#sharis footly

[remusjohnslupin]

♦ WINTER OF THE WIDOWS: So many lords, both great and small, had perished during the Dance of the Dragons that the Citadel rightly names this time the Winter of the Widows. Never before or since in the history of the Seven Kingdoms have so many women wielded so much power, ruling in the place of their slain husbands, brothers, and fathers, for sons in swaddling clothes or still on the teat. Many of their stories have been collected in Archmaester Abelon’s mammoth When Women Ruled: Ladies of the Aftermath.

[anira-naeg]

[coldraindropsss]

Sharis Footly, Lady Caswell

[horizon-verizon]

So... the writers decided to ADD scenes of both Alicent and Daemon being raped. Alicent's was added to lend her sympathy and make it easier for her stans to justify all all the misogynistic, destructive things she does. And Daemon's was added so... the audience can laugh about how he deserves it is because of how fucked up he is while already kinda condemning him for not maritally raping Rhea and also to make Alys, Aemond's rape victim, a rapist herself so presumably Condal can hope that people will have an easier time seeing Aemond as "complex" if they can pretend he's not a rapist. Is that what you're getting from this? Because that's kind of what I'm getting.

I just can't believe how badly a show that's based on a story about the patriarchy manages to fumble the topic of rape at every turn. At this point Lady Footley is going to be a seductress who's glad to be rid of her husband.

These are great points, anon. That is what I'm kinda getting but haven't put into words yet even after I explained my thoughts about Aemond's own sexual violations in season 1. and I doubt Sharis Footly will even be in this show, as I don't know if they will even go with the Four Widows storyline for their show.

[saintsunfyre]

SHARIS FOOTLY, LADY OF TUMBLETOWN

Six months after the Second Battle of Tumbleton, Lady Sharis gave birth to a lusty dark-haired boy who she proclaimed to be her late lord husband's trueborn heir, though it was far more likely that he had been sired by Roxton. She ruled in his name as regent and became famous for her efforts to restore the shattered town. She pulled down the burned shells of shops and houses, rebuilt the town walls, buried the dead, planted wheat and barley and turnips in the fields where the camps had been, and had the heads of the dragons Seasmoke and Vermithor cleaned and displayed in the town square, where travelers paid a penny to look at them, and a star to touch them.

WINTER OF THE WIDOWS (3/9)

Johanna Lannister// Samantha Hightower // Sharis Footly // Lady Tyrell // Alys Rivers // Sabitha Frey // Jeyne Arryn // Elenda Baratheon // Aliandra Martell

[viscardiac]

"Lady Sharis Footly, the widow of Tumbleton, achieved a different sort of fame by her efforts to restore that shattered town. Ruling in the name of her infant son (half a year after Second Tumbleton, she had given birth to a lusty dark-haired boy whom she proclaimed her late lord husband’s trueborn heir, though it was far more likely that the boy had been sired by Bold Jon Roxton), Lady Sharis pulled down the burned shells of shops and houses, rebuilt the town walls, buried the dead, planted wheat and barley and turnips in the fields where the camps had been, and even had the heads of the dragons Seasmoke and Vermithor cleaned and mounted and displayed in the town square, where travelers paid good coin to view them (a penny for a look, a star to touch them)."

[philomaela]

I think understanding that Lady Sharis Footly and Rhaenyra are probably guilty of the same “crime” is very useful for understanding where the text stands on the morality (from a doylist perspective) of it.

[stromuprisahat]

Lady Sharis Footly, the widow of Tumbleton, achieved a different sort of fame by her efforts to restore that shattered town. Ruling in the name of her infant son (half a year after Second Tumbleton, she had given birth to a lusty dark-haired boy whom she proclaimed her late lord husband’s trueborn heir, though it was far more likely that the boy had been sired by Bold Jon Roxton), Lady Sharis pulled down the burned shells of shops and houses, rebuilt the town walls, buried the dead, planted wheat and barley and turnips in the fields where the camps had been, and even had the heads of the dragons Seasmoke and Vermithor cleaned and mounted and displayed in the town square, where travelers paid good coin to view them (a penny for a look, a star to touch them).

Fire and Blood (George R. R. Martin)

[bladedancer233]

Some of the fabulous women of fire and blood: volume one! 

