#arianne: character study

[renrink]

Some portrait studies of my girls, Raum and Aria! ♥️

[missglaskin]

House Yandere Martell Family (Platonic) HCS

Note-Some inconsistent timeline 

Characters-The sand snakes, Doran, Oberyn, Elia (Brief), Ellaria, Arianne, Quentyn, Trystane 

There was not a hint of surprise in Doran’s features when his brother was told to arrive with a little child in his arms. She must be another daughter of his. Yet that was not the case. The child apparently tried to steal something from the red viper but was caught. Oberyn has taken much interest in her and wanted to bring her to Dorne. 

Oberyn first showed you to Elia who was accompanying him at the time. She immediately fell in love with your cuteness. The sight of her doting on you encouraged Oberyn further to take you with him. They are eager to present you with their home and shower you with all the lavish things they can offer. Elia also convinced Doran to let you stay with them in the sunspear. 

Ellaria and the sand snakes were curious to see you. Ellaria knew you meant a lot to Oberyn because of how often he spoke of you and was willing to accept you into the family. Within such a short time, she grew fond of you. It made Oberyn ecstatic to hear her ask about you. Meanwhile, the sand snakes had varying reactions to their father and aunt bringing a child home. 

Initially, the oldest three were the most distant and hesitant. Tyene was the first of the three to open up to you, laying in the grass next to her as she read her book or sharing a cup of tea with you. Nymeria follows, and the servants report seeing her dress you up and dote on you. True to their word, you now wear shimmering lilac robes like hers. 

Even though she's not as affectionate as her other siblings, Obara made it clear that you would always be protected and would fight anyone if you so wish. Sarella took a little time getting used to you. Your willingness to listen to her, even if you were not particularly interested in the ruins' history, made her happy and quickly fond of you. 

Ellaria’s daughters didn’t take long either. Their mother very much encouraged them to approach and accept you as one of them. Her oldest daughter, Elia shared her love of horses and picked you the best one in her eyes. With Obella, there is nothing she won't do to get your attention. Dorea loves to hand you little things such as fruits or flowers she picked. Loreza, her youngest daughter, was often found leaning against you, at times even sleeping. 

Oberyn's heart was melted by all of this. His daughters mean the world to him. Oberyn enjoys watching you play in the water gardens with his daughters, chuckling when Obella would jump on top of you or when his daughters would pick you up and drop you again. It’s not long before the sight warms Doran’s heart as well. 

While Doran kept his distance as reasoned, you crept into his heart as you did with all his family. Doran eventually demands  that you uphold your studies and dress in his house colors. He was alright with you playing and running around while he went about his business, and he could tune you out until you wanted to show him something.

His children also adore you, but it didn’t come quite easily except for Trystane. Eager to welcome you into the family and after some time, he started referring to you as his ‘sister’. He loved playing Cyvasse with you, and didn’t mind when you would win.

As mentioned, Arianne and Quentyn didn’t immediately welcome you with open arms. But by the end, they have grown to love and protect you just as much as the others. The one who enjoys dressing you the most is Arianne, and Doran notices this more when he also smells the perfume you have is similar to hers. And while Quentyn was told not to smile easily, he of course did when he was with you. 

There is a lot of competition for your attention when it comes to the sand snakes and Doran’s children. Oberyn is the only one who finds this amusing, and it’s left for Ellaria and Doran to find a middle ground/schedule for everyone to agree on. Though that doesn't stop them from breaking it. Arianne claims she needs you for something important only to be found with you on the balcony eating treats or Nymeria pretending to teach you, but you are caught playing around instead. 

They all share a fierce protectiveness when it comes to you. Your safety is something they all agree on. Gods forbid anyone who ever dares to lay a hand on you. There will not be much hesitation with Oberyn and his eldest daughters along with Arianne. Even the calm Doran and the negotiator Ellaria are ever more furious and will demand justice for what has been done. 

In Elia’s death. It only makes the family shield you further. Doran wasn’t thinking of marrying you off as ambitious as he was. But Elia’s tragic death gives him all the more reason to never do so. With Oberyn, he found some solace in you. Oberyn not only taught his daughters to fight in order to protect themselves but to protect you as well if he were ever gone. 

Your safety wasn’t the only thing that matters but your happiness as well. They hated seeing you upset or worse cry. Ellaria, Nymeria, and Oberyn rush to hold you in their arms, their soothing words reaching your ears. Doran, Tyene, Arianne will wipe away your tears, listening to whatever is troubling you. Quentyn and Obara assume someone did this, but calm down when you assure them it’s not. 

