#GEN. ARYA.

[elegaeic]

AND ANOTHER THING so many of arya's aliases directly tying her back to winterfell despite all of her attempts to become "no one"? blind beth being a reference to beth cassel?? nan being a direct reference to old nan? cat of the canals tying her to catelyn??? i'm ill about her.

[snapsimplex]

missy is a pretty bridesmaid

[ninjakitten1699]

Day 26 of NinjagoVDay2024

You know Dad Cole was something I’ve always wanted ever since season 3 and I’m glad we got that in SoG with him and Baby Wu.

You know what’s really funny about it though? I actually headcanoned Cole to be so scared of holding a child. Like yeah sure he could lift small kids and all but he never thought he’d hold infants at all. I mean he considered himself a big guy and was scared that he’d hold on too tightly or something. The others, including Sam, had to convince him that he’d be fine and he wouldn’t hurt anyone so little, let alone on purpose. Having Baby Wu helped a bit with Sam and Cole acting as parental figures long before they’d ever have their own little one.

And that little one is Arya. Cole’s the one who named her. Kinda ironic since he was always so hooked on to Cole Jr. Next thing he knows he wants to do everything with Arya and now he actually does refuse to let go of her when he finally gets comfortable with holding her.

Oh and before I forget, Arya had arrived a short while before the Merge would happen. You can guess what happened from there.

Yes this is yet another pose from mellon_soup.

[forgaeven1]

ifykyk : but are ur muses still at the restaurant

[tournesolepice]

anonymous asked ;;  do any of your muses have any special kinks?

answered ;; unprompted

a few of them, some more than others, this is kind of like, a working list? There could be more, idk

Arya Petroica - none that i’ve figured out Chip Maplewood - boy is a virgin, but he really likes the idea of bondage. also just being really submissive in general because every day he has to be the leader, so it’s nice to just sit back and let someone else take control of him.  Diane Foxington - knives, biting, mild sado-masochism Gladstone Gander - ha ha ha     but yeah he has a few, gladdy has a weird relationship with sex that i might get into later if someone asks, but basically the big ones are, objectification/ownership (where he is the object), both a praise kink and a degradation kink, and perhaps a daddy kink but only if he’s not the daddy but you didn’t hear it from me. he also really likes aftercare, but will never let himself get it, he’ll only give it to others if he was the top in the situation, basically it’s all a little fucky and he should probably get therapy instead of fucking out his feelings. Hiccup Haddock - oh probably of some sort, but i can’t think of any off the top of my head. Hugo Cabret - there is a long list here that i haven’t fully sorted out yet but he should probably also get therapy Kai - hes not overly kinky, he’s just really into his partner’s pleasure, so he’s willing to try anything once and will probably figure out things he likes along the way, but also food play. the boy really likes food.  Minerva Mink - objectification, worship, edging, exhibitionism Rev Runner - he’s a bratty bottom, he loves bondage literally so much, he also likes exhibitionism, biting, masochism, cnc, edge play, he can’t decide if he’d rather be worshiped or be forced to worship someone else, he also has daddy issues so like, ymmv

[esther-dot]

We Will Be the Walls of this House 27k @tornadodream

"She stood firm, her clutch steady against his forearm. 'You are my brother.' 'No,' he said, and his voice was gravelly. 'No, I am no brother of yours, Sansa Stark.'" The war has taken much from both of them. But when Jon Snow returns from the south as the new Region-King of the North, Sansa Stark knows that the best way to secure Winterfell for the both of them is a marriage that neither of them want, but the marriage that they both know that they need.

To Be Alone With You 10k @methedras

If he willed it, Sansa would make a Stark of Jon. One way or another.

