#the first mention of ice and fire is in a bran chapter

[ludcake]

I'm not anti or pro any ship (I think they're cute and fun and have nice art but am not invested in their relationships deeply as a driver of plot) but G-d is it annoying how some shippers seem to think their pair is the main engine driving the story and everything is in service to it. Specifically thinking of a lot of Jon/Dany but also applies just as much to any ship involving any Targaryens. It's like, sure, maybe Jon and Dany will get together in an teenage aunt/nephew political marriage, but that doesn't mean the series is about their love story and they are the key ice and fire plot. Same with people who hold "the Key Five" as a sacred idea or whatever — it just seems so dismissive of every other plot and PoV and story (and of Bran in particular) when George very purposefully gave us a very wide roster of PoVs so we understand their individual perspective and importance.

I might just be complaining because I'm annoyed at Twitter, though.

[jackoshadows]

I feel like GRRM is stuck on Bran Stark. Bran being hard to write is why, despite being one of the central characters of the books, he only has half the POV chapters of Jon Snow. And why he is unable to finish The Winds of Winter and is doubtful of even finishing by 2025.

As a serial procrastinator, I can sympathize with a tendency to put off the hardest task with excuses, while eagerly completing the easiest first.

It's clear that GRRM loves writing Tyrion and Arya. He has an entire novel's worth of material in Braavos for Arya and I feel like the difficulty will be in editing it and cutting it down to fit into TWoW. Similarly Tyrion is most probably done as well, considering all the mentions of him writing Tyrion chapters in his notablog posts. So he's most likely done with the Tyrion and Arya POV chapters. They are the easiest characters for him to write.

Tyrion being done would mean that the Essos plot is largely dealt with as well considering Dany's POV would intersect with Tyrion's at some point and he can't fully finish Tyrion until Dany's is mostly done as well. In May 2012 he mentioned writing Dany's Essosi chapters.

WINDS OF WINTER. Yes, I’m working on that too. At the moment, I am writing about the Dothraki. More than that, I sayeth not, you know I don’t like to talk about this stuff.  - Daenerys POV (Essos)

In June 2020, he mentioned Barristan and more chapters in the North.

In between tapings, I return to Westeros. Of late I have been visiting with Cersei, Asha, Tyrion, Ser Barristan, and Areo Hotah. I will be dropping back into Braavos next week. - Cersei, Asha (North), Tyrion, Barristan (Essos)

He has also mentioned writing Victarion chapters.

We also know that the two battles - battle of fire in Essos and the battle of ice in the North - is already written and was simply moved from ADwD to TWoW.

With all this being intricately tied together into one giant plot - Stannis Vs Boltons at Winterfell, Theon and Asha with Stannis, the pink letter to Jon, Jeyne being send to the Wall, GRRM writing about how we will be getting 'Direwolves Vs Ramsay's hounds' etc. - means most of this is also done. GRRM has also mentioned writing Melisandre - the only POV at the Wall now that Jon Snow is dead - chapters. Which means the North/Wall is also mostly done.

“I think we’re gonna start out with a big smash with the two enormous  battles,” Martin says (Essos and North).  In addition, Martin says, “We have more deaths, and we have  more betrayals. We have more marriages.” Let the speculation begin. As  he’s noted before, Martin says the Dothraki are coming back into the  story (“in a big way”), and he says “a lot of stuff is happening at The  Wall.” - GRRM

August 2020:

My life is at home, on hold, and I am spending the days in Westeros with my pals Mel and Sam and Vic and Ty. And that girl with no name, over there in Braavos. -  The Wall/Mel, Sam, Victarion, Tyrion, Arya

So there's also Sam/Oldtown/Euron chapters - Sam is another character he loves writing. So that section of the story - possibly Euron's attack on Oldtown seen through Sam and Aeron POV chapters - has also got attention.

What about KL and the Riverlands?

November 2020:

Of late I have been spending a lot of time with theLannisters. Cersei and Tyrion in particular. I’ve also paid a visit to Dorne, and dropped in to Oldtown a time or three. In addition to turning out new chapters, I’ve been revising some old ones (some very old)… including, yes, some stuff I read at cons ages ago, or even posted online as samples. I tweak stuff constantly, and sometimes go beyond tweaking, moving things around, combining chapters, breaking chapters in two, reordering stuff. - Cersei (KL), Tyrion, Sam(Oldtown)

June 2022

WINDS, you say?   Yes, still working.   Finally finished a clutch of Cersei chapters that were giving me fits.   Now I am wrestling with Jaime and Brienne.   The work proceeds, though not as fast as many of you would like. - Cersei(KL) Jaime, Brienne (Riverrun, Lady Stoneheart)

So GRRM has recently (recent for us asoiaf fans lol!) finished Cersei, Jaime and Brienne chapters as well. So that's Essos, the North, the Wall, Oldtown, King's Landing and the Riverlands.

What's missing is Bran and Sansa in the Vale in terms of major POV characters. The Vale may just be an instance of being too isolated and unconnected from the rest of the plot until Littlefinger makes his move or GRRM may find writing LF's plotting a bit hard to tackle.

However, it's Bran that stands out for me in not being mentioned, considering this is the penultimate book and the threat from beyond the Wall has to be a big part of this book.

It has been my intention from the start to gradually bring up the amount of magic in each successive volume of A Song of Ice and Fire, and that will continue. - GRRM

“ And it is important that the individual books refer to the civil wars,  but the series title reminds us constantly that the real issue lies in  the North beyond the Wall. Stannis becomes one of the few characters   fully to understand that, which is why in spite of everything he is a   righteous man, and not just a version of Henry VII, Tiberius or Louis   XI.” - GRRM

From all his interviews here and there, I can think of 3 reasons why the Bran chapters are hard.

This is where a lot of the hard core high fantasy happens. And we know that there's a backstory with Hodor that involves some complex time travel shenanigans - not going to be easy to write for someone in his seventies. Even more complicated in terms of causal loops and temporal paradoxes if it's Bran's consciousness that's doing the time traveling.

Age. GRRM has admitted before that he finds Bran the hardest to write as a disabled little boy. Bran's grown up a couple of years and yet he's still a little boy - Arya's age in AGoT.

Isolation with few fun side characters. GRRM really loves that world building and writing for those tertiary characters surrounding his main character. Arya meeting fun new characters everywhere she goes, her arc in Braavos, Dany in Essos, Jon's colorful and fun side characters, Tyrion traveling through Essos. One reason for why the series blew up from a trilogy into this unfinished mess is because GRRM enjoying writing for the side characters more than the main characters. Brienne got 8 chapters traversing the Riverlands searching for Sansa while Bran languished with 3 chapters in ADwD. Thus far Bran's world is very isolated and disconnected and has the least side characters - Meera, Jojen, Summer, Bloodraven and Coldhands. Of these, only 3 speak.

I think therefore that having written everything that GRRM can of the characters he does enjoy writing and finishing off the political plot points, he has finally turned his attention to Bran Stark. This is hardest part, involves a lot of sticky notes and attention to detail and needs to cover a lot of ground, bringing the Others back into the story in a big way.

I wish him luck. It's not going to be easy to write plots and details that he thought of some 30 years ago but I hope that he gets to finish a decent chunk of Bran chapters so that TWoW can finally be published.

[jon-sedai]

The thing about Bran's intended importance (supposedly kingship of all no less) is it falls flat as far as this due to the lack of hinting of... what that even is supposed to "do" in the grand scheme of things? The show's version of some totalitarian regime with 24/7 surveillance from the magical King is fucked up, and it's hard to understand what else would make Bran special otherwise.

The only people interested in the idea (and only as surface level) are big Stark only Stans who just see it as "Starks get everything because" and that's as deep as it gets.

The idea of who would have leadership to rebuild the world is too much built on stanning as a whole. The only ones with an actual leg to stand on are fans of Daenerys simply because her entire arc is trying at different things to restructure an oppressive elite based governing only to at this point end up with the realisation that their class simply cannot exist in a society without seeking to opress so they have to go. That's also what we see in Westeros, so both monarchy AND lordship power must be evaporated. So there's that.

But Martin isn't even angling for that as far as it seems (which would mean even Targaryens and Daenerys relinquishing power by the end and all, even if it would be the system she is currently trying to develop to be applied), but angles for a 'King'. One whose power is magic, which makes one think it is what would make him King, hence angling for the show end which is frightening as a form of government. And in the 'political' sense he's a nice kid who means well for others, but that's it. It's just the whole having a nice lord now and then without guarantee for the next.

So while it might be little page time and some unfairness for Bran, outside of people just stanning "Stark supremacy" in vague terms, it's hard to think of why and in what direction people would 'root' for Bran in the specific intended importance of role he's apparently meant to have.

Whew, you sent a big one. So I’ll try to break it up and answer in parts.

The thing about Bran's intended importance (supposedly kingship of all no less) is it falls flat as far as this due to the lack of hinting of.

I disagree. I think GRRM has been hinting at Bran being a return to the past - more specifically, a greenseer king. And even before that, Bran’s royal status has been front and center the whole time. It’s just ignored.

We as a fandom get so caught up with the magic part of Bran’s storyline (though we can’t be blamed really!) but forget that Bran’s book chapters often place his magical arc right along his identity and status as a lost prince. I’m gonna make a bit of a generalization here and say that the majority of Bran’s chapters since Robb’s ascension mention his status as the current heir to the Northern crown. He is the Prince of Winterfell. But not only that, he is the prince of the woods and the hills and the greens (we see this language being used for Bran once he begins his greenseer training). This princehood is actually extended to Bran’s direwolf, Summer. Bran’s princehood extending to Summer is quite poignant too, since the direwolf is directly named to be an opposition to winter, and Bran’s mythological parallels rule as summer kings.

Bran’s magical arc doesn’t remove him from his royal heritage. It only reinforces it. Again, think of how he becomes a prince of the natural world in an almost literal sense. And also the motifs used for his royal status: e.g., when Jojen and Meera Reed swear fealty to him, as their royal prince, through ice and fire (in addition to other natural elements).

The show took the route of placing Bran squarely in the magical arc, forgetting that first and foremost, he is an exiled prince. After Robb died, Bran became an exiled king. The main point here is that Bran is royal! He always has been, always will be. Heck, his very name literally means “Prince”.

And there’s other things about Bran’s storyline that aren’t very clear with the show’s depiction; I’m mentioning it here since people’s aversion to king Bran is mainly the show’s fault. Bran is a retelling of various Arthurian myths. You might have seen various meta on his similarities with the Fisher King, for example. I’ve written before about how Bran is also very similar to T.H White’s Wart from The Sword in the Stone (sorry, can’t find the meta link). Because the show removed the royal elements from Bran’s story, viewers weren’t able to catch that he is intended to follow the King Arthur trajectory, albeit with various twists.

When I first joined the fandom, the consensus among Bran fans was that he would be King in the North (a big theory at that time was that Westeros would split back into its pre-Targaryen markups). The idea was that there are way too many hints about Bran’s princehood, especially in relation to the North, so the only endgame that made sense was for him to rule it. And Bran does have a mini ruling arc in Winterfell in ACOK, which was good ammo for this theory.