They are supportive of whatever you pursue. You love painting? They will provide every color and brush possible. You love sewing? They will bring endless storage of yarns. You love dancing? They will throw feasts every now and then. The family loves to see the excitement on your face when you get to do what you love the most. 

Speaking of pursuits. They are also complimenting you on everything you do. It doesn’t matter if you give them the most horrendous painting or bake them the worst cake they ever tasted; you are still showered with praise. Anyone who says otherwise will be silenced by the glare the whole family gives them. 

It allows you to basically get away with anything. Doran, while he sees everything you do, pretends that he doesn’t and if he does scold you-it’s usually just for a show. Ellaria makes excuses for you. Oberyn just laughs and claims you are taking after him. There’s also the younger children joining and causing more mischief. With the older finding it all amusing and encouraging you further. 

The Martells are quite affectionate with one another. You hear the word ‘I love you’ more times than you count. There are also the head ruffles, the squeezing of your cheeks, them holding your hand, and clutching you tightly to them. More often than not, you are found in a cuddle pile. All the sand snakes or Doran’s children on top of each other, embracing you or sandwiched between Ellaria and Oberyn. With Doran, he has you seated next to him, your head leaning against his shoulder. 

[houseofpendragons]

The Sand Snakes

[Most characters cut; those who remained were changed to some extent]

Obara Sand - Prince Oberyn’s first born; A prickly, hot-tempered woman, long legged, calloused hands, rat brown hair tied up in a knot, and nearing 30. When her father came for her in Oldtown he threw down a spear and told her to pick her weapon, to which she chose the spear, leaving her prostitute mother behind whom not long after drank herself to death

Nymeria Sand “Lady Nym” - She is 25, slim and slender, with long jet black hair usually pulled back in a braid, which pronounces her widows peak. Her mother was a Volantene highborn woman of the noblest blood. Whilst Nym stole all the beauty from Obara she was no less deadly and has been described as vengeful

Tyene Sand - Born from a Septa, she is described as having golden hair, deep blue eyes, dimples that bloom on her cheeks when she smiles, fair of skin, and her voice is both gentle and sweet. Though her hands were not calloused as with Obara, they were just as deadly due to her adeptness for poisons. She and Princess Arianne Martell are as close as sisters, having grown up together, and even bedded the same man together whom took their maidenheads

Sarella Sand “Alleras the Sphinx” - The daughter of the Summer Islander Captain of the Feathered Kiss. She has light brown skin and an insatiable curiosity which strikes up a love for Oldtown in her. It is theorized that she is currently in the Citadel disguised as Alleras the Sphinx (Alleras is Sarella spelled backwards, both characters are half Dornish and half Southern Islander) studying to become a Maester

Elia Sand “Lady Lance/El” - The oldest child of The Red Viper and Ellaria Sand, named after her late aunt Princess Elia Martell. She has her father’s eyes and also wears her hair in a braid. She and Obella are described as worshiping their elder sisters, such as they are worshipped by their younger sisters. Her weapon of choice is without question a lance

Obella Sand - the second daughter of the Prince and his long time paramour, she is described as a terror in the pools of the Water Garden, and is currently a Cupbearer to the Castellan of Sunspear, Manfrey Martell

Dorea Sand - She, like most of her siblings, share the shape of her fathers eyes and is named after her Uncle and the Prince of Sunspear and Dorne, Doran Martell

Loreza Sand “Loree” - The youngest child has just turned 7 and is accompanying her mother Ellaria to Hellholt, which is the seat of Lord Harmen Uller, her grandfather

[thepalaceofmelanie]

Martell week: Character(s) of the day: The Sand Snakes (feat Ellaria and Oberyn)

Tag: @adriennegabriella @tashastrange89 @morby @candycanes19 @elvinaa @wingsoftheangels (A/N: Doing some jot downs for this one, Since there are eight Sand Snakes, this would be the easiest way. This one is with a Reader!Stark and using more of the Sand Snakes from the books then the show.)

Character(s) of the day: The Sand Snakes (Feat. Oberyn and Ellaria)

Song inspired: “Teenagers” by: MCR

-When you learned that you’d be meeting the Sand Snakes, you were a bit worried; more so that they didn’t approve of you since you’re from the North. You’re mainly quiet and more introverted but when you speak, people listen.

-Of course Oberyn and Ellaria would reassure you the whole time. They knew you’d be liked but, understood why you feel anxious. They also remind you that it’s normal and you’d be okay. __

-First one you meet is Dorea, she’s knocking off oranges in a tree at the Water Garden. She’s nice to you and really just kept to herself; she’s young, about eight from what you understand.