I'm Holding You Closer Than Most Because You Are My Heaven 8k by @sansaswolfbits

Perhaps she deserves more than a man who loves another woman, but it's him she wants, so she'll take whatever part of him she can have. She's grown used to pretending, how hard can it be?

want me to love you in moderation? well don't you know, i wish i could 8k by @sansaswolfbits

He had Winterfell and Sansa, and everything that should have been Robb's, or Bran's or Rickon's, and now hers, and he couldn't even allow himself to enjoy it. The guilt was eating him up, tearing away pieces of him every single day and keeping him up at night. All of his brothers—who had never been his true brothers—had died so that he could be Lord of Winterfell, so that he could use the girl he'd once called sister to take everything that was hers for his own. Even with Jon it was just her claim he needed. But at least to him, Winterfell was more than a keep and a title. He understood what her home meant to her. They shared the same memories and suffered the same losses. Jon cared for her, but he didn't love her the way a man should love his lady wife.

Finding Love in the Strangest Places 50k

The Rebellion didn't happen till Next Gen: Arya was engaged to Joffery and eloped/was kidnapped by Aegon. Robb and his father Brandon went down to King's Landing and Mad King Rhaegar killed them. Now Jon has to marry Robb's betrothed Sansa Tully. Sansa had a crush on Robb and now has to marry his sullen younger brother before he goes off to war.

The Northern Crown 2k by @hkafterdark

They were married in the Godswood as the snow fell around them.

The Quiet Balance of Wolves 12k by @sevensneakyfoxes

Regardless of what may or may not linger between them, he knows exactly the horrible position he is putting Sansa in: her home and freedom for another interloper in her bed. Jon cannot put her through it again. “My brother knew that the blood of dragons needed to flow in the North, and despite his misguided attempts at creating a lineage, I am starting to understand why. Wolves and dragons were meant to balance each other." Jon is thoroughly sick of prophecies; blood is blood - spilt, it looks the same red on snow. -- Daenerys and Jon make a deal. Jon barters poorly.

Seasons of Wine 1k by @geekprincess26

Sansa still drinks wine only when she has to. Every so often, as the world changes at a dizzying pace around her and her cousin Jon, she has to.

Say Your Vows Against My Skin 8k by @madamebaggio

Jon had married Sansa to protect the North. At least, that was what she thought. Sansa had married Jon to be protected. At least, that was he thought. Their marriage might have started for political reasons, but they love each other. Now if they'd could only say that to each other... Fortunately, one night makes them realize they might've been missing something significant about their relationship.

Duty, Desire, or Love 2k by @damdamfino

Sansa’s duty as Queen is to give the King an heir. But what if that is the only reason Jon is so gentle and caring to her? Would everything change if she told him she was with child? What if she wanted to pretend…for just a little longer.

What Grows in Winter 3k by @orangeflavoryawp

“There are too many years ahead to think of the years before.” - Jon and Sansa. Through the years of a harsh winter, they tend their love.

The Songs Never Mentioned the Scars 2k by @azulaahai

Sansa could hear how naïve it sounded even as she thought it, but the only thing she could think was - not Jon. Jon would never. Jon, her sweet Jon, who's first words to her after their wedding in the godswood had been that Ghost was her wolf now as much as his (which was so adorable and silly that Sansa never failed to smile when she thought about it), who knew exactly what it meant to grow up a bastard - would that man start visiting a brothel without explanation?

time goes by go and i can't control my mind (just keep breathin') 10k by @ladyalice101

“She’s grieving," Arya says, "I’ve never seen her like this and I don’t think she should be alone, but I - . . . have you ever seen her so sad?” Jon’s face has pulled down, the lines etched across it deeper than she’s ever seen them, and there’s a true sorrow in his eyes. “Once or twice,” he answers quietly. “You’re right, she shouldn’t be alone." - We have sad Sansa being comforted by Jon, we have arranged marriage, we have pining, we have feasts, we have bed sharing! This one is just chock full of tropes friends.

Take Me To Wife 1k

When the liege-lords and bannermen to House Stark find out that their king is not who they thought he was, a solution is suggested in the hope of restoring peace among his subjects.

