#shireen is the only baratheon i answer too

[goodqueenaly]

Hi! I've been thinking about Westerosi inheritance laws for some time, perhaps you can help me to get some clarity?

We know that in the north, a man's daughters come before his brothers/ her uncles (as stated by Alys Karstark).

That is not always applied though, as seen by the Stark family tree.

In the south, there are more instances in which an uncle inherits before his niece (e.g. the Targaryens) but there are some instances in which inheritance works through the female line as well (Robert's 'claim' derives from his grandmother).

I've been wondering: If Robert had had a second brother, who in turn had a daughter and then predeceased her, would Stannis still be able to argue that his was the only legitimate claim or could a claim be made for said daughter? And if Stannis claimed the throne, could he afterwards leave it to Shireen or would the throne then fall to a distant male relative as his own claim derives from Salic law?

I know this is very theoretical and that there might not be a definite answer.

Thanks in advance ☺️

A claim can always be made, the question is whether anyone would support it. The Targaryen dynasty - which is to say, the only royal dynasty ever seen in united Westeros before the Baratheons - made pretty clear that a senior male-line female dynast would not succeed ahead of a male dynast from a more junior male line (given the examples of Daena and her sisters as well as Daenora). Now, the Baratheons were a new royal dynasty (albeit one which drew some justification for its succession from its links to the Targaryens), so it’s not guaranteed that they would have followed every Targaryen succession tradition strictly. Too we don’t know whether or not there were ever any ruling Baratheon ladies between young Royce Baratheon (the last Baratheon lord we see in F&B) and Lord Lyonel (although the familial foundational myth involving Argella Durrandon hardly gives a lot of hope there). Simply put, anyone who wanted to see this girl succeed might have argued that the Baratheons had always followed traditional Andal-First Men succession traditions, and so the next legitimate male-line heir should succeed, while anyone who didn’t want this girl to succeed would either claim the “Baratheon” children borne by Cersei were legitimate or that the Targaryens had established the Iron Throne as only passing to males.

And of course, to that point, we don’t know what Stannis or anyone else would have thought about such a girl. Stannis certainly believes IOTL that his own daughter has the right to succeed him in the absence of a legitimate son of his body, although he also demonstrated a willingness to name Renly his heir ahead of his daughter (again, in the absence of that son); we have no idea to what extent Stannis would or might have believed, for example, that Robert had intended to name him as heir ahead of this girl, or that this girl had no right to succeed. (Put aside whatever historical legal precedent Stannis might have wanted to draw from, given that we ourselves still don’t know the specific arguments made by, say, Viserys II or Maekar when they passed over their nieces.) Likewise, it’s even less clear what factions might have formed around this girl during Robert’s lifetime or during his death, or who would have tried to take control of - or get rid of - this girl after Robert’s death. (And all of this is obviously without knowing anything about this girl’s own personality and her own beliefs on rulership.)

#asoiaf meta #laws and customs #succession #alternate universe

[girddlepatchilles]

skipping out

This is just a fic in a modern Westeros au I wanted to play around with and may turn into a little series. Kind of Fall of the House of Usher-y.

Rhaenys hummed along to the radio as she continued to pack for the weekend getaway her boyfriend had planned. The annual Tyrell Garden Party was to occur at the family’s estate Highgarden, and it was to be the first event where Willas and Rhaenys were officially a couple. They’d been together for four years at this point, but they’d never really made it official in the eyes of the public. Both Rhaenys and Willas were quite private people and there were… outside forces who would not have approved of their dating. The Tyrell parents (and grandparent) still held a grudge over Willas’ injury during a friendly polo match and Rhaenys’ father was still trying to match her with every eligible (non-related) Valyrian man he could think of. The fact that Willas held no ill will toward Oberyn Martell for the accident meant nothing, nor did the fact that Rhaenys very publicly called out her family’s Valyrian supremacist tendencies. Rhaenys had met the Tyrells about six months ago and had won over the formidable Olenna Tyrell soon after meeting. 

Renly was still sour that the old woman liked Rhaenys almost instantly, although privately she suspected she’d won over Olenna by not even really trying. In truth she’d been more worried about winning over Mace and Alerie. Still… it would be nice to be able to attend more charity events on Willas’ arm, instead of “bumping into” each other. Her own family (or, rather her Mother’s family) adored Willas and had already insisted he attend the annual Martell New Years Extravaganza. The Targaryens? Well… she’d know after this weekend, wouldn’t she?

Her phone kept pinging as she packed, some notifications barely showing up before being replaced. Rhaenys knew he decision to skip the family gathering would not go over well, but she hadn’t expected to be inundated with messages. Most begged her to reconsider, others cajoled and bribed, while several just outright berated her. Cousin Maegor’s distinct all caps tirades had been deleted without reading. As were Daemon’s and Armond’s. Grand-Uncle Jaehaerys’ long winded “disappointed” text was deleted after she read the first paragraph. Rhaenyra had just outright told Rhaenys not to bother coming to any other event. The cousins she was closest to all sent messages of support and promises to catch up next weekend for a debrief. 

Everyone knew why the Conquerors wanted to gather the family. 

Everyone knew what Great Grandfather Aegon wanted to say. 

Everyone knew that this was where lines were about to be drawn. 

Rhaenys had already made her choice, and the person who needed to know the most already knew. She was considering just turning off her phone when Egg’s ringtone began to play. She grabbed her phone before Belarion could begin batting at it and answered it.

“Please tell me you’re not going to the family thing this weekend?” Egg didn’t even bother with a greeting. Rhaenys raised an eyebrow, reaching out to scratch Balerion behind his ears. Her wizened old cat was definitely hanging on more out of spite than anything these days, but he always wanted affection from his human. 

“Of course not. I’m going to Highgarden with Willas. Renly will probably be there too,” she replied. Not that anyone in the family really cared about their Baratheon cousins.

“Well… Dad just told Great Grandfather you were coming, and that you’d have good news,” Egg said. They both only called Rhaegar Targaryen “dad” because he hated it and used “baba” for their step-father Myles. Rhaenys scowled, her hand stilling in Balerion’s fur.

“What news?” she demanded. She heard Egg sigh on the other end of the line and heard Shireen murmur something she couldn’t quite make out.

“The news you’re getting engaged to Monterys Velaryon…” her brother sounded nervous, although at this point Rhaenys couldn’t even be mad. Her father’s insistence that she marry a man of “good Valyrian stock” was little more than a joke at this point. The first time he’d tried to set her up on a date with his appropriate Valyrian boy of the week, she’d been utterly furious. Now she just ignored her father and politely told whatever hapless man she was being set up with she wasn’t interested. Honestly, she’d go full non-contact with her father if he wasn’t the one paying her university fees.

“I mean… there will be news to tell after the weekend, but not that…” she conceded. Egg gasped loudly.

“You mean… is Willas proposing? Are you proposing?!” Egg must have gone out of his room and into one of the main areas of the share house he lived in, because suddenly Rhaenys could hear an episode of The Matchmaker: North blaring in the background. She grinned, blushing despite the fact her brother could not see her.

“Kind of? We kind of both proposed during our anniversary trip. He’s officially doing it during the party. Maximum media attention. A massive fuck you to Grandfather, the Old Man and Great Grandfather,” Rhaenys explained.

“Mama and Baba already gave their blessing.” Willas had insisted he ask both her mother and step-father for their blessing, especially since she considered Myles Manwoody her father more than Rhaegar. Egg chuckled and their conversation naturally fell to how the preparations were going for his trip to Essos, how Shireen was, even sharing gossip about their Martell cousins. By the time she hung up, she noticed Willas had left a text message to let her know he’d picked up the ring and was looking forward to seeing her tonight. Rhaenys smiled before sending three red hearts in reply. 

She’d met Willas during her first week of undergrad at university. He’d been finishing his final year of a Bachelors in Economics, while she was staring a Bachelors in Linguistics. She’d got lost on her way to her first lecture and he’d helped her find the right building. They’d properly been introduced a month later when her uncle, Oberyn Martell, had invited Rhaenys to one of his famous dinner parties. They’d hit it off almost instantly and only really started dating after a year of friendship. Now Rhaenys was completing her Masters in Linguistics, while saving funds to pay her own way to complete her PhD. Willas had graduated and was helping to run the Tyrell Education Fund, a charity designed to improve schools in low income areas. They’d recently decided to start looking for a house together, preferably one with enough room for Rhaenys’ two cats and one dog as well as Willas’ own hound. Rhaenys still remembered when she and Willas had shown up to her uncle’s dinner party the first time as a couple and he’d simply rolled his eyes.

“Why did I not see this coming?” he’d said. Rhaenys later heard that her sort-of-but-not-really aunt Ellaria had placed a wager with Oberyn about whether or not they would start dating. Ellaria had won. Willas had joined Rhaenys to celebrate the new year in Dorne and Uncle Doran had commented that he was a “fine young man”. 

As far as many of her Martell relatives were concerned, their wedding was only inevitable.

Only a handful of her Targaryen relatives knew about Willas, with a smaller number knowing how serious they were. Baelor Breakspear, Luke Velaryon, Baela and Rhaena Velaryon-Targaryen, all the younger black sheep of their family. Renly technically counted in this group, but the Baratheon cousins had been long exiled from family gatherings. They were all part of a group chat where they complained about the family and shared news about their lives that their relatives would not approve of. Like Baelor coming out as non-binary, or Luke deciding he wanted to live with his biological father and neither of his parents. Outside of Renly, none of her cousins had met Willas, but many of them quite approved of him. He was a kind man and unlike many of the men Rhaegar (and their relatives) wanted Rhaenys to date, he cared about the lives of the average person.  

Rhaenys finished packing her clothes, including a new dress in green and orange that was a nod to her Martell heritage and the fact she was due to join the Tyrells, when her phone rang again. She didn’t even have to check the screen to know it was her father. Rhaegar would undoubtedly want to try and talk her into coming along, to ensure his children could be pulled back into the family fold. Rhaenys ignored the call and busied herself with picking out jewellery to take on the trip. Moments later the phone rang again, this time with Lyanna’s ringtone. Despite everything, Rhaenys did somewhat get along with her step-mother and was pleased Lyanna was finally divorcing her father. She had yet to move out of Rhaegar’s gaudy townhouse in central King’s Landing, so Rhaenys let the call ring out just in case. She and Lyanna had set up a system when she was a teenager to ensure Rhae would know when it was actually her step-mother and not her father trying to trick her. The tone indicating that she’d got a new voicemail proved her suspicions correct. She stepped back to her bed and deleted the message without listening. 

Something something, family reputation, something something, I want what’s best for you…

She had just finished closing the final zipper on her case when one final call came through: Jon. Technically yet another Aegon to add to the list, he’d always been Jon amongst the family and most tended to forget what his birth certificate said. Rhaenys answered, peering out the window to see if Renly was waiting outside. With Willas already in Highgarden she was being driven up in a van Renly was hiring for the weekend. Apart from Rhaenys, he was also picking up Margaery and her new girlfriend from the university. 

“Hi Jon. Did Dad put you up to this?” she asked, stepping back from the window. Vhagar, a rather pampered hound, nudged his head under Rhaenys’ hand. She gave him a quick pat before sitting on the floor to allow him to drape over her lap.

“Actually, no. Although Mum is now yelling at him for taking her phone again,” Jon replied with an awkward chuckle.

“I was actually wondering… are you going to the thing this weekend?” Jon had never really felt welcome among the Targaryens, and Rhaenys knew he preferred to hang around her, Egg or Dany rather than try to mix with the rest of their relatives.

“I’m not, sorry. But Egg will be there. So will Dany, I think. She said something about wanting to introduce everyone to a new member of the family,” she replied, continuing to pat Vhagar. 

“Oh, right. Well… have fun at whatever you’re going to!” his tone sounded a little forced.

“Um, Rhae? I think I know why the event is happening… I… I’m not really close to Aunt Saera…” Rhaenys didn’t bother trying to hide her smile. She was entirely certain this was due to the Stark influence in his life.

“I haven’t checked lately to see if there are any changes, but I think everyone was wearing something purple? I’ll add you to the group chat,” Rhaenys explained. There weren’t many of them; just those few family members who weren’t so in awe of Grand-Uncle Jaehaerys that they failed to see the giant red flags. Even though she wasn’t going to be present, Rhaenys had packed a purple scarf she was going to wear during the garden party itself where all the photographers from all the various papers could see her. On the other end of the phone, Jon huffed a sound of relief.

“Thanks… as soon as Mum explained what the court case was about, I just knew…” he began.

“I know. I think she really appreciates knowing that even a handful of us support her,” Rhaenys said. She was about to ask how he was handling the divorce when she heard a beep from on the street. 

That would be Renly.

“Sorry, have to go. I’ll text you later,” she said. After saying her goodbyes, Rhaenys hung up and convinced Vhagar to get off. She gave all her animals one last pet, grabbed her case and handbag before shouting a general goodbye to her cousin Sarella and left the house. Renly stood by the back of the van, ready to help her stow her case. He was tall and broad shouldered like his older brother, Robert, but lacked the bulk the eldest Baratheon was known for. Like Rhaenys, he was darker skinned than most of their relatives although he lacked the purple eyes that marked a Targaryen. Renly had dressed with a road trip in mind; track-suit pants, faded university tee and flip flops. His locs were piled on top of his head in a haphazard bun. Renly grinned when he saw her, giving her a tight hug before opening the boot and hauling her case inside. 

“Ready to go?” he asked. Rhaenys nodded, helping him close the boot.

“Did you get the threatening messages from Maegor, Daemon and Aemond?” she asked. Renly rolled his eyes, leaning against the van.

“You mean the Brothers Edge? Yeah. Just deleted the messages. Not like we’re super close to the rest of the family, are we? Like… Great Grandfather Orys doesn’t even talk to his siblings,” he replied. Most people tended to forget that the Conquerors had a half-brother called Orys. He’d been by their side while Great Grandfather Aegon was first running for public office, right up until he’d retired and created the sole airline in Westeros. Orys remained for a while before selling his shares in the company and started his own business. These days Orys Baratheon lived in his wife’s family estate and stayed out of the limelight. Rhaenys privately respected the old man for staying away from his siblings’ bullshit.

With a bow Renly opened the door to the back for Rhaenys and she climbed in with a bow and a grin.