WHEN WOMEN RULED: LADIES OF THE AFTERMATH BY ARCHMAESTER ABELON

JOHANNA LANNISTER capably led the remnants of the shattered Lannister forces in the ongoing conflict with the Greyjoys raiding the coasts, which continued as essentially a localized war even though the Dance had formally ended.

SAMANTHA TARLY was so politically influential that she was considered the functional co-ruler of Oldtown.

SHARIS FOOTLY ruled and rebuilt the devastated town as regent for her son, who was born after the death of her husband.

ALYS RIVERS was the former lover of Prince Aemond Targaryen and was seen to be pregnant in his presence. She later presented a young boy she claimed to be his posthumous son. As Harrenhal was at the heart of the devastated riverlands, Alys gathered to her a growing following of broken men until she established a small bandit-kingdom around the burnt-out castle.

SABITHA FREY went on to organize Widow Fairs for the hundreds of commoner women left widowed by the war, hoping to match them with the over a thousand men from the Stark army who had stayed in the south rather than overburden the North during the harsh winter. Her rule was stable enough by 134 AC that she was able to contribute six hundred soldiers to the royal host sent to end the succession war in the Vale of Arryn.

LADY JEYNE ARRYN, who ruled the Vale of Arryn in her own right since before the war began, and served as as member of the council of seven regents appointed for King Aegon III, from its inception in 131 AC until she died from an illness in 134 AC.

ELENDA BARATHEON served as regent for her son Royce Baratheon, who was born one week after his father died.

PRINCESS ALIANDRA MARTELL, who succeeded her father Qoren at the age of seventeen as the ruler of Dorne in the years following the war.

[thaliajoy-blog]

Why isn't it more talked about how there's canonically an archmaester who wrote a very, very big Book about women ruling in the aftermath of the Dance. It's a detail that rules so much. A guy literally talking about hundreds of widows ruling parts of Westeros after the war. Why not much talk about Johanna Lannister, born Westerling, Sharis Footly, Lady Tyrell, Samantha Tarly, Elenda Baratheon born Caron, Sabitha Frey, Alys Rivers in her own way...a tide of ruling girls because a bunch of guys weren't cool with a girl ruling & got themselves killed trying to stop it. That's some massive irony.

[mejcinta]

Lately, I noticed lots of people getting delicate around Aemond and Alys' relationship, claiming that either he raped her or she groomed him.

The book depicts the beginning of their relationship «Prince Aemond had taken her into his bed as a prize of war soon after taking Harrenhal». During the dance, terms such as "take to bed" and "spoils of war" are also used in reference to the Daemon and Nettles, and to the Jon Roxton and Sharis Footly:

1) «Daemon Targaryen had come to love the small brown bastard girl, and had taken her into his bed» but does this necessarily mean that the Demon raped Nettles, as the show has already established his pedophilic tendencies (the young girls whom were offered to him in the brothel, both Laena and Rhaenyra were groomed by him, since one was around 15-16, other never was able to form her charachter without his influence).

2)«Bold Jon Roxton became enamored of Lady Sharis after the First Battle of Tumbleton, and claimed her as a “prize of war.” When her lord husband protested, Ser Jon cut him nigh in two with Orphan-Maker. Sharis wept as he tore her gown», her reaction made it clear that she was assaulted.

Now let's look at the relationship between Alys and Aemond, the background of their characters and how their relationship was later described.

Alys Rivers was a bastard of House Strong, Grand Maester Munkun and Septon Eustace refer her as a bastard of Lord Lyonel Strong. The general attitude towards bastards stems from religious beliefs, where those born out of wedlock are seen as a weakness and dishonour of their parents, and are therefore treated with disdain. The treatment of female bastards is even worse, when in such a feudal and patriarchal society as Westeros, they have far more limited opportunities to improve their position than male ones. "A Feast for Crows" introduces a bastard girl named Falia Flowers, whose family mistreated her and forced her into servitude, and after Euron Greyjoy takes control over her castle, she willingly goes with him because she was enough of the miserable life in her parental household.

While her parentage remains dubious, her surname clearly indicates that she was the daughter of a nobleman. But unlike bastards like Jon Snow or Rhaenyra’s sons, she was a servant to her relatives and after her own children were born dead she served as a wet nurse, an occupation historically regarded as exploitative of women.  Not only she was a servant, but also accused in witchcraft (whether it is true or not), it always is followed by social stigma, discrimination and marginalisation of women.

