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mikasaerens · 2 years ago

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My point about her not playing the game was that she's not doing it to control some sort of chessboard. In one of Barristan's chapters he says something like how he likes Dany because she doesn't play the game like all the other lords at Westeros. Dany doesn't treat politics like some game. That's what I meant for Sansa. Like she is in an emergency situation and you're right she needs to play a little dirty to secure herself. She will need to learn to "play the game" but I mean she isn't going to treat it like some frivolous thing. It will be very interesting to see her make some morally gray decisions. This will be a part of her journey to discover her identity and what she really values.

Sansa felt like an outsider among her family in a more narrative sense. She loses her direwolf, betrays her family, supports the Lannisters over them, and the rest of her siblings think of her far less than they think of each other. To me her journey to be a well rounded arc has to end with her connecting to her home and mending her relationship with her remaining family. Idk if they know that she sold out Ned and wasn't there some shady letter bc of Cersei that she wrote or was that just in the show (depending on who knows this/will find out, this could cause the Northern lords not to trust her and her family to feel angry) I think her not being similar to the other representations of Northern women is precisely what makes that journey for her so interesting. She doesn't have to be like them in order to realize that is her home. There is no one way to be that Northern women. Catelyn lost her life for the North and sacrificed SO MUCH and was the Lady of Winterfell for years, she is a Northern woman just as much as she has Southern ties. I think Theon is also an interesting example of this. He has ties to the Iron Islands but he realizes that was never his real home and that his real father died in KL and how he thinks he should have died with Robb. And I mean Sansa IS a Northern women, she was born and raised there, it's just her connection back home and with her family that will solidify that the North is exactly where she belongs and they are who she should be fighting for. Yes, GRRM has not developed her connection to the North that much because when I say she is a Northern woman I don't mean it in the sense of a very patriotic way but rather more of her finding internal peace and safety in her true home. For Sansa her ultimate culmination of her character development should follow with her journey back to the North, it is a symbolic way to show she has reached the end of her character development.

In terms of what you said about her political importance in the North and how Jon, Arya and Bran will most likely not need her help. I disagree. Sansa's siblings will need her in the North. That whole quote about how Arya and Sansa are like the sun and the moon and they do need each other, and how Arya's fake name is Cat and Sansa's is Alayne making up Catelyn. They SHOULD all be contributing to each other's story. Also the whole quote about how the pack will survive and the lone wolf dies? They all have to be together and work together. Sansa is skilled. She is very adaptable, intelligent (her manipulation of Joffrey and quick thinking was great) and I don't think she even knows her own strength or what she is capable of and I'm excited to see that unfold. In your endgame, she will be Lady of the Vale but how can she do that if she does not become a leader and become politically skilled? So you are saying she will have that arc. And I think she will have that arc too, and she'll be able to apply those same skills when she goes back to the North. Family needs each other, it's not a group project where they each have one very specific task to contribute but about the strength of the whole pack TOGETHER. Also Sansa will most definitely outsmart LF and to do that she has to become politically savvy and we already see her start that journey and do well in AFFC, those are skills she can use in whatever the Northern plot will be. That's not to say Arya, Jon and Bran don't have those skills. All their skills overlap too. How GRRM will incorporate Sansa into those stories is for him as a writer to figure out, but there is a basis for it and it is not unreasonable or unrealistic for fans to expect that. It is not out of left field, IMO.

Sansa really only likes the Vale at the beginning and that's only because she is free from KL. And the first things we see her do when she gets there is build Winterfell. I mean that is some pretty heavy symbolism that's where she wants to go in the end. And I think in her last chapter in AFFC she says something about how beautiful the Vale is but she truly hates it there and could never see it as home. I am paraphrasing since I don't have access to the books to quote them.

I do think Sansa being a central character in her arc IS important. It's true that the Northern plot has become very crowded with several characters. I don't know if this has just become a flaw in the story or if it is intentional. How George will manage all this is beyond me, but I think the fandom largely seems to expect Sansa to come North that I think it would be a huge shock if she never did (not everyone feels this way but I think most do) Such a fandom expectation comes from the feel that her arc has to end in the North even if it means her very last chapter is her returning to Winterfell. I think George would have to do a lot of work to convince the audience that Sansa living and dying after a long life in the Vale would be the satisfactory end simply on the basis that Sansa doesn't want to stay there. I mean why would she stay there when her whole family will be in the North at some point? It would just be out of character for her to hear that Jon, Arya, Bran etc are all at home and Sansa to be like nah I'm just gonna stay here in the Vale. It could be some sort of bittersweet ending, I guess if she stays in the Vale that's the only way I can somewhat see it happening.

The Dany dragon theory in the Vale, you're right is tough with the timeline because that means she has to outsmart LF quickly to end up in a position of power to give Dany the Vale's loyalty. Unless, Dany doesn't come to the Vale first but much later. The timeline in general is the biggest issue with the series. It is very crammed. I think you've made some valid points about how difficult and unbelievable it would be if Sansa did a 180 within 4 chapters and outsmarted one of the best players of the game. Maybe it truly will drag on to the end of ADOS, but that is just such a long time for her to realize something so damn obvious. I mean this man is sexually abusing her. Maybe some major catalytic event has to happen to justify her moving quickly against him. Also I don't think its necessarily that unjustifiable if she gets six long chapters: that COULD be enough for her to outsmart him. Her chapters in the Vale were fucking long and she changed quite a bit and quite quickly in those chapters. As she started to lie about her age and say she was older she actually started to act a lot older and smarter too.

Overall, I do agree with some points. I just think the political situation in the Vale is not the most intriguing story arc and doesn't seem to be justified in dragging out for two long ass books even though she wouldn't have tons of chapters. I know a lot of people love the Vale stuff though. George has a real strength in moving the story along quickly within few chapters when he wants to, I mean look how incredibly fast Dany's arc in ASOS moves, one of the most effective arcs in the whole series, he could move Sansa along quickly if he so desires. As of now I would prefer to see GRRM find a way to fit her into the Northern storyline and I think he ultimately WANTS to do that but how he will do that is tough, and I agree, but there is a precedent for Sansa being involved and having the skills to aid her family.

I've really enjoyed your discussions on Arya, Bran and Jon and was wondering what are your realistic endgame predictions concerning Sansa's story. Out of all the Starks, she's the one I'm struggling with because I do believe Harry dies and with it any hopes of being Lady of the Vale. Nor do I believe she'll be QoTN. I'm not sure where her story is leading up.

I don’t think Harry the Heir will die. I do think SweetRobin is not surviving LF’s plotting and machination and poor Coleman is going to get framed for his death à la Marillion.

I think Sansa’s plot in the next two books will be centered around gradually understanding and unraveling LF’s plotting and gaining power in the Vale. While Arya has parallels with Lyanna, Sansa has parallels with Lysa Arryn in terms of their traits and journeys. And yet this time around Arya and Sansa may have happier endings and do things differently in their journeys. So while poor, unhappy Lysa got taken advantage of by Littlefinger and manipulated into her death, Sansa will gradually acknowledge that LF’s ambitions are selfish and that he is mainly responsible for what happened to her family. She will then learn from him, get her hands dirty and outwit him at his own game slowly shifting what power LF has from him to her.

There’s also a chance that we will get LF Vs Varys in which case yes, Sansa’s plot may intersect with Young Griff’s in some way. Though I don’t see Sansa ever going south to KL as long as Cersei is in power, if she wants to get marriage to Tyrion annulled she needs to request for one from the High Septon as Sansa Stark.

It’s clear from the OG outline that GRRM did not have much planned for the character. She was created as Arya’s foil, betrays her family in KL and then is most probably killed by Jaime on his way to the Iron Throne. Now, her story has no doubt expanded and grown as GRRM has watered and gardened a separate side plot for her in the Vale. Littlefinger is an important human antagonist, the fertile Vale is an important location and Sansa is the only POV there. The more Sansa learns, the more we get to see into what LF is actually trying to do.

I see her ending in the Vale. Either she could still die taking down LF or she will be Lady of the Vale and the true power behind the Lord of the Vale. The Vale food stores have been mentioned way too many times for it to not be important as Winter slowly descends all over Westeros. Sansa will need to control those food stores at some point as the masses flee the North and head south.

I don’t see her going North because that would make her a tertiary character. Sure, it would be a happy ending for Sansa to finally go back home to Winterfell. However, what would she do in the North in terms of story? Jon, Arya and Bran have got both the political and the magical covered and the OG outline only refers to the three of them in the North. As a character Sansa simply has more to do and contribute in the Vale than she does in the North.

#sansa stark #asoiaf

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sansa-hand-of-the-king · 8 years ago

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Sansa and her “Stark connection”

Since the fandom is always saying how Sansa is not a Real Stark ™ I wanted to make a post in which I explain why Sansa, born in the Winter (unlike Arya or Bran or Rickon born in the long Summer), in Winterfell (unlike Jon or Robb born in the south) will always be a Stark ( no Lannister or Baelish or whatever...), no matter who she is forced to marry (to survive I might add..).

In AGOT Sansa (before her father died, and when she was meant to marry joffrey) is already very proud of her Stark origins.

Alyn carried the Stark banner. When she saw him rein in beside Lord Beric to exchange words, it made Sansa feel ever so proud.

While prefering The Seven (like her mother) she does admire the poetry of the old gods.

Besides, even if she could leave the castle, where would she go? It was enough that she could walk in the yard, pick flowers in Myrcella's garden, and visit the sept to pray for her father. Sometimes she prayed in the godswood as well, since the Starks kept the old gods.

By the time she reached the godswood, the noises had faded to a faint rattle of steel and a distant shouting. Sansa pulled her cloak tighter. The air was rich with the smells of earth and leaf. Lady would have liked this place, she thought. There was something wild about a godswood; even here, in the heart of the castle at the heart of the city, you could feel the old gods watching with a thousand unseen eyes.

While she is called little bird, or little dove (when people want to undermine her), she is called wolf too.

Tyrion found himself thinking of his wife. Not Sansa; his first wife, Tysha. The whore wife, not the wolf wife.

"Your Grace has forgotten the Lady Sansa," said Pycelle.

The queen bristled. "I most certainly have not forgotten that little she-wolf." She refused to say the girl's name.

And Sansa herself when she is in put a hard position takes courage in her Stark origins. Its something that gives her strength:

Do as you're told, sweetling, it won't be so bad. Wolves are supposed to be brave, aren't they?

"Brave. Sansa took a deep breath. I am a Stark, yes, I can be brave.

"Winterfell?" Robert was small for eight, a stick of a boy with splotchy skin and eyes that were always runny. Under one arm he clutched the threadbare cloth doll he carried everywhere.

"Winterfell is the seat of House Stark," Sansa told her husband-to-be. "The great castle of the north."

"Do you require guarding?" Marillion said lightly. "I am composing a new song, you should know. A song so sweet and sad it will melt even your frozen heart. 'The Roadside Rose,' I mean to call it. About a baseborn girl so beautiful she bewitched every man who laid eyes upon her.

"I am a Stark of Winterfell, she longed to tell him. Instead she nodded, and let him escort her down the tower steps and along a bridge.

Petyr put his arm around her. "What if it is truth he wants, and justice for his murdered lady?" He smiled. "I know Lord Nestor, sweetling. Do you imagine I'd ever let him harm my daughter?

"I am not your daughter, she thought. I am Sansa Stark, Lord Eddard's daughter and Lady Catelyn's, the blood of Winterfell.

"As was bringing me here, when you swore to take me home."She wondered where this courage had come from, to speak to him so frankly. From Winterfell, she thought. I am stronger within the walls of Winterfell.

I will tell my aunt that I don't want to marry Robert. Not even the High Septon himself could declare a woman married if she refused to say the vows. She wasn't a beggar, no matter what her aunt said. She was thirteen, a woman flowered and wed, the heir to Winterfell.

.His seamed and solemn face brought back all of Sansa's memories of his time at Winterfell. She remembered him at table, speaking quietly with her mother. She heard his voice booming off the walls when he rode back from a hunt with a buck behind his saddle. She could see him in the yard, a practice sword in hand, hammering her father to the ground and turning to defeat Ser Rodrik as well. He will know me. How could he not? She considered throwing herself at his feet to beg for his protection. He never fought for Robb, why should he fight for me?

From the high battlements of the gatehouse, the whole world spread out below them. Sansa could see the Great Sept of Baelor on Visenya's hill, where her father had died. At the other end of the Street of the Sisters stood the fire-blackened ruins of the Dragonpit. To the west, the swollen red sun was half-hidden behind the Gate of the Gods. The salt sea was at her back, and to the south was the fish market and the docks and the swirling torrent of the Blackwater Rush. And to the north …She turned that way, and saw only the city, streets and alleys and hills and bottoms and more streets and more alleys and the stone of distant walls. Yet she knew that beyond them was open country, farms and fields and forests, and beyond that, north and north and north again, stood Winterfell.

but personally my favorite line about Sansa being always a Stark and belonging North in Winterfell (Never a Lannister! , no matter who she marries) is this quote by Ned:

When it was over, he said, "Choose four men and have them take the body north. Bury her at Winterfell."

"All that way?" Jory said, astonished.

"All that way," Ned affirmed. "The Lannister woman shall never have this skin."

Sansa whole story (to me) is about her journey retaking her Stark origins which were stolen from her in the worst of way, just like they killed her wolf Lady. But just like Lady remains, Sansa place is and always will be in the north, as a Stark of Winterfell.

#sansa stark #i have a lot of feeling about sansa starkiness #dont call her a lannister #please #asoiaf #meta #sansa stark meta #sansa retaking her stark origins is important to me #her realizing how much winterfell was part of identity #and finally coming around to understand it #its what makes her story amazing #please dont call her anything BUT a stark #she is the first daughter of eddard stark #she belongs north to me #sansa meta #asoiaf meta

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asprettyasyourown · 3 years ago

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You know, the more I think about it the more I realize the depth of how toxic and detrimental the environment Septa Mordane created was to the girls. I’ve seen it discussed at length when it comes to Arya (as it should be, it plays such an important part in her narrative) but I’ve rarely seen it addressed when it comes to Sansa.

Now obviously, the damages inflicted were nowhere close to Arya’s. Sansa was the golden girl, the scale every girl in Winterfell measured themselves in terms of being a perfect young Lady. On the other hand, Mordane thought that an appropriate response to Arya’s failure to meet that ideal was to shatter her self-esteem to the point where she didn’t think her own family wouldn’t want her because her hair wasn’t properly combed. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say Sansa got the better hand there.

But I do think Mordane’s teachings impacted Sansa in a bad way too. I find her insistence on having the girls conform to the (southron) ideal of ladyship almost obsessive. Sansa is partially to “blame” for that (I know, poor wording but I couldn’t think of another way to say it), since her meeting all the expectations likely pushed Mordane to always ask for more - to the point where even the royal princess didn’t live up to her.

And don’t get me wrong, Sansa excels at these traditional activities mainly because she enjoys them. She likes singing and embroidery and being courteous. She likes being the “good girl” and, let’s be honest, the benefits that come along with it. But on the other hand, she is not given any space to grow outside of that particular image. Septa Mordane is constantly riding her to behave a certain way, and scolding her everytime she says or does something that could be considered slightly out of place from what a lady is supposed to do.

