#black walder frey

[dyannawynnedayne]

Ryman Frey (stevrons son with Corenna), his wife*, Edwyn Frey, "Black" Walder Frey, and Petyr Frey

Ryman's Wife = she wasnt given a name, so I named her. She is Anya Smallwood, and is the sister of Theomar Smallwood. She Does Not Like her husband (or her children tbh) and lives in a nearby motherhouse. She's waiting for Ryman to die so she can become a septa lmao. I just imagine she doesnt have a ton of ambition, got married to Ryman of all people way too young, and watched Ryman 'ruin' all their children in her opinion. She ptobably left when Petyr fostered somewhere.

[stannis-the-freaking-mannis]

house pie

[cynicalclassicist]

It's going to be Big Walder by the end. Maybe Lothar is able to take control of the Twins after a lot of his relatives fall in vengeance for the Red Wedding or to each other. But it might be a kind of quick cycle through Lords of the Crossing.

that-one-homosexual reblogged your post “As a reminder: Succession in Westeros…” and added:

Just like to add that the Stony Dornishmen prefer male primogeniture (following Andal tradition rather than Rhonyish). http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Dornishmen

Not all Stony Dornishmen. (In fact, not most of them.)

4. Do all Houses of Dorne follow the first born heir law?

The vast majority, yes. May be a few stony Dornishmen in the mountains who go their own way, those least touched by the Rhoynar.

–GRRM, “Concerning Dorne” (bolding mine)

lizzierh replied to your post “As a reminder: Succession in Westeros…”

For curiosity’s sake, the Freys appear to be pure Salic.

I don’t think we’ve seen any real evidence of that, other than Big and Little Walder’s conversation after they heard news of Stevron’s death, and they simply may have been overlooking the girls in their obsessive succession-counting. And considering the conversation referred to “Aegon and all his sons”, um… I don’t count it for much. Also, Salic inheritance is against Westeros law, as both Gorold Goodbrother’s maester and Jon Snow would tell you. So if the Freys do exclude women, they’re doing it illegally if so.

The proof will be in what happens after Edwyn Frey, the current heir to the Twins, is killed by his younger brother Black Walder. (He’s totally going to, if Lady Stoneheart doesn’t get to him first.) Edwyn’s heir is his only daughter, 9-year-old Walda. Will Walda be heir? Or will Black Walder kill her too? Or will he simply take the inheritance from her because she’s a little girl and might has the right? (Especially if he claims she’s his bastard, as she might be.) And will Old Walder give a fuck if he does, or will he just sit there and heh about it? If he’s alive at the time (which I expect he will be) of course. Mind you it probably doesn’t matter that much since I doubt Black Walder’s going to survive the end of the series anyway; hell, lord knows which if any members of House Frey will be standing in the end.

[adarkandmagicalforest]

hidden being the operative word, incase any of you ask 'what about robert?' 'what about theon?'

[agentrouka-blog]

do you think the asoiaf series have an issue with romanticizing incest ? sometimes i feel like even a pulpy series like flowers in the attic better managed to communicate the horror of incest by making it a sort of family curse

It's not romanticizing incest any more than it is romanticizing violent abuse of power. GRRM's storytelling style is geared around the reader having to make their own judgments of whether or not a character's actions and choices are "good" or "bad" or harmful or life-affirming, or destructive or effective.

And he is definitely not writing "horror" in the sense of chilling you to the bone emotionally. (Which is valid, too.) He's writing a bit more intellectually than that. He's examining the subject. From multiple angles.

Why is incest harmful? What is harmful about it? Given a general lack of natural inclination toward it, what underlying forces are bringing it forth in the story? Are they similar to the underlying forces that cause other forms of harm?

When characters romanticize incest in the story, or when they normalize it (fictional historians or other characters about the Targs, mainly) this too is the author asking you to use your brain and question that.

If you read Fire and Blood and expect that the author is presenting you with Protagonists to Identify With instead of A Problem To Analyze, you're reading it wrong. It's fictional non-fiction. Literally a fake history book.

As for the actual novel series, you're still not seeing him romanticizing incest through characters like codependent Lannister-supremacy murder twins Jaime and Cersei, or Viserys's abuse of Dany, or Craster, or the rumors of Black Walder Frey. They all involve misogyny and objectification, supremacist disdain of "lesser" people, and/or outright generational cycles of sexual and emotional abuse.

Jonsa as a concept, too, is an examination of the underlying forces. In the so-called "original outline" (really one of many), GRRM directly plays with the concept of an incest romantic attraction between Jon and a Stark half-sister (named Arya in that case) that "torments" them, and is likely to be at least in part a commentary on the distortion of family relationships through the rigid status differences enforced by their oppressive feudal, patriarchal society. As in, the incest is not fetishized or romanticized, it is a problem that has to be miraculously overcome by the revelation of Jon's actual degree of relation, which paves over the "perversion" that existed because there was no natural family bond.

So... no, absolutely not. There is no romanticizing. The book series absolutely requires critical thinking, there is meant to be some emotional distance induced by the excesses it depicts, giving you room to question and analyze. If you swallow it all as a form of "different in-universe morality" then you're missing the point.

[atopvisenyashill]

staying in the north because that’s home

we’re doing theon chapters next lads it’s about to get very sad in here. also theon has more chapters so this one is a little longer. tldr on theon’s adwd arc:

FIRSTLY I kept track of his reek rhymes it goes leek bleak meek leek squeak cheek leak weak freak sneak wreak peek freak shriek meek peek weak sneak

Secondly, just for reference, his chapter names are Reek I, Reek II, Reek III, The Prince of Winterfell, The Turncloack, A Ghost in Winterfell, and Theon. When I saw “Theon” I genuinely cheered out loud.

I like these chapters a lot because there’s a lot to analyze without (at least to me) being all that plot heavy. They just like, go to a wedding then hang out at Winterfell. Meanwhile Theon is losing his mind and also connecting spiritually with a nine year old.

I think it’s soooo funny that everyone is like “oh that Tully Temper” as if the northmen aren’t just as unpleasant as cat hoster lysa edmure and blackfish lol. like these are the bitchiest people in the world omg.

let’s goo

we are just opening with eating a alive rat let’s get into this shit.

kyra story is horrifying. the characterization for her is interesting as she introduces us to ramsay's little most dangerous game playground - ramsay truly sets her free to give her a headstart and she realizes she won't be able to find her way home on her own so she goes to the one person she knows is both skilled enough to help and likely willing to help, which is theon. but theon in that moment is still just steeped in his selfishness; he's almost more angry at kyra for not splitting up so he could get away than at ramsay for hunting them down and gruesomely murdering her.

Ramsay was clad in black and pink—black boots, black belt and scabbard, black leather jerkin over a pink velvet doublet slashed with dark red satin. In his right ear gleamed a garnet cut in the shape of a drop of blood.

the DRIP omg once again angry that the Northerners all wear the exact same ugly outfit when we could have gotten THIS

THEONSA QUOTE

but also his "she is only a girl" about arya marrying ramsay....that hurt me too

No. I never thought we would. They’re dead. Lord Wyman had them killed. That’s what I would have done if I was him.

first of all - i love this evil little kid lmao

second of all - i love that he very pragmatically is like "yeah those bitches should have realized they were gonna get got"

third of all - kinda love that he hangs around talking to theon. as i've been thinking about who will get the twins at the end, I think what's interesting here is that Little Walder, the "stupid" one, is the Frey that latches onto Ramsay while Big Walder, the "smart" one, seems to talk to everyone there, more intent on gathering information than purposefully currying favor with any one person, even from lowly, broken little Reek.

After the scratch the Young Wolf gave Lord Rickard, that may be somewhat less true than formerly. Be that as it may. Lord Stannis has taken Deepwood Motte from the ironmen and restored it to House Glover. Worse, the mountain clans have joined him, Wull and Norrey and Liddle and the rest. His strength is growing.

so we’re at Winterfell. This is how it shakes out-

WINTERFELL, STARK LOYALISTS: Manderly, Hornwood, Cerwyn, Tallhart, Locke, Hothor “Whoresbane” Umber WINTERFELL, BOLTON LOYALISTS: Bolton, Frey WINTERFELL, SHADY GROUPS: Ryswell, Dustin, FF Flints, Stout WITH STANNIS: Mors “Crowsfood” Umber, Mountain Clans (First Flints, Wulls, Liddles, Harclays, etc), Mormont, Glover, possibly WW Flints as well? IN THE WIND: Reed, Karstark, Skagosi

just listing that here so i have it somewhere.

"Has my bastard ever told you how I got him?” That he did know, to his relief. “Yes, my … m’lord. You met his mother whilst out riding and were smitten by her beauty.” “Smitten?” Bolton laughed. “Did he use that word? Why, the boy has a singer’s soul."

this one hurt my feelings. Especially in conjunction with Roose's "don't make me regret the day I raped your mother" and the way that's the comment that really gets under Ramsay's skin - I think he much prefers to tell himself that Roose was simply ~overcome with lust~ for his mother's beauty rather than Roose thinking she wasn't even worth the time it took to rape her

"You could be my man." "I'm no one's man."

screaming

interesting how both Barbrey and Wyman distrust Maesters

"And be quick about it. If she’s not wet by the time I’m done disrobing, I will cut off that tongue of yours and nail it to the wall.” Somewhere in the godswood, a raven screamed.

that's Bran btw

“Please,” he murmured through his broken teeth, “I never meant …” The words caught in his throat. “Save me,” he finally managed. “Give me …” What? Strength? Courage? Mercy? Snow fell around him, pale and silent, keeping its own counsel. The only sound was a faint soft sobbing. Jeyne, he thought. It is her, sobbing in her bridal bed. Who else could it be? Gods do not weep. Or do they? The sound was too painful to endure. Theon grabbed hold of a branch and pulled himself back to his feet, knocked the snow off his legs, and limped back toward the lights. There are ghosts in Winterfell, he thought, and I am one of them.

