#you know who calls her lady Brienne? Jaime! Because he is the one who loves her not Tormund!

[norringtondeservestheworld]

"Brienne should have slept with Tormund, not Jaime! He would have treated her like a queen!!!"

Brienne everytime Tormund is near:

#brienne of tarth #gwendoline christie #“Tormund truly loves Brienne!” no he didn't he wanted her just because she is tall #when he talks about her with others he always refers to her as “the Big Woman” and not “lady Brienne” #you know who calls her lady Brienne? Jaime! Because he is the one who loves her not Tormund! #and even if Tormund loved her (he didn't) Brienne is still repulsed by him??? She is supposed to end with him only because he wants her?? #what about what SHE wants??? #anyway Jaime in the background in the last gif is perfect #him looking at Tormund and then Brienne to be sure she isn't interested because he is JEALOUS #this is why braime will always be superior to tormund/brienne #there are more chances of north being with a human than brienne being with tormund like come on #got #game of thrones

[buttercuparry]

What do you think about Jonrya and Jaime + Cersei being anti parallels of each other?

I think it is brilliant, though I don't know enough about Jaime/Cersei to put all of the anti parallels in words. Anyway i will try but heads up it may all end up being gibberish and nonsense.

So one thing people misunderstand about Jonrya is that we don't just ship it romantically. To us it can very well be a platonic ship. By this I mean, Jonrya can stand without any expectation or obligations that comes with romance. Jon and Arya...there is nothing binding them to love each other as they do. Like Sansa, Arya could have seen Jon as just a half brother. Jon could have seen Arya, as his youngest half sister and leave it just at that. But Jonrya is that and more. They are kisses warming on the cold road to the Wall, they are Needles given in secret, they are oaths taken so as to not betray the other in front of Ned Stark, they are oaths broken and duties dismissed so as to save the other from a cruel fate.

For Cersei and Jaime, there is love, there is once again duty and oaths broken for the sake of love. But somehow to me personally this love on occasion seems to be a love for one who is an extension of self. When they were kids, Cersei and Jaime used to cross dress and fool people. They looked so very similar that even Tywin had difficulty telling them apart. So you see how Grrm plays with the idea of self. Cersei is both her and Jaime. Jaime is both him and Cersei. There is no difference except for a dress and a pair of pants. I think this is what hits Cersei the most. Because they are Jaime/Cersei in their bubble. The self and another self to themselves but not to the world. Her father would make her do embroidery while Jaime trains to weild a sword. Her own desires has no bearing in how the world works and I think it both chips away and binds her all the more to Jaime. Jaime then, is her brother, her lover, her other self in an universe where she too had a cock. He is everything she can't be and so he must do whatever her heart desires. She is his, and she has given herself to him ( you will notice that she seduces him time and time again, so that he may listen to her).

I think this is one of the reasons, Cersei was so aghast at Jaime losing his hand. You know for Lannisters the show of power, of strength is amply important , as is the show of wealth and beauty. Jaime who has been what Cersei never could be, comes back to her with his sword arm amputated. Her extension of self, that which she could have been, is shattered and we see her recoil from him.

Jon and Arya, they look alike too. But be it for the difference in age or something else, they are never mistaken for one another. While they have been outcasts in Winterfell, weighed down by their own lives and troubles and while their storylines have parallels, they aren't extensions of one singular self. They are close, so close that they finish each other's sentences but there is no binding I feel.

I think this can be best seen in how Grrm makes both Arya and Cersei suffocate under gender norms. He also shows us Jaime and Jon too. Jaime loves Cersei. He is her protector, he is her sword ( until a point of time), it is his pleasure to be the man fit for Cersei. Jon is Arya's "brother", he knows how overwhelmed Arya is with what is expected of her. He tells her once, that as a bastard he will never have a coat of arms, while as a lady, she will never be allowed to do train at arms. Arya feels it is unfair, and so Jon gifts her Needle, gives her the sword to alleviate this unfairness. It's the path to freedom that Jon helps Arya on. She is her own "sword". I think this is a fascinating anti parallel.

There are other things in the books as well. Jaime's distances himself from Cersei and then subsequently refuses to heed Cersei's call for help (her infidelity to him, his growing discourse on duty vs love, his fascination with Brienne and again his thoughts on "honour" etc all play a role in this), while Jon meddles in politics and destroys the neutrality of a 8000 year old institute to save "Arya" from Ramsay Bolton. Love and duty is a running theme for many characters in Asoiaf. It is there in Ned's arc, in Dany's arc and both in Jaime and Jon's arc as well. For the latter two, the tug of war between these two concepts happen in relation to their sisters. For years has Jaime refused to do his duty to the Kingsguard (after being disillusioned with Aerys and then of course we had Robert as king) in favour of Cersei, and Jon dangles between duty to the Wall and love for his family, the entire time Robb fights the Lannisters. An inversion happens in Adwd with Jaime choosing to do his duty to his king ( Tommen) and later in following Brienne who claims to have found Sansa ( to fulfill his oath to Catelyn) and Jon finally chooses his 'heart', over his duty.

#jonrya #needleheart #Arya stark #Jon snow

[atopvisenyashill]

Asking this because I (for some reason) have yet to see a theory stating this (even though it must exist!) but waht do you think the changes are of Brienne being the person who gets Alaynes favor and her potentially competing on Sansa's behalf in a trial for the kinslaying allegations? Obviously Brienne and Sansa even meeting is hotly debated but with the direction the show went in I can't see Briensa (platonic) not happening!

First I'm assuming you meant kingslaying because I was like wait how did I forget Sansa being accused of killing one of her siblings omg?? alsdjf unless you mean "kinslaying allegations" ie she betrayed Ned in which case, if that does come up (it's certainly possible) it's not likely to come up until waaaay later because the only person who would care is like, Arya, really, (I think both Jon and Bran would understand Sansa's actions here) and I don't think it will escalate to Brienne having to fight a trial by combat for her in that case.

BUT.

THAT'S AN INTERESTING THEORY. I think the general consensus here is that they're going to meet somehow at the tourney and escape it together, and also, Shadrich will be involved and probably Bronze Yohn as well, but that's pretty much as concrete as I've seen anyone get (altho if anyone does have a more concrete theory, let me know!!!).

So firstly, I think this would match up with the Ashford Tourney Theory very well -> Sansa having all the same suitors, only for the tourney to get upended by a trial by the seven/the appearance of The Truest Knight In All Of Westeros. Brienne, being both a True Knight and a descendant of Dunk, makes the most sense for being part of the foreshadowing of this theory in my opinion. And that little note we got of GRRM's outline included that line "kill the mouse" which points to Shadrich being a problem for Sansa or Brienne or both in the coming twow chapters. However...some random hedge knight can't just make off with either Sansa Stark, Last Surviving Stark or Alayne Stone, Only Child Of Lord Protector Baelish, without causing a HUGE ruckus (look at her escape from KL - they needed a huge ruckus to cover up their movements!). SO. Considering he showed up with a bunch of other guys...maybe Shadrich and several others looking for Sansa accuse of her being a kingslayer and say they are arresting her and taking her back to King's Landing to face the king's justice. And just like Tyrion got free by having Bronn defeat someone, perhaps Brienne, who enters in the lists in the hopes of getting close to Sansa as a mystery knight, steps up to call for a trial by the seven. That would be a parallel to Dunk as well!

And in the chaotic aftermath, when Brienne (and Bronze Yohn maybe!!) has cleared Sansa's name, something goes awry (maybe Harry dies fighting in the trial, maybe Sweetrobin dies and Sansa tells Brienne she doesn't want to marry Harry), the girls decide to make a run for the Wall, to the only other known relative Sansa has left alive outside of the Tullys - her recently revived bastard brother Jon Snow.

As for gaining her favor...while I'm fairly confident that Brienne saves Sansa and they leave together from the Vale, the state in which Brienne shows up is really up in the air. She's just leaving from whatever the fuck has happened with Lady Stoneheart and Jaime. Maybe she's injured. Maybe she has no money. Maybe she sees Ser Shadrich there and decides she's better off disguised. It could make sense that she enters the tourney in an attempt to see if she can find Sansa in the crowd, spots her, and asks her for her favor. Cue Shadrich accusal, trial by seven, and escape.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. Interesting prediction anon, I'd love to hear what other people think.

#briensa #valyrianscrolls #brienne of tarth #sansa stark #the ashford tourney theory #asks #anons #twow speculation #gotta get my dunk and brienne tag in order i think its #dunk and brienne parallels #maybe its #duncan and brienne parallels

[onthesandsofdreams]

In Dreams [3/?]

Pairing: SanSan Rating: T Summary: “So, what are you planning to do, you know, about your ghost?” She swallows, sips her coffee and then says, “Nothing. I mean, they’re just footsteps. It’s not like my walls bleed.” Arya grins, “If that happens, call me immediately. I’d like to see it.” Words: 1048 Notes: @mousedetective, @littlefeatherr

Read @ AO3

They don’t fall asleep until two hours later, when exhaustion finally kicks in after the rush of excitement over Sansa’s ghost.

The following morning, they groggily make their way downstairs for a breakfast of coffee and cereal. Sansa feeds Lady and then sits next to her sister. Arya is her usual self when she asks, “So, what are you planning to do, you know, about your ghost?”

She swallows, sips her coffee and then says, “Nothing. I mean, they’re just footsteps. It’s not like my walls bleed.”

Arya grins, “If that happens, call me immediately. I’d like to see it.”

She snorts, leave to her sister to love the idea of horror. But then again, Arya has always has had a taste for mystery and terror that she lacks. “Sure.”

Arya leaves with the promise of contacting Sam Tarley. “He studied at Citadel University, if someone should know where to look, it’s him.”

“Thank you, Arya.” She smiles at her sister.

***

But her curiosity will not be abated, nor does she finds herself with the patience to wait for Sam’s research. So, she does what she can, goes to the library and looks for information on historic or old homes in and around King’s Landing.

She strikes gold with the third newspaper reel she finds.

There, in front of hers, is an old sketch of her house.

She leans forward in excitement and reads, ‘The Lannister House, home of Sir Jaime and Brienne Lannister.’ The newspaper is old. ‘The Lannister House, a refuge for people who got trapped during the war, was a witness to history. There, Sir and Lady Lannister did their best to shield and protect as many people as they could.’

“Oh wow,” she mutters and continues reading. ‘The house was a witness of history and loss. One of the most notable deaths occurred the 3rd of June of 311, when Sandor Clegane, a knight in service of Cersei Lannister was brought wounded to the house after being attacked by another soldier with an ax to the chest.’ “Holy hell,” she mutters, but even with the terrible reality of war, she’s happy because she now has a name for her ghost. And she cannot imagine it getting worse. ‘Despite his wound, Clegane managed to behead the soldier.’ Her mouth drops, well, her imagination was quite limited compared to his reality. “Damn.”

The article continues, ‘Clegane was pronounced dead by Maester Qyburn at one in the morning.’

Eyes wide, she leans backwards. Well, that explained why she only heard the footsteps at that hour. And she felt a wave of pity for Sandor, she cannot imagine what war is like, but to die in such a way, and then, instead of having some rest, he is bound to the house, pacing, restless.

She vows to be nice to her ghost.

Her mind made up, she leaves the library and makes her way to a thrift store. She wants her house’s furniture to be of wood and preferably old. She feels like that would fit better the aesthetic she’s going for.

For a minute she had thought of recreating the house as it was. But the sort of furniture she would need for that, would cost a small fortune. So, she has decided to do as best she can and decorate with thrifted or second hand wooden furniture. She has had luck before, her four poster bed is second hand and is quite sturdy and almost new.

In the store, she lucks out and finds a desk that’s perfect for her office, a set of coffee and side tables and a small bookcase that will be perfect for the hallway or one of the rooms.

When she returns home, and after she feeds Lady, she calls out loud. “Well, Sir Sandor Clegane. Lovely to meet you, I’m Sansa Stark.”

For a brief moment, she hesitates. Is she being a weirdo, introducing herself to a ghost? She shakes her head, no, she’s being polite. She and Sandor are sharing a house, and the polite thing to do was to introduce yourself to your roommate. Even if said roommate was dead.

“I just want you to know, that it’s lovely to meet you. I hope that you and I get along. I’m a new homeowner, and to be frank, I’m quite excited for the house.

“My husky’s name is Lady, as you perhaps heard. And the woman who was with me earlier, it’s my sister, Arya. She’s so much fun and I think you blew her mind off with your pacing. She likes that sort of thing.

“And as to me, well, your pacing doesn’t bother me. It’s pretty harmless, considering the horror stories that people say that ghosts do, I feel quite confident saying that your pacing doesn’t bother me at all.”

She’s about to continue when she realizes something, she has no food in the fridge, “Crap. Uh, sorry about that, but I’m afraid that I must make a quick grocery run. See you soon!”

When she comes back, bags loaded with fresh veggies, fruits, meats, lactose products, a crusty loaf of bread, some jams, pantry basics and some prepared meals for days when she doesn’t feel like cooking, she turns the radio on and sings along as she preps the food to go into the fridge. She has discovered that if she has prepped veggies and fruits, she enjoys her cooking all the more.

In the end, she makes herself some oatmeal with berries and goes to bed. Her whole body is aching. She did run all over the city from one store to another. She eats her oatmeal in bed, and before she sleeps, she journals for a bit and makes a note to remind herself that she still needs to find frames for photos and art. And said art too. A yawn breaks her concentration and she sets both journal and pen aside. Lady climbs into bed with her. “Good night, Sir Clegane.”

She cuddles into bed and lets sleep take over her.

Next time she opens her eyes, she’s in the wooden area close to her house. The sun is shining and there are flowers and a strange set of rocks. She looks around, there’s no one around, she’s completely alone. “Hello?”

#sansan #sansa x sandor #sansa & arya #sansa stark #arya stark #sandor clegane #asoiaf #asoiaf fic #au: modern westeros #multipart: in dreams

[janiedean]

This isn’t a new idea since it was mentioned in the Daily Crack ages ago. But I just got reminded of the concept and I still think it’s a phenomenal idea. It’s inspired by the song Luck Be a Lady sung by Frank Sinatra. I know the song wasn’t meant to be taken literally as lady luck the goddess, but it works better that way cuz the guy in the song is literally a jerk. I also added a touch of crack cuz I’m ruining Greek/Roman mythology for this. So…

Cracktastic Tales presents… your dose of entertainment!

Lady Fortuna, better known as Brienne, always gets the short end of the stick. Most of the people she gets assigned to are complete a-holes and it’s very seldom she gets the nice people. Her latest charge is Ronnet Connington. She’s pretending to be his bodyguard, since the first thing the man said was that she was too damn ugly to pass off as his date.

He also tells her not to embarrass him as she has done in the past with all the other people she has been assigned to. However, Brienne is done, so very done. Therefore, she decides to ruin Ronnet’s night by giving bad luck and ruin his chances of getting that job promotion he’s been vying for. Then, she decides to go the bar and have a nice drink while she watches Ronnet’s fate at getting that job crash and burn.

While taking her drink, a blonde handsome man sits near her at the bar. At first, neither interact with the other, both nursing their drinks in silence. But a while later, the man breaks the silence asking how’s the job doing. Brienne sighs, answering not so good. Both start talking and Brienne finds out his name is Jaime. They commiserate about their jobs, share a few anecdotes, and get along like a house on fire.

Meanwhile, Ronnet isn’t having a pleasant evening. His promotion was given to another person, the beautiful babe he was chatting up gave him the middle finger and his uncle Jon just called him to let him know his allowance is being cut in half, because the other half is going to child support. It doesn’t help either that the goddess that was supposed to be in his company isn’t anywhere to be seen and when Ronnet finds Brienne, he insults her saying that she’s supposed to be lady luck, but he isn’t seeing any and what kind of goddess are you, etcetera, etcetera.

Brienne lets the guy rant and after he finishes, she all like you forget that I’m not just the goddess of luck, but also of fate and misfortune. Basically, she tells him off and Ronnet tries to angrily say something back, but Jaime interferes telling him to beat it before he adds misfortunes in Ronnet’s love life. And Ronnet doesn’t get a hint, asking Jaime, who the hell is he to tell him that.

And Jaime grins, being like all like, I’m Eros, so beat it. But Ronnet ain’t getting the hint, saying how can Eros defend a goddess as ugly as lady Luck? But Jaime doesn’t answer because he’s busy looking at Brienne, who’s looking at him up and down. She all like, I thought you said you were a wedding planner and Jaime retorts back, I thought you said you were a bodyguard. And Brienne smiles saying, touché. Then, Jaime smiles back, asking her, wanna get out of here? And Brienne is all like, I thought you’d never ask.

Long story short, Ronnet gets cursed anyways, Brienne ditches the a-hole, goes out with Jaime and has a great time afterwards. And if later Jaime and Brienne’s dating and subsequent relationship causes an uproar in the Greek and Roman pantheons, then that’s another story. The End.

-----

OH I REMEMBER THE OG ONE and this is absolutely lovely thank you so much!!!! sorry for replying so late i realized i put this in drafts instead of posting and I didn't realize -____-' (also frank sinatra <33333) and dsgjkdgksjl ronnet gettng cursed is always my thing™ XDDDD PERFECT UWU

#submitted #submission #the daily crack #jaime x brienne for ts

[mary1andonly]

A little "justice" for Brienne, Jaime, and what we could/should have gotten in the show.

Why D&D made so many unexplainable changes to Brienne and Jaime's arcs, most times completely inverting what they do in the books and changing some of their traits? Let's see.

The gist of the majority of Brienne's problems in the show, was that D&D failed to write her...completely. She was doomed basically from the start from many mistakes and changes D&D made with her. Because she wasn't meant to be your usual warrior lady who simply loves to fight, she's so much more than that, and she's such a unique character.

Brienne's true arc in the books is full of duality. She's Sansa in armor (in GRRM's words). She's a very insicure 19 years old girl who longs to be respected as a knight and she's also a girl who longs to be a lady (married, a mother, and especially loved) but she doesn't think that's possible because of how ugly she is (and now she's also disfigured in the books), and how tall she is, how muscular she is, how strong she is, and she's been mocked and abused her entire life, starting from her piece of shit of a septa. Brienne literally thinks she's unlovable, that the marriage bed for her could only include pain and humiliation (again, thanks to the fucking crazy septa), and GRRM took her and put her right in front of the only guy in Westeros who lives for love and that nowadays would punch in the face any guy who mocks her, especially her mean former betrotheds (Hello Red Ronnet Connington, thank you for taking the iconic golden handed slap). Book!Jaime said it best in his weirwood dream: "In this light she could almost be a beauty. In this light she could almost be a knight". See? Duality. And she'd never scoff at Pod to not call her a lady, Book!Brienne simply finds amusing when Pod calls her "My lady, ser", because he can't seem to decide what to call her, but the fact that he calls her both is another example of the duality GRRM has in store for her.

I know some things were probably changed because they casted the amazing Gwendoline (who's beautiful but actually much taller than most men, just like Brienne), but mostly they simply didn't write some her struggles, both in terms of storylines, both in terms of her more feminine side, since Gwen was actually fantastic in portraying Brienne's vulnerability and shyness when she could, like in the bath scene in Harrenhal.