-At a young age you can see she’s good with her Morningstar. She even offered one of the oranges, to which you did take; it was a good move because the look in Dorea’s eyes showed happiness.

__

-Next was the youngest, Loreza; she takes after Oberyn in the creativity department. You were impressed with how at such a young age, she has the poetic prose.

-She’s quiet and it was Oberyn and Ellaria talking for most of the time.

__

-Obella, was up next. She can swim very good and her partner in crime would be Elia Sand, her one Sister.

-Obella was very beautiful like Ellaria, like the rest of the Sand Snakes, she has her Father’s eyes; but Obella has her Mother’s looks more.

-When Elia came over to you all, it was like the two girls were planning on doing something to you.

--

-Elia (El) aka Lady Lance was found near the pools; she took after her Father when it comes to her interest; horses and jousting. You remember Arianne mentioning that Oberyn possibly gave El her lance.

-She is one-hundred percent that Sand not to mess with. Also Arianne was there nearby, just waiting for El to finish up.

--

-Sarella is very curious about things. She just returned home from Shandystone and was studying her notes when you three found her.

-She was telling you different stories and her notes from the trip. Honestly, you two connected on instantly. By the time Oberyn and Ellaria, wanted you to meet another one of the daughters; you had a hard time walking away.

--

-Tyene kinda scares you.

- She really is a lot like Oberyn and it was just uncanning. From knowledge of poisons, her chosen weapon. Just being one of the reasons, you kept really close to Ellaria. The innocent persona she has up really is creepy at times; you’re good at actually reading people. She was trying to pass persona judgment on you.

-But you find out that she like her Father, also hates the Lannisters...so do you! (Minus Tyrion though, who has helped you and the Starks at points)

--

-Nymeria made you double take; she looks a lot like Oberyn, compared to Sarella. Oberyn even laughed at your reaction.

-You found out you both use hidden blades. That was an interesting time comparing the blades and sharing stories of body count with them.

-She has her Father’s “madness” in her eyes, if you even step out of place, Nymeria would end you in a heartbeat. She’s that attached to Oberyn.

--

-Obara was the last one to meet. She was different look wise from her sisters but you can tell for sure she’s Oberyn’s. She used a spear like he does and also tells you the story about how she obtained it.

-You can’t help but to admire Obara’s strength, even if it comes off a little much at times.

-Obara’s very bright and you got to learn a few things from her.

--

-So you were asked by both Oberyn and Ellaria your thoughts on the Sand Snakes; if anything it was positive; to which they were happy about. You just look forward to dinner and what might happen.

-Dinner was interesting to say the least, a few fights nearly broke out...as most siblings do. You ended up with wine on you by mistake.

-Oberyn had a word with his daughters, while Ellaria took you to a room to clean up and change. You have two good partners with them. They take care of you, the best they can!

- Oberyn and the ones who caused the issue, apologized; you accepted it but you weren’t mad. If anything it reminded you of when you were younger. Back in Winterfell having dinner with the rest of the Starks. All before Eddard, Catelyn and Robb were ripped away.

-All in all, you’re glad you went through with it.

[kingsmoot]

How do you feel about POVs with under five chapters? Which is your favorite? (For reference, counting TWOW chapters, that’s Melisandre, Arys Oakheart, Jon Connington, Areo Hotah, Aeron Greyjoy, Quentyn Martell, Asha Greyjoy, and Arianne Martell.) I hope this question isn’t too long!

this is an absolutely lovely question ty!!! and also ty for providing the list so i didn't have to google who has under 5 pov chapters

melisandre - i love mel and i love the incredible perspective her pov chapter gives on her. when i first read it as a kid i remember being really disappointed that she was a total fraud but that was a very childish reaction that i no longer have. i think it's an incredible choice that totally recontextualizes her entire existence in westeros and i really look forward to seeing how her and varys' plotlines develop parallel to one another. i wouldn't say her chapter is one of my favorites in the series, though. i really look forward to her appearances and she is the only way i am able to tolerate the dragonstone polycule plotline which i otherwise find extremely dull. but her chapter itself, while it's very good! it doesn't actually stick out for me

arys oakheart - OH BROTHER THIS GUY S T I N K S. i am so glad he's dead and i don't have to worry about his pov popping back up in twow/ados. having sex with princess arianne martell and complaining about it the whole time? bye.

