#I think it's interesting that Cersei knew his personality and was still attracted to him. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ginmo · 4 years

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...This response took me a million years, because there’s so much textbook abuse and mislabeling that I was like where do I even fucking start and how do I come at this. I’m still not happy with my approach but here we go. Sorry. This is going to be long.

Why do people abuse?

Domestic violence and abuse stem from a desire to gain and maintain power and control over an intimate partner. Abusive people believe they have the right to control and restrict their partners, and they may enjoy the feeling that exerting power gives them. They often believe that their own feelings and needs should be the priority in their relationships, so they use abusive tactics to dismantle equality and make their partners feel less valuable and deserving of respect in the relationship. [x]

Abuse is habitual. Everyone on the planet has either intentionally or unintentionally done an abusive act, emotionally or physically, in one of their relationships at some point in their life, but that doesn’t mean that relationship was abusive or that the pair was mutually abusive.

It’s also not uncommon for an abusive relationship to have a degree of abuse from both parties involved. Many victims will unconsciously do something abusive as an attempt to bring balance to the relationship and gain some control, but those incidents are isolated and not “habitual,” which puts them in the overall victim category.

In this abusive relationship:

Jaime is the main victim. Cersei is the main abuser. There’s nothing “mutual” about it.

“lmaoooo Jaime CHOSE to be in this relationship”

I’m aware that GRRM probably intended Jaime to totally jump in 100% by his choice, but that doesn’t change the fact that literally every person in an abusive relationship appears to have chosen to remain in that relationship. Hell, I knew my abuser was abusive before I even got into a relationship with him, but I did it anyway because, man, he was charming and persuasive. He unconsciously used that charm, manipulation, and seduction to keep me hooked while chipping away at my identity. Victims of abuse all have a choice, in theory, but the reality of it is messy, because there’s manipulation at play and a great degree of delusion.

Cersei is guilty of narcissistic abuse.

It’s perfectly valid to view Cersei as a narcissist. She obviously isn’t diagnosed with anything, but I’m reading her as a textbook narcissist so… let’s play. Before I dive into all the abuse, I’m going to dig into Cersei’s narcissism, because it plays into the interpretation of their dynamic.

“You can argue, well, does she genuinely love her children, or does she just love them because they’re her children? There’s certainly a great level of narcissism in Cersei. She has an almost sociopathic view of the world and civilization.” (Also look up: malignant narcissism and sociopathy)

GRRM then immediately makes a comparison to Jaime, contrasting their abilities to love.

“At the same time, what Jaime did is interesting.”

He goes on to describe Jaime’s action of pushing Bran, implying he did it out of genuine love for others (since he used the word genuinely for Cersei and then compared). [x]

“LMAO BUT JAIME IS A NARCISSIST TOO”

No lmfao. Someone can appear narcissistic at times and swing on that spectrum, but that doesn’t make them a narcissist or show they have “a great level of narcissism.” One of the main defining characteristics of a narcissist is a lack of empathy. I’m not even going to dig up all of the empathy examples, because the above comparison from GRRM should be enough to tell you he isn’t writing Jaime as a narcissist and going that route would take this way off topic. Just… read his chapters lol. You don’t even have to get far into his POVs to see empathy and how his thought process is intentionally written to be different than Cersei’s.

Anyway, my level of sympathy for Cersei is entirely wrapped around her narcissism. To me, what’s sad here is the idea she can’t experience true intimacy and is completely unaware of it. She loves Jaime, and I truly believe she believes she loves Jaime, but in reality it’s only at the capacity that narcissism allows.

Narcissistic Abuse:

“Narcissists don’t really love themselves. Actually, they’re driven by shame. It’s the idealized image of themselves, which they convince themselves they embody, that they admire. But deep down, narcissists feel the gap between the façade they show the world and their shame-based self. They work hard to avoid feeling that shame.

Many of the narcissist’s coping mechanisms are abusive — hence the term, “narcissistic abuse.” [x]

I mean… that’s kinda sad? I feel for her in that sense, but, as the article says, “Abuse is abuse, no matter the abuser’s diagnosis.”

Needs to Look Like Her

There are several examples of Cersei commenting on his changed appearance and how she doesn’t like it. That isn’t too weird, since people have their own personal preferences and hey, maybe she just doesn't like beards? But no. That’s not the case. She doesn’t like the changes, because it means he looks less like her. It 100% is about Jaime being male Cersei - an extension of herself.

“Nor did Jaime help her mood when he turned up all in white and still unshaven, to tell her how he meant to keep her son from being poisoned. - AFFC

“his face was thinner, with hollows under his eyes and lines he did not remember. I don’t look as much like Cersei this way. She’ll hate that.” - ASOS

(and lol so tempted to go into how Jaime’s facial hair is symbolic of his identity shift and how that relates to the separation with his twin).

“Jaime likes looking like Cersei too”

Oh does he? If that’s still so then why isn’t he shaving his beard for her?

Has he ever been disgusted by her looks? Does he ever look at siblings and get irritated if he thinks they look more alike? When he noticed his change in appearance did he think, “I hate that we look different” or did he think, “Cersei will hate that”...? (Also, when he thinks that he would be Cersei in fucking ASOS - *pre-handchop which is pre-arc-* that’s a laughably obvious set up for the identity aspect of his arc with that belief being destroy, you dense- ...*deep breath* moving on)

I’m sure he romanticized the looks to an extent, but it’s been made clear that it’s far more important to Cersei than it is to him, since she often makes note of his change in appearance. This is even shown in a scene where Cersei is observing Loras and Margaery and getting annoyed that they look more like twins than she and Jaime do.

For some context, Cersei was watching them dance.

“They could be twins, Cersei thought as she watched them. Ser Loras was a year older than his sister, but they had the same big brown eyes, the same thick brown hair falling in lazy ringlets to their shoulders, the same smooth unblemished skin. A ripe crop of pimples would teach them some humility. Loras was taller and had a few wisps of soft brown fuzz on his face, and Margaery had a woman’s shape, but elsewise they were more alike than she and Jaime.

That annoyed her too. -AFFC”

Narcissistic abuse includes emotional and physical and is used as an umbrella term for the two when they’re done by a narcissist, therefore slightly changing the context of the abuse.

I’m not going to pretend that GRRM sat down with a sexual narcissist checklist, created from the hours of research through his dinosaur computer, BUT he clearly is aware of basic narcissistic and abusive dynamics. It’s… really not that hard. And even if you don’t think he consciously did it, her behaviors are still aligned.

“LmAo CeRsEi’S ‘EvIL VaGiNa’ - MiSoGyNiStS!”

…manipulation through sex is an actual fucking thing that’s genderless.

Right lmfao this is going to be long.

“A sexual narcissist is a person who uses sex as a tool to emotionally manipulate their victims to get what they want.”

People admit that she uses sex as a tool to get stuff done, claiming its her form of power in the patriarchy. What they fail to consider is that Cersei does this frequently to Jaime - a person who is meant to be her lover - which… makes him a victim of narcissistic abuse. Don’t believe me?

I’m going to be using this article to break apart sexual narcissism. If you want more just research. They all pretty much say the same thing, but I chose this one because I prefer the structure. The article breaks examples into categories:

Sex is used to manipulate/persuade

Excessive focus on physical over emotional

You Exist to Serve the Narcissist’s Needs

Constantly Puts You Down

Reacts Negatively When You Don’t Give Them What They Want

Treats You Poorly / Neglects You After Sex

Infidelity, Violence, and Sexual Addiction

This whole post has been a nightmare to organize. Tbh most of the examples I’ll use fall under MULTIPLE categories. The scenes are like fucking Russian dolls of abuse. Or like… Abuse Inception. Abuse within abuse within abuse, so I had to just pick and choose which ones to put where.

Charming and Romantic – But with a Catch

“Many sexual narcissists can come across as alluring and attractive, especially during the initial stages of a relationship, when they’re trying to win you over. Like a master salesperson, they use charisma to get your attention, flattery to make you feel special, seduction (flirting, gifts, dinners, get-aways, etc.) to lift you off your feet, and persuasion to get you to give them what they want. Some sexual narcissists are very good in bed (at least they think they are), for sex is used as a tool to impress, entrap, and manipulate.

While there’s absolutely nothing wrong inherently with being charming, romantic, and a good lover, the narcissist crafts these traits in order to use others. He or she is not really interested in you, but only what he wants to extract from you (often to fulfill an inner emptiness due to the inability to create true intimacy).”

You can even find some meta that almost word for word says what’s described above, but they erase her doing this to Jaime - her partner- and frame these actions as feminist lol.

Eel Alley.

“But,” Jaime said, “there’s Casterly Rock …”

“Is it a rock you want? Or me?”

She then starts to seduce him to show him what he can have, to have the scale weigh in her favor. Manipulation through sex.

“He remembered that night as if it were yesterday. They spent it in an old inn on Eel Alley, well away from watchful eyes. Cersei had come to him dressed as a simple serving wench, which somehow excited him all the more. Jaime had never seen her more passionate. Every time he went to sleep, she woke him again. By morning Casterly Rock seemed a small price to pay to be near her always. He gave his consent, and Cersei promised to do the rest.” - AFFC

There's no indication whatsoever that Jaime had any intent to NOT wed and be Lord of Casterly Rock. He wasn’t really into Lysa but he never straight up refused to take on the role he was born into. In fact, he even kinda fancied Catelyn lol.

“Lord Hoster kept me for a fortnight whilst mulling his reply, and sat me beside his daughter Lysa at every meal.”

“Small wonder you took the white. I’d have done the same.”

“Oh, Lysa was not so fearsome as all that.” She had been a pretty girl, in truth; dimpled and delicate, with long auburn hair. Timid, though. Prone to tongue-tied silences and fits of giggles, with none of Cersei’s fire. Her older sister had seemed more interesting, though Catelyn was promised to some northern boy, the heir of Winterfell …”

And lol

“but at that age, no girl interested Jaime half so much as Hoster’s famous brother, who had won renown fighting the Ninepenny Kings upon the Stepstones.” - AFFC

He doesn’t even say, “but at that age, no girl interested Jaime so much as Cersei.” No. The Blackfish. Had Catelyn been unbetrothed, it’s not a stretch to think that Jaime would have been entertained by the idea of their betrothal. This was before Cersei seduced him at Eel Alley.

“hE GaVe HiS ConSenT”

Yeah, after she manipulated him through sex LOL. IT’S RIGHT THERE.

“Jaime always wanted to join the KG!”

“He had joined the Kingsguard for love, of course”.-ASOS

(HEY! Just like that tall, blonde, “beauty” he’s been hanging out with HHMM)

He wasn’t going to join the KG before Cersei gave him “love,” which is why he was asking about Casterly Rock and talking about Tywin, as if this was an idea he hadn’t thought of before. (Knight and KG are not synonymous). He joined “for love” AFTER she gave him intimacy, showing him what he could have if he agreed to stay by her side forever.

She even murdered Melara -HER FRIEND- for saying she wanted to marry Jaime one day. She kept trying to rob Jaime of a life outside of her, and yes I use the word “rob,” because it was through narcissistic abuse. She literally turned up the passion and kept waking him up with sex until he gave his consent.

And “by morning” Casterly Rock was “a small price to pay.” A SMALL PRICE TO PAY. That means it was worth something of value to him and then “by morning,” after she woke him up over and over and over until he agreed, it became a “small price.”

Also keep in mind that when Cersei was begging Jaime to join the KG to be close to her, she was legitimately crushing hard on Rhaegar not long before... she’s allowed to fantasize about marriage with Rhaegar, but Jaime isn’t allowed to fit his role and marry?

“once she had drawn a picture of herself flying behind Rhaegar on a dragon, her arms wrapped tight about his chest. When Jaime had discovered it she told him it was Queen Alysanne and King Jaehaerys. [...] By night the prince played his silver harp and made her weep. When she had been presented to him, Cersei had almost drowned in the depths of his sad purple eyes. He has been wounded, she recalled thinking, but I will mend his hurt when we are wed. Next to Rhaegar, even her beautiful Jaime had seemed no more than a callow boy. The prince is going to be my husband, she had thought, giddy with excitement, and when the old king dies I’ll be the queen.” -AFFC

Like… fuck…

Later on, when Jaime is developing into his own being and becoming aware of the bs, the Eel Alley scene is brought up again.

“Cersei.” He spoke slowly, like a man waking from a dream, still wondering where he was. “What hour is it?”

“The hour of the wolf.” His sister lowered her hood, and made a face. “The drowned wolf, perhaps.” She smiled for him, so sweetly.”

There’s the use of charm. Normally you could argue that she was honestly happy to see him. But what does she say next and what does he associate with that encounter?

“Do you remember the first time I came to you like this? It was some dismal inn off Weasel Alley, and I put on servant’s garb to get past Father’s guards.”

“I remember. It was Eel Alley.” She wants something of me. “Why are you here, at this hour? What would you have of me?” His last word echoed up and down the sept, mememememememememememe, fading to a whisper. For a moment he dared to hope that all she wanted was the comfort of his arms.”

And he wasn’t wrong. She did want something from him. So no. It’s not in his head.

“Jaime, Kevan has refused me. He will not serve as Hand [...] “You must be Tommen’s Hand.” -AFFC

This time he realizes what she’s doing. Using her outfit, she’s causing a recall to a past manipulative event that worked, exposing her intent, which is why Jaime immediately recognizes it as something she wants from him. This also implies that he now views their encounter at Eel Alley as Cersei wanting something of him since the two encounters were directly associated.

Here’s another moment of manipulation by a sexual narcissist.

“My sister wanted the girl to lose a hand. The old penalty, for striking one of the blood royal. Robert told her she was cruel and mad. They fought for half the night … well, Cersei fought, and Robert drank. Past midnight, the queen summoned me inside.”

Failing to get Robert to side with her and do something, she then summoned Jaime to give him the attention she knows he wants. You see where I’m going here?

“The king was passed out snoring on the Myrish carpet. I asked my sister if she wanted me to carry him to bed. She told me I should carry her to bed, and shrugged out of her robe. I took her on Raymun Darry’s bed after stepping over Robert. If His Grace had woken I would have killed him there and then. He would not have been the first king to die upon my sword … but you know that story, don’t you?” He slashed at a tree branch, shearing it in half. “As I was fucking her, Cersei cried, ‘I want.’ I thought that she meant me, but it was the Stark girl that she wanted, maimed or dead.” The things I do for love. - AFFC

This isn’t Jaime interpreting the incident incorrectly. This is character growth.

GRRM is speaking through Jaime by destroying the illusion and becoming aware of the reality he has been living. Because the lights are turning on for him, the things I do for love can take on a new meaning here. It’s more like the things I do to earn intimacy. He’s jogging down memory lane and realizing that every time (shown or told about in the books) she approached him she was trying to get something from him or trying to get him to agree with her. There was always a motive apart from a genuine desire to give and receive love, no strings attached.

Excessive Focus on Physical Over Emotional

“The sexual narcissist’s style of love-making is often focused on appearance and image, with a keen dislike for flaws and weaknesses from oneself or the partner. The love-making is less about two human beings connecting, and more about measuring up to idealized expectations. Try as the sexual narcissist might at physical grandiosity, there’s inevitably something missing in their performance: genuine human emotions.”

Mm yes.Going back to this as an example:

“his face was thinner, with hollows under his eyes and lines he did not remember. I don’t look as much like Cersei this way. She’ll hate that.” - ASOS

“The Targaryens wed brother to sister for three hundred years, to keep the bloodlines pure. And Jaime and I are more than brother and sister. We are one person in two bodies. We shared a womb together. He came into this world holding my foot, our old maester said. When he is in me, I feel … whole.” - AGOT

“I need you. I need my other half.” He could hear the rain pattering against the windows high above. “You are me, I am you. I need you with me. In me. Please, Jaime. Please.” - AFFC

People use Cersei’s romanticized twin comments as evidence to show that she genuinely loves Jaime. This also can connect to the GRRM quote mentioned above about her genuine love capabilities which can be argued as “lol no”.

She does not have “genuine human emotions,” because her words and feelings are from a narcissistic desire to be whole through the idea that Jaime is an extension of herself. So… yeah, if she thinks Jaime is herself as a male (“you are me, I am you”), then she’s missing half of her until he’s inside her, making her whole. Her, her, her, her.