“Hey Rhae! Have you met Sansa? I’ve finally convinced her to come around to meet the rest of the family,” Margaery said, offering a wave in greeting. She had occupied the first row of seats in the back of the van along with a red-haired girl maybe a year or two younger than her. She recognised her from a few of Jon’s pictures on Ravenscroll. She must have been one of his Stark cousins. Rhaenys smiled, offering a wave.

“I haven’t. Hi Sansa. I’m Rhaenys Martell-Targaryen,” she said. Sansa smiled shyly, returning the wave.

“Hi Rhaenys… Jon’s told me all about you,” Sansa said. Rhaenys grinned, claiming the second row for herself. She waved to Loras in the passenger seat, who returned her wave with a grin. Rhaenys pulled out her phone and snapped a quick selfie before sending it to Willas with the message: on my way!!! 

As Renly pulled out of the driveway, Willas sent his own selfie from the garden with his hound Florys. Underneath he had written: Can’t wait to see you… Rhaenys grinned happily, warmth rising in her chest. The drive out of King’s Landing was surprisingly quick, largely due to the fact they’d left before peak hour and had missed the majority of traffic. Once they were on the Kingsroad, it would be a straightforward trip up to Highgarden. Rhaenys settled back in her seat, allowing the chatter of the radio and the other conversations to wash over her. She was close to dozing off when she felt someone shake her shoulder to rouse her. Rhaenys blinked, holding back a yawn. Sansa made an apologetic face.

“Sorry. There’s something on the news about your family? Renly said you’d want to hear it…” she said. Rhaenys nodded, stretching her arms above her head. 

“...and in breaking news, Saera Targaryen, the daughter of respected politician Jaehaerys Targaryen, is bringing a civil case against her father and mother for claims of abuse…” the newsreader announced. Rhaenys looked down at her phone, noticing a new message in the group chat for Saera’s supporters from Uncle Vaegon.

Ooops… I might have told a reporter….

A few moments later, there was a new message from Saera.

Well… Grandma can’t deny it now.

#rabbit writes #rabbity fics #asoiaf modern au #rhaenys martell targaryen #rhaenys daughter of elia #rhaenys x willas #fall of the house of targaryen au

[elegantwoes]

“You will. You found forty thousand golden dragons for a champion’s purse, surely you can scrape together a few coppers to keep the king’s peace.” Ned turned back to Janos Slynt. “I will also give you twenty good swords from my own household guard, to serve with the Watch until the crowds have left.”

Every time Ned sends part of his household guards to someone else he loses a piece of his soul. Also I just realized. Those 20 guardsman likely helped Janos Slynt kill Ned's household and that breaks my heart (┬┬﹏┬┬)

Lord Renly laughed. “We’re fortunate my brother Stannis is not with us. Remember the time he proposed to outlaw brothels? The king asked him if perhaps he’d like to outlaw eating, shitting, and breathing while he was at it. If truth be told, I ofttimes wonder how Stannis ever got that ugly daughter of his. He goes to his marriage bed like a man marching to a battlefield, with a grim look in his eyes and a determination to do his duty.”

This passage would have been funny if Renly didn't talk bad about Shireen. That is your niece, you insensitive asshole. This is why I hate the Baratheon brothers. All of them are trash.

Ser Hugh had been brusque and uninformative, and arrogant as only a new-made knight can be. If the Hand wished to talk to him, he should be pleased to receive him, but he would not be questioned by a mere captain of guards … even if said captain was ten years older and a hundred times the swordsman

Ser Hugh is pretty uppidity for a squire. This must be a Vale thing, because Waymar was pretty obnoxious too in the prologue.

Robert’s lusts were the subject of ribald drinking songs throughout the realm, but Stannis was a different sort of man; a bare year younger than the king, yet utterly unlike him, stern, humorless, unforgiving, grim in his sense of duty.

No offense Ned but you have no right talking bad about Stannis. Not when you are similar to him.

The potboy, now cordwainer, had never exchanged so much as a word with Lord Jon, but he was full of oddments of kitchen gossip: the lord had been quarreling with the king, the lord only picked at his food, the lord was sending his boy to be fostered on Dragonstone,

Say what you want about Lysa Arryn but she was right to prevent Sweetrobin from being fostered at Dragonstone. I don't think that stern and unforgiving man like Stannis would know how to foster a frail boy like young Robert.

Ned was not sure what to make of Renly, with all his friendly ways and easy smiles. A few days past, he had taken Ned aside to show him an exquisite rose gold locklet. Inside was a miniature painted in the vivid Myrish style, of a lovely young girl with doe’s eyes and a cascade of soft brown hair. Renly had seemed anxious to know if the girl reminded him of anyone, and when Ned had no answer but a shrug, he had seemed disappointed

It's pathetic how Renly and Tyrells are acting like the caricature version of the Boleyn family. Their stupid scheme would have never worked.

“Who paid the boy’s apprentice fee?” he asked lightly. Mott looked fretful. “You saw the boy. Such a strong boy. Those hands of his, those hands were made for hammers. He had such promise, I took him on without a fee.” “The truth now,” Ned urged. ... “He was stout, round of shoulder, not so tall as you. Brown beard, but there was a bit of red in it, I’ll swear. He wore a rich cloak, that I do remember, heavy purple velvet worked with silver threads, but the hood shadowed his face and I never did see him clear.” He hesitated a moment. “My lord, I want no trouble.”

The description fits Varys to the T. Though, I have to wonder, why did Varys pay for his fee. Does he have some use for him? If so, what would that be? Frankly I can't come up wth a theory even if my life depended on it. I hope the readers have the answers to this.

His guard was waiting outside with the horses. “Did you find anything, my lord?” Jacks asked as Ned mounted up. “I did,” Ned told him, wondering. What had Jon Arryn wanted with a king’s bastard, and why was it worth his life?

And Ned is closer to figuring out the truth.

Next Chapter: Daughter of Rivers, Mother of Woves. Catelyn

#ASOIAF Reread Project #rereading AGOT #Ned Stark #not a lot happens in this chapter #but still I decided to make a post of it #enjoy everyone!!

[asoiaf-artbrdr]

Selyse Baratheon (of House Florent)

Lord Stannis scowled. "I do not beg. Of anyone. Mind you remember that, woman."

"I am pleased to hear it, my lord." Lady Selyse was as tall as her husband, thin of body and thin of face, with prominent ears, a sharp nose, and the faintest hint of a mustache on her upper lip. She plucked it daily and cursed it regularly, yet it never failed to return. Her eyes were pale, her mouth stern, her voice a whip. She cracked it now. "Lady Arryn owes you her allegiance, as do the Starks, your brother Renly, and all the rest. You are their one true king. It would not be fitting to plead and bargain with them for what is rightfully yours by the grace of god.

"God, she said, not gods. The red woman had won her, heart and soul, turning her from the gods of the Seven Kingdoms, both old and new, to worship the one they called the Lord of Light. - Clash, Prologue

.

"Your own wife begs as well, lord husband." Queen Selyse went down on both knees before the king, hands clasped as if in prayer. "Robert and Delena defiled our bed and laid a curse upon our union. This boy is the foul fruit of their fornications. Lift his shadow from my womb and I will bear you many trueborn sons, I know it." She threw her arms around his legs. "He is only one boy, born of your brother's lust and my cousin's shame."

"He is mine own blood. Stop clutching me, woman." King Stannis put a hand on her shoulder, awkwardly untangling himself from her grasp. "Perhaps Robert did curse our marriage bed. He swore to me that he never meant to shame me, that he was drunk and never knew which bedchamber he entered that night. But does it matter? The boy was not at fault, whatever the truth." - Storm, Davos V

Shireen Baratheon

"It's me and Patches, Maester." Guileless blue eyes blinked at him. Hers was not a pretty face, alas. The child had her lord father's square jut of jaw and her mother's unfortunate ears, along with a disfigurement all her own, the legacy of the bout of greyscale that had almost claimed her in the crib. Across half one cheek and well down her neck, her flesh was stiff and dead, the skin cracked and flaking, mottled black and grey and stony to the touch. "Pylos said we might see the white raven."

"Indeed you may," Cressen answered. As if he would ever deny her. She had been denied too often in her time. Her name was Shireen. She would be ten on her next name day, and she was the saddest child that Maester Cressen had ever known. Her sadness is my shame, the old man thought, another mark of my failure. - Clash, Prologue

.

"You? They said you were young, but …" Queen Selyse's face was pinched and pale. She wore a crown of red gold with points in the shape of flames, a twin to that worn by Stannis. "… you may rise, Lord Snow. This is my daughter, Shireen."

"Princess." Jon inclined his head. Shireen was a homely child, made even uglier by the greyscale that had left her neck and part of her cheek stiff and grey and cracked. "My brothers and I are at your service," he told the girl.

Shireen reddened. "Thank you, my lord." - Dance, Jon IX

.

A two for one! Unfortunately I cannot make greyscale in artbreeder - at least, not as of yet. I have managed to represent Sandor’s scarring to some degree but with artbreeder, as you adjust the morph in one direction, it messes with everything else! It seemed more important to focus on the family resemblance in this portrait. I hope to edit greyscale in at a later point to this portrait, or perhaps paint her with that addition.

#selyse baratheon #selyse florent #asoiaf fanart #artbreeder #valyrianscrolls #shireen baratheon

[agentrouka-blog]

your post reminded me how embarassing Val was during the meeting with Selyse, like I would dance and sing the macarena naked every day for the rest of my life if that would convince someone to save my people from getting killed by a zombie horde, but kneeling was too much for Val's pride

To be fair, she does enter the meeting by taking a knee like Jon, and she does not let it show to Shireen that she wants her dead on first sight (they exchange polite conversation, even). But the moment it would count, when Selyse reacts badly to the information that the free folk will not kneel to Stannis, Val escalates the tension by being confrontational right away.

“Of course,” the queen went on, “the wildlings must first acknowledge Stannis as their king and R’hllor as their god.”

And here we are, face-to-face in the narrow passage. “Your Grace, forgive me. Those were not the terms that we agreed to.”

The queen’s face hardened. “A grievous oversight.” What faint traces of warmth her voice had held vanished all at once.

This would have been a great moment to not antagonize her more.

I don't disagree with Val's stance, only her inability to adjust to the requirements of the setting, although Jon had actually lectured her on why this was a time for maximum courtesy literally moments earlier:

“May I laugh when I kneel?”

“You may not. This is no game. A river of blood runs between our peoples, old and deep and red. Stannis Baratheon is one of the few who favors admitting wildlings to the realm. I need his queen’s support for what I’ve done.”

Val’s playful smile died. “You have my word, Lord Snow. I will be a proper wildling princess for your queen.”

A river of blood.

She did not need to lie or fake obedience, she could have bitten her tongue and left the talking to Jon. But she could not do it.

Instead:

“Free folk do not kneel,” Val told her.

“Then they must be knelt,” the queen declared.

“Do that, Your Grace, and we will rise again at the first chance,” Val promised. “Rise with blades in hand.”

The queen’s lips tightened, and her chin gave a small quiver. “You are insolent. I suppose that is only to be expected of a wildling. We must find you a husband who can teach you courtesy.” The queen turned her glare on Jon. “I do not approve, Lord Commander. Nor will my lord husband. I cannot prevent you from opening your gate, as we both know full well, but I promise you that you shall answer for it when the king returns from battle. Mayhaps you might want to reconsider.”

“Your Grace.” Jon knelt again. This time Val did not join him. “I am sorry my actions have displeased you. I did as I thought best. Do I have your leave to go?”

“You do. At once.” (ADWD, Jon XI)

Val contributed nothing to their cause, instead she felt the need to emphasize their willingness to engage in armed conflict.

Not helpful.

There's a clear progression in the chapter

from how Jon builds her up in his head ("a sight so lovely" when she has "dark-honey" hair, i.e. reddish, and blue eyes instead of grey, and looks like she belongs with Ghost, and "she would make a worthy wife for any lord")

to the decision to let her play the role of the princess ("Why not? thought Jon. They are all convinced she is a princess. Val looked the part and rode as if she had been born on horseback. A warrior princess, he decided, [...]", he even calls her "my lady" on the way)

to finding out exactly why not.

She is not what Jon projected onto her in his mind. Whatever he had expected of her in that meeting, she could not deliver, and her reaction to Shireen drives home the cultural divide even further.

She cannot operate in his world, the "worthy wife of any lord" this is not. She is not a "southron" (read: Northern) lady, but a woman of the free folk, just exactly as she had told him the day he sent her out to look for Tormund.

The fact that GRRM ends their interactions in ADWD on this note, at chapter 11 out of 13, but makes the two remaining mentions of her in Jon's mind about how she displeased Selyse and her thoughts of Shireen seems pretty telling. His idealized view is well and truly shattered. He understands who she is much better, but it no longer invites open admiration.

#anti jon x val #val the wildling #jon snow #selyse baratheon #soft skills #courtesy #diplomacy #warrior princess

[themockingpoint]

The Sin of Wrath

Lyanna has a long day, only exasperated by some news from her... nephew.

“Aunt Lyanna?” Jon asked from the passenger beside her. “Can I ask you something?”

Because that did not sound foreboding or anything… Lyanna thought. “You can just call me Lyanna you know? I’m not old enough to be an aunt.” Old enough to be a mother though… A traitorous voice in the back of her head said.

“Lyanna… that is weird… Aunt Lyanna, can I ask you something?” Jon asked somewhat broodingly, reminding Lyanna far too much of his biological father.

Ned and Catelyn had decided to finally take that honeymoon that had been denied to them for so long. Unfortunately the only trip they were able to book was during the school year, not that their kids would not have needed to have been taken care of either way, but still. The workload had been distributed pretty easily so any chauffeuring would not take too much of a toll on any one family member.

Sansa and Arya went to stay with Brandon and Allyria, one of the only two people who was actually able to stop the fighting between the girls who fought worse than cats and dogs. Robb, Bran and Rickon went to stay with their Tully grandfather and great uncle. All the while, Ned once again looking out for her, Lyanna got her son Jon. Ned always made sure she got her time with Jon, and she tried to not take advantage. But here she definitely jumped on the chance of getting to spend some time with him for a few weeks. Especially since her birthday, and his, fell in those two weeks. Lyanna’s thirtieth too.

