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asoiafreadthru · 1 year ago
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A Game of Thrones, Bran II
Bran was going to be a knight himself someday, one of the Kingsguard.
Old Nan said they were the finest swords in all the realm. There were only seven of them, and they wore white armor and had no wives or children, but lived only to serve the king.
Bran knew all the stories. Their names were like music to him.
Serwyn of the Mirror Shield.
Ser Ryam Redwyne.
Prince Aemon the Dragonknight.
The twins Ser Erryk and Ser Arryk, who had died on one another’s swords hundreds of years ago, when brother fought sister in the war the singers called the Dance of the Dragons.
The White Bull, Gerold Hightower.
Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning.
Barristan the Bold.
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g0lightly · 3 months ago
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What was the cost of King Jaehaerys' peace?
I read Jaehaerys as the Frank Underwood of Westeros, if not worse. I have a theory that the true violence of King Jaehaerys' reign took place behind the scenes. Perhaps the cost of his peaceful reign was higher than we would know from a historical record that favors him. I posit that House Strong took Harrenhal because King Jaehaerys, Bywin Strong, and Ryam Redwyne conspired to out Lucamore Strong’s oathbreaking. I believe Jaehaerys and Bywin may have also had a hand in Black Bride Rhaena’s death at only 50 that same year, right in time for House Strong to inherit Harrenhal as a sort of payment for the scandal (and also maybe her death).
But why would Jaehaerys want to bring scandal upon his own Kingsguard, you ask? Lucamore was the one to bring Aerea into the Red Keep the day she showed up nearly dead on Balerion. He reportedly spent the next day talking about what had happened until Jaehaerys warned him that he should put a stop to it. Maybe he did not put a stop to it and Jaehaerys needed to get rid of him; he could have already known about Lucamore’s wives and children but turned a blind eye or Bywin could have sold his brother out to advance his own station. Ryman is really just an accessory here tbh.
And why would Jaehaerys want to kill Rhaena, his sister? For one, she’s still his rival claimant as the oldest child of Aenys - this is why Jaehaerys and Alysanne argue over making Daenerys their heir instead of Aemon. Jaehaerys says Daenerys can be queen when she marries Aemon, which happens to mirror his power dynamic with Alysanne. Then there’s the fact that she is Aerea’s grieving mother who is, according to the smallfolk, getting increasingly witchy. She also happens to ride Dreamfyre - if there was any dragon that had an affinity for dreamers, I think it was her. Rhaena was the one who suggested putting dragon eggs in cribs, maybe that came to her in a dragon dream. That’s all to say, what if Rhaena was experimenting with magic to try to figure out what really happened to Aerea? What did Jaehaerys not want getting out?
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horizon-verizon · 2 years ago
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Near year’s end, a shameful revelation came to light that shocked both court and city. The amiable and well-loved Ser Lucamore Strong of the Kingsguard, a favorite of the smallfolk, was found to have been secretly wed, despite the vows that he had sworn as a White Sword. Worse, he had taken not one but three wives, keeping each woman ignorant of the other two and fathering no fewer than sixteen children on the three of them. In Flea Bottom and along the Street of Silk where whores and panders plied their trade, men and women of low birth and lower morals took a wicked pleasure in the fall of an anointed knight, and made bawdy japes about “Ser Lucamore the Lusty,” but no laughter was heard in the Red Keep. Jaehaerys and Alysanne had been especially fond of Lucamore Strong and were mortified to learn that he had played them both for fools. His brothers of the Kingsguard were even angrier. It was Ser Ryam Redwyne who discovered Ser Lucamore’s transgressions and brought them to the attention of the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, who in turn brought them to the king. Speaking for his Sworn Brothers, Ser Gyles Morrigen declared that Strong had dishonored all they stood for, and requested that he be put to death. When dragged before the Iron Throne, Ser Lucamore fell to his knees, confessed his guilt, and begged the king for mercy. Jaehaerys might well have granted him same, but the errant knight made the fatal error of appending “for the sake of my wives and children” to his plea. As Septon Barth observed, this was tantamount to throwing his crimes in the king’s face. “When I rose against my uncle Maegor, two of his Kingsguard abandoned him to fight for me,” Jaehaerys responded. “They might well have believed they would be allowed to keep their white cloaks once I’d won, perhaps even be honored with lordships and a higher place at court. I sent them to the Wall instead. I wanted no oathbreakers around me, then or now. Ser Lucamore, you swore a sacred vow before gods and men to defend me and mine with your own life, to obey me, fight for me, die for me if need be. You also swore to take no wife, father no children, and remain chaste. If you could shrug aside the second vow so easily, why should I believe that you would honor the first?” Then Queen Alysanne spoke up, saying, “You made a mockery of your oaths as a knight of the Kingsguard, but those were not the only vows you broke. You dishonored your marriage vows as well, not once but thrice. None of these women are lawfully wed, so these children I see behind you are bastards one and all. They are the true innocents in this, ser. Your wives were ignorant of one another, I am told, but each of them must surely have known that you were a White Sword, a knight of the Kingsguard. To that extent they share your guilt, as does whatever drunken septon you found to marry you. For them some  mercy may be warranted, but for you...I will not have you near my lord, ser.” There was no more to be said. As the false knight’s wives and children wept or cursed or stood in silence, Jaehaerys commanded that Ser Lucamore be gelded forthwith, then clapped in irons and sent off to the Wall. “The Night’s Watch will require vows from you as well,” His Grace warned. “See that you keep them, or the next thing you lose shall be your head. Jaehaerys left it to his queen to deal with the three families. Alysanne decreed that Ser Lucamore’s sons might join their father on the Wall, if they wished. The two oldest boys chose to do so. The girls would be accepted as novices by the Faith, if that was their desire. Only one elected that path. The other children were to remain with their mothers. The first of the wives, with her children, was given over to the charge of Lucamore’s brother Bywin, who had been raised to be the Lord of Harrenhal not half a year earlier. The second wife and her offspring would go to Driftmark, to be fostered by Daemon Velaryon, Lord of the Tides. The third wife, whose children were the youngest (one still on her breast), would be sent down to Storm’s End, where Garon Baratheon and young Lord Boremund would see to their upbringing. None were ever again to call themselves Strong, the queen decreed; from this day they would bear the bastard names Rivers, Waters, and Storm. “For that gift, you may thank your father, that hollow knight.””
Fire and Blood, by George R.R. Martin, pg 298-300 
[The Lucamore Strong Scandal]
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gotham-at-nightfall · 1 year ago
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Part IX: Bran II
Drawing Every Named Character in A Song of Ice and Fire
By Alejandro Kay
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Chapter I: Prologue
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Chapter II: Bran I
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jonsnowunemploymentera · 1 month ago
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There's something about this sequence of figures that gives me pause.
Those old histories are full of kings who reigned for hundreds of years, and knights riding around a thousand years before there were knights. You know the tales, Brandon the Builder, Symeon Star-Eyes, Night’s King … we say that you’re the nine-hundred-and-ninety-eighth Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, but the oldest list I’ve found shows six hundred seventy-four commanders […] Jon II, ADWD
GRRM is such a meticulous writer that I’m inclined to think there’s a reason why these three figures, in particular, are mentioned. And there’s a reason why they seem to culminate in Jon.
Brandon the Builder
Though Jon does not carry the Stark name, he carries their legacy, one that dates back to the Long Night. For he now holds the combined titles of King of Winter...
Jon is the only brother that remains to me. Should I die without issue, I want him to succeed me as King in the North.  Catelyn V, ASoS
“I am the Lord of Winterfell,” Jon screamed. Jon XII, ADWD
...and Lord Commander of the Night's Watch.
So Jon Snow took the wineskin from his hand and had a swallow. But only one. The Wall was his, the night was dark, and he had a king to face.  Jon XII, ASoS
Now he was a man grown and the Wall was his, yet all he had were doubts. He could not even seem to conquer those. Jon VII, ADWD
This combination of legacies—the Wall’s chief steward and a king in the north—coincidentally parallels the infamous Night’s King, who may or may not have been a Stark as well (but we’ll get to that later).
