the S7 soundtrack (Ramin Djawdi is a master btw) has an epic feel to it but almost a tragic one (though tragedy takes a back seat to the epic). It’s more Targaryen theme in nature (I have no idea what specific instrument you would call it) and you can hear it coming from Dany’s side almost, if that makes sense. And I think that’s because not only does it refer to the scene where Bran reveals who Jon is, and the boat sex is happening, but also because I believe it was only meant for Dany to experience this great romance. It does start out Stark-y just a tiny bit but then turns into something more, swells, and you can hear a slight Targaryen tint coming to it. After the first swell of music, you can almost see the boat scene happening in your head, whether you’ve actually seen it or not, and there’s almost a trepidation in the beginning, a contemplation, and then it’s all in, both feet over the edge and all hands on deck, pardon the pun. (x) This music plays as we know during the bending the knee scene in another song “See You For What You Are” (x), more subtle, but it’s there. And I think not only is it because it’s the moment where Jon realizes he has feelings and this leads to opening the door for the boat bang, but also because it’s what Jon says (this song, to me, sounds even more Targaryen-y to me) to Dany after he bends the knee, “see you for what you are” not who. And I know I mentioned it above, but it also plays during certain moments in season 8 that really make you question that romance, like that scene in 8x06. I think it’s all very telling.

I have to be very honest, I’m not pro-Jonerys at all. But it’s not because I hate Dany or Jon or hate the idea of them together or get squicked by the family angle, it’s because the relationship was not good for either of their characters in the show.

I remember watching 7x06 for the first time and seeing her reaction (or lack thereof) for Viserion’s death. I think she was in shock when it happened but who does she stand on the wall waiting for after? Jon. And that bothered me so much because she was the mother of dragons and they were the only children she would ever have. (and I might be more slightly biased towards the animals on the show) Yes, she did cry for Viserion on the boat later, but it’s almost more muted I feel because it blurs with her concern for Jon in that moment. That bothered me tremendously. Little did I know this would become a recurring theme for the last season as well: Jon comes first to everything else except the IT. (and I personally can’t stand it when this happens, I’m sorry, I’m all for love, but when you lose who you are, when you sacrifice yourself, I just can’t get past that) We do see her pain in 8x01 when Bran tells her about Viserion, and her pain at Rhaegal’s death in 8x04, but this is a strong female character who has proven she doesn’t need a man to run things. She is not someone who would get so besotted with someone that she would push everything else to the back burner and allow whatever is happening with him to color her decisions (I know, we all fall in love and it can happen, especially if it’s a first love or something akin to what one can feel as true love, if they’re convinced it’s that, but damn). Daario made suggestions to her but in the end, she made her own decisions. Drogo told her how to be but in the end, she figured out a way to appeal to him to do as she wanted (as we see in that scene where she takes the women into her care). Jorah advised her, so did Tyrion, but in the end she made her own decisions.

I hate it when they do this to strong female characters (which is why I despised the whole Sansa vs Dany thing, I get it story wise but here were two arguably incredibly strong women going head to head over a man most of the time or at least they tried to show being a factor in Dany’s fall and it just... ugh). So not only did Dany falling in love with Jon lead to her fall, her demise, but it wasn’t good for Jon, either. He had to keep who he was a secret, he had to placate her, give himself up and over to duty, the table was not tilted towards him really in their relationship, not in season 8 at least, the power dynamic was all screwy (as shown in that bedroom scene in 8x04 & the fireplace scene in 8x05). I just don’t think they made a good couple to be honest, not one that could have worked out long term I think, despite what happened in KL & Jon feeling uncomfortable. Personally, not that I’m the show or GRRM, but I think eventually, had Jon not married her and ruled with her, there would have been a Dance of Dragons 2.0 with Jon possibly losing in the end. It depends really on if anyone else found out about Jon’s parentage and how much of a threat ir would have become. And I love both characters too much to see either of them go that route. But then of course, that happened so...

Anyhoo, I’m so sorry for the 100 page essay in response lol. I swear I didn’t mean to get so wordy. I guess I still have a lot of thoughts where this show is concerned. This was my first ask, thank you so much for being it and for such an amazing question! <3

#ask #what a great question!#thank you #got #game of thrones #political!jon #anti jonerys #because i'm not pro jonerys #and never will be #both characters deserved better #than each other #too destructive #look at where they ended up in the end #pol!jon #undercover lover!jon #jon snow

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lupinusalbus · 5 years ago

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How Two Scenes Undermined Jon Snow’s Character

To be honest, things were written prior to season eight which were also not great, but the final season delivered the coup de grace, and left many people bewildered. With a year having passed, I can accept that Jon’s ending was likely never meant to be that of a traditional hero. I can also believe that he is not destined to be king even though at one time I thought he might end up on the throne simply because it seemed logical that it might happen. But he truly did not want to be a king, so I think that part of his ending makes sense.

I think bits and pieces of what was given on the show also make sense for his character. If he is destined to bend the knee to Dany, a pledge which he would take very seriously, then his being conflicted about “betraying” her is logical up to a point. What was not true to the character was his lack of awareness in at least two scenes (you know the ones) of the heinousness of her actions. if those two scenes had not been written so carelessly, his ending would not be perfect by any stretch, but at least it would have been more palatable.

I don’t believe that Jon was really afraid of Dany as he was written. Perhaps he was in isolated moments, but he did do the right thing and tell Sansa and Arya about being born a Targaryen. This was after Dany begged him not to. He went ahead and did it anyway, and later Dany says to Tyrion that Jon betrayed her by telling Sansa. She burns Varys in front of Jon, perhaps as a warning.

In a nutshell, what undermined him the most was the loss of his trademark sense of right and wrong. Now maybe that was supposed to be his arc; he was so besotted by Dany that he lost his way. But even if this is the case, it was not written convincingly. Had he been shown as dumbly loyal only prior to her atrocities, that would have made a lot more sense. But he is written as realizing (with horror) in the midst of the battle that he is a participant in Dany’s slaughter, and later he seems to forget all about it!

The final episode made no sense at all. He tries to stop Greyworm from executing some Lannister soldiers. He seems to be disgusted when he’s walking up the steps for Dany’s Hitler speech, where he hears her mention Winterfell as the site of a future conquest. Then he has a conversation with Arya where we might give the writers the benefit of the doubt by thinking they want to show Jon as not wanting to give his true feelings away to her. He also tells her to wait for him outside the gates, which suggests that he may have been thinking of either leaving the city for good, or else considering killing Dany and getting away.

But next we see him having the idiotic conversation with Tyrion where he appears to have completely forgotten any convictions he ever held in his life. He more or less defends Dany’s actions like a mindless drone and declares to Tyrion that Dany is the queen like a dyed in the wool sycophant.

The scene where Jon kills Dany is actually more like the true Jon. He expresses the correct indignation over her genocidal attack, asks for her to forgive Tyrion and the Lannisters (also in character), stands by his sisters, and feels terrible remorse for having to kill her. He looks her in the eye and “swings the sword”, as Ned would have admonished him to do. He stands up for the people of the seven kingdoms and for the North and the Starks.

But then we have the scene where he does a terrible 180 and says to Tyrion that having killed Dany “didn’t feel right.” Really? Yes, we can believe that he would feel bad to have had to do such a thing, but not that he thinks his action wasn’t morally correct. This dithering by the writers with Jon’s moral compass is not only antithetical to the character but also wrecks any power that his moment of horror during the battle could have possessed for either himself or the audience. It makes him into a weakling who is no better than many of the other incompetent characters on the show who were unable to act honorably.

A big reason I think that these two horrendous scenes with Jon and Tyrion in the last episode were somehow inserted haphazardly or else to dilute the horror of Dany’s actions, are two other scenes with Jon which follow the stupid scene with Tyrion in the jail cell. When Jon says goodbye to the Starks, do you notice that he seems somehow to be his old self again? His face is not the face of someone who is slinking away to “prison.” He is supportive of Sansa, urges Arya to visit him and is apologetic to Bran for not being there when the latter needed him. This scene is more true to Jon’s character, and he does not appear to be a broken man.

The final scene hits me the same way. When Jon looks back at the gate and then looks around at the Wildlings, I see a look of confidence on his face and maybe even a touch of swagger in his posture. Though he may have regrets, he is not heartbroken or defeated. I think this attitude hints at his genuine arc, not the incoherent scenes with Tyrion.

There were many, many problems with season eight, but I really think if those two scenes between Jon and Tyrion had given the audience a logical progression for Jon’s feelings about Dany’s rampage, the end of the show would have felt entirely different.

#jon snow #game of thrones #game of thrones season 8 #bad writing #anti daenerys #Tyrion Lannister #Sansa Stark #Arya Stark

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jjyusmile · 4 years ago

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road not taken | lee minho

lee minho (lee know) | road not taken

pairing: lee minho x {gender-neutral} reader!

word count: 2,400

notes: hiiii, this is the first of three parts for the lovely lee minho <333 i’ve loved writing this and i hope you enjoy it too! follow to keep updated on this story and check out the others on my masterlist!

part 1 | part 2 | part 3

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trying to explain Soul to the unfamiliar is always a task. a pairing ritual was set in stone by the ancestors of Soul to avoid the seven deadly sins and the most painful emotion of all - loneliness. in our world, you’re assigned a person on your fifth birthday and they become your person. this person has similar interests to you and you will live out your days with that person~ they may become a friend, a carer, or even a lover. but it is vital that you don’t break that connection, or you are left with nothing. everything you know will be stripped from you, and you will be banished to the Deep.

your dad used to tell ghost stories of those who didn’t survive the connection and were banished to the pit. it was his way of warning us to think carefully about the path we take with our person – if you choose wrong, Soul can be torn and you will inevitably be casted to the Deep by our ancestors that watch over us. but he always promised us one thing – stick by your person and you will never be lonely.

your person will always be within your district, and will most likely be someone that you grew up with. sometimes, they can be closer than you think. it was your own parents that became elite members of the Pair – pairings that survive the ritual and become connected through everlasting love. that being said – a pairing does not need to be romantic, but like your parent’s case, it was. they fell in love at 15, and on your mother’s 18th birthday – she heard the three words she had wanted your dad to tell her, but they weren’t spoken out loud. he had told her he loved her through the vocalized connection that a pairing shares the moment the youngest turns 18. they become telepathic to each other.

yet, not everyone is as lucky as your parents. some pairings do not succeed as progressively as the ancestors anticipated.

your sister chose to remain platonic with her person – he became a valuable member of your family as your sister’s best friend, but you could tell it was hard for them to make this decision.

your uncle became one of the fateful Lone – a human who lost their pairing to sudden death or a tear in Soul. his pairing wasn’t raised to understand the deep important of a pairing and when he found your uncle, he decided to tear Soul instead. however, despite the painful act of the Tear, your uncle underwent Reparation – a repairing of humans who have lost their pair to reignite happiness and optimism. his pair is another valuable member of your family, and their love came by a stroke of luck that their original pairings had failed.

