#all she needed to do was firing tyrion and varys

[rynnthefangirl]

“I don’t get why people are so mad about the Mad Queen, Dany’s character has been building to this and it makes perfect sense for her!”

Okay, so even if we pretend for a second that Dany burning KL at the time and in the way she did made sense (it didn’t), there’s a whole other element as to why the Mad Queen arc was SO infuriating. And that is because for two seasons the entire logic of the show bends backwards until it breaks in order to get Dany to the point where they could try to justify that act.

Let’s look at some examples:

Tyrion instructs Dany to invade Casterly Rock, leaving Highgarden unprotected. It makes zero sense for a character renowned for their intelligence to propose this. CR is a defensive stronghold that offers no tactical advantage to a Conquerer, while Highgarden is one of Dany’s strongest allies with the funds to support her conquest. Dany loses House Tyrell and the Reach because of this.

Tyrion also advises Dany to send some of her most valuable men Beyond the Wall to capture a wight to convince Cersei of their existence. Again, this makes no sense for Tyrion to propose. He of all people should know that Cersei is a deranged narcissist who could never be trusted. I guess Tyrion kind of forgot his sisters central character traits. Dany loses a dragon because of this.

Dany also would not have lost Viserion if she had not arrived in time to rescue Jon and the others. But lucky for them (and unlucky for Viserion), ravens can now fly from the wall to Dragonstone in a single night.

“Dany kind of forgot about the iron fleet.” Apparently this Conquerer queen heading south for war just didn’t send out any sort of scouts, and entirely forgot about one of the like two forces that she needs to watch out for. None of her war advisors remember this either. She loses Rhaegal and Missandei because of this.

Cersei decides to behead Missandei as opposed to keeping her prisoner in the Red Keep in order to discourage Dany from just burning it down.

The Iron Fleet— which would later fail to strike down Drogon despite firing dozens of scorpions— is able to take Rhaegal down with two back to back perfect shots. Also apparently they can see Rhaegal well enough to do that, but neither Rhaegal nor Drogon nor Dany were able to see them.

Upon coming to Westeros, Dany has three dragons, a huge army of Unsullied, a huge army of Dothraki, a portion of the Iron Fleet, the full support of Highgarden with all their wealth and armies and probably much of their Bannermen, and the backing of Dorne. Dany is told that this is not enough, and she will not be able to take KL without tons of innocent bloodshed. Dany then proceeds to lose 2/3 dragons, Highgarden, Dorne, the Iron Fleet, and a huge portion of her Unsullied and Dothraki armies. In exchange, she gets an army of tired unmotivated northerners. Meanwhile Cersei obtains all of Highgardens wealth, the Golden Company, the Iron Fleet, and a massive force of scorpions. Dany proceeds to take Kings Landing and force a surrender with virtually zero civilian bloodshed.

Dany is portrayed as unreasonable and irrational for wanting to immediately attack Kings Landing with her full force. This perceived irrationality is the basis for her advisors questioning and betraying her. Dany is later proved correct in all of her courses of action when— again— she forces KL surrender quickly and cleanly and with virtually no civilian bloodshed.

Varys, a character renowned for his patience and ability to play the game and wait to strike until the opportune moment, a man who sat through Joffrey’s reign and did nothing, suddenly feels that Daenerys (who has not done anything worse than what Varys already knew her capable of when he decided to support her) is such a risk that he tries to poison her before she has even defeated Cersei for him. Again, the supposed reckless plan that Varys betrays Dany for is later proven to have been the correct plan.

Cersei faces no backlash from any of her actions. Nobody cares that she blew up the Westerosi Vatican. Nobody cares that she murdered the Queen of Westeros. Nobody cares that she helped orchestrate the fall death of Ned Stark and bears responsibility for the subsequent war and massacre of many of the remaining starks. Nobody cares that she is very very unlikely to accept Northern Independence, and very likely to hold a grudge against the north and house stark and seek to wipe them out. Cersei faces zero criticism or opposition from anyone besides Daenerys, and dethroning her is treated as an unnecessary inconvenience that nobody really cares that much about, and are only doing because Dany wants to.

These are just the examples I can think of off the top of my head. There are surely many many more.

Dany was too OP coming into season 7. As such, in order to make the plot work and reach their predetermined Mad Queen ending, the very fabric of the universe twisted and warped for the explicit purpose of taking away everything she had and loved. Dumbass plans from characters known for the intelligence, fast travel, discarding of the “action and consequence” internal logic of the show for Dany’s opposition, forgetting of basic war time strategy. Cersei’s forces are a formidable threat when Dany needs to look reckless and bad for wanting to attack Kings Landing. Cersei’s forces then proceed to not be a threat at all and collapse like a tower of cards when Dany needs to look awful and evil for burning down a city that surrendered so easily.

So yeah, even if in that moment you believe Dany would burn down Kings Landing, the fact that Dany fans had to sit there and watch as every single aspect of the show was manipulated in the most illogical way for the sole purpose of making her the villain…? Is it really in character if the fundamental logic of the universe has to change in order for it to happen?

[nightswatchdisbandmentera]

Consider this quote that has launched a thousand ships...

“Every man who walks the earth casts a shadow on the world. Some are thin and weak, others long and dark. You should look behind you, Lord Snow. The moon has kissed you and etched your shadow upon the ice twenty feet tall.”

(Jon VI, ADWD)

This is one of those quotes that has a lot of hidden meanings, depending on the leans through which the reader interprets it.

I often see it used as shipping fodder - understandably so, given Jon's connection to both Arya and Daenerys. But I would argue that it really has a lot of symbolic significance to Jon, kings, and dragons.

For instance, Mel talking of men casting shadows upon the world and then immediately mentioning that Jon's own shadow looms large over one of the greatest wonders of the world reminds me of several quotes about Tyrion:

“Some woman, no doubt. Most of them are.” He favored Jon with a rueful grin. “Remember this, boy. All dwarfs may be bastards, yet not all bastards need be dwarfs.” And with that he turned and sauntered back into the feast, whistling a tune. When he opened the door, the light from within threw his shadow clear across the yard, and for just a moment Tyrion Lannister stood tall as a king.

(Jon I, AGOT)

“Oh, I think that Lord Tyrion is quite a large man,” Maester Aemon said from the far end of the table. He spoke softly, yet the high officers of the Night’s Watch all fell quiet, the better to hear what the ancient had to say. “I think he is a giant come among us, here at the end of the world.”

(Tyrion III, AGOT)

Tyrion has often been likened to a small man who casts a giant-like shadow - often within the context of him wielding some sort of power/influence, as we can see with Vary's remarks. It's quite remarkable that Jon, a mere boy, is also equated with casting a giant-like shadow, especially within the context of him wielding innate magical power. I also find it difficult to ignore that Tyrion's shadow is said to stand as tall as a king, especially if we add the context of Jon comparing their heights earlier in that chapter.

We thus have shadows likened to kings. So where do the dragons come in?

“A trader from Qarth once told me that dragons came from the moon,” blond Doreah said as she warmed a towel over the fire. Jhiqui and Irri were of an age with Dany, Dothraki girls taken as slaves when Drogo destroyed their father’s khalasar. Doreah was older, almost twenty. Magister Illyrio had found her in a pleasure house in Lys. Silvery-wet hair tumbled across her eyes as Dany turned her head, curious. “The moon?” “He told me the moon was an egg, Khaleesi,” the Lysene girl said. “Once there were two moons in the sky, but one wandered too close to the sun and cracked from the heat. A thousand thousand dragons poured forth, and drank the fire of the sun. That is why dragons breathe flame. One day the other moon will kiss the sun too, and then it will crack and the dragons will return.”

(Daenerys III, AGOT)

It's said that dragons are birthed from the moon. Daenerys' herself is presented as some sort of moon maid often in the text - which makes it all the more believable that she's the moon kissing Jon in Mel's quote.

But we must also consider Mel's quote within the larger context of the book in which it appears. For Jon, ADWD is full of symbolism regarding death, (re)birth, kings, Azor Ahai's legend, and dragons waking from stone.

Burning dead children had ceased to trouble Jon Snow; live ones were another matter. Two kings to wake the dragon. The father first and then the son, so both die kings. The words had been murmured by one of the queen’s men as Maester Aemon had cleaned his wounds. Jon had tried to dismiss them as his fever talking. Aemon had demurred. “There is power in a king’s blood,” the old maester had warned, “and better men than Stannis have done worse things than this.” The king can be harsh and unforgiving, aye, but a babe still on the breast? Only a monster would give a living child to the flames.

(Jon I, ADWD)

A repeated motif with the faith of R'hllor, especially as it pertains to Mel and her attempts to bring about Azor Ahai, is the idea of human sacrifice. Especially the sacrifice of king's blood. How curious that this line is repeated several times in the Wall plot? And how curious that we end the book with Jon's assassination.....

Throughout ADWD, Mel sees Jon in her visions, especially as she looks for Azor Ahai. Val later reminds him that there is some significance to what Mel sees

“His milk name. I had to call him something. See that he stays safe and warm. For his mother’s sake, and mine. And keep him away from the red woman. She knows who he is. She sees things in her fires.” Arya, he thought, hoping it was so. “Ashes and cinders.” “Kings and dragons.”

(Jon VIII, ADWD)

There irony here is that they're right. Mel sees Snow in her visions (though Jon is thinking of lowercase 's'). But only Val equates this to kings and dragons. We know that Jon is both.

“Pyp should learn to hold his tongue. I have heard the same from others. King’s blood, to wake a dragon. Where Melisandre thinks to find a sleeping dragon, no one is quite sure. It’s nonsense. Mance’s blood is no more royal than mine own. He has never worn a crown nor sat a throne. He’s a brigand, nothing more. There’s no power in brigand’s blood.”

(Sam I, AFFC)

There is a deep irony to this quote. We know that Jon is dead (or near death) by the end of ADWD. And if we consider R+L=J, then it seems that Melisandre has just found her sleeping dragon, whether she knows it or not. This could create a very interesting parallel to the Tragedy at Summerhall. which was intended to birth dragons but instead brought about a metaphorical dragon in Prince Rhaegar....who happens to be Jon's father, and who was initially thought to be Azor Ahai/TPTWP. Thus, there is an intended parallel of a Targaryen princeling mimicking dragons waking from stone with both Rhaegar and Jon.

Not only that but according to prophecy, Azor Ahai has been credited with having birthed dragons

“He is not dead. Stannis is the Lord’s chosen, destined to lead the fight against the dark. I have seen it in the flames, read of it in ancient prophecy. When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone. Dragonstone is the place of smoke and salt.”

(Jon X, ADWD)

But we have what seems to be a different interpretation of prophecy that has Azor Ahai forging Lightbringer, and there is the mention of a moon....

“A hundred days and a hundred nights he labored on the third blade, and as it glowed white-hot in the sacred fires, he summoned his wife. ‘Nissa Nissa,’ he said to her, for that was her name, ‘bare your breast, and know that I love you best of all that is in this world.’ She did this thing, why I cannot say, and Azor Ahai thrust the smoking sword through her living heart. It is said that her cry of anguish and ecstasy left a crack across the face of the moon, but her blood and her soul and her strength and her courage all went into the steel. Such is the tale of the forging of Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes.

(Davos I, ACOK)

So all in all, we're told that dragons (allegedly) came from the moon, and that Azor Ahai's forging of Lightbringer caused a crack in the moon (which sounds very similar to the crack that brought forth dragons).

Side Note: Are these two different prophesies? Different interpretations of one prophecy? The second one talks of a very literal flaming sword, but did the crack in the moon also bring forth dragons? In that case, are there supposed to be two Lightbringers (a sword and dragons)?

When we consider all of these things, Jon is placed in a rather peculiar position. He could be the dragon being born from the moon....but what if he is the sun itself? (Or as close to the sun as he possible can be?)

Let's take a step back and consider again how Daenerys fits into all of this.

Dany pressed her heels into her silver and rode closer. “My lord,” she said softly. “Drogo. My sun-and-stars.”

(Daenerys VIII, AGOT)

Khal Drogo looked down at her. His face was a copper mask, yet under the long black mustache, drooping beneath the weight of its gold rings, she thought she glimpsed the shadow of a smile. “Is good name, Dan Ares wife, moon of my life,” he said.

(Daenerys V, AGOT)

As stated earlier, Daenerys has always been presented as a moon maid. In her interactions with Khal Drogo, he often called her the moon and she equated him with the sun; which makes for a very interesting comparison later on when Drogo's life is exchanged for dragons, and Dany kisses him sometime prior.

There aren't many similarities between Jon and Drogo, but Dany's House of the Undying visions place them both as her husbands.

Her silver was trotting through the grass, to a darkling stream beneath a sea of stars. A corpse stood at the prow of a ship, eyes bright in his dead face, grey lips smiling sadly. A blue flower grew from a chink in a wall of ice, and filled the air with sweetness.… mother of dragons, bride of fire …

(Daenerys IV, ACOK)

Then we have the matter of Azor Ahai and his flaming sword, Lightbringer.