THAT'S BRAN TOO. GODS WEEP AND THEY WEEP FOR YOU AND JEYNE THEON!!!!

The girls were glad to see him. They knew him by his smell. Red Jeyne loped over to lick at his hand, and Helicent slipped under the table and curled up by his feet, gnawing at a bone. They were good dogs.

i'm curious if this will come up again - that Ramsay's dogs know Theon (because he sleeps with them) and they seem to like him, and they're fairly well behaved despite being raised by Ramsay.

The gods could not kill Bran any more than I could. It was a strange thought and stranger still to remember that Bran might still be alive.

screaming

so there's the murdery mystery plot. what's interesting to me here is that once we get to the Prince of Winterfell, Theon stops referring to himself as Reek (until Ramsay rapes Theon & Jeyne on their wedding night). But in the Turncloak, he goes back to being his usual prickly self; he's picking up on what people aren't saying, he starts with his "jeyne jeyne rhymes with pain" as a substitute for the reek bit, and even when he's doing the reek bit he's not just using random words, he's using insults for himself - meek, weak, freak, etc. By the murder mystery, he's straight up snapping at people, interacting with people, actively lying for no real reason, and he seems to start really resenting the idea that he'll have to go back to being Reek. There's a level of barely concealed rage more an anything but it's not directed at the people around him, it's directed at Ramsay for the first time and it's directed at himself.

anyways, there’s this clear shift as Theon starts breaking out of the brainwashing effect the torture has on him but it's not a shift into being mentally well it's just a shift back into being Theon Greyjoy and that means prickly, and that means weird magic stuff too.

The poetry. of theon’s chapters starting with his thoughts on kyra, mad at her for needing his help, to theon lying to get jeyne out of there, and grabbing her before he jumps, without even a thought in his head about leaving her behind.

[jedimaesteryoda]

The Green Fork ran swift and deep here, but the Freys had spanned it many centuries past and grown rich off the coin men paid them to cross . . . when they were done they'd thrown up stout timber keeps on either bank, so no one might cross without their leave. -AGOT, Catelyn IX

The Freys have so far proven to be one of the most faithless houses in the series. They use their position as Lords of the Crossing to secure themselves the best offer, always demanding a toll.

It brings to mind the tale of "The Three Billy Goats Gruff," a troll under the bridge, always greedy, was willing to forgo one goat for the next if the next one was bigger, meaning he offered a larger meal. Lord Walder himself is a grumpy and greedy figure like the troll, always hungry for the best deal for himself. With things coming in threes, the Freys join their cause to royal candidates and are quick to throw them aside and turn their cloaks if the next candidate is stronger and brings potentially more rewards.

The Freys first allied with Robb Stark, King in the North. He offered them a marriage and fostering two Freys. They then cast him aside after his broken betrothal, and Lord Walder had been wanting to switch sides after the Battle of the Blackwater. They are now allied with the Lannisters the wealthiest house, with the alliance with House Tyrell, the two strongest kingdoms, making them the strongest players on the field. They made the Freys de facto lords of the riverlands and offered marriages like the Boltons making Walder's grandaughters' the Ladies of the North and Darry and prizes like Riverrun. However, we know like with Robb Stark, the Lannisters' success won't last due to Cersei's mismanagement, the desire for vengeance over their past actions and another player coming onto the field from across the Narrow Sea.

"And what if I do not choose to pay this toll?" "Then you had best retreat back to Moat Cailin, deploy to meet Lord Tywin in battle … or grow wings. I see no other choices."

The fairy tale ends when the third goat arrives, the biggest and strongest of the three. The hungry troll sees him as his best meal, but he misses that his size took away the troll's leverage in threatening him as the goat knew it was capable of challenging the troll and rams him into the river to drown. The last candidate that will make them turn their cloaks and offer an alliance to will of course be Daenerys, the strongest of the three candidates.

Knowing she will need to face King Stannis, they'll demand large rewards from her. Like possibly amongst other things, to be made liege lords of the riverlands or even Riverrun and Winterfell given Walda was supposed to be Lady of the North. I also wouldn't put it past Black Walder to offer Daenerys marriage. Of course, in doing so, they overplay their hand.

They missed as each royal house they made their offer to got stronger that meant they could demand more rewards it also meant their leverage was weaker. They had the most leverage with Robb who absolutely needed them to get from the North to Riverrun and vice versa. Their leverage lessened with the Lannisters as they knew the Freys had nowhere else to go if they pulled the Red Wedding, and did not need the Crossing as much, being able to send men from King's Landing to the North or riverlands via the kingsroad. With Daenerys, she will have learned of their history of treachery, having proven themselves to be untrustworthy allies who had made themselves pariahs and lost much of their military strength in the North and reprisals over the Red Wedding. They will demand much while offering her little, or overcharging for their services. Along with having a large army, she will have dragons, something none of the other candidates ever possessed, that will allow her to fly over the Twins without paying their toll.

Looking at the opportunity costs, she may also find that they made themselves so universally hated, that it would do more for her cause to crush them.

Daenerys's reply to their offers of alliance will likely be met with "Dracarys." The Twins will likely be burned in dragonflame, and the ones who survive the flames will jump into the river to drown.

The Freys always demanded a toll, but failed to see that if they didn't live up to their side of the bargain of providing assistance, there would be a price to pay for their faithlessness and treachery.

[daenystheedreamer]

game of thrones filler episode concepts

- ser pouce gets lost in the red keep and tommen and margaery have to find him! lots of fun scooby-doo type door gags. maybe tommen stumbles upon the bodies maegor built the red keep on. they’re somehow still bleeding, as if they’re the only reason the castle hasnt been whitewashed from rain. cersei accidentally gets roped in when ser pounce knocks over her wine glass!

- sansa is haunted by the ghosts of her parents while at the eyrie... to help them move on, she has to let cat possess her so lysa and cat can mend their relationship :) this magic is never mentioned ever again, even though it could be really really helpful :) the afterlife stuff is also never mentioned again

- it’s hard work being the cleaning staff for harrenhal! roose bolton wants to be leeched, there’s man-eating rats to keep track of and there’s a weird little girl running around making trouble.... back door pilot for a downton abbey but it’s harrenhal

- guest star satin episode! it can be like one of those one-off hot women on supernatural that dean will date for an episode and she never shows up again

- now hear me out. ‘doctor-lite’ episode with maybe just a cameo from walder frey or roose, means it can be produced cheaply. it’s the day before the red wedding and black walder and lame lothar have got a HELL of a party to plan! 

- hotd filler episode! corlys brings home strange weeds from the free cities.... little arrax accidentally sets it on fire and the smoke is making house targaryen-velaryon-hightower a little kooky.... jace and aegon actually bond (this is never referenced again) and even the dragons are affected - vhagar gets the munchies! rhaenys is the only person not acting funny. revealed in a post-credits that she had QUITE the roaring twenties back in her hippy days 🤭 also she takes medieval medicinal CBD but thats unrelated

[greenaswildfire]

I was thinking... (spoilers, spoilers everywhere)

the writing decision of focusing so much on the fact that Aegon's parts were burnt root and stem is probably related to the future alliance with the Baratheons, right?

If they don't change it (lmao), almost at the end of the Dance Alicent comes up with a marriage pact, this time with Aegon instead of Aemond, and Boros's daughter. But with Aegon's inability to produce heirs, how will that work now? Will this alliance still hold?

Oh well, they'll probably use it as an excuse to justify Boros betraying the Greens. Because nope, if TB is betrayed, the Greens must also have at least one betrayal to make up for the huge difference of loyalties :)

In terms of important Houses I can't remember any house betraying the Greens (Great Houses, not others like House Peake or Fossoway). I consider quite curious how, in terms of Black side, House Arryn and House Stark took their sweet time to help them. These two Houses pulled a Late Lord Frey, way before Walder frey was even born lmao

And it's not even secret that Rhaenyra's mother was an Arryn, everybody knew House Arryn would side with the Blacks anyway, the realm knew House Arryn would be a rebel House and still, Jeyne Arryn is shown as very cautious, letting Rhaenyra fend for herself instead of helping her. (Can't blame her though, she was probably the only actually smart woman in this show who wasn't butchered by plot in order to prop Rhaenyra up)

And I won't even mention the Starks. With the reddit leaks I'm very, VEEEERY curious to see the reason behind this late help. Everything depends on whose version will prevail, Condal's or Hess's.

If we take these two houses into account, we have: Strong, Stark, Velaryon, Arryn (and maybe Blackwoods?) betraying the Blacks for their own purposes, not to mention Rosby who made very clear Rhaenyra's hypocrisy, but I doubt they mention anything about this House, right? :D

And when it comes to the Greens... only the Tullys and the Brackens (but as far as we know, their leader was burned by Daemon for refusing to bend the knee, so maaaaaybe they won't even remember them in S3?).

5 (maybe 6) vs 1 (maybe 2), woah, quite a difference in loyalties, even more considering how the Green side has always been the one with less support and dragons.

The thing is: iirc, the allies that betrayed the Greens weren't motivated by distrust in them, or the crown's misdeeds against them (like what happened with Arryn, Stark and Velaryons in TB). It was due to circunstances and manipulation tactics, otherwise, they would have stayed loyal to the greens.

Team Black NATURALLY doesn't inspire loyalty.

So they thought "how can we balance things and make the Blacks look like they inspire more loyalty than the greens???? Oh! How about find a way to shake the Green alliance with Boros Baratheon? Between a Green eunuch with a crown and Rhaenyra's two boys, Boros has more chances of power with her than with Aegon.