"I've never seen an aurochs," Sansa said, feeding a piece of bacon to Lady under the table. The direwolf took it from her hand, as delicate as a queen. Septa Mordane sniffed in disapproval. "A noble lady does not feed dogs at her table," she said, breaking off another piece of comb and letting the honey drip down onto her bread. "She's not a dog, she's a direwolf," Sansa pointed out as Lady licked her fingers with a rough tongue. "Anyway, Father said we could keep them with us if we want." The septa was not appeased. "You're a good girl, Sansa, but I do vow, when it comes to that creature you're as willful as your sister Arya." She scowled." - [AGOT, Sansa I]

I mean, they’re eating breakfast in the middle of the road. They’re not exactly in a banquet with the royal family. It’s not really a situation where people would think less of Sansa (or Septa Mordane...) for feeding her wolf. They most likely don’t even notice them. Moreover, what I find interesting is that when Sansa pushes back (= don’t comply blindly), Mordane immediately labels her as “willful” and not a good girl anymore - something Sansa based her whole identity around.

There is such an insistence from Mordane to appear like a perfect lady... but not on much else. I don’t recall any instance where she pushed Sansa to cultivate skills outside of the realm of appearances. Sansa says “she could read and write better than any of her brothers”, but she’s never praised on that. Or for remembering a shitload of sigils and their corresponding houses. She’s never being pushed to work on skills she seems to be lacking in (namely maths and managing a household, even though they’re crucial tools for a lady). In short, there’s not much emphasis on developing the mind over the body.

An obvious example, in my opinion, is this one.

Her father's decision still bewildered her. When the Knight of Flowers had spoken up, she'd been sure she was about to see one of Old Nan's stories come to life. Ser Gregor was the monster and Ser Loras the true hero who would slay him. He even looked a true hero, so slim and beautiful, with golden roses around his slender waist and his rich brown hair tumbling down into his eyes. And then Father had refused him! It had upset her more than she could tell. She had said as much to Septa Mordane as they descended the stairs from the gallery, but the septa had only told her it was not her place to question her lord father's decisions. - [AGOT, Sansa III]

To be honest she’s not wrong (Sansa doesn’t indeed have enough facts about the situation to make an informed opinion, and also she’s 11), but what bothers me most is there isn’t even an attempt at discussion. She immediately shuts down Sansa’s opinion. I don’t mean they should march in there and demand Loras be sent instead of Beric, but there could at least be talking about it. Sansa is meant to be queen, and I believe it is Septa Mordane’s job to make her, if not politically savvy, at least introduced to politics.

That was when Lord Baelish had said, "Oh, I don't know, Septa. Some of her lord father's decisions could do with a bit of questioning. The young lady is as wise as she is lovely." He made a sweeping bow to Sansa, so deep she was not quite sure if she was being complimented or mocked. Septa Mordane had been very upset to realize that Lord Baelish had overheard them. "The girl was just talking, my lord," she'd said. "Foolish chatter. She meant nothing by the comment." - [AGOT, Sansa III]

Now it might be a bit of a stretch, but I do believe Mordane is more mad that someone overheard Sansa express her opinion, moreover one that is “unladylike” (aka she doesn’t agree blindly with her father) than any concern she might have of presenting a united Stark front in front of the court. I could be wrong, of course, but since Mordane doesn’t show any sign of being politically conscious, I don’t think I am.

Notice also that her way of diminishing Sansa’s remarks is by going after her intelligence. Sansa is not stupid. She’s able to read people pretty well, and she often makes astute observations. The problem is, she is very quick to cover them up with a layer of illusions when they don’t fit with what she wishes. Joffrey and Cersei kill Lady? But they’re so beautiful and gracious and kind to her afterwards, they’re not the ones to blame, Arya is, nothing would have happened if Arya had done what she was supposed to do, if she had been a good lady. Margaery and the Tyrells might have ulterior motives in befriending her? But they’re so beautiful and gracious and kind to her, they’re nothing like the Lannisters, they just want to help her. Sansa always ends up warping reality into a version she is more comfortable with, not only in AGOT but throughout the other books as well. She refuses to look too deep and face the brutal truth until she is forced to do so - despite often making the correct assumption at first glance.

And while I wouldn’t say her upbringing is sole responsible of the blinders she puts over her thoughts, it does play its part. On one hand because, in my opinion, she tends to doubt her own intelligence (she is very quick to believe she is stupid, despite the words being uttered by Cersei and Joffrey of all people) since it was never emphasized to be important, and thus not a feature she built her identity around. On the other, well, that’s what she was promised right? Do as you’re told and you’ll get what you want. Except it doesn’t work, it never works. And Sansa - despite never actively reflecting on it - is a prime example of that. She did everything right; she did everything that was asked of her, relishing every aspect of it, thriving under it. Because that’s the contract, right? Do everything we say, and you’ll get everything you (are supposed to) want. And it works for a while. She gets the admiration of her peers, the praises of the adults, a beautiful prince and the promise of a wonderful life free of pain and hard labor. But, as we saw, that contract is flawed in the first place because the other party is never held accountable to keep its part of the bargain.

Sansa never questions what she’s spoon-fed, because like I said, she prides herself on being a “good girl”. She’s the one who follow the rules to an exceptional degree, and she’s rewarded for it. She even draw strength from it. But she never realizes how intimately constricting these rules are. That a lady’s courtesies is not her armor, but her shackles. She never realizes these rules are meant to keep her down, passive and helpless. Those are rules made by men and for men, designed to keep women relying on them alone, without any means to fare on their own.

I find particularly telling that Sansa doesn’t have any relationship in her life that isn’t dictated by conventions, that isn’t conditional. She refuses to consider Jon as her brother because he’s bastard-born, and bastards are wicked - it doesn’t matter that she grew up with him, that she knows what kind of guy he is and that every one of her siblings think of him as their true brother. Arya can’t conform to the system, therefore she doesn’t have a place in Sansa’s world, she isn’t fit to be her sister, she isn’t worthy of care and attention. (And yet, a few chapters later, she dreams of having a sister eerily similar to the person Arya would have been had she had the proper support system.) Even her best friend Jeyne Poole, her closest companion, a girl with whom she grew up and shared everything, isn’t exempted of Sansa’s classism. Sansa has some very unkind words towards her supposed best friend. She may not say them aloud, but she thinks them nonetheless.

Jeyne covered her eyes whenever a man fell, like a frightened little girl, but Sansa was made of sterner stuff. A great lady knew how to behave at tournaments. - [AGOT, Sansa II]

Of course, Jeyne had been in love with Lord Beric ever since she had first glimpsed him in the lists. Sansa thought she was being silly; Jeyne was only a steward's daughter, after all, and no matter how much she mooned after him, Lord Beric would never look at someone so far beneath him, even if she hadn't been half his age. It would have been unkind to say so, however, so Sansa took a sip of milk and changed the subject. - [AGOT, Sansa III]

(Notice that it is not the thinking part she finds unladylike, but the saying part; meaning a lady is supposed to always be conscious of that class barrier, to uphold it even with her closest friends. The only thing stopping her is knowing it would hurt Jeyne’s feelings, though whether it stems from genuine kindness or superficial (”ladylike”) kindness is unclear.)

Jeyne Poole had been confined with her, but Jeyne was useless. Her face was puffy from all her crying, and she could not seem to stop sobbing about her father. "I'm certain your father is well," Sansa told her when she had finally gotten the dress buttoned right. "I'll ask the queen to let you see him." She thought that kindness might lift Jeyne's spirits, but the other girl just looked at her with red, swollen eyes and began to cry all the harder. She was such a child - [AGOT, Sansa IV]

To me, this ever-present consciousness of status and class means she’s never unconditional with others, she’s never free, she’s never real. She constantly thinks about how to act, what is appropriate (allowed) to say, be it with strangers or with her own family and friends.

And that intense focus on appearances, on conforming to the statu quo is at the core of her narrative. This is a trap she keeps falling in, way after the first book. Sansa constantly rewrites herself to fit into what’s expected of her, hoping to be handed her share of the bargain - even when she knows it’s been drawn for other people’s benefit. This is what have been ingrained in her brain since the moment she was born, and I really hope that one of the key realization of her journey will be to realize how fucked up that ideology is.

#asoiaf #sansa stark #asoiaf meta #my metas #this reads like a simpson episode #started as something and ended up in a totally different direction #to 'fuck you mordane' to 'fuck you patriarchy'#this also ties with the identity crisis that seems to be a recurrent theme for all the stark kids

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hell-heron · 3 years ago

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Day 26 - Parallels with Other Characters, also Names, Self Actualization and Greyjoy Generational Dysfunction, Part 2 - Theon and Victarion

Part 1

Where the Arianne parallels can be easily attributed to GRRM just having a limited amount of blueprints for dysfunctional families at his fourth large tome on the subject, I think Victarion is somewhat deliberately, among other thematic purposes, meant a parody or alternative universe version of Theon. This because obviously they have the same family origin, and because they're the only two characters confirmed as of ADWD to have an evolution from chapter titles to their own name:

The Iron Captain -> The Reaver -> The Iron Suitor -> Victarion

(Theon x6) -> Reek x3 -> The Prince of Winterfell -> The Turncloak -> A Ghost in Winterfell -> Theon

Victarion becomes Victarion in the chapter after he decides to take Daenerys for himself instead of for Euron. Theon becomes Theon again in the chapter Bran whispers his name to him, and the chapter where he rescues Jeyne - not after rescuing Jeyne, not even after agreeing to it, but really after opening himself to the possibility even slightly.

Now obviously Aeron is the nuncle who parallels Theon as a whole the most. The irreverent womanizing failboat who nevertheless ends up embodying the concept of "what is dead may never die" as no one else and is traumatized into looking like an ancient prematurely aged man who makes everyone uncomfortable. Incredibly tragic connection considering how much Aeron seems to despise Theon as you can only despise the parts of yourself you hate.

But I think there's a link with Victarion too, on a different level and as comedic as it is tragic. Theon and Victarion are both born as third sons (and both actually-fourth, given that Asha has her own place in the sibling dynamic and that unless Euron was going around committing kinslaying at like 4, the three eldest Greyjoys grew up with their half-brother Harlon for most of their childhood, but I digress) whose identity is extremely shaped by bullying.

Obedience came naturally to Victarion Greyjoy; he had been born to it. Growing to manhood in the shadow of his brothers, he had followed Balon dutifully in everything he did.

Victarion Greyjoy mistrusted laughter. The sound of it always left him with the uneasy feeling that he was the butt of some jape he did not understand. Euron Crow's Eye had oft made mock of him when they were boys. So had Aeron, before he had become the Damphair. Their mockery oft came disguised as praise, and sometimes Victarion had not even realized he was being mocked. Not until he heard the laughter. Then came the anger, boiling up in the back of his throat until he was like to choke upon the taste.

"I remember my brothers very well," Theon insisted. Chiefly he remembered Rodrik's drunken cuffs and Maron's cruel japes and endless lies.

Asha knew how it went with little brothers. She remembered Theon as a boy, a shy child who lived in awe, and fear, of Rodrik and Maron. They never grow out of it, she decided. A little brother may live to be a hundred, but he will always be a little brother.

I often find it slightly annoying when people zero in on this quote as a source of all the information we need about what Theon was like as a child, what Theon would be like if he grew up on the islands etc. Exactly because Asha means this specifically as something about their sibling dynamic and something that she feels confident generalizing to all younger siblings, which likely includes the ones she has most experience with in her own family i.e. her terrible nuncles. It's not about Theon's personality but as a systematic generational dynamic, and it's also definitely not a cute statement.

Specifically, Victarion lives in awe of Balon and fear of Euron, while the younger generation of squidlings didn't have the time to form more defined dynamics, and Victarion, obviously, painfully didn't grow out of it. (It's worth remembering that this quote is about Stannis, who has elements of being a foil to Victarion as they faced on another in battle before both on behalf of their older brothers by whom their accomplishments are overshadowed) For all that the Ironborn appear to be a very hands-on people who solve their problems with violence, mockery and verbal humiliation are actually core elements of their culture. They're heavily used as a weapon in the kingsmoot and they're used as a control system within the Greyjoy family, by the elder brothers in order to turn their younger brothers into pliant followers since childhood. This makes sense with the fact the ironborn have a long history of succession disputes and kinslaying, so simply birth order isn't sufficent for the elder brothers to secure power.

Arguably we even have an historical example of this dynamic:

Faircastle fell, and with it Fair Isle and all its wealth. Lord Dalton claimed four of Lord Farman's daughters as salt wives and gave the fifth—"the homely one"—to his brother Veron.

I've always thought that's why Asha seems to have been so well adjusted and succesful as an heir: by the time there was any expectation for her, she was a fairly normal 12/13 year old girl with a personality formed outside these very male conflicts and with positive influences outside the Greyjoy family, who neither had her confidence systematically broken nor had she internalized verbal abuse as a needed tactic.

However she learned from imitation of the elder generation as much as her brothers, and as soon as she actually needs to defend herself against a sibling, we see her act very similarly to Euron with Victarion: pseudosexual display of dominance, with Victarion being disturbed by Euron receiving him naked, Euron teasing him about his penis size etc. VS the whole Esgred trick, (I'm not counting the situation with Aeron into this because thats a whole different thing and because that's kept a shameful secret whereas the nature of Greyjoy sibling humiliation is that its normalized and in front of everyone, but there's nothing to say it actually wouldn't have had the same effect if made public, given how Victarion deals with a male rape victim, though it might also have been that it would have been more recognized as a crime with Aeron and Urrigon being highborn and children not yet expected to be able to defend themselves. We can't really know)

and public humiliation/laughter:

“There’s my lord husband.” His sister reached down inside her gown and drew a dirk from between her breasts. “And here’s my sweet suckling babe.”

He could not imagine how he looked at that moment, but suddenly Theon Greyjoy realized that the Great Hall was ringing with laughter, all of it at him. Even his father was smiling, gods be damned, and his uncle Victarion chuckled aloud. The best response he could summon was a queasy grin.

Incidentally, here we also see that Victarion shares with early Theon the aggressive refusal of empathy for people who are suffering the same problem as he is, since he doesn't have a problem in partecipating in his worst nightmare when it's inflicted on Theon. Laughter is arguably a trigger for Victarion, while Theon is most of the time able to make smiling his coping mechanism, but while this may seem a rare instance of Theon managing to not be the most fucked up person in the room for once, I see a very similar feeling on alienation, the way Theon is so often described by Stark POVs as smiling at a joke no one else gets VS Victarion perceiving laughter as a joke everyone gets but him.

Theon being taken from the islands (and taken from his position of third son/little brother in his own perception, though of course not in anyone else's) means his attitude towards his own training as follower is complicated. It's deepened by the fact he has to live his young adulthood in a position of extremely limited agency, while Victarion has a leader role at least in the context of the Iron Fleet, but it's also partly undermined by the fact it's forced on him by his captors rather than his family, so it feeling more of an offense than a normalized fact of life from people who do somewhat care about him makes him resent it earlier than Victarion.