ADWD hints at the possibility that Jon will be the one (not Stannis) to successfully forge this legendary sword.

Jon was armored in black ice, but his blade burned red in his fist. 

(Jon XII, ADWD)

What's interesting about Lightbringer is that it's not just an ordinary flaming sword. There's more to say on the properties of Lightbringer but based on textual clues, we can assume that it must meet two conditions:

It must give off heat

It must be bright...as bright as the sun (Jon's ADWD dream indicates that his sword is giving off a light that encompasses the world around him: "his blade burned red in his fist...The world dissolved into a red mist."

Lightbringer being a stand in for the sun often comes up in relation to Stannis' false sword.

“Now he comes north humbled, with his tail between his legs. Why should I give him any aid? Answer me that.” Because he is your rightful king, Davos thought. Because he is a strong man and a just one, the only man who can restore the realm and defend it against the peril that gathers in the north. Because he has a magic sword that glows with the light of the sun. 

(Davos I, ADWD)

Stannis Baratheon drew Lightbringer. The sword glowed red and yellow and orange, alive with light. Jon had seen the show before … but not like this, never before like this. Lightbringer was the sun made steel.  [...] “Westeros has but one king,” said Stannis. His voice rang harsh, with none of Melisandre’s music. “With this sword I defend my subjects and destroy those who menace them. Bend the knee, and I promise you food, land, and justice. Kneel and live. Or go and die. The choice is yours.” He slipped Lightbringer into its scabbard, and the world darkened once again, as if the sun had gone behind a cloud. “Open the gates.”

(Jon III, ADWD)

This brings up a very interesting question for the reader to consider. If Jon is the one to successfully forge the true Lightbringer, then he becomes one who would wield the sun itself; which is undoubtedly going to be very important in the upcoming war for the dawn when all of Westeros will be covered by never ending darkness.

Jon himself is never directly linked to having the countenance of the sun, or being golden like the sun, but it must mean something if he is the one to harness the sun.

So going back to Mel's quote, it's a bit of a mental exercise to try and tease out what role Jon plays in this. The moon (which birthed dragons) has embraced him. But is Jon the dragon to be brought forth by the moon's actions? Is he the sun? Or maybe a hybrid of both?

[lionlena]

Remember me… (Oberyn Martellxreader) ANGST - one shot

Warnings: ANGST, really angst, suffering, canon character death, mourning, suicide...

I don't know why I did this to myself...😭🥺🤧

Remember me

The first thing you remember is screaming. But not yours, although apparently you screamed too. That's what Varys told you. Supposedly it was the mournful, piercing cry of a broken heart, but you can't confirm that. Instead of your own screaming, all you heard was ringing in your ears. But not before Oberyn's scream was drilled into your head. A scream full of unimaginable pain and suffering. A scream that haunts you almost every night.

You don't remember much after that. You fainted and everything else became an incoherent blur.

You remember clinging to Oberyn's cold, stiff chest and sobbing. His face was covered with a red cloth and you were tempted to reveal it, even though you knew it was the worst thing you could do to yourself.

Your hand involuntarily grabbed the edge of the fabric and suddenly someone grabbed your wrist. You looked up to see Varys' sad face as he shook his head.

"No…" he said gently. "You don't want to see this."

He was right, so you moved your hand back and grabbed Oberyn's stiff hand. The hand that held the weapon. The hand that gave you pleasure. The hand that wiped your tears, combed your hair… The hand that firmly held the reins of the restless horse you were riding. The hand that could have killed you, but instead gave you life.

"Can I do something for you?"

You heard Varys' gentle voice again and shook your head. There was nothing in this world he could do for you.

"Can you turn back time? Bring the dead back to life?"

Varys just sighed. There was no need to answer your questions.

After a few moments of silence, you spoke again.

"What about Tyrion?"

Varys tilted his head to the side, surprised by your concern for Lannister. But you couldn't help but like this dwarf.

"He waiting in a cell to die…"

You sighed heavily.

"I hope he escapes."

There was a strange gleam in Varys's eyes as he replied:

"Maybe his fate is not yet decided."

You didn't have the strength to ask for details, but you were counting on it. Not only because you liked Tyrion, but you didn't want that bitch Cersei to win. You had pure hatred for her and believed that she was partly responsible for the death of your loved one. *

The journey back to Dorne seemed like a never-ending torture. You saw the same places where you two stayed.

You remembered how Oberyn cared about your comfort all the time. Those evenings by the fire when you sat between his legs and he pulled you to his chest.

"My queen." He whispered into your hair and kissed your neck. "You should sit on the iron throne. You are more beautiful and intelligent than all the women in King's Landing."

You started giggling and shook your head and he started nibbling your neck.

"Don't laugh. I'm telling the truth." *

You didn't remember much about Oberyn's funeral. You heard the others sobbing, but you weren't crying anymore. You had no more tears.

After the funeral, you heard Oberyn's eldest daughters planning revenge, but you didn't care anymore. You were like Doran in that thing, although you had different reasons. The prince wanted to keep the peace at all costs, and you… You simply lost all will to fight. *

Three months after Oberyn's funeral, you decided to leave Dorne and return to your homeland.

You loved Dorne. You loved the warmth, fountains, palm trees, deserts… You loved the freedom that this land gave women.

You remembered Oberyn bringing you to Dorne and laughing merrily at your enthusiasm.

"My desert flower, you look like a child at a toy stand."

The prince grabbed your waist and pulled you towards him. He kissed you passionately and looked at you with shining eyes.

"Are you really that impressed with my home?"

You nodded eagerly and smiled happily.

"Oh yes… I love Dorne!"

Oberyn smiled and kissed your forehead.

"You haven't even seen the half of it yet. Wait until I take you to the royal gardens and…" He leaned in and whispered in your ear. "I will show you my favorite place, where no one eyes can see what I'm doing to you."

His hand went under your dress and he started stroking your thigh. You moaned softly and nodded.

"I never want to leave Dorne."

Oberyn's hand grabbed your buttock.

"Then you have nothing to worry about because I will never let you leave Dorne. It's your home now." *

"I am leaving Dorne… I am returning to my homeland."

The prince shifted uncomfortably in his wheelchair. He had a fondness for you that was surprising even Oberyn in the past.

"You can stay in Dorne."

"Dorne is not my home."

Doran looked at you surprised, even hurt.

"Is anyone here treating you badly?"

"You don't understand me, prince. Dorne is no longer my home, nor any other place in the world. Oberyn was my home. Without him… I have no home."

Doran sighed heavily and looked at you sadly.

"I'm sorry I can't heal your heart."

You gave him a soft smile.

"It's not your fault, prince. There are just too many memories here."

Doran nodded.

"Remember that despite everything, Dorne will always welcome you with open arms." *

Your homeland was nothing like Dorne. Cold sea, steep cliffs, common trees, barren land, and a constantly cloudy sky.

And that was what gave you the slightest bit of relief. Because that's what your soul looked like, cold and inaccessible.

And in this unpleasant place, you found the perfect place to bury your memories of Oberyn. You created your own grave. You dug a hole and into it, you threw Oberyn's robe, which still smelled of him, the scarf he wrapped around you, his necklace, and the ring he gave you. And you planted forget-me-nots on the grave.

They didn't sprout the first year, and neither did the second year. In the third year, leaves appeared but there were no flowers. And you centered your entire life around them. Every day you looked after them and talked to them, asking them to bloom. You didn't care what was happening in Westeros. War, dragons, Stark's bastard… You accepted this information without blinking an eye. Only the news of Doran's death caused some reaction in you. Besides, nothing could break you out of your melancholy…

And finally! You looked at the small blue flowers with emotion. You stroked the green leaves with motherly tenderness. Your friend was surprised at your obsession.

"What's so special about them?"

"They are for Oberyn so that I will always remember him."

Your friend looked at the small flowers skeptically.

"But why forget-me-nots? Wouldn't sunflowers, tulips, or yellow roses go better with Oberyn?"

You shook your head and sat down on the ground.

"No. I know they are small flowers, but if you look closely at them, you will see that their yellow center resembles the sun and the blue petals are like water." You sighed and touched the flowers with your finger. "Like the sun dying in the sea."

Your friend looked at you with concern.

"I'm worried about you. You seem happier lately… since you saw those flowers, but…"

"Everything will be fine." You interrupted her statement. "Everything will be better now."

You looked fondly at the forget-me-nots, your friend just nodded. *

Like the sun dying in the sea.

With this thought in mind, you went to the cliff, holding a bouquet of forget-me-nots in your hands. You stood on the edge, remembering your last conversation.

"I'm begging you, Oberyn… This is not a human, this is some kind of monster… A giant!"

Oberyn smiled at you and brushed the hair away from your worried face.

"He is a very clumsy and slow giant and I will kill him."

His calmness didn't soothe you at all. You were terrified and placed your hands on his chest.

"If you die, I swear I will end my life by jumping off a cliff!"

Oberyn put down his wine glass and looked at you gently. He cupped your face in his hands.

"If I die, plant forget-me-nots for me in the barren land to remember me. If they bloom, then you can jump off a cliff." He rubbed your cheeks with his thumbs. "But that will never happen, because today is not the day I die." *

"But you died…" you whispered, standing over the edge and clutching the forget-me-nots to your chest.

Tears began to flow down your cheeks and you felt a warmth on your back, as if his spirit was hugging you. The wind from the sea blew warm air over your face, drying your tears and brushing your hair away from your face, and you heard a whisper: "I'm sorry…"

Then you took a step forward into the open and waiting arms of your loved one… *

"I'm with you Whenever you tell, my story For I am all I've done Remember, I will still be here As long as you hold me, in your memory Remember me"

Josh Groban - Remember

Pernament tag list: @harriedandharassed

[docpiplup]

DAENERYS TARGARYEN APPRECIATION MONTH 2022

Day 9: Anti-Parallels with Westerosi Monarchs (Cersei, Stannis and Robert)

-Dany taking care of child hostages on Meereen

Dany pushed her food about her plate. She dare not glance over to where Grazhar and Qezza stood, for fear that she might cry. The Shavepate has a harder heart than mine. They had fought about the hostages half a dozen times. "The Sons of the Harpy are laughing in their pyramids," Skahaz said, just this morning. "What good are hostages if you will not take their heads?" In his eyes, she was only a weak woman. Hazzea was enough. What good is peace if it must be purchased with the blood of little children? "These murders are not their doing," Dany told the Green Grace, feebly. "I am no butcher queen."

A Dance with Dragons, Daenerys IV

-Cersei ordering to kill Robert's bastard children on King's Landing

"No," Tyrion snapped. "Damn you. Damn her." He could not touch Cersei, he knew. Not yet, not even if he'd wanted to, and he was far from certain that he did. Yet it rankled, to sit here and make a mummer's show of justice by punishing the sorry likes of Janos Slynt and Allar Deem, while his sister continued on her savage course. "In future, you will tell me what you know, Lord Varys. All of what you know."

The eunuch's smile was sly. "That might take rather a long time, my good lord. I know quite a lot."

"Not enough to save this child, it would seem."

"Alas, no. There was another bastard, a boy, older. I took steps to see him removed from harm's way . . . but I confess, I never dreamed the babe would be at risk. A baseborn girl, less than a year old, with a whore for a mother. What threat could she pose?"

"She was Robert's," Tyrion said bitterly. "That was enough for Cersei, it would seem."

A Clash of Kings, Tyrion II

-Stannis willingly accepting to sacrifice Edric Storm, his nephew, for R'hollr to try to get dragons (and probably will do the same with Shireen in the future)

"I know the cost! Last night, gazing into that hearth, I saw things in the flames as well. I saw a king, a crown of fire on his brows, burning . . . burning, Davos. His own crown consumed his flesh and turned him into ash. Do you think I need Melisandre to tell me what that means? Or you?" The king moved, so his shadow fell upon King's Landing. "If Joffrey should die . . . what is the life of one bastard boy against a kingdom?"

"Everything," said Davos, softly. - A Storm of Swords - Davos V

-Robert approved the deaths of Rhaenys and Aegon, Rhaegar's children, just for getting the crown

Ned did not feign surprise; Robert's hatred of the Targaryens was a madness in him. He remembered the angry words they had exchanged when Tywin Lannister had presented Robert with the corpses of Rhaegar's wife and children as a token of fealty. Ned had named that murder; Robert called it war. When he had protested that the young prince and princess were no more than babes, his new-made king had replied, "I see no babes. Only dragonspawn."