D&D don't know how to write women who break stereotypes. Brienne and Arya like to fight? Well they must hate feminine things then. Asha/Yara likes to fight and be tough and manly? Well if she's so butch she must be a lesbian. But in the books, Brienne and Arya like feminine things. Hell, Brienne is a huge romantic girl, who loves songs and fairytales and spent her childhood dreaming of romance (you know, the kinda romance that has a guy gifting her a priceless sword, like in her favorite fairytale, the one about ser Galladon and the Maiden, and how the Maiden gifted Gal a priceless magic sword as a gesture of love...seems familiar), and she's vulnerable, sometimes wishing just to have Jaime right next to her so she could cry on his shoulder. And she did spend the night of Renly's wedding crying her eyes out because her crush was marrying another woman. 

Arya liked wearing a pretty dress, even though she thinks she'll never be as beautiful as Sansa, and she's never mocked girls by calling them stupid. She's just a child, but not nearly as much of a stereotypical brat as she is at the beginning of the show. They also kind of switched Arya and Sansa's role within the family, making Sansa the outsider and Arya the one everyone praises. It might seem like a small detail but Arya's lack of self steem because of her inability to fit in and the disaproval she faced is a vital part of the book character, removing that was the first step that eventually led to Arya becoming an arrogant character who thinks she's better than she is and looks down on other women in the show, the complete opposite of what she is in the books.

Season 1 was also the beginning of "warrior Arya". In the books her strenghts are her intelligence, perception, resilience and skill at adapting, it's blatant that even after her water dancing training she would be useless in a battle because of her small size. She couldn’t even properly grab a bow if I remember correctly. But there she is in S1 perfectly shooting arrows. This started the show trend of developing Arya as a warrior and ignoring her intellectual progress. Again, the complete opposite of what's happening in the books.

Asha/Yara fights men and also fucks men. If they really wanted to include some lesbian sex, in the books Dany and Cersei, two traditionally feminine women, have sex with other girls occasionally. Want some proof of D&D's inability to write women? I'm gonna give you a little "gift". This is a sample from a short story written some time ago by David Benioff himself, about a man...and a woman's ass, and how he viewed her ONLY as a hot ass, not a human being, an ass, nothing more...

In the books, in the scene where Jaime gave Oathkeeper to Brienne, she also received a pretty blue dress from him (a dress that matches her eyes, Jaime is obsessed with her eyes in the books). And that's significant. Jaime gives her both a sword and a pretty dress, because he's the one who will eventually make Brienne's dreams about knighthood and being a lady come true, probably with marriage included at a certain point in their story (as it's heavily implied in the text many times, one cute and tiny example is in their very erotic fight scene in the books, where, right after, Jaime calls Brienne his wife, for a disguise from the Brave Companions). She literally had a dream (that GRRM often uses to tease future events) of Jaime knighting her/marrying her (with the all cloaking of the bride, as per westeros tradition). Brienne’s former bethroted literally turns into Jaime in another dream of hers. 

Even though she spent almost her entire life thinking it could never come true, because she was always treated as a beast. (Why couldn't Gwen wear the pretty blue dress in the show? They made her wear the ugly pink Harrenhal dress, but not the pretty blue KL dress...so unfair). Compare that to how in the show she received a sword and also armour, as if the Varyrian steel sword wasn’t enough to point out she’s a warrior, and as if she’s only THAT (it’s obvious she was only that to D&D), while in the books it was a sword and a pretty dress... 

And she seemed happy to wear that dress, because it actually looks good on her (at least Jaime thinks it looks good on her) and she rewards him for the gift by blushing all over the place and blabbering about her bodice being padded to have more shape, meaning it was implied that Jaime was staring at her...chest area in that scene, maybe with a surprised look on his face (why else would she start talking about her bodice being padded when he was talking about her eyes? And we know from her POVs that Brienne is quick to notice when people stare at her breasts, like Nimble Dick), which isn't that weird in the books. Jaime is a freaking pervert about Brienne's body from the get go, always noticing her body and trying to stare at her boobs, legs, muscles (like when she did a backflip into the water in Jaime's first POV), and when he saw her naked in the baths...he got hard, and he couldn't stop thinking about her naked even when he got hard bacause of Pia during his bath in AFFC, and in that case he got aroused because Pia was acting all shy and timid, just like Brienne usually does when she gets embarassed. He's obsessed with her, no matter how many times he told himself that she's ugly and stubborn, and the fact that Jaime's falling hard, but he doesn't understand it, he's in complete denial or simply unaware, it's hilarious. Everytime his thoughts drift off to her, he doesn't know why (he doesn't know what falling in love feels like, nor how courting works, he was literally born with his first lover)...but the obsession and the attraction is mutual, btw, Brienne was certanly feeling some type of way when she saw Jaime wearing his Lord Commander's attire and cloak and she spent a large part of AFFC just thinking of him, also thinking about what happened in the baths, but she wasn't thinking about the very important things Jaime told her about Aerys, she was busy remembering how hot he was...almost godlike.

And Jaime giving Oathkeeper to Brienne (a Valyrian steel sword Tywin wanted desperately to keep in the family as legacy) is also important because it shows just how much Jaime believed in her. In the books, he saw how crushed she was after the Red Wedding (he actually tried to cheer her up, and he was thinking of keeping her in KL with him) and Brienne thought she failed Cat just like she had failed Renly. And he knew the feeling well, since he still feels guilty for failing to protect Rhaegar's kids and wife. So he gave her an heroic quest to redeem herself and prove her worth. He believes she can rescue Sansa, even during the Riverrun’s siege in AFFC he was thinking about Brienne and her quest, hoping she already found Sansa and took her somewhere safe (and how dumb it was, in the show, that D&D made Jaime be surprised that Brienne managed to rescue Sansa, like...if he didn’t think it was possible...why did he send her?...). He believes in her abilities and honor. And the way Brienne treated Oathkeeper so reverently in the books, like she was handling Jaime's own heart, is so special.

Brienne and Jaime are one of his main book couples. So much so that GRRM made their own ancestors fall in love in a prequel book with direct parallels to their story (it's in "The Sworn Sword", the ancestors are Ser Duncan the Tall, Brienne's confirmed ancestor, the most honorable knight of the seven kingdoms, and Lady Rohanne Webber Lannister, Jaime's great-grandmother, a lady with a very bad reputation, the so called "Red Widow"). And book!Brienne and Jaime are influenced by the story of the Beauty and the Beast, GRRM's favorite love story of all time, and this influence was confirmed by GRRM himself, who said that Jaime and Brienne are meant to be his version of that love story, but with genders and roles switched (I mean, Brienne is literally called "The Beauty"...subtle George, really subtle). With the ugly girl making the most beautiful man in Westeros fall for her, and the Kingslayer earning the love of the most honorable and innocent girl in Westeros (The thing book!Jaime loves in a woman is innocence, from what he told to a character called Hildy and he did think of Brienne as "innocent" during their dinner with Roose).

How D&D took a look at that and discarded it all, I have no clue. It's like, at a certain point, they stopped adapting the books and simply took some inspiration from GRRM while writing their own story.

In the books Brienne literally got hanged by Lady Stoneheart in Jaime's place. She was ready to die for him! (Compare that to Cersei asking Jaime to die for/with her in her letter). And the Stoneheart situation is taken from the Beauty and the Beast's original story, where the Beauty, at a certain point, was forced by the villagers to betray the Beast, and was forced to send him in a trap, because they wanted to kill him. Only magic intervention saved the Beast, and the almost death thing made the Beauty and the Beast realize their feelings. Who knows what's going to happen after Stoneheart...

Brienne is a tough warrior (strong and confident with a sword in her hand) and also a romantic heroine. A girl who constantly gets treated like shit, but remains a good person. A shy, awkward and altruistic girl with a golden and pure heart who hates killing! Her very first kill happens only in book 4 and it's significant because she murders three of the dudes that took Jaime's right hand, and she mutilated one of them as well, to avenge Jaime, she wasn't a killing machine from the start like the show implied, and she was sobbing with tears after the killings (there was no reason for Brienne to start the show as an experienced killer, the realm had been at peace for decades, and she only got involved in the war of the 5 kings to serve Renly, who up to his death didn't fight any battles). One of Brienne’s main characteristics in the books is her inexperience about how the real world works. She has learned some things along the way, but she’s still too innocent for her own good, something that both Jaime and Cat had noticed often in the books. That’s one of her main storylines of the last published books: her growth, and how having to deal with the harshest realities of life (after living her life as a privileged and sheltered lady on Tarth, with her head full of songs about knights and adventures, just like Sansa) could possibly change her thoughts about honor. But D&D cut off her wings completely on that storyline, introducing her as someone who already knows everything about life, war, poverty, even tho those are things she was meant to deal with only after leaving King’s Landing...and since they couldn’t use this plot anymore...we had Brienne staring at a stupid candle for like a season...

Book!Brienne would have never said something like "you sound like a bloody woman" to a suffering Jaime, after he lost his hand. In the books she merely told him to stop being a coward in that scene...and that too was taken from the original Beauty and the Beast’s story, when the Beaty tries to shake up a hurt Beast by saying “Don’t be a coward, use those claws and roar”, here. Brienne is not a fucking incel, I have no clue what D&D were trying to do. The real Brienne would never use the word "woman" as an insult. Despite the fact that Westeros is a very misogynistic place in both books and show, Book!Brienne has never shown internalized misogyny. Brienne doesn't hate women or being one. She just hates restrictions (and she hates being ugly, but that’s another story). If D&D really wanted someone who could showcase internalized misogyny, there’s a perfect character in the books for it. That character is Cersei Lannister, the woman that loves to mock raped girls...certainly, it’s not Brienne.

And Brienne ending up in the KG is the last insult to the injury. The journey GRRM is taking with her, in the books, is a journey to make Brienne understand that being a true knight has nothing to do with stupid vows, celibacy, a white cloak, and always being someone's lapdog. She's learning that being sworn to someone that gives you horrible orders and having to do everything they say, endangering innocents like Pod, like Lady Stoneheart ordering her to kill Jaime for the Red Wedding (which he had no role in and Brienne knows) is fucked up. It's what happened to Jaime when he served the Mad King. That experience turned a pretty idealistic young boy into the troubled man we met later on. Jaime is not shy in saying that white cloak ruined him.

And plus she started her story as a member of Renly's KG only because she was in love with him and she wanted to protect him and die for him if necessary (and in her POVs she remembers that she fell for him because he danced with her, making her feel feminine and delicate, something she always longed for).

And it's a parallel to Jaime entering the KG to be close to Cersei, back when he was a teen (something he deeply grew to regret). Brienne was a teen herself when she followed Renly. For Brienne, becoming the LC of the KG would only mean going back to the start, not the ending of her story. Because now, she's learning that things with a cloak on aren't always what they seem.

And also...she's the freaking heir of Tarth, which never meant anything to D&D, but it sure as hell means something to Brienne, and it's obviously gonna be a part of her ending in the books, now that Tarth has fallen thanks to the Golden Company (for all we know she could be the new Lady of Tarth atm) and that feeling unworthy of that position is a huge struggle she faces in the books. 

Or the fact that GRRM has given us hints about Jaime and Brienne possibly having a baby at a certain point in the story...like, that couldn't be more night and day from what we got in the show. For example in Jaime's weirwood prophecy dream, where he sees Brienne's "more womanly body shape", against the zombies that represented the Others, or when in ASOS Jaime was thinking about fathering another child after Joffrey's death, and he started following Brienne immediately after the thought. Or when in his first POV in AFFC, he remembers when he sent soldiers searching for Tyrion in the brothels, which promptly made him think about sex, about new children being conceived, and he immediately started wondering where Brienne was, hoping she was safe and praying for her to the Father... (his thought process was literally: brothels > sex > babies > Brienne). Or when Cat and Brienne talked about childbirth as the biggest battle women had to face and how unfair it was that no singer writes about that, but they write only about male battles on the battlefield (Brienne, who’s the queen of duality, could very vell face both tipes of battle).

GRRM loves to give hints about future events. In an old interview he explained that he starts off by giving very small hints, to reward the most dedicated readers, and then he starts giving bigger hints, so that most casual readers can catch the drift as well, and then he goes all out with the things he planned, revealing them when it’s time. The Red Wedding is a huge example of it, since we can find small hints about it even in AGOT, and then we got Dany’s vision about it in ACOK, and in ASOS we got even bigger hints, and then...it happened.

Now, whether they have only one child before Jaime dies in the last book, or if they have a bunch of kids, growing old together, is up to GRRM (I have a few theories on why it might be the second thing, but that would take a long time, but to make it short, I think there's a huge chance Jaime is going to survive the books, but that has little to do with romantic things or Brienne, I started thinking a long time ago that he could end up as Bran's Hand and help the poor child he crippled and almost killed in any way he could, by becoming what he always tried to avoid becoming since the very first book: a political figure, especially since in the last books we saw just how much he rocks as a political presence, and there are many hints about this theory I found in the books, but again, it's a long thing, I just like the fact that the very first time Jaime was asked, and refused, to be the Hand was when he pushed Bran, Jaime’s “I don’t wanna be Hand” sounds very similar to Bran’s “I never fall” from that very scene...GRRM loves contradicting what his characters say... I sure as hell know Tyrion is not gonna be Bran's Hand, GRRM said that Tyrion is his main villain, and from the moment he raped that poor girl in ADWD (twice) I knew that, in the books, he’s not gonna get a typical happy ending. While Tyrion started off as a very likeble character in the books, he’s becoming someone vicious and ruthless as the time goes by, while his brother Jaime started the books as someone the readers thought was completely vicious and ruthless, only to then become a character that gets liked more and more as the books progress (so yeah, the brothers exchanged life paths). The big difference between show and book Tyrion is that, Show!Tyrion (a fan favorite) was hated for the simple fact of being a dwarf, while Book!Tyrion (GRRM’s villain) thinks he gets hated for being a dwarf, but he mostly for being an asshole!!! (not that he doens’t have many good reasons for it)...and also the ironic twist of the guy that lost a hand becoming the Hand...especially because Jaime’s redemption, and his second life, was kickstarted by losing his hand.

Even the fact that Brienne wrote about Jaime in the White Book in the show...ffs, Jaime wants to do that all of his own in the books. And the important part of the White Book, in the books, is that one of the first things Jaime did when he was back in KL, was to write about Brienne in his bio, of how she took him back to KL safely. In the books, it's Jaime wanting to include Brienne in his life story. In the show, Brienne didn't even include herself in Jaime's bio, WTF! And this happened in the same chapter where he gave Oathkeeper to Brienne, and where he refused to be seduced by Cersei, fought with Cersei, and started thinking of his twin as his ex-lover, long before he also learned she was cheating on him with everything that moved (while he's probably the most faithful guy in Westeros. Jaime is such a romantic at heart that he spent much of AFFC convincing himself that Cersei didn't cheat on him, because that would have meant he wasted decades on a lie, on a failed romance with a cheating bastard, and he wasn't ready to face it.), and that she didn't even remember the place where they first had sex, that's how little he meant for Cersei, they literally broke up two books ago. He spent a large part of AFFC realizing how toxic his relationship with Cersei always was.

Somehow all of this in the show happened in the opposite way, with Jaime throwing to the ground the White Book, and fucking Cersei in the Tower, without writing about Brienne...D&D could have simply not added the White Book scene, but no, they decided to include it and make Jaime act in the opposite way he acted in the books...Book!Jaime doesn't want Cersei anymore, and she certainly doesn't want him either (she's busy daydreaming about Aurane Waters and how he reminds her of the one that got away, Rhaegar). They can't stand each other anymore. Hell, Cersei only liked Jaime when he looked like her, basically being her mirror in men's clothes, while Jaime has never liked her because she was his twin, he never asked her to change her appereance to look like him in some way, like she constantly did for him (wanting him to have long hair to match hers, or asking him to shave to have a bare face like her).

And let's not forget how they turned Brienne into a mocking trope with Tormund. I love Tormund, don't get me wrong, but imagine if he was making eyes, making uncomfortable, and flirting (without bothering to learn her name) with a beautiful girl instead, like Sansa or Missandei. The joke would have been so much more distasteful. But Brienne is ugly so, it was okay to mock her with that nonsense right D&D? Do you get it, Brienne is ugly af so it's hilarious that someone wants her, right? Aren't D&D just two masters of comedy?/s 

Obviously Tormund doesn't even know Brienne in the books, but if D&D actually wanted to add someone trying to get it on with Brienne, why not simply add freaking Hyle Hunt? (or as I like to call him, bootleg Jaime). He's the idiotic but somewhat funny guy that wants to marry Brienne in the books (just to get Tarth), and that has been trying to get in her pants and take her virginity since Renly's camp. The guy who has followed her and traveled with her and Pod for a large part of AFFC, annoying her the entire time, but also starting to respect her. He's literally Brienne's "Gaston". And she hates him, of course...Gosh, I can't wait to see Jaime meet this guy after the Stoneheart situation, and to see him finding out about Hyle's marriage proposal (and the times he tried to seduce her) and the bet on Brienne's virginity...maybe what Jaime did to Brienne's former betrothed will look like a caress in comparison...Martin please, I need Winds.

I can also spend some time complaining about what they did to Jaime.

I always giggle when I remember a comment someone made back in 2016 about Jaime, on GRRM's personal blog. It's a comment GRRM choose to keep and not delete, even if it insulted HBO, back when GOT was still going, and it's about the differences between book and show Jaime. I think it says a lot about what GRRM feels.

D&D literally took any chance they got to make Jaime worse than he is in the books (and that says a freaking lot, since Jaime is no saint and he still has many sins and crimes to answer for, I'm sure his meeting with Lady Stoneheart is gonna be interesting...). 

Even the way he said "the things I do for love" when he pushed Bran was drastically different: in the show, when Jaime pushed Bran, he seemed uncaring and flippant about what he did, in the books, he was loathing everything about it, and he said those words with loathing! And he later told Cersei that "what happened to the Stark boy in Winterfell" was one of the few things he's ashamed of regarding his love for her (funnily enough he only appears to honestly feel shame for the Bran thing after he came back from his trip with Brienne, so after he met her, before that, in his very first POV in fact, he seemed to be repressing his guilt and shame pretty hard). And obviously, in the books, Jaime pushed Bran with his right hand, since it was meant to be connected with him later on losing that same hand...but of course, in the show, D&D cared fuck all about continuity and details, so Jaime pushed Bran with his left hand instead, back in s1...

In the show, Jaime brutally killed his own cousin, in the books, he never did anything like that, he's no kinslayer (not yet, if he's the Valonqar) since kinslaying is actually considered one of the worst sins in Westeros (that's why Victarion still hasn't killed Euron). 

In the show he brutally murders Karstark's son to escape, after killing his cousin, in the books he killed Karstark's sons in a normal battle, the Wispering Woods one, the fact Karstark then went mad with revenge was just Karstark being Karstark, Jaime was barely fighting in a battle, as usual. 