Theon is 20 when his third ACOK chapter end with "It's not Torrhen's Square I mean to take." I will NOT get into calculating feasible ages for the Greyjoys in this post, but we can guess Victarion to be 40-ish when he thinks "But not for you. You stole my wife and despoiled her, so I’ll have yours. The fairest woman in the world, for me." and starts being Victarion in the titles from then on.

But for both it's the first time they come to their breaking point of frustration towards their native role and make their own choices, but still can't truly do that because their ability to choose is completely focused on how to revenge themselves on those made them into followers in the first place. Hence some of their most entertainingly doomed journeys in ASOIAF.

We can definitely see GRRM have some of his best fun with cognitive dissonance here.

Outside he heard sobbing as the castle folk were pulled from their beds and driven into the yard. I’ll give them reason to sob. I’ve used them gently, and this is how they repay me. He’d even had two of his own men whipped bloody for raping that kennel girl, to show them he meant to be just. They still blame me for the rape, though. And the rest. He deemed that unfair.

Victarion put the slavers to the sword, then sent his men below to unchain the rowers. “You row for me now. Row hard, and you shall prosper.” The girls he divided amongst his captains. “The Lyseni would have made whores of you,” he told them, “but we have saved you. Now you need only serve one man instead of many. Those who please their captains may be taken as salt wives, an honorable station.”

“There will be no flaying in the north so long as I rule in Winterfell,” Theon said loudly. I am your only protection against the likes of him, he wanted to scream. He could not be that blatant, but perhaps some were clever enough to take the lesson.

He broke their chains himself and told them they were now free men and would have the privilege of rowing for the Iron Fleet, an honor that every boy in the Iron Islands dreamed of growing up. "The dragon queen frees slaves and so do I," he proclaimed.

And there's a bit of self-parody of Theon's beautiful spiritual journey of connecting to the Old Gods not in substitution to the Drowned God nor because they gave him anything, but because they know his name

But he would feed the red god too, Moqorro's fire god. The arm the priest had healed was hideous to look upon, pork crackling from elbow to fingertips. Sometimes when Victarion closed his hand the skin would split and smoke, yet the arm was stronger than it had ever been. "Two gods are with me now," he told the dusky woman. "No foe can stand before two gods." Then he rolled her on her back and took her once again.

Now, Victarion is sadly obviously going to the death that Moqorro has seen for him, while I sincerely think Theon won't die but even if he dies, he already has achieved a redemption and self actualization beyond his first tragic journey. Does this mean I know what Victarion represents relatively to Theon? Theon who grew up on the islands (or rather in a Balon never rebels AU, because if he remained on the islands as heir since age 10 things would be very different) Theon who has WAY less a good freudian excuse to be like that? Theon without introspection? Theon without Ramsay? (No. I absolutely don't think Ramsay was necessary to Theon)

I just can picture the alternative timeline where Theon's ACOK chapters go The Hostage --> The Iron Prince --> The Reaver -> Theon -> Theon -> Theon -> nothing very easily

#theonmonth2022 #theon greyjoy #victarion greyjoy #asoiaf #rape tw #op

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shieldofrohan · 4 years ago

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While grrm said that petyr will never sold Sansa to Boltons he also implied petyr disgusting intentions toward Sansa. If Sansa escape petyr and ran to wall there are chances of crossing paths with Ramsay. I'm scared about Sansa arc in twow as there are two monsters lurking petyr and Ramsay.

Hello @please-dot ,

This is what Martin said:

GRRM: My Littlefinger would have never turned Sansa over to Ramsay. Never. He’s obsessed with her. Half the time he thinks she’s the daughter he never had—that he wishes he had, if he’d married Catelyn. And half the time he thinks she is Catelyn, and he wants her for himself. He’s not going to give her to somebody who would do bad things to her. That’s going to be very different in the books.

I know everyone is focusing on Petyr’s disgusting feelings for her in this quote but let’s not miss the part of him seeing her as his daughter.

Petyr-Sansa dynamic was always more complicated than simple perversion from his part. What we have with him is more twisted than that. Sometimes he truly feels like she is his REAL daughter:

“..It was clever of you to see it. Though no more than I’d expect of mine own daughter.”

“Thank you.” She felt absurdly proud for puzzling it out, but confused as well. “I’m not, though. Your daughter. Not truly. I mean, I pretend to be Alayne, but you know...”

Littlefinger put a finger to her lips. “I know what I know, and so do you. Some things are best left unsaid, sweetling.”

[AFFC; Sansa I]

He doesn’t like the fact that she is not ACTUALLY his daughter.

These two different feelings he has for Sansa (daughter or his dream woman) are intermixed. That’s why (I think at least) he doesn’t go further than kissing her.

Will he do sth worse to her? It is possible but in plotwise I don’t see it happening. Sansa already doesn’t like his kisses etc and she doesn’t fully trust him already:

He is serving me lies as well, Sansa realized. They were comforting lies, though, and she thought them kindly meant. A lie is not so bad if it is kindly meant. If only she believed them...

[…]

Petyr saved me. He loved my mother well, and...

And her? How could she doubt it? He had saved her.

He saved Alayne, his daughter, a voice within her whispered. But she was Sansa too... and sometimes it seemed to her that the Lord Protector was two people as well. He was Petyr, her protector, warm and funny and gentle... but he was also Littlefinger, the lord she’d known at King’s Landing, smiling slyly and stroking his beard as he whispered in Queen Cersei’s ear. And Littlefinger was no friend of hers. […] Littlefinger never lifted so much as his little finger for her.

Except to get me out. He did that for me. I thought it was Ser Dontos, my poor old drunken Florian, but it was Petyr all the while. Littlefinger was only a mask he had to wear. Only sometimes Sansa found it hard to tell where the man ended and the mask began. Littlefinger and Lord Petyr looked so very much alike. She would have fled them both, perhaps, but there was nowhere for her to go. […] I have no place but here, Sansa thought miserably, and no true friend but Petyr.

[AFFC; Sansa I]

Sansa is smart enough to see the duality of Petyr and LF. Petyr is a paternal figure who saved her but LF is an enemy… So she already has doubts about his true intentions. Does she need another attack from him to put a wall between them? I don’t think so.

LF’s part in execution of Ned Stark, Jeyne Poole’s misfortunes and Sweetrobin’s death (I don’t think he’ll die but LF is planning to have him dead) are going to be the issues which will cause the confrontation between Sansa and Petyr, not a sexual attack (IMO).

I am one of the few people who truly believe that Petyr’s Harry plan is sincere. He wants that marriage..

Why would he do sth to jeopardize it?

I think Sansa will need to leave Vale for some other reason like her identity being revealed, an attack by Mountain Clans, Shadrich’s attempt to kidnap her, Brienne’s arrival to save her etc.. (My money is on Shadrich)

Petyr couldn’t get the Tully girl he wanted and it won’t change… He will never have Sansa. I am kind of certain about it (but who knows… )

So this is my opinion about the LF part of your ask.

(Also believe me if he was supposed to do sth like this to Sansa, D&D would have done it… but obviously Sansa didn’t have a r*pe plot so they had to invent it)

About the Ramsay part…

Ok, I don’t know why people believe that Ramsay gonna get Sansa somehow? Whole Jeyne arc was about Boltons not being able to get a Stark for themselves… But can they cross paths?

Well correct me if I am wrong but Ramsay was in WF the last time we heard about him.

The last thing we know about him that he wrote the Pink Letter to Jon. Let’s read that letter:

“I am being foolish, Lord Commander, but … this letter frightens me. See here?”

Bastard, was the only word written outside the scroll. No Lord Snow or Jon Snow or Lord Commander. Simply Bastard. And the letter was sealed with a smear of hard pink wax. “You were right to come at once,” Jon said. You were right to be afraid. He cracked the seal, flattened the parchment, and read.

Your false king is dead, bastard. He and all his host were smashed in seven days of battle. I have his magic sword. Tell his red whore.

Your false king’s friends are dead. Their heads upon the walls of Winterfell. Come see them, bastard. Your false king lied, and so did you. You told the world you burned the King-Beyond-the-Wall. Instead you sent him to Winterfell to steal my bride from me.

I will have my bride back. If you want Mance Rayder back, come and get him. I have him in a cage for all the north to see, proof of your lies. The cage is cold, but I have made him a warm cloak from the skins of the six whores who came with him to Winterfell.

I want my bride back. I want the false king’s queen. I want his daughter and his red witch. I want his wildling princess. I want his little prince, the wildling babe. And I want my Reek. Send them to me, bastard, and I will not trouble you or your black crows. Keep them from me, and I will cut out your bastard’s heart and eat it.

It was signed,

Ramsay Bolton,

Trueborn Lord of Winterfell.

[ADWD; Jon]

As you can see Ramsay is asking Jon to COME AND SEE…

Jon is the one who should come down south because Ramsay is not coming up North..

And Jon says this too… Jon was going to leave Wall to go down Winterfell:

“And where will you be, crow?” Borroq thundered. “Hiding here in Castle Black with your white dog?”

“No. I ride south.” Then Jon read them the letter Ramsay Snow had written.

[…]

“The Night’s Watch will make for Hardhome. I ride to Winterfell alone, unless …” Jon paused. “… is there any man here who will come stand with me?”

[…]

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

[ADWD; Jon]

And in TWOW Theon sample; Theon says that Ramsay will (?) come to Stannis for his bride and Reek:

“Frey and Manderly will never combine their strengths. They will come for you, but separately. Lord Ramsay will not be far behind them. He wants his bride back. He wants his Reek.” Theon’s laugh was half a titter, half a whimper. “Lord Ramsay is the one Your Grace should fear.”

[TWOW; Theon]

So will Ramsay march Wall to meet Jon (because he believes that Jon has his bride) or will he come to Stannis who is in Crofters’ Village in Wolfswood (west of WF)?

I don’t have the answers because of the mysteries surround Pink Letter and we don’t know the true timeline of POVs.

But in any case… If Ramsay is going to march to Wall then he will most likely use the west of Kingsroad or the KR itself but Sansa is going to use the east of KR (according to Grey Girl prophecy and the map).

If he and Sansa somehow cross paths I am not so worried about Sansa.. she won’t be alone (she’ll have Brienne probably).

* Martin also hinted that we will see a face off between Ramsay’s hounds and Stark dire wolves… but I believe that it will happen in WF Battle..

IMO, Jon and Sansa will face Ramsay in WF Battle and not before…

So I don’t think that Ramsay or Petyr will be alarming threats for Sansa in Vale or during the journey up North.

I hope I am right…

Sansa’s body is WF… and no one will ever get it unless she lets them..

Thanks for the ask.

#asoiaf #sansa stark #ramsay bolton #petyr baelish #twow speculation #mine #replied #answered #ask

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janiedean · 3 years ago

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I don’t know why you turned that comment in a sansan meta, but anyway in my opinion Book!Theon is narratively more important than Sansa and Jamie. What the show did to him was horrible, and I hate that when they talk about Sansa and Jamie they always dismiss Theon. You have no idea of how many times I have seen people say that Sansa is a main character while Theon is a secondary one, if she’s so much more important than him, why did they give her his storyline

I did beeecaaause people putting sansa over 90% of the other characters is also rooted in ignoring that san/san is a thing because it negates what 70% of her storyline is about so they have to give her other people's also i felt like ranting X°D also under the cut bc it got long

that said I 100% agree that what the show did with theon was complete shit and the fact that they gave s. his storyline was criminal because it was tailored to him and it made no sense to give it to her but I'm not so sure he's narratively more important than she is or that jaime is, in the sense that speaking as someone whose third-fave is theon (like my top five is robb brienne theon jaime davos and sansa these days is like... top 20 or 15 at most but idk just to point out that technically I like him better than both jaime and sansa) idt that they are there for the same purpose and theon has less technical narrative weight than she does if only because for now he's been like... the indirect catalyst of a few events but imvho he's there because george wanted to write that story (as in: the ptsd recovery/identity reclaiming/deconstruction of the backstabber trope) and found a way to make it somewhat integral to the plot tying it to robb's demise but like I think sansa is more of a main in the economy of the narration bc she's in the middle of a lot more storylines while theon for now has been basically tied to robb's/the northern demise only and I'm not that sold on the concept that he ends up being part of the supermain political plot, honestly I think he's going to be part of the northern one and play some kind of important role but then he's most likely getting the nice house in the country with jeynep or something because his character is about overcoming trauma and surviving it and realizing what you want from life which is not necessarily a kingdom or posturing for others while sansa has to be at least in the middle of 'we're bringing an army from the vale' storyline + reconnect with jon/her other siblings etc (which is def. gonna happen just not as horrid as the show made it) and so on, so like... if I had to bracket it I think sansa is secondary main and theon is tertiary main and jaime is secondary main bc he's tied to the knighthood theme and the romance theme etc but like.... how do I put it

You have no idea of how many times I have seen people say that Sansa is a main character while Theon is a secondary one, if she’s so much more important than him, why did they give her his storyline

anon I was on the theon tag until the year the show aired believe me I have more than a vague idea of that and like... the thing is: anyone with more than two throwaway povs is a main in these books (I mean AREO HOTAH def is not but theon or sansa or anyone who has povs in more than one book is one), then there's the brackets we were saying (main five + secondary + tertiary) but like how do I put it, I also would consider davos a tertiary main character and he's in my top five, it doesn't make it less of a main? and the problem isn't that she's more main than theon, it's that theon's storyline is theon's storyline like they also gave jon's aegon vi's and it showed because it sucked, they split the joncon/aegon plot over jon, jorah, crsei and dany and it sucked because it wasn't their storyline, even if theon was a secondary one giving sansa his plot made no sense

but that stated if you wanted a srs reply to that: because no one gaf about theon X°D like I've been watching that shitshow since S2 and I can 100% assure you that in S2 everyone wanted him dead and in S3 when they tried to make him somewhat sympathetic everyone still wanted him dead, so since winterfell is a huge location and theon's adwd storyline is like the only northern pov we have they went like 'if we stick theon in the north storyline viewers will riot because they don't gaf about him so we're just gonna swap him with someone they actually care about' ie sansa and they thought it was smart thinking because they could do the whole fake feminism revenge storyline later and I'm dying on that hill and it had nothing to do with theon being secondary or not but all to do with the fact that the majority of the viewers wanted him dead back in the day imvho X°DDDDD and they took shitty decisions based on that without learning the main lesson the sopranos taught us which is don't give the audience what they want rather give them what you think is good for the story XD

#janie rants #anonymous #ask post #*shrug*#i mean i think that arguing abt who's more important in asoiaf is nonsensical #bc everyone has a personality and a point in the story #which is why idg why everyone is like AH MY FAVE HAS TO BE ON THE IRON TRAP #like that doesnt mean anything actually it means they'll be miserable SO #anyway as my fave is someone without even a pov my opinion is what it is but anyway #anti show sansa #ch: theon greyjoy #this is your yearly reminder that the ending of the sopranos is everything got's isn't and don't i wish #everyone had the guts to do THAT

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from-ib-to-asshai · 4 years ago

Text

WIP WEDNESDAY- I see you down on your knees

Arya should like to imagine that Frey blood is different then other blood. Maybe that the smell is more putrid, or that the liquid more viscous. Perhaps even a different color; more brown. Dirty blood would be fitting for such a dirty, rotten family.