But more than leadership, Jon’s inheritance may lie in magic itself. The Wall, imbued with the magic that Brandon the Builder wove into its foundation, does more than stand as a barrier. It affects those who stay within its shadow, e.g., Maester Aemon and Melisandre. But no other character has as deep a connection to the Wall’s magical properties as Jon Snow:
“Every man who walks the earth casts a shadow on the world. Some are thin and weak, others long and dark. You should look behind you, Lord Snow. The moon has kissed you and etched your shadow upon the ice twenty feet tall.”  Jon glanced over his shoulder. The shadow was there, just as she had said, etched in moonlight against the Wall.  Jon VII, ADWD
The connection runs so deep that the Wall seems to reflect Jon himself, almost like a mirror:
Jon had given his chief captive the largest cell, a pail to shit in, enough furs to keep him from freezing, and a skin of wine. It took the guards some time to open his cell, as ice had formed inside the lock. Rusted hinges screamed like damned souls when Wick Whittlestick yanked the door wide enough for Jon to slip through. A faint fecal odor greeted him, though less overpowering than he'd expected. Even shit froze solid in such bitter cold. Jon Snow could see his own reflection dimly inside the icy walls. Jon X, ADWD
The Wall's dual properties—functioning as both a mirror and a shield—bring Serwyn of the Mirror Shield to mind, who is positioned as a narrative parallel to Symeon Star-Eyes.
Symeon Star Eyes
Like Brandon the Builder, Symeon Star-Eyes has been celebrated for thousands of years, even being co-opted by the Andals as a knight, despite living long before chivalry came to the Seven Kingdoms. This highlights a fascinating parallel with Jon, a knight who isn’t one in truth.
According to legend, Symeon lost his eyes (though we’re not told how), and afterwards, he placed star sapphires in the empty sockets.
“Symeon Star-Eyes,” Luwin said as he marked numbers in a book. “When he lost his eyes, he put star sapphires in the empty sockets, orso the singers claim. Bran, that is only a story, like the tales of Florian the Fool. A fable from the Age of Heroes.” The maester tsked. “You must put these dreams aside, they will only break your heart.”  Bran VII, AGoT
These sapphire eyes evoke creatures of ice, often distinguished by their blue eyes which shine as brightly as the stars. This includes the Others:
“What gods?” Jon was remembering that they’d seen no boys in Craster’s Keep, nor men either, save Craster himself.  “The cold gods,” she said. “The ones in the night. The white shadows.” […] “What color are their eyes?” he asked her. “Blue. As bright as blue stars, and as cold.” Jon III, ACoK
Their wights:
And suddenly Jon was back in the Lord Commander’s Tower again. A severed hand was climbing his calf and when he pried it off with the point of his longsword, it lay writhing, fingers opening and closing. The dead man rose to his feet, blue eyes shining in that gashed and swollen face. Ropes of torn flesh hung from the great wound in his belly, yet there was no blood. Jon III, ACoK
The corpse queen, who may or may not have been a female Other:
A woman was his downfall; a woman glimpsed from atop the Wall, with skin as white as the moon and eyes like blue stars. Bran IV, ASoS
And, the legendary ice dragons:
Of all the queer and fabulous denizens of the Shivering Sea, however, the greatest are the ice dragons. These colossal beasts, many times larger than the dragons of Valyria, are said to be made of living ice, with eyes of pale blue crystal and vast translucent wings through which the moon and stars can be glimpsed as they wheel across the sky. Whereas common dragons (if any dragon can truly be said to be common) breathe flame, ice dragons supposedly breathe cold, a chill so terrible that it can freeze a man solid in half a heartbeat. The Shivering Sea, The World of Ice and Fire
Given the scant information about him, we don’t know who—or what—Symeon Star-Eyes was. Yet, through his eyes, he holds a connection to the North and its ice magic, a legacy Jon has a share in.
Both Jon and Symeon Star-Eyes are Other-adjacent; Symeon with his blue eyes which shine as stars and Jon with his black armor made of ice.
“Snow,” an eagle cried, as foemen scuttled up the ice like spiders. Jon was armored in black ice […] Jon XII, ADWD
A shadow emerged from the dark of the wood. It stood in front of Royce. Tall, it was, and gaunt and hard as old bones, with flesh pale as milk. Its armor seemed to change color as it moved; here it was white as new-fallen snow, there black as shadow, everywhere dappled with the deep grey-green of the trees. The patterns ran like moonlight on water with every step it took. Prologue, AGoT
Holistically, Jon and Symeon’s associations with these creatures might be positioning them as figures with the ability to leverage northern magic—much like Bran the Builder and his ice Wall.
It’s quite intriguing how the Wall serves as a conduit through which Jon is linked to various elements of Northern mysticism. Symeon’s blue eyes are not only reminiscent of the Others but also share similarities with the Wall itself.
Finally he looked north. He saw the Wall shining like blue crystal [...] Bran III, AGoT
By the time Jon left the armory, it was almost midday. The sun had broken through the clouds. He turned his back on it and lifted his eyes to the Wall, blazing blue and crystalline in the sunlight. Even after all these weeks, the sight of it still gave him the shivers. Centuries of windblown dirt had pocked and scoured it, covering it like a film, and it often seemed a pale grey, the color of an overcast sky … but when the sun caught it fair on a bright day, it shone, alive with light, a colossal blue-white cliff that filled up half the sky.  Jon III, AGoT
Earlier, I noted that the Wall serves a dual function, acting as both a mirror and a shield for Jon. It was then that I referenced Ser Serwyn of the Mirror Shield.
Like Symeon Star-Eyes, Serwyn was a First Man whose legend was later co-opted by the Andals. Songs often portray him as a knight, though he existed long before knighthood came to Westeros. But Serwyn's legend goes even further, for later traditions cast him as a knight of the Kingsguard.
And besides the legendary kings and the hundreds of kingdoms from which the Seven Kingdoms were born, stories of such as Symeon Star-Eyes, Serwyn of the Mirror Shield, and other heroes have become fodder for septons and singers alike. Did such heroes once exist? It may be so. But when the singers number Serwyn of the Mirror Shield as one of the Kingsguard—an institution that was only formed during the reign of Aegon the Conqueror—we can see why it is that few of these tales can ever be trusted.The septons who first wrote them down took what details suited them and added others, and the singers changed them—sometimes beyond all recognition—for the sake of a warm place in some lord's hall. In such a way does some longdead First Man become a knight who follows the Seven and guards the Targaryen kings thousands of years after he lived (if he ever did).The legion of boys and youths made ignorant of the past history of Westeros by these foolish tales cannot be numbered. Ancient History: The Age of Heroes
Serwyn of the Mirror Shield’s most significant act was the slaying of the dragon Urrax, which he accomplished by blinding the beast.
Legend has it that during the Age of Heroes, Serwyn of the Mirror Shield slew the dragon Urrax by crouching behind a shield so polished that the beast saw only his own reflection. By this ruse, the hero crept close enough to drive a spear through the dragon’s eye, earning the name by which we know him still. Fire & Blood
Since Serwyn was a First Man who lived during the Age of Heroes, I doubt that Urrax was one of the fire-breathing dragons from the Valyrian Empire, which came to be much later. I wonder, then, if Urrax was an ice dragon—and if Serwyn struck out its crystal-blue eye.
I find it fascinating that Serwyn used a spear to remove a dragon’s eye, while Symeon Star-Eyes was said to wield a point-tipped staff. These weapons, both tied to the theme of sight, suggest a deeper connection between these figures, even if we don’t know exactly when they lived or if their paths intersected. What’s particularly telling is that Sam is cut off—by Jon, no less—before he can finish his thoughts on the distortion of history, and how much of it has been lost, obscured, or inaccurate…
Until we know more, we can only speculate. But the thread spins back to Symeon, whose eyes were as blue as the ice dragons’, and Jon Snow, who often compares his blue ice Wall to those legendary creatures.
The road beneath the Wall was as dark and cold as the belly of an ice dragon and as twisty as a serpent. Jon VIII, ADWD
The snowfall was light today, a thin scattering of flakes dancing in the air, but the wind was blowing from the east along the Wall, cold as the breath of the ice dragon in the tales Old Nan used to tell.  Jon X, ADWD
This links back to Serwyn, whose mirror shield, used to slay what may have been an ice monster, parallels Jon’s Wall of ice.
But Serwyn of the Mirror Shield is not the only narrative parallel to Symeon Star-Eyes. Many times, Symeon is mentioned alongside another knight, one who actually bore the white cloak of the Kingsguard: Prince Aemon the Dragonknight.