In the show, he casually mentioned to Brienne, in a mocking way, that if she ended up raped by the assholes that kidnapped them, she could close her eyes and think about Renly, in the books he did tell her to "go away inside" and think of Renly, but he was serious, he was giving her an heartfelt advice to protect her state of mind and sanity, since we know that back when Jaime was in Aerys's KG he was forced to watch him murder and torture many innocent people, and he was forced to listen to Aerys brutally rape his sister wife, and to keep his own state of mind and sanity, Jaime always used the "go away inside" thing. It's also an advice he gave to Tommen in the books, when Tommen felt sick and puked at Tywin's funeral. He was honestly trying to help! 

Regarding the show’s version of the scene where Jaime saved Brienne from rape, it slightly annoyed me that D&D almost wrote it to make it seem like Jaime lost his hand as an act of vengeance for interrupting those fuckers's "fun", almost as it was Brienne's fault. But no, in the books, Jaime lost his hand as soon as they got captured, because the loss of his hand had everything to do with the fact that the Bloody Mummers (their kidnappers) used to work for Tywin, but then they betrayed him, they started working for Roose instead, and by the time they met Jaime and Brienne, they were starting to get scared of a possible alliance between Roose and Tywin (something that would have meant their end), and so they acted out of impulse, and as soon as they got their hands on Jaime, they mutilated him, trying to avoid that dangerous alliance being formed (obviously, Roose would later on successfully dissociate himself from what happened to Jaime, and he became an ally to Tywin and the Freys). And, of course, the Bloody Mummers were also just simply sadists, knows for mutilating people, so... In the books, as soon as they got taken, Brienne tried to defend Jaime, stepping between him and those fuckers (losing some of her teeth in the process), and, from the very beginning, Jaime told them the "Sapphires" lie, to try and save Brienne, but after they cut off his right hand, the Bloody Mummers tried to rape Brienne anyway, and an half-dead Jaime, hurt and broken, managed to yell at the top of his lungs the word "Sapphires", so that Vargo Hoat, those fuckers's boss (that wanted to keep Brienne a maid to get those sapphires from her dad), could come and stop the thing from happening, and he did! And, I don't know, but the fact that Jaime, in the books, saved Brienne from being raped while being half-dead and so weak himself, always meant so much more for me.

And then the famous and already mentioned scene where Jaime and Cersei have sex in the Tower in the show...damn it, Jaime rejected her in the books, he would never do something so dishonorable, it was the end of their relationship in the books! The last time those two had sex, in the books, was the (disgusting) scene in the sept in front of Joffrey's body. In the books that scene was consensual. While in the show, for some strange reason, the scene was written to make Jaime look like a crazy rapist (when he hates rape). First of all, it never made sense that Jaime and Brienne made it to KL before Joffrey's death on the show. And in fact, in the books, they arrive when Joffrey is already a corpse, and Cersei and Jaime end up having sex there in front of their son's corpse precisely because in the books that's the scene in which they meet again after a long year, and therefore a due enthusiasm is triggered in them. GRRM said that scene is something clearly unhealthy, but absolutely consensual (Cersei has only an initial fear of getting caught, but soon she lets herself go), while GRRM readily acknowledged that D&D wrote that scene as very "rapey" in GOT. That scene is absolutely creepy, in the books, but it’s also an excellent metaphor for the entire incestuous relationship between those two, and in fact it’s their "swan song". It’s the last time they have sex, and they break up immediately afterwards.

And HE was the one to give the name "Oathkeeper" to the sword, not Brienne. In the books, that was Jaime starting to care again about his honor. It was him having agency, and wanting to be his own person again. Or even the fact they decided to send him to Dorne, instead on focusing on the progress he's currently making as a character in the books. They shouldn't have adapted Dorne in the first place, since they made an horrible mess of it, and it was clear they didn't have a clue about what's the main point of Dorne in the books. They didn't even include Jaime's love for horses and how he stopped naming them because it hurt him too much when they died in battle (and how he gifted a "homely" mare to Brienne, a mare as homely as her Jaime told her, even tho later that turned out to be a rather sweet to look upon mare in Brienne's first POV in AFFC...Jaime giving some backhanded compliments there). They even made Jaime dislexic, simply because one of D&D, forgot which one, is dislexic (how self-centered you need to be to modify an alrealy existing character created by GRRM, to add to him your own real life characteristics?)

Jaime had even felt guilty about the bear in Harrenhal, after seeing his dead body in the AFFC. And Jaime has a very empathetic side even with the poor villagers attacked, in fact he is always careful to keep his soldiers at bay during his travels in the fourth book.

And let's not forget how in the show Jaime started insulting Brienne from the moment he saw her, while in the books Jaime, who has a nice functioning brain unlike his version written by D&D, initially tried to be nice to her, to persuade the woman who was holding him in chains to give him some freedom. What started their antagonistic relationship was Brienne instead, who actually started to insult him heavily first (not that she didn't have reasons to do that, lol).

A thing that always irked me the wrong way, was how the show adapted the Riverrun situation. In the books, Jaime taking Riverrun without spilling blood is a huge thing for many reasons. Getting to know Brienne inspired him to try being more like her, like the honorable knight he longed to be as a child, but it was his choice, HE decided to keep the vow he made to Cat to never harm a Tully again, even if Cat was dead, and he was keen on taking Riverrun without a blood bath. He used his terrible reputation as the vicious Kingslayer, and made a threat concerning Edmure's son to quickly make him surrender. HE decided to do it like this. It was all him. In the show they took away all of his agency. He took Riverrun "for Cersei", he needed to be convinced by Brienne to act decent, and in the end...the Blackfish died. So take that Cat, show!Jaime contributed to your uncle's death...yay. And also they made him the "stupidest" Lannister, when Cersei is right there who in the books is dumb as a rock...

I also had the displeasure of reading some comments about Jaime and Aerys's death, from people claiming that he only did it to save himself because he didn't wanna die in the explosion. I mean, I have no doubts he wanted to live, but sadly D&D failed to show just how much Jaime did for KL (let's remember that, till the last moment, he was pleading Aerys to not trust Tywin, trying to protect his king from danger, it was Pycelle that told Aerys to trust Tywin, and that was a disaster). In the books, in the famous baths scene where Jaime spilled the beans, he told Brienne that he spent the weeks following Aerys's death, searching for and murdering all the people involved in making the wildfire for the Mad King and everyone who knew about his plan (expect Varys), why?! Because he was scared one of them was gonna finish the Mad King's job. He could have simply fled somewhere safe, leaving KL to its own destiny, but he didn't. He sacrificed his honor and his reputation (which were everything to a 17 years old Jaime, a boy that wanted to become the greatest knight ever) to save KL, because he cared about all the innocents and otherwise (see what I did there?), even if they spent the following years mocking him and whispering "Kingslayer" behind his back. But he decided to tell the truth to Brienne, and she's the ONLY person that knows, the only one he felt the need to open up to (for some reason in s8 Tyrion also knew...why D&D?), because he saw his younger self in her, because she's honorable, honest, good, nice, naive, and everything he wanted to be once upon a time. Because he wanted Brienne to see the real him, because she's the only one who could understand him. Just like he saw the real her, all her hidden beauty underneath her ugliness.

They get each other. Even Jaime knows that, since he mentioned to Brienne that they "knew each other too well", in his last POV in ASOS. They are 2 parts of the same sword after all. And seeing that side of Jaime, whom Brienne initially saw just as an horrible monster, also challenged her own vision about how the world works. She realized the world is not just black and white, with just bad or good people. But that things are much more complicated than that. Also, they didn't show the moment where Jaime called Brienne "his protector", when he was talking to Qyburn in Harrenhal in the books...

For all the talk about not giving a shit about what people thought of him, Book!Jaime trew a temper tantrum every time, in the beginning of their journey, Brienne insulted him. And when he gave her Oathkeeper and she immediately assumed the worst of him, that he wanted her to use it to kill Sansa, he got incredibly angry and he was so upset he didn't even want to look at her anymore. He wants Brienne to have a good opinion of him. And since Brienne also inspired him to keep his vows, he now started taking his KG's vows seriously, and he's being chaste, even tho several women tried, in vain, to seduce him...I'm sure Brienne could very well change his mind about that. Chastity doesn't look good for someone as horny as Jaime Lannister, someone who now only longs to have a warm wife in his bed (I love how envious he was of Lancel's marital status in the books).

Jaime is someone who does "things for love".

When it comes to Book!Cersei, his narcissistic twin that abused him for decades, a complete villain who murdered her best friend when she was only 10, that always meant horrible things and crimes. Like when Cersei sent him searching for Arya to hurt her after her fight with Joffrey (in the books). She didn't care that everytime he obeyed her orders to make her happy, she just added another thing he was gonna hate himself for. She only loves her brother as an extension of herself (same with her children and her father). When Jaime started to differentiate himself from her, she started liking him less and less. Cersei only likes people as far as she can use them to her own ends, and even then she seems to despise everyone. She would always see people as a means of getting control. To her, Jaime was her toy and her hitman. Someone she could control with empty promises of love and a place in her bed. She turned him from the future Arthur Dayne, to the Smiling Knight. She always used to seduce him when she needed something from him. She was always jealous of him, she literally seduced him into giving up Casterly Rock and his rights (basically pulling an ultimatum), to serve her from the KG, just because she always thought the Rock belonged to her (and Cersei is almost right in feeling the way she does, because of Westeros's misogynistic views and laws, but since she's actually the most misogynistic woman in power in Westeros...fuck her). And she was ready to dump him with no regrets if she had a real chance to be Rhaegar’s queen.

And their relationship is simply abusive and toxic in the books, even tho many people take a look at Jaime, a strong man, and think it's impossible he could actually be Cersei's victim. But just think of Cersei as the man and Jaime as the woman in their relationship. Think of every time Cersei hit, mocked, insulted, berated, gaslighted, manipulated Jaime in the books, but with their genders switched...things get ugly very quickly, don't they?! To deal with that abuse, Jaime even started “turning her blows into kisses”...his words, not mine. But apparently, D&D love abuse, and love to show that ugly women don't get to have love, while if you're beautiful, even if you're awful, you can get it... GRRM certainly doesn't agree, and he has already stated in a old interview that in his books Jaime and Cersei are "effectively estranged". And that's how it's gonna obviously stay: Jaime burned Cersei's letter (you know, the one when she begged him to go to her to DIE with her...she's so caring), in fact he didn't even burn it personally, he made his squire burn it because it would have been too much trouble to do it himself, lol. If she dies or if she lives, in the books, he doesn't give a fuck anymore. 

He was born holding her foot with his right hand, and GRRM cut off that hand. It was the beginning of their end as lovers. They didn't even knew each other at all: Jaime always perceived an idolized imagine of her. Cersei always saw her twin as cold and evil as her, a male version of her, with no different personality than hers and with no other dreams different from what she wanted or needed from him. They always saw each other as the illusion they had of each other. But now, they started thinking of each other as a stranger in their POVs. And to tell you the truth, Jaime always seemed closer to Tyrion than to Cersei in the books to me. Jaime and Cersei really didn't have much in common. Indeed, Cersei is turning into the man she hated more than anybody else, Robert Baratheon, her "dear" hubby. As he was obsessed with the memory of Lyanna, she seems to be obsessed with the memory of Rhaegar. Jus like him, she's starting to drink too much, and it's making her fat, just like Robert did. Robert is her real twin.

Meanwhile, the "things he does for love" for Brienne, are all good, since she's the one that reminded him that there's still good in the world. He saved her multiple times, risking his own life for her (from the bear, from the Brave Companions, from Loras), and not just her (Hi Pia, I really love you). She is such a good influence on him, but in the end, it's always him that decides to act on it and be good. You see, Brienne and Jaime were always used to be the ones giving and never receiving, without thinking of their own needs, but just about making the people they cared about safe. But with each other they have the chance to both give and receive. Jaime saving Brienne was monumental for her. Nobody ever cared enough for her to do something like that. And Brienne kinda returns the favor, like when we saw how upset she got at the inn where the innkeeper was insulting the "Kingslayer". Nobody ever cared this much for Jaime (except Tyrion, before they had their falling out). Thanks to Brienne, Jaime started, almost unconsciously, to reclaim his honour, something he thought to have lost as a teen. Jaime already knew what was right and good, Brienne just reminded him that what was right and good still had a place in their world. 

I was fairly pissed off that D&D made the Tyrells and Littlefinger immediately think that Brienne didn't murder Renly, because in the books Brienne being wrongly accused of being a Kingslayer, and Loras wanting her dead for Renly's death, is very important for Jaime and Brienne. Loras's wrath is a huge thing they have to face when they get back to KL. Jaime protecting Brienne and saving her from Loras (even tho, once again, Brienne assumed the worst of Jaime when he imprisoned her to keep her away from Loras, and she inadvertently hurt his feelings), and successfully "brainwashing" him till Loras starts to believe in Brienne's innocence, is important in both their relantionship and also in how the readers view Jaime. But for some reason, again, they didn't bother with it in the show at all. Like how in the show Jaime didn't get his "Payne". In the books they each got a Payne: Brienne has Podrick Payne with her, Jaime has ser Ilyn Payne, as someone to train with (get beat up actually) and as someone he confides his secrets to, without fear that Ilyn's going to reveal them...I mean Ilyn has no tongue and doesn't know how to write...Ilyn is Jaime's silent therapist, basically.

Brienne is the antithesis of Cersei. Cersei is beautiful on the outside but ugly on the inside, Brienne is the opposite. When it comes to Jaime and Brienne, it's just this amazing story of two people who believe they are not worth respect or love for different reasons and have relegated themselves to roles neither want to play. Brienne as a celibate warrior (only way to get any respect in a world where women have very little power outside Dorne), when she wants a family. And Jaimie as a honorless weapon of Cersei, even though he actually has deep conviction and desires to be a good person. It's great because once they are outside of their normal groups, they recognize these positive qualities in each other. For the first time Jaimie actually cares about someone elses opinion besides Cersei, and because Brienne isn't a toxic human she encourages him to care about his own opinions again. But he wants to impress her because she is a good person and he wanted to be like that, but he has been beaten down by an abusive romance for a long time. (Not that he didnt have responsibility for his bad decisions too, but a lifetime of manipulation by a narcissist can seriously mess a person up). And Brienne finds someone who sees her as a whole person. Not just a soldier, not just a lady. He sees all of her as she really is and he believes in her. But beyond that he gives her the idea that she does deserve love and affection, that beauty or obedience aren't the only things valuable a woman has. Cersei's “love” made Jaime a monster, Brienne's love made him a knight, a true knight.

The message the TV series sent through Jaime Lannister's storyline (or should I say by ruined it) is that if you are in a toxic (emotionally abusive) relationship, which manages to corrupt you and ruin your life, you must be doomed to stay there, trapped. You must remain unaware of that person's betrayals. You must stay with that person even if you are going through a redemptive arc, and even if what you believe in goes against the other person's actions. You have to stay with that person even after they commit a crime similar to the one you managed to stop, and that got you hate for 20 years. A crime that led to your surviving son's death, a year after seeing your daughter die in your arms.

And then, finally, they allow you to open your eyes, and to choose the right thing for you and leave that hateful person behind you. The person you broke all your oaths for. You choose to fight for the living, you choose to keep your oath, even if you are a single lion surrounded by a pack of wolves and dragons who want you dead. And in the midst of it all, you open your eyes to the thing you've always repressed, that over the years you have begun to feel something strong for the woman who inspired you. Not to be someone else, but to be yourself again. She is the reflex version of yourself as an adolescent, the aspiring knight who dreamed of becoming a hero, but that instead found himself tied to honor and oaths and to protect a tyrant who burned innocent and raped his wife. That person to whom you denied your affection, because obviously you have always remained faithful to one single woman, but now she was the past, so there is no longer any reason for you to deny yourself. After you both survive the battle that almost kills you, you can finally bring those feelings to life. You stay with that person for weeks on end, surrounded by your (former) enemies (and of course your sex scene isn't shown at all, because it's just meaningless sex, isn't it?! /S). You learn that your ex lover is either going to win or get executed. So you come back to her... why? Because you are both hateful? Because you have to die with her as per her wish? Because she wants to drag you down with her selfishly? Just like it has always been in your relationship? Because in that TV series, you can't fight back, you can't aspire to become a better person. And you certainly don't deserve to get rid of that abusive relationship. No no no. The control she has over you is eternal, and she will always decide your fate.

Now. Imagine if a female character had to give up her future and her legacy. And become a septa who has to get pregnant in secret to please her brother, but then that brother takes away all of her children and never allows her to see them, hold them or educate them. She has to do horrible things to please that brother, and she hates himself for it. But those are the things she does out of love... But then she meets a knight, who is a bastard, ugly, constantly mocked. They become close and begin to feel something for each other. And he makes her realize that her relationship with her brother was terrible, so she gets rid of it. She goes away with the knight. They are happy together, but for some reason she wants to go back to her brother to die with him. Because her brother had always told her that, so he must have been right and he has to get what he wants.

Ah !!! Now can you understand how sick that ending really was, how insulting it was that Jaime survived the battle of Winterfell, got together with Brienne, only to go back to Cersei, so he could die with her or because of her, just as she had always wanted, because he is her property, and in the TV series Cersei always got what she wanted (it's no secret that D&D wrote Cersei in a "more positive" way than the books, or more favorably, because they loved his character in a particular way and they were friends with Lena).

In the show, D&D chose to favor Cersei, sabotaging Jaime. They chose to make that incest some sort of love story, when in reality it was just a toxic mess, and to make things even worse, they ruined the longest relationship the show was brewing, a love story built slowly over seven seasons, the healthiest and most beautiful of relationships, which showed us acceptance, redemption, fighting side by side as two equals ...

And why? Because you can’t escape your demons? Because you can’t live outside of a toxic relationship? Jaime "Burn the letter" Lannister is "addicted" to Cersei? No, he isn't, and he obviously isn't in the books. D&D are the ones obsessed with her and with incest, and Jaime's shit ending is their fault, I can't blame a character for something the writers made him do, when it’s an OOC thing and something he’d never do in the books.

Their incestuous story after Robert's rebellion is clearly the development of a mutual self-loathing, for Jaime and Cersei, who understood that the only way they could love themselves was through the reflection of their own twin. Jaime had become the Kingslayer, he had broken his oaths, and he had failed in the mission his friend Rhaegar had given him (keep his wife and children safe). Cersei was married to Robert who didn't love her, and whom she didn't love. She was so beautiful, the most beautiful woman in Westeros, yet she was nothing to him compared to Lyanna's ghost. He treated her without regard, got heavily drunk, cheated on her, raped her. In fact, their incestuous relationship resumed, after Cersei's marriage, only as a spite when she first discovered that Robert was cheating on her, not because she missed having Jaime in her bed.

Jaime and Cersei “loved” each other as a desperate attempt to love themselves.

As for the matter of Jaime wanting to die in the arms of the woman he loved, this was made up by the show, it's not in the books. He never said it in the books. And there is also another "small" detail.