-------

on your fifth birthday, your day went as follows. you woke up to presents and cake from your family. a trip to the park did not go a miss. but before your annual trip to your uncles’ restaurant – you needed to stop by the clinic to begin your transition into the pairing. the towering doors to the clinic instilled a fear into you that could only be diminished by your mothers soothing words. once your name had been called, you were taken into a room by a sweet old woman and told to sat in the chair in the middle.

the room was an off white all over – the circular room was covered in tiles from wall and floor that made the room seem much larger than it was. you knew now that it was to ensure that kids weren’t scared when they had to sit in the secluded room for an hour on their 5th birthday. the chair in the middle looked like it belonged in a dentist’s room – no cushion in sight but a slight incline with foot pedals fit for a small child. beside the chair was a small metal trolley with a single cup filled with a silver liquid. the chair was facing a large mirror that showed your reflection.

once you were sat in the chair, you saw your mum at the door in the corner of the room with encouraging smile and wave. “just listen to the instructions – you will be out of here in no time. I promise we can get the biggest ice cream we can find straight after. deep breaths and just close your eyes.”

her soothing voice was enough to waiver the fear that set in once the door had locked and the lights dimmed. a static voice surrounded the room with a set of instructions.

good morning. today is your special day – the day your life truly begins. now, I’m here to ensure you are safe and taken care of, okay? now, I see you have a cup of liquid beside you. can you take that into your hands for me? well done, now it might taste a little funny but we’ll pretend it’s like orange juice and drink it in one go! okay, now count with me – three, two, one. amazing, you did well. now try to relax, close your eyes and listen to the music.

by the time you were out of the clinic, your brain felt slightly jumbled but for a child that was promised the biggest ice cream in the city – it was like nothing had happened.

------

the day before your 18th birthday was quite nerve-wracking. your friend and the current occupier of your thoughts, jisung, you had spoken about the underlying nerves that you might not become a member of the Pair. you had always liked each other, but the daunting reality that was to hit you on your birthday made it almost impossible to make any plans. you had every confidence that you would, but an intrusive thought sat at the front of your mind every time you spoke about it. it might not be him – or he might not want it to be him.

that evening, your uncles came to visit for dinner. chatter over the dinner table was nothing but warm. but when you excused yourself for bed, they pulled you aside into the hallway as they put on their jackets.

“tomorrow’s a big day, huh?”

“yeah – I enjoyed celebrating my birthday with you all though. thank you both so much for coming.”

“hey, kid. coming from us, if tomorrow doesn’t go to plan-“

“I know. thanks.”

“we know you know – but, if it doesn’t. it will hurt for a while, but you’ll get through it. remember that it will be the road not taken – you will find your own path eventually, like we did.”

the intrusive thoughts that had settled in a while ago had returned. and they remained that way through the night.

and when you woke up, it felt like your chest was on fire. your heart began to sink as you realised what was happening. the small “I’m sorry” that echoed through your head sounded oddly familiar. it was happening to you – they had warned you. a rare case was you.

he had rejected you – and it felt like your heart had been stolen from your chest. an endless sharp pain stayed that way for a few days. until your mum managed to get you an appointment at the clinic for a Reparation. constant reassurance that everything would be okay felt far from the truth.

this was a road not taken.

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you were officially 18 years and 24 days old – still no pairing.

until october 25th. it was a tuesday. you were woken up in the middle of the night to a humming sound.

it wasn’t an overwhelming noise. it was quiet, and soothing. and it sent you right back to sleep.

-----

it must have been a dream. surely it was just a dream. you hadn’t had any connection since that night over a week ago. your pairing must still be 17, hopefully.

you often thought about jisung – what was he doing now? is the Deep really a fiery burning pit of hell? it still stung when you thought about the Tear. it was like a distant memory with a sharp pang in your chest each time.

the morning time was the worst~ the nightmares that drowned your unconscious state was followed by hours of numbness. as you poured the last of your raisin bran ~ supposedly good for the Reparation procedure, it’s all lies ~ you stared blankly at the morning paper left by your dad.

the thought of having to go back to school today was painful. you managed to get out of writing the French colonialism essay but you know that as soon as you-

hmmm. eggs? no, I had those yesterday. cereal? ahh, cereal sounds good. what do we have??

the voice you had wanted to hear for so long overwhelmed your thoughts. they sound young – maybe your age? maybe a year or so older?

the thought of possibly losing your person was too overwhelming that your confidence sat at the forefront of your attitude.

if you have raisin bran – it’s not bad.

you felt a slight pause. you weren’t sure if you had startled them or not. you chose to pretend as if it hadn’t happened and went back to munching on your rather bland cereal. until-

I’ll take your word for it. I’ll stick to my cookie crunch – but thanks.

they were smiling, the hint of a light-hearted tone masked the surprise on both of your parts. the last time you were connected to someone they tore your heart out within seconds – this one seemed to be your chance. or so you had hoped.

okay. uh, cool. that’s really… uh, cool.

you had never physically faced palmed in your life until this moment… cool?! are you serious?!

a soft chuckle clouded your thoughts as your eyes widened in disbelief. oh god. uh, you can hear everything, huh?

yep.

your palms clenched the edge of the breakfast bar you sat at every morning. thinking was only going to embarrass you further.

can you just pretend you don’t hear me trying to recollect my own thoughts before I attempt to speak to you again?

silence.

thank you- uhh. okay. h-hi.

hey.

hey, i- should we… introduce ourselves?

there was another pause. a bit longer than the first.

I know who you are. I could recognise your voice anywhere.

it was your turn to pause. the candor in their voice. you stopped for a moment to recall this conversation. surely if they recognise you, you should recognise them?

oh, okay. may I ask who you are then?

why don’t you ask me some questions? … I’d be quick, we only have 45 minutes until we need to be at school.

that was how you found yourself walking to school, feeling much lighter than when you first woke up. you asked all kinds of questions – did they grow up in this town? where were you most likely going to see them next? where do they sit for lunch?

you had narrowed down a few key points – they were male, they were your age, and they only went to school for their friends, and dancing. to be frank, this narrowed down to a few options but you didn’t jump to any conclusions.

so, you’re on the dance team?

mmhm. I don’t want to toot my own trumpet, but I’m pretty good.

you giggled, and the aura you felt in your connection told you that he was smiling.

I think I know who you are.

another pause. okay, go ahead.

you’re obviously hyunjin.

you were lowly giggling to yourself when he gasped.

veto. try again.

you were entering the school gate by this point. a half an hour walk went by in a flash. you felt warm with the company inside your head – in the hour or so that you had felt the connection, you felt stronger and more confident already.

the soulmate connection always felt like a façade that people forced themselves to believe. but right now, you felt light and warm. and you hadn’t even met him yet.

the courtyard was crowded with familiar faces. you looked around at familiar guys in your class – but there wasn’t the feeling of a connection anywhere. and his presence in your mind had gone quiet.

frantically, you looked around to find the person you had your heart set on. you knew you were psyching yourself up for a possible letdown. but you couldn’t help it… it had to be him.

there was a slight radiance coming from the willow tree that sat at the furthest point away from the main building.

underneath the tree, as you approached, sat the person you were looking for. he sat with his back against the worn bark, with a book in his hand and his concentration stolen from whatever world laid within those pages.

no wonder the connection went silent.

at your thought, his head snapped up as your footsteps became louder. recognising who was approaching him, he slowly closed the novel that he was so engrossed in, with a knowing smile forming on his lips.

his eyes started to twinkle like a whole galaxy had formed within his irises. although you hadn’t spoken to this boy outside of a group setting, the comfortable aura that he radiated appeared to be something only you would ever witness.

his features became much more stark as you approached him – the way his golden hair was perfectly styled in a messy manner, the definition of his arms that peeped out of the plain black t-shirt he wore, and his honey skin that glowed under the warm sky.

you stopped by his feet as he looked up at you with a shy smile. you knew he rarely showed any form of affection to anybody, but right now, you were different.

without the need for confirmation, the connection told you everything you needed to know. this was the start of something special and your final chance at finding happiness in the darkness.

the moment your eyes locked, you knew. as he looked up at you with surety there was no need for the connection to communicate anymore. his warmth was overwhelming but gave you the confidence you needed and prepared you for the road that was meant to be taken.

“minho.”

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endnote: this is part one of three! follow for the next update :))) thank you for reading!

#lee minho #lee know #lee minho fluff #lee minho au #lee minho short story #lee know fluff #lee know au #lee know short story #stray kids minho #stray kids fluff #stray kids au #stray kids short story #KPOP SHORT STORY #kpop scenario

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moonlit-grove · 4 years ago

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End of Mordremoth (Part Three)

One month. Two months. Three months. Four, five, six. Half a year… Half a year, and he still wasn’t fully recovered. He still hadn’t woken up. Doern had appeared one night, waving off her concern over how he got in. He’d insisted she return to the Pact, she had a duty as the Spymaster. Tears stung her eyes as he tried to push. Her mind replayed the memory multiple times…

“You have a duty as the Pact Spymaster, you can’t be spending your time here while there are Elder Dragons still out there.” He was angry. Intense, glaring.

She stayed sat by Trahearne, holding his hand, looking towards the monitor. One of the lines pulsed every time Doern spoke. Maybe distress? Yet the Preceptor kept going, kept berating her. The line started spiking, the lilac’s tears started to spill. She turned her attention to him with a glare.

“Second Spymaster Malyck can take my place until the marshal wakes. I have a duty as his beloved to be here for him when he wakes. I will not leave his side to fight Elder Dragons when one still infects him. I am no longer under your command, neither in the Pact nor the Order. Get out.”

She ignored him until he left. Twussa came in with a golem. “What’s wrong?” The asura asked, “We got readings, his stress was-”

“It’s okay… I took care of it. It’s… He’s okay.”

That line had calmed down recently. Others were moving differently. The topmost one was the most active now. It had been the weakest before, when they first arrived… Vielcos kissed his knuckles, spoke in a whisper, “I’ll be right back. I want to ask Twussa something.”

She walked through the halls, to the cafeteria. Many sylvari were gathered, gathered around the tables to eat and play games. They had begged her to bring Trahearne to play with them when he was well enough. She wanted to, was eager to see that. It would be good for him. Twussa was nearby, walking between the tables.

The asura looked up with a smile when her name was called. She gently pats the arm of the sylvari she was speaking to, stepping away to greet the Spymaster.

“The top line..?” She echoed softly, glancing towards the sylvari gathered. They weren’t paying attention, back to their activities. “That- That’s his mind, the readings of him. Alone, without Modremoth…”

“What... What does that mean?” “It reads how much of his mind he has taken back from the Dragon. And if it’s as high as…” She trailed off as she lifted her datapad, tapping a few things to bring up the marshal’s monitor. “It means he’ll wake soon. Wikki predicted he would, and he would have if the infection wasn’t as bad as it is… But he will wake soon. I promise you that.”

