#R+L+=J

[amber-laughs]

In my personal opinion a lot of people misunderstand the situation around Ned's battle at ToJ. Ned and his men fought and killed several men of the Kingsguard. But why? Why won't they let him get to his sister even though Rhaegar and Aerys are dead?

"I came down on Storm's End to lift the siege," Ned told them, "and the Lords Tyrell and Redwyne dipped their banners, and all their knights bent the knee to pledge us fealty. I was certain you would be among them." "Our knees do not bend easily," said Ser Arthur Dayne. "Ser Willem Darry is fled to Dragonstone, with your queen and Prince Viserys. I thought you might have sailed with him." "Ser Willem is a good man and true," said Ser Oswell. "But not of the Kingsguard," Ser Gerold pointed out. "The Kingsguard does not flee." "Then or now," said Ser Arthur. He donned his helm. -Eddard X

Aerys is dead. Rhaegar is dead. Aegon is dead. Rhaenys is dead. And they know Prince Viserys is alive and unprotected at Dragonstone with a respected knight. Why not go to him? The next in line. Why stay and guard Lyanna? Because they're not guarding Lyanna. They're guarding their King. Jon Snow. They are the kingsguard and their knees do not bend easily. They cannot bend their knee to anyone other than Rhaegar's last living son. They know Lyanna is dying, they know Ned will take Jon away. They might even think Ned will kill him then and there, why not? His faction killed Aegon and Rhaenys. They aren't stopping a young man from seeing his beloved sister, they're stopping him from killing their rightful king.

[saessenach]

What is honor compared to a woman’s love? What is duty against the feel of a newborn son in your arms… or the memory of a brother’s smile? Wind and words. Wind and words. We are only human, and the gods have fashioned us for love. That is our great glory, and our great tragedy.

Jon Snow - and family that haunts him, because sometimes ghosts make for the best love stories.

[winterprince601]

honestly, i don't blame anyone for not making the connection between rhaegar targaryen and jon snow. they are such different guys to me. you could organically stumble upon rhaegar playing a silver harp in a clearing in the woods, silently weeping into the flowing waters of a crystalline stream. jon is the teenage manager of a fast food chain who sometimes shows up to work dripping wet because he doesn't own an umbrella.

[hyacinthecanard]

Lyanna survived and lived hidden with her son in Greywater Watch. But when news of her brother Eddard taken prisonner in Kingslanding came, the wolf-blood is too much and she joins Robb Stark's forces to try to free him.

[nightswatchdisbandmentera]

The thing about Jon that a lot of people forget is that he is actually a rather well known figure all around Westeros. I don’t think it’s incorrect to say that he’s Ned’s most famous kid by a large margin, and perhaps even one of the more famous teens in Westeros; especially now that he has become Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch and his reputation has began to stretch to a different continent. Because of his very unusual origin - being honorable Ned Stark’s bastard son by an unknown woman - his name has been passed around in noble houses across the entire continent. He’s not some random kid from the North that no one has heard of. The majority of people may not have seen him, but they have at the very least heard of him.

I bring this up because people tend to act as if Jon would be automatically scoffed away by just about everyone if his true parentage ever came to light. After all, they say, why would anyone believe that some random kid from the north is a Targaryen prince? But this is not really true. Jon is not a random kid. His father was one of the most powerful men in the entire land. And not only that, but Ned’s reputation as an honorable man with no fault ensured that the scandal of begetting a bastard was known by everyone who is someone. The thing is, readers tend to ignore a very large gaping hole in the story when it comes to public perception of Jon’s parentage. People all over Westeros have been talking about Ned and his bastard, but no one can agree on the mother - this is actually important!

Most people would not have questioned Ned to his face, but they too want to know who Jon’s mother was, even if it’s just for a little bit of gossip among nobles. Jon’s parentage is a mysterious puzzle that a lot of people have tried to solve themselves. Catelyn hears one answer in Winterfell, but Davos hears another on his way to White Harbor. Edric Dayne from Dorne says a different name to Arya, while Cersei and Robert (who both live in KL) hear different things. That there’s so much variation all around Westeros is actually proof that a lot of people are talking about this one issue. And Ned’s refusal to name a woman may actually end up having unexpected consequences when someone finally mentions the name “Lyanna Stark”.

So I would like to push back on the belief that no one in Westeros would care about the R+L=J reveal or that they would immediately write Jon off. GRRM deciding to keep Jon’s mother an in universe mystery that is the topic of constant conversation will have major payoff. While I could see some being incredulous, it’s absolutely not a foregone conclusion that most people will choose not to believe it. And it’s not a foregone conclusion that this reveal will only matter to the Stark kids and no one else. Sure GRRM is playing with fantasy tropes, and Jon squarely falls under the hidden prince/king. But something that makes Jon quite different from a lot of his genre counterparts is that he’s not an unknown figure who shows up at the last minute to claim the crown. Jon is not an unknown entity. He is well known, it’s just that very few people have dared to think too deeply about the very large elephant in the room regarding his origin. But I’d imagine that if R+L=J was to be revealed, it wouldn’t be too shocking for a lot of people. It’s not so far fetched that honorable Ned Stark actually chose to protect his sister’s son.