Book! Jaime had thought only only single time that he was destined to die with Cersei: at the beginning of his journey in the third book, before he even lost his right hand, before starting his story arc of redemption, before he and Cersei broke up, before he started to become his own person again, and before he burned Cersei's letter. The only person who, at this very moment, in the books, still thinks that Cersei and Jaime are destined to die together is Cersei herself ... and she is always wrong about everything, like when she thinks that the news about Dany's dragons are just fairy tales, or like when she initially thought that Stannis killed Tywin, or like when she thinks the Kettleblacks, Aurane and Taena are really loyal to her, but especially when she was wrong about the letter she sent to Jaime (of course we know he burned it, but she thinks he just didn't get it), and even more, when she was wrong in thinking that Jaime would never leave her to go after Brienne, or as she calls her "That horrible creature" (which is something tha Jaime actually does in the fifth book).

And if we analyze Jaime's prophetic dream in the third book, we know that just like Joffrey and Tywin, Cersei will "leave" Jaime (she will die), long before him, since in the dream we saw Joffrey, Tywin and Cersei follow the dead Lannisters, leaving Jaime behind (and only a few chapters after this dream, first Joff and then Tywin were really dead).

Why D&D didn't get how amazing their romance is in the books, so that they could show it in the best way possible in the show, remains a mystery. When GRRM was also working on the show in the earlier seasons, he added a bunch of romantic scenes for them he couldn't include in the books. For example, GRRM wrote the Purple Wedding episode (it was the last episode he wrote for the show), and he wrote Cersei confronting Brienne about her love for Jaime (in the books it didn't happen because Jaime and Brienne weren't even in KL when Joffrey died), or the scene where Loras told Jaime that he was never going to marry Cersei, and then the camera showed Brienne walking in front of them and Jaime looking at her, with The Bear and the Maiden Fair playing in the background (their song). 

(small note. D&D also destroyed Loras, who loved Renly so much in the books that he joined the KG in King’s Landing, after his death, because he knows he would never find another love...Loras said that "after that the sun goes out, no candle can replace it ”, while in the show he was portrayed as a promiscuous guy, because D&D love stereotypes about gays, or so it seems).

That was all GRRM planting seeds for his plans for them, before he left the show, and we know how D&D managed to royally ruin everything he worked on. They didn't even follow up even with smaller things from the show, like the scene where Jaime and Brienne (and Cleos too in the books) found the dead women hanged for "laying with lions". That scene in the books is not just there to show us how much war sucks and how much the Northern men were just as bad as Lannister's men, but also as a foreshadowing for Brienne's future, since just one book later she was also hanged by Lady Stoneheart and the BWB, after being "kindly" labeled the Kingslayer's whore. In the show it was a simple scene like many others, in the book it had a much deeper meaning. If only D&D bothered to stick with the books more...and please don't tell me that it was because they couldn't adapt LSH in fear that it could have cheepened the Red Wedding (D&D stated that as one of the reasons), because guess what? In the books Cat came back to life but the Red Wedding remains one of the most traumatic experience of reading them, and in the end we "only" lost Robb, his wolf and his men in that tragedy, but in the show there was NO way the Red Wedding could have felt cheepened, we lost Robb, his wolf, his men, his wife and their unborn child, after many episodes of getting to know their romance. And in the end, the Cat we knew is truly lost forever, Catelyn Stark is truly dead in the books, because LSH only has her body, but she's a shell of what Cat was, she has a completely different personality, she's a monstrous zombie thirsting for revenge. So the "it cheepens the Red Wedding" excuse is as valid as D&D's "we basically saw the end of the Dothraki in episode 3" since right after they multiplied like crazy in episode 6 of s8. And I mentioned this because their choice to not adapt LSH has incredibly fucked over both Jaime and Brienne's storylines, and GRRM fought really hard to try and change their minds about not adapting her also for that reason. (Let's not forget that having Cat "come back" from the dead would have made Jon's resurrection less predictable, we would have been wondering what state Jon could have come back: more evil, less human, colder? Or if he would have even come back at all, since we already got Cat "back").

Plus, Lady Stoneheart's first appearance, in the books, is insanely good. Any sane screenwriter would have wanted to adapt it!

The truth is that the more the show continued, the more D&D wanted to stay away from fantasy elements (their words, not mine), and I personally think it was also because they simply picked and choose what they liked about Martin's story, and had the presumption of thinking they could do a better job than the original author by adding their own ideas and stuff...we know how that turned out.

P.s ...did you know that the whole love triangle between Jaime/Brienne/Cersei has many similarities with the love life of GRRM himself? (don't worry, there is no incest in this case). Perhaps you all already know GRRM's current wife, Parris (who is fantastic), but you may not have known that he had another wife, prior to Parris.

GRRM always describes his first wife as a crazy narcissist who almost ruined his life (at one point he was so destroyed that for a period of the 70s he wrote only absolutely tragic love stories). The similarities between the fictional love triangle and the real life one are not only based on the crazy narcissism of the first love of the guy in question… Do you know how GRRM and Parris first met?

GRRM said that he was at a college women's sauna party in the 70s (I still don't know what he was doing all naked in a women's sauna...), and he said that in the middle of the sauna fumes, suddenly, he saw in front of him the naked body of a woman… Parris. He said he immediately felt attracted to her (he got hard), and that, out of nowhere, both naked, they started talking, and became friends (Yes, George really wrote the Harrenhal's bath scene inspired by his first meeting with his current wife). He and Parris understood that they were interested in each other right away, but they remained for a long time just friends because GRRM was stuck in the toxic relationship with his ex (it was GRRM who defined that relationship toxic, I would never do that), and indeed, a little while after meeting Parris, he ended up marrying the crazy narcissist anyway. That disastrous marriage ended in a divorce, and as soon as he got free, George quickly contacted Parris (who remained his friend throughout his first marriage) and they got together, and after decades as a couple, they got married in 2011 (when the fifth book of the saga was published). Parris is very similar to Brienne, both in appearance and personality. Obviously, Parris is more beautiful (because Brienne's ugliness is purposely exaggerated in the books), but she shares Brienne's freckles, her "straw-colored" hair, her being a lil’ unconventional, her love for sporty things, but in a much more adorable way, Parris' favorite dish is crabs…guess what is Brienne's favorite dish in the books? You guessed it...crabs.

I apologize in advance for any mistakes, English is not my first language.

TLDR: D&D completely erased many of Brienne's personality traits, and wrote her only as a one-dimensional female warrior. They also somehow decided to make Jaime worse and make him do the exact opposite he does in the books, many times. And they also screwed over their relationship, for no reason. They completely missed the point of their characters.

#jaime x brienne #brienne of tarth #jaime lannister #asoiaf #got #game of thrones #george rr martin #braime #anti got #asoiaf analysis #asoiaf meta #book!brienne #book!jaime #a song of ice and fire

[the-king-andthe-lionheart]

The Fundamentals of Gendrya

So I just want to establish the possible foreshadowing Arya and Gendry have that hints at a possible romantic relationship in the future, as well as the romantic undertones present in their story.  I’m not really going to focus on symbolism in this meta (although it will come up a couple of times in a minor way), as that will be a focus for future meta.  This is only meant to establish the fundamental basics.

First I want to say that when I’m talking about the romantic possibility of Gendrya, I mean future Gendrya, as in once Arya is older.  However I will posit and say that because we are viewing this in the world of Westeros (in a pseudo Medieval world that GRRM exaggerated and sensationalized from real Medieval sources as well as rumor) and because GRRM has established he has no problems with placing his younger characters in romantic or sexual situations (see Mercy TWOW) I think it would be remiss to think GRRM would not take Arya and Gendry here if that was his plan all along.  After all, there is plenty of precedent.  

This also leads me to remind everyone that Gendry is not an adult when he meets Arya, and the age gap between the two is one of the least egregious age gaps in the books as most of the age gaps are between adult men in their 20’s and 30’s with 12-16 year old girl’s.  I think a lot of people think of the age gap as Arya being 9 the whole time and Gendry being 16, but this is in fact wrong.  According to the timeline, Arya and Gendry meet at the beginning of 299 AC, right around Arya’s 10th birthday.  In 299 AC Gendry was only 13/14 years old.  He was born in 284 AC and is not the same age as Robb and Jon, like Ned surmises.  Gendry is just big for his age, and it’s highly likely Gendry doesn’t even know how old he is.  When Arya and Gendry separate in ASOS Arya is almost 11 while Gendry is 14/15 years old.  

Regardless, this is fiction, and doesn’t reflect real world morals.  So what I’m getting at is that if anyone disagrees with this meta because of their ages I suggest you don’t read any further.

Foreshadowing

Our first hint of foreshadowing happens in Arya’s very first chapter:

She frowned down at them with dismay and glanced over to where her sister Sansa sat among the other girls.  Sansa's needlework was exquisite.  Everyone said so.  “Sansa's work is as pretty as she is,” Septa Mordane told their lady mother once.  “She has such fine, delicate hands.”  When Lady Catelyn had asked about Arya, the septa had sniffed.  “Arya has the hands of a blacksmith.” - Arya I AGOT

This quote is later followed up with:

[...] “I ruined that gown Lady Smallwood gave me, and I don't sew so good.”  She chewed her lip.  “I don't sew very well, I mean.  Septa Mordane used to say I had a blacksmith's hands.”

Gendry hooted.  “Those soft little things,” he called out.  “You couldn't even hold a hammer.” - Arya VII ASOS

In the same book Lem Lemoncloak says this to Gendry:

“You must be a lackwit, boy,” said Lem.  “We're outlaws.  Lowborn scum, most of us, except for his lordship.  Don't think it'll be like Tom's fool songs neither.  You won't be stealing no kisses from a princess, nor riding in no tourneys in stolen armor.  You join us, you'll end with your neck in a noose, or your head mounted up above some castle gate.” - Arya VII ASOS

At this point Arya is indeed a princess, but Lem also makes an obvious reference (to the audience) to the Knight of the Laughing Tree, which I think we can safely say was Lyanna.  The fact that Lyanna is Arya’s literary mirror, tells me we can connect Arya to Lem’s comment, not to mention the inclusion of “princess” just kind of seals the deal.  We also know that Arya is the spitting image of Lyanna and Gendry the spitting image of Robert Baratheon.  I think it’s worth noting also that after Acorn Hall, Lem takes it upon himself to make sure nothing untoward happens between Arya and Gendry (he thought Gendry was taking advantage of Arya after they wrestled) as he starts sleeping in between them, which is seen in Arya V ASOS when they are at The Peach.  Lem saying “Don’t think it’ll be like Tom’s fool songs neither” is also interesting because at Acorn Hall we specifically get Tom singing a love song directed towards Arya and Gendry.

Speaking of Lyanna and Robert being reflections of Arya (in both appearance and personality) and Gendry (in appearance for the most part) this is said in Eddard I AGOT:

We were meant to rule together. If Lyanna had lived, we should have been brothers, bound by blood as well as affection. Well, it is not too late. I have a son. You have a daughter. My Joff and your Sansa shall join our houses, as Lyanna and I might once have done."

Now this quote may be referring to Sansa and Joffrey, but I do think it’s foreshadowing for Gendrya and this is just a misdirect.  After all, Joffrey is not Robert Baratheon’s son by blood, but Gendry is, even though he is illegitimate.  To me this also sounds like a promise.  When you think about it, the story truly begins at the Tourney of Harrenhal with the events that broke the betrothal between Lyanna and Robert, so it would be very cyclical for the ending to do what the beginning could not, binding a Stark and a Baratheon together in marriage.

There are also several references about Arya marrying an apprentice/blacksmith:

“[...] Or if it is marriage and children you desire, tell me, and we shall find a husband for you.  Some honest apprentice boy, a rich old man, a seafarer, whatever you desire.” - Arya II AFFC

We also have a comment made by Jaime:

“Not all,” said Jaime.  “Lord Eddard's daughters live.  One has just been wed.  The other...”  Brienne, where are you?  Have you found her?  “...if the gods are good, she'll forget she was a Stark.  She'll wed some burly blacksmith or fat-faced innkeep, fill his house with children, and never need to fear that some knight might come along to smash their heads against a wall.” - Jaime I ADWD

Now I know what you are going to say, that Jaime is referring to Sansa possibly marrying a blacksmith or innkeep, but if it weren’t for Jaime’s thought’s in the middle towards Brienne, you’d never guess which Stark daughter he is referring to because Sansa was only just recently married as well.  Also it’s Arya who is associated with a blacksmith (Gendry) and a fat-faced innkeep (Hot Pie).  So while Jaime is referring to Sansa here I think we are meant to actually look at the reality behind this and reverse the foreshadowing back onto Arya, because it wasn’t Arya who was recently wed, that was Sansa.  It’s also Arya who is legitimately trying to forget she was a Stark (Sansa isn’t trying to forget, she is only pretending to be Alayne to ensure her protection) and like I mentioned it’s Arya who had a blacksmith and future employee at an inn as companions for two novels.  So I think it’s a foreshadowing switcheroo.  And I think it’s also worth mentioning that while Jaime sent Brienne out to save Sansa, Brienne spends her whole journey almost exclusively hearing news and following leads about Arya.

There is also a reference in Brienne VII AFFC that makes mention that Arya may marry an apprentice boy:

Gendry was the closest thing to a man grown, but it was Willow shouting all the orders, as if she were a queen in her castle and the other children were no more than servants.

If she were highborn, command would come naturally to her, and deference to them.  Brienne wondered whether Willow might be more than she appeared.  The girl was too young and too plain to be Sansa Stark, but she was of the right age to be the younger sister, and even Lady Catelyn had said that Arya lacked her sister's beauty.  Brown hair, brown eyes, skinny...could it be?  Arya Stark's hair was brown, she recalled, but Brienne was not sure about the color of her eyes.  Brown and brown, was that it?  Could it be that she did not die at Saltpans after all?

*

“One day that little girl [Willow] will make some man a frightful wife,” Ser Hyle observed.  “That poor 'prentice boy [Gendry], most like.”

Willow is very obviously a Arya stand-in which makes this specific quote about Arya and Gendry, not Willow and Gendry.

Arya IV ASOS has the strongest case for future romantic Gendrya.  Not only does Gendry follow after Arya and invite her to look at the forge, Gendry opens up to her about his life right before he was uprooted, and does this:

Gendry reached out with the tongs as if to pinch her face, but Arya swatted them away.

Gendry is being playful and open with Arya during most of this scene in the forge, teasing her in a manner that verges on flirting, telling her a story about his past, laughing and having fun with Arya.  And then this happens:

Gendry put the hammer down and looked at her.  “You look different now.  Like a proper little girl.”

“I look like an oak tree, with all these stupid acorns.”

“Nice, though.  A nice oak tree.”  He stepped closer, and sniffed at her.  “You even smell nice for a change.”

“You don't.  You stink.”  Arya shoved him back against the anvil and made to run, but Gendry caught her arm.  She stuck a foot between his legs and tripped him, but he yanked her down with him, and they rolled across the floor of the smithy.  He was very strong, but she was quicker.  Every time he tried to hold her still she wiggled free and punched him.  Gendry only laughed at the blows, which made her mad.  He finally caught both her wrists in one hand and started to tickle her with the other, so Arya slammed her knee between his legs, and wrenched free.  Both of them were covered in dirt, and one sleeve was torn on her stupid acorn dress.  “I bet I don't look so nice now,” she shouted.

Gendry compliments Arya’s looks and scent, only for Arya to think he’s teasing her about her appearance due to her intense insecurity when it comes to highborn conformation (Gendry’s laugh when he first saw her didn’t help matters in her insecurity even though Gendry most likely only laughed out of being startled at her transformation).  This insecurity leads Arya into getting angry and starting a wrestling match with him.  This wrestling scene also directly follows Jaime and Brienne’s very sexually charged sword fight, and could also be interpreted as foreshadowing a romantic and potentially sexual relationship in the future, like theirs did, when they are older.  

Now I’m not saying that I think Gendrya is going to go NC-17 in the books, but I do think it’s likely to go PG-13 by the end of ADOS, considering we have precedent that GRRM has no qualms about writing these types of things as I mentioned above, and we know Arya is going to be 12 in TWOW and may be at least 14-15 when the series ends depending on how much GRRM can spread out the timeline in the next two books.  But considering the amount of stuff that needs to happen, I think the next two books will span 2-3 years before the epilogue begins.

Then there is the love song GRRM specifically wrote for Arya.  A song that has only appeared in one chapter, Arya’s chapter:

“My featherbed is deep and soft,

and there I'll lay you down,

I'll dress you all in yellow silk,

and on your head a crown.

For you shall be my lady love,

and I shall be your lord.

I'll always keep you warm and safe,

and guard you with my sword.

“And how she smiled and how she laughed,

the maiden of the tree.

She spun away and said to him,

no featherbed for me.

I'll wear a gown of golden leaves,

and bind my hair with grass,

But you can be my forest love,

and me your forest lass.”

Now we know this song is about them because when Tom O’Sevens is singing it, he winks at Arya, and later Lady Smallwood specifically says to Arya “I have no gowns of leaves”.  The song specifically mentions yellow – a Baratheon color – and depicts the free spirited “Maiden of the Tree” who wants love on her own terms, which sounds like what an older, flowered version of Arya would want if she fell in love.

Romantic Undertones

Arya’s Crush

As she passed the armory, Arya heard the ring of a hammer. A deep orange glow shone through the high windows. She climbed to the roof and peeked down. Gendry was beating out a breastplate. When he worked, nothing existed for him but metal, bellows, fire. The hammer was like part of his arm. She watched the play of muscles in his chest and listened to the steel music he made. He's strong, she thought. As he took up the long-handled tongs to dip the breastplate into the quenching trough, Arya slithered through the window and leapt down to the floor beside him. - Arya IX ACOK

It’s very subtle but this paragraph tells us everything.  Arya unintentionally reveals in this quote that she watches Gendry blacksmithing enough to know that the world falls away when he’s in his element.  She watches the play of muscles in his back and notes how strong he is and even attaches poetic language to his work.  Arya has a crush on Gendry.  It’s not acknowledged and it’s likely she doesn’t understand it herself, but this seems to be the truth of it, especially with the way GRRM worded this.  I don’t know how many times I’ve read a romance where the protagonist studies their love interest while watching the “play of muscles” in their back or their arms.  It’s also interesting to note that Arya always mentions specifics about Gendry’s looks and notes details about him:

He blinked at her, startled. Strands of thick black hair, still wet from the bathhouse, fell across his deep blue eyes. "I'd hurt you." - Arya II ACOK

"It's me they want," Arya whispered back. His ear smelled of soap. "You be quiet." - Arya II ACOK

When she spied Gendry, his bare chest was slick with sweat, but the blue eyes under the heavy black hair had the stubborn look she remembered. - Arya VIII ACOK

"She's not alone." Gendry rode out from behind the cottage wall, and behind him Hot Pie, leading her horse. In his chainmail shirt with a sword in his hand, Gendry looked almost a man grown, and dangerous. Hot Pie looked like Hot Pie. - Arya II ASOS

Now most of these I’d normally chalk up to the author just being descriptive, but if that’s the case, why don’t we know more about Hot Pie’s looks, who Arya spent nearly a year with at the same time as Gendry?  Why does she take special time out to describe Gendry so much?  Honestly I think part of it is to keep reminding us that Gendry is a secret Baratheon bastard, but that doesn’t explain the first quote about Arya watching the “play of muscles” in his back and noting how strong he is.  So I think it’s a combination of GRRM wanting to remind the audience that Gendry is a Baratheon and to also subtly show us that Arya has an innocent crush on him, but doesn’t know or acknowledge that this is the case out loud.