“Kid, I am your… You can ask me anything you need.” Lyanna said, simply. Turning onto the main drive, she was just ready to get home. It was a long day at work and she had

overeaten at the restaurant. “It isn’t the birds and the bees though right?”

When Jon took more than a minute to answer and his cheeks turned the same shade of pink that Lyanna’s turned, she slightly panicked. “It isn’t right?”

“Not really?” He said, but it sounded more like a question. “If I ask, you aren’t going to tell my parents are you?”

“Cross my heart, hope to die, still a needle in a Bolton’s eye.” Lyanna said, making a cross over her heart.

“It’s… about my girlfriend.” Jon said.

“Ooooooou! Look at little Jonny Heartbreaker.” Lyanna singsonged, causing Jon’s face to light up once again. Her son really did have a thing with the ladies, or more accurately the ladies had a thing with Jon. He definitely took more after Ned than Brandon in this, since he seemed to be oblivious to all the attention her got. She wondered which one it was. Minus the vastly inappropriate crushes in the form of Shireen Baratheon and her cousin Myrcella, there was also Sansa’s friend Margaery who was nice enough, and there was also the Karstark girl whose chemistry with Jon was almost unbelievable for two fourteen year olds. “I didn't know you had a girlfriend.”

“You are the only one that knows.” Jon whispered as if there were others in the car with them.

“Wait, seriously? Not even Robb or Arya.”

“No.” Jon said, and Lyanna was quite touched. Out of everyone he could have spoken to, he came to her first. She blinked once or twice before continuing. “It’s…”

“Well tell me about her!”

“Her name is Ygritte and she has red hair and brown eyes.” He said, sounding evasive for whatever reason.

“How’d you meet her? School?”

“Not exactly…”

“Jon?” She said, looking at the nervous looking boy.

“We haven’t actually… y’know… well we’ve done some things but we haven’t… haven’t…” Jon said, stumbling through his words.

“Had penetrative sex?” Lyanna supplied.

Jon jumped in his seat at her frankness. “I suppose that you are going to say something like ‘If you can’t say it you shouldn’t be talking about it’?” Jon said, solemnly.

“Oh God no.” Lyanna said, remembering her own talk with Rickard and Lyarra. “I hate cliches and besides it is an unfair one at that. I can barely talk about sex around your Uncle Brandon and Ned; let alone my parents and I am twice your age. It's just an unfair saying parents use to discourage.” Lyanna said, trying to sound laissez-faire about the whole thing but having a meltdown inside.

Jon was having sex! Sex! “The same age that you were at when you met… him…” The traitorous voice in her head whispered but Lyanna shook it off. This was nutso! She had to treat this carefully. She did not want him screwed up about sex and relationships the way she was. He came to her (and as if that didn't make her positively preen. He came to her specifically) and she was not about to screw this up!

“Oh…” He said, and Lyanna was once again curious. It was almost as if he was disappointed about her lack of disapproval? “You don’t have to have sex with her you know.”

“I know.” Jon said, defensively.

“Should I talk to her?” Lyanna said, teasingly.

“No!” Jon said, a fearful look upon his face and Lyanna frowned. It was not a “fear of embarrassment” look, but more of a “I just realized that I got caught doing something that I should not have done” look.

“Jon? Is everything alright, Love?” Lyanna asked.

“Yeah! Of course!” He said in a manner that showed that he was trying to be nonchalant. Lyanna was not fooled for a second and remembered a question that he skirted earlier.

“Jon… How did you meet Ygritte.”

“Just around…”

“Jonnel Beron Stark.” Lyanna said, using his full name literally the first time in his entire life.

Jon said, “My friend Gendry takes mechanical classes at the vocational school at KLU.”

“You meet her there?”

“Yes. She… uh… She is Nineteen..”

“Nineteen!” Lyanna said, looking over in horror.

“Red light.” Jon said, simply. When she did not react, he pointed and said in a more panicked tone. “Red Light! Red Light! Red Light! Red Light!”

Lyanna swerved back and forth twice, only narrowly missing oncoming traffic. Both occupants recaught their breath as Lyanna looked horrified.

“Nineteen. Your girlfriend is nineteen?” Lyanna said, more to herself than her son. Oh god. Her baby was with a woman grown!

“You don’t have to say it like that.” Jon said petulantly. Before getting a little nervous as he saw her knuckles turn white

“Jon! That is not a girlfriend! That is a babysitter!” Lyanna cried as they pulled onto her street.

“I don’t need a babysitter!” Jon said, indignantly.

“Jon. You are literally on my street because I am babysitting you while Ned and Cat are in Scotland.” Lyanna deadpanned, causing Jon cheeks to color again. He sank down in his seat as Lyanna parked in her designated space in her lot. Lyanna panicked and was quick to start damage control. “You know you did nothing wrong, correct?”

“I know!” He snapped.

“But you do know that the relationship itself is wrong, correct?”

“You just said that I did nothing wrong?” Jon said, confused.

“You’re right. You did nothing wrong…” Lyanna said, letting her statement sit for a moment.

“Ygritte did nothing wrong!” Jon said, quickly.

“Jon, she is five years older than you.” Lyanna sighed, pinching her nose “C’mon let’s go inside.”

“But…”

“Jon.” Lyanna warned. “We will talk about it inside.”

“Yes, Aunt Lyanna…” Jon said, gloomily. They grabbed his bags as they started walking up the steps to his apartment, but Jon’s eyes were glued to the ground.

“Hey!” She said, causing him to look up at her. She wrapped her free arm around his shoulder and pulled him into a slight hug. “I know I kinda blew up on you, but I am not mad at you. And I am very glad that you came to me about this.”

“Well, yeah.” Jon said, “I am your favorite.”

“I love all my nieces and nephews equally!” Lyanna defended. But you are not my nephew, but my baby boy. “Let us get inside and we can speak of it.”

Dreading the talk she was about to have, Lyanna pushed open the door. “That is weird. Why are all my lights off?”

“Happy birthday, Lovvvv- Jon!” Dacey Mormont said, exposing both Jon and Lyanna to a full frontal. Lyanna quickly covered Jon’s eyes so as not to expose him to her Friend… Girl? Well her… everything… Dacey quickly started dressing quickly. “I am so sorry!”

“I knew it!” Jon exclaimed, causing Lyanna to look at him. Sensing her look he explained, “Sansa and I bet Robb, Theon and Arya that you too were dating.”

“We aren’t…”

“I wouldn’t say…”

Lyanna and Dacey both began and Jon smirked. “And I supposed Ygritte and I…” He said, before quickly shutting his mouth.

Once Dacey was in her lingerie, And Oh boy seeing her in that almost made her wish Jon just stayed with Brandon. Almost, and a robe Lyanna continued. “Jon, please go to the guest bedroom. Don’t think we are done talking!”

Jon grabbed his bags and sulked off as Lyanna looked at Dacey. Chocolates, candles, some other things to enjoy their night, Lyanna sighed as she realized she probably was going to miss out big time. Lyanna sheepishly grinned at Dacey, “Hi.”

“Hi.” Dacey said, smiling a much more genuine smile while sitting on the arm of Lyanna’s sofa. Lyanna herself plopped down into her recliner taking the glass of champagne that Dacey quickly poured her. “Sorry.”

“Not your fault.” Lyanna said, “Truly. Things changed this afternoon. Never got the chance to speak to you.”

“I… I did not want this to be my first impression with J- Your family.” Dacey said, quickly changing her words. Dacey was the only person outside the Stark and parts of the Tully families that Jon was hers. But considering the boy was Lyanna’s son he was more than definitely listening in on their conversation, and they could only make their voices so low. “Especially when they found out about…”

“Yeah. About…” Lyanna said, hooking her finger in the strap between Dacey’s breasts and dragged her into a kiss.

“I should go.” Dacey said, resting her forehead against Lyanna’s.

“You can stay if you’d like?” Lyanna said, as Dacey picked her up and dragged both of them to the couch, firmly planting Lyanna in her lap. “I mean Jon now knows. He is not a babe. You can stay in my room tonight.”

“I don’t know Lyaa.” Dacey said, “I gotta get them up early tomorrow. Ma is working a late shift tonight.”

“And you don’t think I’ll be worried about Jon?” Lyanna said, although nervous. This would be their first actual sleepover. One that they actually planned to have and did not happen due to them falling asleep on accident.

“What do you and Jon need to speak about?” Dacey asked, changing the subject.

“His new girlfriend Ygritte.” Lyanna said, trying to stay calm.

“Oh?” Dacey said, in a faux scandalous tone. “Little Jon got himself a girlfriend?”

“A nineteen year old.” Lyanna said, and Dacey’s face fell quickly.

“Oh… Oh!” Dacey said, remembering Lyanna’s own history. “Go talk to him. I’ll be in your room.”

“Oh?” Lyanna said, a single eyebrow cocked.

“Cocky bitch.” Dacey said, slapping her on the behind. Lyanna yelped and Dacey stressed the word, “Go!”

“Jon?” Lyanna said, knocking on his door before opening it. Jon was already in his PJ’s “sleeping gear, Aunt Lyanna!”,

“Um, hi.” Jon said, nervously.

“Look. I am not going to mince words.” Lyanna said, sitting on the edge of his bed. She patted the bed beside her which he joined.

“Look, I… I care about Ygritte!” Jon said defensively.

“I speak. You listen.” Lyanna said, trying to get through to him quickly. “Ygritte… What… I think we both know that you know this is wrong.”

“I…”

“I have literally known you your entire life kid. First person to even hold you.”

“I didn’t know that!” Jon said, surprised.

“You can’t lie to me.” Lyanna said, “Be honest with me. When you two are together… How much do you do that you actually want to do? And how much of it is her pressuring you into doing what you do…”

“You were fine when you thought it was someone at my school!” Jon justified. “I… I haven’t done anything I do not want to!”

“Yeah, I said the same.” Lyanna said, confusing Jon. “Back when I was a little bit older than you and I started a relationship with my music teacher.”

Jon’s eyes widened, and Lyanna smiled at his shock. “An adult, especially an experienced one, can manipulate a more inexperienced one who may not recognize red flags in a relationship.” Lyanna said, repeating the lines her therapist told her those years ago.

“She has not…”

“She has.” Lyanna said, putting her hand on his shoulder. “I can tell you are uncomfortable with her, even if you don’t.”

Jon’s eyes widened in what seemed like realization. “I’ll have to talk to your… I’ll have to talk to Ned and Cat.” Lyanna said, and Jon looked betrayed.

“You promised!” Jon said, and Lyanna chuckled.

“You are correct.” Lyanna said, “And I won’t. Unless you revoke the promise.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because, if you revoke it then your parents deal with it.” Lyanna said, before releasing a wolf-like smile. “But if you don’t I will deal with it.”

“H-How?” Jon said, almost terrified of the answer.

“I introduce the bitch who took advantage of my… nephew to my car steering wheel.” Lyanna said to a terrified Jon. “Through the windshield.”

“You can tell Ma and Da!” Jon said, quickly.

“That is what I thought.” Lyanna said, with a cheeky grin. She kissed both of Jon’s cheeks and forehead. “G’Night, Love!”

“Good night.” He said, although he was giving her a quizzical look.

“Something the matter, Love?” Lyanna asked, before Jon paled.

“You… You were my age when you and your Math teacher… started?” Jon asked.

“Roughly.” Lyanna said, “And don’t start that ‘it is different because you’re a girl’!”

“I wasn’t.” Jon reassured her.

“Um, also don’t mention I told you this to… well anyone.” Lyanna said, “My siblings know but, I really don’t want it broadcast.”

“Ok.” Jon said, looking into his lap. His mind looked like it was going about a mile a minute. “G’Night Aunt Lyanna. Love you.”

Lyanna beamed at the more stoic member of House Stark. “Love you too, Jon.”

Lyanna sighed as soon as she was out of the room. Another 23 minutes before she was certain that Jon was asleep. She rubbed her eyes, as she walked into her bedroom. Seeing Dacey, Lyanna smiled seeing her sitting on the edge of the bed. She was wearing an oversized t-shirt, sweatpants, and her glasses yet she never looked sexier than she did preparing to sleep in Lyanna’s bed.

Lyanna started stripping off her work clothes. “Hey.” Lyanna said, tiredly.

“Hey.” Dacey said, opening the blanket for Lyanna.

“Good night.” Lyanna said, curling into the taller woman’s side, just glad to be done with this long, long, long day.

#Jon & Lyanna #jon & lyanna #jon snow #anti rhaegar and lyanna #anti rhaegar targaryen #anti ygritte #anti Jon x ygritte #my post #my story #lyanna stark #lyanna x dacey #dacey mormont

[owlsinathens]

A Ghost at the Wall, Part IV

@theon-appreciation

The days seem to get colder, and darker, and still there’s nothing happening, no decision made, nothing to do, and it’s making Theon restless. He spends too much time in his own head, has too much time to think. What will happen to him? Is Jon just biding his time, waiting for an order from Stannis Baratheon to get rid of the turncloak? The Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch doesn’t have to obey any king, but if Theon were in Jon’s shoes…

He’s taken out of his musings by a knock on the door, and Jon lets himself in before waiting for an answer. His face is grave, and Theon’s heart starts to beat faster. It’ll happen now. He suppresses the urge to close his eyes and pray, pray with all his might that it’s the noose or the sword that is waiting for him. He could bear anything – anything but being sent back to Ramsay. Even the red priestess’ flames would be a relief over that.

“Davos has come to see me,” Jon starts. He’s looking at Ghost, stretched out on the floor in front of Theon’s narrow bunk. “He brought news.”

Just spit it out already, Theon wants to say, but he holds his tongue.

“The girl – Jeyne Poole–”

“What,” Theon says, sitting upright, suddenly highly alert. “What of her?”

“She seems to be on the mend,” Jon says. “The princess Shireen isn’t leaving her side, Davos says.”

“Oh.”

The relief is strong, and Theon feels his shoulders sagging, tears pricking at his eyes. So it hadn’t been for naught. Even if they execute him today, it wouldn't have been for naught. Jeyne will live.

“Can I see her?” he asks, dragging his sleeve across his eyes.

“Maybe not yet.” Jon isn’t looking at him. “Stannis – I don’t think Queen Selyse would like that.”