And in regards to GRRM playing with fantasy tropes, Young Griff always comes up in conversation as Jon’s foil. People say that he will be the one to be believed because he looks the part of a Targaryen, whereas a random kid from the North won’t be believed because of his brown hair and grey eyes. Jon doesn’t look like some random unrecognizable Northman. He very specifically looks like a Stark! And anyway, is Jon’s story - that Ned took him in after his sister died and raised him as his own under the protective banner of House Stark - any less believable than Young Griff’s - that Varys had the foresight to save him and whisk him off to Essos before the Mountain bashed his head in? Until now, people have never heard of Young Griff so they’ve never had the opportunity to ruminate over and gossip about his origin story. But they know Jon. And they know about Rhaegar and Lyanna. And Jon looking so very undeniably like a Stark (like Lyanna Stark!) could perhaps work in his favor.

[png-magician]

[littleoceanbabe]

i have been attacked. humiliated. demoralized. ASK THE MAN ABOUT THE DINOSAURS, PODCAST BOY 🫵

[prfctplcsreads]

ANDI’S FIC RECS NO. 2

Hi, lovelies! August has (once again) slipped away into a moment in time, so I’m back with a lovely list of some of my favorite fics I read over the summer months. I figured since it’s been 2 whole years since posting my first fic rec list that I should probably make a new one seeing as I have changed, as has my taste and my life (now part of the “my dad left!” club!!). ANYWAYS. Nothing below is ranked— nor is it near all of what I’ve read— just randomized fics that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since reading them. xoxo, andi <3

**WARNING: Below contains links to 18+ writings. I am not responsible for those who choose to interact with these writings. It is view discretion advised! Minors, please respect the wishes of myself and authors who do not wish for minors to interact with their works or blogs in general!**

KEY: 🍊: fluff. 🍋: angst. 🍒: nsfw. 🫐: au.

LOGAN HOWLETT / WOLVERINE

Right Where You Left Me (series) by @moonlight-prose 🍊🍋🍒

Guess by @bpmiranda 🍒

Logan Saves Jean Instead of You by @not-neverland06 🍋🍊

Room For Rent by @proxima-writes 🍊🍒

Guilty Pleasure + Part II by @joelsgoldrush 🍊🍒

Rooftops by @superhoeva 🍋 (genuinely made me cry just thinking about it 3 hours after reading it.)

Come On And Show Me + Part II by @eupheme 🍒

Sugar, Sugar (series) by @eupheme 🍊🍋🍒

Tending to Older!Logan by @eupheme 🍊

I Don’t Know Why I Bite by @not-neverland06 🍋

Snapdragons Mean I’m Sorry by @thebestandworstdayofjune 🍊

Theory of Gravity by @dreamwritesimagines 🍊

On His Six by @superhoeva 🍊🍒

JACAERYS VELARYON

Can I Go (Where You Go?) by @softspiderling 🍊🫐

Silken Streets by @eldrith 🍊🍒

RAFE CAMERON

Illicit Affairs (series) by @softspiderling 🍊🍋🍒

Ocean Blue Eyes (series) by @softspiderling 🍊🫐

ART DONALDSON

The Pro + Part II by @youvebeenlivingfictional 🍊🍒

JOHN “BUCKY” EGAN

Dear John (series) by @precious-little-scoundrel 🍊🍋🍒

[danytheconqueror-jonthewhitewolf]

[angrycommiedyke]

Speculations on Jon and Arya : "The woman is important too"

It’s no secret that Jon Snow has always wanted to be a Stark, and has a strong connection to this house and to the North, with his looks, his direwolf and warging ability, among other things.

“Lord Eddard Stark is my father,” Jon admitted stiffly. Lannister studied his face. “Yes,“ he said. “I can see it. You have more of the north in you than your brothers.“ “Half brothers,“ Jon corrected. He was pleased by the dwarf's comment, but he tried not to let it show. [Jon - AGOT]

Now when Jon is going to learn the truth about his parentage, it’s going to be a mess in his head and he will obviously need time to process. It will cause multiple problems but I just want to focus on one in particular : his identity as a Stark. 

The male lineage tends to be more important, so wherever R+L marriage was valid or not, even if Jon remains a bastard, he won’t be Ned Stark’s bastard but Rhaegar’s. He may then not feel entitled - or less -  to be King in the North (if he is as in the show), or just feel like he doesn't really belong in the North/Winterfell due to his Targaryen father.

And that’s when Arya comes into play. To remind him that “the woman is important too”. 

"The Lannisters are proud," Jon observed. "You'd think the royal sigil would be sufficient, but no. He makes his mother's House equal in honor to the king's." "The woman is important too!" Arya protested. Jon chuckled. "Perhaps you should do the same thing, little sister. Wed Tully to Stark in your arms." [Arya - AGOT]

So I like to imagine that Arya will be there to remind him that his northern face, which he was proud of when Tyrion mentioned it, isn’t due to his father but his mother. That the sigil he wanted to wear but was never allowed to, is in fact his mother’s. 