Vielcos returned quickly to the marshal’s room. She kissed his hand before looking at the decorations placed upon his wall by the various visitors he’d had. Her chest swelled, waking soon meant… Meant she could hold him again, meant she could hear his voice, see his eyes. It meant the work could truly begin. Ah, she was rambling her excitement.

“-And Mother has been dying to see you again, I’m sure Riannoc and the other firstborn want to see you as well. I don’t know how well the Pact has been without us, but I’m sure it’s been taken care of and I’m sure Ailbhe-”

“The ambassador was… chosen for her duties based on… merit.”

Was that..? She paused for a moment, eyes shifted back… No… no, that was her imagination.

“She’s certainly skilled, she knows what she’s doing and how to calm every-”

“Beloved.” That voice again. Tears prickled the corners of her eyes, her imagination could be so- “Beloved, turn… turn around. Please.”

She did, slowly. His eyes. His eyes were open. There was something she was supposed to do, a button she was supposed to press. To call Twussa, to tell him she was awake. Where… Where..? Ah! Her hand brushed against it, hopefully, hard enough to press it, as she moved to his side. He lifted a hand to wrap around her shoulders when she bent over him to hug him. To kiss him. She heard him grunt softly, she must have been a little too excited. But he’s awake! How can she not be? He’s awake!

The tears spilled, dripping onto his face as she pressed countless tiny kisses to his lips. Her marshal, her beloved, her Trahearne… Alive. Awake. He only moved one hand, but that was fine. He’s awake.

Twussa cleared her throat when she appeared.

“Dear,” she said, “May I speak with the marshal? I have a few tests I need to run.” One more kiss. Then she left the room… A few sylvari appeared, eagerly taking her hands. Their excitement pulsed powerfully, blending with her own. Their voices, a discordant harmony. She could hardly hear which of them spoke, which of them cheered excitement.

Hours passed. She wrote a letter, entrusted it in a robust, secure missive. Tied to Lethallan’s saddle, she hugged the griffon tightly. “Bring this to Mother,” she said, “Make sure Malomedies or Riannoc is the one to read it to her.”

Lethallan trilled happily before taking off. Twussa appeared, holding the marshal’s hand as he leaned on a staff to walk. Vie wanted to jump into his arms. She had to restrain herself, as Twussa let go of his free hand for him to take hers.

“Beloved,” he said carefully, “Please… I want you to show me everything. I…” She gently kissed his jaw, the still healing side. He sighed contentedly, “I hardly feel that…”

She spent the afternoon leading him through the lab, showing him everywhere. Stopping to speak with eager sylvari, excited to see him finally awake. Excited for the games they would play with him in the coming weeks. She kept her hand on his, pink glow pulsing brightly, happily. Lethallan returned when the moon was hanging high in the sky.

With Riannoc on her back.

The Mother’s Knight pulled the marshal into a tight hug. The lilac caught his staff, beaming so bright her cheeks hurt. She expected Trahearne to grunt in pain, to try to tug Riannoc’s hand’s off. But he didn’t, he moved his arms to embrace him.

It was Riannoc that gasped in pain.

He had such strength, after the dragon… So strong, so powerful. Her beautiful marshal, still exquisite despite the corruption and scars…

“Do you think Aurene could absorb the corruption?” She blurted.

“Aurene?” Trahearne asked, turning towards her, “Who- Who is Aurene?”

“Brother,” Riannoc took his shoulder, “It’s been six months. Do you remember the egg Cor found? It has hatched, a beautiful young dragon. Aurene, her name is. She… You have much to be caught up on.”

“Bringing him to Mother should help, surely if he connects to the Dream-”

“Can he even leave yet?”

They got a little carried away. They kept talking, discussing. Until the marshal cleared his throat. Quite loudly.

“Beloved, brother.” He said, “I will visit Mother when I am ready. And… I will meet Aurene when I am ready. I need more time to recover.”

A soft laugh as she handed him the staff again. He smiled, humming with her and Riannoc’s laugh. She once again took his hand, gently ruffling Lethallan’s feathers.

“Malomedies has asked mentors to cover his lessons for the foreseeable future. He and Bran will be here tomorrow. If I may borrow Lethallan, I will tell the Pact leadership.” Vie nodded, Lethallan trilled as she nuzzled her beak under Trahearne’s hand. Riannoc swung onto her back, she chirped and spread her wings. “We’ll return as soon as possible, dear siblings.”

The night was filled with tests and monitors. As was the morning. At least until Malomedies and Bran arrived. They were in the cafeteria when her dads entered, other sylvari showing Trahearne how to play their game. He looked up with a smile as Vie jumped to her feet to greet them. The two were eagerly allowed in to play.

Four games, before Twussa appeared again. “May I borrow the marshal and luminary?” She gently helped the two to stand, walking into the hallway with them.

Bran moved beside Vielcos. He sensed distress, gently embracing her shoulder. Her beloved and father would be okay. “They will be fine, Malomedies has healed considerably,” he whispered, “I’m sure Twussa only wants to ensure his health after so long without a visit. And Trahearne… He is strong, dear.”

The days were spent together, once Twussa allowed the firstborn to return. They spent the days in the field, enjoying the sunlight and the gentle breeze, the sound of singing birds and laughing sylvari. When night fell, Malomedies and Vielcos read the stars. Trahearne and Bran watched with swelling hearts and love in their eyes.

The next morning, Lethallan arrived alone. A letter attached, from the Ambassador. The commanders are unfortunately busy but will be happy to see the marshal upon his return to the Grove or the Pact. Ah… Of course, much must be happening in the outside world. Vielcos has been all but locked away, staying at her beloved’s side.

Twussa allowed them to leave after a month. She gave the Spymaster instruction on what to look for to ensure Trahearne’s safety and health. The lilac gently helped the marshal onto her griffon’s back. To Tarir first, to visit the young elder dragon. Then they would return to the Grove…

Yet, as they flew…

“Ah..” The marshal covered one eye, on the side of corruption. “My dear… I’m afraid my vision is… It seems different.”

“Different?” She glanced behind, to see him, “Different how? Lethallan, lower.”

“It seems… I see something nearly blinding ahead. And- Around you, I haven’t mentioned. Around everyone, I see something around them.”

“You’ve been infected by an Elder Dragon and had one in your mind, changing your body, maybe it’s… I’m sure the exalted have an idea.”

Tarir was abuzz with activity. Young Aurene was playing within her chamber, pouncing on every shadow and light that passed by her. Trahearne kept his hand over his eye, nearly wincing when they got close to her. She chirped as she looked up. Her head tilted.

“Aurene,” Vielcos said softly, “This is Trahearne, Cor has told you about-”

Aurene tackled Trahearne to the ground.

An exalted appeared behind Vielcos, asking to speak with her. She followed it through the halls,

“The scio- marshal… You mentioned his vision has changed? It sounds as if he sees magic. He will require-”

“Did you call him scion?”

“Well… Yes. We believe the infection has twisted him into the scion of Mordremoth. We ask that he remain in Tarir for a time so we may… Prove the theory.”

“I can’t keep him here if he doesn’t want to, and it hurts his vision to be here, even just his hand-” The exalted lifted its hand, a shock of fabric in its grasp.

“Have him cover it with this. It will block the sight of magic.”

“You… You exalted think of everything… We hoped Aurene could absorb more of the corruption to help him heal faster…”

“I do not think-”

“We’ll stay. We’ll see what happens…”

#end of mordremoth #trahearne #gw2 #vielcos #sylvanologist twussa #oasis's writing

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doof-doofblog · 4 years ago

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"Come On, Darling!"

Friday 19th February 2021

Hello again everyone! So we're finally at the end of the week and I'm happy to say I have finally caught up! I have seen a few spoilers about this episode already but I feel like I don't want to say anything until I've watched it. Oh and before I forget, it's been brought to my attention that on this particular day (19th February) it was EastEnders' 36th Anniversary! Happy Anniversary!! I know it's 4 years away, but just think how exciting the soaps 40th Anniversary is going to be! I have a feeling that it's going to be HUGE!!! Anyway, let's not waste any time and focus on Friday's episode.

*20 minutes later*

Wow! This was an emotional episode that's for sure!!! The main focus of the episode of course was Max! After a staggering 15 years on the Square, Max has taken the decision to leave Walford for good. It seems that there is nothing left for Max in Walford anymore, his children have fled the Square, every romance he's had has fallen to pieces, he's realised that he seemed to have caused a rift in a few too many lives. After being told by Linda and his brother, Jack, to leave, he's taken their advice and left Albert Square.

Before we focus on Max's exit, we need to mention Ruby and Stacey! Stacey had come up with a plan to confront Ruby about her lies. At first, when she approaches Ruby at the club, she's acting as if she's being friendly and polite, asking her to join her for a drink, making the valid point that (If Ruby is pregnant) their children are going to be related, so they're going to have to put their differences aside for the kids. Even though Ruby seems to be a bit on edge at Stacey's kindness, things start to heat up when Kush appears, she knows full well that she's been backed into a corner. Stacey suggests having their discussion somewhere private to save prying ears, so they take their conversation into her office. It's there they confront her with the facts of paying Kush to run away with Arthur, Iqra accusing her of being the one behind robbery at the Minute Mart causing Martin's attack. Of course Ruby claims her innocence of everything they're accusing her of, but then to top it off, Stacey presents her with a pregnancy test, claiming that if she isn't lying about everything else, how can they know for sure if she's lying about her pregnancy.

At first, Ruby is reluctant to take the test, claiming she has nothing to prove to them, but as time goes on, being locked in her own office with Stacey and Kush, Ruby knows that eventually she's going to have to go! Eventually it comes to the point where she agrees to take the test, without Kush being present. Kush willingly leaves the room so Stacey and Ruby can be alone. Ruby takes the test and as they wait for the results to show, she claims that all she ever wanted to have was a family of her own, and how Stacey is so lucky to have 3 children, a big family. Sadly, that's all that Ruby ever wanted. Eventually as they look at the test result, both Stacey and Ruby get the shock of their lives when the test comes back as positive! Ruby IS pregnant after all! ... What do we think of Ruby now? Is she still hiding so many lies or isn't she as guilty as we first thought? What do you guys think?! -- Okay, so focusing on the main headliner of the episode. Max! This was truly an emotional episode for him really wasn't it? After being hit by Mick in front of everyone at the Vic and being warned to stay away from Linda, Max takes it upon himself to head back home. Only Jean stops him on his way, I found this scene between Max and Jean very interesting. They have a history of being family and Jean knows full well what kind of man Max is. She tries to give him some wise words, stating that life is really too short to be making mistakes, suggesting that he needs to start life a new and focus on himself. I guess it's fair to say that Max can't seem to believe the words he's hearing from her and asks if she's drunk, he doesn't seem to be listening.