All My Days 74k by @kit-kat21

The night before, as Sansa oversaw the packing of her trunks – her chamber at Winterfell being emptied of her possessions to take to her new home with her – she had asked her brother to describe her soon-to-be husband because Robb hadn’t even supplied a sketch of the man. “Well, he’s… pretty,” Robb decided after a moment’s contemplation. “Pretty?” Sansa’s eyebrows both raised at that.

Put Your Hands on My Waist, Do It Softly 1k by @kitten1618x

The Great War has ended, and Jon and Sansa have wed, but a marriage of convenience has evolved to so much more. As the frigid winter winds whip about outside the walls of Winterfell, Jon suggests something new to take the chill off, testing the boundaries of Sansa's trust in him.

tongue-tied disservice 9k by @ava-rosier

Jon and Sansa are wedded and bedded for the good of the realm.

Strange Bedfellows 7k

Married at Daenerys' behest, Sansa and Jon take a chance and open up to one another on their wedding night.

forbidden fruit's in season 13k by @bravegentlestrong

Jon and Sansa get married. For political reasons. And heir producing purposes. They only have sex this much for the good of the realm. There is a 0% chance they're secretly in love. Alternatively titled "Newsflash, asshole! I've been in love with you this entire goddamn time!"

Jon Snow's 5 Infallible Steps to a Successful Marriage 1k by @azulaahai

By mutual agreement, Jon and Sansa do not share the lord’s bedchamber.

Beasts of Seasons 69k incomplete

She had prepared her words and her actions meticulously.She hadn’t prepared to actually see him. Or, Jon and Sansa reunite and things don't go according to plan, forcing Sansa to reevaluate her identity and her loyalties and forcing Jon to come back to himself. Post-ADWD, bookverse fic. Jon and Sansa reunite on campaign to win back Winterfell.

i could offer you a warm embrace 10k by @amymel86

Of course he wants to keep his newly earned grotesque covered. He’s seen it in the looking glass; a sightless milk-white eye surrounded by angry puckered red scarring from brow to temple. Jon is not a vain man, but no one wants to witness their king’s weaknesses, least of all his wife who had once dreamt that her husband should be a beautiful, fair-haired prince. Well now you have a half-blind brother king.

Hard times for Dreamers 4k by @comma-spice (this was posted in 2014)

She shouldn't feel saddened by his outward lack of affection. Outside of their separate chambers Jon was a good, dutiful husband. He tried to see the logic behind her requests, agreeing on the importance of Bran sitting with them during the morning petitions, and riding out to Wintertown to visit the smallfolk. They rarely fought, and when they did an easy compromise was often found. More importantly he was kind, which was something she had long come to accept as impossible in a husband. Sansa is Bran's Regent and she starts to suspect perhaps she and her husband have built their marriage on a misunderstanding.

time's been kind to you, my love 23k orphaned

Sansa knows her loyalties lie with the Northern independence. Robb might have forgotten her, but she hasn’t forgotten him. Married to Tyrion, beaten by Joffrey- she’s never allowed herself to forget. Sansa has Stark engraved deep into her blood and bone. She’s been a quiet girl for long enough: wolves are protective of their own, after all, and it’s time she lived up to that.

[Aged up Jon and Sansa, set in an universe where, on Jon’s fourteenth birthday, Ned tells him his true parentage and Jon goes to Essos instead of the Wall; upon hearing of Sansa’s predicament in King’s Landing, he returns with an army.]

and I'm like falling water, set me free 2k by @aflashofgreen

Sansa resents these childish dreams of hers she can’t let go of despite the years. She resents them as much as she cherishes them.

From a Flicker to a Glow 8k by @dresupi

In retrospect, it was stupid to think Joffrey Baratheon had ever intended to propose marriage, but Sansa Stark is often blinded by wolves in sheep's clothing, especially if they have very fine wool. Jon arrives to save her, reminding her of the knights in the stories she enjoyed as a girl, complete with a white horse and all. But is he only offering to save her because she needs saving? If so, will that be enough foundation upon which to build a marriage?

but you're the one that i want; is that really so wrong? 4k orphaned

In light of the North’s demand for a marriage alliance, Jon and Sansa have some long-harbored matters to discuss.