But this isn’t the case. Despite all odds, the blood of the Frey men is almost lovely; she doesn’t clean the blood out from under her fingernails for weeks in a futile hope to keep it there forever. It’s color seemed so bright in the candlelight of the Twins’ kitchen, runny and red like the wine she’d serve to the other family members later on. It was almost indescribable how it felt to watch it.

It was meant for her, she realized. Arya was meant to bleed men like them just like the sun was meant to rise in the east. It was destiny.

At night sometimes, Arya would shake with anticipation at the thought of Cersei Lannister’s blood. Would it be just as wonderful? Even more so? The expression on Cersei’s face would be of no matter to her because all that matters was her blood, because blood was her life force and Arya would weep with joy to have the chance to rip her life out of her, Needle forgotten at her side as she would instead dig it all out with her bare hands, the squelching sounds of flesh and muscle and blood combined with the cracking of bones would-

Oh. She’s getting ahead of herself again, isn’t she.

Sansa stares at her from across the table, obviously still waiting for an answer.

“I’ve been around,” she said, “Surviving. Training. Hiding.” She shrugged. “Nothing worth mentioning.” If Arya hadn’t been trained so well, she would've missed the almost imperceptible narrowing of her sisters eyes.

“I see.”

A pause.

“What about you?”

There was another pause, and Arya saw something in Sansa’s demeanor change - not for the better. On guard. Jaqen would have hit her for her mistake; Now Sansa either thought she was mocking her, since wherever she had been was obviously public knowledge, or her sister now knows that she’d spent the last years out of Westeros.

Jaqen would have hit her for it, the Waif would have beat her for it, Sansa now distrusts her for it. Arya just cursed herself for it instead.

“Lord Baelish got me out of King’s Landing,” the redhead began smoothly, ringing her hands together on her lap, “I was hidden in the Vale for a while(...)”

The silence between them was neither pleasant nor unpleasant, but simply a reminder that they were essentially strangers, weren’t they, after so many years apart. Sansa was beautiful, sitting on the simple wooden chair as if it were a throne, back straight, hands folded and head held evenly as not to disturb the non-existent crown that rested upon it. Her red hair neatly braided and her face illuminated by the low fire, her displeased expression was identical to the one she’d given Arya almost every day growing up. This realization stopped her in her tracks.

She tilted her head. No, it couldn´t be. Couldn´t it? They wouldn't have sent someone to Winterfell this fast, they couldn't have. Oh, but they could have. They could have gotten to Winterfell in the time she was in The Twins, they could have taken it over, they could have taken her sister's face.

They had reasons too.

The House had reasons to be angry with Arya Stark, and they had the resources to tear her down, to kill her. All the shattered promises, all the ignored oaths, all the broken rules. But why? Revenge? That wasn’t their style, really; hadn’t that been the whole point? The lesson that Jaqen H’Ghar had tried to teach her, that The Waif had tried to beat into her?

We never give the gift to please ourselves. Nor do we choose the ones we kill. We are but servants of the God of Many Faces…

A lesson. That would be a motive. That would be a reason to kill and impersonate Sansa Stark. Maybe they needed more servants for the god then she’d thought. Maybe they wanted her back. Maybe-

The door creaks open.

She flinches, instinctively tracing the outline of the hidden knife beneath the sleeve of her tunic with her hand. The door opens too slow for it to be an attacker, the footsteps too loud for an assassin, she knows -- but flinches anyway.

Petyr Baelish looks different then from when she last saw him. Perhaps older, perhaps more weary.The last time she had seen him had been years ago after all, No, thats not it; he looks smaller, almost like a small child dwarfed by the thick winter furs he has to wear to stay warm.

Littlefinger isn’t made for winter, she realizes. A small grin briefly twists itself over her face. His beady little eyes fixed onto her and he smiled tightly, bowing deeply in their direction.

“My Lady Arya. It truly is wonderful to see you,” he said, taking a seat by Sansa, “When was the last time I saw you -- four, five years ago?” He says it like he doesn’t exactly know how long, which of course is a lie, seeing what kind of person Petyr Baelish is. “You were naught but a child then. I am delighted to see you have grown into a beautiful young lady, and are safely back in Winterfell.”

Are you? She thinks to herself. Outloud she says, “Yes.”

The simple reply throws Baelish off, and he awkwardly readjusts himself in his seat.

“You simply must tell me about what you’ve been doing all these years. No one has heard from you in years.” He trying to play with her, she knows, but she is not interested in playing his game. He is far more interested in him playing hers. The smile she wears in small and light, weightless and nonchalant. She needs to make Baelish believe she thinks she’s smarter than she is. Not to trick him later; no, like she says, she has little interest in the game of thrones. No, she needs both him and Sansa to believe she had no capabilities to kill him, that she was too dumb to try.

She shrugs. “Same could be said for you My Lord. I hear one moment you’re working for the Lannisters, next you’re marrying into House Arryn, only to move on to the Boltons. All quite conflicting reports, really.” Her voice is soft and dispassionate. “I was hoping, that as I tell you of my travels, I’d be able to hear about yours more. Oh, you know how the smallfolk speak -- all rumors and claims -- one can never really know the truth.”

“No,” Littlefinger replied, “One truly can’t. I-”

“So I must wonder, Lord Baelish, where your loyalties really lay.”

“My loyalties are solely with your sister and House Stark, my Lady,” he said smoothly, “Any mishaps or conflicts in my actions were purely to survive and to get your family back home.” Sansa stiffened slightly beside him but said nothing.

“As Lady Sansa can surely attest to, the Vale’s armies played an important part in defeating the Boltons and securing Winterfell. The Vale has sacrificed many a moon and many a man to get us where we are today. So if my word itself isn’t enough to make you not distrust me My Lady, then at least trust my actions.” He bowed his head to her with a smile, his hand on his chest.

It took her a moment to riffle through his words to actually gain some meaning from them; Littlefinger spoke fast and spoke many words whilst saying little. But aside from the acknowledgement that his loyalties to Sansa meant more to him then any other, and the mention of how indebted the North was to the Arryns, there wasn’t much behind his words.

She’d expected more from Lord Baelish after all she’d heard. Or maybe it was on purpose - perhaps he didn’t think she-

“Of course, you should know best that I can be trusted -- After all, I never revealed your secret to anyone, all those years ago.”

Ah. There it is.

Sansa’s sharp, icy gaze pierced through her. She didn’t even have to look over to see the question burning in those pale eyes. Baelish grinned wider.

“Harrenhal was such a terrible place, wasn’t it. I can’t imagine what it must have been there -- especially under Tywin Lannister.” Arya felt herself grinding her teeth together. “I just hope you managed to get out of there before before the Mountain took over,” he continued, “But it surely would have been hard to escape unnoticed -- especially being Tywin’s personal cupbearer.”

And there it was. The kick she’d been expecting.

Thick tension filled the room as silence took over. Baelish’s smile waned slightly, unnerved by the quiet. He’d surely been expecting some sort of revoke from her, a hurried defense, a glim of anger; even just a startled look.

But Arya Stark did not bend to the whims of men.

Sansa's dry voice broke the moment.

“Lord Baelish, you must excuse us. It seems my sister and I have much to discuss.”

The man stood and bowed, obviously pleased with his work, and left, footsteps loud and they echoey as he descended down the hall.

“You haven’t even been here half a day and he’s already trying to cause distrust between us.” Arya looked over, surprised. Now this she hadn’t been expecting. Sansa leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples and sighing. She caught her younger sisters inquisitive gaze and smiled faintly.

“He loves doing things like this,” the redhead murmured, tracing her finger along the wood of the table, “Trying to tear families apart, causing chaos wherever he steps foot,” she huffs. “I do understand why, I am easier to manipulate when alone. That doesn’t mean he’s any less despicable.”

Arya blinked. Sansa leaned over to her, laying her hand close to hers, close enough to feel the warmth without direct touch. She appreciated that, in a strange way.

“Why don’t you just...send him away?” Sansa smiles again, and Arya thinks it’s somewhere between patronizing and affectionate. Her younger self would have gotten at the gesture, but the last time anyone had looked at her with any kind of real affection had been years ago, so she didn’t even mind getting talked down too -- For all she’d been taught in Bravos, the House had not cared to teach her about Westerosi politics.

“Because we need the Vale’s army. We can’t afford to lose their alliance because, while Lord Royce cares little for him, if our dearest cousin hears that his lord regent and surrogate father is killed on flimsy claims of conspiracy and treason ...” Sansa paused, looking out the window. The bright grey light reflected on her blue eyes. Arya realizes, then, that she hadn’t suggested to murder him, only to remove him from Winterfell.

No, she realizes then. This was not a faceless man trying to trick by using the face of her sister. The amount of fury in her face, etched into the curve of her gentle smile, sparkling in her kind eyes, evident in every small nod and calm word - this is not the way of a faceless man. The subtlety of the anger, no - they would try to be much more obvious.They would not try to conceal their resentment as effectively as Sansa did.

Arya felt a twinge of pride at that, unable to imagine how the elder Stark had become this good of a liar -- what had caused it.

Satisfied with her discoveries, she excused herself, venturing out into the old, dusty, grey halls that she had once called her home. The dark stains, the crumbling corners, the burn marks on the tapestries and the nervous maids that have quick, hurried direwolves stitched into their overcoats to distract from the pinks and reds of their skirts that they are too poor to replace.

#yeah i aint ever gonna finish this #but i did like writing this part #title is taken from son luxs You Dont Know Me #Arya Stark #house stark #Sansa Stark #peter baelish #littlefinger #wip #wip wednesday #ASoIaF #A Song of Ice and Fire #got #game of thrones #implied vague arya x jaqen #the faceless men #the house of black and white #game of thrones season 7

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arabian-bloodstream · 6 years ago

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Love and Lust

There has been some thought that the depiction of the sex between Arya and Gendry was just that of Arya wanting to see what it was all about or even just horny lust. While those were both clearly aspects of what happened, I think anyone seeing either of those things as the only interpretation of their love scene—because, yes, it was a love scene—missed out on quite a few key things not only in that scene but in their interaction earlier in the episode.

I also think that all of their interaction in this episode—including the lustier aspect of their lovemaking—made it fairly clear that, no, Gendry is not going to being dying in the upcoming battle. Read on…

The first episode established their attraction to one another with the flirting calling back to their shared history. This episode upped the ante with the attraction by adding a dose of lust, but deepened it by showing both the trust and ease they still share with one another that we know neither would easily share with others due to what’s happened to them in the intervening years.

There was a reminder of their history again (she remembered that he's a smith’s apprentice), he told her about beyond the wall, she called him out on glossing it over and made him tell her the truth. They were completely real with one another.

Arya showed Gendry her skill with a knife and her knowledge of death, making it clear how skilled a fighter she is, not hiding who she really is. Gendry told her that he was Robert Baratheon’s son, what Melisandre had done to him (in so many words) and his sexual history. That’s a lot of private, vulnerable information to share. And yet both did it easily. (Well, OK, Gendry was a bit cutely flustered with his last bit of share.)

There was so much stuff that the episode’s writer Bryan Cogman got in their two scenes... so much about their history, their trust in one another, their feelings, and how much set-up for what's to come to. All of that? Was showing how strong the foundation this relationship has.

I will circle back to some of these points later with regards to Gendry’s future, but first, let me tackle their other scenes. I mentioned at the top that their sex scene was a love scene and not just about horny lust or Arya wanting to try sex. And going into detail about that first scene was part of laying that down. But the second scene before the love scene as well goes into that.

It’s obvious with regards to Gendry that it is not just lust. The boy is completely gone for her. We saw that in the first scene after she threw the dragon glass knives and then said she wanted her weapon again and walked away, Gendry—unlike most sane people—looked completely awestruck and watched her walk away with hearts in his eyes. He’s completely lovestruck.

Also, in this second scene, after Arya made it clear that she wanted to have sex, Gendry’s said her name all soft and breathily. He didn’t pull away, he didn’t resist, he said her name and you could read exactly what he was saying in that exhalation of her name and by the expression on his face. He was saying: ‘Girl, you know I love you, but I'm not sure we should do this because I want to treasure you and treat you right, you know—’ But then she kissed him and he was like 'OK, fuck it, I'm having some SEX with milady! YEAH!'

And another so not just lust for Gendry, although this was more in between the lines. They wouldn’t have all but made the guy pretty much this close to a virgin. I mean… seriously. Honestly, I figured Gendry being practically a virgin would be fanon. I can’t believe that they basically made it canon. The guy was off of the show for three years—looking like that, fine as all hell—and they canonically had him actually say he only had sex with three women?! Bronn was literally with three women at the same time in the previous episode. I mean, yeah. Arya Stark is his fucking OTP. That essentially was the show’s shorthand way of saying so.

Finally, anyone saying that this love scene was just lust was not paying attention to the last five to ten seconds. The final shot of Gendry before she comes down for the kiss he's just looking at her with complete and utter love in his gaze. Joe Dempsie played that like Gendry just completely adores Arya.... total heart eyes there.

So, you know that had to have been the direction, in the script, the plan… not lust… but love. And there is this comparison shot from Jon and Daenerys’ first-time making love where she is looking up at Jon with love and it is LITERALLY the exact same framing. LITERALLY.

From a directing point of view that is really telling. Jon and Daenerys are supposed to be this great love and there you have literally an IDENTICAL shot of Gendry and Arya. What these two shared in this episode was a lusty love scene, not just a sex scene. You can feel lust and love at the same time.

And, yeah, it was love for Arya too. She just didn’t quite realize it. But look at her face as she’s leaning down to kiss him. It’s dark and we don’t get the best angle because it’s a close-up, but there’s a softness there you can see. Which leads us to that final scene. She’s not numb; she’s not dissatisfied. She’s freaking the ever-loving fuck out.

She was feeling all kinds of hot, hot lust for him sure, and then she opened herself up to the feels and suddenly it was hitting her, she might die, *he* might die. And it was gonna hurt. A LOT. She’d already lost him once and it was going to be a helluva lot worse now because she’d re-opened herself up to him a lot more now. And in the past, Gendry hadn’t allowed himself to open himself up to her, but now… this time he had. They were open to each other and now they could very well both lose each other. She was shaken to the core. That was what we saw from her in the final scene.

A few additional thoughts…

- I loved the parallels beginning each of their scenes. Gendry doing his thing and then there was Arya watching him silently in the first scene. In the second, Arya doing her thing, Gendry watching her.

- Speaking of Arya watching Gendry in that first scene, damn, she was all but licking her lips…

- And then that little eyebrow raise she gave him when he first saw her and that smoldering look he sent back her way in return.... SO HOT!

- Joe Dempsie and Maisie Williams have such great chemistry. Damn, that scene was so fucking hot.

- Hah, it was funny. Silly Gendry, he was trying to assert some kind of dominance at one point, reaching out to wrap his hand around Arya’s head while they were kissing.... and boom within like two seconds, she shoved him onto the bags, LMAO. Nope, Gendry, she's the dominant.... always.

- Aww, but she let him take off his own pants. She was in complete command from beginning to end, but still gave him his own agency. She's so sweet. It was definitely mutual all around.