A Game of Thrones, Eddard II

[tyriongirl]

Can I ask you everything !! No let's go: 9, 18, 19, 21, 36.

from this ask game

9. Build your small council with any characters dead or alive: Predictable, but Tyrion hand of the queen. Grandmaester Sarella. I know she's still studying and we know nothing about her, but I trust her. Master of coins Elaena Targaryen. Master of laws Alyssane Targaryen and we're inventing no-fault divorce to get her away from her freak husband and into some serious therapy. Master of ships Aurane Waters. Love that guy he's so funny for sleeping his way to the top without actually sleeping with anyone. Icon. The one and only instance of pretty privilege at work. Master of whispers can I be real and say we're doing triple. Can't choose between Varys Larys Myseria so they're all sharing. Idk maybe I'll do them for different regions / populations. I think they'll all be happy to share because they love me so and I am in no danger from this at all. Lord commander of the kg Brienne only true knight ‼️‼️‼️

18. A mystery you need solved NOW: Fire and Blood, but indulge me: WHAT HAPPENED TO AEREA IN VALYRIA. WHAT DID SHE SEE. Main series, what happened to the Lannister's valyrian sword.

19. A theory you’ve adopted as canon: predictable again but aegon blackfyre. It's not a theory to me it's just canon. Grrm could still twist it somehow, but it feels thematically appropriate and fits everything we know and were told through characters. I know the Hound being on the Silent Island is considered a theory, but I can't see how when the text all but tells you that's him. Like what more do you need? It's as explicit as the text would ever get. It's him. End of story. No theory is necessary when it is quite literally canon.

21. A moment that made you cry? I had to stop listening to the audiobook (shout out to davidreadsasoiaf on youtube) during the Cat grieving over Bran when he was in a coma chapter because it made me cry so much. It's such a visceral description. Brienne thinking about how she is a freak of nature and disappointment to her father also got me bad. In general, the whole Hyle Hunt Ronnet Connington general knights mocking Brienne really got to me as someone who was that ugly child that no one wanted, that people mocked for fun, that people asked out on a dare for laughs. And of course, Tyrion Jaime reunion and Tysha revelation. I knew the content beforehand and it only made it worse. I'm sure I cried many other times, I cry very easily and grrm knows how to press my buttons.

36. What’s something you wish GRRM handled better? (a character/theme/world building etc) oh um the racism. The racism mostly. Who are the dothraki characters! Give them personalities! The Free Cities need some serious work because the orientalism is jarring. You go from nuanced characters in Westeros to suddenly borderline charicatures. A more lighthearted answer is the sex scenes. He needs to read some trashy novels or even fics to learn how to do a sex scene that is actually sexy, if that's what he tries to convey in the scene. Of course there are a lot of sex scenes in the books that are meant to be unsexy, and that's all well and good, but you can really tell when he wants you to find a particular scene hot and he never manages, sorry.

[istumpysk]

Operation Stumpy Re-Read

ADWD: Tyrion VIII (Chapter 33)

A huge man, taller than Ser Jorah and wide enough to make two of him, the priest wore scarlet robes embroidered at sleeve and hem and collar with orange satin flames. His skin was black as pitch, his hair as white as snow; the flames tattooed across his cheeks and brow yellow and orange. His iron staff was as tall as he was and crowned with a dragon's head; when he stamped its butt upon the deck, the dragon's maw spat crackling green flame.

Dark flame!

He's massive, and Daenerys shouldn't trust him? Looks like I have a new crush.

Green flames mixed with dragons sounds like fun.

+.+.+

His guardsmen, five slave warriors of the Fiery Hand, led the responses. They chanted in the tongue of Old Volantis, but Tyrion had heard the prayers enough to grasp the essence. Light our fire and protect us from the dark, blah blah, light our way and keep us toasty warm, the night is dark and full of terrors, save us from the scary things, and blah blah blah some more.

He finally made me laugh.

+.+.+

The Selaesori Qhoran was a wallowing tub of five hundred tons, with a deep hold, high castles fore and aft, and a single mast between. At her forecastle stood a grotesque figurehead, some worm-eaten wooden eminence with a constipated look and a scroll tucked up under one arm. Tyrion had never seen an uglier ship. 

Someone tell me who or what this figurehead represents.

+.+.+

Three of the mates and more than three-quarters of the crew were fervent worshipers of the Lord of Light. Tyrion was less certain about the captain, who always emerged for the evening prayers but took no other part in them. But Moqorro was the true master of the Selaesori Qhoran, at least for this voyage.

"Lord of Light, bless your slave Moqorro, and light his way in the dark places of the world," the red priest boomed. "And defend your righteous slave Benerro. Grant him courage. Grant him wisdom. Fill his heart with fire."

If this ship is the perfumed seneschal then religious fanaticism is what Daenerys needs to be cautious of. She wouldn't be warned about Moqorro or Tyrion twice.

+.+.+

And the sight of me can only be salt in her [Penny] wound. They hacked off her brother's head in the hope that it was mine, yet here I sit like some bloody gargoyle, offering empty consolations. If I were her, I'd want nothing more than to shove me into the sea.

Including for those who think Tyrion will drown.

+.+.+

The red priest rested by day but kept vigil through the dark hours, to tend his sacred flames so that the sun might return to them at dawn.

A religion for people who need a night light.

+.+.+

He was staring into the flickering flames, lost in some vision. Does he see days yet to come, as he claims? If so, that was a fearsome gift. 

I'd say curse.

+.+.+

"Someone told me that the night is dark and full of terrors. What do you see in those flames?"

"Dragons," Moqorro said in the Common Tongue of Westeros. He spoke it very well, with hardly a trace of accent. No doubt that was one reason the high priest Benerro had chosen him to bring the faith of R'hllor to Daenerys Targaryen. "Dragons old and young, true and false, bright and dark. And you. A small man with a big shadow, snarling in the midst of all."

That's considered fAegon evidence.

Dragons old and young: The youngins & Aemon? Bloodraven?

True and false: The real ones & Aegon? Jon? In a way Daenerys is also false.

Bright and dark: The good ones & Daenerys? Bloodraven?

And you. A small man with a big shadow, snarling in the midst of all:

When he opened the door, the light from within threw his shadow clear across the yard, and for just a moment Tyrion Lannister stood tall as a king. - Jon I, AGOT

x

"A shadow on the wall," Varys murmured, "yet shadows can kill. And ofttimes a very small man can cast a very large shadow." - Tyrion II, ACOK

x

"You are fighting shadows when you should be fighting the men who cast them," Daario went on. - Daenerys IV, ADWD

+.+.+

"Did you see how long it will take us to reach Meereen?"

"You are eager to behold the world's deliverer?"

I can't wait for these people to be in her inner circle. I'm giddy at the thought.

+.+.+

Tell me, was Selaesori Qhoran a triarch or a turtle?"

The red priest chuckled. "Neither. Qhoran is … not a ruler, but one who serves and counsels such, and helps conduct his business. You of Westeros might say steward or magister."

King's Hand? That amused him. "And selaesori?"

Moqorro touched his nose. "Imbued with a pleasant aroma. Fragrant, would you say? Flowery?"

"So Selaesori Qhoran means Stinky Steward, more or less?"

"Fragrant Steward, rather."

Tyrion gave a crooked grin. "I believe I will stay with Stinky. But I do thank you for the lesson."

Is it a misdirection, a clue, or simply the ship? You decide!

"No. Hear me, Daenerys Targaryen. The glass candles are burning. Soon comes the pale mare, and after her the others. Kraken and dark flame, lion and griffin, the sun's son and the mummer's dragon. Trust none of them. Remember the Undying. Beware the perfumed seneschal." - Daenerys II, ADWD

+.+.+

He found Mormont stretched out in the lower one, swaying slowly with the motion of the ship. "The girl finally poked her nose abovedecks," Tyrion told him. "One look at me and she scurried right back down below."

"You're not a pretty sight."

"Not all of us can be as comely as you. The girl is lost. It would not surprise me if the poor creature wasn't sneaking up to jump over the side and drown herself."

That's funny, he does the comely thing twice with these two.

Sometimes she would close her eyes and dream of him, but it was never Jorah Mormont she dreamed of; her lover was always younger and more comely, though his face remained a shifting shadow. - Daenerys II, ASOS

↓

Ser Jorah had never been what one might call a comely man. The brand had transformed his face into something frightening.

Tyrion grinned. "As long as I look prettier than you, I will be happy." - Tyrion XII, ADWD

+.+.+

Groat and Penny. The smallest coins, worth the least, and what's worse, they chose the names themselves. It left a bad taste in Tyrion's mouth. "By any name, she needs a friend."

Ser Jorah sat up in his hammock. "Befriend her, then. Marry her, for all I care."

[...]

"You were the one who insisted that we bring her."

"I said we could not abandon her in Volantis. That does not mean I want to fuck her. She wants me dead, have you forgotten? I'm the last person she's like to want as a friend."

Fantastic, we're giving Tyrion a vulnerable girl in need of rescuing. Vomit.

+.+.+

"You are a harmless creature, to be sure. Innocent as a lamb." Ser Jorah got to his feet. "The dwarf girl is your burden. Kiss her, kill her, or avoid her, as you like. It's naught to me." He shouldered past Tyrion and out of the cabin.

Twice exiled, and small wonder, Tyrion thought. I'd exile him too if I could. The man is cold, brooding, sullen, deaf to humor. And those are his good points. 

Let's wait and see if you're afforded that type of influence at the end.

+.+.+

Life aboard the Selaesori Qhoran was nothing if not tedious, Tyrion had found. The most exciting part of his day was pricking his toes and fingers with a knife.

This guy still fears greyscale, yet that didn't stop him from ejaculating inside a bed slave. I will never get over it.

+.+.+

And the nights were worse. Tyrion slept badly at the best of times, and this was far from that. Sleep meant dreams as like as not, and in his dreams the Sorrows waited, and a stony king with his father's face. 

Later in the chapter:

Gerion Lannister had set sail for Valyria when Tyrion was eighteen, intent on recovering the lost ancestral blade of House Lannister and any other treasures that might have survived the Doom. Tyrion had wanted desperately to go with them, but his lord father had dubbed the voyage a "fool's quest," and forbidden him to take part.

And perhaps he was not so wrong. Almost a decade had passed since the Laughing Lion headed out from Lannisport, and Gerion had never returned. The men Lord Tywin sent to seek after him had traced his course as far as Volantis, where half his crew had deserted him and he had bought slaves to replace them.

Many people believe the Shrouded Lord is Gerion Lannister. I'm not sure what the point of that would be, but okay.

+.+.+

Dark and deep and forbidding, beautiful in a chilly sort of way, but when he looked at it too long Tyrion found himself musing on how easy it would be to slip over the gunwale and drop down into that darkness. One very small splash, and the pathetic little tale that was his life would soon be done. But what if there is a hell and my father's waiting for me?

Including for those who think Tyrion will drown.

+.+.+

Her captain being an especially bookish man, she carried three—a collection of nautical poetry that went from bad to worse, a well-thumbed tome about the erotic adventures of a young slave girl in a Lysene pillow house, and the fourth and final volume of The Life of the Triarch Belicho, a famous Volantene patriot whose unbroken succession of conquests and triumphs ended rather abruptly when he was eaten by giants. 

Shoutout to @aegor-bamfsteel!

+.+.+

Then, for lack of any other books, he started reading them again. The slave girl's story was the worst written but the most engrossing

If that's a commentary on his own series, I'm going to die of laughter.

Her chapters are the worst written.

+.+.+

We went to Tyrosh first. My brother thought that would be far enough, but it wasn't. We knew a juggler there. For years and years he would juggle every day by the Fountain of the Drunken God. He was old, so his hands were not as deft as they had been, and sometimes he would drop his balls and chase them across the square, but the Tyroshi would laugh and throw him coins all the same. Then one morning we heard that his body had been found at the Temple of Trios. Trios has three heads, and there's a big statue of him beside the temple doors. The old man had been cut into three parts and pushed inside the threefold mouths of Trios. Only when the parts were sewn back together, his head was gone."

One time, the girl remembered, the Sailor's Wife had walked her rounds with her and told her tales of the city's stranger gods. "That is the house of the Great Shepherd. Three-headed Trios has that tower with three turrets. The first head devours the dying, and the reborn emerge from the third. I don't know what the middle head's supposed to do. - The Ugly Little Girl, ADWD

I feel like there's a hidden message here.

+.+.+

"He died for you. His blood is on your hands."

The accusation stung, coming so hard on the heels of Jorah Mormont's words. "His blood is on my sister's hands, and the hands of the brutes who killed him. My hands …" Tyrion turned them over, inspected them, coiled them into fists. "… my hands are crusted with old blood, aye. Call me kinslayer, and you won't be wrong. Kingslayer, I'll answer to that one as well. I have killed mothers, fathers, nephews, lovers, men and women, kings and whores. A singer once annoyed me, so I had the bastard stewed. But I have never killed a juggler, nor a dwarf, and I am not to blame for what happened to your bloody brother."

Most of that is true.

+.+.+

Tyrion remembered the storm he'd suffered crossing the narrow sea, the way the deck had jumped beneath his feet, the hideous creaking sounds the ship had made, the taste of wine and vomit. "No-Nose will stay up here." If the gods wanted him, he would sooner die by drowning than choking on his own vomit. 

Including for those who think Tyrion will drown.

Please make the Sailor's Wife a prophet! Do it.