jon connington - i absolutely adore jon's chapters. they're an excellent subtle character study and they're very sharply painful for me in a way i didn't expect going into them. the way he speaks about his father's contempt of him, the way he approaches his own fatal illness, the incredible web of relationships we see from his past as he reunites with the golden company. absolutely an adwd highlight for me, i always really looked forward to his povs when reading. i really hope we get him in twow AND ados, it would break my heart if we didn't hear from him again.

areo hotah - areo scored extra points for me because in hbo got he is played by deobia oparei who i am in love with (i haven't seen any of the episodes he is in but i have seen screencaps which is enough for me). i found areo pretty annoying (i don't actually like the kingsguard i find knights sort of uninteresting in general unless it's like... other characters' perspectives on knights! the knights themselves i'm like i don't like it when you guys talk go find a wall to prop up) BUT i really love his perspective on doran martell, who is one of my favorite characters. i loved getting to see doran in his garden through areo's eyes. so areo doesn't interest me at all but i like the dornish perspective we get in his chapters. and yes i do visualize him as deobia while i read which helps immensely.

aeron greyjoy - one of my top povs in the whole series i LOVE his chapters. i love that we see how broken and flawed and lost he is (much like we see in mel's chapter) and i love getting to see his solitary religious practice and i love hearing the dark twisted contradictory bullshit he cooks up in his head to make sure that balon is always centered as like a shining light that can do no wrong in his mind. what i wouldn't give for an aeron pov of theon's arrival on the iron island i TRULY believe this would be the one time grrm started slinging "faggot" around

quentyn martell - i found his povs to be a nearly unbearable slog tbh i listened to them all on 1.5x or 2x speed because i just couldn't wait for them to be over. i'm actually stunned he has under 5 povs because if you had asked me a minute ago "how many pov chapters does quentyn have?" i would have confidently answered twenty. it's like they never fucking ended.

asha greyjoy - ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE SHOW STOPPING NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE ETC. she's my second favorite pov after theon and it's a CLOSE second. i love her chapters i wish we'd gotten SO MUCH MORE OF HER in affc and adwd. she's perfect and her chapters are perfect when will grrm publish what the people (me) truly want which is just a perfect beat by beat of the entire series but from asha's perspective of like whatever she was doing at the time. not who i ever would have pegged for a noncon fetishist like as the victim in the noncon so wrow the complexity of women.

arianne martell - tbh i found her chapters to be sort of a slog too i'm not big on the dornish plotline. they're way better than quentyn's which i was actively trying to skip but in general this subplot doesn't grab me. i find it to be convoluted in a way that i don't find the rest of the series to be? i like arianne a lot and i enjoy her pov but the actual events of her chapters i find dull. her ploy to kidnap myrcella and instill her as queen of the seven kingdoms was dope and i find her pov of how everything is falling to pieces around her compelling. but she's not one of my favs and i don't find her chapters particularly memorable.

this was so fun to think about thank you for your lovely ask!

[daensan]

Rating: Mature Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/F, F/M Fandom: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms Relationships: Sansa Stark/Brienne of Tarth, Jeyne Poole/Sansa Stark, Joffrey Baratheon/Sansa Stark, Sansa Stark/Margaery Tyrell, Sandor Clegane/Sansa Stark, Petyr Baelish/Sansa Stark, Sansa Stark/Mya Stone, Asha Greyjoy | Yara Greyjoy/Sansa Stark, Arianne Martell/Sansa Stark, Sansa Stark/Daenerys Targaryen Characters: Sansa Stark, Brienne of Tarth, Jeyne Poole, Joffrey Baratheon, Margaery Tyrell, Sandor Clegane, Petyr Baelish, Mya Stone, Asha Greyjoy | Yara Greyjoy, Arianne Martell, Daenerys Targaryen Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Heartbreak, Angst with a Happy Ending, Sansa Stark-centric, Bisexual Sansa Stark, Briensa is the main pairing Chapters: 2/2 Words: 7,382

Nine times Sansa Stark had her heart broken and one time she didn't.

Notes:

This is basically a study of different forms of heartbreak and how they can affect you differently. The main pairing is Briensa, but the other pairings are significant enough for me to tag them. This is the first fic in English language I post here, so this is a little unnerving.

The title is from the poem "Litany in Which Certain Things Are Crossed Out" by Richard Siken.