So Bran’s relation to kingship has always been there. For years in fact; I joined this fandom over a decade ago. It’s just that no one expected his kingship would extend to all of Westeros. And I think that will be GRRM’s task, tying in why Bran will take not just the North, but the south as well. However, I have the inkling that Bran the Builder’s legend ties into this (and we know that he had a legacy all over Westeros).

what that even is supposed to "do" in the grand scheme of things?

Blame the show runners for this. They do not at all understand Bran’s importance to the narrative. And I don’t think a majority of readers understand it either. I mentioned Bran the Builder above. Well, he’s a legend that crops up sometime around the Long Night. Now we have a new war with the Others coming up, and little Bran Stark is Bran the Builder come again. Plus Bran has parallels with the last hero, who is credited with ending the Long Night. We still have two books to see how things shake out but given that Bran is following the trajectory of perhaps two of the most important legends from the War for the Dawn - one who ended it and one who rebuilt Westeros after - it’s easy to tell why he is important “in the grand scheme of things”. But we still need TWOW and ADOS to see how it all plays out. Remember, we only have a published 5 books, and Act II is barely finished!

The show's version of some totalitarian regime with 24/7 surveillance from the magical King is fucked up, and it's hard to understand what else would make Bran special otherwise.

I 100% agree that Show Bran’s ascension comes with some very problematic undertones, in addition to being totally stupid. But again, blame the showrunners for not understanding greenseeing and Bran’s relation to it. Greenseeing is, as I understand it, nature magic. It’s not just that Bran gains the ability to see through ravens and trees, but he can speak to nature as well. He can even shape it (ref Hammer of the Waters). This is going to be really important when Westeros is decimated in the War for the Dawn, and needs to be rebuilt. That’s why Bran being the prince of the “woods and the hills” and being the reincarnation (so to speak) of Bran the Builder is so important. He can rebuild Westeros. This is a very unique skill set that literally no one else has because once Bloodraven croaks, Bran inherits the mantle of the Last Greenseer.

The only people interested in the idea (and only as surface level) are big Stark only Stans who just see it as "Starks get everything because" and that's as deep as it gets.

I’ll join you in being annoyed with that particular brand of Stark fan (we all know who they are). But I just want to remind you that so many of us Bran stans (in fact the vast majority of us) do not fall within that group. Bran stans who advocate for Bran’s kingship do so because we have noted his Arthurian parallels, in addition to noting his arc as a prince in hiding/exile. None of us book fans even remotely believe in him being an all seeing autocrat, nor do we want him to be. It’s a certain type of Stark fan (again, we know who they are), who likes the idea of King Bran because they also believe in an independent North. I think an independent North (with a separate six kingdoms) as endgame is a rather ridiculous idea, and I haven’t got around to detailing why in my blog. But as far as I’m concerned if Bran is to be king, he will be king of everything.

The idea of who would have leadership to rebuild the world is too much built on stanning as a whole.

Super agree! I think the POV structure exacerbates this issue. So a majority of “who will be king”, “who deserves to be king” is solely dependent on who the reader likes best (i.e., who has the biggest fandom) and not who is most narratively suited for the role. Ironically, Bran is hurt but this because he has a pretty small fandom; by far the smallest out of the Stark POVs. So he does not benefit much from solo stanning. Again, the typical Bran stan does not believe in Starkception. If readers chose to theorize the endgame king based on who is most narratively/thematically suited for the role, wouldn’t the boy whose animal familiar is named to be the opposite of winter and likened to a prince of nature be among the most popular options?

The only ones with an actual leg to stand on are fans of Daenerys simply because her entire arc is trying at different things to restructure an oppressive elite based governing only to at this point end up with the realisation that their class simply cannot exist in a society without seeking to opress so they have to go.

Agree with Dany, but I think you’re also forgetting about a young lord commander whose entire rulership arc was about being a revolutionary in a rotten and backward system…

P.S: Jon stans can be really annoying too (I would know, I am one), but they’re not wrong when they say that he actually is the one character with the most foreshadowing for “endgame king”; he is literally King Arthur through and through, so 🤷🏽‍♀️

That's also what we see in Westeros, so both monarchy AND lordship power must be evaporated. So there's that.

It’ll be interesting to see how Martin’s critiques on feudal structures plays into the endgame leaders. Especially when we begin to factor in the thematic relevance of stories like Brienne’s and Arya’s among the smallfolk, as well as the upcoming war with the Others and how the feudal structure might do more harm than good.

I tend to have a more optimistic outlook tbh. Winter means death, and I think that will also ring true for a lot of the problematic elements in Westeros’ political and social structure. And let’s not forget that we have a bunch of civil upheavals coming up with Aegon and Daenerys both invading Westeros. I think a lot of these petty lords will die either in battle or during the long winter that’s sure to follow, so what’s left when all is said and done is having our heroes (Bran and Dany and Jon etc.) pick up the pieces. I tend to believe that a massive shake up is in the works such that while it might have been impossible for a crippled boy to rise to kingship in the AGOT era, it just might be the one remedy in ADOS.

But Martin isn't even angling for that as far as it seems (which would mean even Targaryens and Daenerys relinquishing power by the end and all, even if it would be the system she is currently trying to develop to be applied), but angles for a 'King'. One whose power is magic, which makes one think it is what would make him King, hence angling for the show end which is frightening as a form of government. And in the 'political' sense he's a nice kid who means well for others, but that's it.

This is another thing that I blame the show for: people thinking Bran can only be an all seeing tyrant. I’ve already touched on this above but again, Bran’s greenseeing magic is so much more. It’s about nature…healing….Summer! I’ve been meaning to write at length about why the resetting of the seasons will fall to Bran, and why that means healing for Westeros as a whole, but I’ll abbreviate my thoughts for now.

Let’s once again consider Bran as a Fisher King, whose very life is tied to the healing of the land. Now, I think Martin is going for a rather “fairy tale” or fantastical resolution to ASOIAF; an ending closer to Tolkien and Arthurian myth. Bran’s magic, as healing magic, is then meant to be a positive. He sets the world back to rights, as a Fisher King would. He quite literally drives the darkness (winter) away, and GRRM has stated multiple times that the Others are the true threat.

In my write up about Bran’s similarities to Wart, I mentioned that Bran’s ascension could end up being similar to Aragorn’s in LOTR (and we know that Tolkien has heavily influenced Martin). Aragorn became king not because of his swordsmanship or his politics or even his royal claim, but because he had hands of healing. And people said that there was a king who returned to them because he healed them. Healing and kingship is really not a novel thing, and they’re tied to medieval understanding of rulership. So it’s not hard to see why Bran’s magical ability to bring back summer, so to speak, can be taken as a positive of him being a rightful king.

It's just the whole having a nice lord now and then without guarantee for the next.

I get what you mean, but tbh this would be a problem with Jon, Dany, etc. Monarchy and inheritance are unpredictable. We can only hope that the king/lord trains his heir well so that prosperity follows with the exchange of power.

So while it might be little page time and some unfairness for Bran, outside of people just stanning "Stark supremacy" in vague terms, it's hard to think of why and in what direction people would 'root' for Bran in the specific intended importance of role he's apparently meant to have.

Hopefully it’s been quite clear in my reply why Bran as king is so thematically rich. He’s connected to summer, has greenseeing magic which is connected to nature and potentially the healing of nature, and he is already royal. Him being a “nice kid” is just the cherry on top.

[kloethewriter]

Bran I

Chapters: 1/1

Fandoms: A song of Ice and Fire/Game of thrones

Relationships: Bran & Rickon

Word Count: 2,664

Summary: Things go a little differently in Bran’s first chapter in Clash of Kings.

Or

Bran and Rickon talk and have a moment.

“Bran heard soft snores from beside and his brother’s form was peacefully asleep beside him. Rickon’s head full of curls rested on Bran’s shoulder as he slept soundly. The wolves' howls still echoed but Bran found himself at peace with the noise combined with his brother’s soft breathing.”

Characters: Bran Stark, Rickon Stark, All the other members of the Stark Family are HEAVILY mentioned, Shaggydog | Rickon Stark's Direwolf, Osha (A Song of Ice and Fire), Hodor (A Song of Ice and Fire), Maester Luwin of Winterfell (A Song of Ice and Fire), "Little" Walder Frey, "Big" Walder Frey

Tags: Book 2: A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, i was bored, I need to stop with these because no one reads them, but maybe someone else out there enjoys the Starklings as much as me, Brothers, Brotherly Affection, Bran Stark Has Emotions, Sweet Rickon Stark, If you know my account you know I love Rickon, I love all the Stark’s technically, and I do not stand for Rickon bashing or him being forgotten, Protective Siblings, Siblings, also the most important tag…. ,The Frey’s suck, But that’s just a fact, Discussion of The Dance of Dragons Era, Not Beta Read, we die like Walder Frey, Character Study, Platonic Relationships, Relationship Study

[daenystheedreamer]

THEEEE danycat fic it has CATHOLIC GUILT, ANNOYING PASSIONATE ACTIVIST DANY, WUTHERING HEIGHTS REFERENCES, OLDER WOMAN APPRECIATION and also smut you should absolutely be aware there is explicit lesbian sex not fluffy cute sex either real hard n dirty lesbian sex. also WARNING for rhaegar targaryen also being there.

share link below also with the tags and description etc

Catholic Girls and Cherry Chapstick (42168 words) by emmaliza Chapters: 16/16 Fandom: Game of Thrones (TV), A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Catelyn Stark/Daenerys Targaryen, past Cat/Ned, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Theon Greyjoy/Robb Stark, Sansa Stark/Margaery Tyrell, Jon Snow/Ygritte, past lyanna/rhaegar, past elia/rhaegar, discussion of unrequited petyr/cat, mention of daario/dany Characters: Catelyn Stark, Daenerys Targaryen, Sansa Stark, Robb Stark, Arya Stark, Bran Stark, Rickon Stark, Theon Greyjoy, Margaery Tyrell, Rhaegar Targaryen, Lyanna Stark, Ygritte (ASoIaF), Elia Martell, Viserys Targaryen Additional Tags: Age Difference, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Sexual Experimentation, Sexuality Crisis, Sexual Fantasy, Masturbation, Sex Toys, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, (well borderline), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Car Sex, Tribadism, Lingerie, Size Kink, Pegging, dany owns a bad dragon dildo don't @ me, Bondage, Light Dom/sub, Kink Negotiation, Aftercare, Discussion of Wuthering Heights, Discussion of Petyr Baelish, (i don't know how else to warn but like be warned), Implied/Referenced Abuse, Exhibitionism, Guilt, Awkwardness, Jealousy, Communication Failure, Communication, Love Confessions, First Date, Role Reversal, 69 (Sex Position), Fisting Summary: Catelyn can't believe she's doing this. She's sleeping with a blonde nineteen year old uni student she only knows via her nephew. She can't believe she's having that sort of mid-life crisis.