Meanwhile, Linda has followed Mick after his punch up with Max. Poor Mick claims that he's simply not going to be able to carry on if Max remains on the Square. It's going to end up torturing Mick knowing that another man living on the Square slept with his wife, let alone fell in love with her. As much as she tries to persuade her husband how much she loves him, Linda knows that enough is enough and she needs to confront Max, She eventually finds Max at home with Jack, it's then she finally has it out with him and informs him that he needs to stop what he's doing. Poor Max is still convinced that Linda loves him and is only sticking with Mick so she can be the caring wife and stand by his side after learning the truth about his past. But Linda drops the fact that she has loved Mick since they were kids, and she always will love him, she never loved Max, even though she can't deny she did have feelings for him once.

It's then that Max drops the bombshell that he was only trying to be nice, to help the situation. At first Linda is completely confused by what he's saying, but it's then that he reveals that he's managed to get the Vic back into their name. He did that for her so she wouldn't have to worry about Mick and that she and him could leave the Square together and share a life, a family. Linda looks as if she's absolutely speechless, she has no idea what to say! The only thing she cares about at this moment in time is her husband. She asks Max that if he had any feelings for her at all, that he would do her the biggest favour and leave, let her wake up in a place where he isn't. As she leaves the room to be with her husband, Max looks absolutely devastated as he's left alone with Jack. His brother then tries to admit that what Linda was saying was right, he needs to do the best thing for himself and everyone around him and to just leave, start a new life and try and move on from Linda.

As tears fall down Max's face, it looks as if his mind has been made up. Now Linda has got everything she wants, her husband and the Queen Vic back, there's simply nothing keeping him on the Square anymore. He hurries to collect his Granddaughter Abi, ready to pack their belongings and leave, even though Jack attempts to suggests he gives it a week or two. But Max's mind is made up. He hurries over to Rainie and Stuart's apartment to collect Abi. Without an explanation, he informs Rainie that he's leaving with Abi and won't be coming back. Gathering Abi's belongings and taking her out of the apartment, poor Rainie begins to fret. She has adored that little girl since the day she was born, and of course she's her Great Niece and would be devastated if she wasn't going to be able to be a part of her life. Desperate in need of some help, she calls Stuart.

Night time seems to descend on the Square as Max gathers the last few bits of his and Abi's belongings and hauls them into the car. Jack is still trying to plead to his brother to reconsider and stay for a couple more days, just to clear his head. But Max is adamant that he has to leave. It's this small brief scene between Max and Jack which kind of got to me a bit. This is the last time we'll see the Branning Brothers. Jack opens up to his brother that he loves him and will always have his back, to which Max responds with "You're the best brother!" - I have to be honest, even though it's fair to say that Max and Jack have had their pretty big fall outs and fights in the past, they have very much always had each other's back. Jake Wood and Scott Maslen have a brilliant onscreen chemistry when it comes to brothers, dare I say just as much as Phil and Grant. I will really miss watching scenes between these two, the dynamic was always so electric!

Meanwhile, as Max is making the final move to leave Walford, Phil takes it upon himself to give the Carter's a visit, informing them that Sharon is agreeing to sell the Queen Vic back to them. Mick at first is a little suspicious as to why she's not informing them herself, but Phil explains that she's putting champagne on ice for their arrival. The Queen Victoria is now there's if they so wish to accept, I guess it's easy to say that they're not going to refuse. Mick and Linda will be back behind the bar where they belong. As much as I'm happy for them, I do worry that the main reason for them leaving the Vic in the first place was for Linda's health due to her alcoholism. If them being back in the pub, will it put Linda in a more vulnerable position? Who knows? Maybe she knows now that she needs to be there for her husband and will refuse to even touch a glass of alcohol. What do you guys think? Are you happy that the Carter's will have the Vic back? Or do you think the pub should be belong to someone else?

Unfortunately, Max couldn't quite get his car to work so he and little Abi are having to walk. I also have the mention the final scene between Max and Stacey. I guess it's fair to say that these two individuals have quite a huge history, it would've been wrong for Max to leave without having a final last conversation with Stacey. She notices them walking along the street with luggage and questions where they're going. Max informs his ex-flame that he's taking Abi on a surprise trip. As short and brief as their conversation is, Stacey knows that something isn't quite right. Does she know deep down that this is going to be the last time she sees him? I also have to mention the small notification of Bradley once again. It made me sad that Bradley's picture had been left on the floor in the pouring rain, but thankfully Max had found it and was willing to give it back to Stacey, however she's adamant she wants him to keep it. I have to say it was a huge comfort to know that Bradley hasn't been forgotten, Max hasn't forgotten his first born and will now treasure that picture of Bradley, wherever he goes.

As Max and little Abi continue on their way, little Abi stops in her tracks and looks up at a window with fairy lights. Max knows exactly what she's looking at and it looks as if a deep feeling sinks inside him. He can't take Abi away from her family. Rainie is a state of panic whilst Stuart tries to calm her down, claiming he'll do his best to track down Max, but before any of them can act, a knock is heard at their door. Rainie rushes to the front door to see little Abi stood there on her own, Max is no where to be seen. A sense of relief floods Rainie, even though she can't seem to understand where Max has gone. But from behind a dark wall, Max watches on with tears in his eyes as he watches Rainie take his Granddaughter inside. Max did the right thing, he gave Abi the chance to have a family with parents who absolutely dote on her and adore her. He knows she will be safe with them.

As Max grabs his suitcases, without a word he slowly strolls away and out of Walford for good, as Julia's Theme plays. I have to say I am so thrilled they used Julia's Theme for Max's exit, it was sad but really well done. Quite an emotional ending for Max I feel, but I am happy that the door has been left open for him to return one day. Who knows? Maybe Tanya, Lauren and Max might return together again one day? The only remaining Branning left on the Square is Jack, so there could be chances that his whole family could return one day in the future. I personally, would love to have them back one day. I need to applaud Jake Wood for portraying Max Branning, he's been an absolute legend and has been an icon in some of EastEnders's most memorable storylines. I wish him all the luck in the world for the future.

Thank you all so much for reading, a very true touching and emotional episode! I can't wait to see what happens next, although I can't quite imagine how things are going to be now Max has left. But I'm excited to see what's going to happen next regarding The Carter's, Sharon and Phil and even Rainie and Stuart bringing up little Abi. Please feel free to leave me any comments or messages and I'll be sure to reply. I'll be back again next week with some more EastEnders drama! Love you all xXx

#eastenders #maxbranning #jackbranning #mickcarter #lindacarter #philmitchell #rainie highway #stuarthighway #staceyslater #rubyfowler #kushkazemi #jeanslater #juliastheme #soapfan #soapblog

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7deadlycinderellas · 5 years ago

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I have no use for rings of gold, I care not for your poetry, ch2

AO3 link

Gendry, it turns out, does not care for hunting. Riding in general is still a new skill for him, though he does feel like he’s getting better at it. Arya seems determined to show him every single thing in the north, and frankly, outside of his lessons, Gendry welcomes the reprieve.

Gendry knows his letters and numbers, more than well enough to keep track of his own accounts. The types of reading and writing that are expected of him as a future Lord, are quite different. Maester Luwin is beyond patient (reminding Gendry that he had managed to teach both Arya and Rickon to read and write with some degree of skill), but the process makes Gendry’s hand ache and eyes cross.

While he’s practicing one day, he glances down the table to Arya, who had quietly come in and began scribbling on a sheet of paper beside him.

“What are you working on?”

“The household accounts. Who needs to be paid, what needs to be ordered, that sort of thing. I need to finish before Mother and I meet with Varyn Poole and make the rounds before supper.”

Gendry raises an eyebrow, and she smiles.

“This is a Lady’s actual work. This I know I can do.”

She had been pleased to come home to Lady Catelyn insisting that she assist with her own duties rather than just sitting in lessons with Septa Mordane all day. Though, those still happened too. More of them than before, truly, ones about scary future things, potential queenly things.

Something strange had happened as well, the first day she had been back at Winterfell. She had left her chambers quite early, when the sun was still low in the sky, to practice the exercises Syrio had taught her. Arya missed her old master greatly, but she knew he had longed to return to Braavos, and the least she could do was keep up her practice. The only other thing she missed from King’s Landing was Ned, and waiting for every raven from him brings both anticipation and trepidation.

When she was finishing up, she had turned and realized with a start that her mother was watching from the corner of the yard. The shock hit her so hard, she braced herself for a reprimand.

“Nice to see something could teach you a bit of discipline. Go clean up before breakfast.”

Arya had been so confused she had actually done as she was told.

When she finishes up checking her numbers, she asks Gendry.

“What’s on your plate after this?”

“Luwin says history and strategy.”

“Well some of that’s fun at least.”

Gendry leans forward and pushes his head against the smooth wood of the desk. Maester Luwin had left for a moment, so he felt like he could without insulting the old man.

“Then lunch, then I’m free for a bit.”

“Same place as usual? I might be there too.”

Gendry chuckles before she gets up to leave.

“There” was the Winterfell smithy. Mikken had taken to taking a long lunch to avoid the warmest part of the day and working past supper, leaving the forge free for an hour or two to be used by an upjumped bastard who missed his trade. Gendry was confused why the man didn’t have apprentices of his own. Arya had merely shrugged and said that was how it had always been.

“Do you miss it that much?” she asked him today, while he’s beating out a practice piece.

“The work, yes, if not the customers.” He wipes his hands on his trousers. “It was how I knew my worth. I worked hard, my results were good, people paid me. Here- here I don’t know. Do highborns ever take up trades?”

Arya shrugs. She does that a lot it seems, no wonder Maester Luwin said she was a beast to teach.

“Some likely do, as a hobby. Sansa writes that Willas Tyrell breeds hounds and horses. Maybe smithing could be your thing, the way wenches and ale are King Robert’s.”

Gendry’s blood boils, he knows she doesn’t mean it that way, but the very idea of his greatest skill being compared to boozing and whoring made him light up.

“What will yours be, the queen who flings food at people?”

Arya raises an eyebrow.

“Been holding onto that for these six moons? I only did it because I thought Mother was upsetting you, I thought you realized.”

He...had not. It made sense though. He imagines he’s not a subtle man when it comes to emotions.

“The reading and writing will come easier. Eventually, it will be like second nature.” she tells him, before leaving.

And it drives him up the wall to admit she’s right, that with practice both of them become easier, even the longhand letters with all the fancy flourishes.

She’s reading something one day beside him in lessons again, and he asks what it is again.

“Letter from Sansa.”

He raises an eyebrow. For all she used to complain about how Sansa did everything right and she never could measure up, she seems to miss her now that she’s home and getting letters from her.

“How is she?”

Arya sighs softly.

“Not sure really.”

Sansa’s letters have been...odd, is the only way Arya can put it.

“She’s betrothed to...someone from the Reach right?”

Their conversation is interrupted by Maester Luwin coughing. Gendry sighs and recites.