Fill the Earth 6k by @darkmagyk

Arya Stark is a simple girl with simple desires: a prosperous North, a safe family, a large pack. And that her favorite brother and only sister would get on with the heir making business. She cannot have a niece until they are properly bedded. But as always, Jon and Sansa are being difficult.

And the Geese Are Headed North 13k by @yekoc

In the dark and honest part of her that Sansa is no longer afraid of, she had thought that Jon would die, and she was no sadder than she was relieved. In the months that she ruled Winterfell while the great war of men and wights waged around them, she felt herself growing into her power, sinking her roots back deep into the Northern soil. She enjoyed it, ruling. She was good at it. And at night, she had a wide bed and a door that locked and she was never cold. If Jon died in the war, she would miss him like she missed Robb and Rickon and Bran. She wouldn’t miss her husband. Seeing him now, she notes the absence of the relief and joy that marked her first glimpse of him at Castle Black. Instead, she feels a too-familiar grief: my brother is gone.

PRE CANON - WESTERN- FAIRYTALE - REGENCY - LITTLE WOMEN - HOLIDAY - SEASON 6 - ANNE OF GREEN GABLES - THE GIRL IN GREY - FREE CITIES - FAIRYTALE PART II - SALTY TEENS - POST CANON

[crimsoncold]

ASOIAF 2ND GEN: House Stark Masterpost by @crimsoncold

"Let me tell you something about wolves, child. When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives."

Links to the individual portraits

Robb Stark, Jon Snow, Sansa Stark,

Arya Stark, Bran Stark, Rickon Stark

[buttercuparry]

Well I suppose I am a little shit and I can see the blatant disregard of arya's storyline and cannot for the life of me keep quiet about it. So here's me bringing you the ideal arya ending but now with nuance and not with the aim to pull a gotcha!

This probably won't get much notes or votes because it isn't mocking Arya Stans who have challenged the one dimensional view of the fandom when it comes to Arya and her ending but oh well :)

[farity]

In The Red of Night, part 7

"I don't understand what she wants, though," you said, "if you don't want her, destroying my life and even taking my life is not going to change that."

Aemond stirred his coffee, "Alys is at her most dangerous when she doesn't see what's clearly staring her in the face. She thinks if my only options are to go back to her or to lose everything I love, I will go back to her." His jaw tightened, and his eyes narrowed. "And that is where the bitch is wrong."

The elevator bell rang and Gendry stepped out, holding hands with a young woman who carried herself as if she were far taller than the five feet you guessed she was at. "Hey all."

"Lord of Storm's End," Aemond said, one corner of his mouth lifting. "And the Lady of Storm's End, of course."

"Arya will do," the young woman said, embracing Aemond, "Your Highness," she smiled as she looked up at him. She turned to you, "hi, I fucking hate Alys Rivers, let's unalive her, shall we?"

You couldn't help but smile as Arya pulled you into a hug. She was tiny, but the power in her muscles was undeniable.

"Unalive?"

Gendry hugged you, then turned to Aemond. "She's gone all Gen Z with the lingo. You should have seen her in the 80s."

Arya leaned in to whisper at you. "The 80s were amazing. My hair caught fire once because I had so much Aqua Net in it."

You watched Gendry close his eyes and sigh, but his mouth was still curved in a gentle smile.

"Choose whatever guest room you want, make yourselves comfortable while you're here."

"These are stunning," Arya said, rushing to the windows. When she saw that you had followed her and were looking out at your burned down shop, she pressed her lips together. "I'm sorry."

"Me too," you said quietly. "But no one was hurt, which is good."