Hmmmm CatBrienne fic where Brienne is trying to fix unfixable worst boyfriend in the world Jamie after he runs over bran with his car and Cat sees them in court and tries to claw his eyes out but Brienne is like wait no I can change him. And then two months later that somehow spirals into lesbian car sex outside the Stark house while Ned is sleeping and Jamie is fucking his sister or something back at the therapeutic spa retreat Tywin paid for like Logan did to Kendall in succession (and yeah he’s still dating Brienne) 🫶

this is so insane so of course i love it god we truly are soul sisters... im very influenced by this one danycat older woman much younger gf smut fic and god i know catbrienne could get so weird. catholic cat and brienne who never fit in.... i dont think cat would cheat though i think she and ned have a swingers agreement LMFAO

[thewingedwolf]

Let’s see:

1. The curtain of light is mentioned only in a Bran chapter

2. The very first chapter of the first book is about an Other killing a brother of the Night’s Watch that looks like a Stark

3. Sam and Jon spend the entire series fighting wights and Others

4. all the mythology about the living dead is set in the North -thank you Old Nan-

5. Bran the Builder built a gigantic wall and a geotermal castle to stop them

But

Platinum Barbie has dragons! She’s the solution! I have connected the dots!… 🥴

part of why it’s so annoying is exactly that - the ice part of the song centers in the north, this apocalypse that’s spiraling out of control and no one cares to fight it except a few people. meanwhile, the fire part is clearly centered around dani and…her dragons are spiraling out of control and dani more and more turns a blind eye. you have so much of the northern magic in bran’s chapters, so much rich, interesting writing and information including the stupid curtain but all of that in the end is about…dani apparently. and we ignore that bran shares a name with bran the builder. we ignore that the kings of winter were doing fine for thousands of years until the targs showed up and periodically set the continent on fire every 50 years over the iron throne. we ignore that the valyrians were slavers who fell bc of a slave uprising & are still venerated by the targs & dani. we ignore that the long night happened before and *didn’t need a dragon to stop it.* ignore the CONTINENTAL WALL and ICE ZOMBIE DEFENDED CASTLE that stopped it the first time. ignore that dragons refuse to fly north of the wall.

all for…what? WHAT??? if dani is important to the endgame, let’s see the proof! “but i love her” IS NOT PROOF. I love theon’s lil flop ass, i don’t think he’s gonna single handedly defeat the long night based off a single line in arianne martell’s chapter or something. and like, i go back and forth on jonsa bc i go back and forth on everything in the endgame bc we’re two dense ass books away from it, but i will say is that the d and j/d fans loved to shout down every other reading of the text, which didn’t lead to a lot of great theories. while since i started poking around with the jonsas, even finding i have different opinions in major characters and their trajectories, the theories are *talked about*. i love stumpy’s reread bc it breaks down every theory, even ones that aren’t likely, or she doesn’t agree with, and imo that’s how a series as dense as this should be analyzed. we’re not all going to analyze it the same way but can we not pull nonsense out of our ass at least 😭😭

[travllingbunny]

Dance of the Dragons - seeds of the story: mentions of the Dance in the 5 main A Song of Ice and Fire books (1996-2011)

before the publication of The Princess and the Queen (2013), The Rogue Prince, The World of Ice & Fire (2014) and Fire & Blood (2018)

Let's get really nerdy and see how GRRM, with his "gardening" style of writing, gradually came up with the story that is currenly being adapted as House of the Dragon!

The Dance is first mentioned in the first book in the series, A Game of Thrones (1996), as a Targaryen brother-sister civil war, and the subject of songs that are popular in Westeros.

You will probably never guess who were the first characters from this story to be mentioned in the text of the main series...

(the screenshot quotes contain spoilers for the fates of some of the HotD characters)

The first Dance characters to be mentioned are the twin brothers Erryk and Arryk Cargyll, in an early Bran chapter. (spoiler!)

The Dance as the subject of songs is also mentioned in an Arya chapter:

AGOT also has a chronology of Targaryen kings at the end of the book, but there are some big differences from where GRRM would later take the story:: Rhaenyra is only 1 year older than Aegon, and Viserys II is her grandson rather than son.

ETA: next (thanks for this additional info that I missed, @nobodysuspectsthebutterfly ):

The Hedge Knight (1998), the first of the Dunk & Egg novellas, reveals Rhaenyra's ultimate fate (spoiler! which was also spoiled in season 3 of GoT), and also describes the death of the last dragon:

A Clash of Kings (1998): In a Tyrion chapter, Sansa mentions the fate of Erryk and Arryk again (spoilers again), which seems to be the most popular part of the Dance for the singers.

A Storm of Swords (2000):

Davos chapter: Stannis calls Rhaenyra a usurper, which is highly ironic considering he is on Dragonstone and preparing to keep fighting for his throne that has been usurped... but that may not have been the intention, since this was probably written before GRRM had worked out the details of the succession crisis. In retrospect, we can ascribe that to the fact that Rhaenyra was described as a usurper by the Westerosi historians and Aegon II listed as the true king, and that Stannis goes by what official history is saying.

We also get the first mention of Otto Hightower, described as one of the bad/failed Hands of the King, but there's no indication here that he was in any way involved with the Dance (and there won't be until The Princess and the Queen).

Ryam Redwyne - another, but very minor character from HotD, is also mentioned as one of the Hands, after being mentioned early in AGOT as a Kinsguard (in the show he was just the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and not also the Hand), but he dies before the Dance in both book and show and plays no real role in the events leading up to it.

Also in ASOS - another mention of Dance of the Dragons - the popular song, one of those sung at Joffrey's wedding to Margaery (Tyrion's chapter).

Finally, also in ASOS, Jaime thinks about how the Kingsguard was divided during the Dance:

A Feast for Crows (2005): At this point, GRRM had come up with Criston Cole, and there's a bunch of references to him, and the first mention of Viserys choosing Rhaenyra as heir.

But first, another mention of Dance of the Dragons, the song, in a Sansa chapter:

First mention of Criston Cole is, fittingly, in the Arys Oakheart chapter. Arianne is the one to bring him up. She also mentions that Viserys wanted Rhaenyra to succeed him.

(If Stannis' mention of Rhaenyra is ironic, there are multiple levels of irony in Arianne identifying with Rhaenyra! She condemns a female heir being usurped by her brother, while she is herself trying to organize a usurpation in the other direction - and Arys is not smart enough to point out that 1) Viserys wanted Rhaenyra to succeed him and she fought for her throne; but no one has named Myrcella heir and she's just a pawn and hasn't expressed any wish to do that? And Arianne is really doing all of that because she fears that her father does not want her to succeed him, the opposite of Viserys. Dorne has absolute primogeniture while the rest of Westeros has male preference primogeniture, and Viserys never changed that, he just picked his heir... Arianne believes is that her father will ignore the customary rules of succession and instead choose the child he prefers to be his heir. Girl, you may be comparing yourself to Rhaenyra, but in that scenario in your head, you'd be Aegon.)

The second mention of Criston Cole is, of course, in a Jaime chapter. GRRM really using him for the knight/Kingsguard theme. It seems his role in the Dance was conceived as bigger than what GRRM finally wrote (let alone bigger than on HotD), since he still hadn't conceived Otto's and Alicent's role in the events.

And also in AFFC, an obligatory mention of Erryk and Arryk (spoiler), in a Cersei chapter. She may be thinking of them in the context of Loras and Bronn, but it's very fitting that she's thinking about siblings fighting each other while she's obsessing over her brother Tyrion (with whom she has a lot more in common than either would ever like to admit) as her biggest enemy, in her head at least.

A Dance with Dragons (2011):

Even though the title is a reference to the civil war, there were just two mentions of it I could find. However, they introduce some new details and reference some other characters.

Tyrion (at this point an infamous Kinslayer!), staying in Pentos in Illyrio's mention, debates a very minor detail from the Dance with Illyrio's Haefmaester Haldon, concerning a bold but very dumb knight called Byron Swann. First mention of Aemond, as well as of Rhaenyra's dragon Syrax, and the fact that Aemond rode Vhagar (who had been mentioned a lot already as a Conquest dragon, but this is the first time we learn she participated in the Dance, and also the first time she's confirmed to be female).

It's interesting that we see here that Tyrion is reading his histories paying attention to the details, questioning them, and noticing when they aren't making sense. Just the way that Martin's "historical" accounts by Maester Gyldayn and Maester Yandel are meant ot be read. For comparison, this is the account of the event and the multiple versions of what happened, from Fire & Blood:

Back to ADWD, the second mention of the Dance is in a Dany chapter. She is thinking to herself about the monstrosity and danger of dragons (prompted by a certain event with Drogon) and thinks in that context about Rhaenyra's fate, previously revealed in The Hedge Knight and now mentioned for the first time in the main series (spoiler again!):

And that's all as far as mentions I was able to find. The Dunk and Egg novellas, if I haven't missed anything, don't have any references to the Dance. Maybe there still wasn't enough time passed for the Dance to become just a subject of songs, but at the same time, it was not contemporary enough, and everyone is instead far too busy with the Blackfyre rebellions.

TL:DR:

Characters from the Dance mentioned in ASOAIF: Erryk and Arryk, Vhagar (but only as a Conquest dragon and with no mention of her participation in the Dance), Aegon II, Rhaenyra, Aegon III in the Targaryen line rather than the main text (AGOT), Otto Hightower (but with no mention of his role in the Dance) in ASOS, Criston Cole (AFFC), Aemond, Syrax, Byron Swann; Aegon II's dragon Sunfyre is referenced but not named. Vhagar's involvement is confirmed in ADWD.

Some pretty big differences: there was no mention at all that Rhaenyra and Aegon were half-siblings - which would only be revealed in The Princess and the Queen, where we first learn that Alicent Hightower was Aegon's mother. (ETA: outside of the text, GRRM first mentioned this in 2006, so after the publication of AFFC, and while he was still working on ADWD, so he would've come up with this at some point while working on ADWD, and before ADWD was published.) Rhaenyra was also said to be 1 year older than Aegon, but tPatQ makes her 10 year older (and the show aged down Alicent and her kids and made the age difference between the half-siblings even bigger). Viserys II was supposed to be Aegon III's son rather than Rhaenyra's.

I think this is how GRRM probably came up with the story of the Dance, with his "gardening" style of writing:

1) came up with the idea of two twin brothers with incredibly similar names fighting each other on the opposite sides of a civil war, as one of the tragic tales songs are made about;

2) decided the war would be a fantasy version of the Anarchy - the 12th century English civil war (just like War of the 5 Kings waa inspired by the Wars of the Roses) between cousins Mathilda and Stephen, only bloodier, with dragons, and make them Targaryen brother and sister. He came up with the poetic name "Dance of the Dragons". The only characters aside from Erryk & Arryk thought up at this point are Rhaenyra, Aegon II (full siblings, she a year older) and Aegon III. Aegon III is already "Dragonbane", dragons said to have died off in his reign. Viserys II is Aegon III's son at this point, before GRRM realised that he's bad at math and had messed up the timeline and that this was impossible, and that Viserys had to be older and Aegon III's brother.

2a) At some point while working on the original trulogy (which may or may not have been after the publication of AGOT, as it was first revealed in 1998 in The Hedge Knight) he also comes up with Rhaenyra's death as a way to explain Aegon III's hate of dragons.

3) Writing AFFC and ADWD, he invents more details to be mentioned in the main series as thematically relevant. He creates Criston Cole, "Kingmaker" (nickname inspired by Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick's nickname, even though he has virtually no other similarity to Cole), credited as the guy behind thd war, described as a controversial Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and an angry ex-lover of Rhaenyra. Cole gets mentioned in Jaime's and Arys' chapters as a thematic link with the theme of Kingsguard knights and their honor. The Dance gets mentioned by Arianne - for the themes of succession crisis, female heirs, father/daughter relationship (first memtion that Viserys wanted Rhaenyra to succeed him.

