#arys oakheart

[shebsart]

POV characters: AFFC

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[agot]

[acok]

[asos]

[franzkafkagf]

Thinking about the three times Criston Cole is mentioned in the main series. The first two mentions of Criston come from the POV of Arys Oakheart, a member of the Kingsguard whose soiled white cloak mirrors Cole’s own. He thinks about Criston, it's clear he does not really know what to make of this man; what were his motives, what goals did he chase? Criston and Rhaenyra. Arys and Arianne. Duty and Love.

All things come round again. The dragon eats its own tail, just as House Targaryen once cannibalized itself. The wheel turns, and the same patterns repeat. One knight kneels to defend the birthright of two women while the other took up the sword to cast a woman down from her throne.

When Arys sinks to one knee before Arianne and swears his sword to her, he casts himself as her champion and protector, a righteous defender of her claim. He is everything Criston Cole was not—or so he believes. Criston abandoned Rhaenyra for ambition or resentment, while Arys protects Arianne for love and justice. Ser Arys the Righteous, the knight who will stand where Criston faltered. A Queenmaker come to set right the wrongs a Kingmaker wrought long ago.

The final mention of Criston Cole comes from Jaime's POV as he gazes upon the White Book.

The White Book is sparse, reduced to titles and deeds, devoid of the messy truths behind them. Ser Criston did not simply make a king—he destroyed a king’s will. He did not merely defend the customs of the Andals—he sparked a war that tore the dragons from the skies and broke the might of House Targaryen. Ser Criston Cole, a knight of a house so minor its sigil is forgotten, shaped the fate of empires. "Kingmaker," they call him. Not oathbreaker.

"Kingslayer," they call Jaime. A villain. A man of no honor. Oathbreaker. Like Criston, he betrayed his king—but the meaning of that betrayal is lost in the shadow of the act itself. Jaime slew Aerys to save thousands. Criston betrayed Rhaenyra for Aegon, for ambition, for duty—or perhaps for nothing more than wounded pride. The truth of Criston’s motives, like Jaime’s, has been buried.

The wheel spins endlessly, grinding down the truth until only fragments remain: Criston the Kingmaker. Jaime the Kingslayer. One who made a king, the other who killed one. And what goes around comes around.

[helaenarts]

‘Arianne: Are you certain you are not off to some other bed, some other woman? Tell me who she is. I will fight her for you, bare-breasted, knife to knife. Unless she is a Sand Snake. If so, we can share you. I love my cousins well.

Arys: You know I have no other woman. Only... duty.

Arianne: That poxy bitch? I know her. Dry as dust between the legs, and her kisses leave you bleeding.’

The Soiled Knight I

A Feast for Crows

Arianne sketch commission for jacaerys on X

[fortunate-hal]

Dorne is no fit place for any Oakheart.

Arys Oakheart as depicted in the Finnish special edition of A Feast for Crows illustrated by Petri Hiltunen.

[ray-botic]

book 4 pov characters: arys

full lineup here

[ararebreedstory]

[a-song-of-art-and-fire]

Ser Arys Oakheart, The Queenmaker

"I will not be remembered as Ser Arys the Unworthy. I will not soil my cloak."

Cut to Always Sunny title card: Ser Arys soils his cloak. My second take on the white knight, this one more focused on his time in Dorne. As I've said before, I think I'm in the minority for enjoying Arys' slightly random one chapter - I've always viewed the core idea of ASOIAF as a fantasy story told by the people usually pushed to the margins - eg instead of Robb Stark, avenging warrior hero, we get the story of his mother balancing worry and pride. I view Arys' chapter as the most literal take on this - we get "boring white guy in scary exotic orientalist locale", then he gets killed off and we see the much more complex story from the perspective of characters he wrote off as stereotypes. Of course the counterpoint to this gambit is that it puts a lot of pressure on you to not lean into any orientalism in the rest of the story which... well.

The mini is a Golden Company one, I love it for the mix of armour and fabrics. Kingsguard white, white, and more white is always a challenge to get looking good, but I'm happy with this one. A little bit of red Dornish sand on his cloak to tie him in to the setting.

[blackbyrenflowers]

Shout out to Arys Oakheart, Westeros's first male feminist:

The truth was, the princess was braver than her brother, and brighter and more confident as well. Her wits were quicker, her courtesies more polished. Nothing ever daunted her, not even Joffrey. The women are the strong ones, truly. He was thinking not only of Myrcella, but of her mother and his own, of the Queen of Thorns, of the Red Viper's pretty, deadly Sand Snakes. And of Princess Arianne Martell, her most of all.

[sare11aa11eras]

Okay hi I did the color wheel meme

Clockwise starting from Red: Genna Lannister, Alleras and his bow, Shireen, Cersei, Tyene, Brienne in the Rainbow Guard, Arianne and Arys, and Margaery with a rhododendron.

[robynnnn311]

knowing that the kingsguard and the nights watch are all filthy liars and none of them have ever kept their chasity vows makes me feel like i’m carrying around some type of dirty secret like i’m going to go down to my local tavern in the north and be like did you guys know that the nights watch actually SNEAK out of castle black to go to the BROTHEL in MOLES TOWN yeah this is who’s keeping us safe from the wildlings !!!!!