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

ALL OF THEM but idk i guess that’s impractical, so 3 💖

Confession, I don’t know if or when I’m ever going to use this, but it’s a character study for my oc Arianne Martin! I would say that it’s somewhere between prose and poetry, and so far it has the beginning and the end but only half of the middle — it started out with just the opening line bouncing around in my head and then slowly more paragraphs have come to me, but idk what, if anything, I might do with it… Since ik you don't know Ari, she's a teen wolf oc who is a fire witch but she's also a child star turned teen pop icon so it's combining literal fire with phoenix metaphors and burning/dying star imagery both in a literal sense and in a superstar sense

You’re fourteen and you’re on fire; you have always been on fire.  All you have ever known is the burn-burn-burning beneath your skin, the red hot flames running through your veins.

[pxepoety]

Title: Where are my friends?

November '21

The first time I self harmed without realizing it, I came one of my best friends that I met earlier that school year. She couldn't handle me that way because it was so out of my character to her, and said that maybe I should just take a day off from socializing or else I will be overwhelming to others (mainly her, possibly a tip for myself, who knows). A breather is what she said works for her, and that I should try it. Great, but I knew I needed a friend, some sanction, not a breather. How can I tell someone who feels they can't share and handle my pain, that that's what I needed? Am I scaring them away? Lacking social intelligence and social cues about when, where, and how to be a person?

August '22

Fast forward a year, and an expensive traumatic experience happened to me. Lost and scared and alone, I came to another friend who at the time I believe I fell in love with; in love with an idea of her, but she actually studied abroad for the majority of my infatuation. Or maybe that love was real because of the way she saw and treated me last year before her abroad-- she treated me as a real person.

Rushed by emotions, I impulsively trauma-dumped to her via text. I tried and tried to talk to her in person about it many times, but she was unavailable, so a text was my last resort before anything bad could've happened to me. I cried in between the lines of the texts,

please! Reach for me! I'm calling for help! I'm in pain and I need someone!"

But she couldn't read that. Instead, she cried at how overwhelming I am. Fuck. I did it again. I knew trauma dumping the story I gave her out of nowhere was inappropriate and unattractive, and I'm sorry. I broke my character because I wanted a friend to see me as the real me: lost, in pain, and lonely. She told me she believes she's not the right person I should be telling this kind of stuff to. Ouch, because I thought of only you when I was going through my troubles. She told me that maybe I needed friends, like quality friends. Maybe, like you? I thought.

I screamed inside my head, behind my tears that were falling in front of her. We sat in silence for a couple minutes for the rest of the conversation before I took her back to campus with a "start over?" Handshake. Great.

Reflection: January '23

I feel sorry that I've distanced myself from the first friend a bit to this day, but that's what she asked for, right? We don't hang out as often around school, only regressed to waves around campus and once a week lunches at the dining hall to catch up. Our school schedules are different this year so we logistically can't see each other as often as last year anyways, but is that really a proper excuse? Because of what she told me back in November, I don't think I can face her as close of a person as I could back then anymore. She told me she can't handle people like the real me, so I'm doing her a favor I tell myself.

I feel sorry for my friend who learned too much about me. Our relationship was heading somewhere totally different; a road that for now I can only dream of. Instead, I had to relearn a lesson. Maybe self sabotaging a second time is what it takes to truly learn something about yourself.

I learned that I don't have friends. I learned that I miss you. I learned that I miss myself, and who I was before all of this. I miss you *** & ******.

[bylyn-archive]

no one ever thinks to look at the girl whose face is hidden behind long strands of blonde hair, distinctly different from the shade that everyone else has in the classroom. so she hides, more often than not, pages deep in books. goo yeseul is the girl whose voice you only really hear in class when asked to speak and even then, it’s forced more than half of the time. that girl you only notice in class because she does not wish to make herself stand out from the rest, only raising her hand when absolutely necessary. she does not speak but she listens, she observes, she remembers. she wants to learn about the world, its creatures, its people, curiously interested with no ill intentions.  

goo yeseul is not that different from yang hanbyul. like yeseul, hanbyul is helpful, caring and nice but unfortunately so, a wallflower. one will only probably notice these traits if they interact privately because again and again, her bashfulness is mistaken for arrogance. still, she remains the girl that politely calls everyone by their name with honorifics, despite the length of years they’ve known each other and the fact that she may be a year older than those she’s speaking to. whether it’s a lion or a snake, a friend or a foe. she is shy, afraid to trust, but does not hide that behind solitude or a façade. hanbyul does not speak much but she laughs whole-hearteningly, smiles sincerely, screams when scared, cries when upset. 

while she may be fragile and fearful, hanbyul does not hide.

through arianne, hanbyul learns to be less afraid. she says what needs to be said, takes the risk neither yeseul or hanbyul are willing to take. she becomes a lion, daring but not fearless. the girl that cried when a group of girls bullied her for her hair color is gone. the girl that once hid behind trees during gym class because she’s too tall for the group to participate too. the girl that will raise her hand when she wants to, when she needs to, even as her hand shakes.

yeseul and hanbyul were fine being invisible but arianne is not. she isn’t fearless but she wants to learn bravely, love bravely, live bravely.