4) Writing ADWD, GRRM is planning a second Targaryen civil war between Dany and Young Griff, so he gives the novel a title accordingly, but in the end he just sets it up for the next book. The title still stays, but becomes more about literal dragons. He comes up with more details, which are about the literal dragons who participated in the Dance, including an incident of dragon vs human, to include in a story about how dangerous dragons can be. .

4a) Vhagaris first confirmed to have participated in the Dance, and Aemond is mentioned for the first time ever, as her rider and Aegon II's brother who fought on his side, because GRRM, per his usual MO, wouldn't want the oldesrt and largest dragon to be ridden by either of the rival monarchs, and he has a thing about second sons. He already had two pairs of Targaryen brothers called Aegon & Aemon (Aegon IV & Dragonknight, Maester Aemon & Egg) but he tweaks the name a little.

5) GRRM probably goes on to write a bunch of other stuff from Targaryen history and Dance, especially to tie it up with the upcoming Targaryen civil war in TWOW. It goes faster than the main plot of TWOW, so it gets turned into a novella, and other supplementary material.

He finally comes up with the idea that Rhaenyra and Aegon II were half-siblings with a big age difference, and needs Aegon's mother to be from a powerful Westerosi family and her father a Hand of the King. Probably gets reminded that he mentioned Otto Hightower in ASOS, as one of the bad Hands, decides "I can make him Aegon's grandfather."

The character of Alicent Hightower is created, and the story completely reframed as a conflict between two women, as seen in the novella title "The Princess and the Queen, or the Blacks and the Greens".

At the same time, he creates Daemon, anti-hero "rogue prince" uncle-husband to Rhaenyra. The only historical Daemon mentioned in ASOIAF before was Daemon Blsckfyre. GRRM says "what if he was named after this guy?" He gets so into the character he writes a prequel novella about him, too.

And a bunch of other details get worked out in the two novellas, then in The World of Ice and Fire, and then even more added and expanded in Fire & Blood.

[ilargizuri]

three Things in One Creature - Part 4: Wings for Food

We now know that the wings of the falcon probably represent the problem of food shortages and the hunger that people suffer in winter. So how do we know which characters represent the wings and thus save the population from hunger? Well, although we have several characters that stand for hunger, we only have a few characters that are positively connoted by the readership.

We have Petyr Baelish who buys food to sell at a high price, but this man says in the same breath that he wants to sell the food he buys at a profit. And he does not even mention the common people but only the nobility. So for Petyr Baelish, this action is just another step towards more power in Westeros.

Whereas Sansa is a more positively connotated character, through whose point of view we also observe Baelish’s actions. So she knows about this stored food, which allows her to give it to anyone who needs it once Petyr Baelish is gone.

Bran, on the other hand, has been ruling the north in Robb’s absence, which gives him an education in politics and organisation, but when he and Meera, Jojen and Hodor are on their way to Three-Eyed Crow, the group is starving. Their leader goes hunting for deserters from the Night’s Watch and returns with meat. The allusion is very clear that these four are eating human flesh. This is not a positive turn of events, this is a low point! Bran is therefore less suitable as a candidate for the character who can avert the hunger catastrophe. As Robb’s heir, he certainly has the means to do so as Lord of Winterfell, but if the broad hints in his chapters are any indication, he doesn’t know where to look for food.

This is where Sansa and Jon come into play because Sansa knows about Littlefinger’s secret supplies in the Vale, Jon has contacts at the Bank of Braavos and knows how they can get a loan that they can pay off in their lifetime. He also has contacts with a group of hunters who provide them with the furs they need to pay the Bank of Braavos and get food. The Free Folk are struggling with the problems of winter just like everyone else, but you can already see in A Dance with Dragons that the wildlings are keeping the bargain Jon demanded of them to be allowed behind the Wall. The group there gets used to life behind the Wall and one of the Thenns even marries Alys Karstark to save her from the forced marriage of her relatives. In my opinion, this is a strong indication that the Free Peoples will slowly establish themselves in the North and will be an essential part of the solution to the food problem.

We also know from the series that there will probably be two kingdoms at the end, one in the north and one in the south, but I suspect it will be structured differently from the series where two Starks are sitting on the two thrones and one of them can’t have any more children and Tyrion suggests that from now on the kings should be elected. Something we know was actually custom in the Culture of the First Men.

I rather suspect that by blowing Joramund’s horn the Wall will be shifted and thus the Two Kingdoms will be created. It is assumed that Melissandre destroyed the Horn of Winter, but I think the horn that Mance found is the Hammer of Water. As far as we know, there are only magical musical instruments in A Song of Ice and Fire, which would also fit the title. We have a horn that summons Kraken, one that brings down the Wall, one that tames dragons, why would a magical tool that controls masses of water be a hammer? The horn Mance shows Jon Snow, which he found in a glacier in the Frostfangs, is described as black and golden. Black and gold are the colours of the Greyjoys and the horn burns in green and yellow flames, which are the colours the children of the forest have, green skin and yellow eyes. So it would not be too far-fetched that George R. R. Martin chose these colours to link to these two parties with the Horn.

It would also further emphasise the fact that we have two wings, two kingdoms and two separate solutions to the food problem. I think that in the North and the Vale, the countries I suspect are behind the new Wall, Sansa and Jon are the two people who are solving the food problem in the North with Bran on the Throne as King of the North and the Vale.

So if we end up with two kingdoms separated by a wall, then we need someone in the south to solve the problem with food, here I think it will be the Tyrells that solve the food problem. Not only is Margery Tyrell with Sansa on the hunt that brought me to the idea that the Sphinx are a reference to the true heroes of these books, but her family are the High Lords of the Reach, the most fertile corner, the crop chamber, of Westeros. Their Family Words are „Growing Strong“ and although the Tyrells are allied with the Lannisters right now, that could change quickly. In addition, this was already indicated to us in the sample chapters from The Winds of Winter. There it seems that Mace Tyrell joined him instead of defeating Aegon at Storms End.

The Tyrells and the Reach are thus the one wing, in the south, which is the other, is still a mystery to me. However, I tend to think that it is Aegon, it doesn’t matter whether he really is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen or not, it is important that Varys says the following in the epilogue to the dying Kevan Lannister:

»Aegon has been shaped for rule before he could walk. He has been trained in arms, as befits a knight to be, but that was not the end of his education. He reads and writes, he speaks several tongues, he has studied history and law and poetry. A septa has instructed him in the mysteries of the Faith since he was old enough to understand them. He has lived with fisherfolk, worked with his hands, swum in rivers and mended nets and learned to wash his own clothes at need. He can fish and cook and bind up a wound, he knows what it is like to be hungry, to be hunted, to be afraid. Tommen has been taught that kingship is his right. Aegon knows kingship is his duty, that a king must put his people first, and live and rule for them.«

Varys, A Dance with Dragons epilog

I admit that the young man we get to know through the eyes of Tyrion Lannister has little to do with what Varys says. However, we should consider that Varys probably never met this young man personally and therefore will only recite the reports of his allies.

What is interesting, however, is the Varys mentioned here that Aegon knows how to fish and how to cook. That seems a little weird, considering that Varys is about to explain to his murder victim why Aegon would be the better king. So far we have never seen a king fishing, hunting has always been described as the activity which kings and nobles engage in and have to do with the procurement of food. Fishing is not mentioned as an activity of a king, not even the kings of the iron islands are mentioned as fishermen and this is a seafaring culture that is based on the Vikings! They should be able to fish and not consider it under their dignity.

That is why I believe that Aegon is the second wing to solve the problem with food in the south. It is not important whether he is Rhaegar’s son, he lived with the common people and knows about their concerns and needs, and can therefore better put himself in them.

Now some Daenerys fans might say that Daenerys also lived among the common people and knows hunger, as Varys describes it in his speech. That’s true, but just like with Bran, Daenerys has no solution to how to effectively tackle the problem with food. Daenerys‘ solution is to use a new slave class that works for food and shelter in the fields. Before this solution has any success, dying thousands of hunger and disease in her chapters. In addition, this hallucination is one of the last sentences we know from Daenerys.

»I gave you good counsel. Save your spears and swords for the Seven Kingdoms, I told you. Leave Meereen to the Meereenese and go west, I said. You would not listen. „I had to take Meereen or see my children starve along the march.“ Dany could still see the trail of corpses she had left behind her crossing the Red Waste. It was not a sight she wished to see again. „I had to take Meereen to feed my people.“ You took Meereen, he told her, yet still, you lingered. „To be a queen.“ You are a queen, her bear said. In Westeros. „It is such a long way,“ she complained. „I was tired, Jorah. I was weary of war. I wanted to rest, to laugh, to plant trees and see them grow. I am only a young girl.“ No. You are the blood of the dragon. The whispering was growing fainter as if Ser Jorah were falling farther behind. Dragons plant no trees. Remember that. Remember who you are, what you were made to be. Remember your words.« -Daenerys to a Hallucination of Jorah, Daenerys X, A Dance with Dragons.

Daenerys has the bird motif in her chapters with Daario and his storm crows, but no solution, just like Bran. The storm crows are mercenaries, unlike the crows of the Nights watch at the wall, which consists of a group of people who come from the most diverse areas of life and can therefore also present diverse knowledge, the storm crows only know the warcraft. So the difference with Bran is she has no family to support her in this matter.

Sansa and Jon will undoubtedly support their brother in his regency and use the knowledge they have for the benefit of the people. Which in our case means that they are the solution to the problem with food.

Daenerys has no close confidants, counsellors or family who will support her in her regency in such a way. Aegon wants the throne, just like Daenerys and because the daughter of Aerys the second believes that she still meets a false dragon, as she saw it in the visions in the house of the Undying, she will not join with her possible nephew for the good of all, but fight against him, whereby it is again unimportant what is true and what is not, but only what Daenerys believes! So I think if a Targaryen really is part of the Solution to the Food-Problem, it will be Aegon.

In the Next Part, we will discover that a Lion does not always Means Royalty, until then please Read My other Parts.

[astradrifting]

didn't d*ny had a dream where she fought enemies that were dressed in ice and later jon dreamed about fighting while wearing a black armor made of ice? lol guess anon forget about that dream

she did!

That night she dreamt that she was Rhaegar, riding to the Trident. But she was mounted on a dragon, not a horse. When she saw the Usurper's rebel host across the river they were armored all in ice, but she bathed them in dragonfire and they melted away like dew and turned the Trident into a torrent.

x

Burning shafts hissed upward, trailing tongues of fire. Scarecrow brothers tumbled down, black cloaks ablaze. "Snow," an eagle cried, as foemen scuttled up the ice like spiders. Jon was armored in black ice, but his blade burned red in his fist.

At first glance her quote does look like it’s about fighting the Others, but “melted away like dew” in that Dæny quote also reminds me of another one from ADWD:

“…In him the prophecies shall be fulfilled, and your enemies will melt away like snow.”

(ADWD, Dænerys IV)

Other people have already mentioned this quote from D’s desert vision-quest, which very neatly encompasses the Starks, Jon as both Wolf and Crow, and good ol’ Euron Crow’s Eye for good measure too, positioning them all as her enemies.