+.+.+

The salt air lay still and heavy that morning, but the western sky was a fiery red, streaked with lowering clouds that glowed as bright as Lannister crimson.

[...]

Behind them black clouds piled one atop another against a blood-red sky. By midmorning they could see lightning flickering to the west, followed by the distant crash of thunder. The sea grew rougher, and dark waves rose up to smash against the hull of the Stinky Steward.

Is it the Doom of Valyria or the Doom of Daenerys?

+.+.+

Her teeth were crooked, which made her shy with her smiles, but she smiled now. "Did you truly cook a singer in a stew?"

"Who, me? No. I do not cook."

When Penny giggled, she sounded like the sweet young girl she was … seventeen, eighteen, no more than nineteen. "What did he do, this singer?"

"He wrote a song about me." For she was his secret treasure, she was his shame and his bliss. And a chain and a keep are nothing, compared to a woman's kiss. It was queer how quick the words came back to him. Perhaps they had never left him. Hands of gold are always cold, but a woman's hands are warm.

If Wyman Manderly is destined to die for forcing cannibalism on others, why isn't Tyrion?

+.+.+

"It was Father's idea to do the tilts. He even trained the first pig, but by then he was too sick to ride her, so Oppo took his place. I always rode the dog. We performed for the Sealord of Braavos once, and he laughed so hard that afterward he gave each of us a … a grand gift."

Dot, dot, dot. That's strange.

Braavos is synonymous with a certain type of gift.

Women bring life into the world. We bring the gift of death. No one can do both. - Arya II, AFFC

x

That very night he chose the most wretched of the slaves, the one who had prayed most earnestly for release, and freed him from his bondage. The first gift had been given. - Arya II, AFFC

x

"Give a certain man a certain gift. Can you do that?" - The Ugly Little Girl, ADWD

Did Penny have someone killed? Lol.

What else could it be, a coin?

+.+.+

"Is that where my sister found you? In Braavos?"

"Your sister?" The girl looked lost.

"Queen Cersei."

Penny shook her head. "She never … it was a man who came to us, in Pentos. Osmund. No, Oswald. Something like that. Oppo met with him, not me. Oppo made all of our arrangements. My brother always knew what to do, where we should go next."

He's so meta in this chapter. That was George poking fun at himself.

Oswald Kettleblack was the first to laugh. - Tyrion X, ASOS

x

"There's your poisoner," suggested Ser Oswald Kettleblack with a sly grin. - Jaime VIII, ASOS

There is no Oswald Kettleblack.

None of this matters. Tyrion could have been told it was Littlefinger's idea and he still wouldn't have done anything about it.

+.+.+

That same night, she came right out and asked him if he would like to tilt with her. "No," he answered. Only later did it occur to him that perhaps tilt did not mean tilt. His answer would still have been no, but he might not have been so brusque.

Nooo Penny.

+.+.+

One of the mates was on the sterncastle, and amidships Moqorro sat by his brazier, where a few small flames still danced amongst the embers.

Only the brightest stars were visible, all to the west. A dull red glow lit the sky to the northeast, the color of a blood bruise. Tyrion had never seen a bigger moon. Monstrous, swollen, it looked as if it had swallowed the sun and woken with a fever. Its twin, floating on the sea beyond the ship, shimmered red with every wave. "What hour is this?" he asked Moqorro. "That cannot be sunrise unless the east has moved. Why is the sky red?"

"The sky is always red above Valyria, Hugor Hill."

A cold chill went down his back.

A lot of people believe this is pointing to Mirri Maz Duur's words.

"When will he be as he was?" Dany demanded.

"When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east," said Mirri Maz Duur. "When the seas go dry and mountains blow in the wind like leaves. When your womb quickens again, and you bear a living child. Then he will return, and not before." - Daenerys IX, AGOT

That was not a prophecy, that was a fuck you.

And I don't think it has anything to do with the following either.

"To go north, you must journey south. To reach the west, you must go east. To go forward you must go back, and to touch the light you must pass beneath the shadow." - Daenerys III, ACOK.

+.+.+

Valyria. It was written that on the day of Doom every hill for five hundred miles had split asunder to fill the air with ash and smoke and fire, blazes so hot and hungry that even the dragons in the sky were engulfed and consumed. Great rents had opened in the earth, swallowing palaces, temples, entire towns. Lakes boiled or turned to acid, mountains burst, fiery fountains spewed molten rock a thousand feet into the air, red clouds rained down dragonglass and the black blood of demons, and to the north the ground splintered and collapsed and fell in on itself and an angry sea came rushing in. The proudest city in all the world was gone in an instant, its fabled empire vanished in a day, the Lands of the Long Summer scorched and drowned and blighted.

An empire built on blood and fire. The Valyrians reaped the seed they had sown.

What lesson can I pull from this?

+.+.+

"Our captain would prefer to be fifty leagues farther out to sea, well away from that accursed shore, but I have commanded him to steer the shortest course. Others seek Daenerys too."

Griff, with his young prince. Could all that talk of the Golden Company sailing west have been a feint? Tyrion considered saying something, then thought better. It seemed to him that the prophecy that drove the red priests had room for just one hero. A second Targaryen would only serve to confuse them. "Have you seen these others in your fires?" he asked, warily.

"Only their shadows," Moqorro said. "One most of all. A tall and twisted thing with one black eye and ten long arms, sailing on a sea of blood."

A second Targaryen would only serve to confuse them.

Just you wait!

Final thoughts:

Imagine Daenerys is on the verge of going full berserk and it's Penny or her memory that convinces Tyrion humanity is worth fighting for.

I will gag.

43 down, 6 to go. :(

-> return to menu <-

[waitingforwinterwinds]

A Clash of Kings - 44 TYRION X (pages 573-586)

Tyrion goes to visit Shae only to receive a visit from Varys who updates Tyrion on the recent change in management at Storm's End, and Tyrion tries to get Shae a new job at the castle kicthens despite her protests, so Varys suggests a better position.

-

"Lord Varys has come to see you," Shae announced. The begging brother blinked at her, astonished. Tyrion laughed. "To be sure. How is it you knew him when I did not?" She shrugged. "It's still him. Only dressed different." "A different look, a different smell, a different way of walking," said Tyrion. "Most men would be deceived." "And most women, maybe. But not whores. A whore learns to see the man, not his garb, or she turns up dead in an alley."

This is both really cool, class stat bonus, and really... hmm what would be the word? "sex workers are in danger from their customers so they need to read people better than the best spies to not be brutally killed as well as immediately know if a random person on the street is a danger to them because their status in society is very low so even if a serial killer starts targeting them specifically no one, not even the law, is likely to do anything about it" is there a specific word for "it's cool that she has this skill but the reason she needs it is terrifying"

(also, ngl, for a second I forgot how her story ends and thought "oh I hope Varys doesn't kill her for that")

"The Red Keep has sufficient cooks. Butchers and bakers too. You'd need to pose as a scullion." "A pot girl," she said, "in scratchy brown roughspun. Is that how m'lord wants to see me?"

roughspun = 🥛

He slapped her. Not hard, but hard enough. "Damn you," he said. "Damn you. Never mock me. Not you." For a moment, Shae did not speak. The only sound was the cricket, chirping, chirping. "Beg pardon, m'lord," she said at last, in a heavy wodden voice. "I never meant to be impudent."

*bops Tyrion with the steel chair* We do not slap our partners or employees!

Although now I wonder if this moment, -this reminder for Shae specifically that she is first and foremost his employee, not his partner, not his equal- had anything to do with her choices later. Because in the moments leading up to this, and the specific way she reacts, I'm starting to get the vibe that Shae was experiencing the same thing that Tyrion was, forgetting that this is a paid relationship and viewing it as an authentic partnership, an honest relationship outside of money and contract.

... wow Varys, that much sexual harrasment and assault goes on in the kitchens and no one does anything about it even though you know? *hefts the steel chair thoughtfully* hmmmmm...

Varys: *drops tragic backstory* "- Was it a god, a demon, some conjurer's trick? I could not tell you, and I know all the tricks. All I can say for certainty is that he called it and it answered, and since that day I have hated magic and all those who practice it. If Lord Stannis is one such, i mean to see him dead."

... I... have questions on what does and doesn't count as magic in his eyes and how much magic he's willing to put up with given that he is team Dany. Y'all know Dany right? Mother of Dragons, restorer of magic (if Quaithe is to be believed)?

"Don't you see the jest, Lord Varys? (...) Storm's end has fallen and Stannis is coming with fire and steel and the gods alone know what dark powers, and the good folk don't have Jaime to protect them, nor Robert nor Renly nor Rhaegar nor their precious Knight of Flowers. Only me, the one they hate. (...) The dwarf, the evil counselor, the twisted little monkey demon. I'm all that stands between them and chaos."

... Tyrion Lannister, City Defender!

CHaOs iS a LAdDeR

[girlwithakiwi]

You are so politically astute. How do you determine all of Dany and Jon’s motivations and deploy them at the most (in)opportune times? Specifically sections like “You would have had to tell me the truth and you would have made yourself my rival for the throne immediately” and detail how savvy Jon and Dany are at understanding political consequence. I appreciate that they are not just pretty faces with smart advisors who just want to do good in the world, they are smart and aware. I appreciate that in your writing. I wonder if they’ll understand Sansa, Cersei, and the Night Kings motivations sooner rather than later with all that knowledge.

“How do you determine all of Dany and Jon’s motivations and deploy them at the most (in)opportune times?” Vibes. 😎

In all seriousness though, I approach it this way: Jon and Dany aren’t and shouldn’t be the most political savvy of all the characters. All of those types of characters—Sansa, Tyrion, Varys, and Littlefinger—are on Dragonstone. These are the characters who know how to play the game of thrones best. By themselves, Jon and Dany are actually mediocre players—they do need their advisors’ counsel to help them see their blind spots.

However, just because they’re not the greatest political players doesn’t mean they’re stupid or reduced to just one character trait. Jon’s tendency to be unfailingly honest and courteous shapes his caution. Dany’s ambition and pride are tempered by her kindness. Jon can’t be blindly honorable just for the sake of being honorable. Dany’s can’t indulge in “fire and blood” simply to satisfy her temper. They are working within the confines of political repercussions: Jon himself frequently reminds himself how honor killed Ned and Robb (and him at one point) and Dany knows her reputation is shaped by those who came before her. They have a good grasp of their strengths and weaknesses and they have people around them to keep them focused (Davos and Missandei definitely need raises once this is all done).

Also, one thing they are both very good at, despite neither of them willingly admitting it, is understanding the other. Dany makes a note of it in this chapter when she says she and Jon have far more in common than either of them allows. They are similar enough to appreciate the other’s motivations and caution—and they are also both similar and dissimilar enough to be the one person who completely gets under the other’s skin.

They will be a force to be reckoned with when they eventually get on the same page…if they don’t strangle each other first.

[vivacissimx]

There are three specific plotlines where three characters are put in positions of authority with impossible tasks set before them. I mean Tyrion as Joffrey's Hand in ACOK, Daenerys as Queen of Meereen in ADWD, and Jon Snow as Lord Commander in ADWD.

Tyrion is facing war on three fronts, with Joffrey and Cersei inside the Keep

Daenerys has the slaver alliance against her with the Sons of the Harpy & the pale mare within her walls

Jon has the Wall, the free folk, Stannis, incoming Winter, and the Others to worry about

All three of them occupy impressively credentialed positions that in reality are joyless to navigate and bring into being relative stalemates with opposing factions. All three are unfairly despised for their roles, although they are each doing what they consider necessary to survival and dignity. Still they persevere even if/when they find their efforts fruitless, but it does make them angry, hopeless, mistrustful. They have to dig deeper into themselves as the world around them becomes more isolated.

And in doing so, they all turn on themselves, become harsh so as to self-motivate.

"Don't you see the jest, Lord Varys?" Tyrion waved a hand at the shuttered windows, at all the sleeping city. "Storm's End is fallen and Stannis is coming with fire and steel and the gods alone know what dark powers, and the good folk don't have Jaime to protect them, nor Robert nor Renly nor Rhaegar nor their precious Knight of Flowers. Only me, the one they hate." He laughed again. "The dwarf, the evil counselor, the twisted little monkey demon. I'm all that stands between them and chaos."

-ACOK, Tyrion X

Mother of dragons, Daenerys thought. Mother of monsters. What have I unleashed upon the world? A queen I am, but my throne is made of burned bones, and it rests on quicksand. Without dragons, how could she hope to hold Meereen, much less win back Westeros? I am the blood of the dragon, she thought. If they are monsters, so am I.

-ADWD, Daenerys II

A rebel and a turncloak, aye, and a bastard and a warg as well.

-ADWD, Jon III

These are... the most uncharitable things they could possibly say about themselves, and they're saying them because they believe it's how they're perceived. These aren't moments of self-realization (i.e. I'll be what I have to be), they're more like resigned to what they can't change: the opinion of others. Then they wonder if maybe it's all true.