“Of course,” Theon mumbles, hanging his head. Of course they wouldn’t want the turncloak in their camp. “I understand.”

“You saved her,” Jon says, and for once his voice sounds gentle. “You could’ve died, but you did it anyway. Are you…?”

“No, not like – I had to,” Theon mutters, still weak with relief. “I couldn’t leave her there. The things he did to her–”

“To the both of you.” Jon crouches down, burying his hand in Ghost’s fur. “I’ve talked to Sam. He thinks he can help you. Do something about – about your teeth. Make it easier to eat. You’re still – you’re too thin. It’s only going to get colder.”

Theon closes his mouth with a snap, confusion taking over. Why would they do that? Why would they try to mend him only to kill him later? His hand wanders to his neck on its own accord.

“You used to be a remarkable archer,” Jon continues, as if he’s been following Theon’s thoughts. “Your skills are going to be needed when the Long Night comes. It would be a shame to waste that.” He briefly glances upward. “And I don’t want to kill you.”

The last part sounds a lot like Jon back then, like the boy Theon had known, defiant and cross. So it’s true then, Theon thinks. Stannis has ordered his death. And Jon refused.

“It’s alright,” he says, surprising himself. “It’s not as if I could – those skills belonged to a different man. He doesn’t exist anymore.”

He looks down on his hands, uselessly lying in his lap.

“I don’t believe that.”

“I haven’t touched a bow in years. It’s–”

Theon sighs at the stubborn expression on Jon’s face. He won’t believe it, not until he sees for himself. So, tentatively, Theon starts to take his gloves off, first one then the other. He hates the sight of his hands, mangled and disfigured, but Jon needs to see.

“This is what I’m left with,” Theon mutters. “I couldn’t – it’s no use.”

He doesn’t look up, doesn’t want to see the disgust on Jon’s face. He can feel his eyes on him, burning his skin, and Theon suppresses the urge to hide his hands again.

“I wouldn’t have thought you’d let that stop you.”

Theon’s head snaps up at Jon’s words; he stares at him, incredulous. Jon stares back petulantly, his bottom lip sticking out.

“See that?” he says, lifting his right hand and pulling his glove off with his teeth. “I didn’t let it hinder me.”

Theon blinks, staring at the burn scars covering Jon’s hand. Is he really – does he actually think–

“What the fuck, Snow,” he says, too baffled to remember he’s talking to the Lord Commander. “Are you seriously comparing this little thing to missing several fingers?”

“It’s my sword hand,” Jon says, frowning. “And if I remember correctly you were right-handed too?”

“Aye, but–”

“Then I don’t know why you think you couldn’t do it. You still got all the fingers required to nook an arrow.”

“But – but – drowned fuck.” Theon stares at him, unable to comprehend so much idiocy. “I don’t have the strength, Jon! I couldn’t even draw the string back far enough to–”

“Get stronger then.” Jon shrugs. “You certainly won’t when all you do is hide away in here.”

“I…” Theon feels himself deflating, the indignation leaving him. “I can’t.”

“You could at least try. If there’s one thing I learned, it’s that men – humans – can withstand a lot. You already proved that, didn’t you? You saved the girl. You survived.”

“What the fuck do you know about surviving,” Theon mutters before he can stop himself.

“Ah?” Jon snorts, bending forward and pointing to the scar running across his face. “See that? A warg’s hawk almost took my eye out!”

“So what?” Slowly but surely Theon starts to feel angry. “I had my fucking fingers cut off!”

“A girl from the Free Folk shot me full of arrows!”

“Can’t have been too good then, can she?” Theon smirks. “She failed to kill you.”

“She was the second-best archer I’ve known,” Jon retorts, scowling. “She didn’t want to kill me, but I still almost died.”

“Oh?” Theon starts to feel hot in the small room. The whole situation is utterly ridiculous, but somehow he can’t stop himself. “Do you know how many toes I have left, Snow? Six. Six.”

“Don’t tempt me, Greyjoy, I can win this.”

Jon’s eyes are glittering in the light of the fire, his mouth forming a tight smile as he gets to his feet. His right hand, still ungloved, moves to his chest, stopping above his heart.

“Are you – this isn’t a competition!”

Theon frowns, too bewildered to think straight. There’s something about the whole conversation… it stirs something in Theon, memories of times long gone, and it’s as if a door opens in his mind.

You’ll never have my skills with a bow, bastard.

Aye, but the moment we take up swords I’m going to send you into the dirt!

We’ll see about that. At least I don’t collapse after a single glass of wine!

Oh? Well, good for you, but Robb still likes me best!

And then…

Guys, can’t you stop it? I swear I’m going to like none of you anymore if you keep it up like that.

“As if you could ever best me, Snow,” Theon says. His eyes are stinging, but he can’t help the smile. “I’ll beat you anyway.”

Jon’s answering smile is brilliant.

“I see we finally understand each other,” he says. “No more excuses, Greyjoy. From tomorrow, I expect you to earn your food. At least give it a try.” He hesitates, already turning to go. “Even if you couldn’t do it yourself anymore, you could always teach others. But I think you’ll be fine.”

The door closes, and Theon’s still smiling. “What do you think?” he asks the wolf before him on the floor. “Do you think I should give it a try?”

Ghost yawns, turning onto his back and presenting his belly to Theon’s attention.

“Maybe you’re both right,” Theon mutters, burying his hands in Ghost’s fur. “Though it’s a sad thing, to live in a world where Jon Snow is right about something.”

Part I • Part II • Part III

#a week of theon #awot #theon greyjoy #greysnow #snowjoy #jon snow #my writing #my awkward edits #long post #longest yet the next will be shorter again

[welt-verbessererin]

How do you imagine the Stark's and the Baratheon's to Arya and Gendry. Modern.

Since I accept everything @arsenicandfinelace says as canon (as we all should), this is my new head canon now.

Or how it was handled in hope will put the colours in the sky.

First things first, Gendry can not be, even in a modern au, anything but Arya's friend first. Even with their canon age difference. It's so inherent to their relationship that they meet and bond this way, not by Gendry being Jon's (or god forbid, Rob's) best friend first.

(I totally acknowledge that this is the most difficult thing to do in modern aus and that I do read and like fics where that is the case regardless)

Going off of show canon and fanon from reading a few hundreds fics about this.

The Starks

Ned: secretly thrilled that his daughter dates his best friend's son, especially because said son is a way better person than his father. For Cat's sake he has to put up a concerned facade and have a serious chat with Gendry in his office.

Cat: finds it downright scandalous. He's working class, he's five years older, he's bound to be just like his father. And let's not start with what happened to poor Lyanna and what if history repeats itself!

But she can't do much because of see link above.

Rob: sceptical because Gendry's older. Will watch him carefully.

Jon: Upon hearing that his little sister has a boyfriend and that this boyfriend is significantly older, needs some time to wrap his head around the news and goes to the wilderness beyond the wall to cope.

Sansa: depending on the stage in her and Arya's relationship, she's either Cat 2.0 or sees the love G&A have for each other and is happy for her sister and supports her. Maybe she helps Arya sneak out late to see him and gives her alibis and stuff. Takes her shopping when Arya wants to dress to impress.

Bran: totally cool with it. Always knew it was only a matter of time.

Rickon: half in love with Gendry himself because Gendry doesn't take shit from anyone and is just the coolest guy ever. Always trailing after him and looking up to him with big eyes.

The Baratheons:

Robert: gets a total kick out of it and lives his ideal life through Gendry, who actually got his Stark girl. Borderline voyeuristic because he high key wants to know all the details and gives unsolicited advice. Ew.

Stannis: Indifferent. Can frankly not understand why everyone makes a big deal of his nephew's relationship?

Renly: Hardcore stans Gendrya, because true love. Giddy for them and always gushing to Loras about them. Books them a weekend getaway to Lys (Cat doesn't like that at all).

Shireen: Like Renly, total cheerleader for Gendrya and lives vicariously through them and her romance novels until she finds love herself. Also, she totally saw it coming.

I'm ignoring Robert's bastards because my HC is that Gendry only meets them later in life, so they can't really say much about him and Arya.

(while I'm linking every Gendrya fic already, look at runs in the family for this last trope)

Jesus, I feel like that's not a very original answer, sorry!

Full disclosure: as I keep saying, I'm a bitch for angst, so tbh I kinda like characters who are dead in canon to be dead in modern aus too (I know I'm horrible 😭), so I don't have a clear vision of their reactions.

#ask #gendryafanwhore #gendrya #stark family #jon snow knows nothing

[the-coldest-goodbye]

Stannis Baratheon – SFW Alphabet Headcanons

Stannis Baratheon x fem!reader

A/N: I have a headcanon backstory of how the reader and Stannis come together, which I describe in more detail under “B = Best friend.” The tl;dr is that you two marry for political reasons, not for love, but the friendship between you (and eventually love) emerges from this alliance as you two get to know each other better.

This is pre-Selyse, pre-Shireen, and pre-Melisandre.

Also, apologies about length. Some of the headcanons at the beginning are ridiculously long because I want to get my headcanon backstory in there to give more context to future answers, but they get quicker and easier to get through in the second half.

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Stannis is by and large pretty unaffectionate. He’s not very in tune with his emotions, especially not the “softer” ones. He shows little to no PDA. He might take your arm and escort you when you appear together in public, but it’s done more out of a sense of husbandly duty and for the sake of keeping up with appearances, not really done out of warmth or affection. In private, he may open up a bit more around you and may show a slightly more vulnerable side, but only after a long time of trust being built up between you two. He’s pretty awkward and uncomfortable with affectionate words and touches because they don’t come natural to him. He would get red and flustered when you’d show affection towards him. Despite his initial discomfort, he surprisingly didn’t hate it and kind of grew to enjoy the affection you gave to him.

He would rather show his affection by being very loyal to you. He would never do anything to dishonor you, and he wouldn’t stand for you being disrespected by others. Even if he wasn’t good at expressing his feelings verbally or with touch, he’d show his affection for you through acts of service. He would ensure that you’re safe and taken care of and have everything you need. He would even come to learn things like your favorite meals and would make sure the cooks made them regularly for meals, or he’d learn your favorite colors and have dresses made for you in those colors. He’d also come to respect you and your perspective on things. He would confide in you and seek your counsel on important matters.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Your friendship comes after your marriage. Love comes even later. Your relationship starts off very practical and without emotional attachment. His brother Robert had just taken the throne. Stannis was the second son of what had just become the most powerful house in the seven kingdoms. You were from a smaller noble family, and your parents knew that marrying you to a Baratheon was a good move for your house. Stannis knew of your house’s importance in your region and knew it would be a smart political move to unite your houses so he would have an influence there. Stannis was the one who proposed the idea of him marrying you to your father. He had met you a few times and you had left a good impression on him every time. You had a good head on your shoulders. Your father seemed to have similar ideals as Stannis, as did you. You would occasionally chime in during political meetings and Stannis thought your input was very thoughtful and measured. If he were to marry, you seemed like a good choice.

Your courtship was chaste and fairly traditional. The two of you spent a bit of time together to get to know each other, though there was no love or romance there. This shared time confirmed his earlier impressions of you as thoughtful and clever, and you got to learn more about him as well. He wasn’t the most charismatic or charming, but he seemed respectful and honorable. Though he wasn’t the smoothest with his words, he was respectful towards you through and through. You had heard girls share stories about his brother Robert, how he was a womanizer and a brute and a lush, but Stannis was nothing like the eldest Baratheon brother. Maybe he wasn’t your Prince Charming, but he seemed like a man of honor. Maybe you didn’t love him (at least not at that point), but you felt that the two of you could build a life together based on mutual respect. As far as potential husbands went, it could be a lot worse.

After marrying each other, the two of you continued to learn more about each other and eventually built a friendship between you. You become friends when he shows he’s not as icy cold as he appears and when you show that you’re trustworthy, loyal, and genuine. (He detests the fakeness of social and political conventions that come with being noble-born. He likes someone who cuts to the chase instead of beating around the bush.)

As a friend, Stannis is loyal and honest. He wouldn’t hold back on his opinion. He’d often give unsolicited advice, which can be annoying, but it’s coming from a place of care and concern. He’s not the best at showing sensitivity in delicate situations, so don’t expect him to give you comforting words or sympathy. He’d rather give you advice on steps you should take to resolve any issues you’re facing. Though this can initially come off as uncaring or aloof, you begin to learn that this is just his way of showing concern and wanting the best for you. He would be a great ally to have. He’s very reliable and keeps his word. Stannis can be a bit of a stick in the mud and isn’t the most fun. He very rarely shows humor, but when he does it always catches you off guard and makes you burst out laughing. He tries to keep a stony face because he doesn’t want to reveal how pleased he is with himself for eliciting that kind of response out of you.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

He’s pretty uncomfortable with cuddling. He generally won’t initiate it. He’ll tolerate it if you initiate it, but he’ll be pretty stiff about it and might cut it off after a little while. He’ll lay back and allow you to snuggle into his side or rest your head on his chest, and he might awkwardly place one of his hands on your back and pat you. He wouldn’t like to sleep cuddling. He prefers not touching during sleep so he can get uninterrupted rest. As your relationship continues and he’d find himself genuinely falling for you, he’d find himself more eager to cuddle with you immediately after sex when he’s feeling vulnerable and exposed. Your touches would assure him that you also feel some level of affection for him and that you’re not just having sex with him out of a sense of duty to try and produce an heir. He’s not used to other people feeling affectionate towards him and so he’d be insecure once he genuinely began to fall for you because he wouldn’t be sure if you shared those feelings.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

As a Baratheon, Stannis feels obligated to rule over a castle, get married, have children, and continue the Baratheon line. He doesn’t look at it with romanticism but rather as his duty. However, once the two of you become more comfortable with each other and he begins to view you fondly, you would begin to feel like home to him.

As a nobleman, he doesn’t bother with cooking and cleaning as there are other people to do that for him. He tends to be naturally tidy, though, and he runs a tight ship. 

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Stannis would be pretty straightforward and blunt if he ended your relationship. He doesn’t approach tough subjects with much decorum or sensitivity.