Their Mutual Jealousy

Starting after the events of Acorn Hall in Arya IV ASOS, it’s obvious that something shifts in Arya and Gendry’s relationship.  One aspect is that Gendry can no longer ignore that Arya is indeed a highborn girl after seeing her for the first time dressed up as one.  He knows what class differences will mean for their friendship.  And another aspect, is that Gendry acknowledges that he may be romantically interested in Arya, or at least acknowledges the potential for those feelings to emerge in time.  And because of this, combined with their class differences, Gendry knows that if he follows Arya to Riverrun where her mother and brother are, he would end up watching Arya grow into someone he could romantically love, only for her to be torn away from him due to an arranged marriage.  Both of these aspects play a factor in why we see Gendry become more outwardly scathing towards highborns in the chapters following this and why his behavior seems to become one rife with jealousy.

In Arya V ASOS the Brotherhood Without Banners travel to The Peach and both of the above aspects I spoke of are present in this chapter:

"You don't even know what a brothel is."

"I do so," she insisted. "It's like an inn, with girls."

He was turning red again. "What are you doing here, then?" he demanded. "A brothel's no fit place for no bloody highborn lady, everybody knows that."

And when Gendry protects Arya from a pervert by saying that she’s his sister, this is what goes down:

"Why did you say that?" Arya hopped to her feet. "You're not my brother."

"That's right," he said angrily. "I'm too bloody lowborn to be kin to m'lady high."

Arya was taken aback by the fury in his voice. "That's not the way I meant it."

"Yes it is." He sat down on the bench, cradling a cup of wine between his hands. "Go away. I want to drink this wine in peace. Then maybe I'll go find that black-haired girl and ring her bell for her."

Arya doesn’t really understand the intentions of the pervert, despite knowing of sex, and is confused on why Gendry would say that he’s her brother, but when she asks him, he takes it the wrong way since he is already so sensitive about their class differences at this point in their story.  That last paragraph is what makes this exchange really interesting though.  Why would Gendry say this, when it’s already made clear and established in this chapter that Gendry has no intentions of sleeping with any of the girls, even when it’s offered to him for free?  He is very obviously lying to try to get a rise out of Arya and the only way this makes sense is if we put it under a romantic lens.

Then we have this:

Arya whirled and left him there. A stupid bullheaded bastard boy, that's all he is. He could ring all the bells he wanted, it was nothing to her.

Now considering Arya’s defense mechanism (the mechanism that has her calling things or people stupid when she’s hurt or feeling inadequate by them to try to make the pain and hurt not seem so severe) the fact that she calls Gendry a “stupid bullheaded bastard boy” and proclaims Gendry ringing the bells of any girl was “nothing to her” tells us that it matters to her and that she’s upset.  This is further reiterated in Arya VIII ASOS:

Arya wished she had another crabapple to bounce off his face. "My father had honor," she said angrily. "And we weren't talking to you anyway. Why don't you go back to Stoney Sept and ring that girl's stupid bells?"

So here we have Arya mention this three chapters later, likely weeks if not months later.  If Arya didn’t care about Gendry ringing “all the bells he wanted” then why is she still so hurt and jealous?  She’s obviously been stewing about this for a while.

In this same chapter we also see gems from Gendry that clearly proclaim that he’s still plagued about his class differences to Arya.  It also clearly shows that Gendry is jealous of Edric Dayne once Arya befriends him, especially since she befriended someone highborn, like her, who just so happens to be a boy who we know has nearly the same coloring as Rhaegar Targaryen, which evokes the history repeating motif that is present in Arya’s arc of the Rhaegar/Lyanna/Robert love triangle.

"You have a knife," Gendry suggested. "If your hair annoys you so much, shave your bloody head."

He doesn't like Ned. The squire seemed nice enough to Arya; maybe a little shy, but good-natured. She had always heard that Dornishmen were small and swarthy, with black hair and small black eyes, but Ned had big blue eyes, so dark that they looked almost purple. And his hair was a pale blond, more ash than honey. - Arya VIII ASOS

And

"My lady?" Ned looked embarrassed. "I'm Edric Dayne, the . . . the Lord of Starfall."

Behind them, Gendry groaned. "Lords and ladies," he proclaimed in a disgusted tone. Arya plucked a withered crabapple off a passing branch and whipped it at him, bouncing it off his thick bull head. "Ow," he said. "That hurt." He felt the skin above his eye. "What kind of lady throws crabapples at people?"

"The bad kind," said Arya, suddenly contrite. 

Gendry continues to encapsulate “ours is the fury” during Arya’s whole exchange with Edric Dayne.

I do want to add that I know Gendry’s class issues have always been there, and it’s definitely been made even more apparent to him during the War of the Five Kings during his time in the wartorn Riverlands with Arya, so it’s not exactly that far-fetched that Gendry may become even more sensitive and/or bitter about it.  However, this extremity of his behavior only happened after Acorn Hall where he saw Arya looking like the highborn girl she is.  And while I do believe part of Gendry’s increase of bitterness about their class differences does have to do with potential romantic feelings, I also think it has to do with Gendry also coming to terms with the fact that Arya’s family is also directly responsible for the carnage they have seen and experienced (even though he doesn’t blame Arya, as she seems to be one of Gendry’s exceptions when it comes to his dislike of the nobility).  If it weren’t for the blatant flirting on his behalf in the forge at Acorn Hall and the jealousy, I would honestly chalk it up to Gendry trying to reconcile his own trauma and anger regarding highborns, including Arya’s family’s sins, but alas, that is not completely the case.

Post Separation

When Arya is kidnapped by the Hound and witnesses the Red Wedding, Arya contemplates where she may go and this crosses her thoughts in a very romanticized light:

She could stay with Hot Pie, or maybe Lord Beric would find her there. Anguy would teach her to use a bow, and she could ride with Gendry and be an outlaw, like Wenda the White Fawn in the songs.

But that was just stupid, like something Sansa might dream. - Arya XII ASOS

The fact that Arya follows this thought up with “that was just stupid, like something Sansa might dream” tells us specifically what type of fantasy this is.  Arya isn’t fantasizing about an adventure, she’s fantasizing about love and romance, considering those are the types of flights of fancy Sansa always loses herself in.  Now Arya isn’t outright rejecting the possibility of romance here, because there is more to that second paragraph:

But that was just stupid, like something Sansa might dream. Hot Pie and Gendry had left her just as soon as they could, and Lord Beric and the outlaws only wanted to ransom her, just like the Hound. None of them wanted her around. They were never my pack, not even Hot Pie and Gendry. I was stupid to think so, just a stupid little girl, and no wolf at all.

She rejects the possibility because she remembers that Hot Pie and Gendry abandoned her as soon as they could, and that all the Brotherhood did was use her, according to her perspective on the matter.  And her perspective is entirely skewed because of her abandonment and low self-esteem issues, as well as not fully understanding the class issues as she honestly didn’t think that bringing Hot Pie and Gendry to Riverrun and Winterfell would cause any issues with their friendships, which is understandable for a kid to think.  Especially one that hadn’t been in the highborn world for the past year and a half.  In fact, Medieval children in the real world and in the books, weren’t reprimanded for playing together regardless of class, usually the highborn children played with the children of those who worked and lived within the castle walls, from other lords children to stewards children to the helps children.  It’s just something children did until they reached a certain age where it just wasn’t allowed anymore.  So it’s only natural for this not to really factor into Arya’s plans.

When Arya is about to walk into the House of Black and White, Arya comforts her fear with a memory of Gendry:

Suddenly she was somewhere else . . . back in Harrenhal with Gendry [...] - Arya I AFFC

Which indicates that Gendry is still very much on her mind at this point.  I think it really says something as well that Arya takes comfort from a memory at Harrenhal of all places.  I think this indicates how much comfort she took from their friendship.  I also think she doesn’t think about Gendry with the Brotherhood to take her comfort because while ASOS has the most romantic foreshadowing for them and the two shared some nice moments, it was also the start of them truly fracturing, or so her unreliable narration interpreted it as.  After all, she actually thought that Gendry was making fun of her looks at Acorn Hall, and she thought Gendry didn’t want to be her friend anymore as he “abandoned her” for the Brotherhood.  So while Harrenhal was awful and they had their disagreements there, Arya still felt reassured with his companionship and likely found it uncomplicated in comparison to her other problems at the time.

*

When we next see Gendry in Brienne VII AFFC we see a drastically different Gendry.  While Gendry has always been guarded and sullen with a chip on his shoulder, with little love for the nobility, this change is drastic enough where it’s unsettling to read at first.  Not only is Gendry just flat out rude in a very mean way but he is filled with rage.  Gendry joined the Brotherhood because he liked how they handled justice, but under Lady Stoneheart there is no justice and he doesn’t seem to mind.  His beliefs have shifted as well.

And though his eyes had been that same deep blue, Lord Renly's eyes had always been warm and welcoming, full of laughter, whereas this boy's eyes brimmed with anger and suspicion.

Septon Meribald asked if he might lead the children in a grace, ignoring the small girl crawling naked across the table. "Aye," said Willow, snatching up the crawler before she reached the porridge. So they bowed their heads together and thanked the Father and the Mother for their bounty . . . all but the black-haired boy from the forge, who crossed his arms against his chest and sat glowering as the others prayed. Brienne was not the only one to notice. When the prayer was done Septon Meribald looked across the table, and said, "Do you have no love for the gods, son?"

"Not for your gods." Gendry stood abruptly. "I have work to do." He stalked out without a bite of food.

Gendry was at his forge, bare-chested beneath his leather apron. He was beating on a sword as if he wished it were a foe [...]

What would a knight be doing working at a smithy? "You have black hair and blue eyes, and you were born in the shadow of the Red Keep. Has no one ever remarked upon your face?"

"What's wrong with my face? It's not as ugly as yours."

Lord Renly was ahead of her, her sweet smiling king. He was leading her horse through the trees. Brienne called out to tell him how much she loved him, but when he turned to scowl at her, she saw that he was not Renly after all. Renly never scowled. He always had a smile for me, she thought . . . except . . .

While some people chalk up Gendry’s behavior as a result of trauma about what he experienced in the Riverlands, and I don’t deny that is a factor, I don’t believe it’s the only factor because we didn’t see Gendry like this post Harrenhal or even with the Brotherhood in ASOS.  Yes he embodied “ours is the fury” at times and was jealous and bitter, and rude at times as well, but he wasn’t flat out cruel to people, nor filled with rage and vengeance.  The Gendry before Arya was taken would never have led Brienne to Lady Stoneheart for the slaughter after she tried to save everyone in that Inn against Rorge and Biter and co.  We can also see another difference in Gendry:

Lightning cracked to the south as the riders swung down off their horses. For half a heartbeat darkness turned to day. An axe gleamed silvery blue, light shimmered off mail and plate, and beneath the dark hood of the lead rider Brienne glimpsed an iron snout and rows of steel teeth, snarling.

Gendry saw it too. "Him."

While there is no emphasis on the “him” when Gendry sees the Hound’s helm, it’s an abrupt and emotionless statement.  It’s one word without emphasis but it conveys a lot.  Gendry recognizes the Hound’s helm and it’s apparent he’s not happy, thinking that it was indeed the Hound for a minute.  And while I’m trying to avoid discussing symbolism, I just can’t ignore how the lightning that cracked in the south could also be symbolic of Gendry’s true mood.  He is, after all, a bastard Baratheon, connected to the storm, the fury - thunder and lightning - as well as sharing a connection to the god, Thor in our mythology.  This lightning could symbolically be linked to Gendry’s anger and vengeance.  So why does Gendry act like this when he sees who he thinks is the Hound again?  He had no issue with the Hound during his trial by combat, so what changed?  The Hound kidnapped Arya.  And while he knows Arya didn’t die at the Red Wedding, he and the Brotherhood aren’t entirely sure if the Hound sold Arya to the Lannister’s and if she is now Arya Bolton.  So it makes complete sense why he would have issues with the Hound.  In fact I think a lot of this behavior we are seeing from Gendry is the direct result of the Hound kidnapping Arya and not knowing if she’s dead or being brutally raped and tortured in the North.

Why do I think this?  Because this behavior began between Arya being kidnapped in ASOS and Brienne VII AFFC.  Only a few to a handful of months have passed since then.  This, I believe, is the inciting incident.  Another reason why I believe Arya is the reason is because of what he is doing.  He is staying at the Crossroads Inn, one of the last known places Arya was sighted, and he’s helping take care of orphaned children.  Arya took in strays as well and cared for them, like Weasel.  And considering how Gendry in ACOK wanted to leave Weasel and Hot Pie and Lommy behind, it’s interesting to see that he’s helping by taking in strays himself now, as if he thinks he may be able to atone for not saving Arya.  Another reason is because the Brotherhood is actively searching for Arya as well.  She is ever present on their minds.  So yes, I believe part of Gendry’s change has to do with losing Arya, which goes to show how much he really cared about her.  Not to mention (a tiny bit more symbolism, oopsie!), Gendry’s stay at the inn, waiting for Arya to return (I believe Gendry and the BWB are hoping that Arya is alive and will return to the inn) is a romantic aspect to the mythology of Weyland the Smith and his Swan Maiden/Valkyrie, and the aspect about the Brotherhood + Gendry searching the realm for Arya is also a romantic Cinderella motif, hence why I feel Gendry’s behavior here is supposed to have romantic subtext.

*

Extra:  Another interesting aspect that I think foreshadows this future relationship is the meaning of Gendry’s name.  Gendry is a nickname type of surname for a person who has inherited his family estates from his father-in-law, deriving its origin from the Old French word “gendre,” which meant “son-in-law.”  And as we know if Arya and Gendry married when they were older, Arya wouldn’t be taking his name, but he hers, due to her higher status.  So by marrying into the Stark family, he would be inheriting from his father-in-law Ned so to speak, even if it’s just inheriting the surname.

So this is everything I’ve compiled so far about Gendrya, that relies on just their foreshadowing and romantic undertones in the texts we have available but I’m positive I’ll be adding more to this list once TWOW officially releases.  However, I still have a lot more to share that focuses on their symbolism and motifs throughout the story, so I’m definitely not done making Gendrya meta, far from it and I can’t wait to share it with you all!  

And if anyone is interested in Arya’s and by extension Gendrya’s Cinderella motifs, you can find it at this link:  A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes.

#arya stark #gendry waters #gendry baratheon #gendrya #asoiaf

[jackoshadows]

Let’s be clear here. Sansa did not lie in front of everyone and side with Joffrey over her own sister because it was protocol or to save Arya or because she was afraid of the Lannisters. She did it because she loved her beautiful prince Joffrey and thought that he was right and she wanted to marry him and become queen and do shit like this:

"Go ahead, call me all the names you want," Sansa said airily. "You won't dare when I'm married to Joffrey. You'll have to bow to me and call me Your Grace. "

After Joffrey sadistically tortures Mycah and attacks her little sister Arya with a sword:

After they had gone, Sansa went to Prince Joffrey. His eyes were closed in pain, his breath ragged. Sansa knelt beside him. “Joffrey,” she sobbed. “Oh, look what they did, look what they did. My poor prince. Don’t be afraid. I’ll ride to the holdfast and bring help for you.” Tenderly she reached out and brushed back his soft blond hair.

Just sisters being sisters, am I right? Yeah, my sister would also have more compassion for the guy who attacked me with a knife! That’s really how siblings are with each other!

Even later, she still victim blames Mycah for what happened when it’s just Arya and Sansa in the room:

“It’s not the same,” Sansa said. “The Hound is Joffrey’s sworn shield. Your butcher’s boy attacked the prince. ”

Much later, when Sansa is now the target of Joffrey’s abuse, she realizes that what Arya did was right:

He’d owned a sword named Lion’s Tooth once, Sansa remembered.  Arya had taken it from him and thrown it in a river.  I hope Stannis does the same with this one. 

AGoT Sansa was a vain, self-centered, spoiled, snobby, classist bully who didn’t give a damn that another child was being tortured or that Joffrey attacked her sister with a sword, or that her 9 year old little sister was alone in the woods for several days and being hunted down by Lannister men. It’s more important that one’s hair is shiny and brushed when appearing before everyone to lie about what happened!

Joffrey’s lie - that Arya and Nymeria attacked him without any provocation - only stands because Sansa refused to support her sister’s side of the story. Joffrey knows that what he did to Mycah is wrong and that’s why he changes the story and lies.  Noble children mingle and play with the small folk all the time.

Put any character in Arya’s spot - Brienne of Tarth, Jon Snow, Robb Stark, Bran Stark, Daenerys Targaryen, Catelyn Stark, Tyrion Lannister, Ned Stark, Renly Baratheon, Barristan Selmy - and they would have all done the same thing that Arya did and protected Mycah from Joffrey’s sadism.  Brienne of Tarth would have applauded the fuck out of Arya for what she did - and Brienne is exactly the kind of knight that Sansa claims to love in her songs.

What’s the point of Sansa loving all these songs of chivalry and knightly valor when she can’t tell right from wrong and recognize that in this case it was Arya who was the brave knight standing up to a bully. Just like her aunt Lyanna did before her and stood up for Howland Reed against a bunch of bullies. Oh, but the parallels are really between Sansa and Lyanna, right? Sansa and Lyanna -  they both cry for songs aww ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️! But it looks like only one of them really understood the themes of these songs.

Every person in that room knew that Arya was right and it was Joffrey who provoked the attack. But the one witness to the entire thing lies and says she does not remember and turns it into a he said, she said scenario that allows for Cersei to demand punishment in the form of a dead wolf and a weak-willed Robert to give in and order Ned to do it. The loss of the direwolf here is symbolic because Sansa chooses the Lannisters/future family over the Starks/current family.

Does anyone think that Catelyn Tully - Family, duty, honor - the embodiment of family loyalty, would have been okay with Sansa siding with Joffrey against Arya?

It should have been Catelyn in that scenario and not Ned.  Ned was wrong to not confront Sansa about her lying. And no, he does not explain to Arya why Sansa lied - because Sansa lied for a selfish, petty reason. He wants Arya and Sansa to stop fighting each other and puts the onus for all that on Arya. What he should have done was give Sansa a similar talk and explain why what she did was wrong and that she too had to put in the effort to get along with her little sister.

‘The lone wolf dies but the pack survives’ should have been something that Ned told Sansa since it is literally her wolf that dies. But Arya is GRRM’s central character and hence gets the thematic line and little talk from Ned about unity being more important than division and strife. 

So no, Arya is not responsible for Lady’s death and Nymeria is not going to be Sansa’s direwolf as recompense. 

As for Mycah - Unlike her sister and her fans, Arya rightly places the blame for that where it belongs.

Arya screwed up her face in a scowl. “Jaime Lannister murdered Jory and Heward and Wyl, and the Hound murdered Mycah. Somebody should have beheaded them.”