Condal, Hess, you can't fool us. We can predict all your moves.

Such a shame though, because by the looks of things it won't even be someone from TG who is going to kill her (if that ever happens in this fanfic of theirs), is most likely someone from TB itself because they simply have no enemies anymore.

Which is far worse PR move for a team who loves to boast about "how Aegon was poisoned by his own allies" :) Hackondal and Mess are stuck with this ending, unlessss they bring back Sunfyre and follow the book. But Rhaenyra, killed by a TG? Naah, it wouldn't be tragic girlboss enough for her. I place my bets on TB.

[raspberryfingers]

A Lion in the Garden -Tywin Lannister x Reader- (Part 20)

WARNING: Mentions of sex

—————

Robb Stark was undressing and getting ready for bed, watching his wife and newborn son—Ned—playing on the bed with a fond smile on his face. It was an odd thing, for in the several months that he had been back at Winterfell, he couldn’t stop thinking about what you’d said. He would’ve walked straight into a slaughter had he married his uncle to one of Walder Frey’s daughters.

You’d saved his life and allowed him to return to Winterfell free of any treasonous charges. Plus, in the last several months, the gods had managed to bring his family back together. Minus Bran, who several Stark men were beyond the wall searching for. Not knowing whether or not he’d ever see his brother again made Robb quite anxious, but he held out hope. 

Rickon had been brought back to Winterfell with a wildling, and according to him, he had escaped with Bran when Theon had taken Winterfell, and Bran had warging abilities. That was why he was going beyond the wall. 

Ah yes, and then there was Theon. Robb had by all accounts intended to take his head, but when he returned to Winterfell and found the sorry state he was in, he couldn’t do it. He often wished he had, but deep down, he knew he wouldn’t have been able to in any circumstance. Theon had always been like a brother to him.

And of course, the Hound had brought Arya back too. She had told the family quite a lot about her adventures in the Riverlands, and at Harrenhal. Though she ‘failed’ to mention it to her mother, Robb had heard about her time as Tywin Lannister’s cupbearer. Besides you, he didn’t think he’d ever heard someone say such pleasant things about the Old Lion.

And then there was the Hound, who—upon arriving at Winterfell—found that he didn’t want to leave. He’d been at Winterfell ever since then, specifically in charge of looking after the Stark children. It gave him a feeling that was as close to joy as he would ever get, and seemingly helped to soothe the anger in him. 

More than anyone, though, Robb’s mother was glad to see their family together again. Losing Ned had been hard, and she’d been so afraid of losing her daughters too. 

But she was home now. 

They all were. 

Well, Sansa was in Highgarden, but Loras had vowed that they would come and visit quite often. It soothed Catelyn, and more than anything she was glad to see her daughter happily married.

Along with that, Robb still had to uphold a promise he’d made to Arya upon her return, which was that they would visit Jon at Castle Black. Though, with Stannis occupying it and preparing to march south, it would have to be postponed awhile. 

He couldn’t wait for all of this to be over.

Robb’s thoughts were disrupted, however, by a distinct knock on his door. With a sigh, he moved over and opened it, finding two of his servants with a rather large box.

“What’s this?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

“A message and a gift for you, Lord Stark.”

“From whom?”

“Tywin Lannister.”

Robb Stark was shocked, and somewhat wary. What on earth could Tywin Lannister of all people be sending him? 

Then he remembered something. 

“Bring it in, set the box down on the table,” he commanded, letting them awkwardly shuffle in and do so. Talisa watched somewhat anxiously, holding her baby to her chest as she sat up in bed. 

Robb thanked the men as they left, and moved to open the box once the door was shut. He knew what it was before he lifted the lid off, but was still excited to see it.

Ice.

Robb lifted the giant sword from its case, examining it and smiling. He was grateful to see it returned home, and for a moment he thought he might cry. This sword was one of the few things he had left of his father. 

“This’ll be yours someday, little man,” he said softly, showing the weapon to his son, who certainly seemed intrigued by its shine. 

“Not for a long time, though,” Talisa added, raising her own eyebrows at her husband. He chuckled and nodded, knowing she was right. She always was.

Carefully, he set the sword upon its holder on the mantle. It had been sitting empty for years now, and it made him happy to see it restored. 

Oh father.

Robb made his way back to the table, lifting the letter that had come with it. Sure enough, it had the hand’s seal. 

Carefully, he opened it and began to read.

Lord Stark,

My son Tyrion promised that this sword would be returned once you were no longer in rebellion, and he is true to his word. 

Though, I am sorry to inform you that you have not been returned the entire sword. I doubt you would have noticed, but I feel compelled to admit there is about an inch missing from it.

This metal will be put to very good use, I assure you. Several months ago, Lady Tyrell—to whom you spoke—gifted me a ring made of Valyrian steel. I intend to do the same for her, the only difference being that should she accept my gift, I will take her as a wife. 

As a man quite devoted to your own wife and family, I’m certain you can understand the sentiment. I’m also certain I can trust you to keep the content of this letter confidential, minus your wife. Best wishes, Lord Stark. 

-The Hand of the King, Tywin Lannister

Robb Stark found himself beginning to laugh, not in the slightest upset about what he had learned. In fact, he was happy for the Old Lion. It was odd, especially because they’d been at war for years, and yet there was no bitterness in Robb Stark. 

After all, Joffrey was dead, just as you had assured Robb he would be. And, knowing that Tywin Lannister intended to marry you made perfect sense. Who else but the Nightshade of the Garden would be able to satisfy and soften the most powerful man in Westeros?

“What does it say?” Talisa asked, not expecting her husband to begin laughing at a letter Tywin Lannister had sent. 

Robb was still smiling as he handed the paper to his wife, and he watched her read it for a few seconds.

“It seems the Old Lion intends to take the Nightshade of the Garden as a bride.”

She looked it over completely, and began to gape. She certainly wouldn’t have expected the man to be so sentimental, but deep down she knew better than to doubt the effect that women had on men. 

“Do you think he’s already asked her?” She questioned, handing the letter back to her husband. Robb shrugged, placing it on the table. 

“It’s hard to say, really. There’s no date on the letter,” he said, joining his wife in bed and taking their son into his lap. Talisa watched her husband lift the boy into the air, both of them grinning and giggling at each other. She couldn’t help but smile at the scene, and she leaned over to kiss Robb’s cheek. 

“And you’re not upset he took some of the metal off?”

“No, oddly enough. I should be furious about the idea of a Lannister attempting to alter the sword in any way, but Tywin Lannister is right. I’m a sentimental man, and I do love my family. Not to mention, I love my wife very much,” he said, grinning at Talisa and kissing her softly. She gave a small laugh in reply. 

“And with that in mind, I can’t find it in myself to be angry. Lady (Y/N) was a well spoken, impressive woman. The type of woman a man like Tywin Lannister would enjoy and appreciate. Not to mention, I’m certain she’s earned his respect by now. She mentioned she’d yelled at him and even despite that they get along quite well. If the Old Lion has found happiness, good for him. Maybe it’ll make him less of an obnoxious cunt,” he reasoned, covering Ned’s ears at the end. Talisa smacked his shoulder, and he began to laugh. 

“I mean it! I know you certainly made me a better man, who’s to say the same can’t be said for Tywin Lannister? Plus, everyone knows his last wife made him a better man, I bet it could happen again,” he shrugged, removing his hands and patting over his son’s head, which was already full of thick dark hair. 

“Do you think she truly loves him though? Plenty of men have wanted her over the years, and yet she’s never married. Why would she pick Tywin Lannister of all men?” Talisa questioned, knowing that plenty of people thought the man to be disagreeable.

“When I’d spoken to her, she described him rather nicely. I had a suspicion then that perhaps something more was going on between the two, and it seems I was right. You’re probably not aware of this, but she hated him for a long time. She visited Casterly Rock as a girl and the two of them did not get along very well. It’s why I laughed when I learned that the Tyrells and the Lannisters were making an alliance. I honestly figured it would be a weak one given that their two leaders are not particularly fond of one another. But no, by all accounts, the two have gotten along rather well since the Battle of Blackwater. She wouldn’t have put aside that rivalry for show unless she truly, genuinely liked the man,” Robb explained to her, watching as she took Ned in her arms and placed him in the wooden crib beside their bed. He was thankfully a very quiet baby, and went to sleep with relative ease. It made Robb feel that they’d named him correctly. 

“I see. Well, hopefully Lady (Y/N) says yes. I’m certain they would have quite the wedding.”

“I hope so too. Perhaps they’ll even invite us.”

The two laughed, laying back in bed and cuddling close together. As Robb began to drift off, he found himself smiling.

To the Old Lion and the Nightshade of the Garden.

—————

Tywin Lannister was nervous.

He found himself sitting in the garden where you two had properly fought for the first time over a year ago. Though, he hoped this conversation would go much differently. 

He was fidgeting with his own rings, and he felt vastly uncomfortable. He was never nervous, and experiencing the feeling brought him great discomfort. What if you should say no? What if everything that came out of his mouth sounded incoherent, and he upset you? 

There were a million possibilities when it came to what he was about to do, and he found himself imagining every single one. 

He couldn’t recall the last time he’d wanted something this badly. The last time he’d cared so much about a single person’s answer, or opinion. He’d lived a long, decent life despite his losses. He had all that most men craved, and yet the one thing he truly wanted was you. 

More specifically, to make you his wife. And what if you should be against that? How would he live with himself, knowing that you hadn’t wanted to marry him, but did so to avoid another lord? He had no doubt you would at least be content in the marriage, but he didn’t want you to merely be content. Tywin wanted you to be happy, to be fulfilled as his wife. Just as he would be as your husband. 