Also, that’s a move to try to strip him of his own identity, his own person, and is a fucking massive red flag that this is how the relationship began. Does he ever try to persuade her to do shit by reminding her that they’re the same person? Like ffs.

She does this while trying to manipulate him using sex. He’s not listening to her, so she begs him to be inside her. Hey, why not? We’ve seen this work before.

“Every time he went to sleep, she woke him again. By morning Casterly Rock seemed a small price to pay to be near her always. He gave his consent, and Cersei promised to do the rest.” - ASOS

You Exist to Serve the Narcissist’s Needs.

“After the initial courtship period during which he or she tries to impress and please, a sexual narcissist may begin to demand that you cater primarily to his own selfish needs. He may expect you to be “on call”

Okay I bolded that “on call” bit, because she does go to him when she wants something, and then gets hella mad when he refuses. But I know some people will use this to be like BuT JaImE TaKeS hEr WhEn He WaNts and like.. Yeah, fair enough, you can make that argument, but… that’s leaving out context. He goes to her because she’s withholding intimacy and only initiates when she wants something from him. I’m going to play devil’s advocate and say it does fit. Remember what I said in the beginning that it’s not uncommon for victims to act in ways that are problematic (hate that word) to try to get back some control? Yeah. Apply this here. His unhealthy response is a reaction to her using intimacy as a tool.

“and satisfy sexual desires at his pleasure, require you to engage in sexual acts which only he enjoys [doesn’t really apply], or demand that you limit your other activities to be more available. Rather than being an individual with your own thoughts, feelings and priorities. The sexual narcissist expects you to exist merely as an extension of his or her wishes. ”

Cersei resents Jaime for disagreeing with her and thinking on his own. Literally the “you are me” bs and how she gets really angry when he begins to challenge her and goes against her wishes. She views him as someone who needs to cater to her, All he’s doing for her to slap and throw nasty words and cups at him is just... not doing what she asks him to do... his existence in Cersei’s life is simply to cater to her.

Constantly Puts You Down

“In order to put up a facade of superiority, and disguise hidden insecurity and inadequacy, some narcissists will constantly put other people down, to boost their own desirability and acceptability. In a sexual relationship, some (but not all) narcissists may also target their partners for ridicule, blame, shame, sarcasm, and overall marginalization. By subjecting the partner to an inferior psychological position, the narcissist is able to exercise a greater degree of dominance and manipulation.”

I mean… Do I really need to provide examples here? This is actually similar to the next one, so I’m going to put my examples there.

Reacts Negatively When You Don’t Give Them What They Want

“Since many sexual narcissists can't stand disappointment or rejection, they will frequently react negatively when you don’t give them what they want, in the way they want it. Some of the common responses include:

Anger – Tantrum. Negative judgment. Personal attacks. Ridicule.

Passive-Aggression – The cold shoulder. The silent treatment. Withhold of love and affection [which ties in to withholding intimacy examples I provided above]. Sarcasm. Calculated separation.

Emotional Coercion – Blame. Guilt trip. Calling the partner ungrateful. Threaten to withhold love and intimacy (such as it is). Pretend narcissistic victimhood.

None of these responses are those of a mature, reasonable adult. The sexual narcissist, by acting like a petulant child or a bully, hopes the drama and manipulation will hook you back in, so you’ll once again “belong” to him or her.”

Some of this is physical abuse too, so I’m sticking those under here. And yes, slapping counts as physical abuse and it doesn’t matter who the hell does it.

“Rule? I said naught of ruling. I shall rule until my son comes of age.”

“I don’t know who I pity more,” her brother said. “Tommen, or the Seven Kingdoms.” She slapped him. Jaime’s arm rose to catch the blow, cat-quick … but this cat had a cripple’s stump in place of a right hand. Her fingers left red marks on his cheek. - AFFC

Keep in mind that every time Jaime’s reflex goes to his face to block a blow it’s a sign that this is a behavior he’s used to. Sometimes people use the, “I don’t know who I pity more” line as well for “mutual abuse.” Context and… where’s the lie? Lmao.

Most of the time he’s being straight with her. Snarky ass? Sure. Abusive? No. Intent is key. She puts him down to shame him and attempts to decrease his self-worth. This is a control move, because she throws cruel words at him when she is unsuccessful in getting what she wants. He sometimes calls her a fool and one time asks if she’s drunk or stupid, because she’s legit spiraling into a paranoia and he’s going wtf lol. He’s not trying to make her dependent on him through the use of his poor language.

Anyway, back to physical.

Jaime felt his anger rising. “True, Loras does not leer at your teats the way Ser Osmund does, but I hardly think—”

“Think about this.” Cersei slapped his face. Jaime made no attempt to block the blow.

“I see I need a thicker beard, to cushion me against my queen’s caresses.” He wanted to rip her gown off and turn her blows to kisses. He’d done it before, back when he had two good hands.”

People love to use this against Jaime. Ffs. He’s literally trying to fucking defend himself from physical abuse by trying to diffuse the situation through sex, turning “blows to kisses.” This is one of those messy situations where it’s a victim trying to gain back control in an unhealthy, arguably abusive way. Does that make them anywhere near “mutually” abusive as if they’re 50/50? LMFAO no.

“Would Your Grace honor her white knight with a dance?” She gave him a withering look. “And have you fumbling at me with that stump? No. I will let you fill my wine cup for me, though. If you think you can manage it without spilling.” - AFFC

She turns him down with her disgust over his missing hand and then allows him to fill her cup I-

“Get out, I said. I am sick of looking at that ugly stump of yours. Get out!” To speed him on his way, she heaved her wine cup at his head. She missed, but Jaime took the hint.” - AFFC

Alright this big one…

WST:

“You mustn’t let Father take him from me. Jaime, please.

“I can talk to him, but he will not listen …”

“He will if you agree to leave the Kingsguard.”

“I’m not leaving the Kingsguard.” His sister fought back tears.

“Jaime, you’re my shining knight. You cannot abandon me when I need you most! He is stealing my son, sending me away … and unless you stop him, Father is going to force me to wed again!”

Guilt tripping and playing up the loving language.

Also, off topic, but I just want to point out that it’s funny Cersei came to him in Eel Alley to persuade him to join the KG to be with her. Jaime said they can’t get Tywin’s approval, so then she fucks him all night and he agrees. They played as lovers before that moment, but that was the night that sealed their affair to one another, to remove himself off the market and stay by her side forever. In this scene, she’s coming to him to ask him to LEAVE the KG, knowing Tywin would approve, and when he’s questioning the idea she tries to have sex with him, BUT he refuses her so her plan doesn’t work, making this moment the solid beginning of their downfall lmao. The opposite of Eel Alley.

“It makes no matter who they wed me to, I want you at my side, I want you in my bed, I want you inside me. Nothing has changed between us.”

Increasing the level of manipulation through intimacy since her previous persuasive strategy wasn’t working.

“Let me prove it to you.” She pushed up his tunic and began to fumble with the laces of his breeches. Jaime felt himself responding.

“No,” he said, “not here.” They had never done it in White Sword Tower, much less in the Lord Commander’s chambers. “Cersei, this is not the place.”

“You took me in the sept. This is no different.”

She drew out his cock and bent her head over it. Jaime pushed her away with the stump of his right hand. “No. Not here, I said.” He forced himself to stand. For an instant he could see confusion in her bright green eyes, and fear as well. Then rage replaced it.

Angry reaction due to refusal of sex. Childish reaction from not getting what she wants which quickly turns into bullying.

Cersei gathered herself together, got to her feet, straightened her skirts. “Was it your hand they hacked off in Harrenhal, or your manhood?” As she shook her head, her hair tumbled around her bare white shoulders. “I was a fool to come. You lacked the courage to avenge Joffrey, why would I think that you’d protect Tommen? Tell me, if the Imp had killed all three of your children, would that have made you wroth?”

Lol people thinking she was there to hang out with him. She admits to only being in there to ask something of him. “I was a fool to come.” Don’t miss out on the angry, nasty response because she was rejected and couldn’t use her favorite go-to manipulation tactic.

“You great golden fool. He’s lied to you a thousand times, and so have I.” [...]

“You had best go, Cersei. You’re making me angry.”

“Oh, an angry cripple. How terrifying.” She laughed. “A pity Lord Tywin Lannister never had a son. I could have been what he wanted, but I lacked the cock. And speaking of such, best tuck yours away, brother. It looks rather sad and small, hanging from your breeches like that.”

She’s trying to establish superiority by attempting to break him down, using his disability against him and attacking his manhood.

More?

“Gold? Or silver?” Cersei plucked a hair from beneath his chin and held it up. It was grey. “All the color is draining out of you, brother. You’ve become a ghost of what you were, a pale crippled thing. And so bloodless, always in white.” She flicked the hair away. “I prefer you garbed in crimson and gold.” - AFFC

I mean…I think that’s enough.

lol jk

“Tell him what has happened, and write … write …”

“Yes, Your Grace?” She licked her lips, shivering. “Come at once. Help me. Save me. I need you now as I have never needed you before. I love you. I love you. I love you. Come at once.”

“As you command. ‘I love you’ thrice?”

“Thrice.” She had to reach him. “He will come. I know he will. He must. Jaime is my only hope.”

“My queen,” said Qyburn, “have you … forgotten? Ser Jaime has no sword hand. If he should champion you and lose …”

We will leave this world together, as we once came into it. “He will not lose. Not Jaime. Not with my life at stake.” - AFFC

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SHE

FUCKING

THOUGHT

ABOUT

HOW TO WORD IT

TO GET HIM TO COME BACK

SHE CONSCIOUSLY, FORMULATED A PLAN TO WRITE “I LOVE YOU”

SPECIFICALLY THREE TIMES

TO “REACH HIM.”

SHE. LITERALLY. ADMITS. TO MANIPULATING HIM. THROUGH EMOTIONS.

“Come at once,” she said. “Help me. Save me. I need you now as I have never needed you before. I love you. I love you. I love you. Come at once.”

Vyman was hovering by the door, waiting, and Jaime sensed that Peck was watching too. “Does my lord wish to answer?” the maester asked, after a long silence. A snowflake landed on the letter. As it melted, the ink began to blur. Jaime rolled the parchment up again, as tight as one hand would allow, and handed it to Peck.

“No,” he said. “Put this in the fire.”-AFFC

And Jaime had so much character growth by that point that IT DIDN’T FUCKING WORK LMAO. Her game isn’t working anymore. And not only is she trying to manipulate him through loving words, she’s also NOT GIVING A FUCK ABOUT HIS LIFE OUTSIDE OF HERSELF, because she’s acknowledging that if she’s going down then she’s taking him with her. T

he loving thing to do would be, “Jaime, I won’t allow you to be my champion. You’re missing your good hand and can’t win. I don’t want to be the one to cause your death.” But Cersei never gave a shit about his life outside of her so... not a shocker. (Also I just lmao that around the same time Cersei is trying to get Jaime to come back for his death sentence, Brienne is out there willing to literally hang by a noose to save him. Great contrast.)

On to Jaime…

I did a bit of research to see why the fuck people think Jaime is abusive towards Cersei. Almost all of the examples involve their type of sex play, his thoughts (WHAT LMAO), and… not understanding the difference between toxicity and abuse. Abuse is always toxic, but toxicity isn’t always abusive.

I’ve been in both an abusive and toxic relationship and the difference was that my partner in the toxic one wasn’t trying to establish constant control through various different methods. He wasn’t using me for his own gain or trying to make me feel like garbage about myself. He didn’t become physical when I went against him. In my non-abuse toxic one, we were like each other’s “drug.” Extreme highs and lows, propping each other up on a pedestal, losing ourselves within the relationship by wrapping our happiness around the other. The twins are definitely toxic, mutually, but some of Jaime’s unhealthy behaviors are confused with abuse and, ironically, his more questionable actions stem from Cersei’s abuse on him.

Quoting this again since it’s like a million pages up:

Why do people abuse?

There is a difference between UNHEALTHY/TOXIC and ABUSIVE.

Don’t come at me about the patriarchy being the reason why Cersei can’t be abusive towards Jaime (yes… I’ve actually seen that hot take). Within their own personal dynamic, Cersei has power over Jaime just by the nature of him being in the KG. She literally uses her position to tell him where to go and what to do, and even oversteps her boundaries sometimes by giving orders for him.

As stated above, she manipulated him into joining the KG with implied promises of being together always. She then had affairs behind his back, used intimacy to persuade him, and cruelly put him down when he didn’t want to do the things she asked of him. That’s Cersei trying to maintain control of their dynamic. This is a “pattern of behavior” that dates back to at least Eel Alley.

Unhealthy/Toxic

There isn’t a clear line when a relationship becomes unhealthy or abusive. This means it might be hard to figure out what kind of relationship you’re in. Remember that abuse is all about power and control. An unhealthy relationship might involve a power imbalance, being mean, ignoring boundaries [x]

Unhealthy behaviors can appear to be abusive behaviors, and certain toxic acts can turn into abusive over time, but they’re not the same thing.

For Jaime’s side of the “abuse,” he falls more often into the “unhealthy” category. I’m going to respond to a meta I came across recently.

“Jaime has channelled all his sexual desire into Cersei for most of his life (even thinking “I’ve been too long away from Cersei” when he experiences some arousal upon seeing Brienne naked), and that is not something one partner should put upon another. He judges the attractiveness of other women in reference to Cersei: Brienne, once, and Hildy the sex worker in ADWD. Cersei is a person, not a standard of idealised beauty.”

People twist the entire context to make him appear to be somehow abusive in a situation that actually…. sounds like a victim. Cersei wants that level of devotion from Jaime (and so do some of her stans), which is literally exactly why they don’t think Jaime and Brienne are a love story and why Cersei is like LMAO HER? Jaime would never leave me for that creature! SHE’S UGLY.

She lived her whole life knowing that Jaime only had eyes for her, and the irony of “not a standard of idealised beauty” is that Cersei wants to be the standard of idealised beauty. He’s not “putting” anything on her. He’s reflecting what she wants and what has been reinforced since childhood.

Besides that, I don’t see why it’s so wrong for Jaime to think Cersei is the most beautiful woman on the planet lol. And way to miss the entire fucking point, because the point is that YEAH, their entire relationship is superficial. Superficiality is unhealthy to an extent, but it’s not “abusive.” Jaime has only been with one woman his entire life and now he’s finally starting to encounter women away from his sister, so of course he’s going to compare. It’s like if you never left your town but one day decided to venture out into the world outside of it. You’re going to compare the buildings, the culture, etc because your mind is going to be expanding.

“ Until late in ASoS, he does not value his Kingsguard vows except as they allow him to be close to her. (Again, mutually abusive relationship; Cersei’s actions were vital in getting him into this position where he has nothing but her.)”

HOW IS THIS ABUSIVE ON JAIME’S END? And I already discussed how she manipulated him into that situation with Casterly Rock being something of value to him.

“Cersei has no meaningful relationships with anyone or anything outside of Jaime and her children. This is bad for both of them. So much of their emotional energy goes into each other, fostering the sense that they are not independent, whole people, and reinforcing the sense that the relationship is the only thing of value in their lives.”

Yeah! It is! And since Jaime is in the KG because Cersei convinced him to join, and she literally murdered her friend because the girl expressed wanting to marry Jaime, I WONDER WHY JAIME HAS NO FUCKING LIFE OUTSIDE OF CERSEI? As for Cersei, she CHOOSES to limit herself to Lannisters. Jaime isn’t forcing her to not have friends what the actual fuck. Cersei murders her friends lmfao.

This is unhealthy, not abusive, on Jaime’s end. HE isn’t the one “fostering the sense that they are not independent, whole people.” As explained above, CERSEI is the one repeating this over and over, using it to convince him, to control, to attempt to rob him of his identity when he tries to stray. So on Cersei’s end, yeah, that’s abuse.

“For all his idealisation of her and their relationship, Jaime’s trust in Cersei is also a very brittle thing. When Tyrion tells Jaime “she’s been fucking Lancel and Osmund Kettleblack and Moon Boy for all I know,” while still believing Cersei’s declaration that Tyrion has “lied to you a thousand times, and so have I” was “a clumsy attempt to hurt him,” he doesn’t do what someone in a healthy relationship would do, and ask her. Whatever trust he has in her vanishes in two sentences, one about Cersei’s honesty, one about her fidelity.”