“True knights would never harm women and children.” The words rang hollow in her ears even as she said them.  “True knights.” The queen seemed to find that wonderfully amusing. “No doubt you’re right. So why don’t you just eat your broth like a good girl and wait for Symeon Star-Eyes and Prince Aemon the Dragonknight to come rescue you, sweetling. I’m sure it won’t be very long now.” Sansa V, ACoK
“Wylla.” Lord Wyman smiled. “Did you see how brave she was? Even when I threatened to have her tongue out, she reminded me of the debt White Harbor owes to the Starks of Winterfell, a debt that can never be repaid. Wylla spoke from the heart, as did Lady Leona. Forgive her if you can, my lord. She is a foolish, frightened woman, and Wylis is her life. Not every man has it in him to be Prince Aemon the Dragonknight or Symeon Star-Eyes, and not every woman can be as brave as my Wylla and her sister Wynafryd … who did know, yet played her own part fearlessly.  Davos IV, ADWD
There’s an intriguing duality of ice and fire in Symeon Star-Eyes being mentioned alongside the Dragonknight. Jon stands to inherit elements of both their legacies: as a First Man like Symeon, he has a connection to the ice magic of the North, and like Aemon the Dragonknight, he embodies the roles of Valyrian prince, a warrior of fire, and a commander of knights all at once.
This particular aspect of one hero having multiple faces, so to speak, lends itself to other fascinating groupings:
Dunk stared at the grassy lists and the empty chairs on the viewing stand and pondered his chances. One victory was all he needed; then he could name himself one of the champions of Ashford Meadow, if only for an hour. The old man had lived nigh on sixty years and had never been a champion. It is not too much to hope for, if the gods are good. He thought back on all the songs he had heard, songs of blind Symeon Star-Eyes and noble Serwyn of the Mirror Shield, of Prince Aemon the Dragonknight, Ser Ryam Redywne, and Florian the Fool. They had all won victories against foes far more terrible than any he would face. But they were great heroes, brave men of noble birth, except for Florian. And what am I? Dunk of Flea Bottom? Or Ser Duncan the Tall? The Hedge Knight
Through Aemon the Dragonknight and Ser Ryam Redwyne, we move beyond the mythical lone heroes of the Age of Heroes—such as Serwyn and Symeon Star-Eyes, who lived thousands of years ago—and into the more recent icons of Westeros’ history. As Lord Commanders of the Kingsguard and in Ryam’s case, Hand of the King, we see a balance of legendary heroism told through songs and the real-world responsibility of leading men. They highlight the dual—and often difficult—nature of heroism that requires both valor and duty.
And Jon himself looked toward Ser Ryam and the Dragonknight, heroes who inspired his childhood games and shaped his earliest ideals of heroism and valor.
Every morning they had trained together, since they were big enough to walk; Snow and Stark, spinning and slashing about the wards of Winterfell, shouting and laughing, sometimes crying when there was no one else to see. They were not little boys when they fought, but knights and mighty heroes. “I’m Prince Aemon the Dragonknight,” Jon would call out, and Robb would shout back, “Well, I’m Florian the Fool.” Or Robb would say, “I’m the Young Dragon,” and Jon would reply, “I’m Ser Ryam Redwyne.”  Jon XII, ASoS
This creates a fascinating roadmap for Jon, who right now needs to save the world as a warrior (Azor Ahai) and a commander (leader of the broader night’s watch—which encompasses all men, for all cloaks and banners turn black once darkness settles in). The way the individual legacies of Serwyn, Symeon Star-Eyes, Aemon the Dragonknight, and Ser Ryam Redwyne converge in Jon Snow suggests that his journey extends beyond mere physical labor in the coming mystical war from the North.
Ser Ryam’s reign was short-lived, and his abilities as a ruler are often questioned. While some may argue that his brief and flawed tenure mirrors Jon’s time as Lord Commander, this comparison feels misplaced. Context is key! Jon quickly follows in Ser Ryam’s footsteps as a leader, becoming Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch within a chapter. Thus, his role as ruler of the realm may still lie ahead. And this naturally leads us to the final figure in Sam's sequence of legends: the infamous Night’s King.
The Night’s King
So far, we’ve explored the parallels Jon shares with figures celebrated for their valor. But in Martin’s world, nothing is black and white. While Brandon the Builder and Symeon Star-Eyes are remembered as heroes, the Night’s King introduces a grey area—showing that reputation, especially over time, exists on a spectrum.
I often hesitate to position Jon as a Night’s King figure, largely because the fandom tends to approach this idea from a one-dimensional lens, often portraying him as a tyrannical villain. Such a framing completely misses the complexity of Jon's arc. He has always been a hero, and while he may forsake certain vows, like the Night’s King of legend, he does so out of necessity, not selfish ambition. His journey has been about redefining what it means to protect the realm, even if that means stepping outside the bounds of traditional 'honor'.
In ASoS, Jon begins to grasp the idea of a ‘bastard’s honor’—a flexible moral code that defies society’s rigid expectations. Like his father, who stained his honor to save his sister’s son, or Jaime Lannister, who became a kingslayer to protect King's Landing, Jon learns that true honor sometimes means defying societal norms. Doing the right thing may force him to break from the Night’s Watch’s rigid vows, especially when they no longer serve the greater good.
Jon’s evolving understanding of honor reaches a new complexity in ADWD, as he navigates what it means to lead a ‘neutral’ institution that ultimately relies on the southern lords for resources—especially the Boltons and Lannisters. The Boltons, who now occupy Winterfell, have betrayed the true meaning of the castle as a protector of the North. Winterfell—'where winter fell'—is in enemy hands, with the Boltons as human monsters in the South, mirroring the mythical threats Jon faces from the North. Meanwhile, the Lannisters, still claiming to be 'Protector of the Realm', have done more harm than good.
This balancing act between neutrality and political involvement reaches its breaking point in Jon’s final ADWD chapter, when he makes the fateful decision to march south against Ramsay Bolton. The result is mutiny and his assassination. But this is not where his story ends—he will return, and his resurrection will force him to reflect on what it truly means to be a ‘defender of the realm'. Jon's choice—a rejection of neutrality—will kickstart a decisive shift in his arc, as he begins to involve himself in the affairs of his Stark family, further linking him to the legacy of the Night’s King, who was likely a son of Winterfell as well.
As Jon was resolute in marching south in part due to Arya, so too was the Night’s King enticed to break his vows for a daughter of the North.
As the sun began to set the shadows of the towers lengthened and the wind blew harder, sending gusts of dry dead leaves rattling through the yards. The gathering gloom put Bran in mind of another of Old Nan’s stories, the tale of Night’s King. He had been the thirteenth man to lead the Night’s Watch, she said; a warrior who knew no fear. “And that was the fault in him,” she would add, “for all men must know fear.” A woman was his downfall; a woman glimpsed from atop the Wall, with skin as white as the moon and eyes like blue stars. Fearing nothing, he chased her and caught her and loved her, though her skin was cold as ice, and when he gave his seed to her he gave his soul as well. Bran IV, ASoS
Jon’s 'corpse queen' can take many forms, but Arya is the strongest parallel if we see her as a catalyst for major change.
While Arya is no Other, she shares Jon’s Northern roots and strong magical ties. In many ways, she’s a reimagined 'corpse queen'—a 'bitch from the seventh hell' who is becoming an agent of death, bonded to a direwolf named after a witch-queen.
But the theme of a woman presenting temptation to this king of the night doesn’t end with Arya, for Melisandre tempts Jon time and time again.