More than anything, he wanted to give you the world. He wished he wasn’t hand of the king, so he could marry you and return to Casterly Rock. Oh to return to his chambers with their tall, large windows that overlooked the sea. 

He wanted to share that bedroom with you more than anything else on earth. You had the perfect temperament to be the Lady of Casterly Rock, he knew it for a fact. 

Oh to marry you.

Not to mention, to shower you with riches and dress you in the finest Lannister red and golds. He knew you’d always be a Tyrell, but it didn’t keep him from imagining how wonderfully you would represent his own house. 

But, what if you didn’t accept his proposal? Again, these thoughts came back to him, and he sighed before rubbing his face again. Tywin Lannister felt as if he was in utter shambles.

He tried to distract himself with the flowers, which were currently in full bloom and looked absolutely magnificent. A lion in the garden, indeed. 

Just then, he heard a noise, and looked over to find you standing there. He instantly sat up straighter, and took a deep breath. Your grandmother was right. It was now or never. 

—————

“Tywin?” I said softly, a tone of inquiry in my voice. He had an odd look on his face, sitting on the bench while he fixed his ring. It was the one I had given him.

“(Y/N), sit, please,” he said quickly, scooting over a bit. I moved forward and sat down beside him, admiring our surroundings. The first time we’d sat here together, it hadn’t been nearly as beautiful. Right now, I felt oddly at home, almost as if I was back at Highgarden.

“It seems every time I’m sitting on this bench you’re right beside me,” I observed, to which he nodded and gave a gentle smile, but said nothing. Yes, something certainly was wrong, and it made my stomach drop. Had something happened? I swallowed, hoping I was merely in my head and all was well.

“You asked to meet me here?” I questioned then, having received word from a servant an hour ago that I should expect to come here at this time of the afternoon. Golden sunlight was peaking through the garden, and it was enough to be warm but not hot. It was a lovely afternoon, in all honesty. 

“Yes, I did,” he said simply, rubbing his hands against his thighs. I’d never in my life seen any man display such nervous behavior, and it was even more unsettling from him. Since when did Tywin Lannister let himself be consumed by nerves? 

Though, when I considered his behavior at the tourney, perhaps it wasn’t all that strange. Still, it didn’t make any sense for him to behave this way while merely conversing with me. 

“Am I allowed to know why?” I asked, making Tywin look over and raise both eyebrows. Gods, what was wrong with him? He was acting as if I’d said something astonishing and he hadn’t expected it.

“Yes, you certainly are. I have, uhm- I’ve requested your presence so that I might give you a gift. Two gifts, actually,” he said, stumbling over his words a little. He wasn’t even looking me in the eyes. 

“Are you alright, Tywin? You seem… anxious,” I questioned softly, furrowing my eyebrows with concern and pressing my hand to his forehead. Perhaps he was coming down with something? His face did feel awfully hot. 

He reached for my wrist, kissing my palm as he brought my hand down from his forehead.

“I’m alright, my dear, just allow me to explain,” he assured me, seemingly relaxing a little bit. I nodded, then processing that he had gifts for me. What sort of gift would be making him act this way? 

“There’s two gifts, and one requirement. The requirement is that in order to receive the second gift, you must accept the first one,” he continued, watching my face carefully. I nodded at this, though I was truthfully feeling somewhat confused. What was so important that I couldn't have both things individually? And why was he being so mysterious about the damned thing? 

Nothing about this conversation had made any logical sense thus far, and it made me feel as if I was dreaming. Tywin was always so well spoken. So confident. He was a lion, after all. 

“Very well, what is the first one?” I asked, deciding to ignore all my other concerns. Perhaps there was a reason for the odd behavior, and all would be explained momentarily.

Tywin paused, reaching for my hands and taking them in his. His hands were soft and warm, and the feeling of his skin on mine was pleasant. Not to mention, his hands were practically twice the size of mine, and I felt entirely enveloped by him.

“Before I give it to you, can I say something? Would you allow me to?” Tywin whispered, and there was a hint of emotion in his voice that I could not deny, nor place.  

“Of course, Tywin. What is it?”

He swallowed, looking me in the eyes as he again fixed his posture. He inhaled awkwardly, closing his eyes for just a moment and then opening them fiercely. Somehow, I knew then that the lion was back. The anxiety that had been consuming him—for whatever reason—was gone now.

“The last time we sat here, (Y/N), you were lecturing me. You were expressing your hatred for me, and rightfully so. At the time, I thought you were being ridiculous. I thought you were still a girl, just as you had been the first time we’d met. But no, I quickly learned that you were not. And, despite the anger I felt while sitting here, I would soon become grateful for it. I am truthfully very grateful that you yelled at me that day, because if you hadn’t, I might not have become so obsessed with the idea of making you tolerate me. And if I hadn’t done that, I never would’ve entertained the idea of you liking me, let alone- let alone loving me,” he said, taking deep breaths and letting out shaky exhales as he did. It was as if he had to remind himself to be calm. Though, the sentiment was overwhelmingly sweet. I felt myself smiling as I pressed one of my hands to his face, letting my thumb stroke his neat stubble. 

He leaned into my touch, placing one hand on top of mine as he continued. 

“And more than that, I found that I liked you. I found that I enjoyed watching you smile, and hearing you laugh. I was comforted by your thoughts, and reassured with your advice,” he muttered sweetly, a distinct passion and adoration in his eyes as he stared down at me. Then there was a slight sadness.

“After losing Joanna, I never thought I’d love another woman again. I never wanted to. But you managed to force yourself into my heart, as ridiculous as that might sound. And now that I have such a fondness for you, I can’t imagine my life without you in it,” he said, eyes scanning over my face as he did. I still had not a clue where he was going with this, but my heart pounded with every word. I couldn’t ever recall him being so open about how he truly felt towards me. 

“About a week or two before you left for Dorne, I received a raven from Catelyn Stark, requesting that her husband’s sword be returned to her son. I had, in all honesty, forgotten about that sword up until then. Upon remembering its existence, however, I found myself presented with an opportunity,” he began to explain, confusing me even further. What in the seven hells did the Stark’s ancestral sword have to do with anything?

Tywin paused, observing the somewhat confused look on my face. He looked away for a moment, as if considering what to say next. I then watched him move his hand, raising and positioning it so I would look down at his rings. The one I’d given him in particular, as it shone twice as bright. 

“(Y/N), when you gave me this ring, it was a symbol of our improved relationship. It was a symbol of our friendship. The day you gave it to me, I was no longer the Lord Hand, or Lord Tywin. From that day on, I was just Tywin to you,” he said softly, looking down at his hand before looking me in the eyes again. There was something so serious, so dire in his voice. He swallowed and then continued to speak once more. 

“And upon remembering that I would have to return that sword to Robb Stark, I felt compelled to take another step forward. Because for quite some time, I was more than satisfied being just Tywin to you. In fact, I was overjoyed. But eventually, I realized that I would be content as more than just a lover to you. And so, from that sword, I forged you a ring. A ring that I hoped would symbolize not only our friendship, but our love as well. A ring that I hoped to give to you… to give to you the day that I… that I asked you to be my wife,” he said, voice soft and progressively becoming quieter as he spoke. At the end, his voice was at a whisper, but not so quiet that I did not hear him. 

I then watched him reach into the pocket of his coat, and when it was removed, I found a ring in the palm of his hand. It was made of Valyrian steel.

My heart skipped several beats, and I could not keep myself from gaping as I looked up at him. I searched his face, and I tried to contain myself. I did not want to jump to conclusions, but I felt tears begin to well in my eyes. Was he truly asking for my hand?

“I had this ring made before I bedded you for the first time. At that point, I did not feel ready to ask for your hand in marriage, but I did feel that it would be plausible in the near future, so I had it made then anyways. It was not until Dorne… not until you were away from me that I realized there is only one thing that I will ever want for the rest of my life. When you were gone, I of course feared for your safety, for your life. I often found myself lying awake at night, wondering if you were still breathing. I was terrified. But, more than that, I missed you. I missed your teasing and your flirting, your excitement over simple things. I missed your warmth in my bed at night, and the sound of your laugh during the day. I found myself increasingly aware of your absence more and more each moment. And, I found that I couldn’t stand it. I couldn’t bear to be without you, (Y/N), and it’s because of that fact that I want to ensure your permanence in my life. I want to ensure your permanence in my life for the rest of my life, no matter how short it may be, and that is why- that is why I’m begging you to accept this ring and wear it proudly for as long as I live. That is why I’m asking you to be my wife, (Y/N).”

There was so much emotion in his face, in his eyes especially, as he revealed all that he felt for me, and I couldn’t deny the tears that had begun to spill from my own eyes. 

Oh Tywin, my dear. 

I cupped both sides of his face with my hands, giving him a gentle smile as I spoke.

“When I was in Dorne, Tywin, I was sitting around the fire with Jaime and Bronn one morning. We were discussing how we’d like to die, and additionally how we’d not like to. I noted that the worst idea of death to me is somehow that of lying in a bed surrounded by too many children and grandchildren. I explained to them that my worst fear has always been being married off to some lord and losing who I am. My worst fear is being sold and bred like an animal, and only ever serving that purpose just as so many women are forced to do. I told them that, and reasoned that it’s why marriage has always made me so reluctant. But, upon saying this, Bronn pointed out to me that you had allowed me to come,” I began, giving him some context for what I was about to say. I spoke slowly, occasionally sniffling because I was somehow still crying. It seemed Tywin was about to as well.