And… his… lack of trust was justified anyway? LMAO. He even thinks at some point that Tyrion IS lying. And when he’s away from Cersei in ASOS, he doesn’t imagine her fucking other people while he’s gone, because he trusted her. He genuinely believes that she’s faithful to him (which is precisely why he felt so betrayed). But he also trusts Tyrion, so he went back and forth, wondering wtf was the truth.

AND HOW THE FUCK IS LACK OF TRUST ABUSIVE? This is another case of IT’S UNHEALTHY to have little to no trust in your relationship. Not abusive ffs (!!!)

“Jaime is abusive because he coerces her into sex”

BTW, a person who laughed at me and said this also is a huge twincest shipper which… why… do you… romanticize it and claim their love to be True.. If… you think… he does that?!

Pretty much everyone brings up “sexual coercion.” And you know what? Fair.

But... Jaime and Cersei are drawn to a messy push-pull sex play. She says no and then “weakley” pushes him away.

There were soft, wet sounds. Bran realized they were kissing. He watched, wide-eyed and frightened, his breath tight in his throat. The man had a hand down between her legs, and he must have been hurting her there, because the woman started to moan, low in her throat. “Stop it,” she said, “stop it, stop it. Oh, please …” But her voice was low and weak, and she did not push him away. Her hands buried themselves in his hair, his tangled golden hair, and pulled his face down to her breast. -AGOT

This is GRRM trying to clarify that this is their messy sex dynamic. I mean, he has a fucking little kid observe this all “oh hey but she isn’t pushing him away guys! It’s all good, guys! That’s just them!” Like he’s taking down notes. The 4th wall being broken here is almost jarring.

This sounds a lot like the scene at WF.

“No,” she said weakly when his lips moved down her neck, “not here. The septons …”

“The Others can take the septons.” He kissed her again, kissed her silent, kissed her until she moaned. Then he knocked the candles aside and lifted her up onto the Mother’s altar, pushing up her skirts and the silken shift beneath. She pounded on his chest with feeble fists, murmuring about the risk, the danger, about their father, about the septons, about the wrath of gods. He never heard her. He undid his breeches and climbed up and pushed her bare white legs apart. One hand slid up her thigh and underneath her smallclothes. When he tore them away, he saw that her moon’s blood was on her, but it made no difference. “Hurry,” she was whispering now, “quickly, quickly, now, do it now, do me now. Jaime Jaime Jaime.” Her hands helped guide him. “Yes,” Cersei said as he thrust, “my brother, sweet brother, yes, like that, yes, I have you, you’re home now, you’re home now, you’re home.” She kissed his ear and stroked his short bristly hair. Jaime lost himself in her flesh. He could feel Cersei’s heart beating in time with his own, and the wetness of blood and seed where they were joined. - ASOS

In both scenes she’s weakly protesting which implies it’s a form of their sex play, and she’s being turned on by him “taking” her. This depiction of sex was actually really trendy in the media not too long ago, so honestly the sex scenes for this “edgey couple” just exposes his age. That push-pull, yes/no, “he can’t resist me” wasn’t nearly as controversial as it is now. He was literally writing what used to be seen as hot. It obviously did not age well.

And GRRM never meant for Jaime to be interpreted as a rapist.

"If the show had retained some of Cersei's dialogue from the books, it might have left a somewhat different impression – but that dialogue was very much shaped by the circumstances of the books, delivered by a woman who is seeing her lover again for the first time after a long while apart during which she feared he was dead. I am not sure it would have worked with the new timeline. That's really all I can say on this issue. The scene was always intended to be disturbing … but I do regret if it has disturbed people for the wrong reasons." [x]

“Jaime thinks of her as a whore”

WHY IS THERE A THOUGHT POLICE? How is it abuse that he thinks a word with zero abusive action attached to it?? And like fuck LMAO Cersei is the one that goes off with the word “whore” quite often, in a misogynistic way.

What’s even stupider is when Jaime thinks of her as a “whore,” he’s just reciting what Tyrion told him, word for word. The words came from Tyrion, so Tyrion’s words are playing out in his mind.

“Cersei is a lying whore, she’s been fucking Lancel and Osmund Kettleblack and probably Moon Boy for all I know. And I am the monster they all say I am. Yes, I killed your vile son.” - AFFC

Oh, how Tyrion was sniggering.… a lying whore … fucking Lancel and Osmund Kettleblack … - AFFC

And he even removes the whore bit.

“If so, we might have coaxed the truth from them.” … she’s been fucking Lancel and Osmund Kettleblack and Moon Boy for all I know … - AFFC

Ser Osmund Kettleblack paced beside them in his white enamel plate and white wool cloak. “… she been fucking Lancel and Osmund Kettleblack and Moon Boy for all I know …” - AFFC

Jaime could feel his phantom fingers itching at the sight of him.… fucking Lancel and Osmund Kettleblack and Moon Boy for all I know … - AFFC

Strong and vigorous and handsome, Jaime thought.… she’s been fucking Lancel and Osmund Kettleblack and Moon Boy for all I know … - AFFC

He wanted to kiss her, carry her to her bedchamber, throw her on the bed … she’s been fucking Lancel and Osmund Kettleblack and Moon Boy … - AFFC

That only made her laugh. “We all have secrets, brother,” she replied. … she’s been fucking Lancel and Osmund Kettleblack and Moon Boy for all I know … - AFFC

Now there’s this time where he says,

Jaime gave a shrug. “My apologies if I mistook you for something you’re not. My little brother has known a hundred whores, I’m sure, but I’ve only ever bedded one.” -ADWD

OMG EVERYONE STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING NOW IT’S TIME TO OFFICIALLY STAMP HIM AS A MISOGYNIST AND THIS AS MUTUAL ABUSE towards someone who isn’t even fucking there and for bitterly thinking of his cheating partner as a whore in a world that throws that word around like it’s candy at a parade.

Since “whore” in Westeros is more loosely thrown around than it is in our world, the incredibly hurt and angry Jaime thinking she’s a whore for sleeping with multiple people behind his back is not that fucking wild. Do I think that's sexist? Yeah. Do I think it’s healthy? No. Do I think it’s a realistic response that a very hurt person would think, especially in a world where it’s a common term? Absolutely.

“He dreams about hurting her though so lol he’s clearly violent against her”

(yes I’ve unfortunately seen this a lot)

Hey all... I have a confession to make...

I dreamed about pushing a certain politician in front of a bus and bashing D&D’s teeth in. I also had a dream where I kicked my sister because she ate my last piece of cheesecake. I’m so sorry. Please lock me up and throw away the key until it’s time for me to be executed.

Last night he dreamed he’d found her fucking Moon Boy. He’d killed the fool and smashed his sister’s teeth to splinters with his golden hand, just as Gregor Clegane had done to poor Pia. -AFFC

… he DREAMED it.

PEOPLE ARE FUCKING USING THIS AS EVIDENCE FOR MUTUAL ABUSE BECAUSE HE DREAMED IT.

You know partly why? Because they THINK he’s going to murder her or harm her, so they’re prematurely calling him abusive and removing literally all the context because... IT HASN’T HAPPENED. They’re essentially accusing a man of doing something before he even does it without even knowing FOR SURE if he’s even going to do it, USING THIS DREAM TO ACCUSE HIM LOL.

god THIS FUCKING FANDOM I-

DREAMS. ARE NOT. ABUSE

I’mcryingwhydoIhavetosaythat

Not only is it in a dream, but like, idk, why do you think he’s having those violent dreams? Did she do something to really hurt him so his pain is manifesting in his subconscious as violence? IDK just a wild guess! Maybe he specifically thought about smashing her teeth in, because just previously they were speaking about how Ser Gregor did the same thing to Pia. You know... kinda like me dreaming about angrily pushing my cheating ex down the stairs after I watched a murder mystery documentary where someone was pushed down a flight of stairs. (Oh but my ex was a man, so it’s just viewed as a dream).

… the cringe of the thought police...

Yeah. I’m done. I didn’t even dig up all of Cersei’s instances of abuse and this thing is like fucking 20 pages long. So even IF you view Jaime’s thoughts (!!!!) as abusive and IF you believe he was full on coercing or raping her, they still aren’t nearly MUTUALLY abusive, as in 50/50 abuse, and I’m just going to circle back around to what I said in the beginning about the main victims reacting in problematic ways.

Anyway. I always start these as calm and cool and then end with all caps and a glass of wine to chill me out. All I have left to say about whatever that “mutually abusive” meta was is

#longest one I've ever done heads up LOL #jaime lannister #asoiaf #probably have a million mistakes and a thousand regrettable things but I'm tired and want this done #but honestly thanks anon #I was legit wanting to write about this for a long time #abuse

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rickon-on-skagos · 4 years

Text

Thaw

Pairing: Ned/Cersei

Prompt: Thaw from @asoiafrarepairs Spring Event

+++

From the way her bed was positioned in the room, Cersei could see the down into the yard. She spent most of the day looking out of the window since there was not much else to do since Maester Luwin had prescribed her bed rest for the last month of her pregnancy for both her and the baby’s health. For a while, she had tried to keep herself busy with needlework but quickly grew bored of it.

She and Eddard had only been married for a little bit over a year but Cersei had quickly grew into her role at Winterfell, enjoying the way Ned trusted her to keep the servants in check. It was very different from what she was used to from Casterly Rock. Her father would have never let her do that, not when there were Kevan, Tygett or Gerion around. She had been there to look pretty and seduce the prince, nothing more.

It hadn’t worked out how her father had planned. Cersei hadn’t married a prince and not the king, either. The prince had died and the king- the new king Robert Baratheon, First of his name- had married his true love Lyanna Stark. She had ended up with Eddard Stark. Her father had pushed for the match, unsurprisingly since there were almost no other man left that had been highborn enough for a match with her as Stannis Baratheon had married Catelyn Stark and her father would have never married her to Jon Arryn.

She had been angry. She had raged about having to marry the northern recluse and moving into this sparse land. Cersei had wanted Jaime. She could not be queen but Jaime had been released from the Kingsguard and had come home, back to her just that she had to leave for Winterfell and he had to marry the other Tully girl, Lysa. Cersei had never been more mad in her life. Being in the North had not helped with that. The wedding had happened in the godswood, a place that still made her feel queasy today, and it had only made things worse back then.

A soft knock snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Come in.” She called.

Her husband looked almost sheepish as he came into the room, carrying a small tray. Cersei sat up a little straighter, one hand cradling her bump as he approached the bed. A delicious smell wafted over to her and her mouth started watering almost immediately. He made to say something but Cersei was faster.

“What’s that?” She asked, already reaching for the tray.

He chuckled at lowly at that, his eyes wrinkling up as the corner of his mouth twitched upwards.

“You said you wanted honey cakes so I got you some.”

The cakes were delicious, sweet and crumbly, just the way she liked them best and she hummed around every bite, even going so far to lick her fingers clean of any residue. With no one but her husband in the room, she thought to let this slip for once. She was pregnant and very uncomfortable, after all.

“It’s thawing.” He said, looking out of the window. “Winter is over, a raven from the Citadel arrived today.”

She watched him for a long moment, took him in and pondered. During the past few months, she had demanded some outlandish foods to fulfill her cravings and every single time, Eddard had gotten it and personally brought it to her. Robert would have never and she doubted Rhaegar would have either. But Eddard had. He also started taking his dinner in her chambers with her, trying to make it every evening and if he couldn’t, he’d send her an apology. It was… nice.

Cersei did not love Eddard Stark but she stopped being so angry a while back. She had come here with every intend to wage war against the man who hated her brother so much for every day as long as she lived, had expected him to be cold and harsh, cruel-hearted. But he wasn’t. He had not greeted her with open arms but neither had she and it had taken them a long time until she had grown tired of lashing out and he had enough of avoiding her and then even longer for them work out somewhat of a system.

He had come to her chamber a lot more, afterwards. It had been one of the things she gave him early into her marriage: Laying with Eddard had never been awful. Awkward, impersonal and, at times, stilted and cold but never bad. He had never slept with a woman before her which had been painfully obvious and he wasn’t her Jaime- nobody could ever be him- but he had been careful and patient, taking to her directions easily enough.

She rubbed her bump, well aware of how he followed the movement, his fingers twitching.

Cersei would almost call him handsome in this light. Not an almost ethereal beauty like Jaime was or Rhaegar had been or a rugged attractiveness like Robert but Ned was handsome, in a way. He was softer than his solemn face made him look but not weak how she had assumed at first. His eyes were dark grey and by all accounts, he should come off as cold and unapproachable but he didn’t.

Her father had ruled by fear, making sure everyone knew what would happen when they betrayed the Lannisters but not Eddard. Eddard invited people to the high table during the rare feasts they held in the Great Hall and listened to them, talked with them and shared laughter with them. It had puzzled her- still did, sometimes- to see him rule with kindness and honor instead of terror. Nobody in Winterfell covered in fear at the name of their liege lord and many came to him for counsel, nobody fearing him like they feared her father.

Eddard was a good man.

“Give me your hand.” She said.

It surprised him, she could see it on his face but he did without asking any questions and she grabbed his wrist, pulling him closer until she could put it on her stomach. She held his hand- rough and calloused- in place and the child did not disappoint, kicking hard and strong. She winced uncomfortable.

“They’re strong.” Eddard said, a visible smile on his face.

“A strong son.” She agreed.

She had to give him a son, father expected it of her. Every man wanted sons for their legacy. A long time ago, back when she had been a child and still naive, she had wished for daughters so she could brush their hair until it shone, read them the stories her mother used to read her and gift them dresses, jewelry and puppets for their name days. She quickly lost those dreams once she grew up. Men needed sons, not daughters.

“No matter whether it’s a son or a daughter, as long as they are healthy, I am happy.”

Cersei looked up at him, green eyes meeting grey ones, and she saw the honesty in them and when Eddard leaned forward- obviously having seen something in her eyes, too- to kiss her brow, she didn’t flinch away.

+++

The snow had not melted away completely when Cersei went into labour. Eddard hadn’t been with her when the contractions started but he was by her side once she was in the maester’s chamber, looking frazzled and worried. He held her hand as she screamed and cursed him to the seven hells and back for making her go through this.

The air grew hot and stuffy quickly, her sweat-damp hair clinging to her skin as she pushed and pushed. It smelled like blood, too, and Cersei gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut. Eddard’s hand was surprisingly cool as he brushed a strand of hair out of her face, whispering encouragement and praise.

She didn’t know how long it took but her voice grew rough at some point and her breaths were closer to pants. It was the most humiliating thing Cersei had ever experienced. Spread apart and so undignified, she felt exposed and vulnerable and she wanted it to stop. Tears were burning in her eyes but she refused to let them fall, no matter how much it hurt. She was a lioness and lions do not cry. She gasped for air, fingers squeezing tight around Eddard’s hand.

Cold lips were pressed against her temple and she instinctively leaned into the touch, mouthing words she herself didn’t know what they meant. A wail stopped her and she gasped, immediately trying to sit up just to be pushed down by the midwife.

“Let me-” She rasped. “Let me see my child.”

It was a boy. Her son was small with pink skin, soft tufts of light hair and grey eyes and still screaming when she took him from the maester, announcing his presence loudly and Cersei loved him.

He was perfect, absolutely perfect.

+++

The godswood unnerved her still, especially the heart tree with its weeping face. She had rarely been to the Stone Garden in Casterly Rock, never seen a reason to. Something about the northern woods felt different.

Her shoes sank into the muddy ground and she pursed her lips, her skirts lifted to not drag through the dirt. Spring had fully arrived and most of the snow had melted already, leaving everything wet and muddy. It wasn’t warm, yet, and Cersei wondered if it ever really got warm up here.

She finally found her husband underneath the heartree, sitting in the shadow of the big tree, their son in his arms. He was talking in a too low voice for her to hear but she could see his lips move, not even noticing her as he was too focused on their son. It did something to her, seeing him taking an interest in their child. She pushed the feeling down harshly, not liking the way her heart leaped in her chest when she saw him sitting in the nursery, rocking an upset Robb back to sleep as if it was nothing.

“My lord.” She called out, catching his attention.

He smiled at her and for a moment, Cersei wondered how she looked to him. She was beautiful, she knew that but what did he think about her? She had to look awfully out of place with her golden hair, her dress that, despite being weather appropriate, had a distinct style that was popular in the Westerland, adorned with complicated embroidery and the heavy golden jewelry she had brought with her. She didn’t look like the northern ladies that had visited Winterfell and she didn’t try to. Cersei was a lioness.

