#the kennelmaster's son

[agentrouka-blog]

"What is honor compared to a woman's love? What is duty against the feel of a newborn son in your arms? Or the memory of a brother's smile?"

I love how this applies word to word to Ned and Lyanna, but in a way that subverts expectations. Woman's love: yes but platonic not romantic. Newborn son in arms: yes but he is actually a nephew. Brother's smile: no sister's.

Hi there!

I love the way you think. The quote expands far beyond the moment and echoes across past and future, for many characters.

You can paste it straight onto Ned, trace it painfully over Catelyn and Robb, sprinkle it among the Lannister siblings, lace it through Dany's braids, and return it wholesale to Jon and his own choices and longings.

Another thing that I love about this quote is how wrong Aemon is, and how you can turn this quote around on itself. He indicts love as the enemy of duty and honor, as a destroyer of these pure motivations, am inhibitor of effective necessary action.

But, say, what motivation is empty honor, compared to love? What motivation is cold duty compared to love?

I will kill him if I must. The prospect gave Jon no joy; there would be no honor in such a killing, and it would mean his own death as well. Yet he could not let the wildlings breach the Wall, to threaten Winterfell and the north, the barrowlands and the Rills, White Harbor and the Stony Shore, even the Neck. For eight thousand years the men of House Stark had lived and died to protect their people against such ravagers and reavers . . . and bastard-born or no, the same blood ran in his veins. Bran and Rickon are still at Winterfell besides. Maester Luwin, Ser Rodrik, Old Nan, Farlen the kennelmaster, Mikken at his forge and Gage by his ovens . . . everyone I ever knew, everyone I ever loved. If Jon must slay a man he half admired and almost liked to save them from the mercies of Rattleshirt and Harma Dogshead and the earless Magnar of Thenn, that was what he meant to do. (ASOS, Jon II)

Honor and duty are empty by themselves. And Jon shows us that you do not need them. His most powerful motivation is love, and it leaves him flexible, too, because it allows him to adjust to the necessities of the moment. Look at Ned, all his best decisions are always motivated by love, where blind adherence to honor or duty lead him astray.

[amplifyme]

Sandor Clegane, the wordsmith.

The Hound escorted her across the drawbridge. As they were winding their way up the step, she said, "Why do you let people call you a dog? You won't let anyone call you a knight."

"I like dogs better than knights. My father's father was kennelmaster at The Rock. One autumn year, Lord Tytos came between a lioness and her prey. The lioness didn't give a shit that she was Lannister's own sigil. Bitch tore into my lord's horse and would have done for my lord too, but my grandfather came up with the hounds. Three of his dogs died running her off. My grandfather lost a leg, so Lannister paid him for it with lands and a towerhouse, and took his son to squire. The three dogs on our banner are the three that died, in the yellow of autumn grass. A hound will die for you, but never lie to you. And he'll look you straight in the face."

A Clash of Kings

[lego-asoiaf-fan-minifigs]

Residents of Winterfell

First row: Maester Luwin (left), Old Nan (middle) and Hodor (right)

Second row: Hullen, master of horse (left), and his son Harwin (right)

Third row: Septa Mordane (left) and Septon Chayle (right)

Fourth row: Mikken the blacksmith (left), Gage the cook (middle), and Farlen the kennelmaster (right)

Here's my LEGO adaptation of alexandrokayart's Winterfell residents fanart, linked below:

Old Nan, Harwin, Hullen, Farlen

Luwin

Mordane

Gage, Mikken, Hodor

Chayle

[thelustybraavosimaid]

"Direwolves," Bran said. Still half-grown, they were as large as any wolf he had ever seen, but the differences were easy to spot, if you knew what to look for. Maester Luwin and Farlen the kennelmaster had taught him. A direwolf had a bigger head and longer legs in proportion to its body, and its snout and jaw were markedly leaner and more pronounced. There was something gaunt and terrible about them as they stood there amid the gently falling snow. (Bran V, AGoT)

This ties in pretty well with the Stark Look™️:

Longer-faced:

There were three tombs, side by side. Lord Rickard Stark, Ned's father, had a long, stern face. (Eddard I, AGoT)

--

The boy absorbed that all in silence. He had the Stark face if not the name: long, solemn, guarded, a face that gave nothing away. Whoever his mother had been, she had left little of herself in her son. (Tyrion II, AGoT)

--

The flames crackled softly, and in their crackling she heard the whispered name Jon Snow. His long face floated before her, limned in tongues of red and orange, appearing and disappearing again, a shadow half-seen behind a fluttering curtain. (Melisandre I, ADwD)

--

"He's to marry Arya Stark. My little sister." Jon could almost see her in that moment, long-faced and gawky, all knobby knees and sharp elbows, with her dirty face and tangled hair. (Jon VI, ADwD)

Lean/slender/skinny/gaunt:

He was of an age with Robb, but they did not look alike. Jon was slender where Robb was muscular, dark where Robb was fair, graceful and quick where his half brother was strong and fast. (Bran I, AGoT)

--

His uncle was sharp-featured and gaunt as a mountain crag, but there was always a hint of laughter in his blue-grey eyes. (Jon I, AGoT)

--

"The left is good. All is reversed, it will make your enemies more awkward. Now you are standing wrong. Turn your body sideface, yes, so. You are skinny as the shaft of a spear, do you know. That is good too, the target is smaller. Now the grip. Let me see." (Arya II, AGoT)

--

Theon Stark's the real thin one with the long hair and the skinny beard. They called him the 'Hungry Wolf,' because he was always at war. (Bran VII, AGoT)

Long-legged:

Benjen Stark straddled the bench with long legs and took the wine cup out of Jon's hand. (Jon I, AGoT)

--

Skinny as they were, her legs were strong and springy and growing longer every day. She was glad of that. A water dancer needs good legs. Blind Beth was no water dancer, but she would not be Beth forever. (The Blind Girl, ADwD)

--

That's a Brandon, the tall one with the dreamy face, he was Brandon the Shipwright, because he loved the sea. (Bran VII, AGoT)

Also:

The Weeper's red rheumy eyes gave Jon another look. "Aye? Well, he has a wolfish cast to him, now as I look close. Bring him to Mance, might be he'll keep him." (Jon I, ASoS)

--------

"It has a name, does it?" Her father sighed. "Ah, Arya. You have a wildness in you, child. 'The wolf blood,' my father used to call it. Lyanna had a touch of it, and my brother Brandon more than a touch. It brought them both to an early grave." (Arya II, AGoT)

[ladystoneboobs]