My flesh will feed the wolves and carrion crows, she thought sadly, and worms will burrow through my womb.

(ADWD, Dænerys X)

It’s somehow more low-hanging fruit than her sneering the name Stark whenever it comes up but maybe it doesn’t count because she’s not dreaming.

And I didn't want to bother answering my dearest anon's hysterical lovely follow up message, but they did alert me to the 'positive' dragon imagery in Arya and Jon's chapters. After extensive research, this was the results:

The closest is maybe Arya as Mercy:

"I would like to see a dragon," Mercy said wistfully.

(TWOW, Mercy I)

Well... she’ll probably get her wish!

Or maybe they mean this:

As Arya crossed the yard to the bathhouse, she spied a raven circling down toward the rookery, and wondered where it had come from and what message it carried. Might be it's from Robb, come to say it wasn't true about Bran and Rickon. She chewed on her lip, hoping. If I had wings I could fly back to Winterfell and see for myself. And if it was true, I'd just fly away, fly up past the moon and the shining stars, and see all the things in Old Nan's stories, dragons and sea monsters and the Titan of Braavos, and maybe I wouldn't ever fly back unless I wanted to.

(ACOK, Arya X)

She wants wings....dragons have wings....positive dragon imagery! Or her natural sense of adventure, coupled with the desire to run away from her grief, wrapped up in foreshadowing for her endgame spent exploring the seas. I can’t decide. 

As for Jon, he says that his hero is King Daeron, the Young Dragon a few times, though every time he says that out loud it’s undercut by someone pointing out that he wasn’t that great:

"Daeren Targaryen was only fourteen when he conquered Dorne," Jon said. The Young Dragon was one of his heroes.

"A conquest that lasted a summer," his uncle pointed out. "Your Boy King lost ten thousand men taking the place, and another fifty trying to hold it. Someone should have told him that war isn't a game." He took another sip of wine. "Also," he said, wiping his mouth, "Daeren Targaryen was only eighteen when he died. Or have you forgotten that part?"

(AGOT, Jon I)

(Daeron was apparently renamed at some point, because both my copy and asearchoficeandfire say Daeren in AGOT)

"When the Young Dragon conquered Dorne, he used a goat track to bypass the Dornish watchtowers on the Boneway."

"I know that tale as well, but Daeron made too much of it in that vainglorious book of his. Ships won that war, not goat tracks. Oakenfist broke the Planky Town and swept halfway up the Greenblood whilst the main Dornish strength was engaged in the Prince's Pass."

(ADWD, Jon IV)

Here’s one of my new favorite pieces of dragon imagery in Jon’s chapters:

"Ashes and cinders."

"Kings and dragons."

Dragons again. For a moment Jon could almost see them too, coiling in the night, their dark wings outlined against a sea of flame.

(ADWD, Jon VIII)

It brings to mind Jaime’s memories of Aerys, his words as he tried to burn King’s Landing down.

The traitors want my city, I heard him tell Rossart, but I'll give them naught but ashes. Let Robert be king over charred bones and cooked meat. The Targaryens never bury their dead, they burn them. Aerys meant to have the greatest funeral pyre of them all. Though if truth be told, I do not believe he truly expected to die. Like Aerion Brightfire before him, Aerys thought the fire would transform him . . . that he would rise again, reborn as a dragon, and turn all his enemies to ash.

(ASOS, Jaime V)

x

Let him be king over charred bones and cooked meat, Jaime remembered, studying his sister's smile. Let him be the king of ashes.

(AFFC, Jaime II)

Probably the most ‘positive’ dragon imagery is Jon joking that a dragon might warm things up at the Wall to Tycho Nestoris, the banker from the Iron Bank, only for him to immediately be warned against them. It does create a parallel between Jon and Arya though - both hear about the history of Braavos from actual Braavosi, how it was founded by refugees from Valyria escaping the dragonlords.

"The Moonsingers led us to this place of refuge, where the dragons of Valyria could not find us," Denyo said.

(AFFC, Arya I)

x

“...No, these other sails … from farther east, perhaps … one hears queer talk of dragons."

"Would that we had one here. A dragon might warm things up a bit."

"My lord jests. You will forgive me if I do not laugh. We Braavosi are descended from those who fled Valyria and the wroth of its dragonlords. We do not jape of dragons."

No, I suppose not. "My apologies, Lord Tycho."

(ADWD, Jon IX)

I won’t even get into the negative fire imagery in both of their chapters, because I’d have to just copy and paste ASOS and ADWD in their entirety here and I might get a copyright strike.

[istumpysk]

Operation Stumpy Re-Read

AGOT: Bran IV (Chapter 24)

Focus, this is an important one.

In the yard below, Rickon ran with the wolves.                 

Bran watched from his window seat. Wherever the boy went, Grey Wind was there first, loping ahead to cut him off, until Rickon saw him, screamed in delight, and went pelting off in another direction. Shaggydog ran at his heels, spinning and snapping if the other wolves came too close. His fur had darkened until he was all black, and his eyes were green fire.

Someone de-code this for me! There’s vital information hidden here, I can feel it.

+.+

Bran's Summer came last. He was silver and smoke, with eyes of yellow gold that saw all there was to see. Smaller than Grey Wind, and more wary. Bran thought he was the smartest of the litter.

See, I told you!

+.+

Whenever he was away more than a day, Rickon would cry and ask Bran if Robb was ever coming back.

NO. WHY. :(

+.+

"Oh, my sweet summer child," Old Nan said quietly, "what do you know of fear? Fear is for the winter, my little lord, when the snows fall a hundred feet deep and the ice wind comes howling out of the north.

Howling.

+.+

Old Nan nodded. "In that darkness, the Others came for the first time," she said as her needles went click click click. "They were cold things, dead things, that hated iron and fire and the touch of the sun, and every creature with hot blood in its veins. They swept over holdfasts and cities and kingdoms, felled heroes and armies by the score, riding their pale dead horses and leading hosts of the slain. All the swords of men could not stay their advance, and even maidens and suckling babes found no pity in them. They hunted the maids through frozen forests, and fed their dead servants on the flesh of human children."    

This might be about the Others, but I generally don’t enjoy any references to maidens being hunted in frozen forests. Especially when it’s accompanied by mention of human flesh.

+.+

Theon Greyjoy had once commented that Hodor did not know much, but no one could doubt that he knew his name.

Yeah, about that Reek...

+.+

No one knew where "Hodor" had come from, she said, but when he started saying it, they started calling him by it. It was the only word he had.    

+.+

Robb was seated in Father's high seat, wearing ringmail and boiled leather and the stern face of Robb the Lord.

(...)

His sword was across his knees, the steel bare for all the world to see. Even Bran knew what it meant to greet a guest with an unsheathed sword.    

Silly Bran, you don’t know what it means at all.

By ancient custom an iron longsword had been laid across the lap of each who had been Lord of Winterfell, to keep the vengeful spirits in their crypts. - Eddard I, AGOT

+.+

"Hodor," Hodor said, and he trotted forward smiling and set Bran in the high seat of the Starks, where the Lords of Winterfell had sat since the days when they called themselves the Kings in the North. The seat was cold stone, polished smooth by countless bottoms; the carved heads of direwolves snarled on the ends of its massive arms. Bran clasped them as he sat, his useless legs dangling. The great seat made him feel half a baby.    

Robb was sitting in the high seat of the Starks.

Robb stood.

Bran is then set down in that seat.

The seat where Kings once sat.

+.+

Bran was uncomfortably aware of Tyrion Lannister's eyes. One was black and one was green, and both were looking at him, studying him, weighing him.

Oh, hello there. I just realized something.

Tyrion has one green eye, and one black eye.

Dance of Dragons, the greens vs the blacks.

Tyland Lannister, the hated disfigured Hand of the King, played on both sides.

+.+

"Perhaps it's time I took my leave," Tyrion said. He took a step backward … and Shaggydog came out of the shadows behind him, snarling. Lannister recoiled, and Summer lunged at him from the other side. He reeled away, unsteady on his feet, and Grey Wind snapped at his arm, teeth ripping at his sleeve and tearing loose a scrap of cloth.    

It’s such a mystery! If the scholars of Reddit can’t figure this out, what hope do I have?!

+.+

So as cold and death filled the earth, the last hero determined to seek out the children, in the hopes that their ancient magics could win back what the armies of men had lost. He set out into the dead lands with a sword, a horse, a dog, and a dozen companions. For years he searched, until he despaired of ever finding the children of the forest in their secret cities. One by one his friends died, and his horse, and finally even his dog, and his sword froze so hard the blade snapped when he tried to use it. And the Others smelled the hot blood in him, and came silent on his trail, stalking him with packs of pale white spiders big as hounds—"      

x

All Bran could think of was Old Nan's story of the Others and the last hero, hounded through the white woods by dead men and spiders big as hounds. He was afraid for a moment, until he remembered how that story ended. "The children will help him," he blurted, "the children of the forest!"    

Boy, all of this seems so irrelevant.

Personally, I can’t wait to find more clues that tell us how Daenerys and her dragons will save the world.

+.+

"Yes," Robb said with such hope in his voice that Bran knew he was hearing his brother and not just Robb the Lord. "Mother will be home soon. Maybe we can ride out to meet her when she comes. Wouldn't that surprise her, to see you ahorse?" Even in the dark room, Bran could feel his brother's smile. "And afterward, we'll ride north to see the Wall. We won't even tell Jon we're coming, we'll just be there one day, you and me. It will be an adventure."                 

"An adventure," Bran repeated wistfully. He heard his brother sob. The room was so dark he could not see the tears on Robb's face, so he reached out and found his hand. Their fingers twined together.

🥺

Final thoughts:

The foreshadowing in this chapter is something else. Bran’s POVs are on another level.

Also, unrelated, I love Old Nan. We all need an Old Nan in our lives.

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[une-nuit-pour-se-souvenir]

The Dragon has Three Heads

"Three heads of the dragon... yes... but the third will not necessarily BE a Targaryen..."

~ GRRM @ at some convention

The conclusion is simple. The heads of the dragon refer to people and while the two are Targaryens, the third might not be one.

We can ignore anything that says this group of things are of different things (for example, I've seen "two Targaryens plus a concept"), as that makes no narrative sense. The key is exactly that last sentence, the third one may not be a Targaryen, which implies the three heads are all people and that two are Targaryens and the third is not quite one. Therefore, these three dragon heads must refer to people associated with dragon, with two of them being Targaryens but the last one not necessarily being one.

The most popular theory is that the two Targaryens are Danerys Targaryen and Jon Snow, with the third being the youngster that claims to be Aegon VI Targaryen and appears first in ADWD. This identification ignores the narrative framework for both Aegon VI Targareyn and Jon Snow.

On one hand, Aegon is often associated with kingly imagery (for example, the chapter he's introduced starts with six chests, the kid himself is introduced as standing at a higher ground than the rest, and ends with a turtle who is said to witness the birth of kings), he's accompanied by a lot associated with his parents such as Jon Connington (his father's hand of the kind) and some dornish / royne people (his mother's land and culture). Another thing to note is that Varys introduces him as the real thing to a dying man.