Arya smiled. "Well, we'll make sure someone gets hurt in the end," she said, and then turned with a flourish to inspect the rest of the place.

Aemond came up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist. "If you're at all unsure-"

You turned in his arms. "I am not. I know what I want." Raising a hand to his face, you pressed your lips to his. "I want you, I want us."

He wrapped a hand around the back of your neck, "good. Because I want us, too, and loving you is not something I want to do for a few years or even a few decades. I want to love you for eternity."

* * * * *

"Why me?"

Aemond looked over, saw her sipping at her coffee as she studied him.

"What?"

She smiled, that gentle smile he saw whenever he thought of her. "Why me? I'm sure you've met more beautiful, more clever, more-"

"Because you saw me for me," he replied, putting down his coffee and walking across his office to where she sat on the sofa. He'd insisted on having breakfast there, not just so he could work while he had his morning meal, but so they wouldn't be always looking over at the burned down coffee shop.

The rebuild had started in a very basic way, until she decided what she wanted in more detail. But he caught the grief in her face whenever she looked at it and had decided to spend more time in his office.

"I wanted you, yes, but I have wanted others over the decades, and they were not what you were. What you are."

"Which is?"

"You understand me."

"I understand a centuries-old Targaryen prince who is a vampire," she said, eyebrows raised.

Aemond smiled and sat next to her. "You didn't know that when you met me. When you befriended me. When you came to me after that bastard dared try to hurt you." He took her hand in his, kissed the back. "You were drawn to me, not any of the things that I am, or was."

"If I don't make it-"

"Don't say that." Aemond's hands tightened on hers.

"Listen to me, please." She looked at him, "I want you to sell the land where the shop is, and split it between Katie and Bailey. They were counting on-"

Aemond grabbed her shoulders. "This is why Gendry and Arya are here, why we're starting tonight."

"I know. But I also know that you've all lived through things I can't imagine, and that Alys is determined. And she has people working for her."

"Fine," Aemond said. "But we will prevail, when all is said and done. And Alys will lose."

He kissed her, and she wrapped your arms around him, knowing he didn't want to speak of this any more. The possibility of everything going badly was there, but for now, he would only entertain life as the outcome.

She had always understood him, even from that first day, when she had no idea what she was welcoming in to her shop. When she rushed to him amidst the policemen, unaware he would have taken her on the floor if need be, and he would have drank from her.

But the more she knew, the more she accepted, and his desire began to turn into something he hadn't felt in a long time.

And he would not let anything or anyone take that away.

* * * * *

He'd dressed in his usual greys and blacks, and with Gendry and Arya wearing similarly hued outfits, you felt like a peacock in your blue sweater and the green scarf you had around your neck.

Arya had immediately fought Aemond for the chair with the best view of all the exits, and he'd given in, as long as he sat next to you.

After dinner, you were enjoying some drinks when you brought up a short vacation. "Why don't we do that, then? Get away for a while."

"I have work," Aemond snapped. "You know, the thing that keeps us fed and housed."

You considered his words, "I know, but going to Dorne for a couple of months wouldn't be bad. Leave all this behind, maybe get some inspiration for-"

"Leave all this behind," Aemond interrupted, "you mean my life, my work?" he threw back the rest of his whiskey, placed the glass back on the table with a loud thump.

"Aemond, I wasn't saying-"

"Maybe we should get the bill," Arya said, signaling to Gendry. "Call it a night."

"No, I want to clear things up," Aemond continued, and you shrank back into your chair. "You want me to leave everything behind so you can get inspiration? I've paid your employees' wages for six months, I'm putting my best people in charge of renovations, so you can continue your little fantasy of owning a coffee shop."

"Aemond." You touched his arm and he pulled away.

"You were barely breaking even, baby. The selling points were that the shop was nearby, open and available." He laughed then, a nasty sound full of bitterness. "Much like its owner."

Your hand had struck his cheek before you'd realized it, and you stood, the world around you going still.