He[Ned] had a grim cast to his grey eyes this day, and he seemed not at all the man who would sit before the fire in the evening and talk softly of the age of heroes and the children of the forest. He had taken off Father's face, Bran thought, and donned the face of Lord Stark of Winterfell. -Bran I, aGoT Bran's bastard brother Jon Snow moved closer. "Keep the pony well in hand," he whispered. "And don't look away. Father will know if you do." -Bran I, aGoT Lord Eddard had tried to play the father from time to time, but to Theon he had always remained the man who'd brought blood and fire to Pyke and taken him from his home. As a boy, he had lived in fear of Stark's stern face and great dark sword. -Theon I, aCoK The Lannister lord was strong-looking for an old man, with stiff golden whiskers and a bald head. There was something in his face that reminded Arya of her own father, even though they looked nothing alike. He has a lord's face, that's all, she told herself. She remembered hearing her lady mother tell Father to put on his lord's face and go deal with some matter. Father had laughed at that. She could not imagine Lord Tywin ever laughing at anything. -Arya VII, aCoK Theon told himself he must be as cold and deliberate as Lord Eddard. -Theon IV, aCoK [...] "My father never used a headsman. He said he owed it to men he killed to look into their eyes and hear their last words. And when I looked into Ygritte's eyes, I . . ." Jon stared down at his hands helplessly. "I know she was an enemy, but there was no evil in her." -Jon VII, aCoK As he knelt to the block, the kennelmaster said, "M'lord Eddard always did his own killings." Theon had to take the axe himself or look a weakling. -Theon V, aCoK He is an old man, Jon told himself. Fifty, maybe even sixty. He lived a longer life than most. The Thenns will kill him anyway, nothing I can say or do will save him. Longclaw seemed heavier than lead in his hand, too heavy to lift. The man kept staring at him, with eyes as big and black as wells. I will fall into those eyes and drown. The Magnar was looking at him too, and he could almost taste the mistrust. The man is dead. What matter if it is my hand that slays him? One cut would do it, quick and clean. Longclaw was forged of Valyrian steel. Like Ice. Jon remembered another killing; the deserter on his knees, his head rolling, the brightness of blood on snow . . . his father's sword, his father's words, his father's face . . . -Jon V, aSoS "My blood price, he[Tormund] called it," said Jon Snow, "but he will pay." "Aye, and why not?" Old Flint stomped his cane against the ice. "Wards, we always called them, when Winterfell demanded boys of us, but they were hostages, and none the worse for it." "None but them whose sires displeased the Kings o' Winter," said The Norrey. "Those came home shorter by a head. So you tell me, boy … if these wildling friends o' yours prove false, do you have the belly to do what needs be done?" Ask Janos Slynt. "Tormund Giantsbane knows better than to try me. I may seem a green boy in your eyes, Lord Norrey, but I am still a son of Eddard Stark." -Jon XI, aDwD

aw, gotta love that dichotomy of even ned's own adoring children, not just theon, knowing he had a cold and stern side as a lord, grim and frightening to enemies, always alongside the warm, laughing dad who told them bedtime stories, that nice side of ned which is the only part most of fandom wants to acknowledge. arya even reminded of him by the face of tywin frickin' lannister! this same dad who laughed off bran's disobedience climbing all over the castle like a monkey, who couldn't punish arya for using a secret sword behind his back, who didn't even want sansa to be a witness to his passing sentence on gregor clegane with mere words for his crimes, that same soft-hearted guy would have admonished 7yo bran for looking away from his first beheading, to toughen him up and make him into a man already. just imagine, for jon to be so certain of that, either he and/or robb must have looked away from their first beheading at bran's age and been sternly told off for it. (amab) children can't be allowed to have a natural human reaction to sudden blood and gore watching dad kill someone. gotta stamp that shit out right away!

striking the way jon always uses memories of ned to choose not to kill innocent people who had yet to do him harm, first with ygritte and then the old man ygritte urged him to kill, but also uses his noble father's example to prove his willingness to kill children with zero sense of contradiction. that has to be a reference to theon, right? ned's own experience (implicitly) threatening a child ward/hostage, which all his bannermen would be well aware of. sure, jon's right about the unnamed older man. ned wouldn't murder one of his own subjects like that, he owed no duty to the magnar of thenn and would likely find undercover work even more distasteful than jon did. but, ygritte, really? a wildling of the enemy people all northerners were taught to kill? i have to wonder. did ned really find more evil in the deserter's eyes than jon did in ygritte's, making him deserving of beheading? or is it just that ned could feel he deserved to dutifully kill every time he passed that eye contact test? his reasoning was that deserters were dangerous because they already had a death sentence for oathbreaking, therefore had no reason not to commit any other crime. doesn't that same self-fulfilling violent prophecy apply to all people born on the wrong side of the wall? when you've got nothing left in life, you have nothing to lose by attacking people on the other side. is theon being "cold and deliberate" at winterfell, even killing a man with his own hand for someone else's crimes, is that really so unlike a true son of eddard stark? how different is it from what ned could have done to theon himself to punish him for his father's crimes? (surviving) child-ward-hostages always "none the worse for it" indeed.

(also interesting how jon thinks of janos slynt when asked if he could behead a wildling child. janos slynt who had sinned against jon and ned, wanting jon dead since the day they met, exactly the same as anyone to be beheaded, no matter how young or innocent. can't question jon's willingness to behead anyone else once he's executed one awful guy. it's even funnier when we the readers know janos slynt's worst sin is baby-killing as part of his old job. killing royal bastard kids like jon, no less. jon gets to (unknowingly) kill a baby-killer and threaten children in the same book, using the baby-killer's death as precedent for killing someone else's children. guess that's all part of killing the boy to let the man be born, gotta be willing to kill any man or boy. neither prince theon nor lord commander snow could afford to look a weakling to their own men or enemies. uncle maester aemon helped finish all the work ned started turning jon into a hard, strong man.)

[asoiafreadthru]

EDDARD STARK, Lord of Winterfell, Warden of the North,

His wife, LADY CATELYN, of House Tully,

Their children:

ROBB, the heir to Winterfell, fourteen years of age,

SANSA, the eldest daughter, eleven,

ARYA, the younger daughter, a girl of nine,

BRANDON, called Bran, seven,

RICKON, a boy of three,

His bastard son, JON SNOW, a boy of fourteen,

His ward, THEON GREYJOY, heir to the Iron Islands,

His siblings:

[BRANDON], his elder brother, murdered by the command of Aerys II Targaryen,

[LYANNA], his younger sister, died in the mountains of Dorne,

BENJEN, his younger brother, a man of the Night’s Watch,

His household:

MAESTER LUWIN, counselor, healer, and tutor,

VAYON POOLE, steward of Winterfell,

JEYNE, his daughter, Sansa’s closest friend,

JORY CASSEL, captain of the guard,

HALLIS MOLLEN, DESMOND, JACKS, PORTHER, QUENT, ALYN, TOMARD, VARLY, HEWARD, CAYN, WYL, guardsmen,

SER RODRIK CASSEL, master-at-arms, Jory’s uncle,

BETH, his young daughter,

SEPTA MORDANE, tutor to Lord Eddard’s daughters,

SEPTON CHAYLE, keeper of the castle sept and library,

HULLEN, master of horse,

His son, HARWIN, a guardsman,

JOSETH, a stableman and horse trainer,

FARLEN, kennelmaster,

OLD NAN, storyteller, once a wet nurse,

HODOR, her great-grandson, a simpleminded stableboy,

GAGE, the cook,

MIKKEN, smith and armorer,

His principal lords bannermen:

SER HELMAN TALLHART,

RICKARD KARSTARK, Lord of Karhold,

ROOSE BOLTON, Lord of the Dreadfort,

JON UMBER, called the Greatjon,

GALBART and ROBETT GLOVER,

WYMAN MANDERLY, Lord of White Harbor,

MAEGE MORMONT, the Lady of Bear Island.

