#varys has tyrek lannister

[istumpysk]

OPERATION ICEBERG: THE TIER LIST

THEORY:

Varys has Tyrek Lannister

TIER:

People's Choice!

Stumpy note: This is one of those times when I don't think you should pay close attention to my definitions. I don't want to influence your vote, but I just want to say that sometimes something can be extremely likely without there being mountains of evidence. For instance, consider a theory like the Hound being the gravedigger.

Strong Contender: These theories have a lot of textual support, but there are still some elements of uncertainty.

vs.

Possible: These theories could be true, but additional evidence is needed, as different interpretations or errors are possible.

vs.

Under Consideration: These theories haven't garnered strong or extensive evidence, but they're worthy of discussion.

[Tier list overview]

EVIDENCE:

First, who is Tyrek Lannister?

Son of Darlessa Marbrand and Tygett Lannister, Tywin Lannister's brother.

Handsome with long golden curls, roughly the same age as Sansa.

Served as Robert Baratheon's squire.

Married Lady Ermesande Hayford to secure her lands for House Lannister.

His bride, Ermesande, is an infant.

Moving on to the key points.

Stannis and Renly Baratheon block King's Landing's food supplies, causing widespread unrest. On the day Princess Myrcella leaves for Dorne, a mob attacks the royal party, sparking a riot.

Tyrek was in attendance and goes missing in the chaos.

"Ser Preston is not returned," Ser Boros Blount reported, "nor Aron Santagar." "Nor Wet Nurse," said Ser Horas Redwyne. That was the mocking name the other squires had hung on young Tyrek Lannister. - Tyrion IX, ACOK

And stays missing.

Tyrek was still missing, as was the High Septon's crystal crown. Nine gold cloaks had been slain, two score wounded. No one had troubled to count how many of the mob had died. "I want Tyrek found, alive or dead," Tyrion said curtly when Bywater was done. "He's no more than a boy. Son to my late uncle Tygett. His father was always kind to me." "We'll find him. The septon's crown as well." - Tyrion IX, ACOK

This mystery continues into the next book.

"Aye. I fear I did not leave him in the best of moods. Lord Tywin feels forty-four hundred guardsmen more than sufficient to find one lost squire, but your cousin Tyrek remains missing." Tyrek was the son of his late Uncle Tygett, a boy of thirteen. He had vanished in the riot, not long after wedding the Lady Ermesande, a suckling babe who happened to be the last surviving heir of House Hayford. And likely the first bride in the history of the Seven Kingdoms to be widowed before she was weaned. "I couldn't find him either," confessed Tyrion. - Tyrion I, ASOS

Suddenly, a throwaway detail: Varys, the master of whisperers and knower of all things, helped try to locate the young man.

"He's feeding worms," said Bronn with his usual tact. "Ironhand looked for him, and the eunuch rattled a nice fat purse. They had no more luck than we did. Give it up, ser." Ser Addam gazed at the sellsword with distaste. "Lord Tywin is stubborn where his blood is concerned. He will have the lad, alive or dead, and I mean to oblige him." He looked back to Tyrion. "You will find your father in his solar." - Tyrion I, ASOS

Then, another oddity: Varys the mummer puts on a bit of a performance.

"Alas, our beloved Tyrek has quite vanished, the poor brave lad." Varys sounded close to tears. - Tyrion III, ASOS

Not done yet, the author extends this mystery into A Feast for Crows. I can't give you an exact number of days, but at this point, Tyrek has been missing for a long time, and these people probably should have moved on.

Also, check out that ellipsis of truth.

The lady of the castle was a Lannister by marriage, a plump toddler who had been wed to his cousin Tyrek before she was a year old. Lady Ermesande was duly trotted out for their approval, all trussed up in a little gown of cloth-of-gold, with the green fretty and green pale wavy of House Hayford rendered in tiny beads of jade. But soon enough the girl began to squall, whereupon she was promptly whisked off to bed by her wet nurse. "Has there been no word of our Lord Tyrek?" her castellan asked as a course of trout was served. "None." Tyrek Lannister had vanished during the riots in King's Landing whilst Jaime himself was still captive at Riverrun. The boy would be fourteen by now, assuming he was still alive. "I led a search myself, at Lord Tywin's command," offered Addam Marbrand as he boned his fish, "but I found no more than Bywater had before me. The boy was last seen ahorse, when the press of the mob broke the line of gold cloaks. Afterward . . . well, his palfrey was found, but not the rider. Most like they pulled him down and slew him. But if that's so, where is his body? The mob let the other corpses lie, why not his?" "He would be of more value alive," suggested Strongboar. "Any Lannister would bring a hefty ransom." "No doubt," Marbrand agreed, "yet no ransom demand was ever made. The boy is simply gone." "The boy is dead." Jaime had drunk three cups of wine, and his golden hand seemed to be growing heavier and clumsier by the moment. A hook would serve me just as well. "If they realized whom they'd killed, no doubt they threw him in the river for fear of my father's wrath. They know the taste of that in King's Landing. Lord Tywin always paid his debts." "Always," Strongboar agreed, and that was the end of that. - Jaime III, AFFC

Finally, it happens: Jaime Lannister implicates Varys in the disappearance of Tyrek Lannister and openly questions why Varys wasn't present during the bread riots.

Also, another ellipsis of truth!

Yet afterward, alone in the tower room he had been offered for the night, Jaime found himself wondering. Tyrek had served King Robert as a squire, side by side with Lancel. Knowledge could be more valuable than gold, more deadly than a dagger. It was Varys he thought of then, smiling and smelling of lavender. The eunuch had agents and informers all over the city. It would have been a simple matter for him to arrange to have Tyrek snatched during the confusion . . . provided he knew beforehand that the mob was like to riot. And Varys knew all, or so he would have us believe. Yet he gave Cersei no warning of that riot. Nor did he ride down to the ships to see Myrcella off. - Jaime III, AFFC

You might remember that Varys also helped Gendry escape King's Landing and claims to have done the same for Aegon VI Targaryen.

Snatching young male nobles from King's Landing has become something of a hobby at this point. (Not to be outdone, Littlefinger has taken up the same pastime.)

"Here's something you don't know. It wasn't supposed to happen like it did. I was set to leave, wagons bought and loaded, and a man comes with a boy for me, and a purse of coin, and a message, never mind who it's from. Lord Eddard's to take the black, he says to me, wait, he'll be going with you. Why d'you think I was there? Only something went queer." - Arya I, ACOK

x

The lad flushed. "That was not me. I told you. That was some tanner's son from Pisswater Bend whose mother died birthing him. His father sold him to Lord Varys for a jug of Arbor gold. He had other sons but had never tasted Arbor gold. Varys gave the Pisswater boy to my lady mother and carried me away." - Tyrion VI, ADWD

Lastly, in 2001, George R. R. Martin pulled a George R. R. Martin.

Was "file Tyrek" closed in ASOS with the hint that he ended in a bowl of stew? Maybe he did. Maybe he didn't. - George R. R. Martin

(To my knowledge, it has never been hinted that Tyrek ended up in a bowl of stew.)

COUNTER-EVIDENCE:

Maybe Littlefinger has him?

On a serious note, this is a totally realistic scenario:

"If they realized whom they'd killed, no doubt they threw him in the river for fear of my father's wrath. They know the taste of that in King's Landing. Lord Tywin always paid his debts." - Jaime III, AFFC

STUMPY'S THOUGHTS:

Two more and Varys gets his boyband.

Remember everyone, sometimes: quality > quantity.