But Tyrion goes on to put up a valiant effort to defend King's Landing, Daenerys sues for peace, Jon attempts to save thousands of wildlings from death. That they aren't kind to themselves doesn't mean they're not trying or that they no longer believe in themselves. It's just that the taste of failure on such a large scale is bitter to the point of being a choking hazard.

What I want to say is that treating these three situations and the reflections within them as defining (Tyrion shouldn't need affirmation, Daenerys should know she's a monster, Jon's ambitions should be stamped out because he's a man of the Night's Watch) isn't right. These three plotlines are learning curves, they're designed to end in disaster. This is the Tyrion who slaps Shae for playfully mocking him, the Daenerys that puts on the tokar she wished to ban, the Jon that sends all his friends away. They're not fully realized versions of themselves.

Moreso in Dany and Jon's case but the use of these quotes as examples of enlightenment is popular. For Tyrion, "I wish I had enough poison for you all. You make me sorry that I am not the monster you would have me be," is more common but it's the same issue: they're all just being cruel to themselves in those moments. Tyrion is berating himself for ever caring or trying to be good - Daenerys feels guilty because innocent people are being murdered - Jon is fighting uphill both ways barefoot. This isn't proof that the dragons are evil, or that Jon is content being a bastard, or that Tyrion has 'finally learned his proper place.' It's more like the opposite: they are not satisfied and they're not willing to fulfill what's expected of them.

And they're not going to stop doing what they're doing. Just like #some are not going to stop using these quotes as if they're the sum total of Tyrion, Dany, and Jon's character arcs.

[cellsshapedlikestars]

Your stories & regency movies are my happy place currently in a world of awful. Also, so glad you're inspired to start into On the Run again because I love it! ALSO ALSO - another reality show prompt if you're interested lolol. Sansa is the host of a reality show (dating? survivor-y? Skill-based forged in fire-y?) and Jon is on the show. Maybe fans of the show are obsessed with them?

first - thank you anon, I'm so happy you like my writing! That's so sweet

second - funnily enough, @hilarychuff and I MAY have gone on a tangent a long time ago about alternate Bachelor stories, including one where Sansa was hosting Bachelor in Paradise (and I even wrote a bit at that time, too). Smash cut to me getting this prompt, and I was immediately reminded of that. So thank you anon, for the prompt, which got me to finish the snippet I had started writing, and thank you to hil, for helping brainstorm & come up with ideas! I didn't even get to use most of them, but they will live rent free in my head.

third - this is in no way related to my full Bachelor story, I just have a problem. And yes, I did write this during the 3 hour Bachelorette finale last night. It kept me sane.

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read it here:

ephemera, chapter 30

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Sansa rolls her luggage into the hotel room, depositing it near the foot of the bed before turning and flopping face down onto the mattress.

She can't believe she's back.

One would think, after two disastrous runs on this show, that she would know better than to sign another contract.

First, her time on Joffrey's season that had ended with her in tears, humiliated on national television. Watching that season back had been a revelation. Watching him lie to her. Watching her eat it up. She remembers in the Fantasy Suite, he'd told her he loved her and hinted she was going to be his winner, and she had agreed to sleep with him, thinking he'd be her fiance in another two weeks - only to be dumped in the finale for Margaery.

And then, while she was still emotionally destroyed and with her dignity in ruins, she had agreed to be Bachelorette. She'd signed the contract with the producers telling her this would be her comeback, she would be redeemed, she would get her love story. Instead, what she got was Harry. An actor and musician who she only found out later, after she picked him (after he put a ring on her finger), had a girlfriend already. He was using the show - using her – to further his career.

God, why did she agree to come back?

At least she's only the host this time.

…

Free vacation, she reminds herself as she sits down with Tyrion, and Varys for her debriefing. That's what they're calling it – debriefing – as if this is some top secret mission and not a reality TV show that, ultimately, is meaningless.

She's reminding herself why she's doing this. Free vacation, and the fat paycheck she would get from it. A big paycheck. They're desperate, after the scandal that ousted Jaime from his iconic host role – one he'd held for over a decade. They had called her up and practically begged her to come to Paradise. They needed the ratings she could bring. Twice-dumped Sansa. Even now, a year and a different Bachelorette later, people are still calling for her return.

It's sweet, really, that people want her to have her love story. It's sweet that they care. And she's lucky, she knows, to have come out the other side of this with a relatively positive reputation within Bachelor Nation. There was even a recent poll where she was voted the most popular Bachelorette of all time.

But the thing is, Sansa can't do this again. She can't have her heart broken on television, in front of millions of people, again.

So she'd turned them down. A hard no. And no, there's nothing they could do to convince her.

Well, that was her stance, until they offered her the host gig. Take over Jaime's role, instead of coming on as a contestant. Get on camera to welcome the actual contestants to Paradise, say a few lines at the elimination ceremonies, do some narration in post-production. Minimal work, considering the amount of money they're throwing at her just so she'll come back. Just so she'll help them rebuild a bit of their crumbling reputation after the scandal.

She can do this.

Free vacation, minimal work, lots of money.

…

The first round goes fine.

Sansa stands at the entrance to Paradise and greets each new cast member as they show up. She's friends with some of them, and familiar with almost all of them – Dany arrives first, her pale blonde hair in a crown of intricate braids and wearing a silver bikini she barely hides under a wrap. The show had tried to paint her as a villain on Daario's season, but most of the audience ended up liking her anyway, and now she's set to be the star of the beach this season. Sansa can already picture the men tripping over themselves to get with her.

Next comes Theon, from Val's season, all cocky smile and waggling eyebrows as she greets him. Then Mya, Dickon, Myranda... the list goes on. She loses track of who she greets, and by the end of it, her cheeks hurt from smiling. Then she goes and gives the group a welcome speech, hands out the date card, and she's done.

Back to the hotel for a massage and a drink (or two).

By the time she's nice and relaxed and laying by the hotel pool, she thinks she definitely made the right decision.

…

The day after the first elimination round, Sansa stands at the top of the stairs leading down to Paradise, waiting for the new arrivals. As she's waiting, she reads the card that has the basic info of the new contestants again, just to make sure she's got it.

First will be Domeric, he was on one of the earlier seasons. She doesn't remember him, and she wonders if the audience will.

Then it's Jon. She does remember him – he'd been on Val's season, the year after Sansa's.

Sansa remembers Jon the way everyone else does – because Twitter went crazy over him. He'd been eliminated night one, and Twitter had gone into an uproar about it. The hashtag #MechanicJon was trending through the whole season, memes were made, a petition was created to make him the next Bachelor. All for a guy who was eliminated night one, who didn't even have an Instagram account until he became internet famous and had to create one because of all the fake accounts that were popping up.

She's surprised he's here, honestly.

Though to be fair, the contestants are actually paid for Paradise, so he probably figured why not – a couple grand for three weeks of shooting, plus a free vacation to Sayulita? She's here for the same reasons.

Domeric comes down first and he's nice enough. She greets him and hands him the date card, and he heads in, no issues.

Then Sansa's dabbed with oil blotters, she's given a fresh coat of powder to try and hide how ungodly hot it is here, and then she's back in position, waiting for the next arrival.

Jon comes down next, and she will admit, she does understand the appeal of him. He's so unlike most of the other contestants – he's a mechanic from Boston (which actually isn't too far from her hometown). From the brief minutes of screentime he got, plus the bits she's seen of him on social media, he almost seems like a sort of anti-contestant. Someone she never could have imagined would go on the show. She thinks she remembers some article, where he said his niece had begged him to go on, which is the only reason he did.

“Welcome to Paradise,” she greets when he makes it to her. He's even more handsome in person, she thinks idly.

“Uh, thanks,” he says, then seems to rethink it and adds, “it's great to be here.”

He's a bit awkward, she thinks he doesn't really know how to hold himself in front of cameras. It's refreshing, actually, and sort of cute. He gives her a tentative smile that she returns in full, and her smile seems to give him a bit of confidence - she watches his shoulders square and his spine straighten, and his own smile gets wider.

“Now, you had such a short run on the show, are you excited for the possibility of finding love here in Paradise?”

“Yeah,” he says, though he doesn't sound convinced.

“Let's try that again, with a bit more enthusiasm,” Tyrion calls from behind the camera, and Jon winces. “Say you're excited to get a real chance at love. You're looking for The One.”

She can see Jon hesitate, and she realizes now why he was sent home night one. He doesn't seem as willing to play the game as most of the others, and if Val was on the fence about him, Sansa can imagine the producers telling her to cut him, knowing he wouldn't be easy to control.

That's what they like, she knows. Easily controllable contestants, or the ones who create explosive drama. Jon, it seems, is neither. She thinks the only reason he made it to paradise is because of his sudden spike of popularity.

“I'm really excited to... see what comes out of this for me,” is what he ends up saying, and Sansa tries to suppress her smile, just knowing Tyrion is likely fuming. The producers want the contestants to talk about love as much as possible, and Jon isn't giving them what they want.

“Well, here's a date card for your first chance at love here in Paradise,” she says, holding out the envelope to him. “You can ask anyone.”

Jon nods, looks at the envelope, then back up at her, eyes flicking over her briefly. “Would you want to go?” he asks, and for a moment all Sansa can do is stare.

“Me?” she asks, completely dumbfounded.

“Yeah,” he shrugs, giving her another one of his smiles.

To her utter horror, she feels a swirl of butterflies in her stomach.

“Uh,” she looks towards production for help, but Tyrion is watching them intently and hasn't cut. “I'm the host,” she says, turning back to Jon.

“Oh,” Jon's brows furrow a bit. “So... I can't take you on the date?”

“Yeah, that's not really how it works,” she glances over at Tyrion again, who remains silent. “Um, you take the card down to the beach and you talk to the women – or men, whatever you prefer – and see which one of them you'd like to take on a date.” She tries to make her voice light and airy, tries to add a bit of laughter, but she's not sure how well it works.

“You were on the show before, right?” he asks, and she's actually a bit surprised that he doesn't know who she is, considering how much of a mess both her "journeys" had been. He must have gone on the show without ever watching an episode.

“Right,” she nods.

“But I can't ask you,” he says, brows furrowing even deeper. For a second she wonders if he's an idiot, but then she sees the slight quirk to his lips, and she narrows her eyes at him. He's being obtuse on purpose.

“I'm off limits,” she says archly, flicking her hair over her shoulder, and she watches his lips twitch, like he's trying to hold back a smile.

“Okay, I think I've got it now,” Jon nods slowly.

Sansa rolls her eyes at him, and he finally gives her a full grin. It makes the corners of his eyes crinkle, and sends those butterflies in her tummy going again.

“Then you should go on down,” she gestures towards the stairs that lead down to the beach.

He gives her once last look, his eyes raking over her fully, before he heads past her.

Once he's gone, Sansa's knees almost feel like they're about to give out.

It's just the heat, she tells herself, as she heads over to where the cameras are set up.

“Why didn't you jump in?” she asks Tyrion when she reaches them, pulling at the microphone taped to her before Pod even gets there to help her.

Tyrion gives her an appraising look and just shrugs. “That'll make for good TV,” he says, though there's something in his voice Sansa doesn't like. She's been around him enough by now to hear the things he doesn't say, and Tyrion's tone is... well, if she didn't know any better, she'd say he sounds almost giddy.

“Won't it muddle the story?” she frowns, grabbing one of the portable fans from Pod and closing her eyes for a moment as she turns it on her face. “You can't seriously be thinking of airing that. You should be focusing on the actual contestants and whatever romance he finds there.”

Sansa tries to think of the women here and she can't imagine who would even be Jon's type.

Not that she knows what Jon's type is.

She doesn't know Jon at all.

Sansa heads towards the car waiting to take her back to the hotel, and she really does not like the gleam in Tyrion's eye.

…

“And just to be clear,” Jon says, as everyone watches him pick up a rose from the table, “I'm not allowed to give this to you?”

Sansa can feel her face go hot, just like it does every time he flirts with her.

Everyone on the beach knows he tried to ask her on the date when he first arrived, and now it's a thing. The girls are keeping him on, giving him a rose at every elimination ceremony where they have the power, even though he hasn't formed a romantic connection with any of them. They're keeping him around for this – for the moments when Sansa is on set and Jon will, inevitably, ask if he can give her a rose or take her on a date.

There's a few cheers from the contestants, and Sansa turns a glare on them. Her friends, and even the ones she's not all that close with, are really enjoying this.

“That's against the rules,” she tells Jon, just like she has the last two times.

“Right, right,” he nods, which gets a laugh from the others. Then he turns back, holds up the rose, and says, “Missandei?” Missandei tears up as she steps forward. She'd just had her heart stomped on, and Sansa hates how sad she looks. Luckily she's made friends with a lot of the girls, especially Dany, so Sansa knows she at least has a support system here. “I think you deserve another shot at love,” Jon says as she walks over to him. “Will you accept this rose?”

“Thank you,” Missandei sniffs, giving him a watery smile.