[nobodysuspectsthebutterfly]

The wealth of House Clegane

@thefeatherofhope had a question about the wealth of House Clegane and particularly Sandor’s access to it. So, let me see if I can clear this up at all...

The founder of House Clegane, the Casterly Rock kennelmaster who saved Tytos Lannister from a lioness (at the expense of his leg and three dogs), was granted knighthood, “lands and a towerhouse”. (Southeast of Lannisport, per GRRM.) A towerhouse is not a particularly big castle -- you can see one example of an ASOIAF towerhouse here, and this site has some great photos and plans of towerhouses especially in its Scotland section.

Notably, the Clegane towerhouse (called Clegane’s Keep, semi-canonically), has a village below it, prosperous enough to have skilled laborers such as woodcarvers. It’s unknown if there’s any other villages on the Clegane lands, nor the exact size of their lands. Southeast of Lannisport is a hilly area, per the maps, and not very far from the known silver mines at Silverhill, but it’s unknown if there’s any mines (silver or gold) within the Clegane lands. But the Westerlands are generally fertile (if not as abundant as the Reach), and the Keep’s location not far from a major city should lead to moderately wealthy estates and incomes. Definitely not great lord level or even great landed knight level, but more likely to be similar to House Webber than House Osgrey (see The Sworn Sword), even if they have a Standfast-sized castle. (I also headcanon that one source of income for House Clegane was the breeding of hunting hounds, which has fallen off a bit since Gregor became the master of the house, but you can take or leave that as you like.)

At any rate, House Clegane was likely wealthy enough from the start to afford the services of a maester (the Citadel requires payment), which the first Ser Clegane would have certainly needed as he was no doubt illiterate. (The second Ser Clegane, Sandor and Gregor’s father, may or may not have been literate, as he was taken as a Tytos’s squire probably around the age of 12, but I doubt he had much more than necessary literacy.) We definitely know they had a maester during Sandor’s childhood, and almost certainly Gregor had one on staff to help prepare the milk of the poppy that he drinks “as lesser men quaff ale” for his headaches.

Regarding tourneys -- the prize for the winner of the joust at the Hand’s Tourney was forty thousand gold dragons. At the time Sandor was captured by the Brotherhood, he had only 9000 gold dragons. While it’s technically possible that Sandor might have spent 30K in a year (Anguy managed to piss away his archery prize of 10K in a few months, spending it on fancy food and fancy girls at Chataya’s), that’s still a lot of money. @racefortheironthrone estimates a gold dragon as equal to today’s $1000, and what in the hell a man like Sandor could spend $3 million on, I don’t even know. (Like, even if he did go to Chataya's a few times, he certainly wasn't bathing in Arbor wine like Anguy did.) I headcanon that Sandor spent some of the money on buying Stranger, but it’s also possible he didn’t take all of whatever he had left with him when he left King’s Landing, as gold is really heavy. (40K dragons could weigh about 800 pounds; heck, 9000 dragons weighs 180 pounds. Sigh, GRRM cannot math.) I very much doubt Sandor is the sort to work with banks at all (though I know some people have headcanoned it: note that besides the Iron Bank of Braavos, there may be the Bank of Oldtown, if it still exists), but it’s possible he buried it somewhere secret. Though if he did, it wasn’t anywhere he had any chance of accessing once he was in the Riverlands.

As for Sandor’s access to House Clegane’s incomes now that Gregor is dead (more or less)... well, there’s a number of problems before we even get to that part. Number one, Ned (as Hand of the King) attainted Gregor for his crimes in the Riverlands. Attainder takes away someone’s lands and titles, and often their right to pass them onto their heirs. However, Littlefinger tells Ned that Sandor will inherit and Ned doesn’t dispute that, so that part doesn’t seem to apply. However however, Ned’s decree was most definitely reversed by Tywin after he was executed, so in fact that attainder is not relevant after all. (But mentioned in case anyone was wondering.) Second problem: when Sandor became a Kingsguard, he gave up all inheritance rights. (He swore no knight’s vows, but he never says he won’t swear the Kingsguard oaths.) However, he abandoned his post, and while there’s nothing exactly that says what happens when a KG does that, it’s definitely not “oh you get your lands back and everything’s fine again”. If it’s like the Night’s Watch, who Visenya modeled the KG vows on, what happens when you abandon your post is execution. (See also what happened to the KG Lucamore Strong when he broke his vows of celibacy.) Either way, what Sandor is now is an outlaw. (For his desertion, and for the Sack of Saltpans, which he didn’t actually do but is believed by the crown to have done, so it counts, alas.) Outlaws are, per their name, outside the law, which includes the laws of inheritance. Legally, if Sandor were to try to claim the Clegane lands right now, he absolutely could not. (Also, from whom? Cersei, the Lady of the Westerlands? (lol omg.) Cersei’s castellan Damion Lannister in Casterly Rock? It gets very difficult.)

So. As Gregor is legally dead, and has no legal heirs, the Clegane lands have reverted to Casterly Rock. If Sandor were to show himself alive, and IF he were somehow to be pardoned for his actual crimes and the nominal ones (how is a very good question, by some grateful king or queen perhaps for services rendered), and if the whole Kingsguard thing was made invalid (again, some royal declaring all of Joffrey’s decrees illegitimate since he was)... then, yes, Sandor might be able to claim House Clegane’s lands and incomes. (And the title too, see this post for details.) But there’s a bunch of great big ifs in there. Really really huge ones. Until they’re straightened out, if they ever are, Sandor’s got whatever’s in his pockets (zilch) and maybe whatever remains of his tourney winnings if he buried them anywhere or otherwise saved them somehow. (Note he gave away the Brotherhood’s IOU, as if they’d ever pay it back, as if especially Stoneheart’s version would.) You’ve got wiggle room with headcanons and hopeful futurefics (and author fiat in fic in general), but in practice? Sandor’s got nothin’.

Hope that helps!

[seoness]

Hi there 😊😊 First of all I have to say - you are a magnificent writer! I love the way your wrote Sandor, it’s the best representation I’ve seen of him to date!

I would love to get your thoughts and opinions of what he would be like with a family - specifically just a hoard of daughters 🥹

Hello! Thank you so much!! 🤗

Warning: I overthought this answer... 😅 It's more analytical than poetic but sometimes the keyboard just taps that way. I wanted to try to cover as much as possible so here you go.

P.S I'll probably use most of the show's outcome for the series since the books aren't complete with the minor tweak that Sandor didn't die.

Now his behavior with his family would be heavily influenced by his station. So let's break that down first to get to the answer.