Moreover, there is at least one "baby switch" story that shadows this one, a prince baby being switched with a nobody, sent away to protect against a Baratheon. In specific, Mance Rayder's son (the wildling "king") being switched with Gilly's son, then sent South for protection against another Baratheon, which is notably a plan concocted by Jon Snow (another of Rhaegar's kids, as if preparing him and the reader to "believe" such a scenario is possible).

On the other hand, Jon Snow's core character revolves around two facts, that he is a bastard and that he loves his Stark family. The reveal that he's not Eddard Stark's bastard but Lyanna Stark's child doesn't erase the latter, as he's a Stark through his mother. Still, the nature of Rhaegar and Lyanna's relationship may erase the former. If Jon is illegitimate, that doesn't erase the former, but if he's legitimate somehow (Targaryens are said to take multiple wives), that erases the former and replaces it another. It can go either way.

Moreover, there is at least one "legitimized bastard" story that shadows this one. In specific, Jon Snow is offered to be legitimised both by Stannis Baratheon (something that is a true temptation, as it would give him everything he secretely longed for all his life), but also by Robb's will as it names Jon Snow as his heir over sisters and that's only possible through legitimising him. It's my conviction that "the rule of three" applies, therefore that Jon will reject Robb's will like he rejected Stannis' offer, but will have a third legitimization opportunity and that this time around he'll acept.

To be more specific and in contrast with Aegon, who's introduced with kingly imagery, Jon is introduced with bastardy imagery. Bran introduces him into the narratve as his bastard brother, while Jon's first POV chapter starts with him musing that he's a bastard. While Jon has "kingly" imagery, it doesn't come associated with imagery from his father's side, and seems to be self-contained to the North (for example, the first inside joke is "kings hiding under the snow" or Mormont's crow calling him king while he's at the wall). Jon's hidden parentage comes along with prince imagery instead (for example, the anti-parallel with bastard prince Joffrey). With my conviction explained above, I do believe it will come to Aegon legitimising Jon as his heir until he has kids (a parallel to Robb's will). Most (if not all) foreshadowing falls into place. Aegon VI is king, Jon is the (bastard) prince. An example would be Sansa's "Glory to your betrothed," Ser Arys answered at once. (...) "He is the dragon's heir." which fits with Jon as Aegon's heir.

Combined, this interpreation suggests that the popular theory is actually backwards: Aegon VI is the real thing while Jon Snow is the Blackfyre (bastard Targaryen). This is in accordance to the way the text is presented.

House of Undying

"THe dragon has three heads" is referenced for the first time to Danerys Targaryen in a prophetic inducing Shade of the Evening tripping out at the House of Undying.

The man had her brother's hair, but he was taller, and his eyes were a dark indigo rather than lilac. "Aegon," he said to a woman nursing a newborn babe in a great wooden bed. "What better name for a king?"

"Will you make a song for him?" the woman asked.

"He has a song," the man replied. "He is the prince that was promised, and his is the song of ice and fire." He looked up when he said it and his eyes met Dany's, and it seemed as if he saw her standing there beyond the door. "There must be one more," he said, though whether he was speaking to her or the woman in the bed she could not say. "The dragon has three heads." He went to the window seat, picked up a harp, and ran his fingers lightly over its silvery strings. Sweet sadness filled the room as man and wife and babe faded like the morning mist, only the music lingering behind to speed her on her way.

I'll say that whatever the House of Undying shows, may not be reality. Rhaegar wanting to fulfill some prophecy with three kids is not referenced anywhere else, except this moment which is the equivalent of a very bad drug trip. It's worth mentioning though, Ratgar saw a comet in the sky and thought he should impregnate his wife, against medical advice because she who was recovering from giving birth his first child. It could be, but it could not be.

Regardless, what's important to note is what's being prophetized. Much like GRRM's convention remark, Rhaegar identifies the three heads as people. So far so good. However, he also gives us an order: omitted Rhaenys as she was born already, Aegon in mother's lap, Danerys when Rhaegar looks up to "see" her at the door, then finally Jon when he says "there must be one more". On one hand, Rhaenys was murdered and Danerys is in this as well, so the conclusion is that the former "replaced" the latter in the prophecy. On the other hand, if this had been a real memory, than Rhaegar would have two legitimate kids at the time (Rhaenys and Aegon) such saying "there must be one more" suggests a third child (Jon), which goes well with GRRM saying "the third may not be a Targaryen". So in order, we have Aegon, Danerys, Jon.

Danerys later reflects upon what this prophecy means and comes the conclusion that these heads are supposed to be people. This is because the Targaryen coat-of-arms is a dragon with three heads, each head representing three Targaryens.

"The dragon has three heads," she sighed. "Do you know what that means, Jorah?"

"Your Grace? The sigil of House Targaryen is a three-headed dragon, red on black."

"I know that. But there are no three-headed dragons."

"The three heads were Aegon and his sisters."

(...)

"Prince Aegon was Rhaegar's heir by Elia of Dorne," Ser Jorah said. "But if he was this prince that was promised, the promise was broken along with his skull when the Lannisters dashed his head against a wall."

"I remember," Dany said sadly. "They murdered Rhaegar's daughter as well, the little princess. Rhaenys, she was named, like Aegon's sister. There was no Visenya, but he said the dragon has three heads. What is the song of ice and fire?"

(...)

"Your Grace," he conceded, "the dragon has three heads, remember? You have wondered at that, ever since you heard it from the warlocks in the House of Dust. Well, here's your meaning: Balerion, Meraxes, and Vhagar, ridden by Aegon, Rhaenys, and Visenya. The three-headed dragon of House Targaryen—three dragons, and three riders."

(...)

When Brown Ben left, she lay back on her cushions. "If you were grown," she told Drogon, scratching him between the horns, "I'd fly you over the walls and melt that harpy down to slag." But it would be years before her dragons were large enough to ride. And when they are, who shall ride them? The dragon has three heads, but I have only one.

(...)

"No dragon has ever had three heads except on shields and banners," Armen the Acolyte said firmly. "That was a heraldic charge, no more. Furthermore, the Targaryens are all dead."

"Not all," said Alleras. "The Beggar King had a sister."

(...)

"The dragon must have three heads," he wailed, "but I am too old and frail to be one of them. I should be with her, showing her the way, but my body has betrayed me."

The prophecies in ASOIAF are always misunderstood. Danerys is no exception, as she's wrongly identifing people and their motives. One thing is for sure in all these mentions though, the "dragon heads" are meant to be people and one of them is Danerys.

Danerys thinks these three dragons are supposed to mimic the original trio, with herself as Aegon and two men she'll take as lovers as the two sister wives. This is where the misunderstanding is, because it's obvious from the framework that is backwards.

These at least she could rely on, or so she hoped . . . and Brown Ben Plumm as well, solid Ben with his grey-white hair and weathered face, so beloved of her dragons. And Daario beside him, glittering in gold. Daario and Ben Plumm, Grey Worm, Irri, Jhiqui, Missandei . . . as she looked at them Dany found herself wondering which of them would betray her next.

The dragon has three heads. There are two men in the world who I can trust, if I can find them. I will not be alone then. We will be three against the world, like Aegon and his sisters.

Danerys is a dumb bitch and the text shows us exactly how. The idea of Danerys being betrayed comes together with the other two heads. They're not lovers, they're betrayers. It occurs again in ADWD as she's in the Dothraki Sea, contemplentanting if the "king" betrayed her and a wolf answers in the distance.

The framework fits this foiled scenario. The original trio was a man married to both his sisters, but only he became king (later, only the man could rule according to Targaryen law). In contrast, Danerys is a woman (foil) and both her brothers are dead (foil), whom are replaced with nephews that have a bigger claim than her (foil) and whom will not be involved / married with her (foil).

It's also thematically relevant and poignant for the trios to be foiled. The Targaryen king dynasty started with an alliance between three dragons, it's fitting that it ends with a war between three dragons. It's what they've been threatening all along with the Dance of the Dragons after all.

[agentrouka-blog]

Is there any between Dany seeing red comet and wake the dragons while Bran was instructed to follow blue star to reach ice dragon in AGOT?

Hello, anon, what a brilliant parallel!

Both of our magical most special kids are guided by the light in the sky toward a deeper exploration of the extreme threats of Ice and Fire.

The comet appears before Dany wakes the dragons and later leads Dany to Vaes Tolorro, from where she moves further on to Qarth. But there she doesn't resume the direction of going east (toward Asshai, home of the dragons), she heads west and takes control of (or "frees") a slave army and wreaks havoc in Slaver's Bay, for better and for much worse.

Bran follows the "blue eye of the rider" of the Ice Dragon constellation north, it leads him past Tumbledown Tower, past Queenscrown, past the Nightfort all the way to the cave of the three-eyed crow, where he, too, receives visions. His next steps are likely to involve a change in direction and a "slave army" and some destruction of the "masters".

So far, so similar. But.

Unlike the comet, the Ice Dragon is not as widely discussed in the books, and doesn't have as many negative images surrounding it. It helps Jon find the way back to Castle Black after being seriously wounded escaping the wildlings. Jon calls the Ice Dragon an old friend, as does Davos. Jon has the greatest number of mentions of the ice dragon, most compare it to the Wall itself. Actual ice dragons are said to be extremely large and melt when they are slain. Like the Wall itself, the Ice Dragon may have a protective aspect to it, unlike the comet.

Also, unlike the endless differing interpretations applied to the transitory comet, the Ice Dragon's blue star is not only constant, but has only one meaning: due North. This fits with a common theme for the wights. Their eyes see with a power unconnected to their bodies.

Thunder rumbled softly in the distance, but above him the clouds were breaking up. Jon searched the sky until he found the Ice Dragon, then turned the mare north for the Wall and Castle Black. The throb of pain in his thigh muscle made him wince as he put his heels into the old man's horse. I am going home, he told himself. But if that was true, why did he feel so hollow?

He rode till dawn, while the stars stared down like eyes. (ASOS, Jon V)

Many blue eyes see for one purpose, like the red heart tree eyes are windows for the three-eyed crow. Constant and ancient and watchful.

The comet is more like the visions in Melisandre's flames. Dependent on who is looking and what they want to see. Fleeting and changeable. They contain truth but they mislead, to destructive ends.

Something tells me, the red comet and the blue star have a similarly different nature.

Unlike the ice dragon for Dany, the comet also features in Bran's chapters. In fact, he gets the very first mention of the thing with maester Luwin.

"For a certainty," Maester Luwin agreed with a deep sigh. The maester was peering through his big Myrish lens tube, measuring shadows and noting the position of the comet that hung low in the morning sky. "Yet given time … Ser Rodrik has the truth of it, we need men to walk the walls. Your lord father took the cream of his guard to King's Landing, and your brother took the rest, along with all the likely lads for leagues around. Many will not come back to us, and we must needs find the men to take their places."

Bran stared resentfully at the sweating boys below. "If I still had my legs, I could beat them all." He remembered the last time he'd held a sword in his hand, when the king had come to Winterfell. It was only a wooden sword, yet he'd knocked Prince Tommen down half a hundred times. "Ser Rodrik should teach me to use a poleaxe. If I had a poleaxe with a big long haft, Hodor could be my legs. We could be a knight together." (AGOT, Bran VII)

We already know that "being a knight" with Hodor is likely to be an aspect of Bran's darkest moment and, I suspect, the point at which he will truly understand the evil in his magical powers. It is connected to the comet, not the Ice Dragon.