F = Fiancé(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Throughout most of his life, Stannis was never very sentimental about the thought of settling down. He knows that it’s expected of him and that it’s considered his duty to marry and have children. Not marrying for love doesn’t bother him. He is practical about it and sees it as an opportunity to unite houses for strategic political gain. If he and his spouse get along, all the better. If not, oh well. He just needs a functional arrangement that’ll get him an heir.

He would be very traditional in his courting process. He wouldn’t rush it or drag it out for too long. However, he would be fairly quick to begin the actual courting process. Because he views marriage practically and without sentimentality, he would begin to court you as soon as possible while you were still available once he felt that you were a suitable and beneficial match. He would be committed to you, though, even if your marriage began without love or passion. He takes his duties very seriously and wouldn’t do anything to dishonor you or your marriage.

He’d be pleasantly surprise after you got married and the two of you slowly began to develop a sense of love for each other. He never expected the marriage to work out so well. Deep down, he does get a bit more sentimental about your relationship as time passes and you come to love each other, though he wouldn’t really let it show.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Stannis is not very emotionally gentle. His words are often direct without sparing your feelings, especially at the beginning of your relationship before you two really get to know each other. However, although he’s harsh, he’s not entirely heartless. When he sees how much his words affect you, though, he makes an effort to soften his way of communication with you, particularly around sensitive topics. Both of you learn how to adapt your styles of communication to more effectively get through to each other.

Even at times when he cannot express himself through words, he tries to communicate with you through his actions. For example, if you had a hobby that you were passionate about, he’d initially scoff you, saying your hobby is inconsequential and a waste of time. He would see the hurt in your eyes as you angrily storm off. Within a few days, you would find a stack of neatly wrapped gifts on your side of the bed. They would be new objects related to your hobby, the finest quality available. If you liked reading fiction, you’d find a stack of books from your favorite genre that weren’t in your personal collection yet. If you liked painting, you’d high quality paints and brushes. If you liked sewing and embroidery, you’d find fine and expensive fabrics. As you’d go to thank him for the gifts, he’d hum in acknowledgment and softly say, “I know how important it is to you.” It’d be his own way of apologizing despite not knowing how to say the words.

Physically, Stannis is very gentle with you. He’s shy and bashful when it comes to affectionate physical touch. He’s not very confident and very unsure of himself. Stannis also wouldn’t be sure if you even wanted him to touch you, so he tried to avoid doing anything that made you uncomfortable. He’d rather let you initiate things. Also, even if he were enraged at you, Stannis wouldn’t harm you physically. He’d rather scold you and lecture you.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Stannis isn’t the biggest fan of hugs, especially not in public, but he would grow to like your hugs in private. He’d be stiff and awkward at first, but eventually would begin to loosen up and allow himself to enjoy the affection. He would rarely initiate hugs except for in high emotion situations or before he’d have to leave you for an extended period of time.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

It would take a long time for Stannis to say he loves you. He knew you didn’t marry him for love, and he didn’t expect you to love him. However, as you two grew more understanding of each other, he found himself becoming rather fond of you. He was more vulnerable with you than he had been with anyone else in his entire life, and he’d be surprised at just how much he felt comfortable revealing to you. He trusted you more than anyone else. During one of his trips apart from you, he’d find you on his mind a lot, wishing you were there by his side for your counsel and company. The tent he stayed in felt unbearably quiet without your soft voice. He began to wonder if maybe this was love. He didn’t dare say anything about it, though.

One night, you and Stannis would be bickering about some political matters in the privacy of your chambers. He felt that it would be best to make a particular political alliance with a house that you felt was unsavory and potentially dangerous, and he felt that your resistance was uncalled for as you tried to talk him out of it. You’d angrily spit out, “You’re my husband and I love you. I just want you to be safe.” Stannis would be shocked into silence for a moment, letting your words register in his mind, before muttering that he loved you too and assuring you that he wouldn’t do anything to put you or him at risk.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Deep down, Stannis feels some insecurity knowing that he’s widely not well-loved, so he’d get jealous fairly easily if he felt like you were connecting with someone else better than with him. He’d feel especially vulnerable after beginning to wonder if he were actually falling in love with you. If he felt like a conversation between you and another person was becoming too flirty, he would take whoever was talking with you aside later and tell them to stay away from his wife. Then later at night when you two were alone in your chambers, he’d remind you through gritted teeth that you were married to him and would warn you that he doesn’t tolerate dishonor or disloyalty. 

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

At first, his kisses would be chaste, quick pecks. As the two of you grew closer, his kisses lengthen and deepen. He would save the more passionate kissing for when you’re in bed together, only revealing the true depth of his love for you behind the safety of closed doors. When you kiss, he likes to focus on your lips and neck. Though he likes being kissed on the lips, shivers run down his spine when you kiss his jawline and nibble his ears. He breaks out in goosebumps when he feels your hot breath tickling his ear.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Stannis is awkward as hell around kids. Really young children make him especially uncomfortable, and he’s not good at playing with them. He prefers children to be older when he feels like he can actually discuss matters and impart his wisdom on them.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Stannis wakes up early each morning. He would like you to wake up with him so you could attend meetings with him and provide counsel. He generally wakes up before you so he gets you out of bed.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

He typically stays up late. After dinner, he spends a few hours alone to get some work done, giving you an opportunity to have free time to pursue your own interests or hobbies. When he returns to your chambers, he’ll change into his bed clothes and the two of you will relax and continue some discussions from earlier in the day or go over what needs to be done the next day before going to bed.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Stannis has always been a fairly closed book. He doesn’t reveal much in general and would only do so after a certain level of trust had been built between you two. Stannis comes off as being very self-assured and stoic, but he slowly allows himself to be more vulnerable around you, revealing his insecurities and doubts. By starting to see him as a multifaceted person, you also start to fall for him. He’d be surprised at just how comfortable he felt confiding in you and how much he yearns for you to understand him. He tries to convince himself that he doesn’t care that he’s not well-liked by the public, but he finds himself caring whether or not you like him despite having a political marriage. He tries to be softer with you, especially when it’s the two of you alone, so that you realize he isn’t made out of stone. Him showing this much vulnerability would really help strengthen the bond between you.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

When irritated or angry, Stannis tends to make sharp comments expressing his displeasure and why you’re in the wrong, but he generally maintains his composure. He isn’t quick to get into a shouting match as he feels it’s undignified.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Stannis remembers information that he feels is important, but he’s not the best at remembering every little detail. He dismisses many things as inconsequential.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

His favorite memory with you is the first time you said you loved him (as detailed in “I = I love you”). He had been grappling with his feelings towards you for a while, and having you express these same feelings back at him unprompted caught him off guard. It really felt like a new phase in your relationship started and that your marriage was no longer just a political marriage.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Stannis is very protective of you. He makes sure that you’re guarded at all times, especially when he’s not with you. He also wouldn’t stand for anyone disrespecting you. If he heard one of his men say something bad about you, he would have them thrown in a cell for treason.

He wouldn’t expect you to protect him, but he would be deeply flattered when you would guard his honor and the honor of the Baratheon house as it would show that you care for him and for your life together. 

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Stannis isn’t the most romantic or sentimental person, so he wouldn’t put much weight into things like dates or everyday romantic gestures. On a more daily basis, he would show you he loved you through acts of service and making sure you felt comfortable and had everything you needed. On birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries, he would give you very nice and thoughtful gifts.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Stannis is stubborn as hell. He is very by the book and a stickler for enforcing rules. He tends to be overly serious most times and jokes generally don’t land around him. He typically doesn’t verbally apologize, even when he knows he’s in the wrong. He’s not entirely heartless, but emotional intelligence isn’t his strong suit. Getting him to the point where he shows vulnerability around you can take a long time. If you like a lot of physical affection, you’ll probably have a hard time feeling compatible with him since he’s relatively touch averse. Even after he gets a bit more comfortable with affectionate touches from you, he probably wouldn’t return physical affection to you as often as you’d like. 

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He doesn’t concern himself too much with aspects of his physical appearance that he can’t control like his face or when he begins to lose his hair, but he does try to wear nice clothes and armor. Because of the position of nobility he’s in, he likes to present himself as looking put together, wealthy, and dignified.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Stannis would scoff at the idea of needing someone else to feel complete; however, deep down after he falls in love with you, he couldn’t fathom not having you by his side. No one had ever gotten to know him as deeply or intimately as you, and he feels quite attached to you. He’d feel lost without your partnership.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He’s very tense at almost all times. His fists are usually clenched or he’s grinding his teeth.

He would always be quite pleased to see you wearing his sigil or colors, showing that you’re making an effort to into his house as his wife.

He would enjoy hearing you talk shit about his brothers. It sickens Stannis that Robert and Renly are so loved by the public when he believes that they disgrace the Baratheon name by not acting in a dignified manner.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Stannis doesn’t like rebels or people who don’t play by the rules. He is irritated by people who don’t publicly conduct themselves in a dignified way or when people don’t treat serious issues with the gravity they warrant. He also can’t stand people who only try to flatter him instead of giving their honest opinions. 

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

Stannis is a very light sleeper. He gets very little sleep as it is, so he doesn’t like his sleep being disturbed for any reason. Because of that, he doesn’t like to be touching you while he’s sleeping, and the two of you each have your own furs to sleep under instead of sharing one. He doesn’t really snore, but he does grumble quietly in his sleep.

#Stannis Baratheon #Stannis #Game of Thrones #GOT #Stannis Baratheon x reader #Stannis x reader #Stannis Baratheon headcanons #Stannis headcanons #Stannis Baratheon headcanon #Stannis headcanon #Stannis Baratheon imagines #Stannis imagines #Stannis Baratheon imagine #Stannis imagine

[bisexualgendryas]

jonsa + gendrya soulmate/soulmark au

(not gonna really write it till I’m done with the bodyswap but I was imagining a scenario where getting soulmarks, which are house-related, from a witch is like, a tradition among nobles (esp in the Riverlands) and thought of an interesting thing imo. this got....a LOT longer than I thought, I expected to literally just write up a smol outline and uhhh yeah there’s some more than that. some is almost written like an actual fic lol. here y’all go tho.)

at some point when the Stark Kiddos are young, like a couple or a few years pre-asoiaf, Cat brings up to Ned how her father had taken her to get a soulmark, and that her house Stark mark was part of why her father reached out to Rickard (though this is also evidence it’s not the most accurate, as engagements generally would be made with the eldest children, in her case Brandon, when she did ultimately fall in love with Ned, but whatever. it’s a tradition, and she’s taken the concept to mean that daughters would be wed to better husbands, and since she’s got two daughters that’s pretty damn important to her.)

so Cat takes Robb, Sansa, and Arya on a trip to a woods witch in the wolfswood. Robb never has a mark show up, and Arya's takes a really long time, long enough that Cat practically forgets and when she asks later Arya says she hasn’t noticed one (she has a small stag, but she doesn’t want her parents to have a reason to marry her, let alone to a prince, so she assumes a little white lie won’t hurt. later, after having met Joffrey and Tommen, she still stands by that, even though Tommen doesn’t seem horrible).

Sansa’s mark, though, is...problematic. more problematic, even, than Cat knows, but still problematic enough that along with the weirdness of her only other potentially marked siblings’ situations Ned and Cat decide that they’ll just arrange marriages for Bran and Rickon (and the others) normally...because Sansa has a little three-headed dragon on her back, saying that their poor daughter was meant to bind them to the exiled house Targaryen. 

Ned suggests perhaps it had been meant to be Elia’s son, knowing better than to up and admit that they have a Targaryen at Winterfell, and Cat tells him that the marks fade if the soulmate dies - if the gods had meant her to love Aegon, the mark wouldn’t have shown itself, so surely it means Viserys.

Sansa can’t see it herself, so, for the most part, she forgets it, though she’s careful not to get too much help from her handmaidens with bathing and such. Shae’s the only one she explicitly tells, and they get to be sad about her lost chance at love - but then, perhaps there’s someone else out there, Shae suggests, for the mark remains well after Westeros has gotten word of Viserys’ death. perhaps there’s a bastard out there, or perhaps it means Daenerys. Sansa thinks neither would be quite so bad, certainly not as bad as Joffrey, but clings to the idea of a bastard - she had a bastard brother, after all.

her mark does fade, at one point, years later, after she’s been wed to Ramsay and he’s forced her to explain ‘herself’. “your mad dragon prince is gone, my wife. he’s not coming to save you, no one’s coming to save you,” he mocks, but when Ramsay leaves the castle to fight Stannis off, she saves herself, with a few helping hands. in the chaos, it’s Brienne who notices, a few weeks later, that the mark has returned to her back. surely that means Ramsay was only lying to hurt her, or even that the magic isn’t accurate (which would really be fine with Sansa, because the whole thing hadn’t really done their family good), or maybe even that he really had died and there’s some other resurrected bastard out there, but really, what would be the chances?  

(it’s really not important to her anymore - she’s long since known no one will marry her for love, so what’s the point of her childish hopes for it? she just continues to hope for her family, and most of those hopes are answered, even if things are very different than they used to be.)

she, like their parents, had thought that Arya didn’t have a mark, and while Arya is uncomfortable when Sansa mentions her own soon after their reunion, Sansa doesn’t jump to thinking she’s been wrong, only that it’s related to their displeasure about Jon giving up northern independence - until Arya says she thinks the marks are “bullshit”, because she has one and hers hasn’t even ever disappeared, and there aren’t any Baratheons left, not even princess Shireen, not even Robert's bastards, who were all hunted by Joffrey and Cersei soon after Robert's death...but Sansa has always wanted and deserved love, so perhaps there is some Targaryen bastard out there. Arya will concede on that point and that one only.

for a couple months, at least, that is.

Sansa gets the whispers from one of her handmaidens that Arya's taken a liking to one of the smiths, and soon enough, Arya is up in arms because she’s spent years ignoring her little stag mark and has just found out that the blacksmith she’s, well, courting, is in fact, Robert’s bastard, which means...any number of things, none of which she’s sure how she feels about. but Sansa encourages her to tell him about the mark, because she just ran away from her soulmate on what could possibly be their last night alive. if Jon is with his love, and many others were, too, shouldn’t Arya spend the night how she wants, with someone she loves?

“I already hated the idea of losing him - of losing anyone - but if I never have to see that stupid stag mark after tomorrow, I...”

“you’re stronger and more stubborn than anyone else I know, but I imagine any man who loves you could come close. what if you both live? what then?”