I find it most likely that Sandor would end up in the North. Sansa Stark is queen, and her court would no doubt have many positions vacant. The master-at-arms at Winterfell, captain of the guard, master of horses, and kennelmaster... but I wager that the Hound is tired of court and I think Sansa would be able to sense it.

Many houses most likely went extinct during the fight against the White Walkers or betrayed the Starks so severely that they were stripped of their titles and lands, leaving their former seats to be filled. Replacing those vacancies with current noble bloodlines from the North would be risky since if a majority came from a particular line, it could make them unify against her rule. Sandor Clegane could be given land and a seat to oversee since Sansa Stark can be confident that he's not one to conspire against her. In the end, I believe he'd be placed as Lord of Moat Cailin. Rebuilding the fortress would strengthen their border south and placing him in the southern region of her kingdom makes sense due to his origin as a Westerlander. The Hound would also be able to enact a toll on trade coming from the south as income.

Moat Cailin by Logan Feliciano

So, you are Lady Clegane of Moat Cailin and have given your Lord Husband an army of daughters. He doesn't grumble too much about it. You'll try again for a son. It isn't that Sandor is disappointed in having daughters but he knows that you will all be more secure if your house has a male heir.

Norms

The Hound will not expect you to be as strict as a Septa to make them conform to society's ideals, but he'll not want his daughters blind to them either. A mindset of "they'll be strong and capable enough, so hopefully, they don't need to be." But there would be an expectation that you as a woman would be best suited to raise them. He will still be present but will refer to your guidance on how to deal with matters.

Combat

Unless pressed he won't train any of them in combat. If one or more of your daughters do, it will be the only time the Hound runs the risk of hurting them. Taking them to the yard and offering little mercy to show that on the battlefield there is no consideration, only the strongest survive. If they continue to want to be trained, he'll not prevent it. Better they learn it properly than dying a fool.

Education and Future

As for marriage. He will not mind having a few of them turn spinsters, rather that then they wed to some welp that can't take care of them. While Sandor is more forward-thinking than most men in Westeros, he still views women as a whole as weaker and more fragile. He'd encourage his daughters to be good in areas in which he believes their sex to have little or even a beneficial effect. Riding, tracking, and reading/studying.

Defensiveness and Punishment

To no one's surprise, Sandor Clegane will be extremely defensive of his daughters, but also of you. To have brought him many daughters instead of sons could earn you mockery from others and him pity, but none dare breathe a word of that around the Hound.

Sandor would train his house guard to be strong and capable, but he trusts dogs more than he trusts men. Especially with women. Each daughter will have a guard dog the moment they begin to play on their own.

His defense is not only outward but inward, worried that what happened between him and Gregor will repeat itself. He never pits his daughters against one another or compares them, and rewards them if they show unity (even against him). If he gets the slightest hint that Gregor has been born anew in one of his daughters, Sandor will watch them like a hawk. He knows the signs. This is the only form the Mountain could have taken that Sandor would never be able to kill. She will be sent away. The Hound would never confine one of his daughters to a Motherhouse for any other reason.

Tradition/Special Quirk

Once every year at the least, Sandor will take you and all your children out of the keep. No servants will wait on you, no comfort of featherbeds, and no supper brought from the larder. If your daughters ever get into a situation where they need to escape and live off the land, he wants them prepared. This truth isn't something even Sandor admits to himself, claiming it is to keep them from being spoiled, but you know the truth. The way he presses them to know which plant or toadstool is poisonous and how to build a sufficient shelter. Hopefully, they will never need his lessons and besides, it is good for those to rule to know what hunger feels like even if it's only for a day or two.

Who would have thunk it, even before we had the labels, not everyone was cis and straight? 🫠

(if it wasn't clear, the above question is doused in sarcasm)

The Hound hasn't given it much thought, he knew some of "it", he wasn't deaf or blind to what happened in the stables. Never bothered him then, but to a certain extent, it will become an "issue" if he finds out that one of his children is part of what we group as LGBTQ+. He has two main goals with his children.

They survive and live long.

They don't turn into Gregor.

And it would make the first goal a bit harder. The Seven aren't exactly inclusive, he's not a religious man, and he couldn't give two flying fucks if the gods ordained it or not, but their followers would become a concern. From the get-go, we should establish that the Hound most likely doesn't have our current understanding; it is how one is born, etc. Regardless, Sandor wouldn't force his daughter to wed, and he'd be relieved in some regards. That daughter/those daughters wouldn't end up with some husband that tested the laws of six, and she'd not die in a birthing bed. If you are a believer in the Seven or a woman of any other faith, this could be something that Sandor keeps from you. The safety of your children comes before your right to know everything about them.

Now if we look away from sexuality and toward gender and gender presentation. Being gender nonconforming would be the easiest to understand, he'd reason them to be of the same cut as Arya Stark. When it comes to gender itself, the Hound would be in uncharted territory. Sandor wouldn't issue out any type of punishment, but he'll not understand and unless he understands that it is important to them, he'll shrug and continue on with his life.

But if it becomes clear to him that this isn't his child asking some vague question or the "is there a meaning to life"-type of conversation he usually finds as entertaining as court gossip the Hound will perk up his ears. Sandor would not be able to give them another legal name. The Hound would offer them the use of a nickname, seeing as nicknames can become more used than a person's given name.

Let's take female-to-male, the Hound wouldn't be able to call them his son, but he'll refrain from calling them his daughter and opt for "my child/my blood" if he was told that it bothered them to be referred to as his daughter. If they don't have a clear nickname, he'll extend his own and start calling them the next Hound. He'll also be inclined to teach his child/son to fight, as they might need to defend themself.

Wrapping it up

He'd be present, but at times, an awkward father. He'll not be the most doting or shower them with praise, but he tells them one thing, one demand frequently:

"All you need to do is breathe."

There is much housed in those words. They could fail, be beaten, be craven the lot of 'em, but as long as they breathe, everything will be fine. His pride and his joy are all dependent on it. After a long day of seeing to some duty or the other, he'll enter your bed. Kissing the back of your head and muttering the same command to you.

And even more simplified. Take this father:

and make him a bit more serious and grumpy. 🤌

[selkiewife]

Theon Month 2022 || Theon and House Stark

In which I count the amount of times Theon Greyjoy and Ned Stark think about each other using A Search of Ice and Fire (an extremely normal thing to do.)

Theon thinks of Ned (or “Lord Eddard” or “Lord Stark”) 52 times (some of the most notable ones are below):

As if ten years in Winterfell could make a Stark. Lord Eddard had raised him among his own children, but Theon had never been one of them. The whole castle, from Lady Stark to the lowliest kitchen scullion, knew he was hostage to his father's good behavior, and treated him accordingly. Even the bastard Jon Snow had been accorded more honor than he had.

Lord Eddard had tried to play the father from time to time, but to Theon he had always remained the man who'd brought blood and fire to Pyke and taken him from his home. As a boy, he had lived in fear of Stark's stern face and great dark sword. His wife was, if anything, even more distant and suspicious.