In the shadow of the Wall, the direwolf brushed up against his fingers. For half a heartbeat the night came alive with a thousand smells, and Jon Snow heard the crackle of the crust breaking on a patch of old snow. Someone was behind him, he realized suddenly. Someone who smelled warm as a summer day. When he turned he saw Ygritte. She stood beneath the scorched stones of the Lord Commander’s Tower, cloaked in darkness and in memory. The light of the moon was in her hair, her red hair kissed by fire. When he saw that, Jon’s heart leapt into his mouth. “Ygritte,” he said. “Lord Snow.” The voice was Melisandre’s. Surprise made him recoil from her. “Lady Melisandre.” He took a step backwards. “I mistook you for someone else.” At night all robes are grey. Yet suddenly hers were red. He did not understand how he could have taken her for Ygritte. She was taller, thinner, older, though the moonlight washed years from her face. Mist rose from her nostrils, and from pale hands naked to the night. “You will freeze your fingers off,” Jon warned. […] Jon glanced over his shoulder. The shadow was there, just as she had said, etched in moonlight against the Wall. A girl in grey on a dying horse, he thought. Coming here, to you. Arya. He turned back to the red priestess. Jon could feel her warmth. She has power. The thought came unbidden, seizing him with iron teeth, but this was not a woman he cared to be indebted to, not even for his little sister. […] “You do not believe me. You will. The cost of that belief will be three lives. A small price to pay for wisdom, some might say … but not one you had to pay. Remember that when you behold the blind and ravaged faces of your dead. And come that day, take my hand.” The mist rose from her pale flesh, and for a moment it seemed as if pale, sorcerous flames were playing about her fingers. “Take my hand,” she said again, “and let me save your sister.” Jon VI, ADWD
Melisandre, with her foreign magic and public sacrifices to her terrifying red god, is deeply mistrusted by the Night’s Watch brothers. And Jon’s growing association with her, as many suspect a sexual relationship, contributes to his rapidly declining reputation. Though he has thus far rejected Mel’s advances, Jon will come to realize through death that he should have leaned into her power. She warned him of 'daggers in the dark', but he ignored her and lost his life for it. Now, her blood magic may be the key to bringing him back, and it could be through this that Jon 'loses his soul'—just as the Night’s King did long ago—by becoming one of the undead.
But there is still a third woman who may take on the role of Jon’s 'corpse queen': Val, the wildling princess.
When they emerged north of the Wall, through a thick door made of freshly hewn green wood, the wildling princess paused for a moment to gaze out across the snow-covered field where King Stannis had won his battle. Beyond, the haunted forest waited, dark and silent. The light of the half-moon turned Val’s honey-blond hair a pale silver and left her cheeks as white as snow. She took a deep breath. “The air tastes sweet.” Jon VIII, ADWD
They look as though they belong together. Val was clad all in white; white woolen breeches tucked into high boots of bleached white leather, white bearskin cloak pinned at the shoulder with a carved weirwood face, white tunic with bone fastenings. Her breath was white as well … but her eyes were blue, her long braid the color of dark honey, her cheeks flushed red from the cold. It had been a long while since Jon Snow had seen a sight so lovely. Jon XI, ADWD
Unlike his aversion to Melisandre, Jon is drawn to Val. While Mel represents temptation toward a foreign power, Val is Jon’s anchor to the North—icy and rooted in the old magic. Interestingly, both are linked to royalty: Mel, once a slave, is seen as Stannis' true queen, while Val, a wildling, is still called a princess. In this way, both evoke the idea of the corpse queen—a woman outside Westerosi norms, yet still recognized as a queen.
Beyond his relationships with these women, Jon’s arc in Dance is a delicate balance between his duties as Lord Commander and the actions of a King in the North. By letting the wildlings south of the Wall and arranging marriage alliances, Jon blurs the lines of a neutral institution, fueling the black brothers’ dissatisfaction and leading to their mutiny. This duality within him—blurring the lines between the Watch, Winterfell, and the wildlings—parallels his growing association with the Night's King.
But unlike the Night’s King, who aligned with the Others and forsook his vows, Jon’s prophetic dream (Jon XII, ADWD) suggests he may have to become king to save the realm. This once again highlights the need for a more flexible moral code.
… and woke with a raven pecking at his chest. “Snow,” the bird cried. Jon swatted at it. The raven shrieked its displeasure and flapped up to a bedpost to glare down balefully at him through the predawn gloom. The day had come. It was the hour of the wolf. Soon enough the sun would rise, and four thousand wildlings would come pouring through the Wall. Madness. Jon Snow ran his burned hand through his hair and wondered once again what he was doing. Once the gate was opened there would be no turning back. It should have been the Old Bear to treat with Tormund. It should have been Jaremy Rykker or Qhorin Halfhand or Denys Mallister or some other seasoned man. It should have been my uncle. It was too late for such misgivings, though. Every choice had its risks, every choice its consequences. He would play the game to its conclusion. He rose and dressed in darkness, as Mormont’s raven muttered across the room. “Corn,” the bird said, and, “King,” and, “Snow, Jon Snow, Jon Snow.” That was queer. The bird had never said his full name before, as best Jon could recall. Jon XII, ADWD
Jon waking from this glimpse of destiny during the hour of the wolf speaks volumes. This period, marking the darkest part of the night before dawn, is a fitting symbol for Jon as he stands atop the Wall, battling the creatures of darkness. It also recalls Cregan Stark’s brief but pivotal tenure as Hand of the King, when he resettled the realm after a devastating war. How Jon’s own rule will unfold is uncertain—will he reign as King of Winter before stepping aside, in line with the Oak King and Holly King myth, or serve as regent to a young king, like Cregan and Ser Ryam did?
Whatever path he takes will redefine the legacy of the Night’s King. It will coincide with his role as a 'corn king'—a figure who symbolizes the cyclical turning of the seasons, from winter to spring, from death to life. Jon will be a force for good, a symbol of hope. This theme of renewal also connects him to Brandon the Builder, a figure defined by creation and the promise of new beginnings.
Jon’s journey could encompass many roles: the lone hero like Symeon Star-Eyes, the necessary but harsh leader during the Long Night like the Night’s King, or the creator of a new era like Brandon the Builder. His story will come full circle, and perhaps he will stand as the 1000th Lord Commander when it does, marking a new chapter in the legacy of the Watch—and the realm itself.
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saintcriston · 1 year ago
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criston being apart of the kingsgaurd was bound to fail because you have fabiens facecard + rhaenyras carelessness = breaking vows so really if theirs anyone to blame it’s ryam redwyne
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visenyaism · 9 months ago
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feastdance dashboard simulator
💋queen-cersei-defense-squad Follow
it’s so sick that people keep criticizing queen cersei as if she’s not the first female ruler of westeros??? literally elevating bastards and women to her small council is super fucking progressive as is creating the precedent of dismissing unfit kingsguard??
🪨dragonstoner Follow
aren’t all of her children literally bastards born of incest
💋 queen-cersei-defense-squad Follow
oh so now you’re going to listen to stannis baratheon, known misogynist, kinslayer, fornicator, team green supporter, and homophobe, huh.
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🦑pykedyke
okay guys i know there’s no “perfect candidate” but you have to vote in the kingsmoot anyways not voting is how someone like e****n g*****y wins and literally anyone is better than him. suck it up and row to the polls
🦈reaveherihardlyknowher
ohhhh not this “vote your crew no matter who” “blue lips man bad” bullshit again. fuck off idgaf which godless man sits the seastone chair i’m not voting for asha shes literally a neoliberal
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🦷 lastoftheegiants
first i had to give up my rights and then i had to give up my gods just to not get killed by fucking wights but i literally cannot believe the nights watch made me give up my strap as part of the treasure ransom. shit was expensive it was IVORY. i hate southerners so much i hope the lord commander dies
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🌪️kinslayerr
DO NOT COME TO THE RIVERLANDS
🍓silverspurs Follow
why
🌪️kinslayerr
there’s riverlands here
🧜‍♂️theythemderly
freys
🌾maidencool
my cousin got eaten by rats in harrenhal
🐎brackennation Follow
dumb cunts wearing raven feather cloaks strutting around who think they’re better than you but they’re not better than you
🌟sevenstar
i saw a guy get killed and then just stand back up and start fighting again because his friend kissed him on the mouth down here once
🦌whitehart
giant feral pack of 60 wolves running around
🍓silverspurs Follow
ok understandable have a nice day
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🫧bastardwaters
i hate the fucking sparrows can we be normal for five minutes or can we just not have shit in the crownlands
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☠️real-stormlands-patriot Follow
ITS LORD COMMANDOVER #RIPBOZO
🐦‍⬛mormonts-raven-bot Follow
CORN! DEATH! CORN!
(CAW! I follow members of the Night's Watch to remind them of their oaths!)
🦷 lastoftheegiants
????
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🍋floriansjonquil
Loras Tyrell x Queen of Love and Beauty!Reader Imagines
Keep Reading
🪻maidens-smile Follow
girl this is notttttt the time he literally just fucking died at dragonstone?
💎oathkeeper
should’ve stanned jaime #LORASFELLOFF
💐flowerknight
one kill yourself jaime lannister is an honorless kingslaying turncloak two i heard loras tyrell was literally fine?
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👊fleabottomtop
lord davos seaworth, the class traitor from the stannis baratheon administration, is a nasty little thottie and just died from making it clap in white harbor
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🌅girlheir
this tower fucking sucks.