Sansa watches and narrates the rest of the ceremony, then says goodbye to those who were eliminated. As they're wrapping up, Jon makes his way over to her.

“You're still alright?” he asks, murmurs it to her as the crew starts to herd the contestants away. But they leave Jon alone, and she knows it's because Tyrion has told them to. In fact, she's fairly certain there's a camera somewhere, trained on them right now. “Just tell me if-”

“It's fine,” she whispers. He had asked, the first time he did this, if his flirting made her uncomfortable. She had stuttered through her response, which ended up being – no. No, it didn't make her uncomfortable. The only thing that does is that they're being filmed, and she swore she'd never do this again in front of cameras.

“Alright,” he nods, eyes searching her face, like he's trying to make sure she isn't lying. “I'll see you next time, then?”

“Good night, Jon,” she says, trying to sound professional. But it's hard when he gives her a soft smile and his gaze drops to her lips, before he finally turns around and heads off with the other contestants.

“Stop filming me,” she scolds Tyrion the moment they're gone.

“What?” Tyrion says, eyes wide and innocent. “We film everything.”

“I told you I don't want to be a contestant,” she huffs. “So stop-” she waves around at the cameras that are now being packed away, now that Jon's gone.

“Seems to me,” Tyrion hums, eyebrows raised, “you could tell him to stop anytime and he would. Then we'd have nothing to film.”

Tyrion spins on his heel and walks away and she stares after him, mouth agape.

…

Sansa groans as she zips up her makeup bag, looking at herself one last time in the mirror before she heads back into the living quarters of her hotel room.

Production had interrupted her very important sipping-margaritas-by-the-pool time to tell her she had to get camera ready. She wasn't supposed to film today, so she has no idea what's going on.

There's a knock at her door and she makes her way over to it, expecting Tyrion to be on the other side.

Instead, it's Jon.

“Hi,” she says, eyes immediately darting around the hall to look for the cameras.

Except there aren't any. At least not that she can see. Just a production assistant waiting a distance away.

“Hey,” he says, giving her that same soft, warm smile. “I just wanted to let you know, I've uh... I've decided to leave.”

“Leave?”

“Yeah,” he sighs. “I mean, obviously this isn't for me. I've known that since I got here. I should've left earlier, if I'm being honest, but...”

His eyes meet hers, and something swoops low in her belly that she tries to ignore.

“Anyway,” he continues. “I just wanted to um... here.” He hands her a piece of paper and she unfolds it to find- “My number,” he says, as if she couldn't figure that out. “In case you ever wanted to call me. I don't really look at any social media, so if you tried to contact me that way... but yeah. You can call me if you want.”

Her head feels completely empty of words, and all she can do is nod.

He leaves, then, escorted out by the production assistant who had been waiting down the hall, and Sansa slowly closes the door and goes to sit on the couch.

She's not sure how long she sits there, staring blankly into the distance, when a knock comes at the door and she jolts out of her reverie.

It is Tyrion this time, and he gives her a look.

“Did you get the footage you wanted?” she asks, trying to sound annoyed, though she's still reeling. Still clutching that scrap of paper.

“Didn't get any footage,” Tyrion drawls. “Did you see a camera around?”

She hadn't, but they're sneaky sometimes.

“He asked to come up, but said he wouldn't if we followed him with cameras, so-” Tyrion shrugs.

“Why would you agree to that?”

A look passes over Tyrion's face, something she might almost describe as soft. Affectionate. Or, she would, if she didn't know Tyrion better than that.

“I know we're usually all cynics here,” he says, “and hey, maybe the show's finally brainwashed me, but I think you deserve that love story you were looking for.”

Sansa sucks in a breath as Tyrion reaches out and places a hand on her arm, just for a moment, before he lets go and leaves her hotel room.

Still in a daze, she walks back and sits on the couch, before pulling out her phone, and adding his number.

Hi, she types. This is Sansa Stark.

[scorpio-marionette]

Long Live the Red Viper

Chapter 3

*This chapter has been edited*

Pairing: Oberyn Martell x F!Reader

Rating: M for Mature

Warnings: canon levels of violence, attempted assassinations and kidnapping, snake milking

Summary: New friends mean new allies

A/N: This chapter has so far been the hardest. Therefore it is the one I am most nervous about. It honestly feels like filler, but it sets up the next domino to fall. I hope you guys still like it. Also, you may notice i changed the reader tag to F!Reader. To save my sanity, I had to switch it. I still won't describe the reader in great detail, but I needed to use the pronouns for the sake of working with so many characters at once.

Mood board by @writer-darling

Ch 2 / Ch 4

Upon entering the flames, the oil lamp explodes from the heat. Its contents catch fire and spread across the room. The fire on the curtains eventually cut them loose from where they were strung up. They drape themselves over the window ledge as they burn. The wind then picks up as if to aid Oberyn in his destruction, carrying the curtains to the court below. The foliage there then begins to burn as well. Black smoke pours out from the windows and doorway. It rises up into the air to bid the prince farewell. The guards begin to catch a whiff of the disaster. The bells of the Red Keep are music to an angry man’s ears.

Standing in the streets of King’s Landing, Oberyn takes in the ruckus coming from the Keep. Hearing the men call for buckets of water to put out the flames amuses him. They have no idea that doing so will only spread the fire. With a rather cruel smirk across his face, Oberyn hopes the whole of it burns to the ground. Retribution for his Sun. Tyrion, however, is eager to leave this place at their earliest convenience. Preferably without being caught with a corpse or delayed by palace guards per his sister’s request. It is a challenge convincing the prince to move along. 

Boarding his ship, Oberyn places Ellaria on his bed. His heart clenches at the sight of her. This is not how his daughters should remember her. She should be seen in all her glory. She should not be seen like this. Oberyn's gifts lie with killing and not healing, however, let alone dressing the dead. How could he present Ellaria to his daughters, to his brother? There would be questions as to what happened. No doubt in his mind that Doran would accuse him of bringing the Lannisters' wrath upon himself and Ellaria. He will tell his younger brother that he should not have gone to the wedding in his place. A disgrace once again to his people and family. Leaving the cabin, Oberyn spies Tyrion speaking with the master of spies. The Spider, Lord Varys, seems displeased with what Tyrion is telling him. 

"I would advise you to search for Lady Sansa, seeing as she can still be in great danger with whomever stole her away, but I am glad you are at least leaving King's Landing. This is no longer a place for you to be," Lord Varys warns. "Your sister is furious with your narrow escape from death. She will take desperate action against you."

"She has already taken action against me. Perhaps you would like to see."

The Spider's gaze turns to the Viper. Concern looks at indifference masking cruel anger. Without words, Varys boards the vessel and follows the prince into the cabin. His mouth parts when he sees Ellaria. He is more than certain that she looks worse now than when Oberyn first found her, but he will not tell him. That would only upset him further. Tyrion's story makes all the more sense now that he's seen this.

"Now do you see why I am asking you to leave with us? If she is willing to go after the Dornish, she will come for you. She knows you work with me, no matter how often you claim to be impartial. You are working against her. That makes you a target."

Tyrion is almost pleading with his eyes though he stands firm on his point. Varys cannot deny him. Looking at Oberyn, he can now see the anguish at losing his paramour that lies behind the fury. Perhaps he can be of assistance if he goes with them. Fully turning to face the prince, giving him his full attention, Varys presents him with an offer.

"Perhaps on the journey to Dorne, I could dress my lady in preparation for her arrival home, my prince?"

Arriving in Dorne is a somber affair. A letter had already been sent ahead to tell Doran of what transpired in King's Landing. Oberyn’s daughters all gathered at their childhood home. At their docking, all in attendance wore black. Lord Varys has done excellent work in preparing Ellaria for her funeral.Tyene, the eldest of Ellaria’s daughters, tries to comfort her youngest siblings. Obara, Nymeria, and Sarella stand close by, eyes casted down in mourning. Even the Lannister girl, Myrcella, weeps at the loss and lets her uncle hold her hand as her betrothed, Prince Quentyn, tries to comfort her. Doran embraces his brother. The next few weeks will be hard. Action must be taken, but Oberyn makes Doran swear that the girl must not be involved. He will not have a child pay for her mother's grave mistakes. Besides, she is more Dornish than a Lannister now, having taken so well to the culture. Doran swears to this. A letter is sent to the Red Keep to inform Tywin Lannister that regardless of what has happened, Myrcela is still safe in Dorne and that she will remain in Sunspear. The city is silent.

Every day is difficult as the young ones ask what has become of their mother. The baby of his beloved eight daughters failing to understand she has passed. Oberyn weeps pitifully in his lonely chamber. He takes no lovers. Has no company outside of family. He grieves into the silk upon his bed. Silk that Ellaria put there. Perhaps he will give her dresses to his daughters so that they may always have a piece of her to carry with them? Oberyn is unsure of what to do anymore. Ellaria would have known though.

A peaceful month has passed in Dorne. It unnerves the bravest warriors in the city. How could a family who's taste for vengeance could rival that of the gods be quiet for such a period of time? A storm must be coming, and coming it is. In the dark of the night, men from across the Narrow Sea steal their way inside the palace at Sunspear. A tampered cloth is placed over the face of the golden haired beauty so that she will not scream at her being taken and placed in the arms of another. One more finds his way into Tyrion's room. A poisoned blade in hand, he creeps over to the half man's bed. Then he falls dead on top of him, startling Tyrion awake. Screaming, Tyrion tries to get out from under the dead man's weight. He looks around frantically to see if there are more. All he finds is Oberyn emerging from the shadows with his own blades to search for other assassins.

On light foot fall, Oberyn moves swiftly through the familiar halls of his home. He finds the other men carrying a slack form out of the palace. He takes a spear from a nearby station and throws it at the kidnappers. The one holding Myrcella's legs drops like a doll. The other drops her entirely to take up a defensive position. It does nothing for him. Within minutes he is also dead on the ground. The people of Sunspear wake to the news of assassins in their city and the bravery of their beloved prince. It does not take long to realize who sent the men who tried to kill Tyrion and take Myrcella. Cersei has hired these men to kill Tyrion as punishment for surviving all these years, and to take Myrcella back to King's Landing. Doran calls for a council meeting with Oberyn, Tyrion, and Varys.

"The men who came here are of the House of Black and White; a religious group who believe in the Many Faced God and are assassins for hire. Their temple is in Braavos. The only person I can imagine would hire them is your sister," Lord Varys states plainly.

"If they are religious, why do they partake in assassinations?" Tyrion asks.

"The Many Faced God is a God of death. They believe all of the other gods are just faces of theirs, so they only serve death. Their service comes in the form of killings. Though I have had rumors of other services."

"We do not have time to mull over the finer details of these men," Doran speaks up. "What is our counter move?"

"I have been in contact with a powerful ally, your grace," the Spider informs. "She is also across the Narrow Sea."

"Who?"

"Your long lost sister by marriage: Daenerys Targaryen. The last of House Targaryen."

Oberyn and Doran look at each other. Neither had thought of the younger siblings of Rhaegar after his betrayal of Elia and their children. To think a dragon survived the sacking of King's Landing all those years ago. If she is anything like her family, she is a force to be reckoned with. Oberyn hesitates at the thought though. She may be a Targaryen, but she did not live in Westeros. She does not know the land or its people. She is and will be seen as an outsider no matter her house.

"I advise going to her with an offer."

"What kind of offer?" Oberyn asks.

"An offer of leverage in gaining the Iron Throne, and a fleet of ships to bring her to Westeros."

Varys looks to Tyrion. The man's eyes widen at the implication that he is their key to Daenerys. He is a Lannister after all. He is despised by many on just that one point. He is the joke at every party because of his stature. What could he have to offer the Dragon? Doran agrees with Varys and insists the two leave immediately. A powerful ally will be needed to defend against the lions. By late morning, the ships are ready to set sail. Oberyn can hear Tyrion arguing with Varys over his importance, claiming Oberyn to be a better token of goodwill with the people of Westeros. He has half a mind to remind him again of what happened to his sister. Perhaps Varys has thought of all of this. Tyrion is smart and knows the game for the throne well, and Oberyn is mistrustful of those with history against his family. After all preparations are in place, the fleet leaves for Slaver’s Bay in Essos. From on a high cliff, he can see all of the open water before them. Myrcella comes up from behind and stands next to Oberyn as they watch the sails disappear on the horizon.

"Your grace," she speaks up. "I have a request for you."

"What is it you wish to have, sunflower?"

"I wish to fight."

The girl's words surprise him.

"My family has committed a heinous crime. I will not see my love or his people hurt because of it. I want to protect him and all of Dorne," she proclaims. "Will you teach me?"

A strong sense of honor washes over Oberyn. This moment reminds him of his own daughters when they came to him for training. Living as the bastards of the Red Viper did nothing to dampen their pride in their father. Now his daughters are warriors as well. To see this fair beauty wanting the same is heartwarming.

"You will learn and you will train with my daughters."

A bright smile splits Myrcella's delicate features.