Gevin Harlaw knelt on a dead man's chest, sawing off his finger to get at a ring. Paying the iron price. My lord father would approve. Theon thought of seeking out the bodies of the two men he'd slain himself to see if they had any jewelry worth the taking, but the notion left a bitter taste in his mouth. He could imagine what Eddard Stark would have said. Yet that thought made him angry too. Stark is dead and rotting, and naught to me, he reminded himself.

(About Dagmer) He gave me more smiles than my father and Eddard Stark together. 

"I am no Stark." Lord Eddard saw to that. "I am a Greyjoy, and I mean to be my father's heir. How can I do that unless I prove myself with some great deed?"

...there had been a certain undeniable spice to fucking a common tavern wench in Lord Eddard Stark's own bed.

Theon told himself he must be as cold and deliberate as Lord Eddard. "Rouse the castle," he said. "Herd them out into the yard, everyone, we'll see who's missing. And have Lorren make a round of the gates. Wex, with me."

As he knelt to the block, the kennelmaster said, "M'lord Eddard always did his own killings." Theon had to take the axe himself or look a weakling. His hands were sweating, so the shaft twisted in his grip as he swung and the first blow landed between Farlen's shoulders. It took three more cuts to hack through all that bone and muscle and sever the head from the body, and afterward he was sick, remembering all the times they'd sat over a cup of mead talking of hounds and hunting... Ned Stark had never needed more than a single blow to take a man's head.

~ A Clash of Kings

He remembered a time when he had thought that Lord Eddard Stark might marry him to Sansa and claim him for a son, but that had only been a child's fancy.

This is where they found Bran when he fell. Theon had been out hunting that day, riding with Lord Eddard and King Robert, with no hint of the dire news that awaited them back at the castle. 

The old gods, he thought. They know me. They know my name. I was Theon of House Greyjoy. I was a ward of Eddard Stark, a friend and brother to his children. 

~ A Dance with Dragons

Ned thinks of Theon, 2 times: 

Ned had last seen the king nine years before during Balon Greyjoy's rebellion, when the stag and the direwolf had joined to end the pretensions of the self-proclaimed King of the Iron Islands. Since the night they had stood side by side in Greyjoy's fallen stronghold, where Robert had accepted the rebel lord's surrender and Ned had taken his son Theon as hostage and ward, the king had gained at least eight stone.

Ned turned back to his wife. "Once you are home, send word to Helman Tallhart and Galbart Glover under my seal. They are to raise a hundred bowmen each and fortify Moat Cailin. Two hundred determined archers can hold the Neck against an army. Instruct Lord Manderly that he is to strengthen and repair all his defenses at White Harbor, and see that they are well manned. And from this day on, I want a careful watch kept over Theon Greyjoy. If there is war, we shall have sore need of his father's fleet." 

~ A Game of Thrones

So much for the idea that Ned saw Theon as a son. Now, this is not intended to be critical of Ned Stark. Much has already been written about how Ned kept Theon at an emotional distance, so that it would be easier if he had to take his head. Theon even says as much:

Lord Stark had not treated him cruelly, but the long steel shadow of his greatsword had always been between them. He was kind to me, but never warm. He knew that one day he might need to put me to death.

~ A Dance with Dragons

But it did strike me just how much Ned figures in Theon’s thoughts. And the various ways in which he does. Theon mourns how cold and distant he was. He mentions Ned taking Theon with him when he went on trips (most likely because Theon was his squire.) Theon compares himself to Ned and tries to live up to what Ned would have expected of him- even when he is taking his castle (lol.) There is also the epic line about having Kyra in Eddard Stark’s bed- but I notice that he always refers to the bed as Ned Stark’s bed. Even when he is not trying to spite his memory. He constantly refers to Ned Stark’s bed, Ned Stark’s chambers, Ned Stark’s solar, etc. Even though he could be calling it his own at that point. And he even wonders what Ned would think of him when he is raiding... and then gets angry with himself for caring what he would think and tries to tell himself that Ned doesn’t matter to him.

The amount of influence that Ned has on Theon’s worldview and the fact that he aspires to be like him is heartbreaking. Heartbreaking because of the layers of this. There is such a painful tension that is created by Ned Stark being such an objectively good man and role model and yet also objectively hurting Theon tremendously because of the circumstances the hostage contract that confines them both. 

[agentrouka-blog]

I just saw something on Twitter about this, but a user was saying that the Cleganes are descendants of Dunk. Though I thought that was Brienne? Since when were the Cleganes confirmed descendants? Op was a s@nsan shipper, so I didn’t want to quote tweet their post in case discourse started …

I don't think they are. It's certainly not confirmed.

"I like dogs better than knights. My father's father was kennelmaster at the Rock. One autumn year, Lord Tytos came between a lioness and her prey. The lioness didn't give a shit that she was Lannister's own sigil. Bitch tore into my lord's horse and would have done for my lord too, but my grandfather came up with the hounds. Three of his dogs died running her off. My grandfather lost a leg, so Lannister paid him for it with lands and a towerhouse, and took his son to squire. The three dogs on our banner are the three that died, in the yellow of autumn grass. (ACOK, Sansa II)

If they were, the kennelmaster grandfather would have to be Duncan's bastard son, fathered in the 220s. (Or his wife a bastard daughter.) I can't imagine that this detail would not feature front and center with the Clegane family history, given how recent their ascendence to titles and honors is. And if they don't know of the relation, then GRRM has made no point of implying it in the same way he has with Brienne or Hodor.

I mean, Duncan was probably not the only tall man in the Seven kingdoms to leave tall offspring. If he is their ancestor, it would be a fun and dark twist on the theme his own corrupted knighthood.

[istumpysk]

Operation Stumpy Re-Read

ASOS: Arya IX (Chapter 47)

"It's a river we need to cross, that's all you need to know." Clegane would answer her from time to time, but he had warned her not to talk back. He had given her a lot of warnings that first day. "The next time you hit me, I'll tie your hands behind your back," he'd said. "The next time you try and run off, I'll bind your feet together. Scream or shout or bite me again, and I'll gag you. We can ride double, or I can throw you across the back of the horse trussed up like a sow for slaughter. Your choice."

Don't you hate it when your child hostage doesn't cooperate?

+.+.+

"Why don't you just kill me like you did Mycah?" Arya had screamed at him. She was still defiant then, more angry than scared.

He answered by grabbing the front of her tunic and yanking her within an inch of his burned face. "The next time you say that name I'll beat you so bad you'll wish I killed you."

Aw, the Hound doesn't like to be reminded he's a worthless piece of shit.

+.+.+

It doesn't matter, Arya told herself, Thoros will find me in his flames. Only he hadn't. 

See what happens when you put your faith in the gods, Arya.

+.+.+

"Harroway town shouldn't be far," the Hound said. "Where Lord Roote stables Old King Andahar's two-headed water horse. Maybe we'll ride across."

Arya had never heard of Old King Andahar. She'd never seen a horse with two heads either, especially not one who could run on water, but she knew better than to ask. 

Two-headed water horse? Is that code?

A wolf, and a fish? Who sails on a water horse? I'm sorry, I'm embarrassing myself, I don't know.