“what if it’s not even him?”

“only a few moments ago, you told me you wanted to be together without even knowing. why wouldn’t it be him?”

it’s not really what Arya wants to hear, but she leaves anyway, seemingly accepting that that’s Sansa’s final answer, and Sansa goes to find Theon. the sisters reunite a few hours later, up on the ramparts as the castle finishes what battle preparations it can, and while Arya doesn’t give Sansa any details before handing her a dagger and telling her to go down to the crypts, she confirms that she went back to him, if only for the one night.

it’s not the one night, though, because they do survive, and while she’s happy for Arya she still has to try not to be jealous, even as she encourages Arya to marry her soulmate, while her own is nowhere to be found.

then, Jon puts himself in between them and Daenerys for what she dearly hopes is the last time, and Arya decides they need to talk about it - privately. 

he says, again, that he’s not a Stark, and they both fight him on it, but Bran does not. Jon looks to Bran and Bran looks at Jon and says it’s his choice as though they’re supposed to know what that means, even though Jon is the only one who does. and so, Bran tells them that Jon is not their father’s son, but their aunt’s - and Rhaegar’s. 

their first moments are full of too much emotion to name, and Sansa’s swept up in Arya’s insistence that Jon will always be a brother to her, and gathered up into hugs, and then it’s the moments after, when they’re all silent, standing there with Ghost between them and tears in all their eyes, that she realizes what that means about the sigil on her back. and from the concerned glance that Arya meets her eyes with when Jon turns away from them, Sansa knows that she’s realized too.

#jonsa #actuallyjonsa #gendrya #sansa stark #arya stark #things by charley

[gennybfromtheblock]

What lies in a cove

Gendry finds being a lord unbearable it's everything that has rubbed him the wrong way since he was old enough to know anything. The wheel has always been an ugly thing squashing every person in their path. Sitting in a fancy chair as smallfolk barely make eye contact churns his stomach nervousness to disgust for days on end. He isn't a lord not that kind anyhow. It wasn't him. And his mind wanders to her a fierce wolf who once said it wasn't her either. He gets it now. Each day Davos tries his hardest to get him to sleep in one of the chambers but he finds he can shut his eyes when he's in an itchy cot warm embers in the air lulling him to rest no matter where he's been in life the forge has been his home. Gendry hates being a lord but he doesn't hate the people. Living and breathing reminders of a new world starting to form. He's been propositioned more times in five moons than he likes. Every time a woman brushes a hand he quickly removes it. Gendry knows he's not the smartest man but he can tell in their eyes it's not him they want it's the name they seek to lay with a stag merely a notch on a bedpost a story to tell at a tavern. He and Davos have to fob off several attempts of women seeking to pass off their own babes as his. When one of the fishermen asks him if he rows the same waves as his uncle Renly him and Davos finally smile at one another a rumour to create t2o finally quash out greed and cunning.

He misses Arya he doesn't want to. He thinks about her hair the way it easily fell into his fingers how it brought a whimper when he pulled at it. How her breath stuttered after sulking a pulse point on her neck. Despite her strength, her touches were soft and fierce grounding him in a way he never expected. Gendry knew deep down Arya wanted him a boy born and bred in Fleabottom her friend. Arya’s wolfish nature wild and free opened him to a desire he hadn’t previously thought until she was there looking at him sizing him for connection. He asked King Bran about her more times then he'd like to admit. Bran is a mystery often responding with a vacant stare until one time after a moon of no answers and seeing his sunken shoulders Bran stroke his arm a notion surprising most of the council. "She'll come back soon" "You've seen it?" "I can be your family" Davos notices his smile doesn't stop shining for days.

On a drafty day, Davos drags him on a boat.

“You're not sending me to King’s Landing again are you?”

HIs chuckle surrounds the sea.

“No, lad figured your arse could use some splinters after days on end in that fancy chair. It’s a Seaworth tradition to teach the children to fish your just a little taller and sullen. It would have been a sight if Shireen could sit beside you. You’d of liked her”.

Being legitimised has brought many a story of the great Robert Baratheon and he can’t say he ever wants to have his name said in the same sentence quite frankly. An abusive drunk who spent his day's whoring isn’t the model he wants to follow. Ser Davos however there isn’t a day he isn’t grateful for his decency his kindness him and his wife kindly take to him as their own. It’s the first time since a scrappy short girl and a boy with a name after a baked food has truly felt like family. Of course, the moment of happiness is short-lived a haggard long bearded fisherman waits at the dock. His leg taps impatiently.

“Ah Meric for what owes us the pleasure of your sober presence”

“Who said I was sober?”, ruffling his hair he sighs annoyed at whatever inconvenience he has to tell ”A girl tried to break in the castle said she was about to birth your child. Poppycock of course.The mouth of a sailor that one didn’t think a girl so small could say such crass things.Said to tell milord his child was going to come out of her cunt any second and that he could tell the child when older that their father had her squatting them out a fucking cave then”

Gendry doesn’t think he’s ever seen Davos had his eyebrows that raised before.”We sent the maester to her didn't seem right to give birth alone in a cave. Didn't even call you a stag either a stubborn bull. Clearly just wanted your name eh?”

Silence fills space beyond space. Bran’s words in his head finally holding an answer he didn’t think would ever come. Gendry’s feet start sprinting on their own accord sand rubbing against his boots salt on his tongue.He can hear Davos shouting Lad from behind him but if it’s what he thinks what he knows. Arya.

He can already hear her shouting profanity when he reaches the dark enclosed area. The cave is barely lit he’s tripping on rocks left right and centre but he needs to find her he follows the word fuck screamed, to no avail. It was only when the babe's hoarse cries echo the cave he spots her huddled to a corner. A maester beside her and a woman with a torch lighting the sconces of the cave. When the light finally fills around he can see Arya more clearly. Her hairs longer reaching her shoulders she’s huddled in a corner sweat stuck to her forehead cradling a small bundle. The maester passes him putting his hand on his shoulder knowingly with a smile.

“A girl milord” 

Gendry crouches down to her, he doesn’t think he’s ever seen a more beautiful sight.Arya Stark never one to show vulnerability with a stray tear down her cheek a finger stroking the eyelids, nose and hair of their child.

“You didn’t pull out stupid”.

“You asked me not too so who’s the stupid one?” He can’t help himself he fluffs the hair of their daughter black as the cave with eyes a shade to hers. Gendry thinks at this moment his heart is the fullest it’s ever been that all the hardships all the pain is worth it in this second with them, in a newly lit cave with his daughter holding his finger.

 “Guess we’re a family now?”

Arya’s tired eyes widen immediately she lightly thumps him on the shoulder.

“We were always family stupid, we just got another mouth to feed.I’m never going to be a lady. And I will never be your wife. But you are mine and I am yours and we’re your family”

Davos eventually finds them later in the forge with Ned between them both a featherbed, not in sight.

#gendrya #gendrya positivity #I started writing this days ago #and then quickly forgot to finish it #so here #myfic

[mebongster87]

Making sense of S08E01

While some of the parts of Episode 1 have turned out as predicted/expected including Daenerys facing opposition from the Northern Lords and their displeasure at Jon having bent the knee, Jon being told the truth of his parentage, Bran telling Daenerys about the situation of the Wall and wightViserion, there is one thing that did surprise me to some extent and that is Jon and Daenerys going for a joy-ride on Drogon and Rhaegal amidst the chaos and imminent danger the North faces now that the Wall has fallen.

I am not sure when we see this sequence but if it happens AFTER the Northern Lords Assembly with Daenerys and Jon and Tyrion, then it makes sense for Jon to don his PoliticalJon cap and whisk Daenerys away to not only assuage her fears and discomfiture but to reaffirm his “love” for her. Cue the cringe-worthy romance and dragon-riding. I am firmly on team Not make Jon ride a lizard WMD but oh well.

From the politicalJon standpoint, it makes sense as to why Jon is doing what he is doing. However, let’s put aside this theory and look for other potential explanations of why we see Jon riding Rhaegal and seemingly being in love with Daenerys from a more objective and general perspective. The audience thinks Jon and Daenerys are in love, so to pick things up from where they ended last season, it is only natural for them to act that way. Daenerys is truly in love with him and EC is acting her heart out in demonstrating that. The doubts lie with KH’s expressions and while I believe in PoliticalJon, most of GA does not subscribe to this theory (they think Jon is honorable to the bone, yawn!!!). The GA think A Song of Ice and Fire means A love song of Jon and Daenerys. While it’s clearly far from that, the GA firmly believe that. D&D are making a show for the masses, giving them J/D romance is their way of keeping them happy. The real catch lies in what happens after.

As I mentioned, there is another way to explain this segment that is reminiscent of something that we have seen before. (reiterating LF’s “everything that happens will be something that you have seen before” line because it is pertinent)

Jon and Daenerys looking all loved up at the start of the S8 is to ensure that the GA and their old nans are lulled into this belief. 

Jon “could be in love” with Daenerys, simply because he does not know the full extent of her journey through Yunkai, Astapor, Meereen. What he hears are the good things he has been told by Tyrion and Missandei, both completely drunk on the Khaleesi Koolaid. He knows Daenerys went to deal with the Lannisters, but he does not know about the Tarlys being burned alive, at least not at the point in the episode when this dragon romance montage happens. Tyrion and Varys never tell him what she did to the Tarlys. Killing helpless, outnumbered, and overpowered Lannisters....yeah Jon does not know about that either. He remembers Sansa’s lessons about not trusting Cersei and the Lannisters are his enemy foremost. Additionally, what Jon sees is her coming to their rescue during Wight Hunt and given how useful the dragons were in obliterating hundreds of wights (even though the walkers and NK are immune to fire), he still thinks that “Daenerys is our only chance”....it’s a misjudgment on Jon’s part. He is incorrect and just does not fully know it yet. This isn’t the first time he has misjudged his enemies abilities....remember Ramsay and his battle nous at the Battle of the Bastards. Ramsay beat Jon in his own game of planning the battle out, pincer move and all that. In time, even Jon will come to realise that dragonfire is not the answer to defeat the NK.

So safe to say, it would not be too farfetched to think Jon is in love with her. The GA is certainly convinced, so kudos to D&D.

This J/D romance is a callback to S05E04 The Sons of the Harpy....when we see a very moving, heartfelt, and emotional scene between Stannis and Shireen...where Stannis talks about how he refused to send a baby Shireen away to Valyria for her greyscale and how he left no stone unturned to cure her and says “You are the Princess Shireen of House Baratheon and you are my daughter”

and the background music swells when Shireen rushes to hug Stannis and this moment is so touching..so emotional that it really goes a long way to make Stannis look like a proper human who is a parent to a wonderful and innocent child.......right???

Think again.

How long did it take to get from that to this, when Stannis burns Shireen because he wants to fulfill his destiny in an episode titled S05E09 The Dance of the Dragons???? 

Not even 6 episodes!!!!!

Even now, book fans and show fans think Stannis the Mannis was the rightful ruler and have a hard time coming to terms to Shireen’s burning. However, if you have paid attention to this show, all the signs were there...right from the start. In fact, we are introduced to Stannis for the first time in a scene, where he is burning his brother by law on the Dragonstone beach.....is it any surprise that he would not burn his own daughter who has king’s blood to become the Prince that was promised???? Shireen’s death by fire was shocking and disturbing AF but was clearly not unexpected if you had read the signs and the writing on the wall.

How long do we think it is going to take Jon and Daenerys to go from that “loved-up” to this????

image courtesy @brujhahii

All I am saying is that we believe in Political Jon theory, we believe in Dance of the Dragons 2.0, the GA either does not know about these or does not think will ever happen. We must be delulu Jonsas, if we are coming up with these theories right?????

Well, think again.....because D&D are absolutely coming for the GA with this shocking sledgehammer of making Jon and Daenerys fight.

They fucked and now they will fight. Jon and Daenerys are fundamentally different individuals not because they are “ice” and “fire”, but because one is a defender, “the shield that guards the realms of men” while the other is a conqueror who takes what she wants with “fire and blood”. They want fundamentally different things with their lives.

This season will be a season of revelations, not just for the characters as they figure out who they are, what they want and what they have always been...but also for the audience to wake up and smell the coffee and come to terms with who and what these characters are. It is a season of “truth”. They will make us choose between Jon and Daenerys and can it get any more ironic than the fact that in a promo named “Together” we see the fraction of Jon-Daenerys alliance taking place???

We have a shot of two dragons flying, from the dragon-flying montage possibly, followed by this scene of Jon walking away and leaving Daenerys...indicating the collapse of their alliance. (I personally think this shot happens in context with Sansa’s kidnapping plot but we’ll see.)

“The hero is the villain from the other side”-GRRM and now we will get to see that.

#jonsa #anti jonerys #anti daenerys #dance of the dragons 2.0 #got s8 spoilers #got meta #political jon #jonsa is endgame

[dancinginthecenteroftheworld]

Nov 30: Frost (Brienne-centric)

It’s not like Brienne is going to go to the holiday party, and it’s not like anyone is going to care but maybe it’s another new thing Brienne can get used to here in Westeros. 

Brienne knew, somewhat abstractly, that Westeros got long, cold winters when she decided to move. Brienne has never had a real winter, only vaguely remembers the year snow fell on Tarth. It’s not the tropics on Tarth, Brienne is used to wearing sweaters and long pants and she’s figured she’d be fine.

But it’s October, now, her feet feel like they’ll never be warm again and now the windshield on her car is covered in ice.

The delight Brienne had felt at the frost sparkling on the grass as she drank her tea and looked out the window evaporates quickly. 

Brienne has been sitting in her car, heater running, trying her wipers every so often and wincing at the harsh scraping noise, when there’s a knock on her window. 

Brienne vaguely recognizes the woman as one of the tenants from her floor. 

“You’re new here, aren’t you?” The woman looks like a fairy tale princess, her long dark hair falling over a pretty pink coat, the blue hat and gloves and scarf she’s wearing matching her boots. 

She doesn’t look like she’s cold at all, while Brienne is shivering in her father’s old peacoat and one of her warmer sweaters and jeans. 

“Yes, from Tarth,” Brienne answers.

“You need an ice scraper.” The woman holds up her hand. “One second.”