#Sansa Stark #Arya Stark #Joffrey Baratheon #Mycah #Ned Stark #GRRM #The incident at the trident #Had enough of this both girls were innocent but really it's Arya to blame bs #Only one of them lied about something important

[a-libra-writes]

How the GoT Characters Propose To You

We’re BACK AT IT AGAIN FOLKS

In this imagine, you’ll be proposed to by: Ned Stark, Robb Stark, Sansa Stark, Jon Snow, Benjen Stark, Jory Cassel, Dolorous Edd, Yara Greyjoy, Daenerys Targaryen, Jorah Mormont, Missandei, Grey Worm, Tywin Lannister, Tyrion Lannister, Jaime Lannister, Sandor Clegane, Bronn, Petyr Baelish, Stannis Baratheon, Davos Seaworth, Margaery Tyrell, Brynden Tully, Edmure Tully, Brienne of Tarth, Ramsay Bolton, Roose Bolton, Oberyn Martell, Beric Dondarrion

NED STARK

In spite of the fact your families arranged this marriage years ago, Ned has to be his usual honorable, traditional self and go along with the expected courting process. That includes a formal proposal, but… that’s not for the purpose of tradition. The way he beams and looks at you with such adoration, you can tell he just really wants to hear you say “yes” to the proposal he shyly talks through. The ring is on the more modest side, combining the direwolf and your house’s sigil. There’s a personal touch on the inside; either an inscription or an engraving that has a special meaning to the two of you. He likely has a matching ring, very unassuming, that he wears whenever possible.

ROBB STARK

He didn’t expect to fall so completely for you during this stuffy courting process. Robb can’t believe how lucky he is, and it’s obvious to everyone how enamored he is with you. He’s ready to jump straight to the wedding, tradition be damned, but oh well. What he does do is give you the ring quite early, and his own proposal, even if your marriage has been long decided. His proposal is straightforward, but there’s love and earnestness in his eyes as he takes your hands and presents the ring he secretly acquired. It’s beautifully crafted, with silver direwolves and gemstones that match your house’s sigil for their eyes.

SANSA STARK

Sansa had thought about this for a long time. Letting that romantic spirit come back, even after you’d been together for a while, was difficult. The whole concept of marriage had become repulsive to her, but together the two of you could make it something different. She gave you an unassuming ring you could always wear, with gemstones that reminded her of your eyes. She tried not to cry with happiness as she gave her heartfelt proposal. You’d say your vows in the weirwoods, where she always wanted to be married. The whole day would seem like a dream to her, like the innocent daydreams she had as a girl, before the world took everything.

JON SNOW

He had it planned out: What he would say, where he would say it, but his nerves and doubts bite at him again and again. You can tell he’s been thinking about something for months, it’s been weighing on him, but you hadn’t expected this. It all makes sense when you both are alone in a godswood and Jon takes your hand … and finally blurts it all out. He had a silver ring made; you don’t know how he managed it, but it’s pretty in its simplicity. There’s a direwolf running across the ring, its teeth bared, and another one running beside it. A pack of two.

BENJEN STARK

The asking and ceremony would be more of a ‘symbolic’ thing - being you both were in the Night’s Watch, and you were in disguise. It’s why when he first asked you, you thought it was some silly jap. “Of course, Ben,” You rolled your eyes. “I would love to be your wife.” Then he took your hand, removed the old woolen glove covering it and put on a small, unassuming iron ring that fit you perfectly. Benjen couldn’t stop grinning as he asked you again. It’s a sweet moment you share high up on the wall, in the middle of the darkness, where it seems like you both are totally alone in the world. Days afterward, you notice the engravings of the direwolf inside the ring.

JORY CASSEL

No matter how long you both were together at this point, Jory gets tongue-tied and stumbles over what he carefully rehearsed. He’s still so sure you’ll refuse him, given the small land and influence his family has. He thought for a long time about what sort of ring to get you, and admittedly, he was thinking about it early on in the relationship. It’s something quite pretty and elegant, and it references your house and personal taste. Honorable and traditional as he was, it didn’t feel right going to your family for “formal” permission. He wanted to know your feelings first, and that you truly wanted the arrangement.

EDDISON TOLLETT

You being his “old lady” was a dumb in-joke you and Edd had for some time. You were disguised in the Night’s Watch, of course, but the way you two (playfully) bickered made everyone call you an exhausting old couple. Even when you both were alone, Edd would use “wife”, though you were increasingly aware it wasn’t a joke anymore. Finally he really asks you, even if it’s pointless, even if it’s while you both are freezing in the middle of a frozen wasteland. And even then, he’s still surprised you say yes. One day he ties a piece of old twine around your finger, blushing the whole time, insisting you don’t have to keep it on if you don’t want to.

YARA GREYJOY

If you were from the greenlands, from the get-go, Yara liked to refer to you as her salt wife. It was half teasing, half telling the other Ironborn to stay away. Whenever she’d say it, she’d keep such a protective hold on your waist, you were half-convinced she was going to carry you off to her ship. Eventually she made good on that promise. If you were Ironborn, Yara would be more willing to be forward. She’d tell you about some story she heard from her uncle about brides of the sea, women who stayed together and never married, though you knew she wasn’t one for fancies. Regardless, she’d have matching necklaces made for the both of you, leather and iron, like most of what she owns. She keeps it protected under her clothes.

DAENERYS TARGARYEN

Oh, she’s brought it up with you plenty of times - how you’ll be her Queen before gods and men, no matter what anyone thinks. The thing is, you both never did a grand ceremony. There were other matters to attend to, but Daenerys always made it clear to visitors who you were to her. She has plans for a wonderful ceremony once she takes her throne back, a celebration of your unbreakable union… Well, until then, you both can have your private vows. There’s dozens of beautiful things she’s given you (mostly from suitors who won’t bugger off), but your favorite is a necklace she had specially made. It’s a necklace of obsidian with dragons in flight, all connected together. The three largest dragons have a ruby, a diamond and an emerald for their eyes - a reference to her children, who are also fond of you. You two also wear matching obsidian bands with small rubies, made from the same stone as the necklace.

JORAH MORMONT

First, you knew this was happening. Jorah wears his heart on his sleeve and that’s even more evident when he’s worried about something. You noticed he was being both especially loving and anxious. You considered saying something, but he was clearly waiting for a perfect moment. Seriously, he’d look ready to say something, then back off at the last second at least a dozen times. Finally Jorah asked you, with the most loving smile on his face, and he was so choked up when you accepted - as if he really thought you’d refuse. You’ve told him before that you don’t need anything fancy, but he still gets you a lovely and elegant ring with silver-black engravings of small bears and another animal you’re fond of. He’s thrilled if you got him a matching ring or necklace; again, Jorah didn’t imagine you’d want such a thing. He’d wear it constantly and it’d become something he’d fiddle with when he was nervous.

MISSANDEI

Missandei would wait for you to pop the question because, in truth, she never imagined you’d want to. She understood that was a tradition in your home country, but you were both women, and she was… well, she just didn’t expect it. But Missandei’s eyes light up with surprise and adoration at your earnest question, and she says yes without even thinking. She isn’t one for anything fancy, but she’d love you both to have a matching set of bracelets, necklaces or rings - something elegant but not flashy, perhaps with stones or engravings that mean something personal to the both of you. She’d always wear it, even if she had to hide it under her clothes for some reason or another. She’s terribly flustered when someone asks her who it’s from and what it means.

GREY WORM

Oh, no no no. He’d grown a lot beside you, and as Daenerys’ commander, but there were still areas where Grey Worm felt like he wasn’t enough. It would take a lot of prodding and reassurance from Missandei before he’d finally start planning. You’d wonder what he was up to, and he’d just shyly say it was a surprise and you’d learn eventually. His proposal is sweet and faltering; he tried to stay serious, but he just couldn’t when you looked at him with those kind eyes. Grey Worm decided to make the jewelry himself - it would be an intricate leather bracelet with gemstones inlaid. He hunted the animal and tanned the leather himself, and spent many evenings hurting his fingers to put it together. He has a matching one, though it’s far simpler.

TYWIN LANNISTER

First off, this was a marriage arranged well in advance, so you didn’t expect any extended courting or proposals. This was Tywin, after all. Still he managed to surprise you a fortnight before the wedding with an absurdly jeweled ringbox. The ring itself was Lannister gold, and you anticipated lions and rubies… but it was your house’s sigil, with your birthstone inlaid, and small lions along the band. It’s far more than you anticipated from such a man. And when Tywin presented it to you, you sensed his expectation, and the heat in his eyes... He would never admit to wanting your approval, but that look was saying otherwise. Some years later, you have more jewelry than you could dream of, but you still wear that original ring most often. You’ll catch him glancing at it when you put it on, or twist it around your finger, then he’ll glance aside like he wasn’t watching.

TYRION LANNISTER

Naturally, he’s been thinking of this and planning it for weeks, maybe months, depending on how in love he is. Even if it’s a marriage of love, Tyrion will still have late-night nagging thoughts that you’ll back out, or you’re doing it out of duty. When he takes your hand and gives you the sweetest proposal you’ve ever heard, he still isn’t sure… until you kiss him and tell him what a silly man he’s being. Of course you’d accept. The ring has beautiful craftsmanship, with delicate flowers, lions and gemstones matching your house. It’s rosegold and silver rather than Lannister gold, and the inscription inside is something of an in-joke between you two, likely a quote from a book.

JAIME LANNISTER

You were concerned when he first approached you. It’s rare Jaime is this solemn with you, and he’d been acting strange the past week. Then he started to speak, and you realized he was nervous. His cheeks were starting to get red, and he was having trouble looking right at you. His nervousness came from the fact that Jaime wasn’t entirely sure you’d say yes, no matter how long you’d been together, no matter how confident he was that whole time. All the doubts would begin to creep, and before you could even answer, he considered backing out. But you said yes, and the smile that grew on his face was so wonderful to see. Jaime doesn’t want anything fancy or ceremonial, tradition and his family name be damned. The ring is gold, naturally, but it’s simple and charming. There’s small, pretty gemstones inlaid beside lion engravings.

SANDOR CLEGANE

At this point, you two have been married in all but name for years. He has his own thoughts on marriage, and you have your’s, and there was never a rush. People in the village already thought you already took vows, so honestly, you might have kids before Sandor starts considering something a little official. It would be something simple, but heartfelt. He’d have a fancy leather bracelet woven for you, or a simple silver ring, if you’d prefer that. He wouldn’t want much for himself, and would be flustered if you made something - but he’d absolutely wear it. Instead of taking the three black dogs from the Clegane sigil, you both would think of something new.

BRONN

He’s made all sorts of stupid jokes about marriage, especially now that he’s a proper lord. You’ve never taken any of it seriously, especially when these sentimental rambles come from when he’s drunk and wanting under your dress. Other times are when you’re out and about and pass a sept - “We oughta made it official, then go straight to the wedding night” - really, you never expected him to be serious about it. One evening he tossed something shiny at you, and you caught it. It was a beautiful ring with a huge diamond … and your first thought is if he stole it. He didn’t look at you, only mumbled something about maybe talking to your family. Maybe considering it for real. Bronn’s terrible with emotions, especially speaking them out loud. His gestures speak louder, and the whole time he’s talking he’s trying not to look at you.

PETYR BAELISH

Naturally he planned out the whole proposal - the right location, what he would say, and a beautiful ring that meant something important to you. It wasn’t big and conspicuous, rather it was something absolutely tailored for you, with a mockingbird etched inside. Petyr starts strong as he takes your hand, but begins to falter in his words when you look at him with such adoration. That undivided attention and love just gets him flustered, though he knew you’d accept. This was all part of his plan, but even knowing it would happen didn’t make him any less pleased.

STANNIS BARATHEON

Your houses had been in discussion about the betrothal for a while, but being the man he was, Stannis still wanted to do the usual courting and formal proposal. His words were blunt, the tips of his ears were turning red and he kept darting his eyes away, but he said it. He remembers the ring when you accept, and you assumed he had it ordered without much thought… Though when you look at it, you notice it’s not just pretty woven gold and black diamonds. In the center of the diamonds is your birthstone, and you wonder if he added that touch - your parents certainly wouldn’t have. Even after you’ve been married for years and have plenty of jewelry to pick from, Stannis gets a little flushed that you wear the first ring he gave you so often.

DAVOS SEAWORTH

Your dear Davos made your ring, a pretty and modest thing he created with the help of a blacksmith friend (you were wondering where those little burns on his fingers came from). You both had been together for a while now, talking about marriage here and there but never actually doing it. When he takes your hand, he’s bashful, though he gets through his words. They’re sweet and honest, like you expected. He knew you’d say yes, but he wanted to say it, and to give you the ring. Even if you don’t want a ceremony, he wanted to give you this. It’s a pretty silver and iron ring with pretty engraved flowers, your favorite, and a loving inscription on the inside.

MARGAERY TYRELL

First off, she’d been asking you strange questions for weeks. You could tell she wanted to get you a gift, and she wanted it to be just right. Then you realized she must have some sort of elaborate date planned… Well, you didn’t expect the wonderful evening to end in a proposal. Even if it wasn’t possible for you by the laws of Westeros, Margaery didn’t care. She had a beautiful ring made for you, and she had her “vows” ready. As far as she’s concerned, your hearts belong together, and the gods will understand. She only cries a little, but she’s mostly beaming as you say yes and allow her to put it on your finger.

The gold ring is made wonderfully, with sculpted roses and a large emerald in the center, with her birthstone around it. Margaery wanted a matching one, but that might be suspicious. So, her ring is your favorite flower sculpted with your birthstone in the center.

BRYNDEN TULLY

All his life Brynden resisted the brides his brother threw at him, absolutely sure he was going to die a warrior and not some lazy lord… Well, you certainly changed that perspective, though he likes to say he’s still too old and you ought to spend your life with someone else. Because he thinks it’s the right thing to do, and you deserve it - and with the upcoming war - he gets the ring. Brynden is actually flustered the whole time, giving you a curt and honest proposal. He wants to be with you until the rest of his days - even if they’re numbered - if you’ll have him. No fancy ceremony, ideally, it’s just the two of you. The ring itself is unusual and also not traditional. It’s cool silver with black etchings, and the sigils are your house’s sigil or a favorite flower. It’s not very Tully, except for a small chain of trout engraved on the inside.

EDMURE TULLY

He’s completely confident in this proposal. And why not? You both adore each other, the marriage has been planned for well over a year now, he has just the right place to ask you… Though he’s so excited, he ends up stumbling over some words while he asks you. The official arrangement had already been announced, but he still wanted to do something private and romantic. It was difficult for Edmure to keep the ring a secret. He oversaw every step of it being made, and when he notices you looking at it, it makes him very happy. It’s an elegant silver ring inlaid with diamonds, rubies and sapphires; the latter being in a wavy formation like the Tully banner. You think it’s a bit extravagant, but he says otherwise.

BRIENNE OF TARTH

She’s been thinking about it over and over… you can tell she’s been agonizing about something for months. Finally she shyly presents you with a pretty and simple gold bracelet she figured you could always wear; stumbles over her words to explain it, then you understand her meaning. Yall find an abandoned sept and do cute lil vows and shes crying lol. You rlly want her to wear something similar and she’s just blushing the whole time but she agrees; she takes extremely good care of the necklace/bracelet and wears it under her armor.

RAMSAY BOLTON

Your parents and Roose made the arrangement, so you and Ramsay had little say in the matter. Still, he loves to play his roles, so he wanted to play the part of the attentive, doting lord, especially in front of your family. Though you’re surprised by the unusual ring he gives you; it’s two smooth rings interlocking with each other. The proposal is a little intense and unsettling, but you notice something when he puts it on your finger. He has small burns on his fingers, like had smithed it himself… And you wonder how he knew your ring size… Later on, when you both are married and living in the Dreadfort, sometimes he’ll take your hand and run his thumb over the cold ring.

ROOSE BOLTON

You both were officially engaged for some time, so he didn’t have to do any sort of proposal. When you both were at a private, quiet place in the gardens, and he took your hand. You weren’t expecting it at all. It was simple enough. He promised to look after you, to ensure your protection and health. It almost seemed… genuine, though those eyes were cold as ever. The ring was another surprise. You realized it was an heirloom, but it still looked impeccable. It was iron that was twisted into an elegant shape, with rubies and morganite. The largest ruby was in the center, shaped like a tear-drop… or maybe that was a blood-drop? You notice afterward he’ll glance at your hand each time you meet, as if concerned you wouldn’t wear it.

OBERYN MARTELL

You both had been paramours for years now, and you didn’t need the ring to be happy or official… So it surprised you when after a wonderful evening of dancing and drinking, and pressing against each other in the gardens, he asked you the question. It was romantic, like you’d expect, but also so earnest. Oberyn always wears his feelings on his sleeves, but this didn’t seem like a spur-of-the-moment passionate proposal. His words seemed like he’d worked on them for a long time. Oberyn is understanding if you want to stay paramours and not an official Lady Martell, as that title comes with trappings and expectations. He just had to ask you and hear your acceptance. The ring he gives you is gold, with vibrant topaz and rubies. The inside is engraved with the spear of Martell. You later learn from his brother that it’s a beloved family heirloom.

BERIC DONDARRION

The two of you don’t have much, but you’ve been in love for a long time and he very much wants a “proper” ceremony to express that. He shyly proposed to you in the moonlight after you both made love, and the almost desperation in his voice surprised you. He gave you a smooth, iron ring with a faint design of interwoven flames. The “ceremony” is a drunk Thoros and equally drunk septon his men found, for a double ceremony! It’s extra luck! Or something like that. Beric insists that makes it even more official, and he’ll marry you under a Godswood too, if you come across one. He’s full of smiles and wants to bridal carry you every chance he gets.

#got imagine #got x reader #game of thrones imagine #game of thrones x reader

[shieldofrohan]

Unpopular take but I don't know why people think Martin hates Sansa? To me, he likes her a lot. I only sympathize with Arya when I read the books for the first time and even then I didn't demonize Sansa because of her. After rereading a few times, you notice that every Sansa action is explained and it's obvious that she does nothing in bad faith, that's why I was shocked because people think she's a bad person. Now I read arya's agot chapters and I'm like: that's a jealous little girl lol. I just hope that george doesn't do another cat x lysa with then. But I agree with you when you say men help Arya meanwhile Sansa is always groomed, though I think this is because he is too fascinated by the Lolita thing and not because Arya is better than her.

Hello Anon,

Previous asks:

X1

X2

X3

All Martin has ever done was saying that Tyrion is fav character and he also said that he loves Ary* the best too. His first choice is always Tyrion though. And he also makes it clear that he LOVES all POVs.

Tyrion is my favorite character. Okay?  OKAY?  Can we PLEASE put that one to rest??  I love all my viewpoint characters, Arya and Sansa and Bran, Jon Snow and Brienne, Arianne and Cersei and Jaime, Theon, even Victarion and the Damphair, ALL of them, but I love Tyrion the bestest. Tyrion son of Tywin, the Imp, second son of Casterly Rock. How many bloody times do I need to say it?? 

src

He loves all of them. Good ones, bad ones.

Like I said before, Sansa represents the romantic side of him and one of the main themes of the series. His writing really gets more beautiful when he writes her POVs.

Asoiaf is different from the other fantasy books because it is more of a political series in a fantastical world and guess what, which Stark kid is more in those political plots?