+.+.+

Wolves never cry, she reminded herself again.

"I dreamt a wolf howling in the rain, but no one heard his grief," the dwarf woman was saying. - Arya VIII, ASOS

+.+.+

Half the time he slept in the saddle now, trusting his stallion to follow whatever rutted farm track or game trail they were on. The horse was a heavy courser, almost as big as a destrier but much faster. Stranger, the Hound called him. Arya had tried to steal him once, when Clegane was taking a piss against a tree, thinking she could ride off before he could catch her. Stranger had almost bitten her face off. 

Yikes, you wouldn't want to lose your face.

You only have to read Davos I, ACOK to know why Arya being strongly associated with the Stranger is a terrible thing.

+.+.+

He was gentle as an old gelding with his master, but otherwise he had a temper as black as he was. She had never known a horse so quick to bite or kick.

Sansa couldn't help but smile a little. The kennelmaster once told her that an animal takes after its master. - Sansa I, AGOT

There's George R. R. Martin clowning on Sandor Clegane for being a subservient little poodle when it comes to the Lannisters.

+.+.+

But there was smoke coming from the tower, Arya saw, and below one arched window a wide flat-bottomed boat was chained up tight. The boat had a dozen oarlocks and a pair of great carved wooden horse heads mounted fore and aft. The two-headed horse, she realized. 

A BOAT.

+.+.+

"We can get you across," he said sourly. "It will cost you a gold piece. Another for the horse. A third for the boy."

"Three dragons?" Clegane gave a bark of laughter. "For three dragons I should own the bloody ferry."

Two-headed water horse, and now three dragons. Sure, whatever.

+.+.+

"I'll have them now, or we don't go." The man thrust out a thick, callused hand, palm up.

Clegane rattled his longsword to loosen the blade in the scabbard. "Here's your choice. Gold on the north bank, or steel on the south."

[...]

"How do I know you're good for it?" the bent-backed man asked, after a moment.

He's not, she wanted to shout. Instead she bit her lip.

"Knight's honor," the Hound said, unsmiling.

Oh my god, I hate him.

I don't spend nearly enough time appreciating Brienne.

+.+.+

Tie the horse up, I don't want him spooking when we're under way. There's a brazier in the cabin if you and your son want to get warm."

"I'm not his stupid son!" said Arya furiously. 

The Hound being mistaken for Arya's father, plus the following:

Strong hands grasped her by the shoulders, and for a moment Sansa thought it was her father, but when she turned, it was the burned face of Sandor Clegane looking down at her, his mouth twisted in a terrible mockery of a smile. - Sansa I, AGOT

Is constantly used as evidence for that ship.

What's amusing about that, is that they'll push that idea while simultaneously dismissing the significance of another character being a mirrored image of Sansa's father.

+.+.+

The two-headed horse eased slowly through the shallows, picking its way between the chimneys and rooftops of drowned Harroway. A dozen men labored at the oars while four more used the long poles to push off whenever they came too close to a rock, a tree, or a sunken house. The bent-backed man had the rudder. Rain pattered against the smooth planks of the deck and splashed off the tall carved horseheads fore and aft. Arya was getting soaked again, but she didn't care. She wanted to see. 

You like boats, Arya?

+.+.+

The oarsmen were rowing more vigorously now, fighting the rage of the river. Leaves and broken branches swirled past as fast as if they'd been fired from a scorpion. 

Alrighty.

+.+.+

If I jumped over the side, the river would wash me away before the Hound even knew that I was gone. She looked back over a shoulder, and saw Sandor Clegane struggling with his frightened horse, trying to calm him. She would never have a better chance to get away from him. I might drown, though. Jon used to say that she swam like a fish, but even a fish might have trouble in this river. 

✨ foreshadowing ✨

It’s no trouble for a black fish. Hehe.

+.+.+

Then she saw it: an uprooted tree, huge and dark, coming straight at them. A tangle of roots and limbs poked up out of the water as it came, like the reaching arms of a great kraken.

Okay, this is now officially foreshadowing. Who is going to get pulled under by a kraken Greyjoy? Hm???

The next storm could sink or scatter us, a kraken could pull us under . . . - Daenerys I, ASOS

x

The eunuch drew a parchment from his sleeve. "A kraken has been seen off the Fingers." He giggled. "Not a Greyjoy, mind you, a true kraken. It attacked an Ibbenese whaler and pulled it under. - Tyrion III, ASOS

Can it be Barristan? Please? I would enjoy that.

Edit: you’re banned from saying Missandei.

+.+.+

Only just when it seemed as if they were clear, one of the monster's upper limbs dealt them a glancing thump. The ferry seemed to shudder, and Arya slipped, landing painfully on one knee. The man with the broken pole was not so lucky. She heard him shout as he stumbled over the side. Then the raging brown water closed over him, and he was gone in the time it took Arya to climb back to her feet. One of the other boatmen snatched up a coil of rope, but there was no one to throw it to.

[...]

"Six dragons," he demanded. "Three for the passage, and three for the man I lost."

Sandor Clegane rummaged in his pouch and shoved a crumpled wad of parchment into the boatman's palm. "There. Take ten."

[...]

The man squinted down at the parchment. "Writing. What good's writing? You promised gold. Knight's honor, you said."

"Knights have no bloody honor. Time you learned that, old man." 

Someone just died so Sandor Clegane could cross a river, and evade the Brotherhood without Banners with his child hostage. As payment, he hands them a piece of paper, then mocks them.

A nice reminder that Mycah is not the only reason Sandor Clegane will be digging holes for the rest of his life.

+.+.+

They sat on damprocks beneath an oak tree, listening to the slow patter of water dripping from the leaves as they ate a cold supper of hardbread, moldy cheese, and smoked sausage. The Hound sliced the meat with his dagger, and narrowed his eyes when he caught Arya looking at the knife. "Don't even think about it."

"I wasn't," she lied.

Arya sees a knife and gets thirsty.

+.+.+

"I never beat your sister," the Hound said. "But I'll beat you if you make me. Stop trying to think up ways to kill me. None of it will do you a bit of good."

You never beat her, but you physically harmed her plenty of times.

+.+.+

"I did so know your brother." Maybe the Mountain was worse, now that Arya thought about it. "Him and Dunsen and Polliver, and Raff the Sweetling and the Tickler."

The Hound seemed surprised. "And how would Ned Stark's precious little daughter come to know the likes of them? Gregor never brings his pet rats to court."

Don't you ever use that word to describe those people.

That is a sacred word around here.

+.+.+

Clegane's mouth twitched. "Caught you? My brother caught you?" That made him laugh, a sour sound, part rumble and part snarl. "Gregor never knew what he had, did he? He couldn't have, or he would have dragged you back kicking and screaming to King's Landing and dumped you in Cersei's lap. Oh, that's bloody sweet. I'll be sure and tell him that, before I cut his heart out."

It wasn't the first time he had talked of killing the Mountain.

That right there is how you know it will never happen. Sandor Clegane gifted his revenge fantasy? No.

+.+.+

"But he's your brother," Arya said dubiously.