VOTE:

NEXT THEORY:

Tysha is the Sailor's Wife

[Main menu]

#operation iceberg #asoiaf theory tier list #theory 6 #varys has tyrek lannister

[greenbloods]

a lot of people dont know this but we already have all the hints for the future of house lannister. see it all has to do with the legacy of the house. when lann the clever connived his way into casterly rock that set a shadow from which house lannister never escaped. the targaryens were defined by aegon the conqueror and daenys the dreamer and the doom of valyria setting forth a 400 year long bloodcurse that forever entwined that house with the violence of the oppressor and conqueror and dreamer in that system. arryn honor and stark wolfsblood--ancient founders have ancient legacies.

but house stark was remade under ned starks image after his father and brother and sister died. and house lannister was remade under tywin lannisters image after tytos died. there some of that cleverness in tyrion and tywin, but the lannister name now is synonymous with the envy and lust and low cunning that tywin sought desparately to hide. house lannister is all brass and no gold; it needs a fresh start. jaime and cersei and tyrion are all stuck under tywins shadow; whether they try to be him or his opposite they are doomed to be defined by him. the hope for house lannister, then is in the youth who have not had a chance to be tormented by the psychosexual humiliation and power mentality of the dead lion.

but what is a lion a symbol of? kingship and power and sharp teeth. if sharp claws and pride are not enough then what is enough for the future of the house?

maybe a horse.

“Has there been no word of our Lord Tyrek?” her castellan asked as a course of trout was served. “None.” Tyrek Lannister had vanished during the riots in King’s Landing whilst Jaime himself was still captive at Riverrun. The boy would be fourteen by now, assuming he was still alive. “I led a search myself, at Lord Tywin’s command,” offered Addam Marbrand as he boned his fish, “but I found no more than Bywater had before me. The boy was last seen ahorse, when the press of the mob broke the line of gold cloaks. " -AFFC Jaime III

they say that tyrek lannister was last seen ahorse during the bread riots of kings landing. but these riots dont seem to be without instigator, and many have pointed to varys intentionally capturing tyrek to be groomed into a heir, much like young griff was groomed for kingship. it's later in feast that we get this exchange:

“Your word of honor?” Ser Brynden raised an eyebrow. “Do you even know what honor is?” A horse. -AFFC Jaime VI

so we know that tyrek = horse and honor = horse. by the transitive property it must be then that tyrek is the embodiment of the conception of honor, and has been captured by varys in the bread riots to create a new future for house lannister in order for westeros to escape from the shadow of tywin lannister

#is this a shitpost? yes #do i also believe it? absolutely #tyrek lannister #house lannister #asoiaf #my posts

[visenyaism]

Visenyaism ASOIAF Theory Rubric Table of Contents

I have done so many of these over the course of this semester that I think it makes sense to start organizing them now. Here's my list under the cut. I tried to put them in little subcategories so it'd be easier to get through at this point:

Weird Magic Shit:

Arrax left dragon eggs in the Winterfell Crypts

Maegor the Cruel was a blood magic baby

Euron dropped out of Bloodraven school

Bran serves the Great Other

The Starks are responsible for the Others

Danny Flint is Coldhands (REAL)

Theon is favored by the Drowned God

Secret Parentages (Rhaegar Targaryen you ARE the father)

Melisandre is Shiera & Bloodraven's kid

Robert Strong isn't Gregor Clegane but rather a descendant of Aemond and Alys Rivers

Pycelle Hill

Tywin is Rhaegar's biological father

Alyssa Targaryen was Alaric Stark's kid

R+L=D

Cersei and Jaime are Aerys II's children

Domeric Bolton was Brandon Stark's Bastard

Daemon is Aemond's real father

Aemond and Alys’ son invented House Whent

Brienne the Tall

Varys Blackfyre

Who Young Griff is Specifically:

YOUNG GRIFF BLACKFYRE SWEEP

Young Griff is a Brightflame

Young Griff is a random

Disguise Time

Quaithe is Shiera

Euron is warging the dusky woman

Assorted Political Conspiracies:

Red Wedding 2.0

Walda Frey's letters are code re: the red wedding

Oberyn poisoned Tywin

Lemongate

Mance Rayder wrote the Pink Letter

Barbery Dustin wrote the Pink Letter

Grand Maester Conspiracy

Galaza Galare is the Harpy

Predicting the Future:

Loras is alive

The Cannibal is alive and on Skagos

Jon will lose an eye

Jaime Lannister is the Valonqar

Jaime YMBQ

Horsie symbolism

Hound warged his horse to avoid dying

Silly Goofy Funtimes:

Jon has no secret Targaryen name but Lyanna gave him a secret Stark name before she died which happens to be theon (this one is mine)

Varys is a merman

Varys is 3 kids in a trenchcoat

Ghost is a good boy :)

Tyrek Lannister was/is a horse

Hater Corner

Bolt-On

Exodus Theory

The prestonjacobs one about dany lying about the red door

Euron is time-travelling Bran

Ramsay's mother poisoned Domeric Bolton

Viserys II was a random

Time-travelling fetus tyrion

Meera and Jon are twins and Jyana Reed is Ashara Dayne

Ser Shadrich is Howland Reed

Dunk is Tywin’s grandfather

#asoiaf #valyrianscrolls #theory rubric #wow. this took so long.

[turtle-paced]

Thanks for answering my Tyrek question! I have a follow-up : is Varys hoping that when Aegon arrives on the scene, Tyrek can make an appearance too, and, as the Lord of Casterly Rock, swear loyalty to Aegon?

I don't think Varys would be bringing out Tyrek that speedily. There are still a few Lannisters around who need tidying up, and Varys only has so many potential claimants to Casterly Rock up his sleeve. I think the idea would be to hold off just a bit and then bring Tyrek out.

#asoiaf #valyrianscrolls #varys #speculation

[aegor-bamfsteel]

do you think Varys just wants to form a hot boy band? 🤔

I am unable to assess the hotness of fictional boys under 18 (Gendry, Aegon, Tyrek, etc) due to personal circumstances. Once again I must recommend the local himbologist and general ASOIAF man expert, istumpysk; it was in a reread that I first encountered this theory wrt Varys.

Anyhow, I may raise an objection to the theory on these grounds:

You know who Varys is, I trust? The eunuch has offered a plump bag of gold for this girl you've never heard of. I am not a greedy man. If some oversized wench would help me find this naughty child, I would split the Spider's coin with her. —AFFC Brienne I

So Varys is offering a bag of gold to the one who finds Sansa Stark. If you think he may be collecting disgraced heirs to mold into his idea of a good ruler, then it makes sense he wants her for this purpose. However, as a girl, she does not necessarily fit the criteria to be a member of the “hot boy band”; on the other hand, if Varys’ plan was to create a coed band along the lines of Fleetwood Mac, it could work. Sansa can play the high harp and the bells, and her singing can melt hearts…but I don’t know if the rest of the “hot boy band” is similarly talented. Considering how Gendry is at the inn, Sansa appears to be heading north, and Aegon has invaded Westeros before wedding Daenerys, would-be manager Varys is doing a poor job at getting the band together. It may be that he is more interested in exposing and dethroning the Lannisters.

#ask #silly #asoiaf speculation #varys #gif #goof meta

[warsofasoiaf]

What do you think Varys' plans were before the Rebellion, and what do you think his plans would have been if the Rebellion didn't happen?

Anonymous asked:

Varys has obviously been planning his perfect prince plot for years. My question is this, was he already working on his plan when he first arrived in Westeros? Did he purposely fuel Aery’s paranoia to help foster discord within the realm to help lead to the events of the rebellion? Or was that simply a happy coincidence that he used to further his perfect prince plan?

Putting these two questions together because they're very close.

To me, it seems like Varys was planning something like this from the getgo. He may have always looked to establish a "Perfect Prince," the form of which would change depending on the domestic circumstances. Essentially, Varys looks to engineer a state in which it's possible for an heir to disappear, that gives him the circumstances to install the Perfect Prince a generation later when said candidate would be an adult.