She comes back with a long-handled tool and begins chipping away at Brienne’s windshield with surprising strength. The woman, Brienne learns as she takes the scraper and uses her greater height for more reach, is Shireen Baratheon and she teaches at the local school. 

“You need better gloves,” Shireen says, looking at Brienne’s worn fingerless mitts. “And hats and a lined coat. This is nothing for us.”

Brienne groans before she can stop herself.

By the time she’s cleared her car, Brienne has a shopping list for warm clothing, things like a snow shovel even though the landlord is supposed to clear the lot (“He doesn’t,” Shireen sighs, and then uses a word that’s very inappropriate for a schoolteacher to describe Baelish), and a new appreciation for fleece-lined anything and thermal underwear. 

Shireen gives her a wave and insists they must get together for coffee sometime, claiming it’s nice to have a normal neighbor. 

Brienne doesn’t really expect she’ll follow through. 

But Brienne does go shopping on Saturday, shoving her distaste for the chore back and heading to Cregan’s department store. 

She’s surprised to see her head volunteer from the animal shelter working the floor. 

“My parents store,” Sansa explains, obligingly leading Brienne to the men’s section and helping her find most of the things on Shireen’s list. Fleece-lined jeans, heavier sweaters, thermal base layers and boots. 

Brienne tamps down on the brief feeling of regret that she’s stuck with clunky, brown boots instead of something cute. Not that she’d wear powder blue, fur-topped ones like Shireen, but it would be nice to have something pretty and feminine that fits her.

That must be why she allows Sansa to coax her into the woman’s department. 

“We do alterations, and we carry plenty of tall sizes,” Sansa explains. She’s not exactly petite herself, slim but definitely taller than average.

Still not as tall as Brienne, which means there’s at least some hope of things fitting her. 

Sansa seems determined, digging through racks with enthusiasm. 

“Don’t you want something nice?” Sansa asks, piling dresses over her arm as Brienne frowns. “I know your job needs practical clothes, but we do have the town holiday party coming up.”

“I don’t wear dresses,” Brienen says automatically. “I can’t.”

Sansa raises an eyebrow.

Brienne gestures at her shoulders, sighing. She doesn’t know if women like Sansa genuinely don’t understand how large she is or if they’re just mean enough to want to see how grotesque Brienne looks. 

Brienne doesn’t think Sansa would be that cruel. She’s always been kind when they’ve worked together, and Asha has nothing but good things to say about the woman who keeps the volunteers at the shelter running smoothly. 

“Nonsense,” Sansa says briskly.  “You just need the right dress.”

The right dress, if it exists, is not at Cregan’s, though Sansa tries to talk Brienne into a few. Brienne eventually finds herself buying a blue jumpsuit which miraculously does fit, or almost. Sansa assures her the store can let out the hem and fix the inch of ankle showing at the leg. Brienne will need to wear something underneath it, the neckline plunges too low, if she wears it out in public. 

There’s something kind of nice about having an article of clothing so decidedly feminine, even if Brienne never wears it. And Sansa looks so pleased when Brienne says she’ll pick the jumpsuit up later. 

#november ficlet #small town au #brienne of tarth

[psychvamp25]

1, 3, 5 &7

Thank you so much for asking!!

1. Which character do you personally relate too? --- That is a tough one. Arya is my fav character for sure but I feel I most relate to... Sam. I also want to just be allowed to read books all day with some good food and not have to go out into the world to do things.

3. If you could revive one GoT character, who would it be and why? --- Shireen. For one, her death was one of the most useless things I have ever had to witness, it always felt like a way to just get rid of her (while completing the Stannis character assassination). If she was alive, it would added so much to the story. She would have been the last Baratheon, trapped in the North, with only the Starks for the allies. It would have a perfect opportunity to have another strong female character, and she would have been a connection to having the Stormlands involved.

5. What are you top five GoT ships? --- Arya/Gendry, Brienne/Jaime, Jon/Daenerys (before she went “mad” for stupid drama reasons), Greyworm/Missandei, Bran/Meera(before he became a robot) (thinking about the answer to this question made me upset all over again that the only ship that was really around at the end was Sam/Gilly, THE ONLY ONE)

7. What’s your GoT NOTP? --- This is a popular ship, but I don’t get it, Jon and Sansa. I know in the show that cousin incest isn’t an issue, but I don’t see them as cousins, they are brother and sister.

Thanks you again for asking!! I am always open for more questions.

[sanrionharbor-blog]

For Everybody Still Worried About the Leaks

Clues from the Cast Interviews, GRRM Hints, and My Own Gut Feelings

Disclaimer: Hey, nobody knows nothing, but life’s too short to stress about things we can’t control, and stories are supposed to be maps to help us learn more about ourselves and about life in general–not hair-pulling inducements.  So I’m going to enjoy all the speculating that I can regarding the GOT season finale, and want to share some thoughts on why I think certain “leaks” are most likely bunk.

I’m mostly focusing on the pervasive “Does Tyrion die by trial?” leak, and everything that links to that, including any betrayals or major deaths.

Tyrion’s Ending and The Ending, In General

First, let’s quote Peter Dinklage himself:

I had all these ideas in my head and a version of one of them is how it ends up [for Tyrion]. David and Dan have a brilliant version of what I had. If I use any adjectives it will give it away. But I love how it ended up. And how it ends up for everybody. They had a beautiful gentle touch with some, and a hard touch with others.

But that’s just on Tyrion’s ending. Before I get into what that quote tells us, let me quote what other people have said about the Overall Ending of Game of Thrones:

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau:

I’ve never read anyone who got the whole thing. And when I read it the first time, I was blown away.

George R.R. Martin:

So many readers were reading the books with so much attention that they were throwing up some theories, and while some of those theories were amusing bulls*** and creative, some of the theories are right…At least one or two readers had put together the extremely subtle and obscure clues that I’d planted in the books and came to the right solution.

What the above quotes tell me is:

No one has guessed the ending completely–but parts of the ending? Yeah, they’ve been guessed. Which just goes to show how much this show and its themes have resonated not only with GRRM, but with his audience. Because,as a writer, I can tell you that no storyteller tells a story alone. There’s something guiding us and we can’t put a finger on it but it’s often the source of our best ideas. And it’s the same ineffable something that stirs all of us when we’re creating, sharing, and participating in stories. It’s the reason you see the same patterns in stories over and over. In short, the fact that part of the ending CAN be guessed is NOT a bad thing. It’s natural. Some postmodern storytelling theories have taught us that tricks and surprises are where it’s at–but a story isn’t true unless it can surprise us and, in retrospect, give us the only answer that makes any sense. You can see a pithier version of this kind of storytelling in Ye Olde Riddle–for example, the Sphinx in Oedipus Rex could tell us the answer to her riddle is orange, and that would throw us for a loop, but it would tell us nothing and mean nothing and add nothing to the story and thus would be forgotten. Surprise doesn’t count unless it has a ripple effect. So, about-face turns and OOC arcs may shock and subvert, but they’ll ultimately end up as dross and not as gold. (But hey, more on my thoughts on what can and can be accepted as canon in the last blurb below!).

Now, has anybody assumed that Tyrion would betray Daenerys and end up dead simply for 1) loyalty to the Lannisters, 2) suddenly losing faith in humanity?, or 3) suddenly wanting to usurp power himself? No. This is not a popular theory by a longshot. Tyrion dying? Sure. Somebody betraying Daenerys? Sure. Tyrion as a ruler? Sure. But this very specific, shoehorned version of the story is simply too contrived to have been picked up by fans organically.

The leaks so far have painted nothing but harsh endings for ALL the characters. Don’t tell me those leaks are pro-Stark. Those leaks point out backstabbing, loneliness, and emotional stagnation–forget what characters live, think about what these leaks have said about these characters. Not only does this not jive with the “bittersweet” aspect of the ending, it doesn’t jive with Dinklage’s assertion that, while some characters will go down harshly (R.I.P. Missandei especially–at least Edd and Jorah and Beric got heroic deaths and funerals), others will be treated gently. A heartbroken Brienne? A cold, lonely, manipulative Sansa? A suddenly hopeless, headless Tyrion? I don’t think so. (I also don’t think that means that Brienne and Jaime will necessarily ride into the sunset–but I do think we’ll have Jaime’s feelings for her confirmed, along with the completion of his redemption arc. I also don’t think that means Tyrion definitely won’t die–but I don’t think he’ll be character assassination, either. And I also don’t think that Sansa WILL end up in a canon relationship–but, logically, they can’t leave all the Stark’s COMPLETELY UNABLE TO LOVE, and um, somebody has to be willing to have legitimate heirs to the Stark House. Ok, just to continue this aside, but it seems theoretically impossible to me that the Stark House, which is all about the continuation of the Starks and the independence of the North, would not be given any canon marriages/alliances at the end of their arc. Arya’s already rejected marriage, Bran drove Meera away, and Sansa’s always wanted a happy marriage, even if she’s got very understandable trust issues right now. Anyhow–).

Peter Dinklage was able to guess how his character arc ended. What are the odds that Betraying Somebody He Cares About Without Good Reason (Daenerys–I could see him betraying her reluctantly, but not easily)/Being Betrayed By Somebody He Cares About (Sansa)/Dying Guilty After All The False Trials His Character Has Been THrough were in the mix? I don’t think so. Dinklage has gone on record multiple times to say how much he admires Tyrion and thinks he’s a good person. He’s also gone on record stating that Sansa and Tyrion’s relationship is full of true affection. Even if Tyrion dies and/or he and Sansa don’t end up as a couple, betrayal just seems so far out of the scope of what these characters’ storylines have been building to. And again, I can’t see that being even one version of one of Dinklage’s headcanons. What I think is most likely? A) Hand to the Ruler, B) Part of a new council that replaces or supplements the King/Queen, C) the King himself, or D) a heroic death.

How Long They’ve Planned the Ending:

They had talks with GRRM in 2014

They’ve been planning the ending for five years

They’ve known it was Arya who would take out the NK for three years

So some decisions weren’t set in stone, even by GRRM (such as who would take out the NK…an interesting thing not to know, actually, but that just points out how inflated the importance of the Others/White Walkers was–do I still think it will be handled better by GRRM, yes, but that’s another story), and even if D&D’s execution feels more like “here’s an outline of what’s happening” rather than “here’s the organic progression of that storyline,” I can only imagine that if core pieces were given by GRRM AND they’re not completely winging it, then there will be a certain amount of narrative cohesion once this comes full-circle.

Let’s not forget, we still have a third WTFudge moment that was came straight from GRRM himself, with the other two shockers being Hodor’s origin and Shireen Baratheon’s death. Could this third twist be Dany going completely mad? Maybe, though it doesn’t fall into the same category of completely-unexpected-but-honestly-possible, like Shireen and Hodor. Only because the foreshadowing for Dany’s madness was heavy-handed in the last few seasons (taking away the ‘unexpected’ bit), and is now quite uneven here in Season 8.

I think the third twist will likely be a specific action (a la Shireen’s death) or another origin story-type twist (a la Hodor). Some people have speculated that “Tyrion’s Trial” would make for that final twist, but here’s why I don’t think so:

The Nature of the Leaks

It’s very interesting to me that this leak, supposedly this Huge Most Important Leak, was one of the very first ones released. Like, months ago. While the rest of the leaks, the ones that have actually been accurate, are usually only released at the max a few days before each episode airs.

It’s also interesting to me that HBO has not done more to shut down this particular leak.

And, I would not put it past HBO to have actually filmed one entire fake-out scene. Most of the Dragon Pit/South scenes were filmed after the first three episodes, so they probably knew that they had the time and money to just throw fans for another loop. Sound tinfoily? Perhaps, but the idea that this big twist–and a twist that so far doesn’t make much sense given what we’ve seen in what is now ⅔’s of the season–was such an easy leak just makes me suspect.

Another possibility? Tyrion IS on trial, but is pardoned. Or Tyrion thinks he’s on trial, but it turns out to be somebody else’s funeral (a la that Littlefinger Fake Out 2.0.). I’m not saying any of this makes for the best handling of his character or for a particularly compelling scenario, but considering we haven’t seen it, I can’t say for certain.

GOT’s Recent “Plot Twist” Pattern

D&D have switched to information-withholding tactics in the last few seasons. Just look at Sansa and Arya’s arc and the Littlefinger Fake Out. Were these well-written? Not entirely–but they don’t make for the worst entertainment either. Yeah, we had better quality storytelling in the first four seasons, but soap opera can still be fun.

And how long have they been teasing Dark!Sansa without actually delivering? And let’s not forget–show-Sansa’s arc is still, broadly, based on book-Sansa’s arc. Book-Sansa remains far more in tune to the archetype of the Lady/Maiden, while show-Sansa is slightly blended with Jeyne Poole’s arc (and, unfortunately, a dash of Pop Feminism). But the fact remains that whatever meeting D&D had with GRRM back in 2014 contained information based on the broad trajectory of Sansa’s arc as GRRM has been writing it. (I’m writing a character arc meta on Sansa that’ll be out…soonish).

And let’s just say I don’t see Dark!Sansa hinted very well in the books at all. Sansa learning to pull strings like Littlefinger and Cersei and Margaery? Heck yes. But Sansa will do it Sansa’s way.

So, given that D&D usually try to shock us by hinting at a character’s worst possible tendency AND by withholding information AND by trying to get us to see one scenario while giving us another (another example being Jon Snow vs. Night King actually being Arya vs Night King), I can very well see them turning Sansa into a reluctant last-minute ally of Daenerys, Tyrion being pulled out of hot water at the last minute, Jaime’s running to Cersei being about taking out Cersei not making out with Cersei (yeah sorry/not sorry about that one), and heck, maybe Dany won’t go mad–she’ll just realize she doesn’t want the Iron Throne anymore, or the Iron Throne shouldn’t exist, or she dies tragically but not as a monster. Time will tell.

Who We Haven’t Seen So Far That Can Introduce New Complications

1. Edmure Tully

Tobis Mennzies (Edmure Tully) has been confirmed to return this season. Could it just be a cameo? Maybe. But I wouldn’t put it past Sansa, Arya, and Bran to be planning a back-up plan to help out Jon (and thus Dany). Arya is probably planning on killing Cersei, Sansa can rally what’s left of the Tully’s, and Bran will hopefully do something Three-Eyed Ravenish (or regain some of Bran’s humanity–which would be a twist worth waiting for).