“The Reach, second largest kingdom in Westeros after the North. South of the Westerlands, east of the Stormlands. Ruled by House Tyrell at Highgarden, sigil is a golden rose. The most fertile of the seven kingdoms, they produce much of the kingdom’s food.”

At least that’s something useful to be known for.

Maester Luwin nods approvingly, and Arya continues.

“Sansa’s betrothed to Willas Tyrell, heir to Highgarden,” she bites her lip, “When she left here, she was ecstatic.”

“You think she changed her mind, that she doesn’t want to marry him?”

Arya makes a face. It’s not like it would matter if she had. She had asked Catelyn once why they had accepted the betrothal given the age difference. Catelyn had spoken a bit about the strategic importance of the Reach, especially with winter coming. And then she had said,

“And with your sister’s romantic heart, we thought she might enjoy having a husband who could not go off to war and leave her behind.”

It was something to think about, when she replies to Gendry.

“I don’t know. She speaks very well of him. He is quite a bit older than her, so maybe she doesn’t think they have anything in common. He’s crippled too, he fell from a horse years ago.”

More reason not to spend more time riding than he had to, Gendry decided.

“He did write a very sweet letter to Bran after he woke up from his fall ...Sansa’s always been so certain she knew just how she wanted her life to go, maybe the reality is hitting her a bit hard.”

She’s not sure that’s it, but that’s what she’s decided to go with. Suddenly, she brightens with an idea.

“You have a brother now too, living in Storm’s End. If you need writing practice, you should write him letters, get to know him better.”

Gendry winces. Even if he weren’t self conscious about his writing, he still wouldn’t want to reach out cold to a brother he’s never met.

“That won’t...draw attention to us or anything?”

Maester Luwin interrupts again.

“Edric has been acknowledged by King Robert when he was young. His mother was of noble blood, so his existence was treated quite differently than yours. A letter or two should not arouse any unusual suspicions, and would be a fine time for me to teach you the finer points of formal correspondence.”

That’s something else everyone has begun to talk about too. That as a future king, he should start making connections with other nobles. While Robb and Lady Stark agree that’s not safe for him to travel right now, with eyes from the capital potentially everywhere. Arya sometimes speaks to him about fearing for her father being all alone in the south.

They do insist, however, that whenever one visits Winterfell, he at least be introduced. Whether they are making a petition or simply pledging fealty, he must greet them.

Gendry’s still a Waters, and they don’t wish to draw attention to his parentage, so if asked, he is introduced as a Ser, and Arya’s betrothed. The northerners still raise eyebrows, but Gendry forces his face to remain impassive. The back of his neck drips with sweat through every exchange.

The Manderly’s from White Harbour are the first. Their Lord is a very large and boisterous man who Gendry doesn’t think he could get a single word in edgewise with. His two daughters are both polite, and Arya is immediately drawn towards asking the younger one about her garish green hair.

After the first, they all begin to blend together. Umber, Karstark, Cerwyn, other names.

One, rather than an old man, perhaps with a younger relative or two, is a young woman with curly hair. She is here, she says, on behalf of her ill father. She carries a spear, and Gendry sees the spark appear in Arya’s eye, the spark that says she has spied a potential friend, a kindred soul, a ghost of which had been on her face meeting Wylla Manderly. Gendry loves that spark, it warms him inside to see it. Quite a lot about her seems to warm him nowadays.

It’s after they finish and Arya runs eagerly after, that Gendry asks Lady Stark.

“If I’m going to be king one day-” the words spill out, stumbling, running into things. The idea still will not take root, even as he finds himself growing so much more comfortable with the clean clothes, regular food and friendly faces within Winterfell. “Shouldn’t I get to do this with the whole country before I make any decisions about anything.”

Lady Stark’s mouth forms a tight, thin line.

“As a king, you will have advisors aplenty. Additionally, you may wish to suggest reviving the idea of a royal progress so that you may see much of it for yourself. Your father took his throne when much of what he knew of the country was through waging war against it, and from what I’ve heard he relies very heavily on the knowledge and experience of others to rule, so I imagine you shouldn’t be held back too much by the shortcomings of your birth.”

Gendry’s blood boils again. Whenever he talks to Lady Stark, he nearly always comes off with his blood boiling it seems, and Arya’s not here to distract him now. He grits his teeth and decides it would be best to leave right now.

He ends with a curt, “I think I will be going now, milady,” his voice very carefully emphasizing the shortened pronunciation.

After leaving, he finds Arya with the other woman (Meera Reed, Arya will chide him, while rolling her eyes later, for him forgetting her name so quickly) in the training yard, carefully examining the points of her three-pronged spear. Gendry just holds back and watches until they finish.

Once they are done, Gendry notes that Arya had an odd look on her face.

“Something got your tongue?”

Arya chews her lip.

“It’s just a story Meera told me.”

Gendry looks at her quizzically.

“Has anyone mentioned my aunt Lyanna to you?”

Gendry frowns. The name sounds familiar, but he can’t place it.

Arya nods over her shoulder.

“We’re not needed anywhere right now. Follow me.”

They’re halfway across the Keep, when Gendry realizes she’s leading him towards the crypt, and feels a queer sensation in his gut. This is deeply personal.

“Lyanna was my father’s sister. She was supposed to marry King Robert, but was kidnapped by Rhaegar Targaryen. That’s why your father started the war, to get her back. She died regardless. That’s all I ever really knew about her, that she died and King Robert never seemed to get over it.”

The crypts are dark, even in the middle of the day, they have to carry a torch, but Arya leads him easily. She tells him a bit of what Meera told her, about the Tourney at Harrenhal, and Lyanna attacking the three squires who had been beating a defenseless man.

“I knew of the Tourney, but only that it ended with her being abducted.”

They’ve reached the correct statue, and Arya raises the torch. The sculpture is of a pretty woman, only a little older than her. Gendry doesn’t have to ask before seeing the resemblance.

“Father sometimes said I reminded him of her. But all anyone ever said that meant was that she was beautiful. If what Meera says is true- then I like the comparison much more.”

On an impulse Gendry can’t quite understand, he reaches out and takes her hand.

“I still can’t get my head around possibly being Queen one day...but if there’s an upside, it’s that. I would be able to protect the people who can’t protect themselves. Maybe, anyway.”

It’s the best reason to want to be queen, Gendry supposes.

As the moons go by, he is incredibly grateful for Arya. It’s only with her that he feels like he truly belongs here.

It’s not like the others don’t try. Bran will sit with him frequently during lessons, animatedly adding and asking Maester Luwin for more information on whatever they’re studying; history, strategy. It must be the best thing Bran can find to occupy his time now. Sometimes he came riding with them, but he was far more skittish than he’d been as a child, Arya told him, even with the saddle Tyrion Lannister had helped design.

Maester Luwin had shown him a few drawings at one point, asking for input on a couple of design ideas for a way Bran could get around without someone needing to push or carry him. There must be a way, Gendry thinks, he’s hardly the first injured lordling in history.

Robb too, reaches out to him. Gregarious, dutiful Robb, always inviting him to join them on rides and hunts (he often goes) or to explore Winter Town (he’ll go sometimes during the day) who tries to teach him to play dice and cyvasse (Arya taught him the first on the down low- she’s not supposed to know how, but she’ll often join the two in a game of cyvasse).

He tries, but it still feels like there’s a wall between them. This isn’t helped by the discovery that though he has spent a decent part of his life making swords, Gendry doesn’t have much idea how to wield one.

Arya was horrified. Until his lessons with Ser Rodrik began going better, she can hardly bear to watch him practice. It made him sad a little, but it was still better than the gazes he got from Robb that always felt like pity.

He is improving though, in nearly everything. He can hold his sword right now, his handwriting is legible (and Edric does seem pleased to have a penpal), he can remember nearly all the regions of Westeros with very little prodding. He wished it felt like enough.

He’s been at Winterfell nearly a year and a half when the betrothal announcement is made official. They will marry once Arya turns seven and ten, and then they will leave for King’s Landing.

Robb invites him out to Winter Town to celebrate. Gendry wasn’t going to say yes in the first place, but wants to go even less when Theon joins in.

He hasn’t been rude or dismissive, or anything really, but Gendry still can’t bring himself to like Theon’s often brash, occasionally lecherous self at all.

And if Theon’s involved, Gendry knows exactly why they’re going into town.

When he finally begs them off, Theon ends with, “Seven hells, he’s even less fun than Jon.”

So he’s in a spectacularly grouchy mood when Arya ambushes him and asks if he wants to go for a ride. He jumps out of his skin. All this time, she still can sneak up on him. Her doing it in the forge after lunch a few weeks before ended with them in another childish wrestling match. Sometimes he wonders if even marriage will quell these situations.

“Didn’t want to go to town with them?” she asks while one of the grooms saddles their horses. Autumn has well and set in in the north, but the snow is only a light powder today, “I know Robb sometimes hogs the attention, but there are usually enough fawning girls to go around, and I’m pretty sure Theon is on first name basis with most of the whores in the whole place.”

There’s a tone in her voice he can’t quite put his finger on. And there’s a new sort of offense in his gut.

“Arya, we’re betrothed. I’m not celebrating by immediately going out and fucking someone else.”

Arya’s expression softens, but still has that odd look on her face.

“Gendry...I’m the one who’s virtue is considered paramount. If this weren’t happening here, a maester would probably examine me to prove it. No one much cares about yours, you can do what you want.”

The offense Gendry feels twists and changes into outrage. Going to a brothel when you were betrothed to someone else is something his father would do. Something he always knew his father would do, even before finding out he was the king.

“That’s horrible,” he tells her hotly, pulling back on the bit and stalling his horse so he can look straight at her.

“Look,” he starts, trying to mild his voice, “I’ve never had much attention from girls. Not many go for a nameless bastard living among filth. You saw what happened the last time a woman showed interest in me.”

All he got for that brief hand drifting down his breeches was a brick to the head and loss of his first commission.

“Wait,” Arya interrupts, “Are you saying you’ve never-”

Gendry takes a deep breath before responding, the back of his neck only a little red.

“No, I’ve never. Never had any offers, true, but also never wanted to get any bastards on anyone.”

He watches her face shift again, but still can’t quite read it.

“And once we’re wed, I don’t plan on being the sort of husband who can’t stay faithful. That’s not me, that will never be me.”

Even with the words, Gendry feels a bad taste in his throat at the thought.

Arya’s voice when she speaks again is much quieter. They’ve made the rounds and are back approaching Winterfell again .

“Thank you,” she starts. “Not many men would admit to that.” Her eyes go off onto the horizon, and Gendry has a sinking feeling when he spots Lady Stark waiting beside the stables.

“You’ve done just what I asked you to,” she continues, sliding out of her saddle as her mother approaches, “You’ve been on nothing but your best behavior.”

She then turns to face the music and leaves him behind, only a little befuddled.

Catelyn walks with Arya silently until their alone.