“My lady.” He replied as he stood up.

She crossed the little clearing, passing by the dark pool and when Eddard held out his hand for her, she took it and let him guide her to where he had been sitting. He sat down next to her, Robb still safely nestled in his arm, blinking up owlishly at his father. She reached for him and Eddard gave him to her easily and both of them smiled at their son, soft and unguarded.

“Maester Luwin was looking for you.” She said, suddenly remembering why she had come to look for him in the first place. “A letter from White Harbor arrived today.”

Eddard nodded shortly and thanked her, kissing her brow again before leaving, his form quickly disappearing between the trees. She looked down at Robb and smiled when he grasped for her fingers, making some gurgling noises. It almost made her less angry about the letter tucked away in a pocket of her dress but not forgotten.

She had written her father as soon as she could, telling him about the birth of his grandson and in his response he had not asked about her health, only asked- no, demanded- for another son to secure the line of inheritance. That was all that mattered to him. Eddard was different in that regard.

Maester Luwin had advised them to wait a few moons before laying together again and Eddard had not pressed but accepted it. She had always heard about him being honorable to a fault but she had not expected him to actually be like that. Not once did he try to sleep with her anyway and she had yet to hear about any secret trips to the brothels in Wintertown.

Robb yawned and Cersei kissed his forehead. She loved him so much it almost scared her. She didn’t even love Jaime this much and even if he would ride up to Winterfell now and asked her to abandon everything to run away with him she wouldn’t. Because of Robb.

“I love you.” She whispered to him. She had never told anyone but Jaime this. “I love you so much, little lion.”

He just blinked at her, not understanding what she was saying but paying attention anyway and Cersei laughed. He looked a little bit like his father in that moment, she thought. Robb would never feel like an outsider here, the godswood would never be unnerving to him and he would be a great lord, she would make sure of it.

+++

Cersei gave Robb to the handmaiden along with a few more instructions and once everything was to her satisfaction, she left and made her way towards Eddard’s chamber. Her heart was fluttering in her chest and she didn’t understand why. He was her husband, he had seen her naked several times and she had never been shy about her attractiveness nor sex but when Maester Luwin had told her she was cleared to see after her wifely duties again, something like nervousness had lodged itself into her stomach. It was still there when she knocked on his door.

He looked a little bit surprised to see her but let her in anyway and as soon as he closed the door again, she stepped into his space. Since he was only a few inches taller than her, they were almost eye to eye when she wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers curling into his long, dark strands. Almost hesitantly, he put his hands on her hips.

“Cersei?” He asked quietly, a slight frown appearing on his face.

She licked her lips, taking him in and finally leaned forwards, brushing their lips together in an almost tender kiss. Eddard let her, his fingers flexing slightly and he kissed her back shyly. Cersei had never slept with anyone just because she wanted to except Jaime but somehow, Ned had sneaked his way into her heart. She hadn’t even noticed.

“Maester Luwin gave me the clear today.” She said once they pulled apart. “I thought it was a reason to celebrate, my lord.”

“Are you sure?”

She smiled and pressed herself further against him, enjoying the way she could feel his body warmth through their clothes. Her nose brushed over Eddard’s, his breath was hot on her cheek and Cersei felt almost giddy.

“Absolutely, my lord.”

He lifted her up easily, making her first yelp in surprise and then laugh as he carried her over to the bed, carefully laying her out on the soft furs.

“Call me Ned, please.”

“Ned.” She said, not stumbling over the name despite being unfamiliar with it.

That night, Cersei did not sleep alone, instead found herself wrapped in a tight embrace, Ned’s legs entangled with hers and her head resting on his shoulder. She splayed her hand over his chest, absently playing with the coarse chest hair growing there. Ned was fast asleep, his hand loosely tangled into her hair, too, snoring softly.

Cersei closed her eyes, feeling more warm and comfortable than ever before, and wished for a spring to bring her a girl.

#nedsei #ned x cersei #my writing

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oveliagirlhaditright · 3 years

Text

Because of @roselevesque wondering what kind of trouble a Lawlight child would get into... here are some ridiculous headcanons I’ve come up with, about Arya Stark from “A Song of Ice and Fire” being Light and L’s adopted daughter in some weird AU.

So, Light and L adopt Arya for an A+ reason to start with (I say sarcastically. But they really do come to love her and vice versa. Even though they’re sometimes shit at being parents, and Arya kind of shows it).

Like, she’s some orphan that they meet after some case. I imagine the “Death Note version of Cersei(?)” is some political leader somewhere, and killed Arya’s father who was a threat to her. But L and Light were actually beginning to suspect Cersei of foul play a long time ago. So they finally bring her in for questioning--and Arya with her, who’s Cersei’s “ward”--and Arya’s all like, “I don’t like Cersei.” She didn’t buy the Stockholm-Syndrome thing the woman was trying to do with her for a second.

Light and L then decide they like this child.

L may even get the idea to have Arya judge everyone’s character from now on, as she seems good at it. And Light and L grow attached to this kid, which is part of the reason why they decide to adopt her. But the real one? L: “I just think we’re in a rut, Light-kun. We don’t do anything new anymore. It’s very boring. Why don’t we try something new, like adopting a child?” Light: “We are not adopting a child just because we’re bored, Ryuzaki!” L gives him a look. Light: “...Okay. Maybe we’re adopting a child...”

I should probably mention that this is an AU where Light gave up the Death Note and being Kira (somewhat. Though part of him is biding his time, hoping he can get his perfect world back. And L knows this. Light remembers everything, because he has a microscopic piece of the Death Note in his watch).

Light and L decided to not tell Arya that Light was Kira--as a whole, the world doesn’t know Light Yagami was Kira--but Arya eventually finds out. More on that later.

I feel Arya loves both parents pretty equally. But she may slllllllllllllllllightly prefer Light. Just because there are times that L isn’t understanding at all. He doesn’t get, for instance, why someone calling Ayra “horserace” hurt her feelings, because it’s kind of true. L is very much with the “never forget who you are, the rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor and it can never be used to hurt you” mentality of Tyrion Lannister.

Arya may even have a hard time gravitating around L, because he has a hard time talking. But so does Arya, somewhat. So perhaps they actually bond over that? -shrugs-

But L is good at trying to cheer Arya up, at times, by silly things like sweets (even though he was once miffed at her for not liking lemon cake. But then was okay with her again for loving tea) and swivel chairs. He was also the one who wanted to buy her a pony... or a wolf (since Arya wanted one) And Light had to tell him “no”.

And both L and Light are A-okay with Arya wanting to learn sword play and horseback riding.

L also probably taught Arya capoeira.

And eventually, Arya does help him with some of L’s cases, since she is pretty sharp (they’re more L’s cases than Light’s, since Light is sort of on “probation”).

There were also times that Arya would come to L, worrying that Light was Kira--and he would just kind of look at her gravely--before Arya realized she maybe agreed with Kira.

L is the one who goes to most of the parent-teacher-conferences. Because one time, Arya got in trouble for punching a kid in the face. And Light said, “What? She absolutely should have punched that creep, and I’m glad she did. She should do it again.”

Light’s probably the one who tries the hardest to give Arya a normal, happy lifestyle and everything she needs.

He’s also the one who brushes her hair, when Arya refuses to do that. (Speaking of... there are definitely times when L admits privately to Light, “Light-kun, what were we thinking in adopting a girl? We know nothing about them.” And Light responds with, “For your information, I’m great with girls!”) He’s not. And he might even somewhat resent Arya being such a tomboy at first, but he gets over it. L, however, has always loved that Arya is that.

Light’s also probably the one who realizes that Arya isn’t misogynistic? Which is hilarious, because Light can certainly be that himself. With helpful gems like, “Arya, I don’t think you actually resent female things, like embroidering--or your female peers for being good at it--but rather yourself for being bad at it. So if you want... I can try and figure it out myself and teach you, I guess.”

Also... one day when Light is reading Arya a story and she says, “They killed the slaves? They should have killed the slavers,” Light has never been more proud of her than in that moment.

Both Light and L are of the mind that if anyone ever tries to touch Arya, she should kill them dead. Light and L might actually wish that Light had kept the Death Note, so they could put in it anyone’s name who would ever harm Arya.

Eventually, Arya is separated from Light and L. Basically, it’s found out that L was “aiding and embedding Kira”, so there’s this whole coup. Some people even discover L’s identity for a crazy second (before L gets that under control again. And convinces the general public that Kira is dead, and they’re all just cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs).

And in this chaos, the family is completely torn apart. Even Light and L are away from each other for a while (and this is what stars Arya’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” journey. More on that in a minute).

L finds Light... and there may actually be some tension there for a while, because Light thinks that L should have found Arya over him.

L: “I tried to find you both, Light!” Light: “But if you had to choose... you should have put more energy into finding her, because Arya’s a hopeless child, L! I’m not!”

So, Arya’s mayhap put into this “home” where children of Kira-worshippers are tortured (it’s the closest thing I can think of for Harenhal here). And she’s deeply traumatized and fucked up by it. She escapes, and commits her first kill to do so (as a nine-year-old, no less)... and gets a taste for it.

Like A Song of Ice and Fire!Arya, she begins keeping a list of all the people she’s going to kill, and that’s the only thing that keeps her going. And like in A Song of Ice and Fire canon, she changes her name multiple times, pretends to be a boy for safer travel, etc.

During all of this, Arya has to try and come to amends with Light being Kira (as she knows now). Death Note’s version of “The Hound”, I guess, kidnaps Arya eventually to try and ransom her back to her parents (after the friend she’d made, “Gendry”, leaves her). But that doesn’t happen when Arya, perhaps, murders the Hound to get away from his abuse?

Still not entirely knowing how she feels about the “Light having been Kira, and Light and L having lied to her about it” thing, Arya might purposefully stay away from them for a while and join the “House of Black and White” cult, that worships death... She then realizes that maybe she will drink that Kira Kool-aid.

L and Light finally find Arya after this her stay at the House of Black and White (they never gave up looking for her, and knew that she was alive because their girl is a survivor. So eventually, they probably just had to face the truth that she didn’t want to be found). And there are issues again, because Arya now knows that Light was Kira and tells him this and wishes he would be Kira again (and Light, has, like, never been happier). But L thinks he might leave both of them here... I haven’t quite figured how they work this out yet.

Maybe because while this Light is somewhat biding his time, and does still think the system is corrupt and shit, he also gave the Death Note up for a reason? Did he realize that just soullessly killing everyone wouldn’t solve everything? And is her fearful that Arya is romanticizing death so much? And the deaths of some “innocent people”, even? Like this one guard, who didn’t know what he was there for, that she killed to get out of that first torture house? There’s probably some moment where Light is honest and says what being Kira almost cost him, and then tells Arya to not be like him. And then she isn’t.

L is upset by how damaged Arya now is, of course. And that he let it happen. “I can’t believe our daughter is nine and already a murderer--and that she enjoys it--...but she only did what she had to do to survive. And I am glad she found a way to survive.”

Light: “You have to admit that you seem to be attracted to murderers, and vice versa. Maybe it’s only natural that this happened... And you have to realize that she got her affinity for changing names now from you, right?”

Some other things just off the top of my head: Light and L don’t think Gendry is good enough for Arya (until he makes her a sword? Then they sort of get it). Before then, they at least got her crush on Jaqen--if murder apparently interested her, as it would an honorable Wammy’s kid--but who was this Gendry fellow? And what kind of name was Gendry, anyway?

Sachiko loves Arya, because of course she would. Soichiro is somewhat afraid of what a child of Light and L will be like (he knows that his son was Kira), but is choosing to be hopeful and put all of his eggs into one basket, anyway. Sayu and Arya don’t get along that well (probably because of the tomboy and girly-girl thing. But they do try to be civil). And Matsuda is constantly thinking Arya’s going to be Kira 2.0, because he doesn’t want to be blindsided/betrayed again, but doesn’t say anything... But L, Light, and Arya all know Matsuda fears her, and probably laugh about it after their dinners together.

Though a part of L wants Arya to follow the “family business” and become a detective, he’s also open to any of her dreams. Arya decides she wants to travel some. That maybe she’ll be the first person to figure out what’s up with the Bermuda Triangle, and he thinks that that’s a beautiful thing. And he can’t say anything about her potentially wanting to risk her life to do it, because he risks his life for his line of work all the time, too. But eventually Arya does come home, and does probably become a detective like her parents.

The three probably have a lot of fun family outings, like to bakeries for one thing. And maybe Alaska? L is from Britain, so he’s used to the cold. And I headcanon that this Arya likes the cold, even without being from Winterfell. So one time they visit there to look at wolves or something... and enjoy not having to pay taxes (even though L doesn’t even have to worry about it. Because he’s so rich) while they’re there... This was not Light’s favorite trip, but they still got a lot of cute pictures together, with wool coats and stuff. IDK.

Edit: So, in the books, there’s this scene where Arya is put in a dress and Gendry just bursts out laughing. Because it isn’t her. That scene probably still happens. And Light and L are probably there, too, and also laugh (maybe it’s a moment where Light and L finally get the Gendry thing), because they all know it isn’t her.

Edit 2: I forgot to mention that even though Arya is a quiet introvert, somewhat (like L). She’s also very charismatic (people always love her) and a good leader (like Light).

Edit 3: Arya totally gets to the point where she can beat Light and L in fights, of course... and most people.

#long post #lawlight #I've just gone nuts. ignore me

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nightqueendany · 5 years

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Original Final Season 7 - Episode 4: Dragonglass

It’s Tuesday again...

ON DRAGONSTONE:

Jon/Dany visit the caves - now having been cleared out of the dragonglass, Jon wants to show Dany the COTF markings, their attraction for each other becomes more clear in this scene and Dany is more sure of Jon telling the truth about the Night King and Army of the Dead

Dany asks Missandei if any of the 19 languages she speaks use a symbol-system for their written language, Missandei replies yes, a few, so Dany then tasks her with copying down some of the symbols from the dragonglass cave, perhaps she can decipher some of the ruin symbols

Sometime while alone in the cave, Missandei and Grey Worm have sex, AKA Greyssandei cavesex

Team Stark/Targaryen discuss the dragonglass, that while the amount of it is much needed, they have no weapon smith skilled enough to work it

Dany agrees to have Yara and Theon ferry all they’ve mined to White Harbor/the North (This is Theon’s idea but Jon supports it - secretly, Theon is anxious to see Sansa again so this is his excuse)

- In exchange for sending the Greyjoys North with the dragonglass, Jon agrees to send the Northern forces (Northmen, Knights of the Vale, Riverlands) south to assist with the blockade of King’s Landing - no formal alliance has been made yet, but they want to show a united front against Cersei, the sooner they take out Cersei, the sooner everyone can face the threat of the White Walkers

Davos says he knows of a weapon smith who might be able to work the dragonglass, but he’ll need to go to King’s Landing, knows how to smuggle himself in

Tyrion opts to go with Davos to King’s Landing as representative of the Queen

As Yara and Theon are about to leave, Yara basically encourages Dany to “tap that” (Jon) while Davos and Tyrion are away in King’s Landing, Dany needs to secure the North formally, and seducing Jon into marriage is the most efficient way to do it but Dany isn’t so sure (as she’s secretly falling for him anyway)

Ellaria and Olenna depart Dragonstone as well, to prepare for the siege of King’s Landing

Melisandre begins to finally push her agenda on Dany, to convert many in Westeros to the religion of R’hllor, Dany is open to the idea of erecting a center where the Sept once stood that is open to those of all religions and inviting more red priests to Westeros to practice their faith

Varys is none too pleased with this and his irritation with Dany/Mel puts him into a gossipy mood

When Baelish inquires after the fact that Dany has no children from her previous relationships, Varys confirms she’s barren, and this is music to Baelish’s ears - even married, Jon and Dany would have to name a successor because Dany can’t birth one and the most prominent name on the list of potentials would be Sansa, who is already Jon’s heir for the Northern crown

Varys quickly guesses Baelish’s scheme but for once, isn’t opposed to his former friend’s plot to get Sansa on the throne (he’s more intrigued than anything), he fears Melisandre and her magic, that her influence over Dany and Jon will lead to much trouble later on

To push Varys finally over to his side permanently, Baelish points out Dany’s house words will always be “Fire and Blood” and that if it were between her and Baelish, she would be the real “Queen of the Ashes” - a tip off to Varys that Baelish knew of his/Olenna’s S3 conversation when Varys first said Baelish would “see the country burn to be King of the Ashes”

At Varys’ slightly troubled/embarrassed look, Baelish reminds Varys he had eyes and ears all over King’s Landing, and still does...