Sansa leaves home to become a QUEEN, she lives as a lady and a political/war prisoner in the CAPITAL of the kingdom, she meets and observes other big players, she survives KL and now she is learning about politics and ruling even more in Vale under Baelish's teaching. So she is one of the main characters for the political arc of the series and she is going to be the WINNER of this arc. For Martin, she is very important. His bad or problematic choices don't come from his hatred, he is just writing the way he likes...

We can criticize him but I can't see him hating her (but I do believe he sometimes plays with the readers to make them to dislike her... average minded readers but still..)

My Martin = Ned idea is on point. Ned loves all of his children (Robb, Jon, Sansa, Ary*, Bran, Rickon) but like all parents he has a fav one: Ary*, Cat's fav was Bran for example.

Parents having fav children is usually a very subtle thing. This doesn't affect family dynamic that much but the moment it goes too far or gets repeated too many times, the problems start and other kids get hurt and this starts to affect their mood and choices in life. It happens to Sansa in AGOT. Even in her first POV, we see her feeling cheated by her father because him favoring Ary* more:

None of which stopped Ary*, of course. One day she came back grinning her horsey grin, her hair all tangled and her clothes covered in mud, clutching a raggedy bunch of purple and green flowers for Father. Sansa kept hoping he would tell Ary* to behave herself and act like the highborn lady she was supposed to be, but he never did, he only hugged her and thanked her for the flowers. That just made her worse.

[AGOT- Sansa I]

Sansa can senses that their father is treating them differently and she feels like he gives more to Ary* when Sansa is the one who is trying to do more. Sansa's hurt doesn't get enough attention from Ned in the books:

“Ary* started it,” Sansa said quickly, anxious to have the first word. “She called me a liar and threw an orange at me and spoiled my dress, the ivory silk, the one Queen Cersei gave me when I was betrothed to Prince Joffrey. She hates that I’m going to marry the prince. She tries to spoil everything, Father, she can’t stand for anything to be beautiful or nice or splendid.”

“Enough, Sansa.” Lord Eddard’s voice was sharp with impatience.

[AGOT; Sansa]

So yeah Ned fails as a father and this shapes Sansa's choices in AGOT. BUT in the very end Ned still sacrifices his honor and his life for her. Because he LOVES her.

And Martin is the same. He favors Ary* more and while doing that Sansa suffers sometimes. Because of his writing choices average readers like Ary* more but he probably wasn't expecting this kind of hate in fandom. I am sure that he wanted to fool readers to root for Ary* and love her more than Sansa but he wasn't trying to make a statement like: Ary*-Good, Sansa-Bad.

He was just trying to put drama in the family (choosing two sisters for this was a problematic choice imo... like whole Lysa-Cat thing. But I believe that in the end they'll become closer as siblings like in the show).

BUT in the end, Martin loves Sansa and he cares about her. He is writing a triumphal story for her. He is believing in her and he is going to make her the queen of the place that his whole story had started. A beautiful love story when you look at it this way.

Yes he has made too many mistakes when it came to Sansa but the general feeling of love is still there.

About Lolita book, I don't know if Martin has ever said anything about that book but the "unreliable narrator" is really his thing so... possible. But in Asoiaf he gives enough narrative to tell that all those men are abusing Sansa. I don't like that subtext thing as a writing choice but at least Martin gives the clues for the REAL story, but idiot readers choose to ignore them.

Martin, sweety, most of your readers are stupid honey...

And yes Ary* suffers from rereadings while Sansa is getting better and better with every reread so people start to like her more and like their old favs less.

Thanks for the ask, have a nice day.

#mine #asoiaf #answered #anon #ask #sansa stark #anti arya stans #anti arya stark #just to be safe #grrm #grrm=ned

[melrosing]

did they actually read the chapter? Jaime is exhibiting sexual attraction to Brienne within the first few pages, there is never going to be this choice between a sex life and an inspiring woman or whatever. it's so demeaning to Cersei as well to reduce her to Jaime's sex life, and deny Brienne sexuality on the other hand because she's not beautiful.

okay, I think what was actually said on this podcast is going to get lost in translation over here if I just kind of vaguely refer to arguments I disagreed with. so to start with, I think anyone who's interested in what the NotACast guys and Dr Shiloh had to say on Jaime & Brienne would be best off listening to it themselves, I really don't want to misrepresent them here.

but I'll share the quote I was referring to, and preface that by saying that PoorQuentyn/Emmett does flat out state earlier in the episode that yeah, Jaime is sexually attracted to Brienne. he refers to the usual quotes, i.e. Jaime eyeing up her calves, picturing her in a dress, admiring her eyes, etc, etc. so far so good lol, obviously we've very much been over all that over in this sphere of fandom, but NotACast is most popular amongst fans from different spheres, including many fans who have not engaged at all with the discourse around JB. so, makes sense to include these foundational readings in the podcast.

anyway, the quote I was referring to (don't look at me transcribing is a weird hobby of mine):

PQ [1:19:56]: It’s interesting to me that you have this… kind of trying to decouple the courtly elements from the sexual elements? Because Jaime and Brienne do have that - more kind of - the chaste elements of the romance, with the actual sexuality kind of displaced onto Cersei. And it does feel like… it does feel like to me on some level that Jaime kind of wishes he could combine these two women. Like that would be the ideal for him*laughs*. As if he could force Brienne and Cersei into like, a machine from The Fly or something, and just make himself… that for him would be kind of the ideal, and I wonder if what George is trying to do is make that romantic ideal impossible for Jaime, by splitting it into two people. And saying, you can either have… your traditionally beautiful woman, you know, who you’ve been obsessed with, and your partner, or you can be with a person who makes you feel like a true knight. But these are antithetical. And I think that’s interesting.

(I'm putting the rest under the cut because this is long.)

this take is actually kind of bizarre when you consider the fact that, as I said, PQ has already acknowledged that there is a sexual element to JB. perhaps he's just riffing off of the convo BBF and and Dr Shiloh have just had where they wonder where to place Cersei in the conversation between JB and Arthuriana. personally I'd say that Cersei doesn't really belong in that conversation, and that's kind of the point: Jaime's wanted her to, but she never has. however, Dr Shiloh argues that Cersei and Brienne parallel the two women in Lancelot's life, where Lancelot is Jaime, Cersei = Guinevere, Brienne = Elaine of Corbenic (I... do not agree lmao but that's a separate matter)

so PQ's following on from this strain, comparing and contrasting the roles of Brienne and Cersei in Jaime's narrative, just feeling around for what sounds right by the looks of it. however! this does not sound right to me. let's unpack!!!!

It’s interesting to me that you have this… kind of trying to decouple the courtly elements from the sexual elements? Because Jaime and Brienne do have that - more kind of - the chaste elements of the romance

so as we've just established, there are sexual elements to JB in Jaime I alone, but they do not stop there: they get more pronounced. in fact by Jaime III they're already pretty explicit: JB have that entire sword fight in the river that is literally screaming look at their physical chemistry (I wrote more on that here) - the whole fight is half written as a sex scene, it's not remotely subtle.

and of course the undertones continue, to the point that they're not even undertones anymore, it's just Jaime getting an erection in the bath as he stares at Brienne's naked body.

but there are courtly elements too, and I won't list all of them off but these are best encapsulated in Jaime IX, where JB are almost meeting again for the first time, as they might in a traditional courtly setting where Jaime is dressed as a dashing knight and Brienne is dressed as a highborn lady, and they kind of awkwardly compliment each other, and instead of the lady bestowing a sword and a quest upon her knight it's the other way round, etc etc you know I love this shit lmao ANYWAY

so it's pretty clear Jaime and Brienne have both bases covered: the courtly and the sexual, and that they do, as the hosts observe in the episode, switch between the roles of the knight and the damsel. the whole point is that they gel perfectly: in falling in love they do not force the other into a contained role, but rather liberate the other from what was a contained role.

MEANWHILE.

...with the actual sexuality kind of displaced onto Cersei.

is the 'actual sexuality' displaced onto Cersei? or is it just that Cersei is the only person Jaime has had sex with so far? as we've established, Jaime and Brienne have a distinct physical chemistry, and we even get a subtle little comparison between this and that which Jaime has with Cersei here:

Her arm was all gooseflesh, clammy and chilled, but she was strong, and gentler than he would have thought. Gentler than Cersei, he thought [JAIME V, ASOS]

Cersei has been his only partner for all of his life, but that does not make her his perfect match in that respect.

moving on.

I wonder if what George is trying to do is make that romantic ideal impossible for Jaime, by splitting it into two people. And saying, you can either have… your traditionally beautiful woman, you know, who you’ve been obsessed with, and your partner, or you can be with a person who makes you feel like a true knight. But these are antithetical.

so PQ says on the one hand Jaime has Cersei, who is his passionate, beautiful, lifelong partner, and on the other there's Brienne, a chaste figure who makes him feel good about himself. and that these two things are antithetical, making the romantic ideal impossible for Jaime.

so. to start with, nowhere does ASOIAF state that Brienne can't be a passionate partner. she hasn't had the chance to be one yet, no, but this is, er, a story, things change and evolve, and we literally have evidence of passion between Jaime and Brienne on the page already.

second, Brienne is not beautiful, that's right! but that doesn't mean she falls short of a romantic ideal for Jaime??? I know I always bring up JB x Beauty and the Beast, but come on, they are literally based on a fairytale that says that love isn't about beauty, it's about the heart. and in any case, Jaime has been shown experiencing sexual attraction to women like Hildy and Pia (post-injury), who are not what society calls beautiful. he admires Cersei's beauty, sure, but we don't see anywhere that it is of the utmost importance to Jaime that his partner is beautiful. it's important to Cersei - but not Jaime.

third, PQ points out that Cersei's this lifelong obsession for Jaime, and surely that counts for something in balancing her against Brienne. well... no?? Jaime's obsession with Cersei has been based on the lies he tells himself about her, and the lies she's told him. Jaime has desperately wanted Cersei to be this benevolent figure that completes him, that he can love and protect as a true knight. she isn't, and he realises that now, and has unambiguously left her. of course he still thinks about her, it was a lifelong relationship, it was that thing he always thought of when he wanted comfort and to feel less alone, but that doesn't mean that he can't appreciate the lie in that, and the futility of his obsession.

so Brienne is not antithetical to what Cersei never was in the first place. in fact, Brienne is very much the kind of woman Jaime has wanted in Cersei (honest, loyal, loving), but simultaneously, yes, a person who inspires him, and who is just as capable of playing the role Jaime once assigned to himself. Jaime always believed his duty was to protect and comfort Cersei. with Brienne, he finds he can also be protected himself, and comforted himself. that's that whole damsel/knight switcheroo that NotACast were so taken with. that's the romantic ideal being, actually, perfectly possible for Jaime and Brienne both, it just... doesn't look as they thought it did.

ANYWAY. that's my thoughts on that. and for the record I do not think the podcast is bad or that the hosts are stupid and the last thing I want to do here is encourage any negativity towards them. I just thought that take was daft and wanted to take it apart with my bare hands lmao

#ask #jaime x brienne #asoiaf

[buttercuparry]

I wonder if those who outrage against "masculinized" female characters ever stop to consider that the more our society is progressing, we are moving further away from the concept of gender roles. And that what you are into and what you do is actually a personal quirk and not something that classifies you.

I mean the manliest heterosexual cis man to have ever manned can find embroidery soothing. Like his love language can be gifting his friends pretty embroidered things. It is not a question of his capacity to be "feminine"...it is a question of talent and passion.

I think when fandom characterizes Arya as this masculine coded violent girl- they just can't fathom that a young girl can ever have any other interests than those who came before her. But if it is all about aesthetics, how come Arya cooing over babies, her collecting flowers, her scrubbing floors, prepping meals etc are not considered part of it?

Here is the thing though, gushing over babies is not something that's limited to the female. Samwell ( I know I use him as an example a lot) sang lullabies to his baby brother. He loved this particular nightly ritual till his father thought it "soft" and put an end to it. Soothing babies is not being soft, it's providing them with the emotional care they need. And the only reason it seemed freakish to Randyll Tarly is because this care was being provided by his son. And that's bullshit.

I also think the matter of this supposed criticism resides in part with stereotypes of sexuality. I mean the most tradfem of the characters is headcanoned to have one hundred and one children. While a mother who lost her son in womb is deemed to forever remain infertile. Like I know Dany was cursed by Mirri Maz Duur but this is a fantasy series! Anything can happen. And even if one claims this to be a personal view on the text, linking infertility to her supposed madness is not it.

I feel like there was this checklist going on where they have stuff like: do male characters lust after these women, do these characters dress up prettily, are they attracted to men- if so then they are the definition of feminine. When unfortunately Dany passed all of these ( even the one with many gross male characters almost wanting to prey on her)- they went with the infertility- madness thing.

They can't do this with Brienne because I think Grrm has made it impossible to do so with her. She actively tried to participate in the role subscribed to her but was made fun of by those around her. So she took to knighthood. It has been abundantly made clear that she loved Renly and there is this weird push and pull between her and Jaime. And it's weird how much the scale of femininity lies not with the characters, but in the kind of association this character has with a man. And Jaime is one of the most "desireable" man of Asoiaf. Brienne not being in the way of the one who they think is embodiment of the feminine helps too I guess.

I think this is what stumps them about Arya. It doesn't matter how much she says: the woman is important too. How much she whines when people call her a boy. To them it is all about aesthetics. They go: is she wearing pretty dresses? And they answer is: her dresses are muddy because she runs around in it just as a child would do. They go: okay does she like wearing them- the answer is she never complained before. Only perhaps during her whole riverland arc because she thinks it is impractical. And to them these immediately translate into- but! But!! Sansa was said to be a lady at three. She never thought to go against that which was prescribed to her!! Demureness and subservience is what is feminine!! And also dresses, songs, dancing, embroidery are absolutely hated by Arya because these represent traditional femininity and she has internalized misogyny so she would rather fence and horse ride and wear pants as they symbolize her affinity to the masculine.

They are so so obsessed with a particular kind of beauty and if it is all soft and demure. And of course how it appeals to the male gaze ( all those edits about how beautifully sansa suffers) . Arya is targeted because she in the text is set up against someone who can be whitewashed into their idea of the feminine. Which is why there is this repeated conjecture and criticism of fancasts because how can Arya look like that ? She is afterall called horsefaced (doesn't matter if it's done by bullies) and there is nothing feminine about her ( she is too rebellious)!

This again brings in the case of Lyanna. Right now the fandom is fawning over Elia but there was a time when the most common theory was Arya inherited Lyanna's willfulness while Sansa has her aunt's beauty and femininity. Even now in bits and pieces I get to see this take because how can someone fight over one who looks like Arya.

And what does Arya look like? A pre-pubescent child. Because she is one. And with all the trying to stay alive while disguised as a boy: yeah I think personal grooming wasn't the first thing that was on her mind back then. But all these somehow reinforces her masculinity. Her having no option and turning up to the HoBaW and having to play by their rules somehow does the same. And I think last of all this is what forms the crux of it.

Arya's storyline is her own. She hasn't yet been to a place where her themes can get intertwined with a male character. Up until now her story provides a commentary that is purely her own, independent of any man. And I say this because I know how GoT was written, I see what is happening with Rhaenyra and Alicent in HoTD. I feel like in asoiaf fandom the trend is that themes discussed about women characters often end up being more about their male ship partners. Or they are completely removed from any significant action- and moved as passive pieces across the storyboard in a way that would best glorify or vilify a man.

So here is a female character who is on a journey that is solely her own. It cannot be twisted into anything relating to any man. And I think this at a subconscious level feels peculiar to them. Which is why show!Arya got butchered because to D&d Arya's rebellion got translated into " I want to be one of the boys".

And I think this is why there is also this urge to headcanon her as someone who won't be interested in romance. They don't see her admiring Gendry when he is working, the sensuality of her interaction with Jaqen in the bath house ( i know it's creepy. Grrm at times makes me want to side eye him), that Jon literally compares Ygritte to Arya. Romance to them looks unnatural on anyone who is not playing by "norms".

#arya stark

[mrsjadecurtiss]

Honestly I don’t think Roose will be killed by Stannis. He has a bunch of characters who has an “unfinished business” with:

CAT: Well he killed her son and was one of the major planners of the RW. She is actually searching revenge against who hurt her family, and while she is now more focused on Freys I think it would be fair if they meet again (maybe resulting in his endgame?)

JAIME: Roose made Jaime an indirect victim of the RW. He involved him only to make a joke and this action resulted in forcing Brienne to kill him. This literally ruined his life and I’d love to see Roose’s reaction if he finds out.

ARYA: for the mere motive to make him know he had lady Arya Stark next him for months. That would be hilarious. Also because Arya will def put him in her list when she finds out he was the perpetrator of the massacre who killed her mom (she revived but whatever) and brother.

Lastly, but this isn’t going to happen, that would have been cool to see an interaction between him and Barristan, since the last time they met Roose urged Robert to kill him.

What to you think about that?

Agree!

I don't think some of these necessarily need Roose to be there in the flesh to have a payoff - Cat i always get the vibe that she is going stay in the riverlands and meet Arya there (presumably giving the gift of mercy?), and i think it might actually be counterproductive to her themes if she gets the roose thing resolved neatly in person; since her story is part of the theme of how toxic revenge is, and i think part of accepting that revenge is toxic is accepting that some things just never get resolved properly and that you have to learn to live with it. Revenge after all is an idea of balance, eye-for-an-eye, forcing the world to "make sense" like Arya does in her list; but for your own mental health it is good to sometimes let things go and prioritize your own thriving, instead of trying to force a conclusion that might never come to be and whose pursuit drains you. Similarly I think Roose will escape Arya’s list due to timing, since hopefully she will have resolved that issue by the time she comes back north.

I do hope the “Jaime Lannister sends his regards” gets brought up again because it is a pretty iconic moment, and it wouldnt be the first time that jaime is haunted by something Roose said... Maybe during the Stoneheart confrontation there will be some moment that clears things up a little.

The Arya cupbearer thing seems likely to get brought up again as well, since he is now passing Jeyne off as Arya to marry to his son, and aDwD also establishes that he has an ear for the difference between noble and peasant accents; seems like an irony an author wouldnt wanna pass up on.

"Nymeria," she said. "Only she called me Nan for short." - "You will call me my lord when you speak to me, Nan," the lord said mildly. -  Arya IX, aCoK

He did not understand. "My lord? I said—" - "—my lord, when you should have said m'lord. Your tongue betrays your birth with every word you say.” - Reek III, aDwD

Barristan bringing up Roose again would be so cool considering that flashback is Roose’ first appearance in the books... Unsure what would cause Barristan to randomly remember it since he has no business in the North, but i’d be very pleased... Generally id love to see some Robert’s Rebellion era person reminisce about him in some way.

One thing i also assume will get a payoff is Domeric having been fostered in the Vale; It’s too big a coincidence that not only Sansa is there, but that she is also directly interacting with the people that knew Domeric (Horton Redfort and his sons, potentially Mya and others). If Sansa is really going to rally the Vale swords north while there are still Boltons there, she might get mixed responses instead of the unquestioned support Littlefinger envisions; alternatively if the Boltons are away from power by then the Redforts might have some other influence on the north that references them.