There are hints in the worldbook that Varys helped exacerbate Aerys's paranoia, but Aerys had started to become paranoid and violent before Varys, the Defiance of Duskendale was 277 and Varys didn't show up until after Steffon died in 278. I don't believe that Varys helped engineer the rebellion, but I do think he was fostering the domestic discontent in order to weaken the realm, priming it for his own goals.

So if the Rebellion didn't happen, my guess is that he would have used some form of discontent in the capital to facilitate the disappearance of an infant heir, much like what happened with Tyrek Lannister.

It's grandiose and prone to a lot of failed moving parts, but that's the advantage of doing it in fiction, where you don't have to worry about failure. As much as I like the authorial metaphors (maybe it's because I try to play the author myself), I'll be the first to admit that it's so grandiose that it's more than likely to fail.

Thanks for the questions, Bruin and Anon.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

#varys #lord varys

[mariedemedicis]

ASOIAF MINOR LADIES WEEK - Day 4: the Westerlands

ERMESANDE HAYFORD

“Ebon-skinned Jalabhar Xho was an exile who had no other refuge, Lady Ermesande a babe seated on her wet nurse's lap. The talk was she would soon be wed to one of the queen's cousins, so the Lannisters might claim her lands.” “Lord Gyles stood coughing, while poor cousin Tyrek wore his bridegroom's mantle of miniver and velvet. Since his marriage to little Lady Ermesande three days past, the other squires had taken to calling him "Wet Nurse" and asking him what sort of swaddling clothes his bride wore on their wedding night.”                       —A Clash of Kings “Tyrek was the son of his late Uncle Tygett, a boy of thirteen. He had vanished in the riot, not long after wedding the Lady Ermesande, a suckling babe who happened to be the last surviving heir of House Hayford. And likely the first bride in the history of the Seven Kingdoms to be widowed before she was weaned.” “But there were other witnesses aplenty; the eunuch Varys, Ser Addam Marbrand, Lord Philip Foote, Ser Bronn, Jalabhar Xho, a dozen others. Lord Gyles was coughing, Lady Ermesande was at the breast, and Lady Tanda's pregnant daughter was sobbing for no apparent reason..”                            —A Storm of Swords “The lady of the castle was a Lannister by marriage, a plump toddler who had been wed to his cousin Tyrek before she was a year old. Lady Ermesande was duly trotted out for their approval, all trussed up in a little gown of cloth-of-gold, with the green fretty and green pale wavy of House Hayford rendered in tiny beads of jade. But soon enough the girl began to squall, whereupon she was promptly whisked off to bed by her wet nurse.” “‘Which we're no part of,’ Ser Roger Hogg said stoutly. ‘My fealty's owed to House Hayford, and Lady Ermesande bends her little knee at King's Landing, or will when she's old enough to walk. I told him that, but this Lorch wasn't much for listening. He slaughtered half my sheep and three good milk goats, and tried to roast me in my tower. My walls are solid stone and eight feet thick, though, so after his fire burned out he rode off bored. The wolves come later, the ones on four legs. They ate the sheep the manticore left me. I got a few good pelts in recompense, but fur don't fill your belly. What should we do, my lord?’”                                                     —A Feast for Crows

House Hayford is technically from the Crownlands but given Ermesande has been married off to Tyrek Lannister, I think she can count for both.

Ermesande is even younger than most of GRRM’s child brides. She was married off to Tyrek so that the Lannisters could claim her land. However, I suspect they will never get the chance to actually do so. Hopefully, Ermesande escapes being collateral damage of her in-laws.

#minorladiesweek2021 #minorladiesweek #valyrianscrolls #ermesande hayford #house hayford #house lannister #asoiaf

[builtfromabrokenheart]

It would be smart if aegon legitimized the sand snakes and made marriage matches for them. Here's my ideal matches for most of them.

nymeria sand

an essosi nobleman from a very wealthy family

elia sand

a second son from a wealthy and powerful family from essos (in a lady uller ending)

tyrek lannister (imagine an elia martell as lady casterly of rock? tywin would fume in hell also i believe the theory that varys has tyrek so a6 would make this match to have some sort of control)

obella sand

Edric Storm (reason is similiar to elia x tyrek, team aegon has stormlands and they will place edric as lord, also same age)

dorea sand

another essosi match or MAYBE edric dayne girl idk i havent thought about her as thoroughly

loreza sand

robert 'sweetrobin' arryn

#house martell #sand snakes #nymeria sand #elia sand #obella sand #dorea sand #loreza sand #edric storm #dorne #sweetrobin #tyrek lannister #edric dayne #aegon vi targaryen #summer is for dorne

[klaradox]

THE LANNISTERS: TYREK LANNISTER

Tyrek Lannister is a member of House Lannister. He is the son of Ser Tygett Lannister and Lady Darlessa Marbrand. He is said to be around Sansa Stark's age. He is handsome, with long golden curls.

Tyrek is a squire for King Robert I Baratheon alongside Lancel Lannister, his cousin.

Tyrek is married to Lady Ermesande Hayford, the heir of House Hayford, so that House Lannister can claim her lands. Because Ermesande is still a baby, the other squires call Tyrek "Wet Nurse".

With people who fled the fighting in the riverlands flooding into King's Landing and with provisions for commoners getting shorter, unrest is growing in the city. One minor uproar is created at the gate of the Red Keep when news about preparations for Tyrek's upcoming wedding feast gets out. It is quelled by a party led by King Joffrey I Baratheon.

Once the rival kings Stannis and Renly Baratheon cut off King's Landing from supplies, suffering among the population gets worse. Driven by hunger, a mob attacks a royal party that had gone to the harbor to bid safe journey to Princess Myrcella Baratheon as she departed for Dorne. In the riot, a number of men are killed. Tyrek goes missing and is presumed dead.

Although Tyrion Lannister and his father, Lord Tywin, try to find Tyrek or his body, no trace of the boy can be found. Ser Addam Marbrand, the new commander of the gold cloaks, has no luck either.

Ser Jaime Lannister suspects that Lord Varys may have had a hand in Tyrek's disappearance, reasoning that Tyrek, as the late King Robert's squire, would have knowledge about the king, including the circumstances surrounding his death. Furthermore, Varys did not go to the docks with the rest of the court on the day Myrcella was sent to Dorne, suggesting Varys might have instigated the riot and had agents snatch Tyrek during the confusion.

This image will be featured on my upcoming map of the Westerlands.

#asoiaf art #asoiafedit #game of thrones #gotedit #grrmartin #westeros #essos #asoiaf #clash of kings #storm of swords #feast for crows #dance with dragons #winds of winter

[starksinthenorth]

That Cersei ask had me digging into my notes on Lannisters in general and I remembered Cerelle existed.

The going theory seems to be “Varys has Tyrek hidden away somewhere and he will be Lord of Casterly Rock later” but I wonder about his young cousin Janei becoming its Lady, but surviving instead, unlike Cerelle being murdered.

#lannister #lannisters #house lannister #thoughts

[istumpysk]

Operation Iceberg & Operation Stumpy Re-Read Archives

Welcome to Operation Iceberg, a project aimed at ranking theories from George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series by their credibility.

