bael-the-bard

[bael-the-bard]

They say she is the fairest woman in the world. Her hair is silver-gold, and her eyes are amethysts.

[bael-the-bard]

The wolves will come again.

#omgggg the colors of this gifset are a dream #arya stark #bran stark #rickon stark #sansa stark

[bael-the-bard]

DAENERYS APPRECIATION WEEK 2023 ↳ Day 4: Parallels with other characters → Dany and the other future leaders of Westeros (insp.)

Willas Tyrell → Heir to Highgarden Asha Greyjoy → Heir to the Iron Islands Tyrion Lannister → Heir to Casterly Rock Arianne Martell → Future Princess of Dorne Jon Snow → Lord Commander of the Night's Watch Arya Stark → Lady of Winterfell Bran Stark → Prince in the North Daenerys Targaryen → Rightful Queen of the Seven Kingdoms

[bael-the-bard]

Daenerys Targaryen + Non-Targaryen Houses of Descent

[bael-the-bard]

"Quiet," she told them, putting an arm around Weasel when the little girl came running up.

#arya stark

[bael-the-bard]

Every Arya & Lyanna parallel: → sword girls

ARYA

— She looked at the sword with wonder in her eyes. For a moment she was afraid to touch it, afraid that if she reached for it it would be snatched away again, but then her father said, "Go on, it's yours," and she took it in her hand. "I can keep it?" she said. "For true?" — "I never learned the lance, but I could beat you with a sword," said Arya.

LYANNA

— Lyanna might have carried a sword, if my lord father had allowed it.

[bael-the-bard]

DAENERYS APPRECIATION WEEK 2023 ↳ Day 7: Theories & Speculation → The Dragon has Three Heads

“The dragon has three heads,” she sighed. “Do you know what that means, Jorah?” “Your Grace? The sigil of House Targaryen is a three-headed dragon, red on black.” “I know that. But there are no three-headed dragons.” “The three heads were Aegon and his sisters.” ... The dragon has three heads. There are two men in the world who I can trust, if I can find them. I will not be alone then. We will be three against the world, like Aegon and his sisters. ... "The dragon must have three heads," he wailed, "but I am too old and frail to be one of them. I should be with her, showing her the way, but my body has betrayed me."

[bael-the-bard]

JONDANY AU: dune

Jon Snow, bastard son of Eddard Stark, Duke of Caladan, is preparing to join his family as they take control of the desert planet Arrakis in the name of the Emperor, Robert Baratheon. Jon is haunted by strange dreams of the desert, and of a girl with haunting violet eyes. Daenerys Targaryen, Princess of House Targaryen, fled as a child to Arrakis after the Emperor secretly ordered her family assassinated. Struggling to survive in the desert, Daenerys sustains herself with dreams of restoring her House and revenging herself against the Emperor. When House Stark is betrayed by the royal family, Jon takes refuge in the desert, and joins forces with the mysterious girl he met in his dreams. (insp.)

#snowstorm

[bael-the-bard]

jondany au  — stardust

—  now, if I’m not mistaken this means you have to come with me. you’re going to be a birthday gift for victoria, my true love. —  but of course! nothing says “romance” like the gift of a kidnapped injured woman!

#snowstorm

[bael-the-bard]

sI have an specific thing about Sansa-as-Alayne identifying with Jon, not only the things you pointed out about her respected position but... by virtue of not actually being one... she faces her identity much easier? She decides Alayne is older, she decides not to wear the flashiest clothing, she does not burden herself with being the Shame of an Honorable Man cause... she's not actually one. Jon never had the privilage of a chance in molding his own self, he was stamped with it since birth....

My main issue with trying to parallel Sansa’s Alayne persona with Jon’s very existence (see? it just sounds silly typing it out) is that, at the end of the day, it’s just that: a persona. Like you said, Sansa picked and chose what she believed would make Alayne most convincing. She formed Alayne’s personality. She controls Alayne’s thoughts and words. Sansa is very, very good at pretending, and that’s why she’s survived so much so far.