“Domeric. A quiet boy, but most accomplished. He served four years as Lady Dustin's page, and three in the Vale as a squire to Lord Redfort. [...] Redfort said he showed great promise in the lists. A great jouster must be a great horseman first."  - Reek III, aDwD  

“Jon Arryn's bannermen will never love me, nor our silly, shaking Robert, but they will love their Young Falcon . . . and when they come together for his wedding, and you come out with your long auburn hair, clad in a maiden's cloak of white and grey with a direwolf emblazoned on the back . . . why, every knight in the Vale will pledge his sword to win you back your birthright.” - Alayne II, aFfC

In general, from a character and thematic lens, i think Roose isn’t done yet either... aDwD felt much more like a buildup than a conclusion, steadily increasing the pressure while not yet giving us a proper payoff. Roose was one of the minds behind the worst and most memorable event in the entire book series and has affected a number of characters especially in the north, so it would be strange to me if he is just removed early on in tWoW. On a character level he is connected to some of the deeper themes of the books like apathy/coldness, the game of thrones, abuse of the people perceived as lower, using others for your own gains... I think however he leaves the story, it will be in a strong thematic statement, and in a way that reads unique to him and the purpose his character fulfils.

This post is long so I wont post all my tWoW speculation, but one thing that feels likely is that he will probably show up in Asha’s PoV after the battle of ice 🤔 Since Theon and Asha are currently two PoVs in the same place, they will probably be sent seperate ways; there is a lot of speculation that Theon will join the wall storyline, which makes sense to me considering Jon's death was likely planned for a while by the author, while Melisandre’s PoV appears to be a lategame addition - So Theon might have been intended to provide an additional wall PoV in Jon’s absence. This then leaves Asha as the PoV in Stannis’ camp who will probably have eyes in Winterfell.

#asks #anonymous #asoiaf meta #roose bolton #asoiaf

[onthesandsofdreams]

In Dreams [6/?]

Pairing: SanSan Summary:  Arya grinned and pulled a book, the title? Old Houses and their Histories. Words: 1146 Notes:  I debated with the ending of this chapter, but, I have a good reason why I picked that will be explained in the next chapter, promise.

Read @ AO3

After making that promise, Sansa pulled her phone and texted Arya, ‘I got ghostly news. Meet me at the dog park in half an hour?’

Arya’s text came a few moments later, ‘Will do, have news!!!’

She smiled. That was one of the things that she loved about her sister, Arya was an endless bundle of enthusiasm and thirst for adventures. Arya had always been bolder than her, something that had been a source of conflict when they were younger, but now, as adults, they realized how well they worked in teams.

She washed her dishes, grabbed Lady’s things and said, “Come on, Lady. Dog park time!”

Lady’s enthusiasm was visible and she laughed, Arya liked to say that one day Lady would break because of the way she moved when she was excited. But Lady was also well mannered, when she approached with her leash, Lady sat and waited until it was done. They made their way to the car and after making sure that Lady would be safe, off they went.

They met Arya at the entrance, hugged and as they made their way into a bench to sit, Arya said, “You will not believe what I found, Sans!”

She arched a brow, “Oh?”

Arya grinned and pulled a book, the title? Old Houses and their Histories. Her eyes grew wide and she was sure that her mouth would hit the ground, “How?” She gasped.

“Jon’s friend, Sam Tarly know books better than anyone I know. And he somehow managed to find this.”

She took the book in her hands, it was clearly old and well loved. “My goodness,” she whispered.

“There’s a whole chapter on your house, Sans.” Arya gave her a smug look. Then, her eyes searched her face. “And how does it go, having a ghost as a guest?”

Still distracted by the book, she spoke without thinking. “His name is Sandor Clegane. I met him in my dreams.”

A beat of silence and then, the book was yanked out of her hands, when she looked up in annoyance, she found Arya gaping at her. She blinked, that was not an expression she saw often in her sister. When she realized what she had said, her own eyes grew wide. “Um, I can talk to him in my dreams?”

Arya leaned forward, a glint in her eye. “I swear if you don’t tell me everything, I will move with you and try to talk to him. Sans, that’s so cool! Oh my Gods, you can talk to a ghost!” Arya hissed in excitement, remembering where they were. “Wait, you’re not scared?”

She shook her head, “Nope. He has been nothing but polite. In fact, he woke me up when an intruder came.”

“Woah,” Arya’s eyes were wide.

She sighed and told Arya everything that she had spoken with Sandor. And about her promise about doing what she could to find what had happened with his sister. Arya listened without interrupting once, an odd thing for her, but she was thankful.

“Well, Sans, I guess you have your work cut out for you. Wait! Is he related to someone named Gregor Clegane? I was once doing research on fighters and he came up, ‘The Mountain’, they called him. By all the accounts, an animal.”

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I will ask him next time I see him.”

Arya nodded, then looked at her watch, “Shit, I gotta meet Gendry soon. Keep me posted okay? Call me whenever, I’m so excited about this!”

She laughed, “Will do. Thanks for the book Arya. Love you.”

“Love you too,” And with that, Arya left.

***

She remained in the dog park a while longer, taking her time to read about her house in the book. Her eyes grew wide when she read, ‘And Lord Jaime, knowing the madness of Aerys, did what he could to ensure those who were in danger from him could flee. Going so far as to hide them in a hidden room in the carriage house. Lady Brienne, steadfast did her part by sewing letters into clothing so they could be smuggled out.

‘Both of them are remembered as truly honorable people who did their best to survive and help others do so. Lord Jaime, a friend of Sandor Clegane, offered him aid when the latter was badly wounded in battle. Going so far as to oversee his funeral when Clegane passed away in his house, in the Green Bedroom. However, where a warrior of the mettle of Clegane is buried is something that, unfortunately, been lost to time.’

She closed her book and called Lady. She had too many ideas spinning in her head. Somewhat dazzled, she made her way back home. Made herself a late lunch, did some more research about Sandor, and she felt sick at finding that, indeed, Gregor Clegane was related to Sandor. His elder brother, it horrified her to learn what that monster did. But all the records said that he had died around the same time as Sandor. But so far, not as much luck about Sandor’s sister.

She frowned, she would have to go back to the library and do her best to find the genealogical tree. But at least, knowing that Gregor was Sandor’s brother, should make things easier.

To try and take her mind off gruesome things, she did more online shopping. Happy to find a small treasure in eBay in the form of an old desk that would go fantastic in one of her guest bedrooms. She also managed to find lamps that she liked, and in Etsy, she got herself some art prints.

She had a light dinner when the time came. She watched a movie with Lady to unwind and then, she fell asleep.

***

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in the clearing with Sandor. When he spotted her, he bowed to her, “Miss Stark.”

“Please, call me Sansa,” she told him with a smile.

Sandor nodded once, “As you wish, mi– Sansa.”

She smiled at him. “I have not found anything about your sister yet.” She told him apologetically. “I got a book that said that you died in the green bedroom, can you tell me which one it is?”

“Two doors down from yours,” Sandor spoke. “And do not worry about not finding anything yet. I am just thankful that you are trying to find her. It eases my mind somewhat.”

She bit her lip, hesitating, but then she realized, that only he could tell her more information. Not only about the house, but about himself and his death. “I saw that you had a brother,” she spoke quietly. “He sounded awful, I read he died around the same time as you did. Did you know?”

Sandor scowled, “Aye, I did know. I beheaded him, after all.”

Her eyes grew wide.

#sansan #sansa x sandor #sansa & arya #sansa stark #arya stark #sandor clegane #asoiaf fic #asoiaf #au: modern westeros #multipart: in dreams

[wackygoofball]

Moodboard - Jaime x Brienne - Queen Brienne AU

After the death of Aerys Targaryen at the hands of a man of his own Kingsguard, the battle over the Iron Throne ravages across the Seven Kingdoms. The smallfolk suffers for the ambition of the lords and ladies with their eyes set on the crown.

Despite their efforts and the sheer endless bloodshed, no contestant can take the Iron Throne. Instead, the wars continue to not just empty their armies but also their purses. And so, the rivaling alliances come together for parley to discuss what to do with this war-ridden nation.

After the discussions are over, the unexpected surprise is that a new ruler for the Seven Kingdoms is declared by all rivaling parties:

Brienne of Tarth, daughter to the late Evenstar, a plain girl not yet of age and no political ambition or knowledge. Perhaps most surprised about that decision is Brienne herself, when news reach her just what honor was bestowed upon her. She is brought to the capital and is crowned in front of the former contestants for the Iron Throne almost in a rush.

Assigned to her protection is none other than the Kingslayer, Jaime Lannister. A young man turned bitter ever since he slew Aerys Targaryen and since has not just the stigma of dishonor sticking to his white cloak but also the scorns and misgiving of the people who only see in him a man without honor. Brienne, for her part, is little impressed with the man, acting as though she was a fool for ever agreeing to take the crown. As though that was an alternative.

Brienne soon finds herself confronted with the harsh reality her protector lays out in not at all kind words. There is only one reason for her being Queen: The rivaling parties, their resources for war depleted, understood that they could not afford to continue the fight. And so, they settled for a royal candidate they believed could easily be overthrown. An ugly girl from a minor House, without her father’s protection and no good prospects of marriage or an heir, not just for matters of her age but also her looks and character, the Maid of Tarth. The moment the contestants for the Iron Throne have gathered new strengths, of that Jaime is sure, they will usurp her. Brienne is merely there to keep that uncomfortable chair warm until one of them sits down on it in her stead.

The young Queen will not give in without a fight, though. Her father raised her better than that. So long she sits the Iron Throne, she shall rule as justly as she can and protect her people from men and women only ever driven by their own ambition.

But the hardships just carry on without abandon, despite Brienne’s best efforts to grow into the role as the Queen of Westeros. The people don’t much care about her. She hardly knows how to speak in front of a crowd and cannot impress with her sheer beauty or grace. No one is as much as considering alliance with her, which leaves Brienne to run a country massively indebted and with no support to aid her people still suffering from the aftermath of the last war after the death of Aerys Targaryen.

Even her Small Council won’t fill with anyone beside Jaime’s brother Tyrion who is the only one to answer the Queen’s call. After all, why would you side with a Queen you know is not meant to last?

While Jaime finds her efforts admirable, he simply feels done with this whole ordeal, the game of thrones. He killed a man, so half a million could live, and still they scorn and laugh behind his back. His best act is his worst. And the Queen he is now sworn to protect makes it very hard for him to fulfill his solemn duty. Not only does she tend to sneak away in men’s clothes to the tourneys or to walk amongst her people in disguise, but she shows no trust in him as a member of her Queensguard.

On a journey to the Twins to meet with the recently proclaimed King in the North Ned Stark, Jaime lets her know some truths about how he became a member of the Kingsguard, how Aerys just wanted to spite his father with the act, how he did it for an ill love for his sister stuck at Storm’s End now, how people would have burned, had he not acted. And for the first time in his life, he dares to trust someone with his story, with himself. And to his even greater shock, for once, she does not push him away or call him a man without honor.

An attempt on the lives of both the King in the North and the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms is a fortune they barely dodge. Though as a result, a truce is born between the North and the remaining kingdoms, as Brienne wins Ned Stark’s trust by defending his family at the risk of her own life.

Though that solves only few problems. Many lords and ladies disagree with a King in the North staying in power. Thus, not much is gained out of the alliance that may secure Brienne’s throne. Not that the young Queen cares.

Honor compelled her, after all.

In the aftermath, Brienne decrees a change to the old rules and protocols: No man of a Kingsgaurd or now Queensguard should be forced to swear fealty for life. Not all rulers are good, and so, the Queensguard should not be forced to defend a bad King but protect the realm instead. As a result, a man of her Queensguard can choose to resign at any time. Brienne is fully aware that she is thus giving way to Jaime to resign and likely chase the ghosts of old awaiting him in the Stormlands. After all, as he told her, we don’t get to choose who we love. And Brienne cannot, in good conscience, choose to take that choice away from anyone.

To her great shock, however, she finds Jaime training the youths the very next day, with no intention to leave. Instead, he asks her to make him Lord Commander, as Barristan Selmy was gravely injured at the battle at the Twins and cannot continue his service to her. Brienne agrees to his choice and chooses him as her new Lord Commander.

Time seems to fly and moons turn to years that heal some of the wounds of the nation, but the heat of the fires of war is barely crackling beneath the surface of a fragile peace. Jaime is increasingly worried about his Queen. With only one person not against her - and yet no ally ready to ride into battle for her throne - Brienne is exposed to great dangers even a sword can’t protect her from. Jaime, since fully committed to not just her safety but to his Queen, is desperate to keep her safe.

While she is perhaps the most stubborn woman he ever met, Jaime long since harbors romantic feelings for her. Though Jaime knows he couldn’t possibly admit his feelings to her, let alone act upon them. Even if times weren’t as dangerous, Jaime fears that if he were to confess his true feelings and wishes, he would lose what he gained throughout the years: Her trust in him and his honor. Because he’d rather run away with Brienne, to where no one could find them, build a house, have a family, and grow old together. But for that, she’d have to forsake her vow to her country. And Jaime knows he couldn’t possibly ask of her to betray her vows for him without losing her.

As much as it pains him, well aware of Brienne’s own misgiving to such an idea, Jaime advises her to seek alliance through marriage. It is one of the few devices she has left to secure her throne. With a great House to support her, she may stand a chance against the impending war. And if she has an heir, too, all the more.

Brienne shows little care for his suggestion, though, readying herself for a fight instead of wedlock. After all, she is the Knight Queen in the eyes of everyone already. She once had a suitor who only ever sought her father’s riches. And Brienne won’t let herself be reduced to someone keeping the throne warm for a man to serve the duty she has fulfilled ever since the crown was put upon her head. Brienne understands that the people don’t love her, that no lord will ever desire her and choose to be by her side with all of himself, so Brienne will have to do it on her own.

She will fight to keep her vow, or die in the attempt.

Though her decision against an alliance by marriage is not only tied to her suspicion of any suitor’s true intentions. After all, her heart does no longer beat solely for her people, it also beats all the faster for the one man who went through all those hardships with her throughout the years, despite his reputation inspiring little confidence. Even if Brienne wanted to, she couldn’t say the words, take a vow she can only ever mean for her Lord Commander, her best advisor, her friend, her one true love. But she knows it is a futile kind of love, the way it always seems to be for her. And tempting as it may be to envision a life with him by her side, Brienne fears that her love for him may make her forsake her vows to her nation. Because she’d love him more. And Brienne wants to be the Queen he believes in.

After all, isn’t love the death of honor?

And so, while the war parties ready themselves for the next dance of blood and ashes, the Knight Queen and her Lord Commander must not only battle their own feelings but fight together to safeguard that which they swore to protect.

But in the game of thrones, you either live or die playing this most vicious game. So it may well be that their happier times of the past and their small prospects of a merrier future may well turn into faded memories in teh face of a long night...

Additional image sources: The Hollow Crown and The White Queen

#jaime x brienne #jaime lannister #brienne of tarth #game of thrones #moodboard #aesthetic #got moodboard #got aesthetic #braime #lannistarth #wacky tries gimp #ficlet #in smol #queen brienne au #coz i fuckin' love it #jb moodboard

[jeynearrynofthevale]

Cersei and Arya as Mirror Characters

The Lannisters and Starks as Mirrors: Part 1, Cersei and Arya (Spoilers Extended)

Many people have brought this up before but there are a lot of parallels and anti parallels between the Lannisters and the Starks. The tensions and connections between their story arcs only emphasize these. In this post series I’m going to explore some of these parallels and darker mirrors. Specifically between Cersei, Jaime, and Tyrion and Sansa, Arya, and Bran.

So, Cersei’s most explored Stark connection is definitely Sansa. They have a lot of really interesting interactions and their arcs with regards to the disillusionment in love and marriage (as a result of Joffrey and Robert) work together. But in this post, I’m going to look at the similarities between Cersei and Arya.

Now, the first time I really thought that a similarity between the two existed was reading the battle of the Blackwater. Cersei’s words really reminded me of something Arya would’ve said.

"Tears," she said scornfully to Sansa as the woman was led from the hall. "The woman's weapon, my lady mother used to call them. The man's weapon is a sword. And that tells us all you need to know, doesn't it?"

Both Arya and Cersei are very scornful of gender norms. They’re bitter about having the women’s role forced on them. Cersei can be seen as a darker Arya who had the ability to perform femininity despite her dislike for it. The major importance difference between the two is that Cersei’s internalized misogyny is really taken out on other women. She hates them and considers herself better and separate from other women. While Arya is much less hateful and more accepting of other women. Both Arya and Cersei grew up with brothers who got opportunities that they did not. It’s easy to see a young Cersei asking to be a king’s counselor because she doesn’t get why she can’t be.

“I would sooner face any number of swords than sit helpless like this, pretending to enjoy the company of this flock of frightened hens.”

In this passage Cersei expresses her desire to fight. She wants to be active. She’s a character who does things and doesn’t like passivity. This strongly reminds me of Arya. Both of them wish to take up a “man’s role” and fight.

"When we were little, Jaime and I were so much alike that even our lord father could not tell us apart. Sometimes as a lark we would dress in each other's clothes and spend a whole day each as the other. Yet even so, when Jaime was given his first sword, there was none for me. 'What do I get?' I remember asking. We were so much alike, I could never understand why they treated us so differently. Jaime learned to fight with sword and lance and mace, while I was taught to smile and sing and please. He was heir to Casterly Rock, while I was to be sold to some stranger like a horse, to be ridden whenever my new owner liked, beaten whenever he liked, and cast aside in time for a younger filly. Jaime's lot was to be glory and power, while mine was birth and moonblood."

Both Arya and Cersei have experience dressing as the other gender before puberty when they could easily pass. While Arya does this for safety and still very strongly objects that she is a girl at times, Cersei would try to impersonate Jaime to experience his privilege. I would argue that neither Arya nor Cersei actually wish to be men. They both still identify as women but they simply want to have the opportunities and privileges that come with being men. A major difference between how Arya and Cersei came out was the parenting they received. It’s impossible to imagine Tywin placating Cersei with a sword the way Ned does with Needle for Arya. And Arya grew up with mother and while their relationship may have been complex, she was still loved and still had a female role model. Cersei and Arya receive the same educations and both get absolutely no pleasure from most of the activities expected to them. (This is not because of their ability or lack there of to perform them. Sansa and Brienne both like typically feminine pursuits even though Brienne really struggles to perform them.)

I would consider Cersei a dark mirror of what Arya may have become in a different world. I’m imagining an Arya who was sold into marriage as she would no doubt have been if the events of asoiaf had not unfolded. An Arya who has spent a decade in a stifling abusive marriage might be just as bitter and resentful as Cersei. And Cersei shows is how there almost is a silver lining to the complete tragedy of Arya’s story. Without the events, Arya would’ve probably lived a very similar life to Cersei. Eventually put in a miserable marriage in which her regret and hatred fostered for year because of society’s expectations. In the midst of tragedy, Arya has been able to forge her own path, one that doesn’t conform to society.

#asoiaf #arya stark #cersei Lannister #asoiaf meta #my meta #asoiaf parallels