“You shouldn’t go off with him unchaperoned,” she starts, only a little bit scolding, “It will make him think he can take indecent liberties with you. You must remember, he is born of lust and debauchery.”

Arya’s chest burns with indignation. It would normally too, but it does even moreso after their conversation.

“Mother, we used to wrestle-” well, two weeks ago was technically “used to” wasn’t it? “If that didn’t make him think he could do those things, I don’t think a pleasant evening ride will.”

Her insides are in a twist though. In the past few days, Septa Mordane had begun to give her more specific lessons on what to expect on her wedding night. While the idea of seeing Gendry naked had slowly stopped inciting giggles and instead become mildly intriguing, none of the older woman’s words had been reassuring. Her conversation with Gendry had confused her even more.

Catelyn sighs softly and brushes the light dusting of snow off of Arya’s jerkin.

“I would think that if he tried, you would howl like the she-wolf you are, but the two of you do seem to be fond of each other, and you would probably enjoy it, so it is up to the rest of us to remind you of propriety and decency.”

Arya feels herself blushing from head to foot. Her voice sounds almost sulky when she speaks.

“The way Septa Mordane tells it, I’m not sure if I’m even meant to enjoy it.”

Catelyn smiles fondly, and squeezes her daughters shoulders.

“You must remember Arya, that while Septa Mordane is very wise and educated, and demands your respect, that she has never been married. If the two of you have respect for one another, there’s no reason what happens in the marriage bed cannot bring joy to the both of you.”

Arya’s nerves are somewhat lifted, though the slight against Gendry from earlier still stings.

Catelyn leads her back towards her chambers.

“Your sister wrote us from Highgarden,” she says, changing the subject. “She will be coming home to Winterfell in a few moons. Said she would not even dream of missing your wedding. She will be bringing Willas’s sister Margaery with her as well, and speaks of wishing greatly to help with the planning.”

Margaery, Arya recognizes the name from her letters.

“How long will we have to do all of this.”

Catelyn brushes her hair down gently.

“Your seven and tenth name day is only seven moons away, and then you will be on your way to King’s Landing.”

Arya stomach plunges down even further than it had been before. All this time, all the extra lessons, that it still the part of this whole arrangement that frightens her the most.

For what may be the first time in her life, Arya can’t wait to talk to her sister.

#game of thrones #A Song of Ice and Fire #gendrya #fic

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justauthoring · 6 years ago

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Corruption of Innocence (1/?)

Prompt: The Capital was cruel. The people there even more so. If this arrangement truly was meant to follow through, Jaime knew you would be corrupted by Kings Landing. But staring at you now, with bright doe eyes and a soft smile on your lips as you engaged in a conversation with your brother, hushed so as not to be disrespectful, Jaime knew he would put all his focus and strength into making sure that never happened.

A/N: HERE IT IS!! THE FIRST PART OF MY GOT (sorta) REWRITE! PLEASE let me know what you thought, if you’d like another part and if you’d like to be tagged for future parts. I really have a lot planned for this series, but I won’t be encouraged to write if no one gives any feedback. This part also had very little Jaime/Y/N interaction, but you know me and my series ;) I like to develop relationships between the reader and someone else, other than just who she’s paired with!

Send me a little comment in the ask section or leave it below on what you thought of this chapter. As usual, I hope you all enjoyed!

AGAIN, remember if you’d like me to continue this series, just leave a little comment or an ask letting me know. I will NOT continue the series if no one wants me to.

Please don’t plagiarize my work - I spend a lot of my time writing, copying and pasting destroys that. If you want to repost my work. please ask first - but even then I might say no.

Pairing: Jaime x Stark!Reader

Based off of: Game of Thrones 01x01

Your reflection stares back at you, the frown on your lips evident. Your eyes trace the linings of your face, the intricate braids upon your head that cascade downwards into long H/C waves. The dark brown of your dressed line with small designs crafted by someone with a careful hand. It’s tight around your chest, cinched at the waist before it puffs out and flows around your legs.

You hate the reflection that stares back at you. The future that awaits you.

The news of the King’s visit to Winterfell traveled fast, and instantly, preparations began. Food, drinks and rooms were prepared for your guests while you and all your other siblings were dolled up in appearances for the royal family. Jon Arryn had died, you’d heard, and now King Robert was travelling to Winterfell, where your father was warden of the North and Lord of Winterfell.

It could only truly mean one thing. He wished for father to become his hand.

But the letter that had arrived from Kings Landing at hinted to more than just that. There was the proposed idea of the King’s son, Joffrey, marrying your younger sister, Sansa, to conjoin both house Stark and Baratheon. She’d been told of the news, or at least hinted towards it, and the smile on her face had been contagious. Every girl her age, some even older or younger, wanted to gain the attention of the Prince and you knew it made Sansa feel special that she might be that girl.

However, a marriage proposed for you had also been suggested. More demanded than suggested like Sansa’s and your heart had nearly plummeted to the pit of your stomach when you heard of who you were meant to be wedded off to. Jaime Lannister, the Queen’s twin brother, who was also nicknamed Kingslayer. Maybe it was his nickname, maybe it was the clear distaste in your father’s voice as he said his name, or maybe it was simply the fact that the man was much older than you were that made you dread your future with the man. You were only seventeen and the idea of marrying a man nearly double your age both confused and frightened you.

But when it came to the King, you didn’t have much of a choice.

You weren’t excited for the King’s arrival like your younger siblings. Instead, you dreaded it. That’s why you were hid in your room, simply staring back at your own reflection, lost in your thoughts.

A small nudge to your thigh pulls you from your thoughts however. Your gaze lowers, chin tucking in as your eyes fall on that of your dire-wolf, Antheia. A faint smile falls on your lips as your hand rises, gently falling on top of her fury head, scratching the dark brown and white fur. You remember when Robb, Bran, Jon and father had arrived home with seven pups. Six for each of the Stark children and a pure white one just for Jon.

When Robb had delivered your pup to you, he’d said he’d specifically chosen it for you. You’d scoffed at his words, rolling your eyes at your twin brother but he’d professed the story to be true, going on and on about how he knew that that dire-wolf was just the one for you. Eventually, you’d gone along with it. Because who knew, maybe it was true.

You’d instantly grown attached to the little pup, and even now, just a little while later, she was much larger then she’d been when you first got her. She was fiercely loyal to you, and you loved the way she followed you around everywhere. A constant friend by your side.

With a whine, Antheia turns to your door, causing your brows to furrow. She paws at the door gently while you watch on in confusion, until you hear the faintest sound of footsteps and a knock resounds on your door. You smile slightly at her keen senses, pushing yourself up to your feet. “Come in,” you call, making your way towards the door.

You expect it to be mother, probably to chastise you on hiding in your room and leaving it to the last second to arrive outside. But, as the door opens, it isn’t your mothers face that you see staring back at you, and rather Robb’s as he pokes his head in, a grin on his lips.

You roll your eyes at him; “mother tell you to come find me, didn’t she?”

“Of course she did,” Robb laughs, stepping into your room. “You really decided to push it to the last second, haven’t you?”

Shrugging your shoulders, you glance back at your vanity before grabbing your cloak off of the chair. As you wrap it around your shoulders, tying it off at the neck, you continue to speak. “She’s stressed,” you sigh, “and when she’s stressed, she places all responsibility on my shoulders. Can you blame me for hiding from her?”

Robb steps back, letting you walk past him out your bedroom, Antheia following closely behind, before falling in line next to you. “No,” he says earnestly, nodding your way. “Because father does the same with me.”

“It sucks being the oldest.”

“Can’t disagree with you on that one.”

The two of you share a laugh, falling in step with one another as you make your way through the halls of your home and outdoors to the courtyard. Along the way, your eyes fully catch sight of Robb’s appearance and you let a small smirk fall on your lips. “I see mother made sure you looked all prim and proper for the Queen.”

“All of us,” Robb shrugs, scratching at his cheek absentmindedly. “Jon wasn’t too happy to have his hair messed with.”

You let out a giggle, rolling your eyes. “He’s more picky with his hair than I am.”

Just as you finish speaking, the two of you reach the courtyard. Instantly, and before Robb can reply, you’re both hurdled forward by your mother. She sends you a narrowed look along the way and you smile faintly, eyes pleading in apology. As Robb falls to his spot next to father, mother only shakes her head at you, her grip softening to a comforting touch before ushering you forward. Without fault, you fall in your spot next to Robb, beside Sansa.

“Where’s Arya?”

Turning your gaze from the gates, you turn towards your mother, catching the worried look in her eyes. It’s then you notice the absence of Arya on the other side of Sansa.

“Sansa,” mother calls, voice sharp. “Where’s your sister?”

She simply shrugs in response.

Just then, little Arya comes running by. Before she can make it to her spot, she’s stopped by father, pulling her back in front of him. “Hey, hey, hey, hey,” he calls, “what are you doing with that on?” You smile softly at the sight of her little head swarmed by the large helmet on top of it, one of which father hastily pulls off, shaking his head at his youngest daughter. “Go on.”

She groans in response, eyes narrowed, but as she catches your gaze, you send her a small wink. It immediately causes a grin to fall on her lips, skipping over to her spot.

And just like that, the first horse rides through the gates. The first few guards are soon followed by Joffrey, the King’s son, who lets his eyes wander across the people before landing on your sisters. You bite your lip at the sight of her cheeks warming and her small, but rather giddy smile that instantly erupts upon her face. When you turn back to Robb, he seems just as displeased, if not more so.

A carriage arrives soon after, followed by the King himself. You barely pay mind to the King, your eyes too focused on finding your soon to be husband. You know very little about him, except of his golden locks and looks that you’ve heard plenty of girls, including your own handmaidens, rave on about.

You have to bow before you can get a very good look, the King slowing to a stop on his horse before crawling off of it’s back with the help of his servants. When the King finally falls to a stop in front of your father, three twitches of his fingers signals you all to arise, and following your father’s lead, you easily do so.

“Your Grace,” father greets, bowing his head.

There’s a moment of stilled silence as the King lets his eyes wander across your father’s figure as he pleases, before resettling on his gaze. Bluntly, he states; “you’ve got fat.” And it takes you by surprise, blinking as you have to desperately fight back a laugh. It wouldn’t do well to laugh.

With a twitch of his brows and slight tilt downwards, your father raises a brow. To which the both of them let out a loud laugh, embracing one another. When the King pulls back, he turns to your mother with a bright grin, move to hug her as well. “Cat!” He exclaims, to which your mother greets him respectively in return.

He ruffles Rickon’s hair before turning back to Ned. “Nine years,” he sighs, “why haven’t I seen you? Where the hell have you been?”

“Guarding the North for you, your Grace. Winterfell is yours.”

You frown as your attention is caught by the Queen, stepping out of her carriage and her narrowed, wandering eyes judge your home. Instantly, you feel distaste flood you at the sight of her.