- Speaking of… after Arya said that, the way he was so quickly untying those laces, LMAO.

- I did love that Arya just shoved him down (and, yes, it did remind me of when she did it when he kept calling her “Milady” back in season 02).

OK, circling back to Gendry’s future like I said I would… a lot that happened in this episode between these two actually made me more strongly believe that Gendry will *not* be dying any time soon. Why?

1.) Arya’s commentary about knowing death. 2.) Her knife-throwing kills. 3.) The focus on her scars, and then Gendry focusing on her scars. 4.) Gendry bringing up her wanting him to come to Winterfell. 5.) The fact that despite all of the set-up and the obvious love from Gendry’s side, Arya went into it just wanting his hot body to give her some loving. 6.) Gendry telling her he’s Robert Baratheon’s bastard. 7.) Arya’s realizing that she’s scared out of her ever-loving mind of losing Gendry (because, yeah, I’m sure that’s what the final scene meant).

In other words, there was SO MUCH SET-UP for more of their love story to flourish to come. Not to mention that Gendry still has more weapons to make, the Baratheon line is not going to die out. GRRM had three Baratheon bastards in the books and yet D&D only brought ONE to the show. I highly doubt it was just so that Arya could lose her virginity to him. If it was to have an “emotional impact” on her when he died… she would have been the one all “heart eyes emoji” during the love scene as opposed to Gendry.

Also, Joe Dempsie is wearing a Baratheon-style costume in the behind-the-scenes video for episode 01 while sitting on the set of a sunny climate and I doubt that Michelle Clapton would have created that for funsies.

Ergo, Gendry is not dying.

Thank you for coming to my Gendrya-themed Ted Talk.

#arya x gendry #gendrya #game of thrones #arya stark #gendry

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tomakeitbeautifultolive · 5 years ago

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2 questions (or so😬); 1) do you have headcanons of how will Jon and Danys love or romance story develop(if there is one)? Slow, over time? Or on the first sight, head over heels? One-sided, and later two-sider? Will both of them don't know(R+L=J) ? Or only Jon? How do you picture the angst between them? 2)when did Ben joined the NW and why? It's not like the NW went from a place or glory to a shit hole in a span of 15 years?! Like it's never mentioned what Ben did during the rebellion? Thx you

Wow! Thank you for all the asks! Sorry it took me so long to get to your beautiful questions. Oh you know I've got some Jon x Dany headcanons! *rubs hands together*

I believe it will be a slow burn that will resemble season seven in many ways (there's a reason season seven, for all its flaws, was still very highly rated as opposed to season eight - because while things like dialogue or timing suffered, the plot still felt like it was going in the right direction).

My prediction about Jon has always been that he'll be the *one* man who isn't impressed with Dany's beauty. Oh, he'll notice it all right, but he won't mention it or use it as a means to gain her favor with compliments. He's going to treat her as an equal right off the bat, and not as an object or a prize that he can win or woo. This is going to perplex Daenerys and probably intrigue her. They'll earn each other's respect based on merit, and I definitely predict some sort of innate bond between them because they're basically fated to meet.

Now, there's some speculation that because Jon died and is (most likely) coming back to life, we may never get another POV from him again. If that is the case (knock on wood) it will definitely appear very one-sided. I also have a headcanon that Jon absolutely resembles his true father in all but coloring, and that he's a total knockout - and we won't find that out until Daenerys sees him and we finally hear a proper description of his looks. (I also have a headcanon that Jon has his father's eyes - that everyone assumes they're grey but actually they're a dark indigo...) And in my dreams, Barristan Selmy is standing beside Daenerys on Dragonstone when Jon marches in and Ser Barristan sees something in Jon that strikes him as familiar... I would love it if, upon seeing Jon, it suddenly clicks for Barriston.

Angst between them, hmm. (f)Aegon is a bit of a curveball here. Either he's going to carry out his plan to try and wed his aunt and it could cause angst and make Jon realize he feels something more for Dany, or this will happen long before Jon is around - possibly as a ploy. Part of me suspects that if he took Tyrion's advice to heart about having a stronger claim than Dany, he might try to get rid of her or destroy her reputation somehow when she arrives to Westeros - and Jon might go to her once she's totally compromised and offer an alliance then.

I am more of a mystery theorist rather than someone who feels comfortable guessing at battle plans or strategies, I admit...

I do think that Jon's parentage will come out by some means or another, and that Daenerys will find out. I don't see this being a point of contention between them whatsoever, nor will the incest be a problem for Jon. In fact, I kind of see the pair of them teaming up to slay the mummer's dragon together. While the show really went hard with Targaryens being mad and evil, that is hardly the case for ASOIAF. This negative image of Targaryens comes mostly from, you betcha, the Lannisters (and Robert Baratheon). It was more or less a propaganda campaign that succeeded not only across Westeros, but apparently across the reader base who cannot read between the lines.

If it's true that Coldhands is not Benjen, then it could be Benjen or Howland who spill the beans, or perhaps confirm Ser Barristan's suspicion? (Assuming he doesn't die - but I really feel in my heart that he won't). I think Jon will have an identity crisis - not so much about being a Targaryen (I think he'll be proud of that honestly) but about not being Ned Stark's son as he was led to believe. I'd love for him, and the readers, to finally learn that his true father was a great man.

Now, speaking of Benjen... I believe he had a very heavy hand in what happened between Lyanna and Rhaegar. I believe he helped equip Lyanna with the mismatched armor needed for the tourney - and that he helped them, in some way, correspond in order to plan their elopement/abscondence.

During the rebellion, Benjen was the Stark in Winterfell - which I can only imagine how that empty castle haunted him during that period. Following news of his sister's death, I'd be willing to bet Benjen was utterly overcome with guilt. And for as close as Ned and Lyanna were, I believe Benjen was even closer to her. His joining the Night's Watch reads almost like a self-inflicted punishment/imprisonment, or... maybe... it wasn't that at all. His decision to join the ranks of a military order full of Targaryen supporters beyond the reach of Robert Baratheon might be a strategic one.

Benjen isn't stupid. He has to know who Jon is, right? I suspect he was even in on the prophecy that Rhaegar was into about TPTWP. So, Ned is keeping Jon safe, but Benjen might just be securing his future (or was, until his disappearance threw the plan into jeopardy).

Now... I have another little theory everyone is going to hate. But bear with me.

The Mormonts. They're a relatively small house sworn to Stark, in the middle of fucking nowhere. And by that I mean they're on small Bear Island surrounded by water - it's real out of the way from just about any and everything. They are described as poor.

So, how the hell does this small, obscure house manage to be one of the few with a Valyrian sword? Was it really written that way just so that Jon could inherit it? That seems a bit too convenient for GRRM's standards, doesn't it?

Presumably, sometime before Robert's Rebellion (though no one knows for sure), Jeor Mormont joined the Night's Watch and quickly moved through the ranks, securing Lord Commander status. Benjen Stark becomes First Ranger. Two of the most powerful positions. And Bear Island went to Jeor's son, Jorah Mormont, along with Longclaw.

What happens with Jorah, exactly? He's caught selling poachers to slavers. Poachers. On Bear Island...?

For this disgrace, Jorah Mormont fled to the Free Cities. In the books, it says during this time Jorah fights the Braavosi, but in the show, he admits to having been part of the Golden Company (this might be important considering GRRM was pretty involved in season one and writing it).

I know the story goes that the sword has been with the family for five-hundred years. But a theme in these books is that history doesn't quite add up, and I can't help but notice that while the Starks' sword Ice dates back four-hundred years, around the time of the Doom of Valyria/when the Targaryens landed in Westeros, the Mormont sword allegedly goes back a hundred years further? Curious.

The original pommel, according to Jeor, was worn and indistinguishable - which seems strange for a Valyrian steel sword. Either way, this is a hint that pommels can be swapped out.

Much like Jon, Longclaw might also have a secret Targaryen identity: Blackfyre.

I'd love to see Jon and Dany square off against (f)Aegon - Dany with her dragons and Jon wielding Blackfyre. It's absurd headcanon for me that Jon obtaining and wielding this sword will inspire the Golden Company in some way and get them to change allegiance. How? I think we're missing plenty of details but if anyone knows the fate of Blackfyre better than we do, it's the Golden Company, and if Jorah did work for them or fight against them, then his presence alongside Jon/Dany might prove the swords are one and the same.

How perfect would it be for Jon to wield the very same sword as his idol, the Young Dragon? *dreamy sigh*

Anyway. If you're following me this far, it's also curious that Jorah goes on to find and protect Daenerys, eh? Meanwhile, when Jon expresses interest in joining the Night's Watch, Benjen says this:

"Until you have known a woman, you cannot understand what you would be giving up."

"I don't care about that!" Jon said hotly.

"You might, if you knew what it meant," Benjen said. "If you knew what the oath would cost you, you might be less eager to pay the price, son."

It's just all very curious to me. And maybe we'll never get answers where Benjen is concerned, just like we'll never know exactly what Rhaegar's plan was, either. But imagining these grand schemes going on in the background make the story so much more interesting to me because I'm a dreamer, what can I say?

Thanks for the asks, they were a great way to get my mind off of paranoia for a while lol ♥

#answered #jonerys #headcanons

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writingthrones · 5 years ago

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the northern dragon- part 7.

PART 7: A CELEBRATION.

TAGS: @psychosupernatural , @xleviiiix , @ashtronomyyyy , @starkbelova,@5aftermidnight , @makapaka11 , @mxxkscreate-write , @scorpiosmalfoy,@harrison-shot-first , @art-flirt , @jessyballet , @vaexvictis ,@callmeconceited , @cassiopeia-barrow , @the-three-eyed-ravenclaw , @iirelynn , @aspiring-fangirls-world , @emmaelizabeth2014 (feel free to shoot me a message if you’d also like to be tagged!)

DESCRIPTION: the world thought that just 2 dragons survived, that house targaryen was missing its third head. but there was another– the youngest, the final child of the mad king and queen rhaella. of course, she was almost part of the near extermination of her house. but the honorable ned stark, unable to watch a babe be murdered for crimes she did not commit, rescued her from an awful fate. instead, she grew up amongst wolves within the walls of winterfell.

NOTES: this chapter was so much fun to write wow. i hope y’all enjoy, it’s a bit longer than usual, too. as you know by now, feedback is very much appreciated!

WARNINGS: ANGST ANGST ANGST, things getting a little steamy.

First, I must tell you why I need to leave. I should have long before this and I suspect you will agree. My name, my true name, is Visenya II Targaryen and I am the youngest child of the Mad King. How did I end up as a ward to your father? Well, he is truly the best man I’ve ever known. He risked everything to save me. If not for him, I would’ve been slain in the arms of my mother the Queen. I was lucky to have been welcomed with open arms by your mother. I was lucky to have known them at all and trust me when I say that I mourn them as you do.

Second, with this being my last word to you I must be honest. I love you, Robb Stark. I always have, before I even understood what love was. All our lives I wondered: if I never had to hide myself, would you have loved me, too? I didn’t let myself dream for too long before realized even then that wouldn’t be possible. A Targaryen and a Stark, really? My father did awful things to your family, no amount of noble blood could change that hurt. So I suppose it was just never meant to be.

Lastly, I am so sorry for all that has happened. I do not understand the pain of losing the ones you love more than anything. But I will not apologize for saving your life even if it’s not what you wanted. You are a king and your people are counting on you. I truly want nothing more than for them to be granted their freedom. Sansa and Arya are counting on you. Please, if you will, tell them that I love them. But I must go. Jaime Lannister discovered who I was the night he escaped. I already stayed too long and put you at risk. If anyone found out that the King in the North was harboring a Targaryen, I know it could mean disaster. I’m sorry for putting you in this kind of danger. I will not be a burden any longer, though. I’m not quite sure where I will go, maybe across the sea, as far as I can get away from this place.

Now burn this letter. I do not want it to end up in the wrong hands.

Farewell.

- Y/N

CONTINUED THIRD PERSON.

So the Young Wolf sat there, mouth actually hanging open with astonishment. There’s just no way this could be true.. right? His father, saving a Targaryen girl? The idea sounded ridiculous at first but the more he thought on it, the more it made sense. He could understand his father seeing an innocent babe and being unable to just walk away. He was nothing like the former King Robert in that aspect. He had never known the full details of what happened when they took King’s Landing but he did know that children were murdered as part of it.

His body felt numb and it felt impossible to move. A lot of information had just been thrown at him; he had grown up with a Targaryen princess, whose identity had been discovered by the Kingslayer, she was headed Gods know where and she.. loved him? All her life, apparently. How could that be and he just never knew? He quickly shook away the thoughts, instead focusing on the more pressing matters: Jaime Lannister knew who she was and now she was fleeing, supposedly in his best interest. But the ink was still wet, which meant she couldn’t have been far. So snapping himself out of it, he hurried onto his feet, out the door and down the hall. There was still no sign of her, not even any sounds he could hear. But she couldn’t possibly have already left! The letter was freshly written.

He ran out into the courtyard. Still no sight of her. His heart was truly racing now. As he searched high and low, he finally spotted a figure preparing a horse in the dim light. The figure’s frame was a small-- it had to be her. So he ran up, grabbing at their shoulder and turning them around. It was. Shock was written all over her face. Robb wasn’t quite sure what to feel. “I’m sorry,” he began. She sighed, it didn’t seem like she truly believed that. “I am so sorry, Y/N.” Or should he call her Visenya? He didn’t know and didn’t care right now. “You didn’t deserve any of that. I know what you did was exactly what my mother wanted..” He can still hear her pleas to Y/N and shuddered at the thought. “But you can’t go.” Not after all his parents went through to protect her. “We’ll figure this mess out with Jaime Lannister but I won’t let you just leave.” Her brow furrowed at that. “It’s not up to you whether I stay or go,” she shot back. No response to his apologies-- great. “Stay, Y/N. Stay for a time, just.. don’t go now. Not after everything.” She sighed and released the reins of the horse. Giving him the same silent treatment he’d given her, she followed him back into the castle and up to her room.

BACK TO READER’S POINT OF VIEW.

There was a very uncomfortable tension when the two of you returned to your chambers. He still hadn’t really addressed who you were or the fact that you said you love him-- present tense. You sighed, sitting down on the bed while he sat in the chair in front of the desk. “We should both get some rest,” you finally said quietly, hoping to spend the next few quiet hours getting some rest before another exhausting day started back up. “You’re right,” he said, though he never moved. “What are you doing...?” you asked, brow furrowed. “I...” He seemed awkward. “I just.. want to make sure you stay. And.. uh, that we don’t have another problem like this business with the Kingslayer.” Huh. “So are you just going to sit here the whole time?” you questioned incredulously. “Yeah, uh, I guess so.”

Well, this would be interesting to say the least. You stood and walked over to your trunk, searching through to find something you could get some sleep in. Settling on the first nightgown you saw, you looked at him over your shoulder. “Can you.. turn around?” He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something but instead just turned like you had asked. In the most uncomfortable manner, you slid off the heavy material you’d donned for your long journey and changed into something else. You made your way back to the bed, falling back onto the soft material, which he took as a sign of you being decent. Your eyes met as you turned your head to look at him. “So you’re actually going to sit there and just.. watch me sleep?” You almost wanted to laugh. “Well, no.. I just want to be sure that something else doesn’t happen,” he replied.