The wolves howl at the comet, Osha and old Nan recognize it as a signal of evil, while Osha herself tells Bran to follow the Ice Dragon in the first place.

So, if the comet heralds abuse of power and destruction, the Ice Dragon and its blue star may offer a different kind of guidance and lead Bran down a different kind of path. Not toward creating dragons but toward slaying one. Not toward waking the dead but toward laying them to rest.

[weirwoodking]

what do you think sansa's endgame is? and i'm not talking ships. like what do you think she'll be doing by the time the books end.

Anon, you accidentally made me write an essay.

So, to try and guess where Sansa could be at the end of the story, we have to look at where she’s heading currently.

She’s currently in the Vale, stuck under the control of Littlefinger. I think Sansa’s arc in TWOW will revolve around breaking free of his manipulation. There’s a line in Bran’s first ASOS chapter that seems to foreshadow this:

Sometimes he could sense them, though, as if they were still with him, only hidden from his sight by a boulder or a stand of trees. He could not smell them, nor hear their howls by night, yet he felt their presence at his back . . . all but the sister they had lost. His tail drooped when he remembered her. Four now, not five. Four and one more, the white who has no voice.

These woods belonged to them, the snowy slopes and stony hills, the great green pines and the golden leaf oaks, the rushing streams and blue lakes fringed with fingers of white frost. But his sister had left the wilds, to walk in the halls of man-rock where other hunters ruled, and once within those halls it was hard to find the path back out. The wolf prince remembered.

—Bran I, A Storm of Swords

It’s hard to find the path back out, but not impossible. I do believe Sansa will return to “the wilds” that belong to her and her siblings.

George was asked once if Sansa still has skinchanging powers even though Lady is gone, and he said she does. We’ll probably see that aspect of her character start to make an appearance in Winds, especially since the presence of magic ramps up with each book. I think it would make sense if she bonded with a bird (such as a falcon or a hawk), seeing as she has quite a lot of bird imagery (particularly caged bird imagery) in her story. Sansa “flying free”, both literally and figuratively, seems like a logical step for her arc.

I do wonder how her connection with the “pack” will be handled. All of the Stark kids except for Sansa have the telepathic bond through their wolves, so I wonder what GRRM will do with Sansa there. It’s heartbreaking, that she doesn’t have that mental connection that the others do. I don’t know if that could somehow be reformed without Lady? There are a lot of unanswered questions about the Stark kids skinchanging powers (and the telepathic bond). Why did their powers only show up when the wolves did? How far do their powers go? How powerful could they become once they’re properly trained? How does the telepathic bond work? Is that a thing that other skinchangers can do? Is it there because of the wolves or is it through the kids themselves? Is it forever broken with Sansa because Lady is gone, or could Sansa reform that connection through another wolf that joins the Stark warg pack? Would it make sense narratively and thematically for GRRM to give Sansa another wolf?

Anyway, no idea what he’ll do with that. (Some sort of scene where Sansa is like “I don’t have a wolf anymore”, and then all the other Starklings crowd around her for a giant group hug and say “that’s okay, you’re still a part of the pack no matter what” is something I could see happening. It’s not like the other kids would treat her any less for not having a direwolf, she’s still their sister.)

A common speculation I see for Sansa’s endgame is that she could become the new head of House Arryn. And, well, the aesthetic of Sansa being Lady of the Eyrie/Lord Protector of the Vale/Warden of the East is definitely cool. The Queen of Birds up in a mountain palace with her flock all around her like a winged army? That’s some gorgeous imagery.

But...

I don’t think Sansa would ever willingly choose to stay in the Vale if she had the option to go home to Winterfell:

She awoke all at once, every nerve atingle. For a moment she did not remember where she was. She had dreamt that she was little, still sharing a bedchamber with her sister Arya. But it was her maid she heard tossing in sleep, not her sister, and this was not Winterfell, but the Eyrie. And I am Alayne Stone, a bastard girl. The room was cold and black, though she was warm beneath the blankets. Dawn had not yet come. Sometimes she dreamed of Ser Ilyn Payne and woke with her heart thumping, but this dream had not been like that. Home. It was a dream of home.

The Eyrie was no home.

—Sansa VII, A Storm of Swords

One of the largest themes in the stories of the younger POV characters (Theon, Jon, Dany, Sansa, Arya, Bran, Rickon (even though he’s not a POV character)) is that of home. Just go on A Search of Ice and Fire and search for the word “home” in each of those characters’ chapters. I think Sansa will end up at her home, with her pack. We know she must return at Winterfell at some point, as she has the final part of this prophecy to fulfill:

"I dreamt a wolf howling in the rain, but no one heard his grief," the dwarf woman was saying. "I dreamt such a clangor I thought my head might burst, drums and horns and pipes and screams, but the saddest sound was the little bells. I dreamt of a maid at a feast with purple serpents in her hair, venom dripping from their fangs. And later I dreamt that maid again, slaying a savage giant in a castle built of snow."

—Arya VIII, A Storm of Swords

The wolf howling in the rain is Grey Wind (or Shaggydog/Rickon, since it’s raining on Skagos when Jon dreams of his “black brother”), the clangor is the Red Wedding and the bells are the ones on Jinglebell’s hat when Catelyn sawed at his throat, and the maid at the feast is Sansa. And Sansa will “slay a savage giant in a castle built of snow.” That castle is obviously Winterfell, although the fandom has yet to concretely agree on who the “savage giant” is.

Evidently, Sansa will return to Winterfell, and she probably has to get there before winter really starts setting in, or else the journey would be nearly impossible in the deadly weather. So, probably at some point in the next book.

Now, I believe that there’s a big moment coming for Sansa in TWOW: the moment where she unrepresses/uncovers her memories. Sansa knows a lot of important things. She knows the truth about Jon Arryn, she knows that her hair net was used to poison Joffrey, she knows that Littlefinger was involved in the disappearance of Jeyne Poole. Sansa’s memory swapping/adjusting/erasing/repressing (whatever you wanna call it) is important to her character. It’s her brain’s way of coping with the trauma she’s been through.

I think that one of these memories coming to the forefront is going to trigger something big: Littlefinger’s downfall. I speculate that what will most likely come out in the open first is what happened to Jeyne Poole. Sansa finding out what Baelish did to her closest childhood friend could definitely be what turns her against him.

Warning, I’m going to mention the sh*w here for a second. George has said that he wrote Sansa and Jeyne’s interactions into season 1, and that he tried to build Jeyne as a character, but her scenes were cut by the showrunners. Clearly, George cares about her, her friendship with Sansa, and her value in the story, he was very upset about the deletion of her character and of Sansa’s friendship with her.* I believe the reveal of what happened to Jeyne will be a major part of Sansa’s story in Winds. She’s repressed her memories of Jeyne and her disappearance because it is, understandably, too much for her mind to handle thinking about.

The reveal of this memory could be a catalyst to the other memories coming forward, especially since they involve Littlefinger. I think Sansa will be a key part in wrapping up the political aspect of the story, she can reveal the truth of why the Stark-Lannister conflict began all the way back in book 1. She can expose Littlefinger’s lies and schemes. That’s where I think her narrative is heading, at least in TWOW.

I’m not sure what Sansa’s story arc will be in ADOS (I’m not sure what anyone’s story will be in ADOS, but Sansa’s is a bit more of a blank page than others). If the Littlefinger conflict gets wrapped up in TWOW, I don’t know where her story will go from there. Supposedly, she could be in Winterfell at that point. What will happen then… well, then it’s Long Night time. Sansa is not one of the “key five players” (Tyrion, Dany, Arya, Bran, and Jon), but I still think she’ll have an important role in the book. I think Sansa and Arya’s relationship is something that will be focused on a lot through both of their chapters in the final novel. We’re going to see Ned’s quote, “you need her, as she needs you”, really matter.

No matter where her arc goes over the next two books, though, I do think she’ll end up at Winterfell. And like I said, I don’t think Sansa would choose to leave her home again after returning. I think that her story will end with her staying at Winterfell with the other kids. The Stark children would never willingly leave each other after reuniting. Jon literally describes the separation from his siblings as “a deep ache of emptiness, a sense of incompleteness.” And, of course, the iconic line Ned delivers to Arya: “The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives.” I don’t see any of their endings being them as “lone wolves” again.

So, to answer your question, I think the endgame for Sansa will be her back in Winterfell with her family, where she belongs, where she is strongest. I do suspect, however, that there will be some sort of epilogue at the end of ADOS, possibly a “10 years later” or somewhere along those lines. Where she’ll be then, I have no idea. She’ll probably be involved with something politically by then, like ruling or advising.

*Based on what George himself has said about the show’s post-season 4 portrayal of Sansa, I don’t think her story will be similar in any way to the show’s very different version of her character (same goes for everyone). George is typically very mild when talking about the show, saying stuff like “they chose to go down a different path with the story”, but this is one of the only times he flat out criticized the show for how wrong it is. He was very upset the show cut out her storyline. He has also said that “every character has a different end” in the books. So take from that what you will.

[a-secret-bolton-vampire]

Brief Thought on Theon in TWOW

Theon has been a huge mystery for me and a lot of people, because his story could go just about anywhere. He's currently held prisoner by Stannis, who plans on executing him (after interrogating him, of course). Although he is to be executed by fire, Asha comes in to tell Stannis to instead execute Theon himself with Lightbringer at the weirwood islet, all the while the caged ravens scream "Theon" and "tree"... hello Bran, hello Bloodraven.

Now, the fact the ravens are screaming about the tree and Asha mentions executing Theon at the tree to me is a clear indication that it is going to be an important location. Now, I don't quite think Theon is gonna die here (see below), but rather Bran is going to find a way to keep him around. He already called to Theon when Theon went to beg absolution in the Winterfell godswood. Summon some ravens to interrupt the execution, maybe even appear in the tree like he did to Theon at Winterfell.

Such a display from the old gods might make the northmen think it is a sign that Theon has paid for his sins. Stannis might not really care, although... if you get a sign like that, I'm not entirely sure what Stannis would think. Regardless, I think Theon is going to survive, and Bran wants him to. Why? Well, I don't actually think Bran is manipulating Theon here. It's been months at this point since we've had a Bran POV, and who knows what he's been doing this whole time. However, if he has been focused on Winterfell, he probably has seen Theon being tormented by Ramsay.

Theon betrayed the Starks. He took Winterfell. He killed two boys and passed them off as Bran and Rickon. He is a traitor and a turncloak and a murderer. But seeing Theon in this light might change Bran's perspective on him. He's suffered so much. He may have deserved execution for his crimes, but the torture he endured from Ramsay was not justice.

At the end of ADWD/beginning of TWOW, Theon is pretty resigned to dying. He wants to die, and he feels immense guilt for what he did. Bran is tapping into the power of the old gods and communicates to a broken Theon at Winterfell. Even though Theon has prayed to the old gods (really praying to Bran) and gotten some sort of reply, he doesn't know what it means. If Bran stays Theon's execution, that's a huge change for Theon. He believes he deserves to die for what he did.