Last update: Varys is a merman (theory #17)

Operation Iceberg

Stannis burns Shireen / Asha's pregnant / Daario = Euron / The miller's boys were Theon's sons / Curtain of Light / Varys has Tyrek Lannister / Tysha is the Sailor’s Wife / Olyvar Frey is Rosby’s ward / N + A = J / The Hound is the gravedigger / Lemongate / Oberyn poisoned Tywin / HS = HR / Tormund x Maege Mormont / Theon’s bastard / UnVictarion / Varys is a merman

Operation Stumpy Re-Read

AGOT:

Prologue / Bran I / Catelyn I / Daenerys I / Eddard I / Jon I / Catelyn II / Arya I / Bran II / Tyrion I / Jon II / Daenerys II / Eddard II / Tyrion II / Catelyn III / Sansa I / Eddard III / Bran III / Catelyn IV / Jon III / Eddard IV / Tyrion III / Arya II / Daenerys III / Bran IV / Eddard V / Jon IV / Eddard VI / Catelyn V / Sansa II / Eddard VII / Tyrion IV / Arya III / Eddard VIII / Catelyn VI / Eddard IX / Daenerys IV / Bran V / Tyrion V / Eddard X / Catelyn VII / Jon V / Tyrion VI / Eddard XI / Sansa III / Eddard XII / Daenerys V / Eddard XIII / Jon VI / Eddard XIV / Arya IV / Sansa IV / Jon VII / Bran VI / Daenerys VI / Catelyn VIII / Tyrion VII / Sansa V / Eddard XV / Catelyn IX / Jon VIII / Daenerys VII / Tyrion VIII / Catelyn X / Daenerys VIII / Arya V / Bran VII / Sansa VI / Daenerys IX / Tyrion IX / Jon IX / Catelyn XI / Daenerys X 

AGOT Summary & Foreshadowing: CLICK

ACOK:

Prologue / Arya I / Sansa I / Tyrion I / Bran I / Arya II / Jon I / Catelyn I / Tyrion II / Arya III / Davos I / Theon I / Daenerys I / Jon II / Arya IV / Tyrion III / Bran II / Tyrion IV / Sansa II / Arya V / Tyrion V / Bran III / Catelyn II / Jon III / Theon II / Tyrion VI / Arya VI / Daenerys II / Bran IV / Tyrion VII / Arya VII / Catelyn III / Sansa III / Catelyn IV / Jon IV / Bran V / Tyrion VIII / Theon III / Arya VIII / Catelyn V / Daenerys III / Tyrion IX / Davos II / Jon V / Tyrion X / Catelyn VI / Bran VI / Arya IX / Daenerys IV / Tyrion XI / Theon IV / Jon VI / Sansa IV / Jon VII / Tyrion XII / Catelyn VII / Theon V / Sansa V / Davos III / Tyrion XIII / Sansa VI / Tyrion XIV / Sansa VII / Daenerys V / Arya X / Sansa VIII / Theon VI / Tyrion XV / Jon VIII / Bran VII

ACOK Summary & Foreshadowing: PART I / PART II

ASOS:

Prologue / Jaime I / Catelyn I / Arya I / Tyrion I / Davos I / Sansa I / Jon I / Daenerys I / Bran I / Davos II / Jaime II / Tyrion II / Arya II / Catelyn II / Jon II / Sansa II / Arya III / Samwell I / Tyrion III / Catelyn III / Jaime III / Arya IV / Daenerys II / Bran II / Davos III / Jon III / Daenerys III / Sansa III / Arya V / Jon IV / Jaime IV / Tyrion IV / Samwell II / Arya VI / Catelyn IV / Davos IV / Jaime V / Tyrion V / Arya VII / Bran III / Jon V / Daenerys IV / Arya VIII / Jaime VI / Catelyn V / Samwell III / Arya IX / Jon VI / Catelyn VI / Arya X / Catelyn VII / Arya XI / Tyrion VI / Davos V / Jon VII / Bran IV / Daenerys V / Tyrion VII / Sansa IV / Tyrion VIII / Sansa V / Jaime VII / Davos VI / Jon VIII / Arya XII / Tyrion IX / Jaime VIII / Sansa VI / Jon IX / Tyrion X / Daenerys VI / Jaime IX / Jon X / Arya XIII / Samwell IV / Jon XI / Tyrion XI / Samwell V / Jon XII / Sansa VII / Epilogue

ASOS Summary & Foreshadowing: PART I / PART II / PART III / PART IV

AFFC:

Prologue / The Prophet (Aeron I) / The Captain of Guards (Areo I) / Cersei I / Brienne I / Samwell I / Arya I / Cersei II / Jaime I / Brienne II / Sansa I / The Kraken’s Daughter (Asha I) / Cersei III / The Soiled Knight (Arys I) / Brienne III / Samwell II / Jaime II / Cersei IV / The Iron Captain (Victarion I) / The Drowned Man (Aeron II) / Brienne IV / The Queenmaker (Arianne I) / Arya II / Alayne I (Sansa II) / Cersei V / Brienne V / Samwell III / Jaime III / Cersei VI / The Reaver (Victarion II) / Jaime IV / Brienne VI / Cersei VII / Jaime V / Cat of the Canals (Arya III) / Samwell IV / Cersei VIII / Brienne VII / Jaime VI / Cersei IX / The Princess in the Tower (Arianne II) / Alayne II (Sansa III) / Brienne VIII / Cersei X / Jaime VII / Samwell V

AFFC Summary & Foreshadowing: PART I / PART II / PART III

ADWD:

Prologue / Tyrion I / Daenerys I / Jon I / Bran I / Tyrion II / The Merchant’s Man (Quentyn I) / Jon II / Tyrion III / Davos I / Jon III / Daenerys II / Reek (Theon I) / Bran II / Tyrion IV / Davos II / Daenerys III / Jon IV / Tyrion V / Davos III / Reek II (Theon II) / Jon V / Tyrion VI / Daenerys IV / The Lost Lord (Jon Connington I) / The Windblown (Quentyn II) / The Wayward Bride (Asha I) / Tyrion VII / Jon VI / Davos IV / Daenerys V / Melisandre I / Reek III (Theon III) / Tyrion VIII / Bran III / Jon VII / Daenerys VI / The Prince of Winterfell (Theon IV) / The Watcher (Areo I) / Jon VIII / Tyrion IX / The Turncloak (Theon V) / The King’s Prize (Asha II) / Daenerys VII / Jon IX / The Blind Girl (Arya I) / A Ghost in Winterfell (Theon VI) / Tyrion X / Jaime I / Jon X / Daenerys VIII / Theon I (Theon VII) / Daenerys IX / Jon XI / Cersei I / The Queensguard (Barristan I) / The Iron Suitor (Victarion I) / Tyrion XI / Jon XII / The Discarded Knight (Barristan II) / The Spurned Suitor (Quentyn III) / The Griffin Reborn (Jon Connington II) / The Sacrifice (Asha III) / Victarion I (Victarion II) / The Ugly Little Girl (Arya II) / Cersei II / Tyrion XII / The Kingbreaker (Barristan III) / The Dragontamer (Quentyn IV) / Jon XIII / The Queen’s Hand (Barristan IV) / Daenerys X / Epilogue

ADWD Summary & Foreshadowing: On hold.

TWOW:

Barristan I / Victarion I / Tyrion I (summary) / Barristan II (summary) / Tyrion II / Arianne I / Mercy (Arya) / Arianne II / The Forsaken (Aeron) / Theon I / Asha (fragment) / Alayne I (Sansa I)

TWOW Summary & Foreshadowing: On hold.