At Jon and Dany’s urging (they both hate him and don’t entirely trust him) Baelish reluctantly leaves Dragonstone also, he’s to meet the KOTV and other northern forces when they reach the capital, Varys accompanies him

IN WINTERFELL:

Bran and Arya have formed a deep bond in their short time together, Bran sharing with Arya all he knows of his powers and he mentions his powers aren’t exclusive to his being the 3ER - that some of them are because he is a Stark, and that Arya is a Stark as well - Arya scoffs at what Bran is implying but Bran just utters something mysterious and vague that Arya can’t argue with

At Jon’s news and Bran��s urging, Arya is to go to the Riverlands to deliver the message personally to Edmure about sending troops to King’s Landing

Arya is hesitant to leave Winterfell, but Bran tells her something that makes her want to go - the things she asked Bran to look into, she’ll find in King’s Landing/her journey to, and Bran knows just where she needs to look...

Sansa doesn’t want Arya to leave, all her family is leaving Winterfell again (like Season 1), she worries none of them will come back, they’re “the last of the Starks”, but Arya insists they will all be back, there’s just a few things she’s left behind, Brienne will train Sansa in Arya’s stead and Arya quips that Sansa will be better than her by the time she gets back

Northern forces leave Winterfell

Arya leaves Winterfell

IN KING’S LANDING:

Davos and Tyrion come across Gendry and Davos gives him a sample of the dragonglass, Gendry says the material is tricky, but he should be able to work with it

The trio prepare to leave King’s Landing but Davos senses a storm coming in, they’ll have to wait in the city a few days and lay low in Gendry’s shop - Davos/Tyrion send a raven to Dragonstone saying where they are and that they’ve succeeded in finding the weapon smith

Title is simply for the substance driving the plot this entire episode - the Dragonglass. It’s what takes Theon North (toward Sansa), what urges Davos to find Gendry, and what brings Jon and Dany closer together/what makes Dany more sure of Jon’s telling the truth about the AOTD.

Episode 4 Inside the Episode: Dragonglass

1) Baelish and Varys:

Inarguably, the second-worst subplot of the entirety of Season 7 was the Winterfell plot (the first being the Wight Hunt). It was unnecessary and ridiculous. This is when the mischaracterization of the Starks began. Arya and Sansa would not be at odds with each other upon reuniting and we all know it, even with Baelish in the picture. Sansa tells Jon in 6x10, “only a fool would trust Littlefinger” and yet she does so throughout most of S7, being the fool she had already warned Jon against. Remember what I said in the preface post about things being easily “undone” or forgotten entirely? Seems Sansa forgot to be wary of Baelish in show canon.

Also, I most definitely think we were owed one more encounter between Varys and Baelish. By killing Baelish off when the show did, it significantly simplified both their potential plots for Season 7 (and 8) because neither had anyone to spar with, as they had in previous seasons. Baelish’s “sparring partners” became Sansa and Arya and Varys’ became Tyrion, both unsuccessfully.

Further proof that Baelish and Varys were supposed to “get the band back together” so to speak, is two of Varys’s lines/conversations with/about Baelish are echoed in each of the final two seasons. First, in 7x02 when Tyrion tells Dany she’s “not here to be Queen of the ashes”. As mentioned above, Varys told Olenna Tyrell that “[Littlefinger] would see this country burn if he could be King of the Ashes,” (3x04) - it’s the exact same phrase and Varys is present when Tyrion says this to Dany in 7x02.

Next, in 8x04, Varys and Tyrion talk about “the realm”. Varys reminds Tyrion he “serves the realm” and Tyrion asks “what is the realm.” Varys has a very similar conversation with Baelish in 3x06 (Baelish’s infamous “Chaos is a ladder” speech).

These two lines/conversations, I think, are absolutely not a coincidence and further point to a previous plot/script whose lines and scenes are hidden just beneath the ones we watched. Baelish’s presence is felt in these scenes with Varys, but he’s not actually there. Having Baelish around this time gives the audience fulfillment that canon did not.

And as we’ve never seen them on the same side before, it would make for interesting conflict to see them team up against Dany.

Varys is uncomfortable with Melisandre and her magic and this needs to be paid off. As I stated last episode, it was set up and then never done anything with. It makes way more sense for Varys to part ways with Dany over this and have a payoff for it, than him turning on Dany for Jon when he doesn’t even know Jon.

Baelish pushing Varys into this is also the natural progression of things as Baelish will manipulate anyone in order to get what he wants: he and Sansa on the Iron Throne, ruling Westeros. Varys knew Sansa from when she was a little girl in King’s Landing and admits he admired her father. Varys supporting Sansa over say Jon, would make more sense.

2) Missandei attempting to translate the COTF cave markings:

I know it seems weird guys. But hear me out. It gives Missandei a PURPOSE this season, gives her a job, an important one, and it uses her skillsets in regards to the endgame of the series: defeating the Army of the Dead. These ruins were heavily emphasized in 7x04 and the symbols even made it all the way into 8x01 with the Night King’s lovely art installation piece of Ned Umber on the wall with a bunch of body parts. These symbols NEED to be figured out. And I’m all for my girl Missandei getting to flex a little.

Plus, Missandei went to the cave with Jon, Dany, and Davos in show canon. Why not, uhh, idk, have her take a look and give her opinion on what they could possibly mean?? You know, just stating the obvious here, don’t mind me!

3) Gendry

Doy, another no-brainer. Aside from fucking and getting rejected by Arya, Gendry’s S8 story was about fashioning dragonglass weapons, but he was pulled into the 7x06 “Suicide Squad” for idiotic reasons.

Having Davos seek him out to work the dragonglass solves two problems: a) It explains how and why Gendry becomes the head weapon maker with the dragonglass at Winterfell in show canon, and b) gives Davos a REAL reason to seek him out, rather than, oh yeah, I liked this kid, gonna go see if he’s alive and around anywhere. Cuz that was just dumb and nonsensical.

4) Lastly Arya leaving Winterfell after arriving so soon...?

I know this may seem strange as well. But in this context, Arya isn’t leaving Winterfell permanently. Which was just dumb after she fought so hard to get back home and fought so hard for her home. It also gives her her own journey, not just sitting around Winterfell waiting for Jon to get back with Daenerys and waiting for the dead to come. As to what Arya’s going to find in King’s Landing/on her journey there, you’ve probably already guessed. And as for Bran’s hints that Arya’s got similar powers to him...you’ve also probably already guessed what these might be.

Aaaaand that’s it for Episode 4. As always, you guys can comment on these and tell me what you think, ask questions etc. It’s allowed. Don’t be shy. Especially since this is the episode that probably is the greatest divergence from canon yet, I’d love to hear your guys opinions.

Original Final Season 7: Preface Post

Season 7 Episode 1: Family, Duty, Honor

Season 7 Episode 2: Greywater Watch

Season 7 Episode 3: The Last of the Dragons

Season 7 Episode 4: Dragonglass (Current Episode)

Season 7 Episode 5: The Storm

Season 7 Episode 6: Summerhall

Season 7 Episode 7: A City Fit For A King

Season 7 Episode 8: Protectors of the Realm

Season 7 Episode 9: The Battle For The Dawn

Season 7 Episode 10: ?

#game of thrones #anti got #anti D&D #original final season 7 of game of thrones #jon snow #daenerys targaryen #melisandre #varys #petyr baelish #Arya Stark #bran stark #Sansa Stark #Gendry Waters #Theon Greyjoy #missandei #grey worm

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mysterioushedgehog · 5 years

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Awesome close read of bookJaime/bookBrienne relationship.

https://www.reddit.com/r/asoiaf/comments/1dl37d/spoilers_all_brienne_and_jaime_an_indepth/

V. Knights in Shining Armor

The previous post in this series demonstrated how Brienne's relationship to Jaime subverts the typical male/female relationship in Westeros. Jaime gave Brienne a sword and a fight instead of roses and kisses. For Brienne, there's much symbolic importance in Jaime's gift of Oathkeeper. It represents a chance for her to redeem herself and Jaime's honor. More importantly, the sword grants her the ability be self-sufficient instead of relying on male gallantry to accomplish her goals (as most women are forced to do).

Another way their relationship subverts gender roles is that Brienne and Jaime have taken turns playing the rescuing knight and maiden to be rescued. At first, the references to traditional gender roles are mostly ironic:

Armed men lined both sides of the brook... “Well met, friends,” [Jaime] called to them amiably. “My pardons if I disturbed you. You caught me chastising my wife.”

“Seemed to me she was doing the chastising.” (ASOS 21/Jaime III)

Later:

After the second time he fell from the saddle, they bound him tight to Brienne of Tarth and made them share a horse again. One day...they bound them face-to-face. “The lovers,” Shagwell sighed loudly, “and what a lovely sight they are. ‘Twould be cruel to separate the good knight and his lady....Ah, but which one is the knight and which one is the lady?” (ASOS 31/Jaime IV)

And:

The eyelid was swollen, but Jaime found he could force it open halfway. Qyburn’s face loomed above. “How did you come by this one?” the maester asked.

“A wench’s gift.”

“Rough wooing, my lord?”

“This wench is bigger than me and uglier than you. You’d best see to her as well. She’s still limping on the leg I pricked when we fought.”

“I will ask after her. What is this woman to you?”

“My protector.” Jaime had to laugh, no matter how it hurt. (ASOS 31/Jaime IV)

Then Jaime does take on the chivalric role of male protector by preventing Brienne from being raped by the Bloody Mummers (ASOS 31/Jaime IV) and rescuing her from the bear in the pit (ASOS 44/Jaime VI). But what distinguishes Brienne and Jaime's relationship from the knight/maiden trope is that they are essentially equal. They've each in turn assumed the role of rescuer and rescued: Brienne saved Jaime from being recaptured by the Starks. Jaime prevented Brienne from being raped. Brienne kept Jaime's spirits up after he lost his hand. Jaime rescued Brienne from the bear pit. Brienne goes off to redeem Jaime's honor. This basic equality was evident when each (amuthingly) kept trying to protect the other in the bear pit:

“What are you doing here?”

“Something stupid. Get behind me.” He circled toward her, putting himself between Brienne and the bear.

“You get behind. I have the sword.”

“A sword with no point and no edge. Get behind me!” (ASOS 44/Jaime VI)

Afterwards, Jaime again ironically casts himself as Brienne's hero, but without the nasty edge:

“Her name is Brienne,” Jaime said. “Brienne, the maid of Tarth. You are still maiden, I hope?”

Her broad homely face turned red. “Yes.”

“Oh, good,” Jaime said. “I only rescue maidens.” (ASOS 44/Jaime VI)

There's always been some mockery mixed in with Jaime's 'flirting'. He behaved similarly to Catelyn Stark while he was a prisoner of war. But at a certain point, he starts to actually care about what Brienne thinks of him. Jaime became aroused in the Harrenhal baths when he saw Brienne naked, though he dismisses it as evidence that he's been celibate too long (ASOS 37/Jaime V). He then tells her his greatest secret though he's not sure why ("Why am I telling this absurd ugly child?" ASOS 37/Jaime V). After he tells Brienne about Aerys's plans to burn down King's Landing with wildfire:

The wench looked ridiculous, clutching her towel to her meager teats with her thick white legs sticking out beneath. “Has my tale turned you speechless? Come, curse me or kiss me or call me a liar. Something.” (ASOS 37/Jaime V)

After that moment of honesty and intimacy (Jaime bares pretty much everything to Brienne) in the bathhouse, he starts to suppress his urge to be mean to her (ASOS 44/Jaime VI). When Brienne learns about the Red Wedding, "She looked so miserable that Jaime almost found himself wanting to comfort her." (ASOS 62/Jaime VII). He even compliments her appearance at one point:

“Blue is a good color on you, my lady,” Jaime observed. “It goes well with your eyes.” She does have astonishing eyes. (ASOS 72/Jaime IX)

To be clear: this isn't simply a case of 'shipping Brienne and Jaime. I think their changing relationship is significant for their character development. Brienne's growing regard for Jaime, a disgraced knight, echoes her disillusionment with knighthood. Jaime's growing regard for Brienne, a naive idealist, has changed his attitude towards knighthood in a positive direction.

Just as he used to defend Cersei from rude remarks, he chivalrously defended Brienne from Ser Ronnet:

Jaime’s golden hand cracked him across the mouth so hard the other knight went stumbling down the steps. His lantern fell and smashed, and the oil spread out, burning. “You are speaking of a highborn lady, ser. Call her by her name. Call her Brienne.” (AFFC 27/Jaime III)

Jaime is so disgusted by Ser Ronnet that he "charged Red Ronnet with the task of delivering Wylis Manderly to Maidenpool, so he would not need to look on him henceforth" (AFFC 30/Jaime IV).

Contrast the above to the deterioration of Jaime's feelings toward Cersei. Back at the beginning of their journey, Jaime defended Cersei against Brienne ("'You will be courteous as concerns Cersei, wench,' he warned her" ASOS 1/Jaime I). But in the Harrenhal baths, Jaime compares her favorably to Cersei "Brienne caught him before he could fall. Her arm was all gooseflesh...but she was strong, and gentler than he would have thought. Gentler than Cersei," (ASOS 37/Jaime V). Unlike Cersei, Jaime can rely on Brienne, who is kinder and more selfless. Their relationship is far less one-sided.

VI. Warrior, Maid, Strangers

In AFFC, Jaime becomes increasingly disenchanted with his beautiful twin. He's still physically attracted to her, but realizes what a terrible person she is:

Of late, Cersei always seemed to have a flagon of wine to hand, she who had once scorned Robert Baratheon for his drinking. He misliked that, but these days he seemed to mislike everything his sister did (AFFC 16/Jaime II)

Besides comparing her unflatteringly to King Robert, he also compares her to King Aery when she watches the Tower of the Hand burn:

The green light of the wildfire had bathed the face of the watchers, so they looked like nothing so much as rotting corpses, a pack of gleeful ghouls, but some of the corpses were prettier than others. Even in the baleful glow, Cersei had been beautiful to look upon (AFFC 16/Jaime II)

And:

Cersei had never taken kindly to being balked, he knew that. Softer words might have swayed her, yet of late the very sight of her made him angry. (AFFC 27/Jaime III)

Maybe falling out of love with Cersei was inevitable. Jaime's journey with Brienne has changed him so much that even self-absorbed Cersei has noticed:

"...What did they do to you?”

“They cut off my hand.”

“No, it’s more, you’re changed.” (ASOS 62/Jaime VII)

Jaime himself feels like a different man. He's lost everything that made him who he is:

...Half the court no longer seemed to know him. I am a stranger in my own House. His son was dead, his father had disowned him, and his sister... she had not allowed him to be alone with her once, after that first day in the royal sept where Joffrey lay amongst the candles. (ASOS 67/Jaime)

The cooling of Jaime's relationship with Cersei is connected to the evolution of his relationship to Brienne. Her idealism about knighthood has actually rubbed off on the cynical Jaime--a change that irritates the hell out of Cersei, who is more interested in having a co-conspirator than a hero by her side:

[Jaime] Once a man puts on that cloak, it changes him.”

[Cersei] “It certainly changed you, and not for the better.” (AFFC 12/Cersei III)

The twins have become estranged from each other. Remember that Jaime joined the Kingsguard for Cersei, that he tried to kill an innocent child for Cersei. Now he is a stranger to her:

He was your twin, your shadow, your other half, ...Once, perhap...No longer. He has become a stranger to me. (AFFC 12/Cersei III)

And she has become a stranger to him:

I thought that I was the Warrior and Cersei was the Maid, but all the time she was the Stranger, hiding her true face from my gaze. (AFFC 30/Jaime IV)

Embracing knighthood has distanced Jaime not only from Cersei, but from his father as well. Jaime rejected Tywin's offer of Casterly Rock and Lady Margarey's hand in marriage. Astonishingly, the notorious oathbreaker and kingslayer asserted the priority of his vows as a knight and Lord Commander of the Kingsguard even over loyalty to his House:

“I am a knight of the Kingsguard. The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard! And that’s all I mean to be!” (ASOS 62/Jaime VII)

This is a significant change. When Roland Crakehall found Jaime standing over Aerys's body, "[h]e had not seemed surprised to find Aerys slain; Jaime had been Lord Tywin’s son long before he had been named to the Kingsguard" (ASOS 11/Jaime II). In AGOT, Jaime thought it was more important to avenge Tyrion than it was to remain at his post as kingsguard. Now Jaime prioritizes his duties as Kingsguard over his family duties.