“I realized then that Bronn was right. Even after the tourney, even after you’d expressed such a distinct fear about me being in a dangerous situation, you still let me go with them to Dorne. Not for Jaime or Cersei, but for me. You let me fulfill my more adventurous desires, which is something that few other men would do. And when I thought about that, I understood that the idea of marriage, the concept that I had been so against and hated so much for the majority of my life, was no longer something I feared. I no longer feared it because I knew that if you ever took me as your wife, I would still be more than just your wife. And with that thought came the realization that I do want to marry you, Tywin. To be your wife would be the most divine thing in all seven kingdoms, and I should be proud to take you as my husband,” I told him softly, both of our tears flowing freely now. Tywin smiled at me and wiped my cheeks, sniffling as he looked down and slipped the ring onto my finger. The weight was pleasant, almost as if it had been missing from my hand every day before this day. 

I took Tywin’s hand in mine then, pressing our rings together and smiling at him. The metaphor was certainly not lost on him, and he did not waste another moment before leaning down and kissing me. 

I wrapped one arm around his neck and held his face with my other hand, kissing him through my smile and simultaneously my tears. Tywin’s arms were wrapped around me, holding me impossibly close, almost as if he couldn’t believe I was real. There was so much love and passion in that kiss, and it was so overwhelming that somehow kissing him was not enough. I wanted to meld our souls together, to be eternally connected to him in every way that I possibly could. 

“(Y/N)… (Y/N), I love you,” he whispered, swallowing and catching his breath. He let our foreheads press together, and all I was physically able to focus my eyes on were his eyes. 

“Oh Tywin, I love you so much. So much,” I muttered in reply, kissing him once more before smiling as I pulled away. Somehow, I was still having trouble processing that I would truly be his wife. 

Gods, I couldn’t wait. 

“Now that I’ve given you the ring, would you like to know what the second gift is?” He whispered after a moment. I was utterly shocked then. There was more?

He moved his face back, and gave the smallest of grins at the shock in my eyes. 

“I spoke with your father this morning. I told him I was going to ask for your hand in marriage today,” Tywin began, making me raise an eyebrow.

“And how did he react to that?”

“He began to choke on his wine.”

We both laughed a bit, because it was exactly what I would’ve expected from my father. I suspected he was the only Tyrell who was entirely clueless about my relationship with Tywin. 

“I explained it to him in political terms, such as he needed to marry you off to a decent lord, and I wanted more children. I truthfully don’t care if you’re opposed to having children, but I did need an excuse, and your father thought nothing of it. I explained that we got along fine and would make a suitable match, but that I had a request to make,” he continued, much to my amusement, for I would’ve given anything to see my fathers face during this conversation. 

“A request?”

“I told him that if he wished to see you married to me, he needed to keep you as the head of the Tyrell army. He stuttered and fumbled around for a minute or two, but I made it abundantly clear that it was absolutely necessary, and he relented,” Tywin revealed, watching with satisfaction as I began to gape once more. 

“He’s not going to name Loras the head of the army?”

“Not so long as he wants to see us married, no he won’t.”

I began to laugh now, throwing myself into Tywin’s arms and holding him as tight as I possibly could. The man had just ensured I would keep the one thing I’d always valued so much and held so close to my heart, and how could I not love him even more after that? 

“Oh Tywin, thank you. Thank you, thank you… thank you,” I repeated, still smiling and laughing softly as I remained in his arms. To say that I was overjoyed was an understatement. 

“I told your grandmother this, and I’ll tell it to you as well. Anything you desire I will give you. If you want to be my wife, then you will be. If you wish to remain head of the Tyrell army, you will. I would give you all seven kingdoms if you so much as mentioned it,” he said, voice soft and low in my ear. I couldn’t stop smiling. I couldn’t think of a single day in my life when I’d ever received so much good news. I couldn’t recall a single day where I’d ever been so happy. 

“I love you, Tywin, so much,” I whispered, unable to express anything but that. He chuckled sweetly, arms still wrapped around me. There was such peace in his arms, and knowing that I would spend the rest of my life in them made me smile brighter than the sun. 

As I pulled away, I seemed to remember something Cerella had said once. Looking down and observing my ring, I contemplated it. The ring was adorned with intricate vines for a pattern. There was a beautiful red jewel on the top, and on the bottom, a lion appeared to be sleeping, covered in the vines. And of course, it was nightshade. 

“You know, Tywin, the day I told Cerella that we were romantically involved, she gushed about it so much, claiming that we would be the most powerful match Westeros has seen in centuries. At the time, I hadn’t fully grasped that sentiment, but the more I’ve thought about it the more I’ve realized she’s right. Usually the lowborn get to marry for friendship and love, and we have to marry for political power. But, the curious thing about our marriage is that it will accomplish both. We’ll be combining the two richest houses, and in doing it, we get to marry someone we both truly love. That idea in itself feels quite powerful to me,” I said, motioning around with my hands as I explained my thought process. Tywin smiled at me the whole time. I didn’t think I’d ever seen him smile so much.

“Essentially, the two most powerful people in Westeros are getting married and have each other’s interests at mind. The two greatest powers are becoming a single entity,” he remarked, to which I raised an eyebrow.

“Well, you may be the most powerful man in Westeros, but to say that I-“

“I’m a puppet, (Y/N). I know that, and I don’t mind it. You’ve always pulled my strings, sometimes I’ve been conscious of it and sometimes I haven’t, but the reality of it is, I let you do it because most of the time it does no harm to me. In fact, when I let you take more control, things usually go better than they normally would. I wouldn’t let a stupid person sway my decisions and beliefs, you know that. My point is, if someone has the ability to influence the most powerful man in Westeros so consistently, then what does that make them?” He questioned, raising an eyebrow at me to demonstrate he was serious. 

“The most powerful person in Westeros,” I answered. He nodded, satisfied with my answer. In all honesty, I had not realized he viewed it that way. He was right of course, I had been pulling his strings, though it was never out of malicious intent, and I usually only did it for the good of the realm. Or my family, as happened with Loras and Sansa.

“I’ve never wanted to manipulate you, I hope you know that. When I attempt to change your mind, I do it for the good of the realm or the good of my family. I’ve never once done it to gain personal power, you’re more than that to me,” I said, not wanting him to feel as if I was playing the puppeteer because it gave me personal glory or satisfaction.

“I know, my dear. It’s why I went along with the idea of Prince Oberyn killing Joffrey.”

My mouth dropped a bit, and he kissed my forehead. 

What?

“Oberyn Martell did kill Joffrey, but everything that happened was too perfect. It was deliberate, well thought out. Men like Oberyn Martell are impulsive, and you’re the most thorough person I know. Plus, you had plenty of reason to want Margaery married to Tommen instead,” he said quietly, knowing we were in a secluded area but should still make efforts to at least be somewhat secretive. I was still gaping, shocked that he had known it was me the whole time. 

“I’m not mad, dear girl. Tommen is much easier for me to control, and you know that too,” he whispered, thumb brushing over my cheek. I swallowed, somehow coming back to reality as he said it.

“I wouldn’t have put the thought in Oberyn’s head if it would’ve caused any complications of your power. I only did it because Tommen was clearly a better temperament for a husband and for a king.”

“I’m aware, (Y/N). We need not discuss it further now that it’s no longer a secret. All I ask is that you promise me one thing.”

“Hm?”

“The next time you decide to plot something like that, tell me first. If you cannot trust your husband with these things, then who can you?” He requested, both of my hands in his. He gave them a gentle squeeze, and I could tell he meant it. He genuinely was not upset about Joffrey’s death. 

“I’ll tell you, Tywin. I promise.”

“Good. Do you think you can make it up the tower of the hand?” He questioned, tucking a strand of hair behind my ears. He couldn’t take his eyes off me either. 

“It’s only slightly irritating to go up stairs, I’ll manage it perfectly fine,” I reasoned, knowing my wound was well healed enough for plenty of things. The look on  Tywin’s face told me he already had one thing in mind.

“Will you join me there tonight? I’m tired of covering your mouth when I fuck you. I'd like to hear your moans tonight,” he muttered, looking me up and down before settling on my face again. There was a lusty haze in his eyes, and I expected he’d be a bit more unhinged tonight. I grinned at him and nodded, quite excited at the prospect.

“Yes, I’ll join you in your chambers tonight, Tywin.”

He leaned in and kissed me once more, and I felt my stomach consumed with butterflies like it was the first time I was kissing him. 

I felt then, that despite their cruelty, the Gods rewarded us from time to time. And I knew it then, that the nicest thing they would ever reward me with was Tywin Lannister.

To spend the rest of my life with him, what a thought.

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[aegor-bamfsteel]

Hello Bamfsteel. I have been following your blog for over a year now but I realize I haven't commented or reblogged much (I kinda avoid online interaction because I'm terrified of accidentally offending someone). But I cannot express how much I love your blog, and admire you for carrying on despite the hate you get from antis. I was already ambivalent about Daemon, but you got me rooting for him... and for Daena, Rohanne, and Aegor, the last of whom in particular is basically unanimously hated by the fandom (hell, one random tvtropes page even called him worse than Aerys the Mad King)!! So I'm grateful for your blog and hope you keep posting.

Anyway, as a fan of both the Blackfyres and Arthuriana, I'm currently planning to write an Arthurian retelling of Daemon I's life and was wondering about how he chose his sigil/heraldry. Twoiaf says that he simply reversed the Targaryen colors because that's what all bastards do. But I don't know if there are any other examples of this happening in canon.

On the contrary, I recall Jon saying to Arya in AGoT: "Girls get the arms but not the swords. Bastards get the swords but not the arms. I did not make the rules, little sister."

So now I wonder if the 'black dragon on a red field' was actually Daena's personal coat of arms, and Daemon simply chose it after Aegon's acknowledgement as a symbol of defiance and loyalty to his beloved mother. I love the notion that the chivalrous-to-the-last-breath Daemon Blackfyre didn't care all that much for his terrible and blatantly unchivalrous 'father' and instead everything he did, from winning the squires tourney to rebelling against Daeron, was his way of making his mother proud and atoning for all the humiliation she had to suffer due to his birth.