"You fucking asshole," Arya spat, throwing her water at Aemond's face. "Let's go, Gendry," she said, and when Gendry didn't move, she threw her napkin at his. "Well, fuck you, too, then!"

She grabbed your hand while you and Aemond stared at each other, and pulled you until your feet began to move. You followed her, your blood pounding in your ears, and a few minutes later, you were leaving the area in a cab she'd hailed.

* * * * *

"That was harsh," Gendry said later as he and Aemond sat at a nearby bar.

"Maybe," Aemond muttered, twirling the shot glass in his fingers, "but true. You don't know her very well but whatever we had wasn't going to anywhere." He signaled to the bartender for another one. "She is what she is, and as badly as I feel for her, I'm not going to stay with her out of guilt."

Gendry tapped his fingers on the table. "Is that all there is between you?"

Aemond shrugged. "I feel responsible, I mean, her shop didn't burn down because of faulty electrics. It's been fun. It's always fun at the beginning." He stared at his shot glass as if he could find all the answers to his inner turmoil in the carved glass. "But before she gets any ideas about spending the rest of her life with me, maybe it's better to just be honest with one another."

Gendry's tapping continued, and Aemond gave him a look. "I heard there's a new bar down the street."

"Count me in," said Gendry as he settled the tab on the table screen. "All I know is that I am not setting foot in Bar-A-Theon. This generation's fucking desperate," he mumbled as Aemond smiled.

"That's what you get when one of yours marries a Greyjoy."

There were few people on the street, Aemond noticed as they walked the couple of blocks to the next bar, as well as others who weren't quite people.

"One, three, six," Gendry said in High Valyrian, and Aemond looked at him.

"One?"

Gendry pretended to look at his phone, "blue cap, bomber jacket."

"Ah."

"Good thing you have me, innit?"

"It's always good to see you, Gendry."

* * * * *

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Thank you for reading, for your likes and reblogs, they all mean so much to me!!!

My Ko-fi

[elegaeic]

arya going by cat of the canals, arya's foreshadowing "a wolf with a fish in it's mouth?" joke, arya pulling catelyn out of the river through her bond with nymeria, i'm literally going to be sick. george when i catch you. when i catch you george.

[allovesthings]

Nope, genuine curiosity and find the arya vs sansa discourse sad.

I love both characters and think the fandom get too harsh on both of them with no reason.

Sad you read my question as a mean to attack arya.

Sad state this fandom lays/gen

This:

"Why are people fixated on the physical aspect of arya ?"

Like it's just some more ammo in the game to pit the two traumatized minors one against the other or it has some relevance for the plot?"

is simple curiosity ?

Are you for real ?

What you are implying is that, when we "fixate on Arya's appearance", we are pitting the girls against each other...

Do you not get why a fan of Arya could be offended ?

Why, if you love both sisters equally didn't you ask about both sisters' appearances ?

Also again, if you are a fan of Arya and Sansa, why are you on my blog, asking me about it ? I specifically tagged it anti sansa (even though again I wasn't saying anything bad about Sansa).

And you didn't really answer my question, are you going to the people who said Arya is ugly and asking them that question or is it just me ?

[snapsimplex]

mr & mrs abel

[forgaeven1]

the way the show’s simplified arya and gendry’s bond, and then had the audacity to sexualise them for the sake of ?? what?? views?? 🤢

[tournesolepice]

                                         ❪ tag dump.  ❫

❪ ooc. ┊  gen  ❫ ❪ ooc. ┊  memes  ❫ ❪ ooc. ┊  dash comm  ❫

❪ arya. ┊  ic  ❫          ❪ arya. ┊  likes  ❫ ❪ chip. ┊  ic  ❫          ❪ chip. ┊  likes  ❫ ❪ diane. ┊  ic  ❫           ❪ diane. ┊  likes  ❫ ❪ gladstone. ┊  ic  ❫           ❪ gladstone. ┊  likes  ❫ ❪ hiccup. ┊  ic  ❫          ❪ hiccup. ┊  likes  ❫ ❪ hugo. ┊  ic  ❫          ❪ hugo. ┊  likes  ❫ ❪ kai. ┊  ic  ❫          ❪ kai. ┊  likes  ❫ ❪ minerva. ┊  ic  ❫          ❪ minerva. ┊  likes  ❫ ❪ rev. ┊  ic  ❫          ❪ rev. ┊  likes  ❫

[zumurruds]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

Hello, and thank you for this ask!