#operation iceberg #operation stumpy re-read #<- filter tag if you're not interested #main menu

[sayruq]

jon and aegon prediction post

after taking winterfell with sansa, jon will probably learn about his parents. i'm 99% sure the wall's defences that jon spent adwd building will fall apart when the watch and the queen's men fight the wildlings after he dies. it would make a lot of sense for jon to seek out his half brother and ask for resources against the others. i think the others will attack unexpectedly- the horn sam has is real and close to euron (note how euron, a man who has visions, sets his sight on oldtown AFTER sam arrives). 

sansa knows how to run a castle and she has witnessed king's landing's siege and the semi-seige when some vale lords cut the eyrie off. arya has been learning how to fight and kill and bran is probably the most important person in westeros. they can handle the others. arya will have her wolf army. sansa will have the knights of the vale.

jon missing the war with the others would be a twist you'd expect from grrm. instead jon would be thrust into another equally destructive war when daenerys arrives.

he might change his mind and go to daenerys because she has dragons but i definitely think jon and aegon will meet. you don't give jon a secret targaryen backstory and then not have jon and aegon meet. by the time of their meeting, aegon would be the defacto king of westeros with the exception of the north. if varys has kidnapped tyrek lannister, aegon might have the westerlands through a puppet. i'm 85% sure the riverlands would support him. he'll obviously have the reach and dorne. while the vale supports the starks, they're not going to kneel to them. aegon would be the most powerful person in westeros. he will have his martell cousins with him but if he hears that he might have a half brother on the targaryen side, he'll be more than curious.

i speculate about their relationship here.

#aegon vi targaryen #young griff #jon snow #asoiaf speculation #song of ice and fire #predictions #prediction post

[turtle-paced]

Varys, not Littlefinger, spirits Sansa out of King’s Landing after the Purple Wedding. What do you think he’d do?

Keeps her somewhere out of the way where Littlefinger can’t find her, which doesn’t make for a hugely interesting story. Sansa’s devastated not to be going home, but glad to be away from the Lannisters and various other shenanigans, and waits out the period until Varys’ defeat without developing her political skills all that much. Maybe she and Tyrek Lannister could start a book club?

This has some pretty big knock-on effects for everything in the Vale, and quite possibly the North. Sansa’s absence, that is, not the hypothetical book club.

#ASoIaF #valyrianscrolls #varys #sansa stark #hypotheticals #a storm of swords

[thebluelemontree]

On this note: “ Another way of saying Littlefinger didn’t bet on Sandor is that he didn’t account for him.” I know people say that Varys was behind the bread riot, but there’s some speculation around that it was actually LF and Mandon Moore was one of his men. Moore abandons Sansa in the riots and I think that was staged. LF didn’t account for Sandor saving her. What he planned on doing to her - maybe an escape? IDK.

People say a lot of things in this fandom, let’s put it that way.  We see in no POV’s account that there is any evidence of attempted kidnapping on Sansa during the riot, let alone a whole conspiracy to commit kidnapping that was thwarted.  Let’s remember, Tyrek Lannister was the one that got snatched here (allegedly, technically he’s only known to be missing).  If anyone was specifically targetted, it was him.

The bread riot was always a powder keg waiting to explode.  No one person orchestrated it.  The Tyrells had cut off food supplies from the Reach when they stood with Renly against Stannis and Joffrey.  Prices are ridiculously high, and basic foodstuffs are scarce.  There’s rampant lawlessness in the streets as well as a bloody flux.  There’s open talk of rebellion among the guilds and merchants. Tyrion is burning down all homes and shops between the water and the city walls in preparation for Stannis’s attack.  This is going to displace hundreds, maybe thousands of poor people.  Joffrey is executing antler men and personally shooting bolts into unarmed, starving citizens.  Begging brothers are preaching damnation of the corrupt nobility, including charging them with incest, birthing monsters, and reveling under demonic influence.  The Lannister-Baratheons could not be more hated than they are at that moment.  We have to remember that at the time of the riot, Littlefinger was well away at Bitterbridge and then went on to High Garden to negotiate with Mace Tyrell for the then widowed Margaery’s hand.  He already has his man Dontos plotting with Sansa in the godswood, gaining her trust, so she leaves willingly when the time is right.  A second kidnapping/escape plot overcomplicates everything is totally unnecessary.  If Moore was supposed to be LF’s man, why wouldn’t he just lead Sansa away to a rendezvous point under the pretense of eluding the mob?  That would have been simple and plausible as her shield.  Just abandoning her in the swarm doesn’t speak to a plan that has to go off without any mishaps.  

On the other hand, Varys is the one official still in the city who was noted by Jaime to be conspicuously absent from seeing Myrcella off to Dorne.  Varys, who claimed to have informants all over the city, yet he never forewarned Cersei of any possible riot.  Again, it’s Tyrek that disappears without a trace.     

Sorry for the long wait.  I actually had to take some time to re-read and reflect on Mandon Moore.  I think it’s a really bad place to start the speculation with the assumption that he must be working for someone at all.  My conclusion is that he’s not working for anyone, and he doesn’t have to be to do what he does.  He is a guy motivated by naked self-interest and personal advancement, and that does not necessarily equate with greed or being in anyone’s pocket.  IMO, I think he has traits similar to a corporate psychopath (though he’s obviously down for murder too) than anything else.  Let’s just focus on how his characterization is described first.

Jaime had once told him that Moore was the most dangerous of the Kingsguard—excepting himself, always—because his face gave no hint as what he might do next. – Tyrion I, ACOK.

He’s described as appearing corpse-like with eyes that are “oddly flat and lifeless.”  He’s cold and emotionless.  Most notably, Ser Mandon has ties to no one.      

Lord Arryn brought him to King’s Landing and Robert gave him his white cloak, but neither loved him much, I fear. Nor was he the sort the smallfolk cheer in tourneys, despite his undoubted prowess. Why, even his brothers of the Kingsguard never warmed to him. Ser Barristan was once heard to say that the man had no friend but his sword and no life but duty … but you know, I do not think Selmy meant it altogether as praise. Which is queer when you consider it, is it not? Those are the very qualities we seek in our Kingsguard, it could be said—men who live not for themselves, but for their king. By those lights, our brave Ser Mandon was the perfect white knight. – Tyrion II, ASOS.

Of all the things said about him, nowhere does anyone suggest it is in Mandon Moore’s character to want anything outside of his career within the kingsguard.  He has a single-minded focus on duty and serving the king in an almost robotic level of obedience.  No one can tell what goes on behind that blank expression.  If a man’s motivations are unknowable, you can’t predict future behavior.  Mandon Moore does not strike me as someone who would fall prey to bribery or blackmail.  He’s not ideologically motivated, nor is he someone a conspirator can confidently rely on to carry out a task without risk of being double-crossed.  If we look at men Littlefinger has taken into his service like Ser Dontos, the Kettleblacks, Janos Slynt, Nestor Royce, Lothor Brune, Lyn Corbray, there’s always a glaring weakness to be exploited, be it greed, excessive/wounded pride, addiction, closeted homosexuality, desperation, debt, estrangement from family, desire to rise from the underclass, lack of better options, etc.  Mandon doesn’t have any of these vulnerabilities.  

So what did I mean by having traits in common with a corporate psychopath, though?  Varys talks about Mandon being “the perfect white knight” and possessing the ideal qualities of a kingsguard.  Certain types of corporate psychopaths can wear a facade of traits that the business world desires and values.  They can seem like the perfect employee that the company leadership can rely on.  They appear to be fearless and unwavering in their drive for success, sometimes even earning praise and recognition for outright ruthlessness.  Their sometimes apparent lack of emotions could be read as having the grit to do what is necessary in times of turmoil.  Most use manipulative tactics to discredit, undermine, or sabotage coworkers and superiors alike just to get ahead, which I will show is relevant in Moore’s case.  Everyone is either a potential pawn, patron, or enemy to be eliminated.  Not all psychopaths have superficial and grandiose charm, and no one would accuse Mandon of being charming, but he does put himself out there to be seen as indispensably valuable to the king.

Let’s go back to the bread riot and why Mandon Moore abandoned Sansa’s side as her shield.

Tyrion pressed blunt fingers into his throbbing temples. If Sansa Stark had come to harm, Jaime was as good as dead. “Ser Mandon, you were her shield.”

Ser Mandon Moore remained untroubled. “When they mobbed the Hound, I thought first of the king.”