[courtofcwls]

snake in the sea

Word Count: 1.1k

Warnings: none 

A/N: I got tired of the lack of Oberyn content out there so I did it myself. This is a character study of one of the most underrated asoiaf/got characters, my boy Oberyn Martell. This isn’t a ship piece though his relationship with Ellaria is talked about. This is just a short thing loving on my prince and all his layers. 

☼┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄☼┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄☼

Dorne was hot.

Everyone in the world knew that, gods, probably even the wildlings beyond the wall knew it. Yet, despite expecting sweltering heat and knowing it all his life, Oberyn still found himself boiling. It did, however, seem like he wasn’t alone. As he made his way down to the Summer Sea it became obvious that half of Dorne had his idea of going to the water to cool off. Had he been back at the Water Gardens his ability to cool off would’ve been much easier but alas he was needed in Sunspear on royal business.

Not that he ever had much royal business as the second son, but from time to time Doran would ask him to accompany Arianne when the gout would not allow him to be there himself. Arianne was fine on her own, more than fine, she had her father’s temperament and talent for politics. Pair that with some of her uncle’s charm and aunt Elia’s good heart and Dorne had a fierce Princess heading for the throne. Still, Doran fussed, more-so as a father than a Prince, and wanted her to have Oberyn there as help if needed. It was days like today that Oberyn resented his older brother’s lack of faith in his eldest child. As much as he wished to be back at the Water Gardens he would make do with the sea.

Making his way to a secluded part of the beach not too far from the palace but far enough away from prying eyes, Oberyn snuck past the groups of people as he passed swiftly and unnoticed. Despite the moniker “The Red Viper” still being semi-humorous to him after all these years, it was not an unwarranted title. He went without a robe the minute his morning meetings were done and made his way out of the palace in only his trousers and a bright orange tunic. A small smile appeared on his face when he realized that he got through the crowds quickly and quietly enough that he wasn’t spotted even while wearing a shirt almost as bright as the sun overhead.

A viper indeed.

Once he finally found a spot that was secluded but with enough foliage to hide some of the sun, he stripped his tunic off, rolled up his pant legs, and made for the crystal clear water ahead. Oberyn sighed the moment the water hit his feet and coolness washed over him. He continued to wade out into the sea until the water came to his knees. Part of his trousers would be wet but at that moment Oberyn couldn’t find it in himself to care. Taking a deep breath in, he smelled the wildflowers native to Dorne wafting around him and the spices from the markets whose scent lingered in every corner of Sunspear. On his next breath in Oberyn closed his eyes and allowed himself a moment of respite.

Though he never wanted for anything, his life still managed to always be caught up in some sort of chaos or another. It wasn’t a bad thing, it matched the unruly spirit of the hot-headed Prince quite well. Ellaria would often joke that the Gods granted Dorne mercy when making him his mother’s third child and not their first. Oberyn did not have the temperament for ruling full-time. He was a man that could never be tamed and did not want to be. He spent his life traveling the world, dueling the greatest swordsmen alive, and fucking anyone who caught his eye. Staying in one place and doing one thing didn’t suit him. That’s not to say he couldn’t be tied down. No matter where he went Oberyn always returned to his home and his family.

His love of adventure did not outweigh his love of his family and his people. Nothing in the world meant more to him than his family. Luckily for Oberyn, his family was, for the most part, as free-spirited as him. Hell, there were few adventures he had been on in his life that Ellaria wasn’t by his side for. His paramour was his twin flame and when they were together they burned so bright they rivaled the powerful sun beating down on Oberyn as he stood still in the sea. Ellaria understood him in ways no one else in existence ever could. She could never hold him back because she was freer than he was. She did not have his royal duties and thus spent her days living as she desired. The only true duty she held was being a mother to the youngest four Sand Snakes.

Oberyn opened his eyes to stare at the vast sea in front of him and felt himself smile at the thought of his girls. To him, the best thing his travels ever gave him was his daughters. His eldest four came to be because he brought his passion with him to every corner of the world he went to. And when he met Ellaria, she gifted him with four more vipers. Each day that passed he became more and more amazed by his children. They were all fierce in their own ways. Obara and Nymeria were shaping up to be fearsome warriors, ones that would rival even their father. Tyene shared his knowledge and weaponization of poisons and Sarella his intelligence as she studied at the citadel like her father before her. His youngest four were still very young and were forging their paths but he saw the Martell will and passion in them, already the best parts of Oberyn and Ellaria.