2. Khal Drogo

Motherhood is an important theme in Dany’s life. I think ultimately, book and show wise, it’s what’s truly important to her. She just doesn’t realize it. In this way, Dany is a very interesting parallel with Cersei. Both of these women are tempted to replace their intimate losses with power. They believe power will protect them and their own. And that mentality can slowly shift into the classic Mother Bear conundrum: Us vs. Them.

Now, Khal Drogo not only represents a happy time in Dany’s life where she was both powerful and protected, but where she was a mother. After her losses, she gained her dragons. She truly loves her dragons as children, but they are also a liability to everyone but Dany. Interestingly, Dany’s human child with Khal Drogo was a liability to everyone but the Khalasar. The priestess from season 1 knew this, and so she prevented it. It doesn’t make the loss any less of a tragedy, however.

Will we see the same thing play out here in the final act of Game of Thrones? I’m not sure, but Khal Drogo’s presence will be heavily symbolic. Either Dany will meet him in the afterlife or reject death another time–but perhaps she’ll realize that her true desires were always for belonging and motherhood (just not at the expense of her own free will).

And, as an aside–I’ve really come to see Dany in a different light this season. I’ve always been anti-Daenerys as Ruler, but Daenerys as a character is truly fascinating. So what I see implied in her final arc is truly heartbreaking (and I hope it’s handled better overall than it was, in snapshot, here in 8x04). [Dany’s also my dad’s favorite character, haha, and I respect my dad’s opinion almost more than anyone else’s, so she gets props for that too lol].

3. Robin Arryn

I have a feeling this will be a cameo, but honestly the worst-case scenario for me would be Sansa being engaged to him lol. It would certainly be a Margaery Tyrell move on her part (knowing she won’t have to marry him for some time and he’ll be easy to influence), but the Knights of the Vale are already dedicated to her and I’m a Sanrion shipper so you know where I stand on any other Sansa ship. ;-)

Regardless, the Vale could become an important wrinkle in the plot, and I’m all for us not having a complete Doomsday scenario.

And In The Worst Case Scenario

The worst case scenario is that the leaks are legit. Bran as an emotionless king? The Starks are forever alone? Tyrion’s character assassination? Bleh.

But I’ve already hinted at my philosophy on canon storytelling.

Look, most fanon is crap–but so is most fiction. There are millions of stories out there, but it’s hard to find (and tell) one that resonates across all borders of sex, ethnicity, age, and epoch. You know what CAN exist in both fanon and canon–and what actually matters as canon in the end? The stories that are true.

If characters don’t act true to themselves, if deep-in-the-bones themes suddenly drop off, if crucial scenes that are present in every single successful outline are missing (don’t go postmodern on me–just read The Story Grid), then that story is incomplete. And it’s a lie.

Madeleine L’Engle once said “All truth is God’s truth.” She was trying to make the point that fantasy, and fiction in general, is important because it tells the truth. It’s not about the facts (dragons aren’t real! This is just a TV show! Etc.). It’s about the truth (dragons can be beaten! There is wonder in the world! We are united by our mythologies!).

So no, fanon can be a lot more than making heterosexual characters gay or inserting fluff without dealing with the consequences of character actions or erasing parts of canon. Fanon can be more true than canon when the author is on the tail of the actual Story.

Steven Pressfield does a much better job of explaining this in The War of Art. Madeleine L’Engle does a much better of explaining this in Walking on Water. Shawn Coyne does a much better job of explaining this in The Story Grid.

So don’t just take my word for it.

For me, then, I’m excited to see how the show plays out. And I’m fine if certain things that I only WANT don’t happen–but if the story doesn’t have what NEEDS to happen, then I’ll sadly and reluctantly reject it, and wait for GRRM’s books to come out, or simply contribute to the ASOIAF lore as best as I can. Hopefully not as wish fulfillment, but simply to respect the core of the story itself.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

#got #got s8 #got leaks #got spoilers #meta #long post #got endgame #tyrion #sansa #daenerys #arya #cersei #jaime #brienne #bran #night king #edmure tully #khal drogo #robin arryn #analysis #fanon #canon #positivity #storytelling #grrm #asoiaf #cast quotes #gotmeta #interviews #sanrion

[-catelynstark]

As cold as Ice or just a veil

Warnings: Smut  I  Words: 2,185  I  Pairing - Stannis x ofc  

A/U - I wrote this years ago and it’s been on Ao3, with the final season round the corner I thought it would be a good time to update this blog more!

Summary - Stannis has a new sword by his side and this time it's a woman who has taken a certain interest in her king and feels there is more to the seemingly cold and tough Stannis Baratheon. She is determined to break through his shell to the softer side she is convinced must be there. Stannis meanwhile is conflicted regarding his faith in the Lord of the light and on committing adultery, whilst also finding it difficult to come to terms with feeling something he's sure he's never felt before. I’ve taken some artistic license regarding Jon and Stannis’ communications etc. 

The air was cold so he did not bother removing his coat or cloak; she too kept her clothes on aside from her under garments which fell delicately round her ankles as he yanked them down. He grunted as he bit into her exposed neck, she relaxed into his body, wanting this King inside her. No words were exchanged as he thrust into her, his boots gripping the floor, his hands either side of her squeezing her hips as he pounded into her body which lay flat on the cold stone table. Her hands grasped out for any part of him that she could touch. Her legs were spread wide; her fingers went up his shirt and scratched his back leaving raw marks, she’d intended to claim him knowing fully well he wasn’t hers, she was the third.

He only moaned more as the nails ripped flesh and thrust harder into her. Selyse forgotten, Melisandre forgotten, only her. She was younger than him, but not too young, he wanted one who was strong and wise, her beauty was a bonus, not that that had been something he’d ever really considered or been interested in before. He had to admit this was new to him, he both loved and loathed it, and it made him feel vulnerable. His intentions were to be strong and just for his people, passions and sacrifice of the flesh in this manner was never something that he’d cared for, much to Robert and Renly’s amusement. But now he found himself utterly at her mercy, even if just for these brief, fleeting moments.

He kissed all her battle scars and loved the marks that made her imperfect. He hated himself for giving in to sin like this, it wasn’t like him to give in to temptation and lust, to be seduced by a woman he hardly knew. But then they wanted the same thing, a strong lover, children, a son, an heir, to feel safe and not abandoned.

Her eyes were shut in a state of unbreakable pleasure, he wanted her attention and so he rubbed against her soft cheeks. His stubble scratched her and her eyes popped open to stare into his. She moaned even louder knowing he was watching her, his eyes penetrating into her. Her pupils had dilated, she felt dizzy and full all at once and as tempting as it was to roll her head back, she daren’t look away.

When it was over Stannis changed. The fiery passion he had just displayed so openly was culled and the cold exterior that was King Stannis Baratheon, returned. She hadn’t expected anything more, hoped, yes, but expected, no. She knew it would take far longer than one fuck on a table to break him. The most frustrating thing was that she knew he cared, he said it himself that he didn’t want the throne, it was not that he wanted to be King, but that it was his duty, for his family and for his people. He adored Shireen, yet hardly spent any time with her. She assumed it was because he felt his daughter made him weak, he smiled more around her, the coldness melted around the girl somewhat, the mask slipped.

“The council will be here soon, you’ll leave now,” Stannis instructed, not once looking at the woman he had just fucked.

She nodded, “As you wish your grace.”

She turned to leave, “And not a word of this….” He paused, “Sin, to anyone.”

His words had bite and it stung more than she imagined it would, she knew he would be like this and promised not to resign herself to tears or to let him get to her and yet hearing him say the words aloud made her feel shame. She blushed and somewhere Stannis felt glad, he would not be the only one to be full of shame.

The release through orgasm was not worth the intruding guilt that followed or the feeling that he had failed somehow. With Selyse it was his duty to sleep with her on occasion as her husband and for the sake of a male heir, which he knew deep down would never happen. With Melisandre it was for the Lord of light, it was his duty to sleep with her, for his people. He had never slept with another, he had never enjoyed sex with Selyse aside from a few brief moments and whilst Melisandre had kept his flame burning, he felt wretched afterwards. And now this stranger had come from nowhere and caught him off guard, promised him a son like Melisandre did; only this would be a human boy and not some awful shadow from depths unknown.

Antoinette bowed to her King and left him stood drawn up and proud. She returned to the chambers where she had been staying. It was nice there; he and most of those she had come across in Dragonstone had been uncommonly kind to her. As a woman she was used to being treated badly and when people learned of her skills and the fact that she had come all this way to fight for Stannis, answering his call to arms, they would mock her. She soon had them with stunned with the flick of her wrists.

She told herself she wouldn’t cry, for nights and days she wondered what it would be like to sleep with the King, they had exchanged words hadn’t they? Didn’t they want the same thing? Surely that was why he had brought her here. And now without her brothers she was not so sure, she was not sure about anything and longed for the moment she heard men roused by new arrivals at the gates. My brothers will be here soon, she told herself. And then she realised that the tears had not fallen, she was not crying, no I will not let this stubborn man King or no get the better of me. He just doesn’t know what’s good for him, time will fix all. She allowed a small smile to play on her face as she tossed a coin from home and let it land in the palm of her hand.

Stannis paced up down the room, hands in firm grip behind his back, he was thinking about how to feed everyone, thinking about how to make Shireen smile again, thinking of how he missed Melisandre whispering in his ear, how to defeat the wildlings, her, her skin, the warmth inside her. No, he told himself. Everything here was important but that was not. This was why sex had never been of interest to him and found it uncomfortable to discuss, Robert and even Renly were too quick with their passions. When Robert should have been ruling and protecting the realm he was too busy sleeping with whores. Stannis didn’t blame the women; he didn’t necessarily feel sorry for them either, at least the ones who performed their services through free will. That was their right, but he didn’t agree with it, lust, greed, sloth, gluttony, pride, envy and wrath these were all sins which stopped others from performing their duty.

The second time was better, for a start Stannis made sure Antoinette reached orgasm too rather than leaving her frustrated. The two fell and tumbled into the King’s bed, “I want you,” he had whispered to her after one of the many council meetings. He had gripped her cloak and pulled the material to him so their bodies touched. Davos saw, Davos smiled and Davos said nothing, leaving the two of them.

It took another week after this instance for them to sleep together again. Stannis had called for her in his chambers, initially he had not thought of the meeting as a chance sexual encounter but he merely wished for her advice regarding battle strategies in private. He realised later on that subconsciously there had been a reason why he wanted to see her alone. When she reached his chambers the door was open, she was dressed in a casual, grey, woolen dress and tunic that was open at the front revealing her bountiful chest. Today was a day where no Armour had been required, it was, she thought, a good day.

“Your grace?” She asked sheepishly from the hall.

He looked up at the sound of her voice, eyes no longer caring to devour the book he was ready, his thirst for knowledge quenched by a new hunger. “Come in,” he said sternly.

She entered and stood by the door, hands folded in front of her, “You asked for me?”

He nodded, “I also told you to come in, now shut the door,” he instructed, it was not unkind.

Do I detect a smile? She looked embarrassed as she shut the door and moved toward her King. The night in the store room had been spontaneous so there was no time for nerves, but this was different. It was the two of them alone once again, a roaring fire, a soft warm bed and a closed door. She couldn’t believe her own nerve of approaching her King the way she had previously.

“I wished to speak to you about Jon’s plan.”

“His plan your grace?” Shit I wasn’t even listening to that earlier, I was too busy thinking about, urgh thinking about you my one true King. She panicked, not wanting to appear ignorant or forgetful.

“Aye, to allow some of the wildlings to travel further south, towards Winterfell. Not too far mind, but the land is a little better there for crops and if the white walkers do manage to break through this wall we have a longer line of defense.”

Oh yes I do remember that, Jon always has the most sensible plans even if others doubt him. She sighed.

“Sighing for the bastard are we?” He mocked.

“Oh shit no!” She regretted swearing instantly, “Sorry my King, I meant, no, it’s you, only you.”

The corners of what some saw as a cold and cruel mouth turned upwards slightly, a sly smile played on his face, he had her right where he wanted her. Is Stannis warming to me this much? Does sex not repulse him anymore? Gods what do we do now.

“You asked me why I brought you here, though you already know the answer,” he said softly looking at her.

“I…I guessed why but I do not like to assume your grace,” she bowed and looked down.

“You don’t bow to me, you don’t curtsy to me. I’m having a difficult time coming to terms with the reasons why I brought you here. I am an honest man, I know I’m not well liked, I know some see me as dull with the little drinking I enjoy and disdain for sex but you must understand.”

He was cut off as Antoinette moved forward backing him up next to a chair.

“I know my King, I do,” she smiled at him and he brought his hands forward to rest on her hip bones. In return she lifted her hands up placing them onto his shoulders and pushed him down into the chair. He sat slowly, his eyes never leaving hers, Stannis was not a man who was used to following orders from others and usually it would embarrass or anger him, but today was different.

Once sat she lowered herself onto his lap and moved her head into his, she stopped there to listen to his breathing, she could feel the warm air on her lips every time he breathed out. When he breathed in she felt he was sucking a part of her with it. They stayed like this for a while, their foreheads pressed together, eyes shut, and breathing in time with one another’s steady heartbeats. Stannis moved his rough hands round to her neck and started to massage before moving up to her thick hair and played with it. Finally he could stand it no more and he leaned in to grab her bottom lip gently between his teeth. She gasped with surprise and let out a little yelp.

The kiss was welcome, his teeth grazing her skin were welcome and when their lips met properly her whole body which had been so tense before relaxed. As their lips moved together his tongue pushed between her lips and teeth, exploring the warm cavern in between. Already Stannis could feel a bulge in his trousers, his cheeks reddened almost angrily and he knew he should feel ashamed but he didn’t and for once he didn’t feel surprised.

Her hand were clutching now at the hair on the back of his head, “My King,” she moaned. “My King, my only King, fill me, fill me with sons,” she moaned. The way she said my King sent shivers up his spine, he wanted to fuck her right there on the chair but had promised himself if they slept together again he’d do it properly. No tables but a soft bed and tender care with passions set ablaze, not from a God, but from within.

#Stannis Baratheon #Got #ASoIaF #lemon #fanfic #mine #writing