"Girls get the arms but not the swords. Bastards get the swords but not the arms. I did not make the rules, little sister." [Arya - AGOT]

And because the woman is important, he’s no less of a Stark or a northerner. Perphaps Arya will be there to tell him directly or he'll just remember her words.

PS : I also hc that when Jon will reveal to Arya the truth about his real parents, she’s gonna tell him these exact words : “You’re still my brother”. 🥹 And i'm still mad we didn't see the reactions on the show, but let's not start on that

[amber-laughs]

He loves him. He raised him. That’s his son.

"Come, let us see what mischief my sons have rooted out now."

He hates him. A constant reminder of the worst days his of his life. The weight of House Stark on his shoulders with no warning.

“He dreamt an old dream, of three knights in white cloaks, and a tower long fallen, and Lyanna in her bed of blood.”

He doesn’t miss him.

“The thought of Winterfell brought a wan smile to his face. He wanted to hear Bran's laughter once more, to go hawking with Robb, to watch Rickon at play.”

He begs, in his dying hour, for one last moment with him.

“The thought of Jon filled Ned with a sense of shame, and a sorrow too deep for words. If only he could see the boy again, sit and talk with him…”

He’s his greatest shame.

“I've never lain with any woman but Cersei. In my own way, I have been truer than your Ned ever was. Poor old dead Ned. So who has shit for honor now, I ask you? What was the name of that bastard he fathered?"

He’s his highest honor.

“The Starks were not like other men. Ned brought his bastard home with him, and called him "son" for all the north to see.”

He’s his darkest lie.

“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’s his kept promise.

“Promise me, she had cried, in a room that smelled of blood and roses. Promise me, Ned. The fever had taken her strength and her voice had been faint as a whisper, but when he gave her his word, the fear had gone out of his sister's eyes.”

[saessenach]

working on a wee storyboard thing - a certain prince gets knocked off his horse while chasing the Knight of the Laughing Tree and shenanigans ensue

[winterprince601]

thinking about how all three of the kingships jon stands to inherit are legacies of love - jon's ability to understand the free folk as human and worth saving is an act of love and they love him and essentially make him king beyond the wall in return. robb loves and trusts his brother and is confident in jon's love and loyalty in return, even fresh from theon's betrayal, so he names him his heir to the north. despite the ambiguity of the affair, grrm seems to suggest rhaegar truly loved lyanna and that would make jon, literally, their love child - illegitimate or not, his existence and potential claim to the iron throne is because "prince rhaegar loved his lady lyanna" and he lives because lyanna loved him and ned loved lyanna.

do you see it? around jon snow, more important than any royal blood or legitimacy, is a nexus of love?

[citizensun]

Mother and son. The shield is a bit too small for his tastes but by the gods Jon's gonna use it.

Featuring pointillism because I'm at work and do not have access to anything other than office supplies. Also I don't think I own art supplies?

A few notes:

• Post-res!Jon adopts black, white and red as his colors for. Uh. Several reasons. He's making a exception here, though.

• Jon's shield arm is giving Rob Liefield, I know. Nevermind the anatomy.

• All things considered, the lack of Ukrainian flower crowns in Lyanna fanart is absolutely criminal.

• If the wolf embroidery on Lyanna's sleeve looks a bit wonky... Well, it's because she did it herself. Sorry girl.

• Jon got Lyanna's nose and chin! Those emo eyes, though. He's lucky no one who knew Rhaegar paid attention to him. Also I'm a pretty hair Jon truther no cap.

Bonus: "I'm not taking the damn crown off, Brandon"

[nightswatchdisbandmentera]

That Ned’s ghost and bones are in a constant state of restlessness after his death is so interesting to me. We haven’t heard much of Ned’s bones after Lady Catelyn sent Hallis Mollen north with them, but then Barbrey Dustin in ADWD says that she intends to block them from reaching Winterfell, and the reason for doing so is tied around her husband dying at the Tower of Joy and not returning home.

But what is more revealing is immediately after his death, Ned’s ghost gets to the crypts and wanders about restlessly, which is felt by the three Stark boys who have the power of prophetic dreams: Jon who constantly looks for his father in this “underworld” is pulled into searching for Ned before his execution, Rickon is called to the crypts and has a mysterious conversation with Ned where he promises to come back (but how will he be back if he’s dead?), and then there’s Bran who gets to have a more substantial conversation with his dead father’s ghost as he speaks sadly about Jon.

We know that even before death, Ned was surrounded by a sense of guilt and shame because of Jon, and he even expressed a deep desire to speak with the boy. Accounting for all these, it starts to look like Ned’s restlessness, dead or alive, is deeply rooted in the secret of Jon’s parentage and can only be alleviated once he confronts Jon about this truth. That might explain why Jon is constantly looking for Ned in the crypts and why he’s afraid of what he might find down there (and not who). So perhaps Ned’s bones can only be laid to rest once his ghost sets things right with Jon.

[asongofstarkandtargaryen]

Rhaegar's final word being Lyanna's name, his lover who soonly would give birth to their love child.

Lyanna's final words being her begging her brother to promise her to keep her baby safe.

Jon doesn't know it but he was so loved by his biological parents even if they never got to meet him.