Obviously power imbalance on Aemond’s side, making her unable to groom her, and how could she do it to an ADULT. But how later their relationship was described:

-“it was Aemond alone who had become besotted with the Rivers woman, to such an extent he could not bear the thought of leaving her”;

-  after the defeat at the battle by the lakeshore he almost strangled the messenger to death if not for Alys be the only one who could stop him, so he valued her enough;

- when alys was captured by sabitha frey, instead of asking for help if she was his hostage, she proclaims that she is carrying his child, and aemond later came to rescue her and she run with him;

- he brought her to battle above the god’s eye with him and kissed her as last thing he did in life;

-  after his death she proclaimed herself as his widow even she would gain nothing from it, and when some man dared to insult her son with Aemond, he was immediately killed, either she ordered someone to do that or even blowed up this man’s head herself.

While show revealed Aemond had unpleasant first sexual experience and called out Aegon’s tastes as depraved, can be assumed that they will not make him force himself on Alys. So the term "prize of war" could be thrust upon them by others and should be seen as such if Alys and Aemond consider it as that.

You know, people can project all they want on Alys, Aemond and their relationship, but one thing the show has made clear is that they're 'softening' Aemond. He's not nearly a scrary brute as his book counterpart (which I still find interesting). There's more nuance to his character, and the same will go for Alys (like Alicent and Rhaenyra's characters).

Hoping that Aemond is made abusive and Alys some sadistic witch is so...boring, unoriginal, petty and bitter. There's nothing remotely new or interesting story-wise about that. But let's just wait and see.

[alba-targaryen]

Blacks vs Greens conflict is not about feminism vs patriarchy (though women would fare better under Rhaenyra's rule simply because everyone would), not about "the king's word is law" vs "tradition is law" (though it's close) and not even about good vs bad (though it's very close).

It's about "oath keeping" vs "oath breaking", " honor" vs "opportunism". Oaths are a big thing in ASOIAF, and F&B is setting some background for the main series. In the main books, we are given POVs and nuances: the oaths are rigid, life is complicated, and people sometimes have to make complicated choices, gallant knights could be monsters, and the lofty moral standards could be better upheld by the most unlikely knights (like Brienne or Duncan).

F&B, though, in its Dance chapters is showing us much simpler, "default" picture of Westeros: "you keep to your word - you are good guy", "you break you word when it suits you - you can't be trusted at all". (And trust is hell of important thing if families somehow manage to live for thousands years with the same surnames in the same location.)

"True knights" topic is kinda still there though. The Reach is supposed to be the cradle of knighthood and Faith (note how quiet High Septon is during the whole Dance, btw), but somehow the Reach Greens are the worst. Myles Hightower steals from the treasury, Jon Roxton rapes Lady Sharis Footly and kills her husband, Unwin Peake stabs his own ally Lord Bourney in the eye right in the middle of the council meeting and (very likely) kills Jaehaera later. Tumbleton and Bitterbridge don't really need commenting.

[coldraindropsss]

Sharis Footly, Lady of Tumbleton and her son.

[horizon-verizon]

The theory of Alys raping Daemon by deceit dates back to 2023.

It remind me of Merlin transforming Uther Pendragon to look like Gorlois so that Uther could have sex with Ygraine, the wife of Gorlois, leading to the conception of Arthur. But in Alys’ case, the theory is that she somehow fucks up Daemon’s mind, make him hallucinating he has sex with Rhaenyra when in fact he’s being raped by Alys.

One of the most disgusting thing about this being true is that they basically turn a rape victim into a rapist, Alys was taken as a SPOIL OF WAR by Aemond, and in Tumbleton, F&B explain what this mean for women. And if they keep Alys’ pregnancy, the baby’s father is going to be Daemon ?? ����

Yes, I commented about this back in 2023, too. ["alys rivers' characterization" tag]. It's funny, I was just contemplating Uther and Morgana, but didn't go into how he sires Arthur yet.

I guess for now, we'll just have to wait and see if it has just been people hating on HotD in lieu of its other writing & messed-up characterizations/flaws.