In a few days, Tyrion and Varys return with Daenerys Targaryen and an army at her back. The three meet with Doran to discuss next moves, but the Dragon princess brings terrible news from the North. She tells them that a man has reached out to her for help. He claims white walkers threaten life’s very existence. She wants to go to his aid, but will not if she is fighting Cersei as well. After the meeting, Tyrion goes to see Oberyn in his chambers. As he passes the courtyard he sees Myrcella training with the Sand Snakes. She has good form and is showing progress in skills he had no idea she was learning. This concerns him a little so his pace quickens. If even his niece is willing to fight, then the world has become a very different place. He enters the prince's chamber to find him surrounded by vases which he quickly realizes are filled with snakes. There is a constant hissing to the point of being harmonious. The prince has one in some kind of harness and is tempting it to strike at a cloth covered vessel. It gives in and sinks its fangs into the fabric and Oberyn hums in satisfaction. Tyrion clears his throat.

"Daenerys has arrived in Dorne."

"How did you get her to join us?"

"I agreed to be her Hand, but only if she'd meet with you. She is aware of what has transpired with your family and is prepared to offer you the chance at revenge."

Oberyn finally looks up from his task. The cold blooded reptile relaxes its fixed jaw and takes its fangs away.

"First you must join her in meeting with Cersei."

Oberyn is appalled at the idea that Daenerys would try to negotiate with Cersei. Clearly this girl has had no dealings with truly evil people. Tyrion tells him that Daenerys has been speaking with Jon Snow, the bastard of the late Edward Stark, and that he has asked for her to help save the realm. She was going to refuse, having no means of crossing the sea, until Tyrion and Varys arrived on her shores. Now she wishes to temporarily stop her fight for the throne with the Lannisters to ask them to help save it. He only goes to prove that Cersei is an irredeemable liar.

To protect the ships, they travel to King's Landing on foot and horseback. Myrcella is kept in Sunspear to continue her training and to be safe from her mother. Oberyn can see the love she has for his nephew blossom more everyday. He is impressed by her strength of will and quick learning. She will make a fine queen of Dorne one day. His three eldest daughters join the caravan. They are capable fighters whom Oberyn trusts openly. There are no finer warriors than his three girls, aside from himself of course. He watches as they speak openly with Daenerys, curious about her life. They have not traveled as much as their father. That makes them all the more curious of where he has been in his youth. Tyrion and Ser Jorah discuss possible political outcomes of the meeting with Lord Varys. All seem to be confident that the Dragon will win the throne. Less confident that Cersei will secede. Daenerys's dragons fly overhead like watchful buzzards looking for a meal. It is still amazing to know that they are real. The journey is still long and disheartening for Oberyn though. He had hoped to never return unless it was to kill Cersei. Now he must stand before her while another asks for a truce. Something he knows she will not give. That is how he knows she is lying.

In the ruins of a fighting pit, Daenerys Targaryen asks Cersei Lannister to set aside their war for the Iron Throne so that they may work together with Jon Snow and defeat what he is calling the Night King. A white walker with the power to turn the dead to his side. A force with an army that could ravage everything in its path. A smirk plays on Cersei's lips. Her eyes have a dark glint to them. Her mouth agrees to this truce. The promise of soldiers is spoken into the air. Ser Jamie even seems proud of his sister's choice. Oberyn however, sees the lie hanging from her mouth. She will not send her soldiers to the Wall. Her enemies are willingly marching into another, more powerful threat. They could defeat the Night King and die in the process, leaving her to rule all of Westeros. If Dorne were to move all their men North and if their battle there fails, Cersei would turn her eyes to Dorne and seek to take it. Oberyn pulls Daenerys aside.

"You cannot trust her."

"I know I cannot, that is why I was going to ask that you and your men stay in Dorne. We need soldiers near should she betray us. The rest of us will move North with a couple of Dornish ships."

Oberyn is relieved to see that she is not entirely blind. There may be hope for her yet as queen. As they leave to the outskirts of King’s Landing an idea begins to form in the Viper’s mind. Luckily he remembered to bring a vessel with them.

"You will need more men than you have.”

“What makes you believe that?”

“I do not nor did I ever frequent the northern territories of Westeros. The people there do not take kindly to strangers, whether they be from across the sea or not. You will need help should they betray you.”

Daenerys seems to take his words in for consideration.

“What would you have me do?”

Oberyn turns to the caravan. He goes to one in particular and opens its canvas cover. Inside, one of the two vessels he had been filling with snake venom sits waiting. He takes a small vial and fills it with the vessel’s contents. Closing the vial and sealing the vessel, he returns to the Dragon queen. Oberyn holds it out for her to take.

[magalidragon]

Jonerys + 6

Thank you for the prompt! 🤗 I chose when the sun sets in the east for this one. Enjoy!

#6. Things you said under the stars and in the grass

“Have I told you the names of the stars yet?”

“Hmm….many times, Your Grace.”

She shivered, not from cold, as even in the chill of the Mereeneese evening– the only time it ever chilled in this hellish landscape– she was not cold at all. How could she be, wrapped up in lion skins and pelts, lying in the arms of the man who loved her? Whenever he called her ‘Your Grace’, in private like this, it held such a different connotation to her. An endearment, a whisper of something more, and when he rumbled it from deep in his chest, with that slight growl at the end, it was seductive, and she was nothing but clay in his hands, waiting for him to mold her body to his wishes.

He nibbled on her earlobe, his callused hand dragging scratchy against her soft skin, from shoulder to the small of her back and eventually to land on her arse, squeezing gently before he moved back up again. His other hand, he had behind his head, staring up at the stars with her.

They had taken a brief respite from ruling, listening to her subjects come to her with their complaints. It was tedious work, but she would have no one else do it, because she was the queen, and the queen listened to every one of her people. It was what she was doing as she planned, staving off Tyrion and Varys’s machinations, and waiting for word from Westeros to the missives she’d sent to the Tyrells and the Martells, to the remaining vassals of House Targaryen– Velaryons, Celtigars, and others. Would they remember their oaths? Would they come to her aid as the true heir to the Iron Throne?

Jon, her beloved, had taken it upon himself to distract her when he knew her mind became too consumed with worry. She delighted in these distractions and tonight he’d taken her away from the pyramid and out into the tall grass and hills, laying out pelts and starting a fire. Her sons were nearby, swooping around above them, and Ghost had joined in the trip, but taken his leave when they’d finished dinner and had gone on to other pursuits. She quite enjoyed those pursuits.

He turned his attention to her hair, his gray gaze fixated on the shining strands as he pulled out one curl and then another. His brow furrowed. She pressed her index finger into the furrow. “What’s this about?” she murmured, smiling. “No brooding, issa daria.”

“I wonder how it shines. Does it absorb the sunlight? Reflect it back?” He smiled, the furrow relaxing from his brow and instead forming in the corners of his eyes. “It’s fascinating to me.”

“I do not know, but when I was small, I hated it.”

“Why?”

She shrugged, snuggling closer to him, still gazing at the sky. “It was a beacon. To all who looked upon me. That’s a Targaryen. That’s someone from Valyria. There was no hiding, when we needed to hide. Once, Viserys took red clay and rubbed it into our hair when we needed to be on the streets. It was horrid. I was a terrible redhead.”

He scowled. “I don’t like redheads.”

“I have heard that in the far North, they say it is ‘kissed by fire’, that’s what Jorah told me.”

“You are already fire, you do not need to be kissed by it.”

She chuckled. “I suppose so.” She turned her face to his again, staring at him. After a moment, he frowned, cocking his head. She laughed. “I am imagining you with silver hair.”

He snorted. “The gods blessed me, I suppose, with the Northern looks. I do not know how my father…Ned.” He paused. He swallowed hard and she kissed his collarbone, reassuring him. He exhaled hard. “Well, I imagine he would have quite a difficult time explaining away my silver hair to the Northerners.”

“Could say he absconded with a Lysian woman.”

“No one would have believed that, they hardly believed him in the first place that he’d gotten a bastard.”

Every time he said that word, he spit it out like a curse. She detested it. Regardless of if he was oen or not. He was her Jon, her family, her khal, her king, and her love. He was not a bastard. She moved higher up around him, tightening her grip, leg over his hips and arm over his chest. He lifted one of the pelts up farther around them, cocooning them closer together. She returned to the sky, watching the stars twinkle. They were fascinating, the shapes they played. She pointed to the Lion, the one that Jon said in the North was called the Soup Ladle. “That there,” she murmured, to the brightest star in the sky, at the tip of the lion’s tail. “When we go to Westeros, we will follow that star. It will take us North. It will take you home.”

He shook his head. “No Daenerys. It won’t.”

She jerked upright, startled. “What?”

He guided her back down over him, whispering, his lips brushing hers. “How can it take me home, when I am already home? For you are my home.”

Tears pricked her eyes and she closed her lids, turning her face so he could kiss them away and lower her back down into the grass. Yes, she thought. I am home too.

Things You Said Prompts

[dontbipanicjonsa]

Can't believe they Pol!Jon-baited us (I finished the show, unfortunately)

Like queer-baiting, yes.

Lucky for me I'm used to being baited.

No but really. I cannot believe how they utterly ruined Jon's character by the end.

Sure, I can still say Pol!Jon was happening. I can say that Jon told Varys his, "she is my Queen" because he didn't trust that Varys wouldn't betray him to Dany. Kind of like how Sansa would call Joffrey her King and renounce her family while she was stuck in KL.

I can say that Jon was clearly trying to talk down/calm Dany when he said "I love you" and then immediately followed it with "you are my Queen" (again) because he knew that was what really mattered to Dany.

I can say plenty of his actions were driven by fear.

I can say that his "love is the death of duty" can be interpreted as his love for his family and his need to protect them which led him down the Pol!Jon path that proceeded to grow utterly out of his control (death of his duty to the realm of men etc)

But that still doesn't cut it.

At some point his actions cross from Pol!Jon to nonsensical. Is he really the kind of guy who would follow an obvious tyrant because he "loves" her? Does he love her??? HOW

Is he so deeply in love that his vocabulary has been cut down to only "you are my Queen" and "I don't want it"? Very romantic.

Basically, I can't believe that he loved her, I also can't believe he would hesitate to try to stop her unless he did love her. So basically......idk. It doesn't make sense. Why did he need to be convinced that Dany has to be removed from power??

On a lighter note- wtf are we all still debating about???? Last episode made it clear that Jon and Sansa love each other.

I mean....

When Danaerys and Jon talk about the "others" that Dany says "won't get to choose", who are they really talking about? Who is "they"?

Let's see, Edmure from the Riverlands ? Nah, dude has too strong self preservation skills.

Who's at Highgarden? Sam? Some rando? The Unsullied? They're not gonna wage war on Dany alone. So no.

The Westerlands? Well, the Lannisters just died, besides Tyrion who's imprisoned. Dany would have probably elected somebody to take over that place.

The Vale? Right. Sweetrobin would utterly destroy Dany with his smirky face, but it's unlikely he'd try.

The Pyke? Last we checked, Yara took it back in Dany's name.

The Stormlands? Why would Gendry do that ? To avenge KL? Unlikely.

Dorne? We don't even know the freaking name of that supposed Prince.

The wildlings? Why??

That's right. Neither Jon nor Dany have reason to believe that anybody else will rebel in Westeros....except the North. Except Sansa.

"They" is Sansa. Jon killed Dany for Sansa.

Not to mention, Sansa is repeatedly brought up in the scenes leading up to Jon killing Dany, because she is the point of conflict between them. Besides his parentage, of course.

And Sansa. My girl brought a whole ass army to the capital just for Jon. Straight up said she'd declare war if anyone hurt him. Honestly, she can declare war on me anytime she wants.

Actually it's pretty hilarious-

Sansa to Bran: you ain't my king

Sansa to Jon: but you're my king :/

And also-

Sansa to Jon: can you forgive me

Jon to Sansa: dammit let me stay angry for a moment :(

Dorks.

I will say, if the show had actually been consistent till the end, I would believe that Sansa being seemingly not angry at Jon is a sign that Pol!Jon was a thing. Because otherwise he would have given away the North to a foreign queen simply because he was in love with her, and put his entire Kingdom and family at a huge risk of being burnt alive, as KL was. Not sure if Sansa would still say things like "but we lost our king" then.

But the show ISN'T consistent so what's the point anymore?

Another thing-

Dany is a tragic figure ultimately. She needs the love of her subjects, but fails to realise that conquering a continent with fire breathing dragons and the "love of the people"....do not go hand in hand.

Jon's "I love you" was calculated, but he failed to follow through on it the way she wanted.

Now, I'm going to list three ways in which Jonerys stagnated the story and generally sucked, because I'm petty like that.

1) Sansa says- you have to be smarter than Father.

Say Jon did fall in love with Dany, and he really was honorable the entire time....even at the Dragon Pit where he refused to lie to Cersei. A true Northern Fool. What was the point of that line then? He didn't learn shit. No, he got worse. Because we know Jon has lied in the previous seasons.