The waves continued to rise and fall around him as Oberyn took in his moment of peace. If he had to wager a guess he would say he’s been out there for a little over twenty minutes and someone would be looking for him soon. He had one more meeting that day before he could pack his things up and return home.

Making his way back to the shore, he reached down and grabbed his discarded tunic and put his trousers back into place. He didn’t want to leave the little sanctuary he carved out for himself but unfortunately princely duties took precedent over his own desires. He decided to cut through the main part of the market on his way back to the palace so that he could have a bit more time to himself.

Smart enough to slip some coins in his pocket before he left earlier, he pulled them out and handed them to a shopkeeper in exchange for a small bowl of raspberries. Oberyn munched on them as he walked back slowly, slithering through the crowds unnoticed once more like the viper he was.

[lookhoworiginal]

"Peace? Is that what you think this betrothal is about?" she grinned. "Do not think princess Arianne left peace instructions to her daughter, a kneeling Martell must only be as treacherous as a rebel one."

Princess Meria Martell of Sunspear, daughter of Princess Arianne Martell.

(X)

[thepalaceofmelanie]

COTD: Nymeria

Tag: @adriennegabriella @wingsoftheangels @candycanes19 @tashastrange89 @morby

(A/N: Last COTD for Martell Week. Ended up having her be the talking point, kinda struggled on an idea.)

Character of the day: Meria Martell/Nymeria

I found myself in library in Dorne, I have two books on me right now. One’s “Ten Thousand Ships” and the other is “The Loves of Queen Nymeria”. It was night time out and, of course that means I had the place to myself. I found myself reading under the stars.

I looked out to the night sky and it felt different.

I know it was the same night sky but seeing new things from the South, like certain stars was the different part. I could see one burning brightly.

“That is Nymeria's star, burning bright, and that milky band behind her, those are ten thousand ships. She burned as bright as any man, and so shall I.”

I turned and saw Arianne walking toward me.

“Good evening.” I greeted.

“Good evening, what are you doing awake?” She asked.

Arianne sat across from me and, saw the two books in my lap. A smile of happiness showed on her face. I guess these are here favorite books.

“I’m here to read for a while. I still do study a lot, there are things that I need to learn still.” I answered.

“You’re always studying, Uncle Oberyn, always tells us that you have a book on you at all times.” Arianne laughed.

“He’s not wrong it seems, you know I think you and my younger sister Arya would get a long.” I told her.

“Why do you say that?” Arianne asked.

“Well, Arya idolizes Nymeria. She named her direwolf after her, she also has a ship by that name too.” I replied.

Arianne’s eyes lit up; I knew a bit about Nymeria but not too much. We’re trying trying to get certain books up to the library at home. I look back over at Nymeria’s star; it’s a sign of hope and reminder to the people of Dorne.

Nymeria seemed like the next topic I’ll be studying for about two weeks to a month.

“Could I visit Arya sometime?” Arianne’s voice cracked me out of my thoughts.

“Of course, just make sure to let your Father know. I only say that because I don’t want him to be upset. I’m not sure who scares me more anger wise, my Husband or your Father. But I would probably say your Father. He reminds me of Nymeria.” I answered.

“Why’s that?”

“Honestly, they think things through clearly. Yes Nymeria acted at times with emotion, but she seemed more rational from what I was able to find on her. I’m certain I maybe wrong, but that’s the part of learning. I look forward to learning about her; and I look forward to you meeting Arya.”

Arianne pulled out a bottle of wine and two glasses.

“Oberyn’s?”

“Yes, yes it is.”

I couldn’t help but to laugh. I wasn’t going to tell him, it’s between us ladies. I grab the glass from her hand carefully.

Clink.

“To Nymeria, Valar morghulis.” Arianne said.

“Valar morghulis, Arianne.” On that night, I felt like I got closer to Arianne; we might give Dorne a headache by the end of this.

[diguerra-moved]

tag drop: myrcella baratheon

[raysofromilda]

tag dump !!!