With a sigh, you turned over and did your best to fall asleep. Instead, though, you remained in a state of somewhere in between. When you couldn’t deal with anymore, you sat up only to find that Robb had dozed off. It made you giggle and it felt so good to have that tiny moment of happiness after all the misery that had been the past two weeks and all the heartache that came even before that. Feeling particularly restless, though, you decided to sit at the window, something that you did often back at Winterfell. With most people still asleep and the other person in the room already knowing the truth, you removed the wrap from your head and tossed it aside.

THIRD PERSON BREAK AGAIN.

He hadn’t meant to fall asleep. The young wolf jolted himself awake, hoping that he had only dozed off for a few brief moments. But his heart started to pound when he saw the furs tossed open and no Y/N wrapped up in them. He hopped out of the chair, ready to run when he noticed something from the corner of his eye. Turning quickly, there she was. For the first time in his life, he saw her without being all covered up. That signature Targaryen white-silver hair that fell down her back in tousled waves was... beautiful, frankly. He didn’t expect to feel that way but he did. The young king felt frozen as he watched her.

Feeling the eyes on her, she turned around to face him. Seeing her in all her glory was breathtaking but he cursed himself for thinking so. He’d just lost his wife and mother to the child he’d never gotten to meet. And he still loved her deeply, those feelings couldn’t just go away like that. But seeing her, really seeing her, it brought up feelings from the past. He needed to break the silence.

“You scared me,” he said awkwardly. Still taking it all in, he walked closer. “Well you don’t have to worry,” she sighed, brushing past him to go pick the fabric back up and re-apply it. Jogging over to her, he grabbed her wrist. “You don’t have to. Not now, at least.” Her eyes went wide and as he looked deeply into them, he could see the purple hue they held. All those years they’d grown up together and he never noticed. Realizing it had already been too long, he released her arm and once again, she pushed past and collapsed back into the bed. This time, though, the silver locks sprawled out around her. It’s all he could focus on as she moved. Sighing, she curled up under the covers.

BACK TO THE READER’S POINT OF VIEW.

He returned to his spot in the chair so you tried to just close your eyes and actually fall asleep. In a moment of impulse, you opened them again and met his. “You should lay down. I won’t run.. but you should probably get some rest, I’m sure it’ll be another long day.” He looked completely taken off guard and it made you immediately regret opening your mouth. “You’re sure?” he questioned softly as he rose from his chair. Surprised by his positive response, you nodded and so he came to the edge and you looked up at him for a moment before moving back, allowing him plenty of room. He removed the cloak he’d been wearing and all other heavy garments he wore then slid under the furs, lying on his side and looking directly at you. It became clear that neither of you were going to get much rest but hey, at least you were comfortable.

“Did you mean it?” And there it was, the moment you were dreading. Of course he was going to ask! You only wrote that because you really did plan to never see him again. Unable to form words, instead you just nodded. “All this time?” You nodded again. No point in pretending, right? “And you never said anything?” That’s when you propped yourself up on your elbow. “How could I ever? And if I did, what would it matter?” He didn’t move but continued to hold your gaze, never breaking away from a second. “Maybe it would have,” he replied softly. Your brow furrowed-- what on earth was he talking about? You let out a humorless chuckle. “Ah, yes. Robb Stark and Y/N, a girl from no house of any importance who just so happened to grow up as his father’s ward.” You laid back down, this time staring up at the ceiling. It sounded like he was about to say something, but you cut him off, “I’m tired. You should get some rest, too.” So you turned onto your side facing away from him and drifted off into slumber.

THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW.

Robb laid there, staring at the back of her head, for a while. What am I thinking? he wondered. He was still in mourning, why was he concerning himself with her romantic feelings for him? But then again, how could he not? She said she loves him, as in, currently. And here they were, sharing a bed so it had to be a thought on both their minds, right? Watching her frame ever so slightly rise and fall with each breath, his eyes soon fluttered shut and he slept as well.

This night, Robb was gifted a look back into his memory in a dream. He was 11, she was 10. He had been just about ready for bed when his door flew open, revealing the red, puffy-eyed and tear stained face of Y/N. He quickly got out of bed and ran over, ushering her inside and shutting the door behind her. “Woah, what’s wrong?” he asked. “I--I had a nightmare,” she said between sniffles. Robb placed his hand on her back in an effort to comfort her. “What happened?” he questioned cautiously. “I— There was a dragon. I was somewhere outside.. and it just came down in front of me, it roared so loud I thought I’d never be able to hear again. I think it was just about to blast me with his fire when I woke up. But it was so scary!” It was hard to even understand what she was saying she was so choked up. “It’s okay, Y/N, all the dragons are gone. And I’d never let anything hurt you,” he replied, pulling to girl in his arms and squeezing her. Her tears wet his shirt, but she seemed to calm soon after he held her. Robb leaned back from her, wiping the rest of the tears away with his thumbs. “All better?” he asked with a warm smile. The younger girl nodded. “Come here,” he said quietly, pulling her gently by her hand and leading her to his bed, urging her to lay in it. “You can stay here. I’ll be here if it happens again,” he said, continuing to smile at her. So she laid there, falling asleep not long after. Meanwhile, he watched to make sure she slept peacefully before he could sleep himself.

That morning when he woke up, she was still sleeping. He didn’t think it was possible for someone to sleep so gracefully, especially when she was a total mess when they were younger. The thought made him chuckle. He watched her for a few minutes longer before he turned to lay on his back, sighing as he stared up at the ceiling. What a mess things had become. It was about time he move and get prepared for a long day of trying to figure out what their next move would be. Many of his men had been taken out at the Twins, but a decent amount had also escaped and had reportedly re-assembled at Riverrun.

He gently slid out of the bed and began to put himself together when he heard movement behind him. Y/N looked groggy as she propped herself up on her elbow. He still found himself fixated on her hair, that beautiful hair, that hung down in loose waves. He loved his wife and mourned for her and their child’s death. It was horrific and he would seek revenge for them, as well as his mother.

But was there still feelings there for Y/N? Feelings he hadn’t really thought about in years. As he grew older he came to realize that he was heir to Winterfell and she was no one, so he had been told, so there was just no way it could be. When they were children, though, he loved to do things like hold her hand, lay with her, hug her. He had never considered what his role would be as a man, all he knew back then was that there was a pretty girl who he loved to spend his time with-- a harmless crush. Then, they got older and they started to speak less and less until it became strictly when they needed to. He needed that distance or he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from acting on those feelings. Even with it, he couldn’t keep himself from stealing glances of her at occasions she’d been invited to or even just time spent in the courtyard. Theon always made jokes about the way she was covered up and he hated himself for sometimes laughing along but none of that mattered to him. Beauty radiated off of her. And then when she showed that she was as strong as she was beautiful.. wow. He could see the raw talent back when he caught her sparring with Jon. It only made him more attracted to her. Seeing her insist on being involved with the war, it scared him. But it also intrigued him.

Then Talisa came along and immediately he was pulled in. The woman was beautiful and smart and challenging. It was an instant love, a love that he didn’t care about risking things for. She loved him back, too, just as quickly and intensely as he had. They married and in no time she was carrying his child. All the while, though, his feelings for Y/N certainly hadn’t just disappeared. In fact, she was the first taste of love he had. But having it drilled into him for so long that he would one day be Warden of the North and he would be married to a Lady of another great house, he had to just.. forget about it. It was terrible and unfair to push her away but that’s what he did. And now, here they were, being thrusted back together again. They shared a bed just like when they were children. He enjoyed it just as much. Everything was just so mixed up it was making his head spin.

“You—“ he started, only for her to immediately cut him off. “I know,” she grumbled as she hopped out of bed going over to get her head wrap. Well, that’s not what he was going to say. But, being as frustrated as she was, she rushed over to change without even thinking about how he was standing right there. He watched as the night gown slid down off her back and it was just about to pass her hips when he tore his gaze away. She dressed quickly and reapplied the wrap.

READER POV.

You couldn’t believe that you two had slept together. Why did you offer him the place next to you? It was stupid. It was stupid because as soon as he did and stared at you as he did so, your heart fluttered. You remembered the sleepless nights when you’d run to his chambers and he’d pull you right in. How could you not have fallen in love with him? Sighing, you sat on the bed. “Shouldn’t you be on your way out? They shouldn’t see you leaving from my room. And I imagine there is a lot to do today.” The look on his face told you that he wanted to say more but instead he nodded and made his exit.

Letting out an even heavier sigh, you placed your hands over your face and unwillingly let some tears slip down your cheeks. Today was going to be a long one. You weren’t sure how, but you needed to find some way to be useful and keep yourself busy, your mind off all that was going on. You stood up, wiped the tears off your face and told yourself there would be no more of that today. Then you turned and made your way out of the room.

After having some breakfast, you tried your best to find something to do but what was there? Yeah, you saved the king but the Mallisters didn’t plan on bringing you into the meetings. However, after some wandering, you started to hear a conversation between multiple men. The closer you got, the more you could hear. It was Robb and the other men, discussing all that had happened and what would come next. So what you found out was under Theon, the Iron Islanders had taken Winterfell (infuriating Robb and you as well). Then, Roose Bolton had been slain, by a peasant girl (causing you to smile when you heard this), after attempting to murder the king he had sworn his men too. With that being said, his bastard was now mobilizing Bolton forces with the intent to take Winterfell for themselves which was going to make an even bigger problem. The Bastard King was furious upon learning that Robb had survived the assassination attempt and Lannister forces were surely on their way to find them, though they hadn’t yet figured out that he is at Seagard. But the final news is what made you fall to your knees with a sharp gasp. “…Daenerys Targaryen lives and has somehow produced three growing dragons. She has an army of Dothraki and bought over 8,000 Unsullied. We believe she has intentions to return to Westeros to reclaim the throne and has already sacked several cities in Essos.” Your sister was alive. No longer were you a Targaryen alone in the world, no, your older sister was alive and thriving. You clasped your hand over your mouth to muffle the cries that escaped. When you were able to gain control of your limbs again, you ran off to your quarters. This was the perfect opportunity to leave now. You would sail to Essos to find your sister and fight at her side-- then you would be out of Robb’s hair. It would be a win for the both of you.

Once again, you were assembling your things together. Only the absolute necessities would be going with you and whatever else you didn’t need could be sold. You would need as much money as you could get in order to make this trip. This time, though, you would not simply run off into the night. Maybe Robb deserved a goodbye, if that’s what he wanted. And if that wasn’t it... well, you’d find your way out. It wasn’t his decision whether you left or not, just as you had said the night before.

Hours passed and when you grew tired of waiting for the chance that he would visit you in the night again, you stood up and approached your door-- just at the same time there was a knock and he walked in shortly after. This put you two within inches of each other, causing you to suck in a breath with surprise. He looked down then stepped back a bit. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to--” You cut him off again, “It’s fine.” Feeling nervous about the closeness, you hurried back over to your bed and sat down then patted the spot next to you, beckoning him over. He looked confused but came and sat anyway.

“I heard your meeting today.” If he expected an apology for eavesdropping, he certainly wasn’t going to get one. But he knows you better than that, you thought. “I need to go, Robb. It’s dangerous for me to be here when Jaime knows who I am and my sister is alive. I have somewhere to go!” At this point you stood up, your emotions getting the better of you and making it impossible to be still. “I thought I lost my entire family and now that’s not the case and I just.. I need to be with her..” The tears were starting up, as much as you tried to hold them at bay. “Were we not your family?” his voice is stern but it isn’t hard to hear the hurt in it. “You know that’s not what I was saying,” you shot back weakly. “...I just don’t see why you want to leave for someone you don’t know. You don’t know what she’s like, Y/N!” You swallowed the lump in your throat. “And neither do you! But I’m willing to take the risk. I told you before, it’s not your decision if I stay or not and I’m choosing to go,” you spit out harshly.

That’s when you march across the room to go grab everything you might need and shove it into a bag that was easily carried. So much for a bittersweet parting. You feel his hand grab your arm and you look up at him as you pull it from his grip. “You can’t,” he says. “But I am,” you reply, throwing the bag onto your shoulder and shoving past him, only for him to catch hold of your wrist and pull you backwards. “Let go of me!” you shout, both anger and sadness in your tone. “I can’t let you go,” his tone is softer now, as is his gaze. You hated that you thought about but Jaime’s words calling him your captor crossed your mind. Was that it? He wanted to keep you because having one of the remaining Targaryens under his thumb was easier than the two potentially teaming up and conquering Westeros like their ancestors had? No, of course not. The two of you may have lost your connection over time, but Robb was not that callous.. was he?

“What is this about?” you questioned, once again pulling your arm away from him. “I..” He seemed so conflicted and it left you baffled. “I love you, too, Y/N,” he finally spits out. Your body felt numb and your heart began to pound. He couldn’t be serious. He had a wife just a month ago-- one who was tragically killed. This was absolutely ridiculous. “Don’t say that,” you replied, voice breaking. “I do. I have. I should have said it a long time ago but then I was told I had no choice in who I would be with and so I.. I don’t know, let it go I guess! Then there was Talisa--” That’s when a tear managed to slip down your cheek, which you wiped away as you stepped back. “Listen to me,” he pleaded, noticing the way you seemed to have checked out. So you nodded. “Then there was Talisa. The first woman I loved since you. And she loved me too. There was the Frey girl but I wanted a choice, so I made one.” Did he really want you to listen to the story of how he fell in love with someone else? “I’m saying this because I don’t want to lie to you. I loved her.. I don’t know if she’ll ever leave me, truly. She was the mother of my child.” Another tear you needed to wipe away. “But I loved you since we were children, just like you. I always loved you, it was always there, I just.. didn’t want to confront it and that was stupid. I was being a coward. But I can’t anymore, I can’t just watch you walk away.”

You tore your gaze away from him in a poor attempt to hide the tears. But he came close and pulled gently at your chin to make you face him. He took your face into both hands, Tully blues giving you the most intense look. “Why? Why now?” you asked in a strained voice as tears continued to stream down your porcelain cheeks. “I told you, I’m a coward. I should’ve told you as soon as I knew. I think I was 10.. but I was scared.” You simply stared at him, unable to find the words to say. “I love you, Y/N, I do. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Targaryen, you are as much a Northerner as I.” He wiped away the tears with his thumbs. “I won’t be your secret,” you replied, your voice as stern as you could manage. “No, you won’t. I promise. I will figure this all out and I promise I would never keep you a secret. You’re a Northerner who has fought alongside them, what could they possibly have to say?” You sighed, why was he so foolishly optimistic? “I’m a Targaryen. I can’t stay all covered up anymore, if I do it’ll only be a matter of time before it gets revealed and I’d rather do it myself than have Jaime Lannister spread it across the Seven Kingdoms,” you replied. He sucked in a deep breath then nodded.