Later, Cersei attempts to seduce him in the White Tower and he rebuffs her advances, telling her he won't have sex with her in that particular place (ASOS 72/Jaime IX). This is interesting since he had no problem violating the sanctity of a sept and his own son's wake in order to fuck his sister. Yet he refuses to do the same in the Lord Commander's apartment. Jaime is taking his position as Kingsguard very seriously.

(Continued in the comments)

#braime

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nomnomzombies · 5 years

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8x04, Identity and Accountability

> Part 2 <

This started off as me writing a general analysis of last night’s episode but it got really long, really quickly and I haven’t even talked about what I really wanted to talk about. So.... Yeah, here’s my ted talk, and if you guys think I should type up and post the rest of it (themes being Narrative Symmetry/Full Circle and the Sansa/Dan dynamic) let me know! Otherwise, here’s two of four.... Identity and Accountability in relation to Jon, Dan, Cersei, and Missandei.

Wolf and Dragon symbolism and the theme of Identity

GHOST IS ALIVE!! We kinda knew that from the previews. And his role is just as minuscule as the rest of the season. After everything, Ghost looks like he’s in rough shape.... cut and bruised, missing an ear. And Jon releases Ghost without so much as a fucking good boy goodbye (still not fucking over it. WORST DOG DAD EVER), saying that “he belongs in the North.” We know that the direwolves are direct symbol of their respective owners’ Stark identities, and the direwolves have had deep symbolism in respect to their fates and the fates of their owners. Ghost’s sorry state after the battle shows the state of Jon’s security in his identity. Ghost is alive, Jon is still a Stark, but he’s grappling with the RLJ reveal and his relationship to his Stark identity. Rhaegal is the embodiment of his Targaryen ancestry, and is in sorry shape after the battle as well. Considering both of these animals are directly tied to Jon, Rhaegal not being given time to heal after the battle (because of Dan) may also be an allusion to Dan being relentless about Jon’s heritage and unwilling to compromise. Jon releasing Ghost to go north with Tormund while following Dan south, along with Rhaegal, may seem like he’s choosing his Targaryen heritage over his Stark upbringing, but it’s important to note, however, that Jon is not riding Rhaegal. He mentions that Rhaegal is injured and isn’t riding him to give him a break. There’s distance between him and his Targaryen heritage, and there’s distance between him and Dan following RLJ and “begging for secrecy.” Instead, he’s firmly planted on the ground with the tired and wounded Northern troops who are following him south.

Dan, on the other hand, is still riding Drogon even though he was assaulted by wights.

Ever since it was established that she could ride a dragon rather than a horse, she’s opted to (with the exception of when she came to Winterfell with Jon). Her relationship to the dragons has always been a symbol of her power. Not only does she draw her power and confidence from them, but the simple fact of her riding a fucking dragon elevates her to a higher status in the eyes of her subjects. Eerily similar to James Cameron’s Avatar (right down to mighty whitey and the white saviour trope), Jake Sully becomes the leader of the Na’vi against the militarized industrial complex by harnessing toruk and becoming the legendary Toruk Makto (toruk rider). Dan becomes the leader of the Dothraki horselords by overthrowing the current seats of power and riding her mount into battle (dragon rider), leading the charge against her enemies. She garnered the Unsullied by leveraging her dragons value before sacking Astapor. Much like Cersei has connected the throne and her ego as symbols of self-worth, as has Dan connected the symbol of “the dragon” as representations of hers. This could be the reason that the s8 marketing has melded Drogon and the throne together as one image. Both are the battling queens’ symbols of power and identity. This could also be alluding to the fact that Dan has completely lost sight of her initial goals in life and has melded the two (dragon, throne) in her mind in terms of her identity. Many people believe that the season 8 poster is a breadcrumb to something as straightforward as “Dany will win the throne” or “Drogon will melt the throne,” but considering the last season’s poster was an image of the Night King, and the entire season was in preparation for the threat of the AotD, I think it’s far more likely that the poster symbolized that this season’s biggest threat is going to be Dany’s ambition for the throne. She is, after all, “the last dragon,” in that Jon and Gendry are two others with Targaryen ancestry but Dan is the last full-blooded Targaryen (Interestingly, Dan is the great-great-granddaughter of Aegon V Targaryen, which puts her at the same distance from Aegon V as Gendry. This would mean that she’s behind both Jon and Gendry for the throne, considering the Targaryens were usurped and legitimizing Gendry would make him Heir to Robert’s throne, and then Jon, and then Daenerys).

Daenerys’ decision to not only march south on the metaphorical backs of a compromised host, but on the literal back of her wounded dragon is very telling of her current mental and emotional state following the RLJ parentage reveal. Which leads me to my next overarching theme of the episode:

Actions Finally have Consequences Again

People have said for a long time that the allure of Game of Thrones is that “it’s so realistic.” And, on a surface level, it’s easy to agree with it for a variety of reasons, but once you start to really pick it apart, the arguments don’t really hold up in court. While ASoIaF is incredibly rooted in real-world history, Game of Thrones has become untethered from this sense of reality. I think that a huge part of the story that the writers have lost sight of is accountability—and in this episode, we’re finally starting to see, once again, that even in this high fantasy actions still have consequences. Ned made the decision to confront Cersei about her childrens’ legitimacy out of honor and respect, while incredibly well-intended, he failed to follow through and ended up beheaded. Robb made the decision to break an oath and married for love, and he lead thousands of men into their graves for it. Theon chooses to betray the Starks and was tortured in mind, body, and soul. Jon brings the free folk south of the wall and is faced with a mutiny. Stannis burns his daughter at the stake and half of his host deserts. Cersei elevates the High Sparrow and suddenly reaps half of her life’s worth of sowing.

While Dan managed to make it through her entire Mereen arc escaping accountability for her actions, those sown seeds are making for an awful harvest. She was able to leverage power and ruthlessness to bulldoze those cities into the ground, and maneuvered her way into her crown by inserting herself into the master/slave dynamic, but she’s stagnating because the game in Westeros is not one where she can just flip the table; in order to change the system you must first infiltrate it. Daenerys believes that she can come over, touting “birthright” from a monarch that was overthrown, and show people that she’s “The Liberator” the “Breaker of Chains.” But with neither chains to break nor people to liberate... how do you get these people to love you..?

Doesn’t matter to Dan! Much like Cersei, she’s happy as long as they fear her;

as seen with the burning of the Tarleys (Randyll definitely had it coming, but Dickon?) and the less than warm welcome in the North (and the return of the “saviour” complex).

Speaking of the Tarleys.... I bet Dan’s wishing she’d had a hostage to trade for Missandei. While it’s hard to say if the execution of Mis was unavoidable, it cannot be ignored that Dan declared no quarter after the Loot Train Attack and chose to burn Cersei’s new Warden of the South and his heir. So even if Missandei’s beheading was more psychological warfare than political, the importance of taking at least one Tarley hostage is paramount. This brings us back to The War of the Five Kings, and the consequences of Joffrey’s decision to behead Ned. There’s parallels on both sides, now, because executing Missandei was likely just as foolhardy as executing Ned since we know how important she is to Dan. Cersei, however, probably saw Missandei as little more than a scribe... just one of Dan’s puzzle pieces and as expendable as the Tarley’s were to her.

As a result, the first person to be liberated by the Breaker of Chains has just died in chains.

Missandei’s last words are a call back to Olenna Tyrell’s “You are a dragon, so be a dragon,” because Mis essentially prods Dan to “burn it all down” in one word. Which brings up an interesting point, in that Missandei gives awful advice. Let’s not forget that Mis was the one who suggested that Daenerys start ignoring her counsellors all the way back in season 4—and it parallels Olenna nicely because neither Mis nor Olenna were concerned with the outcomes of “burning it all down.” Both allied themselves with Dan because they saw that brutality as a very satisfying route to retribution for their pain. Dany indiscriminately burns and crucifies everyone but the slaves. It’s not hard to see why Mis and Olenna are attracted to her brand of power, especially when neither of them are going to have to face the consequences of Daenerys’ actions. Olenna’s already lost everything, and Missandei already knew she was getting her head cut off. So why not tell the dragon lady to burn it all down?

#got spoilers #got s8 #got 8x04 #8x04 #analysis #meta #my meta #dark dany #mad queen dany #anti dany #anti daenerys #jon snow #cersei lannister #rhaegal #ghost #missandei

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whitecrossgirl · 5 years

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Off Limits

AN: So I wanted to put a bit of a spin on the best friend’s sibling AU where instead of Tyrion and Brienne being friends first, she’s friends with Cersei first; Cersei may seem OOC but I’m also trying to do a modern, non-incest, mentally stable version of her. I hope you like it.

Best Friend’s Sibling AU

On the surface, they seemed like two of the least likely people to get along, never mind become friends. They were total and complete opposites; Cersei was loud, confident and more focused on partying and clubbing rather than her university studies. Brienne was quiet, shy and studious, more interested in pre-reading for the next lecture than pre-drinking for a night out. It seemed like the universe’s cruel idea of a joke; sticking them as the only two girls in a student halls flat with four boys. Outnumbered by two to one; they realised that they had to stick together.

As time passed, the two young women managed to get along. They banded together to make sure the boys; Jon, Tormund, Loras and Podrick did their share of the cleaning, taking out trash and dishes. Brienne helped to look after Cersei on the nights she got too drunk to take herself home. Cersei’s tough no-bullshit attitude meant that the bullying Brienne had had to deal with was non-existent. They bonded over hangovers, assignment stress and lazy days watching movies. Both of them had struggled to make friends in the past and still carried pain over losing their mothers at a young age; so having a friend who felt like a true friend was a comfort to them both.

Until Cersei’s brother Jaime came to their university in Kings Landing from his in Riverrun to celebrate their birthday together. After all, there was one cardinal rule between friendship and siblings.

A friend’s sibling was off limits.

Rules were also made to be broken.

“I need you to promise me something,” Cersei said as she curled Brienne’s hair in front of the mirror. They were getting ready to go out that night as part of Cersei’s birthday and Brienne was trying to mix her a drink without moving too much; a talent she had mastered after nearly two months of university.

“Make sure you don’t go home with Euron again?” Brienne suggested with a smile as she set the vodka and lemonade on the dresser. Cersei smirked as she took a drink. Euron had just been her Fresher’s Week fling who still thought he stood a chance with her. It wasn’t her fault that he caught feelings.

“It’s not that, it’s about Jaime.” Cersei said and Brienne shot her a puzzled expression in the mirror.

“What about him?” Brienne asked. She had spoken to Jaime before, when he would FaceTime Cersei but she had only met him for the first time today. He seemed to be likeable enough; fairly similar to Cersei; confident, loud and clearly eager to hit the nightclubs in the Capital.

“Promise me that you won’t flirt with him or get off with him.” Cersei said as she sprayed Brienne with hairspray. “I know that sounds like a weird thing to say but this always used to happen. Girls would claim to be my friend or want to hang out or invite me out; just to try and get close to him. I’m not saying to not speak to him; just, don’t shag him.”

“I wasn’t planning to,” Brienne retorted. She knew that it was one of the sore spots Cersei tried to hide, especially with the bitchy, ice-queen persona she adapted most of the time; the part of her that was insecure, insecure about her looks, her studies, her life; the insecurities predominantly caused from being raised by Tywin Lannister (who by the sounds of it demanded perfection and nothing less from his children.) “I don’t even think he’s my type anyway.”

“The two of you would definitely be good friends; he’s a History nerd like you, plus he listens to Oathkeeper and watches that dumb Clash of Crowns show that you marathon on days off.” Cersei said as she put the curling wand away and picked up her makeup kit.

“Oh no you don’t, I said you could do my hair. Not the make up.” Brienne said; that was where she drew the line. The last time Cersei tried to do her make up, Brienne swore she looked like a drag queen. Cersei pouted before taking another drink and turning back to the mirror.

Brienne’s promise to stay away from Jaime lasted all of five hours. In that time, they had gone to one of their favourite clubs in the city; one that was both close enough to walk to and was cheap enough for students. The music had been incredible and the three of them had spent the night drinking, laughing and messing about on the dancefloor. By the time it was closing time and the DJ was playing his third final song; Brienne saw Cersei walking out of the door, hand in hand with a Dornish guy Brienne vaguely recognised from the fifth floor of the student halls; leaving her alone with Jaime.

“Where’s she gone?” Jaime yelled in between chants for one more song and bouncers trying to shepherd the crowd out.

“She’s with some lad!” Brienne called back as they squeezed through the crowd onto the street. “He lives in halls too, she’ll be fine.”

After getting some food from a quickly filling chip shop and spending fifteen minutes looking for a taxi; Jaime and Brienne decided to walk back to the halls together. As they walked, the cold air seemed to begin to help sober them up slightly, although Brienne did have to stop Jaime from stumbling into a hedge at least twice before they got back to the student halls. As they walked inside, the unmistakable sounds from Cersei’s room made Jaime groan in frustration and cover his ears.

“Urgh, I did not need to hear that.” Jaime complained before remembering something obvious. “Shit; I was meant to sleep in there tonight.”

“Look, my room’s furthest away from her bedroom. Hers is next to the kitchen and that wall is as thin as paper. You can crash in there if you want.” Brienne offered and Jaime nodded; his hands still clasped over his heads; although it did little to block out the sounds he was hearing.

There were just some things that siblings shouldn’t hear.

“Thanks,” Jaime said as he walked into Brienne’s room and sat at her desk chair. Brienne pulled a bundle from the top of her wardrobe and handed it to him. “What’s this?”

“A sleeping bag,” Brienne said and pointed to the door next to the wardrobe. “There’s a bathroom in there if you need it.”

“Thank you,” Jaime said, quickly darting in and using it. Afterward, he unfurled the sleeping bag and tried to find a comfortable piece of floor. As he did, Jaime glanced around and spotted one of the posters on her wall. “No way, you listen to Oathkeeper too?”

“Yeah, I saw them in concert during the summer. It was amazing.” Brienne said from the bathroom.

“No way, I wanted to go but no one would go with me.” Jaime said. “Their song Sapphire Eyes, is like my favourite song.”

“Me too, that and Dreamed of You.” Brienne said as she emerged from the bathroom and Jaime glanced at her in her shortie pyjamas and felt his brain short circuit for a moment. He knew that she was tall but those legs. Finally, his brain re-engaged itself and began to work again.

“Same,” Jaime said, trying not to stare as Brienne lay on her bed and propped herself up by her elbow. “Thanks for letting me stay in here; I could have crashed in the kitchen.”

“Its fine. Like I said, the kitchen wall is stupidly thin and the chairs in there are more uncomfortable than the floor.” Brienne said as she reached behind her and tossed Jaime a pillow. “I take it, this wasn’t how you expected your birthday would end.”

“Crashing on a stranger’s floor? No, not really. No offence.” Jaime said, still trying to not focus on the thin strap that was slipping slightly off of her shoulder. Bad thoughts. Brienne was a kind person, his sister’s best friend and he had made a promise.

“None taken.” Brienne said as they heard a door slamming and loud jeering and comments being made. “Hang on a second.”

Jaime watched as she slid off her bed and walked to the door. He could assume by the noises that the rest of her flatmates were home and clearly more drunk than any of them. However, it seemed that all it took was a few short, sharp words from Brienne and a series of slamming doors had sent them all to their beds. As Brienne shut and locked the door, Jaime smiled at her.

“So you do run this flat?” Jaime teased and Brienne smiled slightly.

“Someone has to.” Brienne replied. “Then again, it’s probably only because I’m the sober one.”

“Me too; I’m not drunk anymore and I’m not even tired anymore.” Jaime said as Brienne switched on some fairy lights and turned off the main light; giving the room a soft glow.

“Are you comfortable down there?” Brienne asked and Jaime smiled.

“I’m fine. Just not tired.” Jaime replied as Brienne reached for her laptop. “What are you doing?”

“If I can’t sleep, I usually put on a movie or Clash of Crowns; it helps me sleep.” Brienne explained as Jaime sat up.