“And rightly so,” Cersei put in. “Boros, Meryn, go back and find the girl.“  – Tyrion IX, ACOK.

I see no sign that there’s any duplicity going on here when he’s questioned.  Mandon Moore acted in a way he believed the king and the queen regent (his patrons) would approve of.  The traitor’s daughter’s life doesn’t mean anything to Joffrey, and she is only a secondary thought of the queen’s after they are safe within the castle; therefore, she is not a useful pawn to him.  If Mandon Moore shows any desire for anything at all, it’s this:  Sandor Clegane’s privileged position with the Lannisters.  Joffrey ordered Sandor to go after the peasant that threw the dung.  As Sandor is mobbed (and it would be reasonable to wager he’ll be imminently killed), Ser Mandon seized the opportunity to swoop in as Sandor’s replacement, dropping Sansa like a hot potato.  There is a reason he keeps being ironically regarded as the white knight in shining armor.  He’s a real Johnny on the spot that one.  Even if Sandor somehow isn’t killed, Moore still comes out looking like the kingsguard that did not falter in his duty to protect the king even in all the confusion and chaos.  It’s an opportunistic upstaging of a colleague to discredit his effectiveness at his job.  It proves shortsighted on his part because Sandor not only survives but has Sansa, still a valuable Lannister hostage, alive and in tow.      

This will come up again at the Battle of the Blackwater when Sandor finally breaks from the wildfire.  Tyrion orders Sandor to continue leading sorties outside the city walls, but he refuses.  Guess who chimes in?

Ser Mandon Moore moved to Tyrion’s side, immaculate in his enameled white plate. "The King’s Hand commands you.”  

“Bugger the King’s Hand.” Where the Hound’s face was not sticky with blood, it was pale as milk. “Someone bring me a drink.” A gold cloak officer handed him a cup. Clegane took a swallow, spit it out, flung the cup away. “Water? Fuck your water. Bring me wine.”

He is dead on his feet. Tyrion could see it now. The wound, the fire … he’s done, I need to find someone else, but who? Ser Mandon? He looked at the men and knew it would not do. Clegane’s fear had shaken them. Without a leader, they would refuse as well, and Ser Mandon … a dangerous man, Jaime said, yes, but not a man other men would follow. – Tyrion XIII, ACOK.

Since when has Moore ever shown any deference to Tyrion’s authority before?  Never.  This is a performance for his situational patron, part of Moore’s facade.  What is suggested by vocally taking Tyrion’s side is that Moore wants Tyrion to name him commander.  He would see the opportunity to take Sandor’s place by not only highlighting the latter’s disobedience, but his posturing implies that he wouldn’t hesitate to carry out the Hand’s orders.  It’s also a boon that Sandor’s behavior is quickly tanking any remaining confidence in his courage and leadership ability.  Moore must have thought himself the natural choice to assume command as he is a kingsguard and a capable fighter, but he could not have foreseen Tyrion absorbing Jaime’s counsel.  Instead, Tyrion decides to lead the sorties himself, shaming anyone that doesn’t follow as being less than a dwarf.  Being named the king’s standard-bearer, as Ser Mandon was, is usually considered a high honor.  A corporate psychopath wouldn’t see it that way.  It’s a piss poor consolation to being led around by someone he would consider a lesser man.  Battle is where a knight earns his commendations and honors, which we see in Sansa’s eighth chapter in Clash.  As commander of the sorties and his rival disgraced as a craven, Moore would have been the hero of the day should they emerge victorious.  Tyrion prevented that.  Moore would then be left with only one other option to assume leadership.  Tyrion has to fall on the battlefield.

“MY LORD! TAKE MY HAND! MY LORD TYRION!”

There on the deck of the next ship, across a widening gulf of black water, stood Ser Mandon Moore, a hand extended. Yellow and green fire shone against the white of his armor, and his lobstered gauntlet was sticky with blood, but Tyrion reached for it all the same, wishing his arms were longer. It was only at the very last, as their fingers brushed across the gap, that something niggled at him … Ser Mandon was holding out his left hand, why …  – Tyrion XIV, ACOK.

Ser Mandon’s sword comes down in his right hand and nearly kills Tyrion.  What Moore could not have anticipated was getting iced by Podrick Payne before he could finish Tyrion off.  There’s a simple elegance to Moore’s motivations being strictly his own.  There’s no complicated conspiracy needed to explain any of his actions.  He’s just a shark in a suit of armor.  But what about Varys implying there was a conspiracy to kill Tyrion with Moore as the catspaw?  It seems to validate Tyrion’s suspicions that it was Cersei, or at least someone.                  

Bronn had turned up all he could on Ser Mandon, but no doubt Varys knew a deal more … should he choose to share it. “The man seems to have been quite friendless,” Tyrion said carefully.

“Sadly,” said Varys, “oh, sadly. You might find some kin if you turned over enough stones back in the Vale, but here … Lord Arryn brought him to King’s Landing and Robert gave him his white cloak, but neither loved him much, I fear. Nor was he the sort the smallfolk cheer in tourneys, despite his undoubted prowess. Why, even his brothers of the Kingsguard never warmed to him.

… [the Barristan part already quoted above]

And he died as a knight of the Kingsguard ought, with sword in hand, defending one of the king’s own blood.” The eunuch gave him a slimy smile and watched him sharply.

Trying to murder one of the king’s own blood, you mean. Tyrion wondered if Varys knew rather more than he was saying. Nothing he’d just heard was new to him; Bronn had brought back much the same reports. He needed a link to Cersei, some sign that Ser Mandon had been his sister’s catspaw. 

Let’s not forget Varys benefits by furthering the rifts within the Lannister regime.  He can easily play to Tyrion’s paranoia by suggesting there’s more behind Mandon Moore’s murder attempt than there was.  He smiles and mentions Moore’s origins in the Vale, a gesture at Littlefinger most likely; however, there are no substantial breadcrumbs left behind to connect Moore to anyone.  We’re even reminded twice that Bronn’s investigation turned up nothing except what was already well-known.  There’s just no there there.  Tyrion is doing the same thing as the conspiracy theories by assuming that Moore has to be in someone’s pay, but his reasoning is faulty.

Jaime had always said that Ser Mandon was the most dangerous of the Kingsguard, because his dead empty eyes gave no hint to his intentions. I should never have trusted any of them. He’d known that Ser Meryn and Ser Boros were his sister’s, and Ser Osmund later, but he had let himself believe that the others were not wholly lost to honor. Cersei must have paid him to see that I never came back from the battle. Why else? I never did Ser Mandon any harm that I know of. – Tyrion XV, ACOK.  

He mistook Moore’s commitment to duty and obedience for having honor.  And yes, he did unintentionally cross Ser Mandon. He just didn’t know it because he couldn’t read the guy.  He couldn’t see beneath the surface, and that is why Jaime is correct in calling him the most dangerous.  One can never know for sure if this type of corporate psychopath sees you as their pawn, their patron, or their enemy at any given moment.  There’s no way to mount a defense against that unless you can understand who you are really dealing with.  Tyrion was just very, very lucky that he brought Podrick Payne with him into battle.                            

#valyrian scrolls #valyrianscrolls #ser mandon moore #sansa stark #sandor clegane #tyrion lannister #varys #the bread riots #asoiaf meta #conspiracy theories #asoiaf theories #asoiaf characterization #my meta #anonymous

[goodqueenaly]

House Words Wednesdays: House Hayford

Welcome to House Words Wednesdays! Each week, I take a House without known canon or semi-canon words and present what I think could make sense as that House’s motto. You’re free to suggest more as well, if your favored House has not yet been suggested; take a look at this link to see what has already been suggested, and shoot me an ask through Tumblr if you have another House you’d like to see done.