“Who have we here?” Blinking, you turn to find the King stood in front of your brother. “You must be Robb.”

With eagerness to impress both the King and his father, Robb takes the King’s hand in his own, shaking it firmly. An instant flood of nerves floods you when the King’s eyes land on you. You’re not sure what you’d expected him to say or do, but silence certainly hadn’t been it. The moment the King’s eyes land on your own, he all but freezes, eyes stuck on the figure of you.

You shuffle slightly, uncomfortable under the mans heavy gaze as you glance over at Robb nervously. He seems just as confused.

“She takes after her aunt,” your father speaks up, pulling your eyes on him as he keeps his gaze on that of the King, nodding. “In both looks and spirit.”

“Aye,” the King mumbles, voice soft as his eyes trail across your own. “You certainly do.”

He’s moving on to your sister before you can say anything in return. You find yourself stunned with silence, blinking. Your fathers comment and the King’s reaction takes you by surprise and an uncomfortable feeling swallows you completely.

Jaime sees you before you do.

Unlike you, he’d been told of your appearance. He’d been told what to look out for after he’d practically demanded it. He had no idea why he was marrying a girl your age, nearly half his age, nor did he know why he’d been stripped of his title as part of the Kings-guard.

In the end, he hadn’t had much choice or say. The King was still the King, and no matter how much Jaime may despise it, it was out of his control.

You weren’t hard to spot. At least, not at as hard as he assumed he’d must of been. As soon as he’d rode in through the gates of Winterfell, he’d spotted you from afar, your neck stretched out desperately as your eyes wandered across the crowd. With his large golden helmet, it’s no wonder you couldn’t find him. And for a moment, he simply sat there, atop his horse, letting his eyes wander across your figure.

You were young. Even if Jaime had already known you were the young age of seventeen, to see it stare him back in the face was completely different. Your eyes were innocent, untouched by the evils of the world. Jaime felt no love in his bone as he stared at you, but he couldn’t deny this odd sense of protection that flooded him. It confused him greatly at first, baffled by the feeling, until he saw Robert approach you.

With a look you no doubt did not understand, but Jaime did, Robert had all but let his eyes wander across you openly and appreciatively. It was true, you did look startlingly like your aunt, even more so then you did your own mother. And it was that realization and thought that filled Jaime with dread, Robert’s reaction only adding fuel to the fire.

The Capital was cruel. The people there even more so. If this arrangement truly was meant to follow through, Jaime knew you would be corrupted by Kings Landing. But staring at you now, with bright doe eyes and a soft smile on your lips as you engaged in a conversation with your brother, hushed so as not to be disrespectful, Jaime knew he would put all his focus and strength into making sure that never happened.

He would never let anything corrupt or hurt you.

That thought is only enforced when your eyes finally do manage to meet Jaime’s. You hadn’t been looking for him that time, desperate to avoid the harsh glare of his sister and upon the way, you’d found him. You instantly knew it was him by the brief description of him you’d been given. That, and the fact that Jaime had already been staring back at you.

You almost looked fearful, Jaime realized. So young that you didn’t, or rather couldn’t, truly understand the implications of what was being forced upon your shoulders. You were brave and feisty he could tell, by the way you didn’t back down. But there was still that part of you that shuffled closer to your brother, hiding behind him in just the slightest.

Jaime’s emotions were mixed, confused. He’d never felt anything of the like towards anyone else but his sister. This protective side of him could also be passed onto his family, because he would always place them first and above all others. But this... this was different.

Before he could dwell on it much longer, his sister appeared by his side.

“I missed you at the feast.”

“Yes, well, you know your mother.”

Biting your lip, you sigh at Jon’s words. Pushing yourself up off the wall, you collect the ends of your skirts, carefully making your way over to him. “Mother’s wrong,” you mumble, meeting your brother’s gaze steadily. “She’s always been when it comes to you.”

Jon simply frowns down at you, his shoulders falling at your words. And you stare back, hugging yourself for comfort. You’ve never understood your mother and her hatred for Jon. Part of you understood it, but at the same time, the more rational side of you, couldn’t fathom how she could hate a motherless son. Treat him like truly was no more than a Bastard.

“I heard that you are to be wed to Jaime Lannister.”

Your frown deepens at Jon’s words, gaze lowering. “That is the plan, yes.”

“I’m sure it will be okay, Y/N,” Jon whispers, in attempt to comfort you, you’re sure. But all it does is fill you with more dread. You’d hoped, during the feast the night before, you’d be able to speak with Jaime. Get to know him a little, but he’d seemed preoccupied the entire night. And when a chance had opened, he’d approached your father. A conversation, which, seemed none too pleasant.

You knew it was your duty, but the idea of marrying a man you did not know and had never spoken to... well, you just couldn’t imagine it. You wanted to marry for love and... “I don’t want to leave here,” you sigh, finally meeting Jon’s eyes. “I don’t want to leave Bran or Rickon. Robb... I don’t want to leave you. If I could stay, I would...”

A look washes over Jon’s eyes, one that causes you to forget your own troubles for a moment as you frown up at him.

“Y/N,” Jon calls, his voice hesitant. “I haven’t told anyone, but I plan to leave for the wall with Uncle Benjen.”

You blink, surprise flooding you. “Oh...”

Jon nods, scratching the back of his head. “I--”

“You don’t have to explain yourself, Jon,” you interrupt softly, smiling encouragingly up at him. “I understand. You know I do.”

With a small, weak smile, Jon nods.

“I guess we are both planning to leave then,” you add afterwards, a soft chuckle leaving your lips. “Giving up our names to a vow.”

“I’m not all that upset to forget the name, Snow.”

“You’re a Stark,” you correct softly, meeting your brothers eyes knowingly. “You know you are. You’ll always be a Stark to me.”

Once again silence falls over the two of you as Jon smiles sadly down at you. Stepping forward, his hand falls on your shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze before pressing a kiss against your forehead. Your eyes fall shut at the action, before he pulls back and you watch him walk off.

Left to yourself, you turn, staring out at the courtyard. Nothing will ever be the same again.

Another part?

Let me know what you thought!

Also, this is inspiration from @reader-imagines‘s story, Vow. It’s pretty amazing and hundred percent how I came up with the idea of doing this story! So check it out.

#game of thrones #game of thrones imagine #got #got imagine #series #game of thrones series #jaime #jaime lannister #jaime lannister x reader #jaime lannister imagine #jaime imagine #jaime x reader #my fics #imagine #imagines #nikolaj coster-waldau #corruption of innocence #coi

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jackoshadows · 5 years ago

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So this is a write up on the Jon Snow - Sansa Stark relationship in the books with quotes and excerpts. For the folks who are interested in knowing where these two characters really stand with each other rather than the fanon version that’s often seen on the interwebs.

The relationship between Jon and Sansa can be best described as ‘Indifferent and distant siblings’ and they are the least close out of all the Starks.

The 5 times Jon mentions Sansa in his 42 POV chapters include thoughts on Sansa brushing lady and singing, Sansa being with Arya in KL and losing Lady, her being enchanted if she sees the magical wall, and her telling him how to talk to girls. Like Arya often does, Jon qualifies his description of Sansa with an ‘even’ to indicate how she is different to his other siblings.

He missed his true brothers: little Rickon, bright eyes shining as he begged for a sweet; Robb, his rival and best friend and constant companion; Bran, stubborn and curious, always wanting to follow and join in whatever Jon and Robb were doing. He missed the girls too, even Sansa, who never called him anything but "my half brother" since she was old enough to understand what bastard meant. And Arya . . . he missed her even more than Robb, skinny little thing that she was, all scraped knees and tangled hair and torn clothes, so fierce and willful.

Compare the descriptions he gives his other siblings to what he says about Sansa. I have often read that Sansa calling Jon ‘Half brother’ or bastard was not a big deal because all of Jon’s siblings did it. And this is true. But the difference is that Sansa ALWAYS made sure to treat Jon that way, when his other siblings interacted with Jon normally. Something that Jon noticed enough that this was the only thing that he highlights for her.

It’s clear from the text that Sansa treated Jon with condescending pity. I would argue that Sansa’s treatment of Arya was actually far worse than the way she treated Jon. For Sansa, Jon was just a low class bastard and his faults were only natural because he was ‘common’. Sansa even condescends to educate him on how to properly talk to girls. Arya on the other hand got bullied because she was a high class noble but committed the sin of being unsatisfactory in terms of looks and behavior.

Sansa could never understand how two sisters, born only two years apart, could be so different. It would have been easier if Arya had been a bastard, like their half brother Jon. She even looked like Jon, with the long face and brown hair of the Starks, and nothing of their lady mother in her face or her coloring. And Jon's mother had been common, or so people whispered. Once, when she was littler, Sansa had even asked Mother if perhaps there hadn't been some mistake.

This is why it made no sense when the show had Sansa apologizing to Jon and completely bypassed Sansa’s treatment of Arya in the books, making it look like Arya was the mean sister. If Sansa had to apologize to anyone it would be to Arya and not Jon.

Sansa’s patronizing pity for Jon comes from the fact that he is of low birth. She attributes emotions like ‘jealousy’ to his birth and pities him for it

Sansa sighed as she stitched. "Poor Jon," she said. "He gets jealous because he's a bastard." - AGoT

If this was what the Night’s Watch was truly like, she felt sorry for her bastard half brother, Jon. - AGoT

She sang for mercy, for the living and the dead alike, for Bran and Rickon and Robb, for her sister Arya and her bastard brother Jon Snow, away off on the Wall. - AGoT

These are the only times Jon is mentioned in Sansa’s POV chapters till AFfC.

When we come to their emotional thoughts of connection and longing and love, let’s see what happens there. For Jon:

He remembered the day he had left Winterfell, all the bittersweet farewells; Bran lying broken, Robb with snow in his hair, Arya raining kisses on him after he’d given her Needle.

Even the thought made him feel foolish; he was a man grown now, a black brother of the Night’s Watch, not the boy who’d once sat at Old Nan’s feet with Bran and Robb and Arya.

Jon Snow straightened himself and took a long deep breath. Forgive me, Father. Robb, Arya, Bran . . . forgive me, I cannot help you. He has the truth of it. This is my place.

Playing, Jon thought in astonishment, grown men playing like children, throwing snowballs the way Bran and Arya once did, and Robb and me before them.

We know Sansa has played with Bran and Arya and snowballs. But she is not included in Jon’s nostalgic memories.

We see something similar in Sansa’s POV chapters about her family

Tommen was all of eight. He reminded her of her own little brother, Bran. They were of an age. Bran was back at Winterfell, a cripple, yet safe. Sansa would have given anything to be with him.

If I give him sons, he may come to love me. She would name them Eddard and Brandon and Rickon, and raise them all to be as valiant as Ser Loras. And to hate Lannisters, too. In Sansa's dreams, her children looked just like the brothers she had lost. Sometimes there was even a girl who looked like Arya.