“We’ll figure this all out,” he said softly before pressing his forehead to yours, still holding your head in his heads. You sighed, both out of a strange sense of relief but at the same time, frustration. This was all so complicated that it made you sick. This was all you had wanted all your life and yet now that it was here, it wasn’t as happy an occasion as it should’ve been. He leaned back and looked deeply in your eyes, “Just don’t leave.. please.” The way he seemed so vulnerable, so distraught.. it made your heart ache. Gods, you wanted to meet Daenerys-- you wanted to know your family but maybe staying was the best option, at least for now. But Robb’s doubts be damned, you would find a way to make contact with her. Even if you had to do it in secret, you didn’t care. Sure, you knew very little of her but something in your gut told you that she could be trusted-- that’d she’d be just as excited as you to learn that her sister had survived.

So you nodded. You wouldn’t leave, not now at least. And he smiled, a smile so bright-- something you hadn’t seen from him in Gods know how long. Then, finally, he pressed his lips to yours and you kissed him back with the longing of so many years. He returned the amount of passion and in no time, the two of you fell onto the bed. Things were getting intense when you stopped him, staring down at him with a smirk and watching as he was left panting. “You’re mad if you think I’m risking falling pregnant right now. I intend to keep fighting, Stark. And besides, you don’t want to dishonor me, do you?” you said, that smirk never wavering. He chuckled, propping himself up on his elbows and running a hand through your hair. “You’re right.. I guess,” he replied playfully before pressing a kiss softly to your lips.

You rolled off of him, settling in the place next to him instead. He rolled onto his side to look at you and you did the same. It felt like you two were children again. “The men who survived and more are meant to be here tomorrow. I’ll tell them that I mean to take a new queen. I won’t let any of them try to object and then.. you can tell them who you are,” he said quietly. Your mind raced and your heart was pounding-- so this was in then, huh? After going your whole life hiding, you were going to reveal that you were in fact the Mad King’s daughter. With a sigh, you nodded. “Aren’t you afraid of losing their support?” you questioned. “They swore an oath to my father and then to me, they can’t simply go back on that. And you are no ordinary queen, you fought for them-- alongside them. You saved my life and killed a traitor. It shouldn’t matter what your name is after all that.” All you could do was nod but your mind continued to race. Would it really go this way? You sure hoped but.. you knew all too well that not all men were too keen on keeping their oaths.

And they did reach Seagard that next morning. You were still lying in bed when Robb came in to inform you. So this was it then. Robb was going to announce you as his queen and you would tell them that you were a Targaryen. It was a terrifying thought. But you realized you hadn’t even confronted the thought that Robb was going to make you his queen-- he loved you and you two would be bound to one another. Before he could leave the room, you shot up out of bed. “All you said was that you’d make me a queen, you know. You are terrible at this whole asking someone to marry you thing,” you said, chuckling slightly. His eyes went wide and his face had a slight red tinge, presumably from embarrassment. He quickly made his way over, seating himself next to you on the bed. One hand went to the side of your face, fingers getting tangled in your hair. “Marry me, Y/N Targaryen. I wish to be yours until my last breath, and you mine. I love you.” The butterflies in your stomach fluttered so intensely you thought for a moment that you might be sick. “I will. I love you too, Robb Stark,” you said, nodding with tears in your eyes. He pressed his lips passionately to yours before breaking apart. “Get ready. It’s time.” You nodded and he left the room.

You put on a simple gown and then your wrap. When you stepped forward and made your own speech, you would remove it. But obviously you couldn’t just walk out that way. Closing your eyes and catching your breath, you smoothed out your dress and mentally prepared yourself for what could either be a liberating or life-threatening moment but either way, nothing would ever be the same. So you made your way out the door, hands clasped in front of you as you walked down the hall. Keeping your head high, you finally arrived in the courtyard where Robb was speaking with his trusted advisors. When he notices you from the corner of his eye, he quickly makes his way over. “It’s time then,” he said softly. You felt yourself beginning to shake and he grabbed your hand, “It’s going to be okay.”

Then it began. Robb stepped out into the middle of the courtyard, calling to the men to listen. Your eyes scanned the crowd, shocked by how far they went. They went far beyond the gates of Seagard, all trying to get a listen of what their king had to say.

“Men!” he called out. “After the tragedy at the Twins, I thank you all for assembling here to discuss our next course of action.” The men all cheered, clearly their loyalty never wavered despite what happened. “I promise you all, we will avenge all those we lost. We will punish the Freys for betraying their king in the name of some bastard in the South.” They cheered even louder this time. Well, it was surely going to get silent the moment he mentioned you-- or they’d protest, even. “But there is another matter I must speak about.” They were quiet this time, the anticipation written all over their faces. “I understand what taking Lady Talisa as my queen did. You must understand that I was making the choice I believed to be right and I will be seeking revenge on her behalf as well. But now, I ask that you trust me when I tell you I present you all a new queen. A woman I grew up with, who is loyal to the North. She understands our ways and she would gladly fight for you all until her last breath!” Just as you expected, they were silent now. “It is she who saved my life that night. She drove the dagger into Lord Bolton’s heart when he sought to kill me in the name of the Lannisters!” Then there was some enthusiasm from them. You were shocked.

He looked back at you now, nodding. “Come forward, Y/N,” he said, loud enough for those close to hear but no longer shouting. Shaking, you walked to his side and looked out at the men before you. You were able to recognize some of them as those you’d fought with, who commended you on your skill in battle when it was all over. Robb looked over at you, nodding as a way to tell you to speak. You exhaled a deep breath and built your confidence. “It is true, I plan to continue to fight alongside you all. I would die protecting any one of you! I am a Northern woman, it is my home and I will see to it that we destroy all of its enemies and take back the freedom that is rightfully ours!” You saw them nod and begin to cheer, not as loud as before but it was something. “It was I who put that blade in Lord Bolton’s chest-- and I plan to do the same to Lord Frey and any other traitor! Any ally of that Bastard King is an enemy of mine and I will happily put my life on the line to cut each and every one down!” Their cheers got louder and a grin began to grow on your lips. “But if I am to be a Queen, then I must be honest with you all. I am not nameless, not a peasant. Lord Stark saved me when I was just a babe and raised me in the ways of the North-- to pray to the Old Gods-- the true Gods-- and live with honor!” Your heart was racing as they grew silent again, waiting for what truth you needed to tell them.

“But I am a Targaryen.” Gasps echoed across the crowd as you removed the wrap from your head. “Yes, the Mad King is my father but I have no connection to that evil man! And I wish to right all the wrongs he committed. My name may be Targaryen but I am as much a Stark as your king!” You called out. Still silence until.. there were some that began to cheer and others joined in until the entire crowd was. Queen in The North, they called you. You couldn’t believe it. A Targaryen-- a Northern Queen. It felt like a dream. You were absolutely beaming. Robb then grabbed your hand, smiled over at you and held it up. The people cheered. They would now have rulers who wouldn’t hide away-- but would aid them in the fight for freedom.

“We invite you to celebrate our union tonight with a grand feast!” he exclaimed as you grinned at him. So this was it. Years and years of loving him and now here you were, ready to marry and live as King and Queen. The men cheered as Robb lead you away from the commotion, back into the castle. The two of you kissed passionately as Robb wrapped his arms around your waist and lifted you off the ground, causing you to giggle against his lips. How had things gone from so catastrophically wrong to as close to perfect as can be in just a matter of nearly two months? It was so hard to believe and yet here you two were.

“A grand feast, huh?” you asked, smirking as he let you back down. “And why not?” he shot back playfully. “Nothing! Just.. shocked is all. A Targaryen-Stark wedding being grand.” It was something no one would have ever thought possible let alone it being celebrated. “Well here we are,” he said softly before pressing another gentle kiss to your lips. “Do we even have a septon?” you asked. “Of course! And I believe the Mallisters have something for you to wear,” he said as he began to grin. Your eyes narrowed, “You are something else, Robb Stark.” He pulled you into a tight embrace again and you melted into his touch. Just then, some handmaidens walked over to you two, heads bowed. “Lady Targaryen, we apologize for the interruptions,” their voices sounded like they were shaking. You turned to face them with a warm smile, “No need.” Both of them looked up, returning the gesture. “We are to help you prepare for the ceremony if you could please come with us,” they still sounded intimidated, but less so. You nodded, breaking away from Robb and venturing off with the two young women. With one last look over your shoulder, you grinned at him.

First, you were given a bath. The two women looked shocked when you stepped right in, both warning you that it was still extremely hot but it felt great to you. You submerged yourself, holding yourself there for a few moments before returning to the surface, wiping your eyes. Once it finally ran cold, you stood and the handmaidens rushed over to cover you in a robe. “Thank you,” you said, chuckling slightly at their urgency. While one of them worked on trying to dry your hair, the other laid a dress out on the bed and you gasped at its beauty. It was done completely in Stark colors but you could swear that there was a three-headed dragon stitched just over the left breast. Completely taken off guard, you began to walk over, completely disregarding the woman working on your hair. As you stared down, you found that you were right. “How...?” you asked, looking over at the woman who stood next to it. “His Grace swore us to secrecy and asked that we make a small tribute to your house.” Your eyes began to water but you wiped at them before they tracked down your cheeks. Robb was unbelievable.

After apologizing to the other handmaiden, the both of them got to work on preparing you for the wedding. It wasn’t much, but they seemed to have some simple makeup on hand: painting your lips red, adding an ever so slight pink tinge to your cheeks and braided pieces that met in the back while leaving the rest of your silver locks in loose waves. They helped you step into your dress and while one pulled your corset tight, the other helped to adjust the front of the gown. It felt like you could hardly breathe but.. it was worth it for such a joyous occasion. “My lady,” one woman, who you now came to know as Lyla, said as she brought a mirror to your face. You smiled at your reflection before looking up at Lyla and Samaya. “I can’t thank you two enough,” you said, beginning to get choked up. “It was our pleasure, Your Grace,” Lyla spoke up first, but both grinned at you. Both of them gave you a curtsy before making their way out. “Congratulations, Your Grace,” said Samaya as she shot you a grin.

So you were left alone in the room, trying your best to not freak out. It was just so hard to believe that this was really happening. It was then that you heard the door open and you spun around to find Robb in the door way. He actually had his mouth hanging open as he stared at you, causing you to smirk. “Yes?” you asked, raising your brows. “You look.. breathtaking,” he said as he came closer and grabbed hold of your hand. “But we should go, Your Grace,” he replied, grinning. You realized then that there was no one to walk you to the ceremony. It should’ve been Lord Stark or Lady Catelyn but now they were gone. He seemed to notice your change in mood and his brow furrowed, “Y/N?” Your head snapped up to look at him, shaking your head. “It’s nothing.”

And then you two made it into the Great Hall where Robb walked right up to the septon then looked over at you, awaiting your arrival. You walked down the aisle with your head held high as all the high lords and ladies stared at you. When you reached your spot across from Robb, you smiled warmly at him and the vows began. “...I am his and he is mine. From this day, until the end of my days.” “...I am hers and she is mine. From this day, until the end of my days.” The two of you finished in unison. Then, the septon began to tie a ribbon around your clasped hands as he proclaimed, “Let it be known that Robb of House Stark and Y/N of House Targaryen are one heart, one flesh, one soul. Cursed be he who would seek to tear them asunder.” The two of you looked at one another with a smile as he finished, “In the sight of the Seven, I hereby seal these two souls, binding them as one for eternity.” And then the ribbon was unraveled. While you both believed in the Old Gods, Lady Catelyn believed in the Seven and you both knew this is a ceremony that she would appreciate. Besides, you were in the Riverlands now. A formal Northern wedding could be held when this was all over and you two were home.

The next few hours was magical. You never really expected to have a wedding or be married at all.. much less to Robb. But here it was, the time of your life. You danced with Robb amongst your people, laughing and beaming from ear to ear. And just as he had said, there was a grand feast for all to enjoy. By the end of the night you were quite exhausted when the two of you retired to your now shared room within the castle, though you wouldn’t be there much longer.

As soon as the door closed, Robb pressed his lips to yours with a sense of urgency, pushing back until you were up against the door. “Someone’s eager,” you giggled against his lips. “Should I not desire my wife?” he bantered back. His wife. You were his wife. Before you knew it you fell down onto the bed, dress half off, with Robb on top of you. Without thinking, you allowed him to strip you of nearly everything when you finally pulled away panting. “I told you, Stark, I will not fall pregnant. Not now,” you said with a smirk but you were very serious. As much as you would love to indulge in all the pleasures of married life and live in domestic bliss, there was a war to be fought. No time for children, not right now. He simply sighed but pressed another gentle kiss to your lips. You stood up and changed into a night gown before crawling back into bed, cuddling up to him.

The two of you were just starting to doze off when the door floor open. It was a young man who stood in the door way. “My apologies, Your Grace!” he exclaimed, clearly very shaken up. “What is going on?” Robb questioned in a gravely voice as he began to sit up in bed. “The men, they caught someone sneaking into the castle.. I think you’ll want to see him right away,” he said frantically, though he put his head down. “Yes.. I will be right there,” Robb quickly responded as he hopped out of the bed and got more heavily dressed. You got up as well, hurrying to find a robe you could throw on. He turned to look at you with a furrowed brow, “You don’t need to worry yourself with this.” With a single brow cocked, you shot back, “Robb, I plan to rule at your side. I would like to know who is trying to spy on us.” He sighed but you caught the slightest hint of a smirk as he turned away.

The two of you followed the young man out the door and down the hall into the Great Hall, where a group of guards stood around a shackled prisoner. Upon your arrival, the disheveled man raised his head-- none other than Jaime Lannister. What on earth was he doing here? You knew that it was now well-known that Robb was re-assembling his army at Seagard but did the Lannisters really send him, just when he escaped their capture? Jaime was a fighter like no other but him against an entire castle? Tywin Lannister fought hard to get his son back, this move seemed ridiculous. “You know, I sent good men after you yet here you are, willingly coming back to me. Did you really think you’d be able to finish the job your father’s spy could not with an entire castle to get through?”

“I’m not here for you, Robb Stark. I’m here for her.”

#game of thrones imagine #robb stark imagine #robb stark x reader #targaryen!reader #daenerys targaryen imagine

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gendryaweeklyupdates · 5 years ago

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All Updated Gendrya work this week (08-Mar-20 to 14-Mar-20)

Note: all dates are in dd-mm-yy

Redemption by LME ( 16/? as of 08-3-20)

Imagining Arya and Gendry's reunion when the Game of Thrones is finally over. This story is focused on the voyage of 'Arya the Adventurer' on her ship Nymeria, after she asks, "What is west of Westeros?".

Rating:M

Even the Darkest Night will end. by @lianria (12/? as of 08-3-20)

Arya reaches out to old allies for help, and the pack begins to reform. Pack doesn't always mean just wolves anymore.

Rating:M

Runaway With Me - Part 2 by @the-end-is-kigh (14/14 as of 08-3-20) (multiple updates this week)

Arya Stark was not happy when her family was forced to move to King's Landing due to her father's promotion. But at the same time, it allowed her to escape her problems back home, allowed her to meet a cousin she'd never known, get a job doing what she loves and there's the issue of a certain mechanic.

Maybe the move would be worth it?

But the problems from back home follow her, her only hope is to keep running, until she can't run any more.

This is the reaction mostly to the letters Arya and Gendry send back home.