“You watch Clash of Crowns too? Who’s your favourite character?” Jaime asked quickly. “Your answer will decide my judgement of you.”

“Thanks,” Brienne laughed. “It’s either Gwendella or Ser Nikolas and I seriously ship it; so if you prefer Nikolas and Cerena; you can sleep in the hall.”

“Alright this is getting weird. Same taste in music, same favourite TV show, same favourite characters in that show. Are you sure that you’re not actually my twin?” Jaime quipped as Brienne rolled her eyes.

“I’m sure. Do you have an episode preference?” Brienne asked and Jaime shook his head. Reckless confidence made Jaime get out of the sleeping bag and sit up on her bed, draping a blanket around his shoulders as she started the most recent episode she had been up to. As they watched the show, both of them were half paying attention to it; half trying to ignore how they felt for the person sitting on the bed beside them. They had so much in common and had had such a fun night out. It felt like now, they were just trying to put off the inevitable. Both of them could feel the attraction and tension between them but neither was brave enough to do anything about it.

“I forgot that he gives her the sword in this episode,” Jaime said quietly. He had been a firm shipper of the two of them from the start. It was obvious to him that the two characters were either in love or going to fall in love. Even if the majority of the fandom disagreed and claimed that Ser Nikolas was actually in love with Lady Cerena; which was total rubbish.

“They’re so in love. Hopefully in the next season they do something about it.” Brienne added. “I’ve been calling it since the bathtub scene.”

“Call me Nikolas,” Jaime quoted, slumping dramatically over Brienne’s lap; mimicking the end to the famous scene, where a poisoned Ser Nikolas collapses in Gwendella’s arms. Jaime made the mistake of looking up into Brienne’s eyes and swallowed quickly, sitting up straight again. “Sorry,”

“Don’t be,” Brienne replied quietly. The tension slipped again between them. They’d reached the inevitable. “I made a promise.”

“So did I, but to be honest; I didn’t know that we would have so much in common or that I’d like you so much. Because I do like you, a lot. And I know we made a promise but I know how I feel and I can feel this between us and,” Jaime was cut off by Brienne’s hand resting over his.

“I know, I really like you too.” Brienne admitted honestly. She’d never felt this way about anyone before and if she was honest, the fact that Jaime was off limits did add to his appeal. As she was certain she did for him.

“She’ll kill us, won’t she,” Jaime said finally, with an air of someone having accepted his fate.

“Most likely,”

“It would be worth it,”

“Maybe,”

“Let’s find out.” Jaime decided as he kissed her. Brienne hesitated before kissing him back. Brienne broke the kiss and smiled at him, feeling a sudden rush of confidence and recklessness.

“Since we’re already dead, we may as well earn that sentence.” Brienne suggested. Jaime laughed and kissed her again. Harder. Deeper.

If this was how he was to die; in the arms and bed of Brienne Tarth; well, then he would die a happy man.

Cersei smiled proudly at herself as she shut the front door behind the Dornish guy she had brought home. Not a bad conquest, if she said so herself. As she walked into the kitchen, her smile faltered at the sight of the messy kitchen. She had assumed that Jaime would have crashed in the kitchen last night. Cersei turned and walked down the hall to Brienne’s bedroom, deciding to ask her if she had seen Jaime and to have one of their post-night out sharing sessions.

“Have you seen Jai-“ Cersei began but trailed off at the sight of Brienne, wrapped in her dressing gown. However the dressing gown didn’t cover the several love bites that covered her neck and collarbone. Jaime was nowhere to be found in the flat and Brienne was covered in hickeys that she didn’t have the night before. “Are you fucking kidding me?!”

“Would it help if we said that we were sorry?” Brienne asked as Jaime walked up behind her, shirtless and wrapped his arms around her waist. Cersei looked at the two of them and shook her head with a wry laugh.

“You know what, I’m too hungover for this shit. I’m going back to bed. Do what you like but keep the noise down.” Cersei said finally.

“Why? You didn’t.” Jaime teased as Brienne playfully slapped his arm and Cersei flashed him a dangerous look before flipping him the bird and heading back to her room.

Normally, she would have gone mad at the fact her brother and best friend had broken the promise they had made her but this seemed different. Maybe it was the remnants of Sambuca and tequila she could still feel coursing in her veins but she actually thought there seemed to be more between the two of them than a one night stand. There was something in the way the two of them looked at one another, held onto each other, that seemed different. Clearly what had happened was more than just sex. Maybe it was the beginning of something special.

But Jaime was still going to pay for that last comment.

#game of thrones #fic #brienne of tarth #Jaime Lannister #Cersei Lannister #braime #jaime x brienne #best friend's sibling au

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justallamaimaginingthings · 5 years

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Against All Odds [Jaime Lannister x Stark!Reader]

Request: Hiya! I was wondering if I could request a Jaime Lannister x reader fic, I saw request were open! Could you do one where him and the reader meet at a ball or something and he’s attracted to her so whilst she’s at Kings Landing he tries to flirt and they fall in love etcetcetc but won’t admit it and one day out of jealousy Cersei has her guards beat the reader to warn her? Super angsty if possible and I’m sorry that was long I didn’t know how to put it into words! Lots of love! Xx

A/n: Jaime may have been a dick but he deserves better

Words 2,400 || GoT Masterlist

Being the eldest child of Ned Stark brought along an almost endless list of responsibilities. However you loved your house and most of all you loved your family. You had always been close with your father so when you were asked to follow him and your sisters to King’s Landing, you accepted even thought you didn’t like the thought of living in the South.

One of the things you despised the most was having to attend balls. You found no point in dressing up and having to withstand men trying to impress you by constantly talking about themselves.

“I swear to the Gods the next time another Lord tells me about how large his castle is I’ll jump off a window” you mumbled making your father chuckle and lightly scold you.

“Try not to insult anyone and maybe the next time we’ll figure out a way for you not to attend” he replied whispering. It wasn’t much, but even the possibility of missing one of those pretentious gatherings was enough to motivate you through this one. “The King wishes to talk to me, is it okay to leave you alone?”

“Father, I’m a grown woman, I can take care of myself”

“It’s not you I’m worried about” he said making you laugh. With that he headed to the royal table, leaving you almost hiding in the shadows in order to avoid any form of interaction. However your wishes were not met with reality when you heard the voice of no other than the infamous Jaime Lannister behind you.

“And what may a beautiful Lady like yourself be doing lurking in the shadows?” He asked softly making you want to roll your eyes at him “I bet half the Lords in this ballroom would kill for a dance with the Flower of the North” he continued

“Unfortunately you happen to be right my Lord” you replied trying not to sound too irritated by his presence.

“Unfortunately?” He seemed to be legitimately interested in what you meant so you decided to elaborate before you had the chance to think twice.

“That’s all they see in me. The only thing they consider me capable of is dancing and nodding along to their extravagant stories. Dance after dance after dance… That can’t be all there is to life” You regretted the words almost immediately as they left your mouth. This was Jaime Lannister you were talking to, for gods’ sake. “Excuse me that was uncalled for” you hurried to add before he had a chance to say anything.

“There’s nothing to apologize for, Lady Stark. I understand the way you feel. After all these balls are certainly not the best life has to offer, the Gods are not that cruel” he replied taking you by surprise.

“I take it I’m not the only one not enjoying myself as much as I’m supposed to” you thought out loud causing the Lannister to chuckle. Even if you’d never admit it out loud, it was nice hearing him laugh for the first time.

“Once again you are right, my Lady” he replied smirking. His presence was just as intense as people claimed it was, however you did not feel intimidated, just curious to find out more about the Lannister Lion.

“There’s no need for titles, please just Y/n”

“Well then, Y/n, I think there is a way we can help each other out of this situation. Come with me, and call me Jaime” he offered and even though every thinking cell inside your body screamed at you to turn around while you still could, you decided to give in to your curiosity and follow the Lannister. After all, you had to admit you liked the way your name sounded coming from him.

“I’m starting to think your intentions are not as innocent as I thought, leading a lady through such dark and isolated parts of the castle. Are you trying to seduce me, Ser Jaime?” you half joked half flirted as you were crossing an extremely dark corridor

“Depends, is it working?” he replied in the exact same tone causing a light laugh to escape your lips

You were ready to answer but you were interrupted by the view that appeared in front of you. It was the most beautiful although tiny garden you had ever come across with just a couple of trees standing in the middle. The moonlight added a silvery glow to everything, intensifying the beauty of the place. For a moment all you could do was stare at the view in front of you in awe, trying to absorb the beauty of it.

“Enjoying the view?” Jaime asked snapping you out of the trance you were into.

“It’s beautiful” You replied

“Indeed” he said and if you were any less fascinated by what you were seeing you’d notice the knight staring at you. He made his way to the trees and you realized there was a small wooden couch hidden underneath them. You followed Jaime and sat down next to him. “So, tell me, Y/n, what else should I know about you except from the fact that you despise dancing and nodding along to my stories?” He asked making you chuckle.

The night went on, both of you talking about your lives, your dreams and your desires. As time went by he seemed to open up to you and vice versa and before you realized what was happening you were telling him things you had never told anyone before. After that night it became a tradition and the both of you would meet in the same garden almost every night and spend hours talking about everything. Slowly but steadily a strong bond was formed between the two of you. These late night adventures allowed you to realize there were so much more to Jaime than he let on. Sure, he appeared arrogant and self-centered, but that was just a façade and if anyone managed to break it they’d see that deep down Jaime Lannister had a good heart despite the things he’d done.

At first you considered Jaime one of your closest friends but then something changed and you’d start to notice the how beautiful his laugh sounded and the way his eyes would light up when he talked about something he was passionate about. You knew what that meant however you refused to own up to the fact that you were falling for him.

What you didn’t know was the fact that Jaime was having similar thoughts himself, trying to figure out how he ended up falling in love with a Stark. The feelings he got when he was around you were something he had never felt before. His heart stopped whenever you touched him and he’d get all nervous and uncertain about himself. Also, you seemed to be the thought stuck in his head as he would never stop missing your company when you weren’t around. Jaime thought he had known what love felt like, but he couldn’t be more wrong. For the first time in his life he had someone he could confide in, someone who valued him and even made him want to be a better man.

Unfortunately, even though both of you were oblivious about your feelings, they had been noticed by someone else, that someone being Cercei. To say she was jealous would be an understatement. The moment an opportunity presented itself in, she send the Mountain after you.

You were on your way to meet Jaime when you felt a pair of arms grab you from behind and throw you to the nearest wall. Before you could reach for the dagger you kept hidden the large man hit you in the head making you lose your balance. What followed was a series of punches and kicks so intense that by the end of it you could barely stand. You returned to your room and fell on your bed exhausted from the effort you had to make to arrive there. After what seemed like centuries you found the strength to get up and attend to the cuts in your face. It appears that in your distress you forgot to lock the door because when Jaime came looking for you it opened the moment he tried to knock.

“Jaime what are you doing here?” You asked slowly and tried to turn around so he wouldn’t see your face. The last thing you needed right now was him seeing you in the state you were in, hair a mess and your face all bloody.

“Your absence made me concerned. Is everything okay?” At this point Jaime was certain something was off and he refused to leave until he made sure you were okay.

“Yes, I am just really tired and my head hurts. It’s nothing though I’ll be fine tomorrow” you straight up lied feeling instantly guilty about it as he was the only person you had tried to be absolutely honest with.

“Y/n I know you’re lying. What happened?” He insisted making his way towards where you were sitting, still not facing him.

“Nothing. Just go to sleep, Jaime” you tried one last time even though you knew there was no way to change his mind. The bad feeling in the back of his mind intensified immediately at your response making him feel a knot in his stomach.

“Just look at me and I’ll go” he asked almost begging

“Don’t…” Before you could protest, you felt his hand slowly tracing your cheekbone, prompting you to turn around and face him which you denied. Instead he just got up and kneeled in front of where you were sitting, finally getting a look at the damage the Mountain had caused.

“Who did this?” He asked sternly. You had never heard his voice so void of emotion and it almost scared you seeing this side of him.

“It doesn’t matter”

“I need to know" he said trying not to let his emotions get the best of him. If he was honest with himself, Jaime would admit there were countless contradicting thoughts running through his head. An immeasurable anger towards the person who had hurt you, some kind of relief that you were still alive, guilt that he wasn’t there when you needed him.

“It won’t make a difference” you insisted knowing if he found out it was his sister he’d act on instinct, never minding the consequences and get himself in danger.

“It was my sister wasn’t it?” he asked and when there was no response he knew he was right.

“Please don’t do anything you’ll regret” it was your turn to beg wanting him to stay out of harm’s way. Perhaps he should stay away from you now that the situation was starting to get wild, you thought sadly.

“No, Y/n. I’ve tolerated enough of Cercei’s shit. I cannot stand by and watch the woman I love being treated this way. I don’t care if she is the Queen Mother, or the Queen herself" he burst out taking you by surprise. Of all the things you expected to hear that was the last.

“The woman you what?” you half whispered, thinking you had misheard his words. For a moment the room was filled with absolute silence that broke by Jaime’s sad laugh.

“There is no point hiding it, is there? Y/n Stark I am in love with you, you have bewitched me of body and soul. And I know it sounds stupid but you made me realize what love is. You make me want to be a better man" Jaime’s eyes met yours at last and you could see the sincerity of his words even if you found it hard to believe them.

“I feel the same way and I have been for a while now” you confessed and allowed a smile to grace your features ignoring the slight pain the action caused.

“How can you? You deserve so much better than this, than me. The Kingslayer. The man without honor. A man who can’t even protect you” he said looking away. It was your turn to gently place a hand on his cheekbone to make him look at you.

“You cannot protect me, no one can. But I do not care. I do not need a guard, I need someone I can trust and love and that person is you Jaime" you explained softly. The faint light of the fire shone through your room making his blue eyes shine even brighter. Deep down both of you knew it would be dangerous, but that was a risk you were willing to take and the look of pure adoration he was giving you was all the evidence you needed. He opened his mouth to protest but you interrupted him before he even started “I want this just as much as you do, why deny it?”

The struggle going on in his mind was apparent, yet your final words seemed to be all he needed to hear because next thing you knew was his lips coming down on yours full of passion and at the same time tender. You closed your eyes and allowed yourself to melt at his touch as his hands run through your hair, pulling you closer. He gently tugged at your bottom lip causing you to let out a soft whimper. When the kiss finally broke he didn’t pull away, instead his eyes remained closed as his hand came down to caress your lips

“Do you really think this can work?” he asked opening his eyes to look at you, taking in the state you were into, pupils dilated and lips slightly bruised.

“I know it will” you replied and against all odds you were actually sure. It wouldn’t be easy but you would find a way, no matter what Cercei or anyone else tried.

#got imagine #got x reader #got #game of thrones #game of thrones imagine #game of thrones x reader #jaime lannister imagine #jaime lannister #ned stark #jaime lannister x reader

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clamydomona · 5 years

Text

Impressions of Game of Thrones after watching the show (because my local library had the first two seasons on DVD and I thought what the hell, why not watch the whole thing now that it’s done):

Spoilers for the whole show!

- I thought it would be this epic masterpiece, since half the world seemed so crazy about it, and was surprised that 90% of it was a medieval soap opera with family feuds and intrigues, illegitimate children and (accidental) incest

- I loved the intro, both the music and the animation. But half the time I have no idea which of the characters are actually in which of the locations shown in the beginning.

- I guess some of the battle scenes were pretty impressive, but I honestly couldn’t care less about all of them. The only time I really enjoyed the fight scenes was with Arya, because she was so cunning and elegant, and to a lesser degree with Brienne and her brute force, but during the full blown battle scenes I always paid little attention (partly because some were really terribly lit and it was hard to see something on TV during the day).

- Since I knew the most mayor players in the last season due to twitter osmosis, I found it hard to connect to a lot of characters since I knew they would bite it at some point or other. Mostly Robb who I couldn’t connect to at all (though I was surprised that he looked pretty attractive when I rewatched the Red Wedding, before that I thought he looked pretty bland). I also didn’t notice Theon at all in the first season and it took me a while to understand who he was when he got a bigger part in the second.

- In the first season, the only Stark children who I thought could act convincingly were Arya and Bran. I’m very glad that Sansa and Jon improved throughout the seasons, they were great later on. I didn’t much care for Robb, since I knew he wouldn’t win anyway.