House Hayford is a noble House of the Crownlands, sworn bannermen of the Iron Throne. It is unclear how old House Hayford is, but the family has definitely been around at least since the time of the earliest Targaryens: “Sons of the Dragon” (and F&B echoes this) notes that Lord Hayford was among the “score of lesser lords” who “gathered at Maegor’s command” at the end of his reign (though, when Lord Hayford urged Maegor to take the black, Maegor “ordered Hayford beheaded on the spot and continued the war council with his lordship’s head mounted on a lance behind the Iron Throne”). A more positive relationship between the crown and House Hayford could be found during the First Blackfyre Rebellion, when Daeron II replaced the incompetent Lord Butterwell with the “noted loyalist” Lord Hayford as Hand of the King; unfortunately, Lord Hayford was cut down by Gormon Peake during the Battle of the Redgrass Field. Still, the Hayfords stayed loyal to the Iron Throne thereafter, joining Bloodraven to crush the abortive Second Blackfyre Rebellion at Whitewalls.

The only Hayford in the main series is Lady Ermesande, currently just two years old. Despite her young age, she is already wed, to Tywin’s nephew Tyrek (in a move calculated to win an important Crownlands property for the control of House Lannister). It might have been a pleasant posting for an otherwise landless son of House Lannister, becoming Lord Hayford in all but name (and maybe that too), but not long after his wedding Tyrek disappeared during the riot in King's Landing (probably, I think, seized by Varys). Ermesande may be reunited to her husband when he returns, though it's possible Varys may use the circumstances of her marriage to free Tyrek for another union (and in any event, I don't love her odds of surviving the jade holocaust - Hayford is, at least according to the A Song of Ice and Fire Campaign Guide, a half-day’s ride from King's Landing, and a nuclear-esque explosion in the capital would I would think have some negative effects on such a close property).

The Hayford sigil is green fretty over gold, a green pale wavy. The sigil reminded me of that of the Bywaters - not quite as piscine, but still the same binding idea. So, for the Hayford words, I settled on Loyalty Binds Us. As vassals sworn directly to the King on the Iron Throne, the Hayfords have proven that they take their vassalage seriously, and not only when that king is as decent as Daeron II. Maegor might have been a terrible king, but Lord Hayford was his sworn man, and so attend him to the last he would; Bloodraven was not a great Hand, but he was the executive power of the crown in the reign of the absentee Aerys I, and so the Hayfords would obey his summons. The Hayfords are even more bound to the Iron Throne now, with Lady Ermesande a Lannister by marriage and wife to the king’s first cousin (even if that husband has been presumed dead for a little while). Of course, that binding loyalty may prove their undoing as well: bound to King’s Landing by physical closeness as well as feudal (and marital) ties, the Hayford household may find itself caught in the same explosive jade holocaust that will destroy Aegon’s city. 

#asoiaf meta #house words #house words wednesdays #house hayford #ermesande hayford #tyrek lannister

[forme-iwrite]

Elia Martell: Ladies in waiting

part 2/2: North

I believe Elia was trying to have at least one companion from each of the regions in Westeros. I also believe that the ladies had to be connected to important and powerful houses if they were planning to take the throne from Aerys. We know two of Queen Rhaella ladies, Joanna Lannister and the Princess Of Dorne, who are both in a sense rulers of their regions. From the ladies Margaery has and the two Rhaella is known to have we can assume that the companions can vary in ages and don’t have to be the same age as Elia. If Elia had lived longer she would have added more prominent ladies or switched some. She might have asked Catelyn Tully who was betrothed to the heir of the North and who was the Lady of Riverrun until she married Ned, so she had a lot of power over the Riverlands because her father Hoster was the Warden of the land. She might have also considered Lysa Tully and Lyanna Stark. Lyanna might have been considered because of her betrothal to Robert Baratheon the lord paramount of the Stormlands and being the daughter of Lord Stark the ruler in the North, though after what happened in Harrenhal I doubt Elia would ask her. She might have also asked Cersei after a while though I doubt her or Tywin would accept, them being too proud and Jamie being a kingsguard. This is just my personal list of ladies for Elia. Which I wanted to give names and backgrounds to. 

Jeyne Darry

Riverlands: The Darry

She is from a prominent house in the riverlands. They were said to be a powerful house before Robert's rebellion. It is also stated they were very loyal to the Targaryens, even now they still have portraits of the Targaryens hanging in their castle. Willem and Jonothor Darry were in service at the Red keep, one being a kingsguard the other master-at-arms, both had a good relationship with Rhaegar. Her sister Mariya is married to Merrett Frey, the ninth son of Lord Walder Frey. She was also either soon betrothed (more likely) or married to Cleos Frey when Elia asked her to be one of her ladies. This is important because it ties her to the Freys and the Lannisters (Cleos being Genna’s son) giving Elia access to two strong houses.

I believe she was born in or around 268A.C. due to Cleos age and her kids age.

Personal headcanon: She came to the Red keep when she was eight because her mother passed away and she was left in the care of her uncle Willem. Mariya being older was already married and did not want to be left in charge, besides I doubt Walder Frey would allow it, he was trying to get rid of kids not bring more in. She was ten/eleven when Elia met her and asked her to be one of her ladies. She liked using a spear and dagger, and she was well skilled, due to the fact that both of her uncles were incredible fighters (How else are they a kingsguard and master-at-arms). Elia grows to think of her as a little sister, something that started because of Jeynes preference in the dornish weapons. Elia had a hand in Cleos being the Frey she is betrothed to, though she makes it seem like it was Mariya's idea.

Leyla Hightower

The Reach: Oldtown

She is from the oldest house in the Reach. The Hightowers are a prominent and powerful house. Her sister Alerie is married to the heir of Highgarden Mace Tyrell. We know Rhaegar and Aerys were at odds and Rhaegar was planning some way to take the crown. She would be useful in sending letters between Rhaegar/Elia and those houses without causing suspicion. The Reach was loyal to the Targaryens during the rebellion. Leyla could be one of the reasons the stayed loyal until the “bitter end” according to Kevan Lannister. Elia met Leyla when she was on her betrothal trip in 273A.C. Oldtown is a major port and has the citadel something that would interest both Elia and Rhaegar. Her great uncle was Gerold Hightower the lord commander of the Kingsguard.

I place her birth in or around 267A.C because she is Lord Leytons sixth child and I personally place Baelor around 256A.C. Also Leyton has had four wives.

Personal headcanon: Leyla is a bookworm like her father and it is something both her and Elia share. She is the only child born from her mother, Leytons second wife. Her mother is not from the seven kingdoms but was born somewhere in Essos. Elia was originally going to ask Alerie to be one of her ladies because of her stronger influence on the Reach but Willas and Garlan were both still too young to be without a mother by their side according to Elia (Elias own mother having been a lady to Rhaella and not spending a lot of time with her children). Elia becomes very fond of Leyla. Ashara Dayne and Leyla do not get along due to their house history.

Shyra Errol

Stormlands: Haystack Hall

Comes from a prominent house in the stormlands. As far as we know she inherited Haystack Hall so either her brothers died or she didn't have any, so she was an heir or lady to an important house (she also kept her name over her husbands). She is one of the few ladies we know in the stormlands with a name and she was alive during Robert's rebellion. After Robert dies she does not choose to remain loyal to his son the new king (nobody knows that he's Jaimes yet) but declares for Renly. Her loyalty does not lay with the Lannisters or Robert and maybe it's because she was one of Elias ladies. Renly was too young to blame for what Robert did during the sack in king's landing.

I do not have a year of birth for her but I believe she was significantly older than Elia. She has a son who is a knight, so he was at least fifteen, and she implied to have passed away during the parley at the walls of Storm’s End in “A Clash of Kings”. I personally believe it might be due to old age. Maybe around 238 A.C.