🌅girlheir
i’m just like rhaenyra targaryen for real
🌅girlheir
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🐀ratcook5000 Follow
people meat tastes good asf when you don’t have a wench in your ear saying it violates guest right
🐺threeeyedwolf
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🍒ladylance
need that targ girl in mereen to get those lizards over here and liberate this website by any means necessary cause what the fuck is going on
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anyca786 · 2 months ago
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"IT IS GOOD TO BE HOME"
Daemon Targaryen x sister!Targaryen
WARNINGS: canon typical incest/targcest (brother & sister), fluff, mutual hate for Otto Hightower.
PROLOGUE: Daenys Targaryen, the youngest sister of King Viserys I and Prince Daemon, was a tempestuous soul who yearned for the open sky and the thrill of adventure.
Daenys' life took a dramatic turn when she witnessed the harrowing childbirth of her niece, Rhaenyra. The pain and suffering endured by her sister-in-law, Aemma, deeply affected her. Daenys made a solemn vow never to marry, fearing the same fate for herself.
With Nyx, her black scaled dragon at her side, she soared into the heavens and disappeared towards the North.
Now, Daenys has returned to King's Landing. The once unruly princess had matured into a woman of striking beauty and strength. Her beauty, enhanced, captivated the hearts of many in the city. Common folks called her, "Realm's Beauty".
Daemon found himself drawn to her in a way he had never expected. Whether it was lust or a deeper affection, Daenys's return had ignited a spark within him that would forever change the course of their lives.
Only time will tell.
Series
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As King Viserys Targaryen and his Hand, Otto Hightower arrived, they find the small council gathered amidst pall of dread.
"The prince cannot be allowed to act with this kind of unchecked impunity.." Otto Hightower complained.
"Prince Daemon Targaryen, Your Grace" Lord Commander Ryam Redwyne announced.
Viserys nodded, his expression unchanged when he saw Prince Daemon was already waiting inside.
Daemon rises from the (previously empty) chair kept for him at the small council. He was still wearing his armor and gold cloak from the night before. A red smear stains his new gold cloak.
"Daemon" Viserys greeted.
"Brother" he replied.
Daemon then looks at the Hand of the King. The air has gone out of the room. Daemon has that effect.
"Do not let me interrupt, my Lord Hand. You were saying something about my impunity?" he said.
The Hand looks to his king, waiting for, hoping for him to start the conversation. But the king does not. So Otto moves to take the Hand’s seat at the small council table.
"You are to explain your doings with the City watch," Otto Hightower said.
"What about them?" Daemon smirked.
"Princess Daenys has arrived." a guard announced to the council.
A murmur rippled through the council. Her sudden return was a surprise to all.
The doors open and as Daenys entered the hall, all conversation ceased. The council members were stunned.
The girl who had left as a child had returned as a woman of breathtaking beauty. Princess Daenys, youngest sibling of King Viserys and Prince Daemon has arrived.
Her long, blonde Targaryen hair cascaded down her back, her pale purple eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint. She wore a flowing red and black dress that hugged her curves perfectly, accentuating her goddess-like figure.
Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, couldn't help but admire her. A smirk crept onto his face as he took in her appearance. Daemon, too, was captivated by his sister's transformation. His eyes followed her every movement as she approached the table.
"Daenys," Viserys greeted her warmly, his voice filled with warmth. "It is good to see you, little sister"
"Brother," she replied, a smile playing on her lips. "It is good to be home."
As she took her seat beside her brother, Prince Daemon, the council members couldn't help but whisper amongst themselves.
Otto Hightower couldn't resist a sly remark. "We weren't expecting you back so soon, Princess," he said, his voice dripping with insincerity.
Daenys raised an eyebrow, her smile turning slightly sardonic. "Oh, is that so? Perhaps I should have sent a raven ahead to announce my arrival. Or maybe I should have consulted with the Hand of the King before deciding when to return home."
Daemon chuckled at his sister's retort. He and Daenys had always shared a mutual dislike for Otto Hightower, believing his ambition and cunning to be a dangerous influence on Viserys.
Daenys turned to Daemon, her eyes softening. "Brother," she said, her voice filled with amusement.
Daemon grinned. "Baby sister," he replied, his eyes scanning her from head to toe. "You've grown."
Daenys blushed slightly, she always had a liking for her more rebellious brother. "I suppose I have." She glanced at Otto, who was watching them with a disapproving expression.
"The City Watch is not a sword to be wielded at your whim. They're an extension of the crown." Otto comtinues.
"The Watch was enforcing the crown's laws. Wouldn't you agree, Lord Strong?" Daemon turned to Lord Lyonell Strong.
"My Prince, I don't think-"
Otto interrupts him, "Making a public spectacle of wanton brutality is hardly in line with our laws."
Daenys, who had been listening quietly, couldn't help but intervene, "Nobles from every corner of the realm are right now descending upon King's Landing for my brother's tourney. Do you want them mugged, raped, murdered? You mightn' know this unless you left the safety of the Red Keep, but much of King's Landing is seen by the smallfolk as lawless and terrifying. Our city should be safe for all its people."
Viserys nodded. "I agree," he said, turning to Daemon. "I just hope you don't have to maim half of my city to achieve this."
Daemon grinned. "Time will tell," he replied, his eyes lingering on Daenys. He felt a warm sensation as his sister took his side without hesitation.
Lord Corlys Velaryon spoke up in support of Daemon "We installed Prince Daemon as commander to promote law and order. The criminal element should fear the City Watch."
"Thank you for your support, Lord Corlys" Daemon replied.
Otto, growing increasingly frustrated said, "If only the Prince would show the same devotion to his lady wife as he does his work, Your Grace. You've not been seen in the Vale or at Runestone for quite some time."
Daenys rolled her eyes. "Mind yourself, Lord Hightower" Her voice stern. "You have nothing better to do than gossip about my brother's personal life?
"I think my bronze bitch is happier for my absence" Daemon replied to Otto.
"Lady Rhea is your wife; a good and honorable lady of the Vale" Otto persisted.
Daemon couldn't resist a final jab, "In the Vale, men are said to fuck sheep instead of women," he quipped, "I can assure you, the sheep are prettier."
"Dear me" Daenys rolled her eyes, but Otto's face flushed red with anger.
"You made a vow before the Seven to honor your wife in marriage." Otto slightly raises his voice.
Daemon decides to provoke Otto, "Well, I'd gladly give Lady Rhea to you, Lord Hightower, if you're in want of a woman to warm your bed. Your own lady wife passed recently."
Otto stands up in anger.
"Did she not?" Daenys pressed, faking inocence finding her own amusement in this.
"Otto" King Viserys tried to calm him.
"Perhaps you aren't ready to move on just yet" Daemon continued.
"You know how my brother makes sport of provoking you. Must you indulge him?" Viserys said.
Otto sits back down, "My apologies, Your Grace"
"This council has, at great expense pettered the City Watch to your exacting standards. Enforce my laws, but understand: Any further performances like last night's will be answered" Viserys said
"Understood, Your Grace." Daemon smirked.
He turned to Daenys, who was watching him. "Meet me at the dragonpit," he whispered in her ear, pressing a kiss on her cheek.
As Daemon left, Daenys couldn't help but smile.
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Thinking about turning this into a mini series, if this gets atleast a 100 likes.
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goodqueenaly · 3 months ago
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If an unmarried knight wins a tourney, or if he is married but his wife isn't in attendance, who would be acceptable choices for him to crown "Queen of Love and Beauty"?
I don’t think this is a question with a simple blanket answer, because the choice would always be dependent on both the socio-politico-dynastic circumstances of each given tourney as well as the respective motivations and ambitions of each such champion. (And indeed, apart from Rhaegar every example we have of a knight choosing a woman or girl to honor has featured an unmarried man making the choice.) Take, for instance, instances of knights crowning queens of love and beauty to curry favor with the ruling royal families of their respective times. No one would have thought that Simon Dondarrion, winning the Dragonpit tourney in 55 AC, was making a romantic gesture toward Princess Daenerys, all of two years old, when he named her queen of love and beauty; Simon had clearly recognized how much the royal couple doted on their (then) only surviving child (an impression perhaps gleaned from their visit to him at Blackhaven the year prior) and saw giving such a public chivalric honor to the princess as a way to make a lasting good impression on the king and queen. Similarly, Ryam Redwyne - who, very much like his indirect descendant Loras Tyrell, probably accurately judged the Kingsguard as the best possible career option for a hugely talented but dynastically extraneous third son - made sure to make a good impression on the king and queen by choosing Alysanne as the queen of love and beauty in the king’s tenth anniversary tourney - though Ryam perhaps decided that Queen Alysanne was a safer choice than Princess Daenerys, who now had two younger brothers and, by consequence, may have appeared somewhat less important by comparison in patriarchal, aristocratic Westerosi society. Likewise, whatever romantic feelings would develop or be rumored to have developed later between Criston Cole and Rhaenyra, as an up and coming young knight (and, crucially, one with clear talent but a lack of elite aristocratic credentials) at the Maidenpool tourney in honor of the new King Viserys Ser Criston correctly recognized the offer of the victor’s laurel to the king’s much loved daughter as a perhaps more direct route to royal favor.  