"Didn't you ever have a brother you wanted to kill?" He laughed again. "Or maybe a sister?" He must have seen something in her face then, for he leaned closer. "Sansa. That's it, isn't it? The wolf bitch wants to kill the pretty bird."

Losers always projecting.

Sometimes I'd imagine my father burning. At other times, my sister." Jon Snow was staring at him, a look equal parts horror and fascination. Tyrion guffawed. "Don't look at me that way, bastard. I know your secret. You've dreamt the same kind of dreams."

"No," Jon Snow said, horrified. "I wouldn't …" - Tyrion II, AGOT

I’m kind of liking this potential parallel of Tyrion and Sandor never getting to kill their siblings.

+.+.+

"Because I hacked your little friend in two? I've killed a lot more than him, I promise you. You think that makes me some monster. Well, maybe it does, but I saved your sister's life too. The day the mob pulled her off her horse, I cut through them and brought her back to the castle, else she would have gotten what Lollys Stokeworth got. And she sang for me. You didn't know that, did you? Your sister sang me a sweet little song."

It's true, Arya. He saved her from rape, then planned to do it himself. Please thank him for us.

Sansa sang him a sweet little song... tell the whole story, you clown.

+.+.+

"Stupid blind little wolf bitch." His voice was rough and hard as an iron rasp. "Bugger Joffrey, bugger the queen, and bugger that twisted little gargoyle she calls a brother. I'm done with their city, done with their Kingsguard, done with Lannisters. What's a dog to do with lions, I ask you?" He reached for his waterskin, took a long pull. As he wiped his mouth, he offered the skin to Arya and said, "The river was the Trident, girl. The Trident, not the Blackwater. Make the map in your head, if you can. On the morrow we should reach the kingsroad. We'll make good time after that, straight up to the Twins. It's going to be me who hands you over to that mother of yours. Not the noble lightning lord or that flaming fraud of a priest, the monster." He grinned at the look on her face. "You think your outlaw friends are the only ones can smell a ransom? Dondarrion took my gold, so I took you. 

This moron, who just called this little girl a stupid blind (heh) little bitch, could have told her all of this days ago, and saved himself a lot of energy.

+.+.+

If this Young Wolf has the wits the gods gave a toad, he'll make me a lordling and beg me to enter his service. He needs me, though he may not know it yet. Maybe I'll even kill Gregor for him, he'd like that.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

He's so fucking sad and pathetic.

Holding a child hostage for ransom, hoping you'll be given a big payout and a fancy title, is a great way to ensure the author will not be handing you shit.

Someone is going to have to learn to appreciate piles of dirt instead.

+.+.+

"He'll never take you," she spat back. "Not you."

"Then I'll take as much gold as I can carry, laugh in his face, and ride off. If he doesn't take me, he'd be wise to kill me, but he won't. Too much his father's son, from what I hear. Fine with me. Either way I win. And so do you, she-wolf. So stop whimpering and snapping at me, I'm sick of it. Keep your mouth shut and do as I tell you, and maybe we'll even be in time for your uncle's bloody wedding."

Final thoughts:

I was searching for two-headed water horse thoughts, and found the most insane take of all time.

HE KIDNAPPED HER?

What is with this fandom and this character? Christ almighty.

-> return to menu <-

[thebluelemontree]

Hi!!i hope you're doing well while reading this!I've had this thought before, and i was curious on your opinion about what do you think makes Sandor such a good story Teller?

I'm doing pretty good today, thanks. "Why do you let people call you a dog? You won't let anyone call you a knight."

"I like dogs better than knights. My father's father was kennelmaster at the Rock. One autumn year, Lord Tytos came between a lioness and her prey. The lioness didn't give a shit that she was Lannister's own sigil. Bitch tore into my lord's horse and would have done for my lord too, but my grandfather came up with the hounds. Three of his dogs died running her off. My grandfather lost a leg, so Lannister paid him for it with lands and a towerhouse, and took his son to squire. The three dogs on our banner are the three that died, in the yellow of autumn grass. A hound will die for you, but never lie to you. And he'll look you straight in the face." He's economical in his language. The answer to her question is psychologically complex, but he's effectively able to communicate that using simple words and a story. That's not easy to do. Good country music does this. He creates a sense of drama and danger, while also interjecting some wry humor into it. Peppers in some curse words for flavor, but isn't crude about it. Then BAM, he puts a cherry on top with a bit of poetry. Nothing overly flowery. Just a heartfelt tribute to those three that courageously gave their lives in a selfless act of service on that field of yellow grass. To him, those dogs are the epitome of true honor, and he makes you feel that. The best part is that it's a true story, not a heavily embellished fabrication of the singers. Just look at how it drips with pride, too. My father's father. My lord (a generous lord that honors sacrifice and rewards loyalty). My grandfather. Our banner. He's damn proud he is descended from that humble kennelmaster, no matter how he feels about the rest of his family. Thanks.

[persephone-lancaster]

House Stark

Lord Eddard Stark - Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. Husband of Lady Catelyn. Father of Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon Stark and Lyra Sand. Maternal Uncle of King Jaehaerys III and Princess Alyssa Targaryen

Lady Catelyn Stark (née Tully) - Lady of Winterfell. Wife of Eddard Stark and Mother of Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon Stark

Robb Stark - Heir to Winterfell. Eldest Son of Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn Stark. Cousin of King Jaehaerys III and Princess Alyssa Targaryen

Lady Sansa Stark - Fourth Lady-in-Waiting to Princess Daenerys Targaryen. Eldest Daughter of Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn Stark. Cousin of King Jaehaerys III and Princess Alyssa Targaryen

Lady Arya Stark - Youngest Daughter of Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn Stark. Cousin of King Jaehaerys III and Princess Alyssa Targaryen

Bran Stark - Squire to Ser Arthur Dayne. Second Son of Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn Stark. Cousin of King Jaehaerys III and Princess Alyssa Targaryen

Rickon Stark - Youngest Son of Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn Stark. Cousin of King Jaehaerys III and Princess Alyssa Targaryen

Lord Benjen Stark - Royal Chief Architect. Brother of Lord Eddard Stark and Uncle of Jaehaerys III

Household:

Ser Rodrick Cassel - Master-at-Arms and Castellan of Winterfell. Father of Beth Cassel

Maester Luwin - Maester of Winterfell

Vayon Poole - Steward of Winterfell

Jory Cassel - Captain of the Stark Household Guard. Nephew of Ser Rodrick Cassel.

Hullen - Master of Horse

Septa Mordane - Septa of Winterfell

Septon Chayle - Septon of Winterfell

Old Nan - Servant of Winterfell

Hodor - Stableboy

Gage - Head Chef

Osha - Servant and Kitchen Drudge

Farlen - Kennelmaster

Mikken - Blacksmith and Armorer of Winterfell

Jeyne Poole - Daughter of Veyne Poole and bestfriend of Lady Sansa

Beth Cassel - Daughter of Ser Rodrick Cassel.