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

You're fourteen and you're on fire gives me so much vibes so... 👀

Confession, I don’t know if or when I’m ever going to use this, but it’s an Arianne Martin character study! I would say that it’s somewhere between prose and poetry, and so far it has the beginning and the end but only half of the middle — it started out with just the opening line bouncing around in my head and then slowly more paragraphs have come to me, but idk what, if anything, I might do with it… will it be in Girl On Fire? Will I use it for an edit? Will it forever live in my notes app as the best thing I’ve ever written? TBD

It’s an extended Phoenix metaphor but also a burning/dying star but also spotlights are fire but also she is a fire stick in human form

To live is to burn and you are so, so alive.

You are young and you are beautiful and you are burning before their eyes, and no one can look away from a dying star

[mrsgojosatoru]

so i’ve had the theory of daenerys’ story being coded as a woman of color’s story for a while now. for a character routinely accused of being a colonizer, imperialist, and white savior, she has a lot of fans who are in fact women of color. (very often from or with family from formerly or currently imperialized or colonized lands. myself a member of the palestinian diaspora included.) i actually started thinking about this back in like 2016, before i went to school and really got a lot of the language to talk about what i was seeing. 

i have a background in popular culture studies, my BA and MA are both in popular culture. i received a minor in film studies. i also have a graduate level certificate in women’s studies. in the fall in will be a phd candidate. likely in american culture studies. i tell you all of this now to firmly root myself as an authority in this position. i have six years of formal education in media studies. 

i maintain this position, that her story is one that belongs to a woman of color. daenerys is white in art and casting because white is an unmarked identity, to even the author he feels that if daenerys were anything other than white it would need to be remarked upon. (though at one point he does describe her as dark enough to be mistaken for dothraki, that is largely ignored by both audience and author.) despite the fact that daenerys is not racialized via race characteristics in text, her story is familiar to so many women of color. 

she is a young girl, sold into bridal slavery. part of a diaspora. a refugee forced from her home after the few remaining members of her family are killed after war and conquest in her homeland. while these traits aren’t necessarily racial ones, they are familiar to many people who have or their family members have been brutalized by western imperial powers. 

it goes deeper than that though, though these few markers make her relatable to those of us who have been or have family who has been brutalized by the west, daenerys is also orientalized within the text. and the fandom reaction is to quite literally hate this dragon lady. 

daenerys is contrasted to sansa within the fandom often, and i do think these contrasts are interesting because sansa reads as very white. she is protected by the author in ways that daenerys is simply not. this is most glaringly obvious in the ways that george sexualizes daenerys and does not do the same to sansa. 

the girls are only a few years apart in age. daenerys’ body is remarked upon almost immediately. viserys makes comments about her breasts and touches her, and almost immediately in her story the reader is given a sexualized rape scene with daenerys. throughout agot where daenerys is 13-14 she is consistently exoticized with her white silver hair, and violent eyes, and eroticized through the spectacle of her body. george writes about her breasts and vagina in scenes where that is often not even necessary (such as bathing scenes.) 

this is contrasted sharply by sansa, who by asos is the same age as daenerys, and forced into a marriage against her will, but is not raped. nor does george spend time lingering the gaze on her breasts or gentiles. sansa’s body is protected in a way that daenerys’ is not. this is particularly telling as white womanhood is worth protecting, while the other then has to function as the site of desire. the only other characters eroticized the same way daenerys is arguable are arianne and taena of myr. even catelyn and ygritte who have sex scenes within the book are not constantly eroticized the way daenerys is. (to my knowledge i can’t recall a scene where cat thinks of her breasts moving under her dress the way daenerys does about the painted vest at the end of acok.) 

this exotic/erotic spectacle is not uncommon in the orientalism of women of color in 19th century paintings and stories. 

further more along the lines of orientalizing the targaryens in text, most people in westeros treat the targaryens as if they are other worldy gods, or mad barbarians. that every targaryen has the potential for “madness” which always translates into inferior intelligence and violence is not unlike the way white people have thought about people from the orient. they are less civilized in position to the rest of westeros who is much more civilized. 

fans have internalized this “madness/greatness” paradox and consistently use it as an attempt to brand dany as a foregin invading threat. they argue she has no right to the country (even though targaryen blood is what the baratheons claim allows them the throne), and consistently paint her as a threat. once daenerys comes she will burn the water gardens, she’ll burn king’s landing, she’ll burn the whole country down. this is not a far cry from similar rhetoric we see about refugees and immigrants coming into the country. white people consistently paint people of color as a threat to their country, one that must be stopped from “invading” at all costs. 

it’s this orientalism both in and out of text more than anything that codes daenerys as a woman of color. because she is not offered the protection of white womanhood, because she is written as an erotic / barbarous other, women reject her in favor of clinging to sansa a proper representative of white womanhood.