It’s also possible for a knight to use the crown of the queen of love and beauty as an opportunity for a declaration, not so much to impress the royals (or respective hosts) or a particular lady as to impress a message upon the onlookers. The example we have of this is Prince Aemon, disguising himself as the “Knight of Tears” to crown Queen Naerys the queen of love and beauty. Facing the prospect of his brother’s mistress sitting as the tourney queen, Aemon decided that only his chivalric intervention could save his beloved sister-queen from a further public humiliation courtesy of their mutually loathed brother. The message was clear: the personification of chivalry mourned to see a queen so badly treated, and would himself compete to make sure that she, and not the woman the king was betraying his marital vows for, would receive her due honors. 
Too, it is entirely possible for unmarried knights to use the opportunity of a tourney victory, and the choice of a queen of love and beauty, to make a public statement of their romantic sentiment. Barristan Selmy expected to do as much had he won at Harrenhal, bypassing the absent queen and the present crown princess to honor Ashara Dayne (though I doubt too many would have looked askance at Barristan doing so, given his longstanding public fidelity to the ideals of the Kingsguard). Ser Bonifer Hasty did do so for the young Rhaella, though whether Bonifer actually believed that such a grand gesture would be enough for a mere landed knight to win the hand of a royal princess is far from clear. Jorah Mormont, though, for his part certainly saw the crown of the queen of love and beauty as the fulfillment of his desire for Lynesse Hightower - and again, while this statement alone may not have been enough to win her hand, other factors I think helped Jorah’s bid to marry Lynesse. Too, while we don’t know that a queen of love and beauty would be named at the upcoming tourney at the Gates of the Moon (and I doubt that tourney will end as expected anyway), I think Sansa at the very least plans to give her favor to the participant who would most annoy her would-be fiancé, Harry Hardyng - the more, perhaps, to ensure that Harry would look to give her the queen of love and beauty’s crown. 
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sweetbonniebel · 4 months ago
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Jaes's hen jēdar
God's of the sky
four
Daemon x reader, Rhaenyra x reader (platonic), Qoren Martell x reader
Masterlist <-previous , next->
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108 AC Red Keep, King's Landing
Silence fell between siblings, y/n stared wide eyed at Viserys as he told her of his plans to marry Rhaenyra's companion, Alicent Hightower. Building the structure of old Valyria was abandoned.
"No." The daughter of Baelon the brave said coldly.
"No?" Her brother asked confused. 
"No." She repeated. "You will not marry that girl."
"I have decid-" His grace countered but was interrupted by his younger sister.
"Choose someone else." y/n demanded resuming her previous activity. 
"Why not her?" He insisted staring at the red-eyed girl.
"She is a Hightower, a house that protects and upholds the faith of the seven. We are Targaryen's we follow the fourteen flames, her father is a second son so her dowry would be insufficient. She is your daughters confidante, this marriage will break Rhaenyra." y/n explained without looking at her brother. "Choose someone else."
"Who would you have me choose?" His Grace asked annoyed. 
"A bride of Valyrian descent, perhaps a Lyseni noble woman. Or a Celtigar, maybe a Baratheon." She proposed painting a tower. "If you marry Alicent and have a son, your hand will want to make him King not Rhaenyra."
"Otto would't undermine my decision to make Rhaenyra my heir." Viserys countered
"Viserys, be serious. That man will do anything to gain power, he knows Rhaenyra holds no love for him and when she becomes Queen he will have no place in her court." 
"Otto supported and proposed the decision to make Rhaenyra heir during a small council meeting." He countered
"But that is not because he wants Rhaenyra to be Queen, he wanted remove Daemon as a possible heir." y/n stated. "He is too proud to be a loyal servant to the crown."
"Otto has been a loyal and unwavering hand."
"Orys Baratheon was a loyal and unwavering hand, Daemon Velaryon was an amiable hand, Ryam Redwyne was loyal and so was father but Otto? No."
...
"I intend to marry, the Lady Alicent Hightower." Viserys spoke during the small council meeting. y/n sighed deeply swirling the bronze orb that belonged to her as the mistress of whisperers. Corlys was outraged, Rhaenyra betrayed, Otto victorious and Viserys was a fool. 
Soon the small council began to leave the chamber, Corlys and Rhaenyra were the first to leave. y/n sat in her seat staring at Otto, she cleared her throat and stood up smoothing her dress.
"Lord Hightower, I am sure you are happy with your little victory." y/n began staring at the tall, elderly man. "My brother is a fool to not notice your schemes but be certain I do. Your daughter may become Queen and have children with the King but be certain they will be raised far away from you and your plots. I will personally see to that." Otto chuckled.
"You may claim to do so as you wish princess, but soon you will wed and travel to Dorne with no influence in court." The Hightower recounted, the princess only smiled.
"You're a fool to believe that power resides with a person... I will leave you with that Lord Hand. Rest well." y/n said and left the small council chamber.
...
110 AC Red Keep, King's Landing
Viserys's greatest dream came true, Alicent delivered a healthy son just nine month after their wedding. But not all was well. The war in the stepstones has been raging for over two years, the sea snake along with the rogue prince have been losing against the triarchy. The court however did not concern themselves with the crab feeder, preferring to celebrate the second name day of Prince Aegon.    
“y/n?” Rhaenyra asked peering over her aunt’s shoulder.
“Hmm?” The red-eyed girl muttered, her eyes focused on the heavy book before her.
“Might I join you?” She questioned not waiting for permission, leaning on the great weirwood tree. The delicate strums of Samwell’s baliset brought the two princesses’ comfort in this tiring day. 
“Your grace.” The bard stood up quickly bowing before the Hightower Queen.
“Did I order you to stop?” Rhaenyra asked annoyed, her head on the princess’s shoulder. 
“Samwell go.” Alicent ordered, her voice confident so different from her usual shy demeanor. 
“You are to stay by the order of your princess.” y/n hid a smirk turning over another page. She heard the retreating footsteps of the player and sighed deeply, Rhaenyra and Alicent two former friends exchanged sad words. Rhaenyra's anger was justified, her father and dearest friend betrayed her. 
“Let us leave Rhaenyra, the carriages will not wait for our tardiness.” y/n mused standing up taking Rhaenyra by her hand and brushing past Alicent.
...
y/n sighed sipping the red wine, glancing at the ladies of the court. Alicent pregnant with her second child sat next to you, engaged in some boring conversation with lady Redwyne. She glanced seeing her brother drown himself in cups of wine.
“Excuse me, my Queen.” She said leaving the suffocating company she was ordered to stay with. The black and bronze leather attire y/n wore moved gracefully with her movements. Walking to Viserys she glanced at the servant next to him.
“Bring a chair.” She ordered, the heels of her shoes thudded against the carpeted stairs. The servant placed a heavy woodened chair on the left of his grace, she nodded thankfully dismissing the boy. “Viserys.” The king sluggishly glanced his siblings way.
“What is it sister?” He asked, his words slurred due to over indulgence in wine. 
“I have come to see how you are.” she answered, her brother laughed, pouring himself another goblet.
“My daughter avoids me like a plague, the court bothers me with possible matches for her. I cannot celebrate my son’s second name day in peace!” He raised his voice glancing at the lord and ladies before him. y/n took his gloved hand circling her thumb on his palm. 
“Perhaps you should let Rhaenyra choose her own match?” She proposed, Viserys nodded and smiled gently.
“Perhaps you are right. You know her best after all... y/n you are seven and ten, maybe if you married first Rhaenyra would follow." Viserys said.
"Grandsire has wanted me to marry Qoren since I was small." She mumbled thinking of the dark haired boy she has met years ago.