Turnip - Scullion and Daughter of Gage

Alyn - Guardman

Tomard - Guardsman. Father of TomToo

Harwin - Guardsman and Son of Hullen

TomToo - Son of Tomard

Joseth - Guardsman. Father of Bandy and Shyra.

Bandy and Shyra - Kennelgirls. Daughters of Joseth

[asoiafreadthru]

A Game of Thrones, Bran I

The lord weighed his sons long and carefully with his eyes.

“I will not have you wasting the servants’ time with this. If you want these pups, you will feed them yourselves. Is that understood?”

Bran nodded eagerly. The pup squirmed in his grasp, licked at his face with a warm tongue.

“You must train them as well,” their father said. “You must train them. The kennelmaster will have nothing to do with these monsters, I promise you that.

“And the gods help you if you neglect them, or brutalize them, or train them badly. These are not dogs to beg for treats and slink off at a kick. A direwolf will rip a man’s arm off his shoulder as easily as a dog will kill a rat.”

[thronesfms]

FIVE  .   𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐖𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒  .

lord bolton approached; with a thrust to robb’s heart  he gave him the lannister lions’ regards

long  ago  ,  the  lord  and  lady  of  house  lannister  (  nearly  children  then  ,  fresh  from  the  bedding  ceremony  )  were  blessed  with  a  son  as  their  first  born  .  they  adored  him  ,  though  spent  little  time  with  him  .  the  birth  took  a  heavy  toll  on  lady  lannister  ,  and  she  was  ill  more  often  than  not  in  the  following  months  .  on  the  same  day  she  gave  birth  -  another  did  .  this  woman  ,  the  daughter  of  the  kennelmaster  and  a  servant  to  the  lannisters  ,  loved  her  son  above  all  else  .  she  spent  every  waking  hour  with  him  as  she  could  .  her  father  ,  worried  for  his  daughter's  fate  -  had  the  boy  smothered  in  his  sleep  -  removing  the  babe  from  her  life  .  the  girl  was  distraught  ,  refusing  to  accept  her  child's  death  .  a  plan  came  to  her  ,  a  most  horrible  one  ,  that  saw  her  swapping  her  own  dead  baby  for  the  lannister  heir  -  and  fleeing  the  city  . she  ended  up  far  from  home  ,  with  a  babe  on  a  boat  .  she  slept  much  of  the  journey  -  the  stolen  babe  in  her  arms  .  she'd  raise  the  child  as  her  own  for  years  -  refusing  to  admit  he  was  anything  but  hers  .  until  ,  at  last  ,  she  could  pretend  no  longer  .  in  appearance  ,  the  boy  could  have  been  the  lord  lannister's  perfect  copy  .  as  he  grew  ,  she  came  up  with  a  plan  .  her  son  loved  her  ,  loved  her  above  all  else  and  would  do  anything  for  her  .  she  told  him  of  the  truth  ,  claiming  she  had  only  done  so  as  his  parent's  had  been  neglectful  ,  and  would  never  have  loved  him  as  he  deserved  . and  he  ,  he  who  had  no  memories  of  his  parents  ,  believed  her  .

though  lady  genna  has  only  been  the  ruling  lady  for  a  year  ,  but  the  unwed  lords  too  of  the  westerlands  had  all  been  seeking  her  hand  for  many  years  by  then  .  when  she  refused  even  their  attentions  -  one  such  case  being  the  ruling  lord  of  hornvale  himself  -  many  were  angered  at  her  seeming  disdain  for  her  own  people  .  the  lord  braxton  brax  was  greatly  offended  at  the  slight  ,  in  front  of  the  king  no  less  ,  and  sought  out  like  minded  individuals  who  might  aid  him  in  his  proposed  rebellion  .  his  muttering  was  overheard  by  a  most  interested  individual  -  a  guest  to  the  wedding  who  would  offer  the  name  '  critten  '  when  asked  .  he  supported  the  man's  words  ,  honeyed  words  dripping  in  poison  as  he  drew  himself  closer  to  the  lord  of  hornvale  .  the  seat  ,  he  would  say  with  feline  -  like  arrogance  ,  of  the  warden  of  the  west  should  have  never  belonged  to  the  lady  genna  but  to  the  firstborn  of  the  lannisters  -  casper  himself .

with  the  revelation  that  the  long  believed  firstborn  son  of  the  lannisters  was  alive  ,  a  civil  war  is  starting  in  the  westerlands  ,  with  support  divided  between  the  lady  genna  and  the  lord  casper  .  things  are  quite  tense  ,  and  the  west  are  picking  sides  .  once  ‘  critten  carrigan  ’  had  washed  the  berries  that  dyed  his  hair  dark  away  ,  none  could  deny  he  was  the  exact  replica  of  his  father  .

[shieldofrohan]

Sansa never wishes for a dog. Robert (yes we should definitely take his sayings as gospel) said get her a dog. But Arya did wish for a dog. 🤔🤔 Why do people not ship Arya with the Hound? What is two years age difference to an already pedophilic ship??

Hello Anon,

Oh you completely missed the point, I am afraid:

The passage from the book:

House Clegane's origins btw: The first Clegane of House Clegane was kennelmaster at Casterly Rock. During one autumn year he saved Lord Tytos Lannister from a lioness, although he lost a leg and three dogs while doing so. Lord Tytos rewarded him with lands and a towerhouse. Ser Clegane's son was placed in Tytos's service as his squire. For his sigil Ser Clegane used the three dogs he lost saving Tytos, on the yellow of autumn grass. [awoiaf]

he saved Lord Tytos Lannister from a lioness, although he lost a leg and three dogs while doing so

Lion-killing dog part is important therefore... Not just some random dog.

Anyway.

You forget that poor Aria "I CAN'T SEW SO I AM A VICTIM" Stark doesn't deserve a lesson like having sex with an older ugly evil dude to teach her how she is an evil brat for being a 11 (9) yo beautiful girl who believes in good and heroes.

Please FOCUS on the message that the books are trying to give. Like Aria would say: That's Sansa. Sansa deserves that lesson. Aria suffered enough... do you think kicking a corpse, attacking your sister constantly, killing a child, calling everything stupid or joining an assassin cult and murdering people is easy??? Give her a break!

According to some fans 2-3 years between Sansa and Aria means that Sansa was an adult who was ruining Aria's life with her evil beauty and toxic good manners. So there is a hugeeeee difference. And unlike Dog/Sansa's case they can't justify this ship by claiming that they only ship older Aria with that Dog. Because Sansa will always be the older one?? How can't you see that?

Jokes aside... why does Grrm keep this dog alive anyway? Poor Aria and Sansa. Grrm keeps wasting pages for that dog in Stark sisters' chapters and for what? So that THEY can teach him a lesson about believing good and mercy? Jeez kill him already. Even Aria suffered enough man.. imagine me!!! I had to read them all.

FCK THAT DOG, KEEP HIM AWAY FROM CHILDREN!

Damn Aria... you should have killed him gurl, now Grrm will write some tragic redemption or some shit arc for him... SMH.

Lol Robert should have been worried about boars not btches.. Drunk fool.

Thanks for the ask, have a nice day.