Personal headcanon: Shyra is a great at needle work and loves making dresses. Her and Elia are not extremely close due to their age gap but she does give her great advice when she thinks she needs it. When Rhaenys is born Shyra makes her a beautiful blanket that has a dragon circling a large sun. She is also really glad that Nymella Toland brought her daughters to court because now her son Sebastian will have playmates. She also makes a blanket for Aegon and gets really mad at Rhaegar when he leaves so soon after Aegon's birth.

Darlessa Marbrand

Westerlands: Ashemark/Casterly Rock

House Marbrand is one of the main noble houses in the West. She is married to Tygett Lannister brother to the Warden of the West. She is also related to the Lannisters because their mother was a Marbrand. Elia probably knew about Tywin’s plan to marry Cersei to the Targaryens and wanted to have leverage against him incase he decided to do something extreme. According to Genna, Tygett had a rivalry with Tywin and probably encouraged his wife to accept Elias offer, seeing it as an upper hand with the royal family that Tywin seemed to be losing. It might also explain why Tywin did not immediately side with the rebels. Though I know he was probably also waiting to see who had a better chance of winning the war. It would also explain why he came into kings landing under a peace banner, so they could safely get to Darlessa and any other highborns without Aerys harming them.

She was probably born at latest in 273 A.C because her son Tyrek was born in 286 A.C and she would at least need to be 13. I personally believe she was born around 251 A.C. I do not like the idea of her having a kid that young and 251 makes her around the same age as her husband who was born in 250 A.C.

Personal headcanon: She is very proud as most of the ladies of the West seem to be but she also has a humorous side. While Tywin is still hand and has Cersei in the Red Keep she divides her time between Elia and her. She loves her husband dearly because he is more kind hearted then his older brothers and doesn’t mind showing affection. She likes watching Tygett practice in the training yard and Elia and the rest of the ladies usually join her and place bets and gossip. She is only five years older than Elia and they don't have the greatest relationship at first, Elia thinks Darlessa has a stick up her butt, but once they move their court to Dragonstone Darlessa becomes more carefree. She refuses to talk to her husband after the sack of king's landing when she finds out what happens to Elia and the children, and it takes even longer before she can even look at Tywin.

Rhonda Rowan

The Reach: Goldengrove

The Rowans are one of the oldest and most prominent houses in the reach. They control the Reach’s north border so they are also very powerful and could have chosen to remain neutral like Tywin. They also chose to go against Joffrey. Though it is stated that the current lord of Goldengrove is very loyal to his liege lord. I believe that Shyra is his sister because the daughter he is said to have seems to young to have been alive during Robert's rebellion or way to young to be one of Elia’s ladies. Again like Shyra she is one of the few ladies in the Reach who is given a name and is alive during that time. Also I am just trying to find possible ladies for Elia, I know some might be a stretch.

I place her birth in 257A.C because she is married to Baelor hightower who I place around 256A.C. This also makes her the same age as Elia.

Personal headcanon: Rhonda likes to garden and had a little one at Goldengrove. When they move to Dragonstone she helps Elia fix Aegon’s garden since the castellan had neglected it. She is also loves books and gets along with Leyla. Elia helps set up her betrothal to Baelor, who she still writes letters to.

The following ladies are not characters that are stated in asoiaf but their is a possibility that they might have existed. The Lords Velaryon and Gafton are stated and might have had daughters or sisters or wives. These characters also give reason as to why one of their relatives might have been a lady to Elia.

“Elaena” Velaryon

Dragonstone: Driftmark

We know that the Lord of Driftmark during Aery’s reign was Lucerys Velaryon. Lucerys was master of ships and was probably in Aery’s court in king’s landing. Since not much is stated about Lucerys and his family or what happened to them after Robert’s Rebellion I gave him a daughter. It is stated that Lucerys was a big supporter of Aerys over Rhaegar. Elia could have asked “Elaena” to be one of her ladies to keep him from doing anything too drastic towards Rhaegar's position as heir. Also Driftmark and house Velaryon are prominent and wealthy. They are also the closest house to Dragonstone and they also come from valyrian descent.

“Elaena” Velaryon is a character of my making so I can make her any age I choose. I choose to place her birth around 269A.C, because she would still be too young to be betrothed or married and it's the age the westerosi start fostering their kids, making it harder for Lucerys to say no to Elia’s invitation. Also what offer is better than being in the company of the future queen.

Personal headcanon: “Elaena” is very close to both Jeyne and Leyla due to them all being around the same age. Being born on an island she is a very good swimmer and loves going to the beach in Dragonstone and collecting shells. When Elia falls pregnant she goes and looks for rare shells and brings them to her as a gift. She claims to have seen a seahorse which neither Jeyne nor Leyla believe. Out of all the northern ladies she is the most excited when Elia takes them to Dorne. She whispers to Elia that she loves her and is glad she choose her as a lady in waiting when Elia gives in and takes her to the pools in the Water Gardens though she is a year or two older than the kids playing in the pools. ( Areo Hotah says the smallest child is 5 and the oldest 10 in one of his chapters). She stays in Dragonstone when Elia is called back to King’s landing and is there for the birth of Daenerys. It is said the Targaryen fleet was in Dragonstone during Danys birth, so Lucerys being master of ships was probably there with his daughter.

“Alys” Grafton

Vale of Arryn: Gulltown

House Gafton is a noble house in the Vale. They rule a main port and big city so they are probably also wealthy. Marq Grafton was Lord of Gulltown during the time of Aerys II. When Jon Arryn called his banners Marq remained loyal to Aerys. This might be because he believed in Rhaegar/Aerys or because he had a wife in service to Elia. He tried to stop Jon from leaving the Vale but was killed by Robert Baratheon. He is the only lord in the Vale who we know of that remained loyal to Aerys. “Alys” would be an option because I believe Elia was trying to have someone from all the regions in Westeros and “Alys” is someone who would have been alive during Robert's Rebellion and belonged to a powerful house in the Vale.

I do not a specific age for her though I imagine she was slightly older than Elia but still considered young because I think Marq was young and impulsive and that is why he decided it would be a good idea to try to stop Jon Arryn without much help. Maybe 252A.C making her only five years older than Elia and around 31 during the rebellion.

Personal headcanon: “Alys” is one of the few ladies who actually prefers King’s landing over Dragonstone because she is used to living in a city. She loves to gossip which gets her in trouble a lot. She prefers cold weather and hates the heat in Dorne. She likes going to the Ships and hearing the stories the sailors tell, and likes retelling them to Rhaenys and the rest of the children at court.

“Melisa” Whent

Riverlands: Harrenhal

We know that during the tourney at Harrenhal Lord Walter Whent and Lady Shaella had a daughter who was considered a fair maid. It is speculated that Rhaegar provided the money for the tourney so it can be assumed that Walter knew about Rhaegar's plan to remove Aerys from the throne and supported Rhaegar. House Whent was a Targaryen ally. Oswell Whent was a Kingsguard to Aerys. “Melisa” was probably made one of Elia’s ladies as a thank you for their support. They could clearly be trusted by Rhaegar/Elia in such a big plan.

“Melisa” is considered a fair maid so she is at least thirteen at the time of the tourney.  I am going to make her fifteen so it would place her birth around 266 A.C

Personal headcanon: “Melisa” wasn't made one of Elia’s companions until after the tourney. She has red hair as most Whents are known to have. She and Elia share the same sense of humor and when “Melisa” finds something hilarious her face turns as red as her hair. She is surprised to find how small all the castles are compared to Harrenhal. It takes her a while to bond with the other ladies because most of them have been with Elia since she came to King’s Landing. She develops a crush on one of the dornish knights in Elia’s service, Myria Jordayne finds it amusing and teases “Melisa” about it.

#elia martell #asoiaf #asoiaf meta #elias ladies #mdrwrites