If the old gods show some sort of presence that stops Theon from being killed, that changes everything for him. If the gods don't want him to die, what is his purpose now? What reason is there for him to be around? Does he truly deserve to be killed? Can he redeem himself? Part of the reason why I don't believe Theon is going to be executed here is because I think there is much more rich narrative and thematic depth to explore than him simply resigning to his fate and getting it.

As for what he will do in TWOW, apart from the theories that he simply just dies, some people also believe he might stay Stannis's prisoner, or be used by Asha to undo the kingsmoot on the Iron Islands. The latter theory is based on the mention of Torgon the Latecomer, by Rodrik Harlaw and later Tristifer Botely.

"When you put your name before the captains you submitted yourself to their judgment. You cannot go against that judgment now. Only once has the choice of a kingsmoot been overthrown. Read Haereg."

Archmaester Haereg wrote History of the Ironborn. And what was this one time the kingsmoot was overthrown? Well, Tris explains it the very chapter Asha has this memory of Rodrik.

"Torgon Greyiron was the king's eldest son. But the king was old and Torgon restless, so it happened that when his father died he was raiding along the Mander from his stronghold on Greyshield. His brothers sent no word to him but instead quickly called a kingsmoot, thinking that one of them would be chosen to wear the driftwood crown. But the captains and the kings chose Urragon Goodbrother to rule instead. The first thing the new king did was command that all the sons of the old king be put to death, and so they were. After that men called him Badbrother, though in truth they'd been no kin of his. He ruled for almost two years." Asha remembered now. "Torgon came home …" "… and said the kingsmoot was unlawful since he had not been there to make his claim. Badbrother had proved to be as mean as he was cruel and had few friends left upon the isles. The priests denounced him, the lords rose against him, and his own captains hacked him into pieces. Torgon the Latecomer became the king and ruled for forty years."

This is often used as evidence that Asha will use Theon in a similar manner; since he was presumed dead but is actually still alive, he did not put his claim forth, and thus the kingsmoot is invalid, as is Euron's ascension to the Seastone Chair. Theon the Latecomer will be Euron's undoing. While Theon is in no fit enough state to even be considered king, perhaps his presence will be enough to assuage Euron's control on the Iron Isles.

I think that the fact this is mentioned is important, and something like this might happen. Personally, I think that when the battle of ice turned against Stannis's favour, Theon escaped with the help of Asha and her supporters, and they grouped together at Torrhen's Square, which is held currently by Dagmer Cleftjaw, master-at-arms at Pyke, whom Theon had a close relationship with. And the idea will be to use Theon as a tool to invalidate the kingsmoot and Euron's role. Also, it would be very neat to see Theon reunite with Dagmer after all he's been through, since Dagmer was an important figure in his childhood.

The problem is that I don't think Theon Latecomer is going to change anything. For one, although he doesn't need to be king, just be used as a way to invalidate the kingsmoot because he never pressed his claim, what is that going to change? Is Theon really going to press his claim? And if he did, he would be laughed out. He has no interest in kingship, and he is not in any state to rule as one. So he's definitely not going to be elected. Who does that leave?

Well, Victarion is away in Meereen. Asha might have supporters but her gender works against her. Perhaps old Erik Ironmaker might try his hand again, but I doubt that will work any better. Aeron is supposedly in hiding (although really he's being tortured by Euron). Gylbert Farwynd wanted to sail beyond the Sunset Sea and see what lands lie west of Westeros.

Meanwhile, Euron is bringing the Old Way back to the ironborn in a way Balon never accomplished. He took the Shields and gave lordships to the raiders there. He has been sending ships up and down the Mander, in the Whispering Sound, even sacking the Arbor. He is giving the ironborn a great deal of wealth. What's even more, it appears that some of the things he wouldn't have dared before are a lot safer to do now. For instance, at the kingsmoot, he put on his facade as doing everything for the Drowned God. Now look at how his captains talk about the Drowned God in The Forsaken:

"Your curses have no power here, priest,” said Left-Hand Lucas Codd. “The Crow’s Eye has fed your Drowned God well, and he has grown fast with sacrifice. Words are wind, but blood is power. We have given thousands to the sea, and he has given us victories!”

It's not "the Drowned God" but "your Drowned God". They don't care anymore. They don't care if it's different or against their traditions. Euron has been giving them victories and riches and glory, and that's all that matters. This is something that is easy to see in the real world too (just look at what Donald Trump did in office and how the GOP reacted to his actions). Euron has taken the bulk of the Iron Islands military strength with him, and is living up to what he's promised so far. Why would they want to go back?

However, the most important part, for me anyways, is that ultimately, Euron doesn't care. He doesn't care about the Iron Isles. His goal is Westeros and the Iron Throne. The islands mean nothing to him. He loses some people there, so what? What's there for him to use? He's gonna try to become a god-king anyways so the Iron Islands aren't important.

In the end, even if Asha wanted to use Theon for these purposes, it won't do anything. The ironborn are in southern Westeros having the time of their lives, why would they return here? Now, if this is doomed to do anything against Euron, then why mention Torgon? Why have Theon go through that? I think it's all part of his internal journey of identity and allegiance.

He's always been stuck between Greyjoy and Stark. He didn't feel like he belonged with the Starks, but he wanted to. When Balon rebelled against Robb and insulted him, Theon wanted to prove himself to his father, so he betrayed the Starks. He was outsmarted and captured by Ramsay, however, and now regrets doing what he did. But he still hasn't chosen, Greyjoy or Stark. He wants to simply die.

I think that this journey for him is him recovering from Ramsay and finally finding his true self again. Theon has been a puppet of Ramsay's, and is poised to become a puppet for Asha and her followers. It's time he start to make his own decisions. I think this journey as Theon Latecomer (whether he literally returns to the isles or not) is him dealing with his own internal struggle, before finally resolving it. My theory is that he will decide to choose the Starks, because they are his true family, and there is nothing for him that he wants or can do with the Greyjoys.

[testingcheats0n]

Bran III

Ho ho ho, he he he. This chapter is pure magic.

Okay. In earlier analyses I was convinced that there is no difference between ravens and crows, or between Bloodraven and the Three-Eyed Raven. It's a given that they're one and the same, considering it's canon in the show and there are no outward contradictions in the books, but a certain theory by the Order if the Green Hand tells another story. From now on there will be a distinction between ravens, which are seen as benign and were used by Children of the Forest as means of communication (together with Bloodraven), and crows are associated with the long night, bad omens, and the three eyed crow itself. They confuse the two in the show, I have to keep it in mind.

Fly or die. What a bargain. Fucking bird, makes me want to pluck feathers. We see another confirmation of my "crows were actually luring Bran higher" because in the dream state he's in crows pester him constantly for corn.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Bran is scared, he's falling from a high high place and he thinks he will die. So far so good. It start inncoently enough but then a crow with three eyes comes by and starts pestering and frightening him. He is pushed towards leaving behind his humanity- learning to fly as a bird rather than live as a human- negative feelings are pushed away as he is urged to forget Jaime, he also appears to be under vigilance. My bet is that the ravenis actually with him irl.

The powers of the crow seem different to the ones of Bloodraven. He spies through the eyes if trees, there's nothing more grounded than that, while the crow promises Bran a bird's eye view up in the air untethered to the world. Air and Earth. Fire and Ice. From his high vantage point Bran sees all. Maester Luwin looking at the sky with a telescope- he's probably observing the comet. Then he sees Robb training- his transformation into a man. Catelyn looking at a dagger- the catalyst of the whole war. Sansa crying- either mourning her wolf or her future sorrows. Arya "holding secrets close to her heart"- Arya hiding, and fronting, having secret identities and motivations.

He sees a weirwood which stares back at him knowingly. But.... if that's Bloodraven, and the Three-Eyed Crow was just talking to Bran... then who's piloting the plane!? Lol ok, this was funny only to me. Isn't it a bit redundant for Bloodraven/the Crow to appear as the crow AND the tree in the same vision/dream/recruiting session? The Green Hand's theory stands.

Men and their shadows! My favorite metaphor. There's Sandor's shadow, and Jaime is mentioned (omg I wonder why, he's just a Prince Charming isn't he?). Then there was a mention of a giant made of stone?? Theorists say it's Robert Strong aka The Mountain, but... I don't quite see it? Maybe giant stone = mountain? Idk. It's just a cameo anyway.

Anyway. Bran sees Vaes Dothrak, and Asshai "where dragons stirred beneath the sunrise"

Oho hooo. Man, first I love Asshai- it's my favorite place in asoiaf Planetos after Old Valyria. it's mysterious and spooky, and it will be mentioned far too many times for it to not appear later on- I'll keep and eye on it. Second- what did that mean? Dragons stirring beneath the sunrise? I see several possibilities. Either A. There are Dragons at Asshai which is covered in ash, and all kinds of nasty noxious gasses. B. There were or used to be dragons at Valyria. C. there are Dragons beyond Asshai aka in the other side of the planetos which would be technically underneath the sunrise D. It refers to Dany and Viserys, but that's unlikely because they're not even close to Asshai. E. There are Dragonlords/Valyrians in Asshai which uuuuuuh maybe? We know nothing of the Doom and it has been hinted that there were Dragonriders before the goat herde- I mean- before the great Valyrians

Continuing. Bran sees a someone going pale and hard in the snow- my guess? Jon's death, because he's obviously looking north beyond the Wall. Alternatively, if we believe that the Weirwood possesses the ability to see the past and future and not the crow, Bran is seeing his uncle Benjen dying, the Wights returning, or even the Others themselves. Then he sees a curtain of light beyond the world which prevents him from seeing more. Cosmic horror anyone? Idk that sentence and imagery scared me a lot. Either the crow doesn't allow Bran to see what's happening in the lands of always winter which hold spooky things, or the crow is a limited pawn to some malicious cosmic being that watches over everything. Euron Greyjoy seems to closely tied with the latter, and Bloodraven does not... That is terrifying. Moving on.

Bran sees the impaled and frozen corpses of the dreamers who couldn't fly and died... Bloodraven was impaled on the weirwood- the Weirwood network absorbs those who fail the raven? Is there something symbiotic or is it an antagonistic thing? Does it even happen as I think it does? In any case, the crow pries on the dying, on the ones who "fall"... down on the ground... from up in the air. The Weirwoods absorb the dead, are related to death, an are related to the underground and the underneath, while the crow seemingly saves lives up in the air and floating by giving them wings? Uhhhh. I might be onto something. More thoughts on that later.

Finally. Bran flies.

[ao3feed-gendrya]

now do the march of the red queen

read it on the AO3 at https://bit.ly/3irPqkE

by charlizecady

drabble in which sansa celebrates her son's first nameday with her family, friends, and allies, in the seat of her power.

Words: 850, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Game of Thrones (TV), A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Multi

Characters: Jon Snow, Sansa Stark, Bran Stark, Arya Stark, Gendry Waters, Meera Reed, Yohn Royce, Brynden Tully, Tormund Gianstbane, Roslin Frey

Relationships: Jon Snow/Sansa Stark, Arya Stark/Gendry Waters, Meera Reed/Bran Stark, Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth, these are all background

Additional Tags: Most of the characters are just mentioned, Winterfell's Great Hall

read it on the AO3 at https://bit.ly/3irPqkE