#Marriage out of duty

[fromtheseventhhell]

I want to make a longer post about this someday but: I think Arya's TWOW arc is going to include her coming to terms with her identity as a Lady. This has been an ongoing conflict with her since her first chapter and I think her flowering in winds is going to mark a turning point. The theory of her having an apprenticeship with the courtesans holds a lot of weight and the idea of Arya going through puberty among a group of unconventional women she's fostered a positive relationship with is just too perfect. It would really have an impact on Arya reconciling her personal idea of what a Lady should be. There's also a lot that she could learn from them in terms of courtesies, communication, appearances, body-language, etc. that would elevate her current skill-set and ways her relationship with them could push the plot.

Not to mention she will undoubtedly reclaim her identity as Arya Stark, and her being a Lady is inseparable from that. Arya Stark is a Lady Stark and being a Lady is a social position, not a measure of how well someone preforms feminine tasks. She shouldn't have to relinquish her position because she doesn't fit patriarchal standards. That's not to say that she's ever going to be the perfect example of a traditional Lady but what I think will happen is that she becomes capable of playing the part. She plays several identities throughout the series but she's always been Arya underneath, so I think it's appropriate that she learns to adopt a "persona" that's part of her. Her remembering Ned putting on his "Lord's face" (+ the various examples of other characters being separate from their ruling persona) makes me think that Arya will be donning her "Lady's face" when she makes a return to Westeros.

[redeemed-wren]

Honestly I think Wax and Steris are my favourite Cosmere couple

[hanaasbananas]

been having SO MANY kanthony fic ideas while I'm at work, thinking up lines of dialogue and scenes for this completely self indulgent fic but goddamn it's like all my ability to write evaporates as soon as I get home what is thissss

[vigilskeep]

apostate cousland for all the other reasons but also because i’ve always really liked witch-king as a title

[idolbound]

I think people likely do suspect Meredith might be a little 💅 you know?

Obviously some followers of the Chantry take up vows of chastity, though from what I've been reading, while templars aren't required to take said vows, they do require special permission to marry as they may be required to move to other Circles or to do the Chantry's bidding elsewhere. As it were, if a spouse can provide their own support (e.g., owning land, having a role in another organization like the City Guard [I think of Aveline and Wesley, as he was apparently a former templar]), then permission is granted. This process likely deters most templars from formally marrying, or even maintaining long-term relationships.

That said, it's evident that templars in Kirkwall frequent the Blooming Rose often enough that Meredith eventually orders a raid of the place to find out which of her knights have been paying for sex and 'ruining' the reputation of the Order and its Knight-Commander. Obviously this demonstrates that templars seek and pay for sex without commitment nor worry about an actual relationship.

But, I am also certain that templars do have relationships beyond the Order - and perhaps, also, within it, though this is obviously discouraged and likely to earn reprimand for engaging in activities that could be seen as distracting from their duties (and creating a conflict of interest / tension among the ranks).

Now, with that context in mind, let's get back to Meredith.

Of course, already in Act 1 people are terrified of Meredith, and those who serve her do not want to break rules or cross her. She too wouldn't have any interest in being involved with someone serving under her, though I'm sure there are speculations about her interests. After all, we know from World of Thedas vol 2 that, when she stormed the brothel, she came across a very naked, very erect Jethann and politely and quietly excused herself. I'm sure Jethann has talked about this incident and rumours have spread; either the Knight-Commander is indeed, just a paragon of her faith and upholding a strict vow of chastity, or she isn't interested in men. While not a common assertion, someone, somewhere has probably drunkenly theorized about it. Like all the other rumours about Meredith, I think this one would certainly be among them.

Additionally, and this is in the game itself, but if Hawke is male and 'flirtatiously' compliments Meredith, she shuts him down by saying "I do not wear this armour for how it looks" and all but rolls her eyes at him. If Hawke is female, she simply says nothing (again, likely that they forgot to record a line / chose not to), but sometimes actions speak louder than words!

Now, in my own personal headcanon, I believe that as a Knight-Templar, Meredith had to deal with her templar brothers finding her attractive and desiring her in that way, which in response, she had to assert over and over, her utter disinterest in them. Most of these boys and young men thought they were rejected because Meredith was so focused on her studies, but others really found it hard to believe she would reject them. Obviously, this started the rumour mill about Meredith, both among her own cohort and beyond; after all, she was already a contentious initiate, since she already had an 'in' to doing well in the Order ahead of her peers because she was Knight-Captain Kell's unofficial adoptive daughter. Her blatant rejections towards her fellow knights' advances only added to that, with speculations ranging from the fact she already had a secret lover outside of the Gallows, to the fact she simply preferred the company of the fairer sex.