It's really tough to pick just a few… I'll have to split this into two posts due to tumblr's word limit, but here are some that immediately come to mind. Remember, this list isn't exhaustive and isn't in any particular order. (Here's part two.)

(Warning: this list may include spoilers!)

Tyrion Lannister - His wit, intelligence, and resilience make him one of the most entertaining and tragic characters in ASOIAF. Despite being born into one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Westeros, he faces discrimination and cruelty due to his dwarfism. He didn't inherit the beauty of his siblings, nor is he tall, handsome, or skilled with a sword, and he's not particularly well-liked by others. But Tyrion holds a pivotal role in the series for good reason, and it's rare to encounter such a masterfully crafted and captivating protagonist who also grapples with disability. As Varys once said, "ofttimes a very small man can cast a very large shadow."

Arya Stark - She stands as one of the most compelling and complex female characters in ASOIAF, yet she often remains underappreciated and misunderstood within fandom circles. While some may see her as a tomboyish archetype (forgetting that GRRM penned the books in the early 90's, a time when Arya's character was quite revolutionary in fiction), Arya's character transcends clichés to embody a raw and heartbreaking portrayal of a girl thrust into the brutality of war and forced to navigate a world torn apart by conflict as a child soldier. Separated from her family and faced with unimaginable challenges, Arya's unwavering determination to survive is both inspiring and heart-wrenching. What sets Arya apart is her multifaceted nature. She embodies a mix of magic, cunning, animalism, spirituality, and femininity, making her a rich and dynamic character. Her connection to her direwolf Nymeria and her training with the Faceless Men add layers of mystique to her narrative, while her unwavering sense of self and identity challenges traditional gender roles which modern readers can relate with.

Eugenides & Irene (because I can't mention one without the other) - In The Queen's Thief series, Eugenides, known as Gen, isn't just a master thief; beneath his sharp wit and roguish façade lies a man burdened by profound grief and the challenges of his disability. His journey through pain and loss adds intricate layers to his character, making him all the more compelling. As for Irene, the formidable queen of Attolia, her intelligence and resourcefulness are matched only by her inner turmoil. While she deftly navigates political challenges, the weight of her responsibilities and the harm inflicted upon her loved ones weigh heavily on her conscience. Their intertwined destinies and the magnetic pull between them form the heart of their portion of the series, making their romance a standout element of the story.

Ella of Frell - The curse placed upon Ella in Ella Enchanted, one of my cherished childhood books, serves as a powerful metaphor for the struggle many girls face in asserting their agency and setting boundaries. Forced to obey any command given to her, Ella's curse robs her of control over her own actions and decisions, leaving her vulnerable to manipulation and exploitation. Ella's struggle to assert her independence and reclaim her agency is a central theme of the novel, and it highlights the importance of standing up for oneself and setting boundaries. This aspect of her character resonates deeply with readers, particularly young girls, who may relate to the feeling of being powerless in certain situations.

Achilles - One of the most powerful moments in the Iliad is Achilles' encounter with Priam, Hector's grieving father. Priam's act of kissing Achilles' hands, despite them being responsible for Hector's death, demonstrates remarkable humility and shared grief. This profound display of empathy moves Achilles to return Hector's body to Priam. In this moment, Achilles transcends his own ego and recognizes the universal experience of loss and mourning. By agreeing to return Hector's body, Achilles symbolically abandons his pursuit of personal glory, finding redemption and closure.