- I’m surprised how many characters were put on hold in some seasons and just didn’t do much. Like Jaime in season 2, where he was almost completely absent, or Sansa before she returned to Winterfell.

- I didn’t fully get the religion plot in season 6 and I didn’t really care for it, but Cersei’s acting was great.

- The person I hated most was Joffrey. I already knew about Ramsey going in, since I watched him raping Sansa and his death in a college class, and most of the other “evil” characters were at least interesting to watch, but he was such a whiny sadistic piss baby. At least Jaime could actually fight, even though I found him also very annoying in the beginning. I’m sad that Arya never defeated him in a duel and cut his head of or sth. Though his death was very satisfying and I watched it more than once on youtube when I found him annoying. I would love to see Jack Gleeson in something completely different because he was a pretty good actor.

- I felt similar about Daenerys’s brother, and I looked forward to his death, but he got humanized during his death and I was surprised I felt a little bad for him as well. But had he lived, Cersei would have crushed him.

- I also loved Littlefinger’s death scene and watched it more than once, but compared to his masterful manipulation in the beginning he got very sloppy in later seasons, to be bested this easily. But Sansa also got very good at looking through manipulation and deception and playing that game herself.

- I could have watched the Stark siblings fucking shit up in the North for ages.

- I didn’t expect that so much tension came from waiting until various family members reunite again. I wouldn’t have expected that it takes 8 seasons for Arya and Jon to see each other again.

- I was surprised how much I liked Bran in the early seasons, since I knew he would end up on the throne in the end and most of the internet was disappointed by that and most of the pictures I saw of him were pretty lackluster. I still feel bad for him considering that he was pushed out of a window in the first episode and would never see his parents alive again. Regardless, he got very creepy once he became the Three Eyed Raven or whatever and actually seemed to lose the ability to act. He would have been the last person I put on that throne.

- Why didn’t every kingdom do what Sansa did and declare independance? Seems like a better deal.

- The show was very good at this buddy comedy road trip plot that it had going on for various unexpected characters. I liked both Jaime and Brienne a lot more after their road trip and I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed Arya and the Hound. They were my favorite reunion in season 8. Also Tyrion and Jorah to a lesser extent.

- I love Emilia Clarke and I was impressed how much control she had over her eyebrows. (I mostly saw her on Graham Norton and she has the most expressive eyebrows I have ever seen). Sadly, I lost more and more interest in her story, mostly because she was so far removed from all the other action, I think. But I’m glad I finally know what a Khaleesi is because I was so confused whether she was called Khaleesi or Daenerys or what.

- I’m further confused by how much time has passed in the show. Based on how much Cersei’s younger children were aged up from season 2 to season 4, you’d assume around five years or so, but based on Gilly’s child it looks like the show as a whole only took 4 years. Also seems weird to me that Arya, Bran and Rikkon spent years wandering around the country. Really?

- One of the most unrealistic things to me is that I am expected to believe that Tyrion is four years younger than Cersei and Jaime. He looks so much older than them.

- I love Sam. I love that he found the place he best fit in in the end, where he was appreciated for his talents and taken seriously. And I loved his story with Gilly.

- Considering that half the seven Kingdoms knew in the end that Cersei’s children were Jaime’s and most people couldn’t care less, was it really necessary to push Bran out of a window? (Though I guess that got out after Robert’s death, so it might have gone differently.) Additionally, who the fuck ordered the attack on Bran to kill him? It sure as hell wasn’t Tyrion, so was it Littlefinger who told Cat about the knife? But how did he know about that all the way in King’s Landing, since it takes 4 weeks to get there from Winterfell and they were all on the road. I guess someone could have sent a raven to him and he ordered someone he trusted to kill Bran with his knife, but in that case that someone with the knife had to have been there already. Logically, it should be either Cersei or Jaime (probably more Cersei, since she’s the mo0re ruthless of the two). So did Littlefinger just pretend it was his knife when Cat asked? Though I guess he could have ordered someone to steal the knife from Tyrion to frame him later on. Or Cersei did.

- Also, why the hell would anyone be stupid enough to assume that Tyrion was responsible for Bran’s attack or Joffrey’s death?

- Why did Shae completely turn on Tyrion and on top of that also sleep with Tywin? Was she this hurt by Tyrion sending her away?

- Pity that Tyrion and Sansa didn’t work out, he was the only one who truly respected her and her intelligence.

- Because I was shown Sansa’s rape on her wedding night and Ramsey’s death in class once, I spent a lot of time confused after I saw some gifs of Sansa and Tyrion’s wedding. I didn’t really recollect what Ramsey looked like, so I thought for a while that it was Tyrion who raped Sansa while Varys looked on, since someone in class explained that the guy who was forced to watch was castrated and Varys was the only castrated guy in the beginning of the show. And then I was confused why everyone liked Tyrion so much, since I thought the character raping Sansa wasn’t very well received.

- They cast Cersei’s and Jaime’s children very well. Especially after they cut off Cersei’s hair, I wasn’t sure whether some of the pictures I saw in passing in the last years were of Joffrey or Cersei. Furthermore I’m very glad that Jaime got a more rugged appearance in later seasons. He reminded me so much of a Ken doll I had as a child (who always lost one of his legs, poor guy) that I couldn’t take him seriously and actually thought he was just as much of a phony as his son as a knight. But, how the hell was Ned Stark only the second guy to notice that all children are blond while Robert’s relatives are all dark haired? And how is that considered proof? Jon is a Targaryen and he’s not blond, so Ned of all people shouldn’t judge by the hair color.

- Also, why didn’t Ned tell Cat that Jon was his nephew? Everyone else could still assume that Jon was Ned’s, but Cat could have known the truth. It’s not like she would have told Robert.

- While I thought it took ages for some storylines to move forward in the early seasons, I think it was preferable to the fast pace in the last two seasons. They felt more rushed, but also very surface level due to the huge cast.

- Also, why did everyone say Walder Frey’s daughters were so ugly and terrible? They looked like perfectly normal and nice girls. (I loved that moment when Walder introduced all of them to Robb and one corrects him on her name and he says “fine”. I laughed out loud at that.)

- Lady Olena was like every snarky twitter and tumblr comment come to life. She was awesome and her death was a really great moment.

- I was under the impression that Jon and Daenerys were some star-crossed lovers or something since all of Twitter seemed shocked that he killed her in the last episode, but they seemed like such an afterthought to me, especially since they only met for the very first time in season 7. (But kudos to that meeting, the way Ser Davos introduced him was awesome.)

- Also, for someone who told Jon he shouldn’t hold her responsible for the sins of her father, she sure likes to bring up the crimes of relatives to others. (Like Gendry in season 8, who didn’t even know who his father was for most of his life.) Seriously, that was so annoying to me.

- An finally, I cannot stress enough how much I hate that fucking phrase “Winter is coming”. By episode three I was fed up with it and it didn’t get better, not even when winter finally arrived. Honorary second place is “bend the knee”. I could have strangled everyone in season 7 and 8 who said that.

#Game of Thrones #GoT #Spoilers #Game of Thrones spoilers

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tomakeitbeautifultolive · 5 years

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Which Stark do you think Ashara turned too?

*rubs hands together*

Oh, I’ve been patiently waiting for the day I’d get this ask! Big thanks to @ktwrites who helped me iron all of this out long ago! 🐺

I. Ashara probably wasn’t dishonored at all.

“If I had unhorsed Rhaegar and crowned Ashara queen of love and beauty, might she have looked to me instead of Stark?”

Barristan Selmy believes Ashara was dishonored at Harrenhal. But here’s my take on why he might think so: Selmy was working alongside fellow Kingsguard Arthur Dayne, who was most likely an overprotective older brother to Ashara. Whether or not Ashara consented to whatever took place, her brother might not have seen it the same way.

Case in point: Brandon Stark. After all, the person who seemed to be the most upset by Rhaegar crowning Lyanna was her overprotective older brother, who considered it a dishonor. I suppose he could be a total hypocrite, but based on what we know about the Starks in the story—why assume the worst of him? Because he’s ‘wild’? (We’ll come back to this, later)

Lastly, to me, it always seemed curious that two of the most honorable men around—who both had Lyanna and her son’s best interest at heart—felt it necessary to fight to the death at the Tower of Joy. Selmy knew it was ‘a Stark’, but Arthur might’ve known exactly which one—Ned. *adjusts tinfoil hat*

II. Ashara looked to Ned Stark, not Brandon.

We can probably rule out Benjen Stark as a suspect, who was 14 at the time. That out of the way, it is this vague mention of ‘Stark’ that leads people to believe that Brandon Stark was the one to ‘dishonor’ Ashara. However, by the time this topic ever comes up, we’re already told by several characters (Catelyn, Cersei, Edric Dayne and Harwin, a guard at Winterfell) that the rumors are of Ned and Ashara, not Brandon!

And the stories are known from Dorne to King’s Landing to Winterfell. That’s basically the whole damned realm!

• Meera Reed recounts to Bran how Ned and Ashara met at the Tourney at Harrenhal:

“The crannogman (Howland Reed) saw a maid with laughing purple eyes (Ashara Dayne) dance with a white sword, a red snake, and the lord of griffins, and lastly with the quiet wolf (Ned Stark) … but only after the wild wolf (Brandon Stark) spoke to her on behalf of a brother too shy to leave his bench.”

• Catelyn confronts Ned about Ashara:

“And they told how afterward Ned had carried Ser Arthur’s sword back to the beautiful young sister who awaited him in a castle called Starfall on the shores of the Summer Sea. The Lady Ashara Dayne, tall and fair, with haunting violet eyes. It had taken her a fortnight to marshal her courage, but finally, in bed one night, Catelyn had asked her husband the truth of it, asked him to his face. That was the only time in all their years that Ned had ever frightened her. “Never ask me about Jon,” he said, cold as ice. “He is my blood, and that is all you need to know. And now I will learn where you heard that name, my lady.” She had pledged to obey; she told him; and from that day on, the whispering had stopped, and Ashara Dayne’s name was never heard in Winterfell again.”

• Catelyn later reflects on Ashara after Ned’s death:

“If Jon had been born of Ashara Dayne of Starfall, as some whispered, the lady was long dead; if not, Catelyn had no clue who or where his mother might be. Ned was gone now, and his loves and his secrets had all died with him.”

• Even Cersei Lannister is aware of Ned’s relationship with Ashara:

“How dare you play the noble lord with me! What do you take me for? You’ve a bastard of your own, I’ve seen him. Who was the mother, I wonder? Some Dornish peasant you raped while her holdfast burned? A whore? Or was it the grieving sister, the Lady Ashara? She threw herself into the sea, I’m told. Why was that? For the brother you slew, or the child you stole? Tell me, my honorable Lord Eddard, how are you any different from Robert, or me, or Jaime?”

• When Arya encounters Edric Dayne (nephew to Ashara) meets Arya, he tells her:

“Your lord father never spoke of her? The Lady Ashara Dayne, of Starfall?”“No. Did he know her?”“Before Robert was king. She met your father and his brothers at Harrenhal, during the year of the false spring.”“Oh. Why did she jump in the sea, though?”“Her heart was broken.”Sansa would have sighed and shed a tear for true love, but Arya just thought it was stupid. She couldn’t say that to Ned, though, not about his own aunt. “Did someone break it?”“Perhaps it’s not my place…”“Tell me.”“My aunt Allyria says Lady Ashara and your father fell in love at Harrenhal—”

Edric Dayne (nephew to Ashara, who curiously goes by the nickname ‘Ned’) tells Arya that his aunt killed herself over a broken heart, implying it was her father who drove Ashara to do it.

• Arya later discusses the strange tale with one of house Stark’s guards, Harwin:

“Lady Ashara Dayne. It’s an old tale, that one. I heard it once at Winterfell, when I was no older than you are now. I doubt there’s any truth to it. But if there is, what of it? When Ned met this Dornish lady, his brother Brandon was still alive, and it was him betrothed to Lady Catelyn, so there’s no stain on your father’s honor. There’s nought like a tourney to make the blood run hot, so maybe some words were whispered in a tent of a night, who can say? Words or kisses, maybe more, but where’s the harm in that? Spring had come, or so they thought, and neither one of them was pledged.”

Harwin implies that as a young boy, he heard gossip of Ned and Ashara Dayne, even going so far as to paint a picture for us about what might’ve happened between them at the Tourney.

I see their: “The Honorable Ned Stark would never!”

And I raise them a: “What is honor compared to a woman’s love?”

Perhaps this is a mocking nickname, akin to Jaime’s “Kingslayer” or Brienne’s “The Beauty”. And would he really never? Oh, you mean the guy whose whole life is built on a series of lies? Yeah, him.

This isn’t me besmirching the man, either. But to say that a young man without a pledge riddled with what was likely a mutual lust with one the most beautiful women in all seven kingdoms—Yeah, he probably would. Like Harwin told Arya, it was no stain on his honor. Not yet.

And I see the argument that “Ashara wouldn’t want Ned, he was too shy to talk to her”. I can assure you, many women find that sort of thing attractive/endearing (myself included). To quote ladyofdragonstone (albeit a bit out of context, lol)…

“Ned can get it.”

III. Defending the honor of Brandon Stark.

Let’s take a closer look at Brandon and his character.

Many assume that his ‘wolf’s blood’ means he was promiscuous. But let’s look at the context in which it’s described by Ned:

“Ah, Arya. You have a wildness in you, child. ‘The wolf blood,’ my father used to call it. Lyanna had a touch of it, and my brother Brandon more than a touch. It brought them both to an early grave.“ Arya heard sadness in his voice; he did not often speak of his father, or of the brother and sister who had died before she was born. “Lyanna might have carried a sword, if my lord father had allowed it. You remind me of her sometimes. You even look like her.”

Now if you don’t come away from this paragraph assuming Arya and Lyanna to be promiscuous, why should we assume ‘wolf’s blood’ means something different for Brandon?

Yes, Brandon had a tasteless joke about his sword—‘I want it sharp enough to shave the hair from a woman’s cunt’, but considering some of the raunchiest jokes I’ve ever heard were from when I was about Arya’s age in grade school… I’d say a joke graphic or sexual in nature doesn’t ensure someone’s promiscuity, either.

Somehow, Brandon has got the reputation for being a bit of a ‘manwhore’, yet the only person we can confirm he’s slept with was Barbrey Ryswell, whom he almost certainly cared for—yet duty required a match with Catelyn Tully, instead. Barbrey seems to still harbor love for Brandon, even lamenting that she never got to be a Stark. She said he wasn’t shy about taking what he wanted, but there’s no actual proof he’d ever taken anyone else’s ‘maidenhead’ other than hers.

“The day I learned that Brandon was to marry Catelyn Tully, though … there was nothing sweet about that pain. He never wanted her, I promise you that.”

She can promise it. And to me, it sounds like he might’ve genuinely cared for Barbrey. The woman is still haunted by this all these years later. Sounds like she loved him, too.

“I still remember the look of my maiden’s blood on his cock the night he claimed me. I think Brandon liked the sight as well. A bloody sword is a beautiful thing, yes.”

This is open for interpretation (as is everything), but to me, the fact that she bled might hint that he didn’t have a lot of experience with women.

Lastly, back to Brandon’s protectiveness for a moment. He had to be restrained from confronting Rhaegar after his sister was ‘dishonored’ with a garland of roses. Upon her disappearance, he accompanied his father to King’s Landing to confront Rhaegar and retrieve Lyanna. When Aerys captured them, Brandon even choked himself to death in an attempt to reach his father, to save him.

Assume what you will about Brandon’s sexual proclivities, but…

Family meant everything to Brandon Stark.

Maybe he was a raging ‘manwhore’, just like Robert Baratheon.

…But (and you know what the Starks say about everything that comes before the word ‘but’) I don’t believe for one minute that this man turned around and slept with (or gods forbid raped) Ashara Dayne, who his brother was so fond of, he was rendered speechless and red-faced. That’s not Brandon Stark. Brandon asking Ashara to dance with Ned was just another good brotherly deed amongst many.

“And what is duty against the memory of a brother’s smile?”

I’ve put a lot of thought into this very topic. And in my research, I can say that there just isn’t anything, not even his supposed ‘reputation’, that might hint at Brandon dishonoring Ashara Dayne at the Tourney at Harrenhal—nothing but the name ‘Stark’. 🤷

#brandon stark #ned stark #ashara dayne #tourney at harrenhal #meta #ned x ashara #nedshara

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