Sorry for the long ask. I am just excited to meet a fellow Blackfyre fan :)

Hello, thesupercat. Thank you for the long ask, and putting up with my slow responses over the past year. I have a little more free time/motivation to write recently, so I’m trying to answer more questions. I’m glad that my posts could bring your fandom experience some happiness. If you ever write the Arthuriana about Daemon I, don’t be afraid to send me a link.

TWOIAF and Dunk actually have different origins of the Black Dragon sigil; Dunk claims “the arms of House Targaryen had borne a three-headed dragon, red on black. Daemon the Pretender had reversed those colors on his own banners, as many bastards did.” (The Sworn Sword) but TWOIAF actually says “Reversing the colors of the traditional Targaryen arms to show a black dragon on a red field, the rebels declared for Princess Daena's bastard son Daemon Blackfyre, First of His Name, proclaiming him the eldest true son of King Aegon IV, and his half brother Darren the bastard.” (TWOIAF Darren II) What a lot of antis miss in their analysis of Daemon and Aegor is conflating their actions with that of what the Reds said their supporters did (if Daemon didn’t create the sigil, it could be evidence that the rebellion wasn’t premeditated, which I believe) I actually had an interesting debate about which version of the origin of the sigil was more logical with someone (I’d taken Dunk’s word to be true), but it’s actually more interesting if the rebels came up with it, because you’re right (no matter what the wiki has to say about it) the reversed sigil color scheme alone doesn’t actually indicate illegitimate origin: it requires that and a diagonal (usually red) slash, called in heraldry a “bend sinister” (which was used in real life illegitimate sigils, like the cadet branches of the House of Bourbon, Conti and Condé). There are multiple examples of illegitimate sons/their descendants using the reversed colors of their father’s house and the bend sinister: Walder Rivers and Walder of Woodmere (a silver castle on a blue field and a red bend sinister, for Frey), and the cadet branch houses Oldflowers (ten white hands on a green field and a red bend sinister, for Gardner), Vikary (quartered with a white lion on red crossed by a gold bend sinister, for Reyne), and Bolling (quartered with a gold stag on a black field and an orange bend sinister, for Durrandon). The other illegitimate children whose sigils are described are variations on a family sigil without the inverse colors (Aegor Rivers, Brynden Rivers) or something completely different (Benedict Justman, Blackshield). Far from being a simple sigil that marks being illegitimate Targaryen, the black-dragon-on-red-field is a symbol of anti-Targaryen defiance that rejects the “bend sinister” marker for a different lineage of dragon (a cat of a different coat, I guess), which makes a lot of sense if you consider the war was due to disgust at the current Targ regime. Daemon technically had the right to use the Targaryen sigil proper since he was legitimized (look at the Velaryon boys), but I’m certain Da3ron would’ve forbid him because that would be “putting him on princely level” never mind that he is a prince as Daena’s son and Yandel knows this; he might’ve actually used a different style of arms before the First Blackfyre that we don’t know of (same with Aegor, who got the black wings on his Pegasus sigil due to House Blackfyre; I headcanon him using a plain blue field during his youth, for the Riverlands), or even the sigil we know of with the bend sinister (which the rebels removed acclaiming Daemon their legitimate king waging war against an illegitimate usurper; also as a Targaryen bastard, Da3ron could’ve had the same sigil as Daemon which the rebels wouldn’t have wanted). But, you seem to be correct that whoever created the sigil put more thought into it than “reversed color scheme is what all illegitimate children do”.

There are two women described as having personal arms: Rhaenyra Targaryen and Barbrey Dustin, ruling ladies with important family connections. The Targaryen sigil is also often personalized to distinguish between brothers and cousins (Aerion, Prince Daeron, Valarr, Maekar all have variations on dragon position, color, borders, number), though usually not for the king or his heir except in civil war conflicts (both Rhaenyra and her brother Aegon II have variations on the Targaryen sigil. Which I guess makes sense why Daemon’s supporters wanted a separate Blackfyre sigil). Daena was also acclaimed queen by some, and according to a GRRM answer wanted to be queen, so it’s possible she had a variation on the Targaryen sigil as personal arms. It’s interesting that the most popular variation on using house sigils is when the person wants to honor their mother’s family: Harras Harlaw (Serrett peacock), Joffrey/Tommen/Myrcella (Lannister lion, which Jon thinks is overly proud), Cleos Frey (Lannister lion), Benfrey Frey (Rosby chevronnels), both Big and Little Walder (who quarter the Frey castles with sigils of their mother’s and grandmother’s families), and Harry Hardyng (quartering the diamonds of Hardyng with 2 Falcons for his Arryn grandmother and 1 broken wheel for his Waynwood mother) all incorporate their mother’s/grandmother’s family sigils to show their high lineage. Even Rhaenyra Targaryen quartered her two red dragons with the Arryn falcon for her mother and the silver seahorse for her first husband. It’s entirely possible Daena, famous for wearing black during her youth and twice uncrowned, incorporated a black dragon into her personal arms (though I like to think she also incorporated the Velaryon seahorse for her mother’s family, to better differentiate herself from the “usurper branch” of Viserys II), and Daemon accepted the nickname “the Black Dragon” partly to honor her (the connection between them wearing black was one of my earliest hc posts). That Daemon’s descent from Daena is emphasized in the same sentence as his supporters creating the black-dragon-on-red-field banner could be seen as connecting the reversal of “traditional Targ arms” to her, as being “Targaryen on both sides” was used at least in Rhaenyra’s case as a mark of better legitimacy. Tl;dr if you want to say that Daemon’s battle sigil is a black dragon to honor Daena, there’s enough symbolic connections considering other examples of personal/illegitimate arms to make that argument, especially for a fanfic.

I hope you have a good rest of your day. My askbox is always open if you have more questions, though response time may be slow.

[windriverdelta]

Minimal theory on Red Wedding 2.0

Inspired by this ask and answer by @nobodysuspectsthebutterfly which raised some legitimate concerns about the common fan theories - namely, that there is no explicit indication that the wedding by Daven Lannister will happen soon, nor that it will be in Riverrun.

True, there is no explicit statement. But let's look at how these events in Jaime's AFFC chapters look from the Frey perspective:

The two of them were huddled over a map, arguing heatedly, but they broke off when Jaime entered. "Lord Commander," Rivers said with cold courtesy, but Edwyn blurted out, "My father's blood is on your hands, ser."

"If you will pardon me for intruding on your grief," [Jaime Lannister] said, in a dry tone, "we have other matters to consider. When you return to the Twins, please inform Lord Walder that King Tommen requires all the captives you took at the Red Wedding."

Ser Walder frowned. "These prisoners are valuable, ser."

"His Grace would not ask for them if they were worthless." Frey and Rivers exchanged a look. Edwyn said, "My lord grandfather will expect recompense for these prisoners." And he'll have it, as soon as I grow a new hand, thought Jaime. "We all have expectations," he said mildly.

When Jaime had taken his leave of Lady Amerei, she had been weeping softly at the dissolution of her marriage whilst letting Lyle Crakehall console her. Her tears had not troubled him half so much as the hard looks on the faces of her kin as they stood about the yard. "I hope you do not intend to take vows as well, coz," he said to Daven. "The Freys are prickly where marriage contracts are concerned. I would hate to disappoint them again."

Ser Daven snorted. "I'll wed and bed my stoat, never fear. I know what happened to Robb Stark. From what Edwyn tells me, though, I'd best pick one who hasn't flowered yet, or I'm like to find that Black Walder has been there first. I'll wager he's had Gatehouse Ami, and more than thrice. Maybe that explains Lancel's godliness, and his father's mood."

To recap, the Freys lost the marriage to Lancel. Jaime has demanded the hostages the Freys took at the Red Wedding & did not promise compensation and treated the Freys pretty shabbily besides (Jaime's contempt for them is apparent throughout his POV chapters). And now Late Walder's heir, Ser Ryman, was killed seemingly because of Jaime. I think Late Walder is getting rather pissed and perhaps a bit worried. So I expect him to demand Daven's marriage, soonest. And the Lannisters, weakened by Cersei's arrest and Jaime's disappearance, will have to acquiesce.

But here's the thing: While I expect Walder to demand a wedding at the Twins, Daven has no obligation to have it there - as he says, he knows what happened to Robb Stark. I expect that Genna Lannister proposes to have the wedding in Riverrun. Possibly also to negotiate a bethrotal between Roslin's child from Edmure and her grandson Tywin Frey, as she alluded to. She is a Lannister already married to a Frey, so she has pull on both sides. Daven and Late Walder will agree, and the spy Tom O'Sevens will sing ... and the Brotherhood without Banners will know where to strike.

What I like about this is that it solves a problem with Jaime's storyline a few people have identified: If Brienne is bringing him to Lady Stoneheart, he's a dead man. Stoneheart would have him hanged on the spot, for being a Lannister, "Jaime Lannister sends his regards", and the trebuchet thing that Tom O'Sevens was around for. I don't buy the notion of a trial by combat in the slightest, Lady Stoneheart has never held any sort of fair trial for anyone...

...but if in the moment that Jaime meets Stoneheart, Tom O'Sevens' report of the impending marriage hits the Brotherhood without Banners? Then she might decide to handle Jaime and the wedding guests in one big slaughter. And an ongoing massacre might be the opportunity for Brienne to cut him free.