Sansa is so good that she can trick the reader into believing that her character-building is actually Sansa. But it’s not. It’s Alayne. Sansa Stark still exists. Sansa’s end goal (Winterfell) hinges on her identity as Sansa Stark. Hell, Alayne’s arc hinges on her true identity of Sansa Stark.

So Sansa is developing Alayne. She sees how Alayne is similar to Jon Snow, how they’re both bastards with lordly fathers, she sees how Alayne is treated different than Sansa would be treated, but being Alayne for less than a year does not give her insight into what Jon felt like being a bastard at Winterfell. Nor can Sansa ever fully appreciate Jon’s position because she will not be Alayne forever– eventually, at a time of her and Petyr’s choosing, she will be Sansa Stark again, and it’ll be like Alayne never existed.

Moreover, Alayne is in a unique position of privilege. She can ask for lemoncakes and deplete the Vale’s supply for lemons for it. She can sit with lords and ladies and speak with them. She isn’t ashamed of herself (which is a VERY big part of Jon’s identity crisis, because he was constantly ashamed of being a bastard). She is self-aware that she is a bastard, but only marginally, like when Harry behaves dismissively towards her upon first meeting her. Alayne is going to be betrothed to the heir of the Vale after Robert Arryn, who is almost certainly going to die.

Alayne is a very, very privileged bastard. Jon is a privileged bastard too, but nothing like this. Jon had to endure shame and derision and disrespect and Catelyn’s hate and Ned’s secrecy (which Jon had in turn translated as Ned being ashamed of him/his mother) for years. Alayne has not been brought this low. On the contrary, Petyr intends to have her hold the highest position available to her and is treated exceptionally well by practically everybody.

So no. Alayne cannot relate to Jon. She might understand his position better, they might have a few similarities, but they are superficial at best. I cannot imagine Jon and Sansa sitting down one day and Sansa saying “oh, I know all about being a bastard, I can totally relate now, listen to how well I was treated as one in the Vale” because I’m sure Jon would look into the camera like he’s on an episode of The Office. Plus, I don’t think Sansa’s that insensitive or deluded.

#jon snow

[bael-the-bard]

only in the asoiaf fandom you can get takes like "if a character doesn't comply with a wrongful status quo it's them who should just leave so that the wrongful status quo can safely live on for the most privileged few :)" like where did evolution go wrong....

[bael-the-bard]

stark to tully pipeline. rickon has been evicted bc i can’t comprehend him. it says cheekbones but the starks still have their baby fat in this diagram.

(black hair not block hair)

[bael-the-bard]

daenerys targaryen in flight

#daenerys targaryen #fanart

[bael-the-bard]

No. You are the blood of the dragon. The whispering was growing fainter, as if Ser Jorah were falling farther behind. Dragons plant no trees. Remember that. Remember who you are, what you were made to be. Remember your words. “Fire and Blood,” Daenerys told the swaying grass

—

“but you are also a Stark of Winterfell. You know our words.” “Winter is coming,” Arya whispered.

#daenerys targaryen #arya stark

[bael-the-bard]

Barefoot surefoot lightfoot, she sang under her breath. I am the ghost in Harrenhal.

X

she thought, I am a direwolf, and the ghost in Harrenhal. She put her broomstick back in its hiding place and followed him from the godswood.

Arya being the ghost in Harrenhal is a very underrated Arya/Lyanna parallel. As lyanna is also a remembered "ghost in Harrenhal".

[bael-the-bard]

EMILIA CLARKE for Harper’s Bazaar Russia, Feb 2020

[bael-the-bard]

Qarth is the greatest city that ever was or ever will be. It is the center of the world, the gate between North and South, the bridge between East and West, ancient beyond memory of man and so magnificent that Saathos the Wise put out his eyes after gazing upon Qarth for the first time, because he knew that all he saw thereafter should look squalid and ugly by comparison. - A Clash of Kings