Rating:T

One for the road by @obsessivewriter (9/9 as of 8-3-20)

As a survivor, Arya always knew she was living on borrowed time, five years in remission she had done almost everything on her bucket list until her time ran up.

That time is up now and there is only one thing she never got to experience: falling in love.

Gendry will do anything for his best friend, and really how hard could it be to fall for someone you already love?

Rating:E

The Ghost of the Red Keep by TheDameintheRaininMaine (4/? as of 8-3-20)

Lysa never sent her letter. Bran was never pushed. Five Starks make the journey to King's Landing.

And one day beneath the Red Keep, Arya hears a voice she decides must be a ghost.

Rating:T

Evading Capture by @katlyn1948 (9/? as of 8-3-20)

Arya evades the brotherhood, but fails and Gendry can't seem to keep his eyes of their captive.

Rating:M

A Thunder In Our Hearts by hungerwolves (2/? as of 9-3-20)

In which Arya has to marry lord Gendry Baratheon, the legitimized bastard son of the King in the South, to avoid war between the 6 Kingdoms and the North.

Unrated

Heavy Lies The Crown by OneMoreNight1996 (7/? as of 13-3-20) (multiple updates this week)

When the truth of the Baratheon children is revealed, King Robert orders the execution of Cersei and Jamie Lannister and exiles the children to Casterly Rock. This leaves him without an heir so he is quickly forced to legitimize a bastard blacksmith brought to him by Ned Stark and, in the eye of the King, his heir is in need of a bride.

Rating:E

The Last Time by @yanak324 (14/? as of 9-3-20)

After a decade away, Arya returns home. Encountering the boy she left behind is not in her plans.

At least she’s always known the Gods have a funny sense of humor.

Rating:E

True Love's Kiss by @prettyyvacant321 (2/? as of 9-3-20)

Gendrya Sleeping Beauty AU with a few twists!

Based off the January (oops I'm late but what's new) prompt from @days-of-gendrya on Tumblr.

Rating:M

Head of the River by @everyl1ttleth1ng (13/? as of 14-3-20) (multiple updates this week)

Gendry Waters, multiple Pan Westeros Games gold medal winning rower, has been the highly successful and well-loved Director of Rowing at the exclusive Riverlands Grammar School for six years now. Ser Davos Seaworth has very recently retired as school principal and been replaced by the much younger multiple gold medal winning fencer from the North, Dr Arya Stark.

One morning Gendry finds himself approached by his new boss. She wants him to teach her how to row.

(In which Gendry is still rowing AND Gendry and Arya spend time in a boat together.)

Rating:T

Gym Daze by @dragongoddess13 (5/5 as of 14-3-20) (multiple updates this week)

For years they worked out together. In high school he drove them to the gym every afternoon after school or after extracurriculars. In college, they went first thing in the morning before classes and after graduation, when they both moved down to King’s Landing, they found a new gym and a new schedule.

Or how Gendry and Arya learn to use their frequent trips to the gym in ways that were a whole new kind of satisfying.

Rating:E

I Wanna Be Yours by @sneetchstar (15/? as of 12-3-20) (multiple updates this week)

Gendrya one-shot collection.

Rating:E

When Winter Comes by OneMoreNight1996 (2/? as of 11-3-20) (multiple updates this week)

Winter sets in after the Long Night is over leaving everyone stuck in Winterfell and unable to go south. This causes some tension within the group as secrets are revealed and promises are made.

Rating:E

The odd girl who smelled the rain by @blue-nebulae (5/6 as of 12-3-20)

Gendry noticed her the very first week of the semester.

Something about her caught his eye, he didn’t know exactly what it was, perhaps the fact that she was a very pretty short girl or the fact that she was carrying a bright yellow umbrella, and using it almost like a cane, on a perfect summery day and that was odd.

Rating:T

More Than Words by @keepitmovinshawty (6/? as of 12-3-20)

Arry and Steffon first meet on the beaches of Braavos while escaping their responsibilities. Both ignorant of their true identities, it comes as a surprise when they meet again on a more formal scale and try to handle a relationship while the world watches.

Rating:M

Bad Pick-up lines Work Best by JoPoGirlsKickAss (17/? as of 12-3-20)

Gendry's life is suddenly sprinkled with bad pick up lines--at first he ignores them, then he realizes they might all be from the same person and that person might just be the death of him.

In which Arya flirts hard and Gendry is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

[Slow(ish) burn until chapter 15]

Rating:T

The Lost Prince by @psychvamp25 (37/40 as of 12-3-20)

The first Baratheon prince died in his crib, this is known.

Arya Stark comes to King's Landing when her father becomes Hand of King and her sister is set to marry the Crown Prince, Joffrey. Arya journeys to the street of steal and meets a handsome young blacksmith. Little does she know, that her relationship with this blacksmith could change the future of the Seven Kingdoms.

Rating:T

A Dance of Shadows by Faiseuse_d_Histoires (29/50 as of 13-3-20) (significant Gendrya with Jonerys)

It’s been one year since the death of Daenerys Targaryen, called by some "the mad queen", and the North and the Six Kingdoms try to rebuild all that was lost. Jon Snow had disappeared beyond the Wall, his wolf last seen near Hardhome. Queen Sansa "the Wise" is facing unrest in the nearby villages, which leads her to make questionable choices in the eyes of her people. In the South, king Bran the Broken fell seemingly ill and fear for his life makes people uneasy about the succession.

As once again instability risks to break the kingdoms, a hero reappears, with the name of a long-feared enemy, and an old song is beginning to be sung once again, with fire and ice meeting for one last dance.

Not mentioned, but coming: Some news from the iron islands and Dorne, trouble coming from Essos… oh, and some resurrection, perhaps.

Rating:M

The Prince That Didn't Come by @igitnothin (61/63 as of 13-3-20)

On an normal winter day, Hot Pie happily delivered two meat pies and a jug of ale to a waiting table.

There was no interruption from his ordinary work. No happy reunion, no thrilling tales, and no missing Stark girls to steal his food and change the world. There was nothing but another group of hungry mouths to feed.

Or Arya Stark does not visit the Crossroads Inn, and the world of ice and fire is changed forever.

Unrated

then we take berlin by @evax3 (14/20 as of 13-3-20) (equally Theon/Robb)

After Petyr Baelish tragically suffocated on a gigot before he was able to poison Jon Arryn, Westeros fought in united strength against the White Walkers and built up a diplomatic relationship with Queen Daenerys in Meereen after the victory.

So, the land was at peace, the winter was over and 2 years later Theon, Robb and Arya sat together in Winterfell, bored to fucking death.

Fortunately, distraction seemed within reach, as Theon discovered a book in Maester Luwin’s library, maybe solving their problem. Promising the opportunity to travel back in time and experience one of the big battles again, they’d fought in the past.

But mixing the ingredients, something went wrong and instead of arriving back on the field of the second Battle of the Dawn, they found themselves in Berlin of the 21st century, still wearing their thick furs and understanding not a single word.

Putting their hopes in a certain dark-haired goldsmith from California, who kindly takes them in, they tried their best to somehow find their way back home and find a lot more in the process.

Rating:M

Prompts by @psychvamp25 (9/? as of 14-3-20) (multiple updates this week)

A collection of any of the prompts I get. Will be standalone little ficlets.

Rating:G

Through the storms by @nikelaos87 (3/? as of 14-3-20)

The sequel of "An empty shell"

«I won't marry you»

«You can't»

Rating:M

You Feel Like Moonlight On My Skin by @randifrnz (3/5 as of 14-3-20)

After six months in the capital, it is time the future King and Queen of Westeros continue the envoy through the kingdoms of the lands to know and build relationships with their people. Throughout their journey, the crown prince and princess grow even closer and grow up as well. Arya navigates what it means to be a woman grown and what it means to want.

Rating:E

Masterlink for the week: here

#gendrya #gendryaweekly #gendrya weekly #gendrya fanfiction #arya stark x gendry waters #arya x gendry #gendryafics

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him-e · 5 years ago

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Submission: How do you think r+l=j will be handled in the books?

Hi, him-e! I appreciate the fact that you make an effort to parse through what the show’s given us in order to make more calculated predictions about what’s coming in the books. I’d like to ask, then—because I don’t recall you ever talking about it—how will r+l=j be handled in the books. It’s a fairly accepted possibility in fandom that finding out about it will wreck Jon. And fair enough, it probably will, considering how much pride he takes from being Ned’s son. But then there’s the rub for me—a lot of people also expect Jon to be angry at Rhaegar and to revolt against his biological father by abandoning the role he was supposed to have in the WftD. That makes sense, it can be existentially terrifying to think that your actions are all a product of a prophecy and that you have no control over them. It’d also fit with the other five main characters, who will likely all be going through their own dark phases. Here’s the part where I think we should take the show into consideration. What effect did r+l=j have on Jon, exactly? Mostly, none—I’d say it served as a catalyst for Dany’s downfall. Nothing was made to challenge Rhaegar’s character or actions, and the last season was the perfect place to do so, considering he’s Dany’s brother and almost every single aspect of Dany started being portrayed negatively. But sure, one could argue that the show isn’t good at handling psychological turmoil and that he’s Jon’s father too, and Jon must remain morally pure. Still, I then think about the books. If GRRM intends to make Jon rebel against Rhaegar and what he stood for as part of the fandom believes, why didn’t he seed anything related to that yet? Anything that makes Rhaegar more challenging and least susceptible to idolization? Some examples of how he could’ve done this: * GRRM could’ve shown Doran or Oberyn still angry at Rhaegar for leaving Elia behind. Instead, they both want to side with Viserys and later Daenerys without any (mentioned) reservations. * GRRM could’ve had Ned thinking about the fucked up power dynamic between Rhaegar and Lyanna (less harshly than Robert, but still negatively), but instead Ned only thinks about how Rhaegar didn’t frequent brothels. * GRRM could’ve had Dany have her view of Rhaegar be challenged the way her view of Aerys is being (slowly) challenged, instead she still thinks of him the same by the end of the fifth book. * GRRM could’ve added a POV who is critical of Rhaegar’s actions, yet he added three in FeastDance who idolize him (JonCon, Cersei, Barristan). And that’s not even mentioning how R/L was painted as straightforwardly romantic in the S7 finale, which may well be what GRRM does—if he doesn’t think Dany was raped by Drogo in the books, maybe he thinks R/L is an unproblematic love story, even if many have pointed out the consent issues. Finally, I don’t see his friend Arthur Dayne having his reputation challenged in any way in-universe for remaining with Rhaegar despite the fact that there is reasonable criticism to hold against him. My question, then, is: isn’t it more likely that Jon’s problem with r+l=j lies with his relationships with Ned and Dany and not with Rhaegar?

Hi, thanks for your submission, and sorry it took me a while to answer! ;))

Using the show as an indicator for how the books will deal with things like this is very tricky—because, as you said, the show sucks at psychological insight, and character motivations are usually either grossly simplified or not taken into consideration at all (which, ironically, makes them seem even more obscure and complicated if you’re trying to analyze them. See: the entire debate on why Sansa didn’t tell Jon about the knights of the Vale back in season 6. The show simply didn’t address the reason why she didn’t tell Jon, because it wasn’t important to the plot, but the fandom—me included—tried to make sense of it nonetheless, with increasingly convoluted explanations. Was Sansa trying to throw Jon under the bus, and let him perish in the battle so she could be lady of Winterfell? But that clashes with her desperate attempts to convince Jon to delay the battle. Did she hope they could do without Littlefinger’s help until last minute? Was she afraid that Jon would’ve had the final say on how to use the Knights, had he known? Was she trying to prevent him from taking credit for the victory? And so on).

There’s also the fact that the show dealt very quickly and superficially with the Prince that was Promised and Azor Ahai prophecies, mostly via Melisandre’s cryptic catchphrases and more as an afterthought or book nod than as an organic part of the narrative. The prophecy was just not conveyed well in the show. We’ve hardly ever seen other characters grapple with its meaning, or experienced its importance in the context of Westeros’ slowly waking up to the threat of the White Walkers. So, if the bulk of book!Jon’s reaction to r+l=j is temporarily rejecting his supposed role in the PtwP prophecy, it makes sense that the show completely skipped it, just as it makes sense that it skipped the valonqar part in Cersei’s prophecy: it simply has no place in the show’s narrative as they devised it. There would be no point in having a major character angst about his role in a prophecy, if said prophecy is all but a namedrop whose significance remains largely unknown to the average viewer who hasn’t read the book.

So… is it possible that in the books resurrected!Jon will go through a phase of complete rejection and denial of his heroic destiny, that will climax with the reveal of his parentage and a major identity crisis? Yes, totally. It’s exactly the mix of complex character study + mystical/magical stuff that I can see d&d scrapping in favor of a more materialistic, down to earth “game-of-thrones” narrative (the whole bend-the-knee pseudopolitical drama with Dany, for example).

But what will he reject, what will he deny? Which identity will challenged?

His destiny as a prophesied hero, fulfilling which has never been an (explicit) driving force for him? (we know everything Jon’s done in the Night’s Watch was building up towards his becoming the champion of humanity against darkness, the “third head of the dragon”, the “prince that was promised”, but it was Ned’s teachings and Ned’s moral lessons that inspired his choices and actions, not Rhaegar’s prophecy) His (non-existent) relationship with a biological father that never mattered to him?

Or…

isn’t it more likely that Jon’s problem with r+l=j lies with his relationships with Ned and Dany and not with Rhaegar?

^ Nailed it.

I think Jon’s psychological conflict about his parentage will be more about Ned/his Stark identity (and Dany) than about Rhaegar. For one thing, Rhaegar—regardless what light the overall story presents him in—isn’t really present in Jon’s narrative; Jon has virtually no opinion of him, and Rhaegar’s name rarely shows up in his chapters. Sure, when the PtwP prophecy finally erupts in Jon’s narrative and he realizes what Rhaegar was trying to accomplish, he’ll necessarily develop more complex feelings for him. But as of now, Rhaegar Targaryen is simply someone from the past that Jon isn’t really preoccupied with. Secondly, and more importantly, Rhaegar is a dead character, who has always been dead since the beginning of the story. I truly doubt he is going to have more of an impact on Jon’s character evolution than Ned (the father that raised him, the only father he’s known, and the faux-protagonist of book one) or Dany (the living and breathing major character Jon will plausibly have a romantic dynamic with, that with no doubt will be drastically affected by the parentage reveal).

I actually think it’s more likely and more narratively compelling that, rather than rebelling against Rhaegar, r+l=j makes Jon rebel against Ned, and everything he represents. Make him temporarily reject his Stark identity (out of fiery anger re: being lied to by Ned, and forced to a life of bastardy and anonymity, the reasons behind which resurrected!Jon, more wolf than he’s ever been, might not immediately understand, or care to understand) and embrace his Targaryen ancestry instead, with the whole fire&blood shebang. That is… until he’s made whole again by the love he has for his siblings, and the need to protect them. I think Jon’s love for his family—the family he grew up in—will be what eventually leads him *back home*, back to his Stark roots, back to Ned’s teachings.

#submission #got**#jon**#stark meta #got asks #show vs books #got meta #jon meta #r plus l equals j #asoiaf spec #rhaegar targaryen #ned stark #asoiaf meta

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