After retiring to Dorne, Qoren's mother princess Mara died of an illness. At just four and ten he became the prince of Dorne. His duties kept him in Sunspear, despite the many years apart you often wrote to each other and the feeling you have once held for him didn't disappear.
"Do you want to marry him?" Viserys questioned and you nodded.
"I do. When we were children we promised each other that we would marry."
"In nine years much can change." Viserys answered.
"To break this engagement would jeopardize our very fragile relationship with the south." His grace hummed and gulped the wine.
"It is settled then, I shall send word to Dorne that it is high time you married."
"Let me break the news to Rhaenyra first, if she hears that you are forcing me away from her side she will hate you even more."
Viserys chuckled sadly and nodded.
"How is it that my daughter despises the thought of marriage but you accept and yearn for it?" Your brother asked.
"I have always known I would have to marry... and grandsire wished to see me happy. I met Qoren and I have fallen for him but it seems the gods did not want us to be together for long."
"I want you to be content, happy even. If marrying the Prince will make you so I see no reason to refrain." Her eyes widened slightly and a warm smile appeared on her lips.
"I would like that." She said and pressed a kiss to Viserys's cheek.
t/n sighed leaning into her chair, she observed curiously as the court whispered and laughed among themselves. Seeing many of her spiders mingle with the rest of the nobles.
“Where is Aegon?" y/n questioned wanting to see her nephew, Viserys shrugged in response. She ordered one of the maids to lead the way to the young prince.
The little boy only two, played alone with his wooden dragons, a gift for his nameday. y/n nodded at the maids stationed to take care of him to leave. 
“Aegon?” The little boy glanced up, his violet eyes widening and a wide smile appearing on his chubby face.
“y/n!” He exclaimed running towards her, chuckling she picked him up into her arms. Despite the indifference Rhaenyra held for her little brother y/n took kindly to Aegon. After all he was her nephew.
“Do you want to go on a horse ride with me?” She questioned petting Aegon’s silver locks. He nodded eagerly bouncing in her arms.
“Where is father?” Aegon questioned, he played with the reigns of your horse sitting in front of her. 
“Your father is very busy as a King he has many responsibilities.” She answered, Viserys was not a good father nonetheless she didn't want to poison his own son against him. Aegon stayed quiet for most of the ride leaning into his aunt's body. “Perhaps I shall take you with me to Dorne.” She proposed and the Prince nodded happily.
"y/n with me!" The princeling demanded, a chuckle left his aunt's lips.
"Yes Aegon, you'll be with me. We will fly together, eat fruit and play, yes?" She questioned.
"Yes!" He exclaimed happily hugging his aunt.
...
Letters were exchanged between his Grace King Viserys and Prince Qoren discussing the arrangement, and soon the realm awaited the wedding of Princess y/n Targaryen and Prince Qoren Martell.
Rhaenyra begrudgingly accepted the news of her aunt's impending marriage, but the realm's delight still refused to marry. Rhaenyra agreed to search for a husband though it took Viserys's threat of removing her status as heir to the Iron Throne to convince her. Rhaenyra along with her aunt and half brother toured the seven kingdoms. The last royal procession was held by Jaehaerys and his sister wife Alysanne. In that way Rhaenyra reminded the realm of the rightful heir as well as scour for possible consorts as her father ordered.
y/n held Aegon in her lap as Rhaenyra interviewed possible matches. She noted down in her journal all the men who have asked for an audience with the princess, giggling to herself as Rhaenyra shooed them away with clever insults.
“The princess has a dragon you dumb cunt!” One of the contenders mocked the Blackwood boy, the two princesses snorted as the crows laughed. The mood has turned sour once the two nobles decided to bring out their swords, deciding it was time to go Rhaenyra her aunt and half-brother left in boredom. 
Rhaenyra approached her aunt after talking with her sworn shield. 
“Do you think father will be mad that I ended the tour two moons early?” The heir jested leaning on the railing of the ship taking them back to King’s landing. y/n chuckled leaning on the princess’s shoulder. 
“I think he will be delighted to see you.” She mused, her brows furrow hearing the flapping of wings above the ship. The crew looked up searching for the culprit. Soon the ship has been swayed by Caraxes’s wings, Daemon atop the blood wyrm. y/n grasped Rhaenyra’s hand aiming to balance herself from the swaying of the boat.
...
y/n watched curiously as her half-brother strode proudly through the great hall. A wooden crown atop his short silver hair, black sister sheathed atop his hip. Viserys dressed in royal attire sat at the iron throne, the crown once worn by King Jaehaerys atop his own head. 
Daemon stopped at the stairs leading to the throne, glancing at the king’s guard pointing their own weapons at Daemon’s chest. A smirk painted on his lips; he threw the sword of his fallen enemy at Viserys’s feet. 
“Add it to the throne, your grace.” He mused a smile appearing on your own lips. Two brothers happily reunited after almost three years. The court applauded the reconciliation of Baelon's sons. y/n quietly retreated to her chambers preparing for the feast Viserys was going to throw in honor of their brother returning. 
“What do you think I should wear?” Rhaenyra turned around; her body covered with a thin linen shirt. y/n glanced at the two dresses that were held by the maids.
“The golden one.” She mused sinking her teeth in the sweet fig, already dressed in a pale violet dress embedded with gold dragons. “You'll look beautiful in it.”
“All right then, can you help me braid my hair?” y/n nodded and stood from the comfortable armchair, skillfully braided her hair. She hummed an old Valyrian nursery rhyme as she worked on Rhaenyra’s silver hair. 
The princess hummed leaning into her touch as she kissed the crown of her head. Together the two walked to the godswood where the fest was being held. y/n was excited to see Daemon after all of those years. 
“Mandia” Daemon whispered, y/n smiled as she saw her half-brother. After reminiscing with his brother and exchanging pleasantries with the guests attending, he walked towards the table covered in various dishes. (Sister)
“Lēkia” y/n answered taking a sip from the golden goblet in her hands. “Aōha ōghar… Nyke ȳdra daor hae ziry.” She mused staring at his short silver hair, not the only thing that changed about your brother. (Brother/ Your hair…I don’t like it.)
“Iksan sīr mundagon naejot rȳbagon bona” Daemon laughed taking a seat next to his sister. (I am so sad to hear that)
"Eman jeldan naejot ūndegon ao syt sīr bōsa" Baelon's youngest son muttered after a moment of silence (I have longed to see you for so long)
"Lo konir sagon drēje pār ao would daor vīlībagon isse iā vīlībāzma" y/n mused playing with the golden rings on her fingers. Daemon snorted and nodded, the siblings watched as the court mingled with each other. The almost picturesque moment was interrupted by Alicent's son running toward his aunt and uncle. Aegon laughed as y/n smiled and picked the boy up. Daemon watched with disdain in his eyes as his sister smiled at the little tower. (If that is true then you would not fight in a war.)
"Gaomagon daor jurnegon rȳ zirȳ hae bona" y/n said sternly placing Aegon in her lap. (Do not look at him like that)
"Issi se trēsi hen bona kasta līve" He spoke venom dripping from his lips. (He is the son of that green whore)
y/n gaze hardened at the obvious hatred Daemon held for the innocent child, it is not Aegon's fault that their mother is Alicent.
"Issi riñar, pōnta gōntan daor iderēbagon syt zirȳla naejot sagon pōja muña" she hissed "Kesrio syt nyke jurnegon tolī zirȳ Alicent se zirȳla kepa emagon daor ōregon toliot zirȳ" (He is a child, he did not choose for her to be his mother/ Because I look after them Alicent and her father have no hold over them.)
Daemon hummed in approval accepting his sister's fondness over the little tower. 
"You will make a great mother." Daemon said as he stared fondly at his sister.
"I think I will become a mother sooner or later..." She mused leaning against her brothers shoulder.
"How so?" He asked
"I am too marry, Daemon. In a month or two Qoren will arrive and we will wed." y/n told her brother. She could feel Daemon's muscles tense, a scowl appeared on his features. "Do not fret brother, you may visit me to your hearts content." She chuckled.
...
Princess y/n along with the crowned heir Princess Rhaenyra and her half brother Prince Aegon toured the seven kingdoms. The last royal progress was held almost fifty years ago during the reign of King Jaehaerys I. The crown agreed to the excursion thanks to the princesses y/n input she convinced the small council of the benefits that would aid the realm. In the same year prince Daemon Targaryen returned to court after three years of war in the stepstones. Despite the aversion the court held towards the rogue prince, princess y/n enjoyed her half-brothers presence. Many saw them take strolls throughout Rhaenys's gardens and fly on dragon back together.- From the dragon bringer by the feather and quill of Grand Maester Roland.