[ser-zoras]

not to feastpost but oh my god. oh my god. the death of the boy happening in real time in the Sam chapter, with the death of vows as he moves away from the wall. Jaime spending the whole book trying to move on his grief from the boy HE killed (who is himself), but realizing he cannot when he has given the two most important women in his life (Cersei and Brienne respectively) pieces of that boy. Tywins death representing the culmination of Lannister Family Rot ™️ which is then contained in Cersei who is unable to handle it because she resents the rot as much as she thrives in it. Brienne choosing herself and the people around her over her ideals, realizing that her honor will not save her. Brienne and Jaime constantly mentioning each other in their chapters as a form of connection, romantic or not, that is reciprocated even if they don’t know it, meanwhile Cersei constantly mentions her connection to Jaime assuming they still share it and it fades and it keeps fading. Arya becoming no one, and yet she cannot be no one because she cannot escape herself or her blood. Sansa losing herself again and again, becoming no one more every day, out of fear. The struggle at the kingsmoot as a metaphor for identity and confirmation of it. Victarion grasping at straws and Asha demanding to be seen when no one looks at her. Aeron only having a good concept of his own identity because he gave up on the throne, and even then he is only the drowned god���s servant. The same thing happening in Dorne, Arianne losing herself as she loses her trust in Doran. Arys being unsure of himself as he sullies the white cloak and Areo understanding himself completely. Medieval roles and society as a metaphor for identity and loss of identity and THAT is why A Feast For Crows is unparalleled.

[sankta-wraith]

Oh god there’s two of them

A Feast for Crows page 198

[kingslayerstew]

welcoming their new brother

[asongofstarkandtargaryen]

Interpretations of the red comet:

Daenerys:

Jhogo spied it first." There" he said in a husted voice. Dany looked and saw it low in the east. The first star was a comet, burning red; the dragon's tail. She could not have asked for a stronger sign.

AGOT, DAENERYS X

It is the herald of my coming, she told herself as she gazed up the night sky with wonder in her heart. The gods have send it to show me the way.

ACOK, DAENERYS I

Maester Cressen:

An omen of blood,foretelling murder...yes

ACOK, PROLOGUE

Ser Arys Oakheart:

[Sansa]"What do you think it means?"she asked him.

"Glory to your bethrothed" Ser Arys answered at once. "See how it flames across the sky today on His Grace's name day, as if the Gods themselves have raised a banner in his honor[...]

ACOK, SANSA I

Smallfolk on Kings Landing:

[Ser Arys]" The smallfolk have named it King Joffrey's comet".

Doubtless that was what they told Joffrey; Sansa was not so sure. "I've heard servants calling it the Dragon's tail".

ACOK, SANSA I

Osha:

[...]The way she said it made him silver, and when he asked what he comet meant, she answered" Blood and fire, boy, and nothing sweet"

ACOK, BRAN I

Septon Chayle:

Bran asked Septon Chayle about the comet while they were sorting through some scrolls snatched from the library fire. "It is the sword that slays the season", he replied and soon after the white raven came from Oldtown, bringing word of autumn, so doubtless he was right.

ACOK, BRAN I

Old Nan:

Through Old Nan did not think so, and she'd lived longer than any of them. "Dragons" she said lifting her head and sniffing. She was near blind and could not see the comet, yet she claimed she could smell it."It be dragons, boy" she insisted. Bran got no princes from Nan, no more than he ever had.

ACOK, BRAN I

Greatjon Umber, Edmure Tully, Catelyn Stark and Brynden Tully:

[Catelyn]"The Greatjon told Robb that the old gods have unfurled a red flag of vengeance for Ned. Edmure thinks it's an omen for victory for Riverrun - he sees a fish with a long tail, in the tully colors, red against blue."She sighed . "I wish I had their faith. Crimson is a Lannister color".

"That thing's not crimson" Ser Brynden said.Nor Tully red, the mud red of the river. That's blood up there, child, smeared across the sky".

ACOK, CATELYN I

Theon Greyjoy:

It's my comet, Theon told himself, sliding a hand into his fur-lined coat to touch the oilskin pouch snug in its pocket.

ACOK, THEON I

Selyse Florent:

Queen Selyse was adamant" None of them was chosen by R'hllor. No red comet blazed across the heavens to herald their coming. None of them wielded the Lightbringer, the red sword of heroes.And none of the paid the price. Lady Melisandre will tell you, my lord.Only death can pay for life".

ASOS, DAVOS V

Melisandre:

[Melisandre]"You are he who must stand against the Other. The one whose coming was prophesied five thousand years ago. The red comet was your herald. You are the prince that was promised and if you fail, the world falls with you".

ASOS, DAVOS VI

Aeron Greyjoy:

The priest had dreamed the same dream, when he'd first seen the red comet in the sky. We shall sweep over the green lands with fire and sword, root out the seven gods from the septons and the white trees of the northmen...

AFFC, THE DROWNED MAN

[alicentofficial]

kinda crazy how there’s a significant group of people who read affc and didn’t immediately imprint on arys oakheart like a baby duck. what did you people even get out of that book

[closethedoorandcomehere]

Spoilers, profanity, Jaime x Brienne. Game of Thrones. A Song of Ice and Fire. AFfC The Soiled Knight

Close The Door And Come Here - AFfC The Soiled Knight

Trigger warning for gross objectification as Ser Arys Oakhart navigates Dorne and Arianne Martell. Our listeners love Greyjoys for some reason. We're not judging for you it. In an alternate reality, Damphair would have been a great EMT.