Oh yeah, and another thing. Tom O'Sevens was with Jaime before deciding to stay in Riverrun - and crucially, he was there for Jaime's demand that the hostages be handed over. Given that the Brotherhood managed to capture Ryman, I expect they'll be able to break these hostages free, thus gaining a lever with which to obtain the Riverlords' cooperation - and their troops, which per the sadly departed @racefortheironthrone (RIP) number about 10,000. Even a fraction of that should be sufficient to overwhelm any guard the Freys have, if (not "since"; we don't actually have numbers on the Brotherhood right now) the Brotherhood without Banners can't do it themselves. Note also that the other army loyal to King's Landing, Randyll Tarly's, has left the Riverlands after Margaery's arrest. The Freys and remnants of Lannisters are on their own.

PS: We know that Late Walder rode to King's Landing for a tourney a year before the War of Five Kings, so we know he's not immobile at the Twins. Given his spiteful nature, I can absolutely see him go to Riverrun to rub it in the Tullys' nose that he's now the top dog. And his attitude to apologies has the hallmarks of a GRRM threefold revelation: "What good are apologies? I ask you" in AGoT as a setup, "Oh, but I’ll make you an apology, that will mend them all again, heh" at the Red Wedding as reminder, and the payoff (h/t: @turtle-paced): Screaming apologies as Stoneheart murders him.

[stormdnerys]

So... I've had this idea in my head for a while now, but... what if, at the end of Robert's Rebellion, Daenerys was actually raised by Ned Stark and betrothed to Robb Stark?

Everyone knows the story: Ser Willem intended to take Queen Rhaella and her little dragons, fulfilling his duty, but unfortunately for the queen, Willem was intercepted by Stannis's soldiers before he could reach her. Rhaella didn't escape and died during childbirth, though not before begging Stannis Baratheon to spare her little dragons' lives, for the blood their families once shared.

Daenerys grows up in the North, as Stannis and Ned manage to keep her alive, though they condemn Viserys to take the black (Robert is already sitting on a bloody throne; adding more blood would only drown him further—this is the Spider's counsel).

Dany knows the Northerners don’t love her; she grows up knowing the sins her brother committed and the atrocities her father ordered, and though in any other life she might have taken pride in her lineage—because everyone actually remembers Queen Rhaella fondly—Daenerys is completely disconnected from that part of her life.

She’s not a Northerner, but she has been raised under Northern manners and ideals. She is a dragon but wears the skin of a wolf., breathing ice instead of fire.

And the thing is… everything happens as in canon: Ned becomes Hand of the King and is beheaded by order of Joffrey Baratheon when he uncovers her origins. The Northern lords declare Robb King in the North and Daenerys as their queen, who has earned her place. Both are betrayed by Theon Greyjoy and Walder Frey. Robb dies at the Red Wedding, and Daenerys barely escapes with her life thanks to Ghost, her direwolf. Winterfell is taken by Roose Bolton, and Daenerys is forced to marry Ramsay in a desperate attempt by the Boltons to secure their fragile hold on the North. Though Daenerys isn’t a Stark, she is respected as one.

And Daenerys, though she would rather die than allow another man to touch her, sees it as the price she must pay to reclaim her home. Daenerys eventually finds her way and frees herself from Ramsay, taking back control of Winterfell.

She rebuilds her kingdom from the ashes, leaving behind the warm wolf she once was. Now she is a Winter Queen, and she will be respected and treated as such. She is scarred by war and its horrors; all she wants is to bring her family back together and finally die. Rickon is with her, which is some comfort, but Bran is still lost beyond the Wall, Arya is presumed dead, and Sansa is married to the Lannister dwarf, subjected to the horror and torment of the bastard who calls himself king. Daenerys leads the war, determined to fulfill her purpose. She does not fear bringing winter with her.

But... the rumors are true and it is something that takes everyone by surprise, Stannis, who dies in battle, Joffrey, who has decided to close the gates of Kings Landing and Daenerys, who knows that her last kinsman, Viserys, died beyond the wall.

Beyond the Narrow Sea, a young Targaryen prince managed to escape and calls himself Rhaegar's son. He has three dragons at his command and has come to reclaim what is rightfully his.

And that includes his young aunt Dany.

[cynicalclassicist]

Huh, ASOIAF Tumblr really feels old. Yeh, I've heard that Black Walder stuff flying around. Maybe it happened or maybe it didn't. It feels fitting, as Stevron's death leaves a lot of potential instability for House Frey, with way too many heirs.

Who killed Stevron Frey?

Huh. I was going to say “I thought he died in battle?” But then I checked the wiki and ACOK, and:

“Your uncle Ser Stevron Frey was among those who lost their lives at Oxcross. He took a wound in the battle, Robb writes. It was not thought to be serious, but three days later he died in his tent, asleep.”

So, hmm. That’s just a bit suspicious.

OK, so we know it wasn’t Big Walder, he was up at Winterfell. It probably wasn’t the Brotherhood, either. Who else had it in for Freys, prior to the Red Wedding?

Let’s see… the Frey inheritance goes Old Walder Frey > Stevron Frey (Walder’s eldest son) > Ryman Frey (Stevron’s eldest son) > Edwyn Frey (Ryman’s eldest son) > Walda Frey (Edwyn’s daughter, 8 years old) > Black Walder Frey (Ryman’s second son)…

Ah, there we go. Black Walder is not to be trusted. It’s known he’s slept with his brothers’ wives, his cousins, and maybe even his father’s wife. And Edwyn worried he was behind Ryman’s mysterious death — which was wrong, that was the Brotherhood (as linked above) — but what if Edwyn had the right motive but the wrong target?

So yeah, if Edwyn dies mysteriously, and Walda “disappears”, don’t be surprised. Though Black Walder might be Walda’s real father, so a disappearance might not be that necessary, just a usurpation.

Or… Stevron could have just died naturally. “He was very old. Five-and-sixty, I think. Too old for battles. He was always saying he was tired.” Conspiracies aren’t always necessary, really.

[rosalinrabbit]

Nectar of the Gods

Blue Banisters Track List

Pairing: Robb Stark x Fem! Mormont Reader

Warnings: Hurt, hurt no comfort, past relationships, family deaths, briefly mentioned violence, final goodbyes, pure angst, Robb being an idiot and putting the North in danger

Summary: After the death of your aunt and your father, you knew you had to return to Bear Island. You couldn’t take it anymore, watching Robb live a life you weren’t a part of any longer. When the King in the North himself finds you packing your bags, many things left unsaid finally come to light.

Word Count: 2.8k

A/N:  This is the start of the Blue Banisters Track List!! (A new project which is likely going to be a bit inconsistent in terms of order and posting)

This fic is a mix of show and book canon if that makes sense? I was rewatching the show and every time we get to the whole Robb x Talisa plotline I lose my mind at how weird it is but I digress. 

You are in charge of your own media consumption. Please read responsibly.

Do not translate or re-upload any of my work. Works are only cross-posted on AO3.

< What sweet world is this? Honey on the vine..

School kid dreams came true, then passed in the night

I used to dream about people like you, now I don’t know why… >

-Lana Del Rey, Nectar of the Gods

You hurried to pack your things from the tent you had once shared with your aunt, the one you still shared with two of her daughters, your cousins, Dacey and Lyra. Maege’s oldest and third oldest. The rest, Alysane, Jorelle, and Lyanna, remained at Bear Island. 

The she-bear is no more. When her daughters decided to remain by the King’s side, you knew you could not. Then, the message came from up North. From the Wall.

To your luck, the raven’s message landed in the hands of Catelyn Stark, not her son’s. It was Catelyn who came up to you, pulling you into her tent to talk alone. Her eyes alone saw the tears when she told you.

Your father was dead. Killed by his own men in a mutiny beyond the wall.

You were taught better than to react in the way you did, in disbelief and agony. In shock. You had stared at the older woman for a few moments before you could even process her words, yet your eyes seemed to beat your mind to it, tears streaming down your face as you stared past Catelyn, towards the opening of the tent and out into the beyond. 

When the sobs broke through, you felt her hands on your arms, holding you up so you wouldn’t fall over, bringing you close and providing you with the comfort only a mother could, even though you would never get to call her by that name.

Even though she herself had expected you to one day.

You were thankful that Catelyn atleast understood your pain. While you hailed from Bear Island, while you held the name Mormont and were loyal as can be to House Stark, while you knew how to fight and lead like the rest of your family, the pain of it all weighed on you. As much as you tried to hide it, for the pride of your house, for your own dignity, it was far too much, and you and the Stark matriarch both knew the pain went beyond the death of your father.

It was everything inbetween. 

The two Stark girls whom you loved like sisters, in what felt like increasingly mortal danger because of Robb’s rebellion. 

The death of your aunt, who cared for you as though you were her own when your mother died, when your much older half-brother Jorah disgraced the house, and when your father left to take the black.

The fear for your house and your future, leaving your dear young cousin Lyanna at home and in charge of Bear Island with her mother’s most trusted advisors.

The fact that your father was killed by his own men, by the job he had commited his life to. 

The heartbreak of Robb moving on.

The anger caused by his stupidity.

The moment you learned he had married that Westerling woman, the one who traveled along with the infantry, healing men who probably didn’t have a chance, you knew this war was doomed. Not because of what Walder Frey would do, but because of Robb’s clear lack of foresight. How could he not see what the rest of you saw? All for one woman.

You had never asked that of him.

Your engagement had been broken off when the war began. He told you he wanted to keep the engagement but did not want you to be a target, and you had told him that the greatest chance he’d have at winning this war was through an advantageous marriage. One that would offer far more than your family could. You didn’t do it because you didn’t love him, no. The both of you were desolate at the reality of it all. In your mind, you hoped he would refuse to marry throughout the war. Hoped the “young wolf” would be strong enough, that he wouldn’t need to. But you knew better, and you knew he needed the numbers. If Arya and Sansa were going to survive, he needed a stronger army and a wife that could offer more to him standing by his side. 