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maastrichtiana · 1 year ago
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the R+L=J reveal doesn’t matter to me anymore I’m Team the Jon Snow Psychological Stew that will be Ned Stark’s lookalike at Winterfell with the Catelyn Tully lookalike and feral red-haired Rickon in his father’s house where he never felt he belonged has his Stark impostor complex validated
"If you kill a man, and never mean t', he's just as dead," Ygritte said stubbornly. Jon had never met anyone so stubborn, except maybe for his little sister Arya. Is she still my sister? he wondered. Was she ever? He had never truly been a Stark, only Lord Eddard's motherless bastard, with no more place at Winterfell than Theon Greyjoy. And even that he'd lost. When a man of the Night's Watch said his words, he put aside his old family and joined a new one, but Jon Snow had lost those brothers too.
Every morning they had trained together, since they were big enough to walk; Snow and Stark, spinning and slashing about the wards of Winterfell, shouting and laughing, sometimes crying when there was no one else to see. They were not little boys when they fought, but knights and mighty heroes. "I'm Prince Aemon the Dragonknight," Jon would call out, and Robb would shout back, "Well, I'm Florian the Fool." Or Robb would say, "I'm the Young Dragon," and Jon would reply, "I'm Ser Ryam Redwyne."
That morning he called it first. "I'm Lord of Winterfell!" he cried, as he had a hundred times before. Only this time, this time, Robb had answered, "You can't be Lord of Winterfell, you're bastard-born. My lady mother says you can't ever be the Lord of Winterfell."
I thought I had forgotten that. Jon could taste blood in his mouth, from the blow he'd taken.
In the end Halder and Horse had to pull him away from Iron Emmett, one man on either arm. The ranger sat on the ground dazed, his shield half in splinters, the visor of his helm knocked askew, and his sword six yards away. "Jon, enough," Halder was shouting, "he's down, you disarmed him. Enough!"
Not being Ned’s son will hurt, not being Robb or Arya’s brother? That’s going to destroy his sense of identity more than anything else.
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kaoribriefs · 1 year ago
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Every morning they had trailed together, since they were big enough to walk; Snow and Stark, spinning and slashing about the wards of Winterfell, shouting and laughing, sometimes crying when there was no one else to see. They were not little boys when they fought, but knights and mighty heroes. "I'm Prince Aemon the Dragonknight," Jon would call out, and Robb would shout back, "Well, I'm Florian the Fool." Or Robb would say, "I'm the Young Dragon," and Jon would reply, "I'm Ser Ryam Redwyne."
That morning he called it first. "I'm Lord of Winterfell!" he cried, as he had a hundred times before. Only this time, this time, Robb had answered, "You can't be Lord of Winterfell, you're bastard-born. My lady mother says you can't ever be the Lord of Winterfell".
-ASOS ,George RR Martin.
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dyannawynnedayne · 5 months ago
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Round Two: Which character parallel is your favorite?
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Jon and Sansa: art by elenyaart, Jon and Sansa
Sam and Brienne: by @shebsart (1, 2)
Propaganda is encouraged!
Jon and Sansa
Fanciful
Every morning they had trained together, since they were big enough to walk; Snow and Stark, spinning and slashing about the wards of Winterfell, shouting and laughing, sometimes crying when there was no one else to see. They were not little boys when they fought, but knights and mighty heroes. “I’m Prince Aemon the Dragonknight,” Jon would call out, and Robb would shout back, “Well, I’m Florian the Fool.” Or Robb would say, “I’m the Young Dragon,” and Jon would reply, “I’m Ser Ryam Redwyne."
ASOS, Jon XII
She gazed at Joffrey worshipfully. He was so gallant, she thought. The way he had rescued her from Ser Ilyn and the Hound, why, it was almost like the songs, like the time Serwyn of the Mirror Shield saved the Princess Daeryssa from the giants, or Prince Aemon the Dragonknight championing Queen Naerys's honor against evil Ser Morgil's slanders.
AGOT, Sansa I
Sam and Brienne
Persisting in dire circumstances
Sobbing, Sam took another step.
ASOS Samwell I
Seven, Brienne thought again, despairing. She had nochance against seven, she knew. Nochance, andnochoice. She stepped out into the rain, Oathkeeper in hand.
AFFC Brienne VII
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alienoryva · 10 months ago
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—QUEEN OF LOVE AND BEAUTY—
🪻Princess Daenerys Targaryen :
named by Ser Simon Dondarrion in the journey celebrating the completion of dragonpit in 55 AC (cr by: dalbe)
🪻Queen Alysanne Targaryen :
named by Ser Ryam Redwyne in the 10th anniversary tourney in 58 AC (cr by: Elenya.art)
🪻Princess/Queen Rhaenyra i Targaryen :
named by Ser Criston Cole in a tourney staged in 104 AC (cr by: Magali Villeneuve)
🪻Queen Naerys Targaryen :
named by Her Brother Prince Aemon The Dragonknight, Who was disguised as a mystery knight known as The Knight of tears (cr by: Hylora)
🪻Princess/Queen Rhaella Targaryen :
named by Ser Bonifer Hasty (cr by: Bella Bergolts)
🪻Lady Lyanna Stark :
named by Prince Rhaegar Targaryen at the tourney at Harrenhal (cr by: louvie Haller)
🪻Lady Lynesse Hightower :
named by Ser Jorah Mormont at the tourney at Lannisport (cr by: blackbettyes)
🖇️
unknown daughter of lord ashford at the opening tourney at ashford meadow in 209AC.
unknown daughter of lord Walter whent and lady Shella whent at reigning Queen at the opening of the tourney at harrenhal.
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greenbloods · 4 months ago
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Rereading some passages from A Game of Thrones it's shocking the sheer amount of worldbuilding these books have from the get-go
Bran was going to be a knight himself someday, one of the Kingsguard. Old Nan said they were the finest swords in all the realm. There were only seven of them, and they wore white armor and had no wives or children, but lived only to serve the king. Bran knew all the stories. Their names were like music to him. Serwyn of the Mirror Shield. Ser Ryam Redwyne. Prince Aemon the Dragonknight. The twins Ser Erryk and Ser Arryk, who had died on one another's swords hundreds of years ago, when brother fought sister in the war the singers called the Dance of the Dragons. The White Bull, Gerold Hightower. Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning. Barristan the Bold. --AGOT, Bran II
the cargyll twins and the dance are mentioned in the second ever Bran chapter
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jackoshadows · 1 year ago
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A few of the leaders and fighters that the Stark kids admired....
"Daeren Targaryen was only fourteen when he conquered Dorne," Jon said. The Young Dragon was one of his heroes. - Jon, AGoT They were not little boys when they fought, but knights and mighty heroes. "I'm Prince Aemon the Dragonknight," Jon would call out, and Robb would shout back, "Well, I'm Florian the Fool." Or Robb would say, "I'm the Young Dragon," and Jon would reply, "I'm Ser Ryam Redwyne." - Jon, ASoS When the Young Dragon conquered Dorne, he used a goat track to bypass the Dornish watchtowers on the Boneway." When Jon had been a boy at Winterfell, his hero had been the Young Dragon, the boy king who had conquered Dorne at the age of fourteen. Despite his bastard birth, or perhaps because of it, Jon Snow had dreamed of leading men to glory just as King Daeron had, of growing up to be a conqueror. - Jon, ADwD
Bran was going to be a knight himself someday, one of the Kingsguard. Old Nan said they were the finest swords in all the realm. Their names were like music to him. Serwyn of the Mirror Shield. Ser Ryam Redwyne. Prince Aemon the Dragonknight. - Bran, AGoT "I just forget," Bran complained. "I'm only nine. I'll be better when I'm older. Even Florian the Fool and Prince Aemon the Dragonknight weren't great knights when they were nine." - Bran, ASoS
Q: In particular, given that Nymeria was a warrior-queen, is there a certain amazon tradition? A: “The Rhoynar did impact Dorne in a number of ways, some of which will be revealed in later books. Women definitely have more rights in Dorne, but I would not call it an “Amazon” tradition, necessarily. Nymeria had more in common with someone like Daenerys or Joan d'Arc than with Brienne or Xena the Warrior Princess.” - GRRM
Arya named hers (Direwolf) after some old witch queen in the songs - Bran, AGoT
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