Merry Crane always had an amusing story, and little Lady Bulwer reminded her of Arya, though not so fierce.

She had last seen snow the day she'd left Winterfell. That was a lighter fall than this, she remembered. Robb had melting flakes in his hair when he hugged me, and the snowball Arya tried to make kept coming apart in her hands.

I don't want any Lannister, she wanted to say. I want Willas, I want Highgarden and the puppies and the barge, and sons named Eddard and Bran and Rickon.

That was such a sweet dream, Sansa thought drowsily. She had been back in Winterfell, running through the godswood with her Lady. Her father had been there, and her brothers, all of them warm and safe. If only dreaming could make it so . . .

If Lady was here, I would not be afraid. Lady was dead, though; Robb, Bran, Rickon, Arya, her father, her mother, even Septa Mordane. All of them are dead but me. She was alone in the world now.

She remembered a summer's snow in Winterfell when Arya and Bran had ambushed her as she emerged from the keep one morning. They'd each had a dozen snowballs to hand, and she'd had none. Bran had been perched on the roof of the covered bridge, out of reach, but Sansa had chased Arya through the stables and around the kitchen until both of them were breathless.

She had dreamt that she was little, still sharing a bedchamber with her sister Arya.

Jon is completely absent from her thoughts about her childhood in Winterfell and missing her family.

Let’s next look at how Jon treats Arya and Sansa’s respective marriages to Stark enemies. Upon being told by Stannis that Sansa is now lady Lannister, Jon’s immediate thoughts about all this is how Tyrion is faring as a kinslayer! He does not spare a single thought for a sister forcefully married off or her whereabouts and if she was doing okay. Contrast his complete indifference to Robb and Catelyn’s reaction to this news:

Robb took her hand. "They married her to Tyrion Lannister." Catelyn's fingers clutched at his. "The Imp." "He's the Kingslayer's brother. Oathbreaking runs in their blood." Robb's fingers brushed the pommel of his sword. "If I could I'd take his ugly head off. Sansa would be a widow then, and free. There's no other way that I can see. They made her speak the vows before a septon and don a crimson cloak." Catelyn remembered the twisted little man she had seized at the crossroads inn and carried all the way to the Eyrie. "I should have let Lysa push him out her Moon Door. My poor sweet Sansa . . . why would anyone do this to her?" - ASoS

Their rage here is exactly what Jon feels when he hears about Arya’s marriage

Sansa is the same when it comes to her complete indifference to Jon. We hear all the time about how Sansa is the queen of compassion and that there’s no character in the whole of asoiaf who is kinder than Sansa Stark. But get this – Sansa has been masquerading as a bastard in the Vale this whole time and not once – not once – does she think of the bastard brother that she grew up with. There is no regret there for how she looked down on her bastard brother.

Catelyn for instance feels a twinge of guilt when she meets Mya Stone in the Vale

It did not please her; it was an effort for Catelyn to keep the smile on her face. Stone was a bastard's name in the Vale, as Snow was in the north, and Flowers in Highgarden; in each of the Seven Kingdoms, custom had fashioned a surname for children born with no names of their own. Catelyn had nothing against this girl, but suddenly she could not help but think of Ned's bastard on the Wall, and the thought made her angry and guilty, both at once. She struggled to find words for a reply.

Meanwhile after being reminded by Myranda Royce that Jon exists, Sansa:

She had not thought of Jon in ages. - AFfC

This is true. The last time she thought of Jon was the three times mentioned above in book one AGoT. Even in book 4 we see Sansa thinking of a way to get away from Littlefinger and never once remembers Jon at the wall.

Littlefinger and Lord Petyr looked so very much alike. She would have fled them both, perhaps, but there was nowhere for her to go. Winterfell was burned and desolate, Bran and Rickon dead and cold. Robb had been betrayed and murdered at the Twins, along with their lady mother. Tyrion had been put to death for killing Joffrey, and if she ever returned to King's Landing the queen would have her head as well. The aunt she'd hoped would keep her safe had tried to murder her instead. Her uncle Edmure was a captive of the Freys, while her great-uncle the Blackfish was under siege at Riverrun.

This is a contrast to Arya trying her best to get to the wall and Jon after leaving KL and sadly failing at every attempt. That’s why the show’s decision to reunite Jon and Sansa while leaving out Arya till the very end is a massive disservice to both relationships in the books. GRRM has invested everything in Jon and Arya’s relationship and nothing in Jon and Sansa’s. Arya trying for 3 books to get to Jon and failing and finally getting there? That’s actual payoff. Sansa thinking once of wanting to see the bastard brother that she forgot about? D&D – let’s unite Sansa with Jon!

Much is made of the ‘it would be sweet to see him again’ line, ignoring the couple of lines that comes before.

She had not thought of Jon in ages. He was only her half brother, but still . . . with Robb and Bran and Rickon dead, Jon Snow was the only brother that remained to her. I am a bastard too now, just like him. Oh, it would be so sweet, to see him once again.

Lines that demonstrate that Sansa STILL does not get it when it comes to class and relationships. Her attitude here is more – oh well, all my real brothers are dead and only Jon is left, so I will have to make do since I have been reduced to his level it’s ok now.

Then there’s the other line – “Winterfell belongs to my sister Sansa". I have already discussed this in another post but this was more about Jon kicking down the position to the next in line rather than his overwhelming love for Sansa. At this point Jon had already decided not to accept the offer because of Stannis’ precondition that he burn down the Winterfell Godswood. It’s possible that Jon does accept the KITN/Lord of Winterfell position in the next book if Robb’s will comes into the picture.

And finally we have heard often of Jon’s sexist dislike of the ladies when it’s more Jon’s disdain for a type that embodies Catelyn and Sansa. Jon likes the ladies just fine – he has an appreciation for Alys Karstark and she is not running around waving a sword. It’s their personality - a personality that mirrors Arya’s - that he finds attractive.

A warrior princess, he decided, not some willowy creature who sits up in a tower, brushing her hair and waiting for some knight to rescue her.

Here Jon demonstrates a weird contempt for ladies brushing their hair. Where does he get this from from I wonder?

Arya was a trial, it must be said. Half a boy and half a wolf pup. Forbid her anything and it became her heart's desire. She had Ned's long face, and brown hair that always looked as though a bird had been nesting in it. I despaired of ever making a lady of her. She collected scabs as other girls collect dolls, and would say anything that came into her head. - Catelyn VII, ACOK

He thought of Arya, her hair as tangled as a bird's nest.

And Arya . . . he missed her even more than Robb, skinny little thing that she was, all scraped knees and tangled hair and torn clothes, so fierce and willful.

She had never cared if she was pretty…Only her father had ever called her that. Him, and Jon Snow, sometimes. Her mother used to say she could be pretty if she would wash and brush her hair…the way her sister did. To her sister and her sister’s friends and all the rest, she had just been Arya Horseface."

“…my hair’s messy and my nails are dirty and my feet are all hard.” Robb wouldn’t care about that, probably, but her mother would. Lady Catelyn always wanted her to be like Sansa, to sing and dance and sew and mind her courtesies. Just thinking of it made Arya try to comb her hair with her fingers, but it was all tangles and mats, and all she did was tear some out."

Sansa was a lady at three, always so courteous and eager to please. She loved nothing so well as tales of knightly valor. Men would say she had my look, but she will grow into a woman far more beautiful than I ever was, you can see that. I often sent away her maid so I could brush her hair myself. She had auburn hair, lighter than mine, and so thick and soft . . . the red in it would catch the light of the torches and shine like copper.

Poor Arya’s disdain for hair brushing is probably why Jon looks down on the ladies spending time on their hair. Jon has always considered Arya an outsider like him and sees the both of them as being unfairly treated by the likes of Catelyn and Sansa. Everything that Jon appreciates in a woman shows us glimpses of Arya and everything that Jon dislikes shows us glimpses of Cat and Sansa.

This is indicative of the fact that growing up Arya was pretty much the only positive female figure in his life and that is why he is looking for an ‘Arya’ in the women he loves and befriends. This is why he gives Needle to Arya, allows spearwives to take over an entire castle and defend it and is appreciative of ‘warrior princesses’.

For example, Alys is physically supposed to look like Arya and both Melisandre and Jon mistake her for Arya in her visions. But, it’s only after they interact and speak that Jon compares her to Arya – because it’s her bravery that reminds him of his little sister.

Jon turned to Alys Karstark. “My lady. Are you ready?” “Yes. Oh, yes.” “You’re not scared?” The girl smiled in a way that reminded Jon so much of his little sister that it almost broke his heart. “Let him be scared of me.” The snowflakes were melting on her cheeks, but her hair was wrapped in a swirl of lace that Satin had found somewhere, and the snow had begun to collect there, giving her a frosty crown. Her cheeks were flushed and red, and her eyes sparkled. “Winter’s lady.” Jon squeezed her hand.

There’s also some nonsense being peddled around that Jon had a crush on Sansa because he described her as looking “radiant”. It’s more likely that this is GRRM just being descriptive using character POVs. I mean, we also have Ned gushing about how hot Bobby Baratheon was - thoughts that spawned a thousand NedRob shipping fans...

Fifteen years past, when they had ridden forth to win a throne, the Lord of Storm’s End had been clean-shaven, clear-eyed, and muscled like a maiden’s fantasy. Six and a half feet tall, he towered over lesser men, and when he donned his armor and the great antlered helmet of his House, he became a veritable giant. He’d had a giant’s strength too, his weapon of choice a spiked iron warhammer that Ned could scarcely lift. In those days, the smell of leather and blood had clung to him like perfume.

This does not imply that Ned had a crush on Robert Baratheon. Jon also calls Jaime and Cersei beautiful – does not mean he has a crush on them.

This is Jon’s description of Satin

The boy claimed to be eighteen, older than Jon, but he was green as summer grass for all that. Satin, they called him, even in the wool and mail and boiled leather of the Night’s Watch; the name he’d gotten in the brothel where he’d been born and raised. He was pretty as a girl with his dark eyes, soft skin, and raven’s ringlets.

Soft skin? Uh... But - no offense to the many valid Jon/Satin shippers out there - Jon/Satin is not a cannon romantic relationship unfortunately. Even though there is more interaction and an emotional connection between Jon and Satin in the books to justify shipping them romantically than there is for Jon and Sansa.

So in conclusion, Jon and Sansa have pretty much a non-existent relationship in the books and their plots do not in any way cross or connect with each other. I suspect that will not change in the near future considering Jon is most probably going to become enmeshed in the grand Northern conspiracy that includes Rickon and Arya and has to fight the Others beyond the wall where Bran is. If he does meet up with Sansa, it may well be at the very end as these are two characters who don’t have much of a plot purpose or relationship that requires meeting up.

#Jon Snow #Sansa Stark #Arya Stark #Catelyn Stark #Jon Snow and his relationships with the women in his family #ASoIaF #anti-D&D #anti-GOT #Sansa and Jon #anti Jonsa

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