When he promised to marry Walder Frey’s daughter, your heart broke. Yet the passage was worth it. The North was worth it.

You would do it a thousand times over for Sansa and Arya, and you’d do the same for your own young cousins that were like sisters to you. Not that Dacey and Lyra needed protecting, but if they did, you would do it for them without much thought. 

For his family, for his sisters, you broke the engagement. 

And Robb threw all of that away, and the North along with it, by marrying Talisa.

As you changed into more suitable riding clothes, you couldn’t help but think of the past. Of when you thought you had it all figured out. You closed your eyes, and tears slipped out at the memories of him.

Holding his hand and walking through the glass gardens. Braiding Sansa’s hair. Chasing after Bran and Arya as they climbed up walls and through windows.

Or when he kissed you in the Godswood, telling you that you were standing on the spot where you would eventually marry.

Lies.

You would never have any of those things again.

“Y/n?” 

You startled at Robb’s voice, wiping away any stray tears and turning around to prepare to face him, hiding your bags behind your back. 

“Yes, your highness?” You responded bitterly as he entered the tent on your response.

“Please don’t call me that. When did you ever get so formal?” He muttered.

“I’ve always been formal to those who require it.”

“I do not require it of you.”

“Your station and our relationship does.”

“You mean our lack of a relationship?” He bit slightly before calming again.

You stood, unmoving, eyes glazing past him as you waited for him to get on with it. He stepped forward and you stiffened.

“I had realized we never spoke about Maege…” He stepped even closer and his hand reached up before you quickly took a step back from him, confused at his purpose and his words. He looked at you with a pained expression at your coldness, and it just made you angry. None of this was your choice. “Your aunt was a great woman,” he began. “I know you loved her deeply, and she looked after you like you were her own. I am truly sorry for your loss.”

Perhaps, under different circumstances, Robb’s condolences may have made you soften. May have had you second-guessing your choice to leave. Now, looking at him, you could hardly recognize the man you once loved. He spoke with the compassion he always seemed to hold within him, yet the way he stood, the way he looked, he had this strange self-righteousness. As if this could save you from your pain… and what of your father? He must not know.

You stood there staring at him before you spoke, in as neutral a tone as you could muster. “We have all made great sacrifices, your highness. I believe my aunt may rest easy knowing her own sacrifice, that of her life, saved countless others.” Unlike you, you thought to yourself. No, he sacrifices others. Not himself. 

Robb wasn’t an idiot, and his expression sunk at your words. “I appreciate every sacrifice that has been made on behalf of the North.”

Sadness and anger were welling up within you, and gods, you wanted to yell at him. You wondered if you could still get away with something like that, yet you simply muttered, thinking of your father, your aunt, the stark girls. “And a great many, indeed.”

“Y/n… do not insinuate that I do not know sacrifice. I have lost as much, if not more, compared to all those here.” 

“Whatever you believe,” you spoke, looking directly into his eyes, “it doesn’t really matter in the end, does it? It doesn’t matter what we’ve lost, it’s already gone.” You turned your head away, willing tears to stay put in your eyes.

“I am sorry.”

You didn’t know what he was apologizing for. “It is what it is.”

“I made you a promise. And I broke it.”

“You did.”

“Why must you always act like it doesn’t matter to you?” He scoffed, frustrated. There was a pause. “Were you.. were you packing up your things to leave?”

You turned to look at your bags on the bed.

“I don’t know what you want me to say, your highness.”

“Don’t call me that, please, for gods sakes. And all I ever wanted was an ounce of pushback from you! We were to be married, and you gave that away so easily, yet now you punish me for it every day because I married Talisa!”

“Robb,” you spoke harshly, stopping his rant, giving him what he seemed to want. An honest response. “You’re right, I am angry with you. Just not for the selfish reasons you think I am.”

“Well if you’re abandoning the war effort, it’s better for me to hear it now before you’re taken prisoner.”

You sighed at his childish threat. “I think you haven’t seen a single thing I’ve done. Of course breaking the engagement mattered to me! How could you not see that? You know how much I loved you, how on earth could you really think I gave that up so easily? Without second thoughts? I did it for you! And you’re so far up your own arse at this point that you can’t even see that! I sacrificed my love for you for the lives of your sisters. For the chance to win this war. Is that not a good enough reason for you? It’s not that you married Talisa, it’s that I agreed to end the engagement while under the impression that it would change the tides of the war. That you would marry a Frey and secure the twins. But you didn’t do that, Robb. And it felt like a knife in my back.” Robb stood a few paces away from you, a hurt expression across his face, one of shame and sadness. “I made that sacrifice for nothing.”

“I love her. That’s why I married her. I loved, I still love, you… I could not marry a woman I did not love. It wouldn’t have been right for either of us.”

“This is not about love, Robb. It is about duty, and honor. I know you believe what you did was honorable, honorable to the sanctity of vows and marriage… but you killed hundreds if not thousands of our men with your choice. Is that worth it to you? Is that truly so honorable, if it meant breaking your promises?”

“We will make it right with the Freys, and pay our debts another way. But you, you broke your promise to me. And now you stand here with your bags packed, is that not breaking your promise, too?”

“I did it for your family! I did it to try to save your sisters, and I did it for you! How can you not see that? And I’m leaving now because my family is in trouble, my cousins just lost their mother and now must rule the island. I’ve given up so much for you, for your family…” You rose your voice in anger, beginning to lose control of your emotions, hands beginning to shake as you tied up your bags.

“Even if they are family, what would your father think of you being a deserter?”

“Do not speak of my father-“ your voice broke, tears welling up in your eyes. 

“If you were under his command he’d have you killed for abandoning your position, y/n,”

“He’s dead, Robb!” You yelled, eyes locking to his, tears dripping from your eyes like spring rain. “My father is dead.”

“Y/n- I didn’t know,” Robb’s face had fallen to one of sympathy, his hand reached out for you, to comfort you like he had so many times in the past. And this time you let his hand reach your shoulder. You stiffly let him protectively put a hand on the top of your head, and pull you into his embrace. After a moment, you relaxed into his warmth, exhaling shakily as the tears kept coming. “I know how much he meant to you. I am so sorry…”

“Robb, you have to let me go,” you whispered, and you knew he understood you meant he needed to let you return home, because his hold around you was maintained. “I don’t have anything left for me here. I want another chance. A chance to be happy. I want to protect and defend my home, and the family I have left.”

“I can’t,” he told you earnestly. “I can’t.”

“You’re married, you moved on… So why won’t you let me?”

“I didn’t, really. I couldn’t.”

“But you did. You can’t take any of it back, Robb. And I know that I can’t either.” You paused to collect yourself before continuing. “Do you want to know how my father died?”

He was silent for a moment before asking, “how?”

“His own men killed him. There was a mutiny.” His grip around you tightened. “My father was an incredibly respected man. And in the end, no matter how much he did right, he did not pay enough attention to what was right in front of him. I don’t think he ever considered just how possible it was that his men would turn on him.”

“The North is stronger than a band of criminals. We have a family name to stand behind, we have bannermen who swore oaths for generations. It is different,” he rationalized, looking down at you. And you looked up, and then, you could remember why you fell in love with him. With his handsome face and dark curls, his fierce yet pragmatic nature, the overwhelming protection, and the way his adoration for you shone through his eyes. The way you could feel it. And your heart hurt, because you thought he might be wrong. His eyes stayed on yours as you spoke.

“Nothing is as strong as it seems, Robb… You just crossed Walter Frey. One of the most selfish men I’ve ever met, the lord of a great river lands house, and of the crossing, which you desperately need for this war… I could be wrong. I could be, but I’ve already lost you. I’ve already lost your sisters. I’ve lost my aunt, who raised me as her own, and I’ve lost my father. I cannot be here anymore. There is nothing for me here, and while I can never forgive you for the choices you made, I also cannot bear to lose more of you than I already have.” 

Robb brought his hands up to your face, brushing the water from your eyes as his own eyes welled with tears. 

“You have to let me go,” you pleaded again, voice barely even a whisper. 

“I know,” he nodded. “At least let me get a horse and supplies for you. Meet me at the eastern edge of the camp.”

And with that, he quickly withdrew his hands, leaving your tent without a second glance.

As you waited, you ensured you had packed everything. You double-checked the items and re-laced your boots before throwing on a warm cloak and stepping outside. The air was growing colder, and with the winds came winter.

You quickly made your way to the edge, and by the tree line you spotted him. Standing with your horse, already saddled.

He was silent when you approached, and could not meet your eye as he took your bags and attached them. He automatically held a hand out to help you mount, but when you took it, he looked at you again. And he truly looked at you. His eyes ran over the details of your face, like he was committing it to memory, and held your hand like a lifeline. He looked at you with sad desperation, pulling you into a hug once more, tucking your head under his chin and holding you so tight you could hardly breathe. When his grip loosened, he placed a tender kiss to your forehead, and within it held every memory, and every touch. 

“You know where to go. Just promise me to be careful. Go quickly, don’t stop for anyone… I love you, y/n.” His voice sounded hoarse, too much emotion behind it to even speak of.

“I love you too, Robb,” you told him, staring deep into his eyes as you cried for what felt like the millionth time that day. “And I am sorry that wasn’t enough.” 

He simply nodded, and helped you onto the horse.

He did not look at you as you fixed the hold on the reins or the lay of your cloak along your back, but as you urged your horse into a galloping pace and you looked back, his eyes were fixed on you.

You knew then that you would always love him, and no matter how lost he made you feel, and while you could never forgive him, you could now move forward. You knew you could find your way.

Whether Robb made it through or not, your situations wouldn’t change. Too much had transpired to ever go back.

No, even if you both survived this war, you knew that this would be the last time you ever saw Robb Stark.