[saintsunfyre]

SAMANTHA HIGHTOWER (BORN TARLY), LADY OF OLDTOWN

Lady Samantha Tarly, the widow of Lord Ormund Hightower, eventually remarried to his heir and her stepson, Lyonel Hightower, who only reached the age of adulthood at sixteen just as the war ended. While not technically his regent, she was so politically influential that she was considered the functional co-ruler of Oldtown. When Lord Lyonel announced his intention to marry his father's widow, the reigning High Septon forbade the union as a form of incest. However, Lyonel kept Samantha as his paramour for thirteen years and fathered six children on her. Relations between the Hightowers and the Faith of the Seven soured when the High Septon commanded Lady Sam to remove herself from her step-son's bed and take vows as a silent sister as penance. When she refused, the High Septon condemned her as a shameless fornicator and forbade her to set foot in the Starry Sept until she repented. Instead, Samantha mounted a warhorse and burst into the Starry Sept as the High Septon was leading prayer, claiming that while she could not set foot there, the High Septon had said nothing of her horse's hooves, and commanded her men to close the doors, as the sept should be closed to all if it was closed for her. Though the High Septon grew furious, he had no choice but to relent. Lady Sam protected Lotho Rogare after the fall of House Rogare. The Hightowers remained extremely wealthy as they had not entrusted any of their gold to Lys before the Rogare Bank ran dry. Lotho helped Lady Sam found the prosperous Bank of Oldtown.

WINTER OF THE WIDOWS (2/?)

Johanna Lannister // Samantha Hightower // Sharis Footly // Lady Tyrell // Alys Rivers // Sabitha Frey // Jeyne Arryn // Elenda Baratheon // Aliandra Martell

[aegor-bamfsteel]

Hi

Wanted to ask you about the Alys-Aemond thing in the book, i didn't read the book myself but I've read in the wiki that Aemond took Alys to his bed , and she was his prize of the war or something .... wouldn't this considered to be rape ? Since Aemond is obviously much more powerful than Alys in every possible way... and the whole thing about (Spoil or prize of war) is really suspicious. What do you think of this?

“One by one, every man and boy with Strong blood in his veins was dragged forth and put to death , until the until the heap made of their heads stood three feet tall. No trueborn Strong was spared , nor any bastard save ... oddly ... Alys Rivers. Though the wet nurse was twice his age (thrice, if we put our trust in Mushroom), Prince Aemond had taken her into his bed as a prize of war soon after taking Harrenhal, seemingly preferring her to all the other women of the castle, including many pretty maids of his own years.” —Fire and Blood, pg 460

Considering Aemond just had her legitimate relatives murdered and had taken her castle/rest of the smallfolk captive, it does sound like there was some level of coercion going on. However aside from that “prize of war” comment, it’s not really brought up by the text. Other Greens (and the blacks if you count Dalton Greyjoy) took noblewomen as “prizes of war”, like Jon Roxton to Sharis Footly or Hugh Hammer to the knight’s widow; however, those are clearly rape and there’s no fondness between the two people. Aemond clearly felt fondness for Alys, and Alys’ actions don’t make sense unless you consider she cared for him on some level (why would she escape with him from Sabitha? Why marry him? Why come with him to the Battle of Gods Eye? Why become the Witch Queen of Harrenhal when she had the chance to fade into obscurity?) That doesn’t excuse Aemond’s actions, but any pain Alys might’ve felt is glossed over because all of her actions involve supporting Aemond. Considering the mutual affection, it’s a version of Robb/Jeyne if they were both cartoon villains; where he captured her castle, she nurses him, they sleep together, he eventually marries her, and she supports him over her own family despite his men getting some of them killed/imprisoned. So in spite of the suspicious language and power imbalance (though that’s the same for their foil couple Daemon/Nettles) I’m going to say they had a mutual relationship even after Aemond proved he was capable of murdering House Strong, and that the “prize of war” was a biased reading by certain maesters (since Alys as Harrenhal smallfolk would’ve been a Green supporter), because elsewhere they refer to her as a bedmate or paramour. I don’t mean to be glossing over rape, and I apologize if it comes off this way. I just think GRRM wanted Alys/Aemond to be a mutual if evil couple, even if he made the circumstances so over-the-top it seems OOC for a character in her position. And I know his intentions ultimately don’t matter, but Alys is such a 1D cartoon witch that it’s hard to think of her as a character with realistic human emotions.