While it was true that Meredith was intensely focused on her duties and becoming the best Templar she could be, she was well aware of her romantic interest and sexual attraction toward other women early on (likely around age 16-17). I think as a ward of the Chantry that Meredith likely developed some close, possibly homoerotic friendships with other girls who grew up alongside one another, but obviously as Meredith became a templar initiate and stayed in the barracks of the Gallows, some connections may have been lost over time.

As an adult and new Knight-Templar, I believe Meredith - young, tall, and handsome - did have numerous illicit affairs with Chantry Sisters over the years, including when she became Knight-Captain, but stopping when she became Knight-Commander. As I've discussed, Meredith is hypersexual and this affects her relationships, but during this time, because of her duties, she is never able to form a long-term romantic relationship, preferring short-lived and secretive sexual relations, hidden by the cover of nightfall and the shadows in the darkest corners of the Chantry. While she has always been hypervigilant about, well, just about everything (due to her PTSD), there have always been wandering eyes and listening ears that notice such things.

In the timeline of Kirkwall, as mentioned above, I don't think such a rumour would become known by Meredith as most people are frightened of her and wouldn't dare mention it, but I do think the templars who have known her since the beginning, and those who have perhaps seen or heard a little too much, might know about where her preferences lie. In Thedas, for the most part, it would seem that having same-sex attraction is not seen as inherently bad or evil, though according to Brother Gentivi, in some places it is considered a quirk of character or sometimes scandal if done indiscreetly , or it can be accepted provided a noble still contribute to procreation and reproducing heirs for bloodlines.

In this case, given Meredith's position as Knight-Commander, and the other actions (or inaction) she takes regarding the templar-mage conflict and ruling the city, people knowing her sexuality is truly just another piece of gossip shared over ale in Lowtown, though one that may invoke further judgement by some.

[arriettyspin]

Earth 65's Spider-Gwen and her bandmate Em Jay are essentially variants of Queen Amidala and her handmaiden Sabé from Star Wars and in this essay I will -

[lloydfrontera]

i get that it's been about twenty years since it happened and that's a long time to get past the grief but the fact we don't even get the names of rakiel and theo's mothers is criminal. two dead moms and not a smidge of angst about it. the ghosts of the people that died to bring them to life should've haunted the children and husband that they left behind. asterion should've had to see the faces of the women he married in the sons he refuses to get close to. but instead we get nothing! what gives!

[lilleputtu]

Somewhat related to Ginger's LTW to marry off 6 children: Sten went to church, mostly to talk to Leo or Murie Pike. Ginger suggested matchmaking Gil and Osanna, since the Pikes are doing pretty good on all fronts except the "getting married" one, so Sten went off to discuss it with the adults in charge of Gil.

Leo seems pretty happy about the idea.

[novococain]

🦴

[quccninchains]

{some new verses}

{☾} ;queen regent - after aegon's injuries restrict him to his bed, alicent is voted in to step in as queen regent. she has proven herself to be a just ruler and just as shrewd as her father--although she has the benefit of compassion. her first priority is to manage the unrest with the small folk. her relationship with criston cole continues in private (and there's even whispers of a secret marriage). and she won't forget larys' betrayal anytime soon either.

{☾} ;heir to the spring court {acotar verse} - the events under the mountain left alicent, tamlin's first cousin, his only heir to the spring court. her father and mother were both killed by amarantha and her mob of beasts. after being freed, she returns to her family's manor and sets to work rebuilding her life. she has no interest in ruling, but after seeing the constant blunders her cousin makes in the aftermath, she slowly begins to prepare herself for the inevitable. she is fond of tamlin, but she does not cow to his temper either.

{☾} ;hand of the queen - rhaenyra succeeds to the iron throne without any bloodshed or issues of succession. alicent's relationship with her former friend has recovered some, after viserys' family dinner and her experience as regent was not ignored by rhaenyra. despite complaints from the council, otto was removed as hand of the queen and replaced by his daughter. as hand of the queen, alicent sets to work aiding her former friend transition into power while also slowly rebuilding their friendship.

[milfygerard]

Whether I'm gonna be your wife vs Is a one-night or a wife

lavender haze clears honestly looking back on taylors career and how she wrote abt marriage that song is kind of crazyyy to think about

[spiribia]

the prince. who still doesnt have a name yet

[tcmpestes]

Good morning gamers, due to the chaos starting today I’m going to try and keep myself scarce online. Take care of yourselves and do what you can ❤️

[sqlmn]

the problem with trying to design a helmet for the demon lord is he already has horns and I have no idea how to design fantasy armor. u_u so here's a basic attempt that is hopefully not final.

[hexellent]

They know better than to get involved with anything involving angry pink hedgehogs.