Actually, this lends more to making me believe Pol!Jon was real. Jon mentions his Father quite a bit in S7, and it is always about how honorable his father was. Seriously, we know Ned was honorable. You don't have to keep telling us. Unless.....?

Arya and Sansa talk about Ned too, but their conversation is not about honor.

So seriously Jon, don't you have anything else to say about your dad? Or are you trying to convince everyone of your own supposed honor by connecting yourself so strongly to your Father's honorable-ness.

We really didn't need that many reminders. It's sus.

2) Sansa says- you have to be smarter than Robb.

And then what did Jon do? Went South, fell for a foreigner, lost his crown, lost some of his standing in the North, and eventually the story ended tragically and a whole lot of people died.

Once again, what was the point? Why have Sansa specifically tell Jon not to make the same mistakes as his father and brother only to have him go and make those same mistakes? That's not how stories move forward.

If Jon really pulled a Robb, then Sansa and the North are perfectly justified in their anger.

3) Jon and Ygritte.

So....Jon goes to place where he's essentially a prisoner, meets woman who's into him, falls into Stockholm Syndrome with her, puts his duty and honor on hold to enter an abusive relationship with her, wilfully blinds himself to her flaws to cope, and then eventually (directly or indirectly) leads to her death.

Ygritte and Dany are....the same. Dany is Ygritte with dragons. Once again, what was the point?

Did Jon's story really just repeat itself, beat for beat? Is this like some loop he's cursed to live in?

Pol!Jon is the only way we can respect Jon's character growth from the time he was with Ygritte till the end of S6. Jon from S6 would not fall in love with Dany.

Side note- how do you put that "read more" cut in these posts? I feel like this one got too long.

[astradrifting]

This is kind of inspired by this recent ask I sent to @esther-dot about Jon’s characterisation and Jonsa shippers’ apparent disregard for it, because it made me think of another part of Jon’s characterisation that is really integral to who he is. Mainly, that Jon really loves his brothers. Especially Robb. His rival and best friend and constant companion. Jon envies him, competes with him, buried a formative traumatic memory where he was deeply hurt by him... but ultimately loves him. Complex relationships with his brothers, both the Starks and his Night’s Watch brothers, are a running theme in Jon’s chapters.

Speaking of Jon’s brothers...

Aegon VI and Robb have a lot of potential parallels, actually. The “Young” moniker, red-haired counselors who are also their parents, trained to be the heir to a great kingdom from a young age, the barely younger half-brother Jon borne of their father’s dishonour of their mother… one that they might both have a good relationship with despite that?

The show tried to play with Jon ‘accepting’ his Targaryen lineage through the jonerice romance, very unconvincingly because it was simultaneously undermining it at every opportunity, in what was maybe a half-assed attempt at Pol!Jon (”They’ll all come to see you for what you are” isn’t anything but a threat in all contexts).

Jon will ultimately choose the Starks over everything else, that’s not really a question. But if Jon were to genuinely connect with another Targaryen, it’d likely be easier for him to find kinship with a half-brother than with an aunt - he has a basis for positive relationships with trueborn half-brothers, while the only aunt figure he’s ever known about is a) long dead and b) actually his mother. I think it’d both make more sense and be more compelling for GRRM to leverage Jon’s existing complex relationships with brotherhood by having him interact with and build a relationship with Aegon, than a rushed and out-of-character romance with Dany. 

Jon also is already primed to believe that Aegon is the real deal, that he was saved as a baby, because he’s already done the exact same thing himself - he swapped out a baby of royal blood who was in danger for a common-born boy, and then sent him halfway across the world for safety (side note: if Septa Lemore is Ashara, and if the baby was actually Ashara’s son as theorised here by @agentrouka-blog, that would just strengthen the parallel, because it would be his body double’s mother caring for him, as Gilly has to do for Mance’s son).

They’re definitely going to come into conflict first - politically, Jon will likely be in a position of power in the North by the time they meet, maybe as the KitN through Robb’s will or regent for Rickon, and probably will fight for Northern independence, while Aegon is fighting to be king of the Seven Kingdoms, not 6. Personally, it will be hard to get past the fact that Jon is the direct result of Rhaegar dishonouring Elia, plus that the Kingsguard who should have been protecting her were all stationed in Dorne, guarding Jon’s mother (in whatever capacity). But these interactions, a conflict and eventual friendship/brotherhood between them, would all be a lot more layered than jonerice can really offer. If a relationship between Jon and Dany was truly all that GRRM has been building up to, then there would have been no need for R+L=J - it adds nothing to that storyline, it doesn’t even make it a forbidden romance, because aunt-nephew is hardly the worst incest the Targaryens have engaged in.

It’s almost inevitable that Da*nerys is going to kill Aegon VI/Young Griff in the books, likely by burning him with dragonfire, in the Second Dance of the Dragons. The weird Dragonpit meeting in the show was very contrived, but it does make sense for Dany to meet the ruler on the Iron Throne at least once in a semi-peaceful context. In the show, she used her dragons only to intimidate Cersei, but she didn’t have a personal grievance with her. Aegon is in much more danger during such a meeting. After all she will think he is a pretender, and she doesn’t much care for the rules of safe conduct, as she showed to the envoys from Yunkai.

Dany shrugged, and said, "Dracarys."

The dragons answered. Rhaegal hissed and smoked, Viserion snapped, and Drogon spat swirling red-black flame. It touched the drape of Grazdan's tokar, and the silk caught in half a heartbeat. 

[...]

"You swore I should have safe conduct!" the Yunkish envoy wailed.

"Do all the Yunkai'i whine so over a singed tokar? I shall buy you a new one... if you deliver up your slaves within three days. Elsewise, Drogon shall give you a warmer kiss." She wrinkled her nose. "You've soiled yourself. Take your gold and go, and see that the Wise Masters hear my message."

(ASOS, Dany IV)

"Ah, there is the thorn in the bower, my queen," said Hizdahr zo Loraq. "Sad to say, Yunkai has no faith in your promises. They keep plucking the same string on the harp, about some envoy that your dragons set on fire."

"Only his tokar was burned," said Dany scornfully.

(ADWD, Dany VI)

So Dany will burn the Blackfyre pretender, and everyone will be happy and cheer to see the rightful queen, the last Targaryen, Slayer of Lies, Breaker of Chains, Insert-The-Million-Other-Titles-Here. Right?

Except how would she prove that he’s an imposter? She can’t exactly roll up with an Alt Shift X video pointing out that Illyrio has said some weird things about Aegon. Is Varys going to have an attack of remorse and explain his whole plot, complete with Blackfyre family tree? Or maybe she’ll explain that she went on a vision quest in Qarth and Aegon totally matches up with the vague symbolism that a bunch of drugged up warlocks told her before she set them on fire?

I don’t think it’s going to matter if Aegon is fake or not, and we might never find out either way. The mystery of his identity isn’t his main narrative, and all of his significance to the story and to multiple other characters is removed if he’s proved to not be Aegon VI. Him being proved fake would just make this plotline a weird, unnecessary digression on Dany’s journey to being the righteous and true queen, his death just another #girlboss moment for her. That’s definitely going to be her perception of it, but once she reaches Westeros we won’t have to rely on only her POV of her actions. History is written by the winners, and no one’s going to miss that it’s a lot more convenient for Dany if the boy with a stronger claim than her turns out to have been fake all along. Arianne and the Dornish are definitely not going to take it lying down, and neither is Jon. He’s not going to fall in love with the woman who murdered his brother, especially by burning him alive. ADWD has plenty to say about how much he hates death by fire.

“Men say that freezing to death is almost peaceful. Fire, though … do you see the candle, Gilly?”

She looked at the flame. “Yes.”

“Touch it. Put your hand over the flame.”

Her big brown eyes grew bigger still. She did not move.

“Do it.” Kill the boy. “Now.”

Trembling, the girl reached out her hand, held it well above the flickering candle flame.

“Down. Let it kiss you.”

Gilly lowered her hand. An inch. Another. When the flame licked her flesh, she snatched her hand back and began to sob.

“Fire is a cruel way to die. Dalla died to give this child life, but you have nourished him, cherished him. You saved your own boy from the ice. Now save hers from the fire.”

(ADWD, Jon II)

Funnily enough, the same fire as a kiss imagery from Dany burning the envoy’s tokar appeared there too, also used as a threat. 

If he is not a kinslayer, he is the next best thing. [...] What sort of man can stand by idly and watch his own brother being burned alive?

(ADWD, Jon IX)

So Aegon’s death is not going to be a triumphant victory for Dany, after which everyone proclaims her the true queen. It’s likely to just solidify opposition to her, from every corner of Westeros. If it happens during a summit or negotiation, it’d be even more of a tragic parallel to Robb and the Red Wedding; the young king murdered off of the battlefield, at an event where he was promised safe conduct. Featuring Dany in the role of Roose Bolton and Tywin Lannister. Tywin’s already died a very undignified death, and Roose Bolton looks to be on his way too.

I think the tragedy of Aegon’s death would also hit harder if we see it through Jon, as a main POV, or at least the aftermath of it. Jon was integral at the Dragonpit meeting after all, and probably would be at a peace summit or negotiation between the leaders of Westeros and the invading force.

In ASOS, there’s a curious lack of Jon’s reaction to Robb’s death. We see his initial reaction to Bran and Rickon’s supposed deaths when he gets back to Castle Black, but he doesn’t even know about Robb’s death until Stannis arrives to defeat the wildlings, and we’re not shown the moment he’s told about it. He barely even thinks about it, not even a mention until he meets with Stannis on top of the Wall:

“Your brother was the rightful Lord of Winterfell. If he had stayed home and done his duty, instead of crowning himself and riding off to conquer the riverlands, he might be alive today. Be that as it may. You are not Robb, no more than I am Robert.”

The harsh words had blown away whatever sympathy Jon might have had for Stannis. “I loved my brother,” he said.

(ASOS, Jon XI)

And that’s literally all we get that is specifically about Robb’s death - the rest of Jon’s chapters, his guilt and grief is about the loss of all his siblings, and the idea of stealing Winterfell from them. It doesn’t really make sense for him to not think about it at all, considering how close they were. This reminds me of how he has a non-reaction to Sansa’s marriage to Tyrion as well, as talked about in this post by @agentrouka-blog. Part of this could be Jon’s tendency towards denial and suppression of all his feelings, but it also points to GRRM explicitly obscuring his reaction - perhaps because he’s going to explore it in the wake of another brother dying a very similar death? One that this time he’ll be there to witness?

[reginarubie]

Thanks for replying. Regarding that Tyrion-Sansa post, I think Tyrion is foil to Hugor of the Hill who was the God. While Tyrion posing as Hugor Hill who is a bastard and a monster. The Maid bring a girl who Hugor the Hill married and had children. Sansa was forced to marry Tyrion at sword point and reject to sleep with him. Their marriage can be annulled. And I don't think Grrm will end up Sansa with a monster like Tyrion.

Ben detto anon!, well said indeed.

And thank you for asking, btw. Post being referenced to x.

I think it's highly improbable that Tyrion and Sansa do end up together. Tyrion while being GRRM' fav character is not a good character, he's a villain and I doubt GRRM will have him married to Sansa by the end of the saga, or in a relationship with her. What more, there must be a reason why the author brought back the whole Tysha story, if Tysha was never a whore to begin with and Tyrion still considers himself married to her or means to find her (which might be hinted at with the whole ‘where do whores go?’ point).

Also, Tysha is very prominent in Tyrion's mind. He has associated her and the lie about her which he believed and that with the lack of trust that is prominent in his character.

At one point he thinks to be free of her, and that's exactly when he learns (a bit later) the truth about what has happened and at that point she begins to hunt him again as she has done before, only twice as strongly as before.

Remembered notes filled his head, and for a moment he could almost hear Tysha as she'd sung to him half a lifetime ago. He reined up to listen. The tune was wrong, the words too faint to hear. A different song then, and why not? His sweet innocent Tysha had been a lie start to finish, only a whore his brother Jaime had hired to make him a man. I'm free of Tysha now, he thought. She's haunted me half my life, but I don't need her anymore, no more than I need Alayaya or Dancy or Marei, or the hundreds like them I've bedded with over the years. I have Shae now. Shae. — Tyrion VII, ACOK

But the point is, that even while he thinks this, the trauma Tysha' whole debacle has left on him (because he always focuses on himself, and not of the poor whore who was no matter what she had done to him, raped by soldiers and by him too) lingers:

The others were as choice a lot of mercenaries as ever graced a dungeon, each uglier than the last. When Varys had paraded them before him, Tyrion had been afraid he'd gone too far, but Shae had never uttered a word of complaint. And why would she? She has never complained of me, and I'm more hideous than all her guards together. Perhaps she does not even see ugliness. — Tyrion VII, ACOK

And it doesn't stop there:

Why did I tell her about Tysha, gods help me? he asked himself, suddenly afraid. There were some secrets that should never be spoken, some shames a man should take to his grave. What did he want from her, forgiveness? The way she had looked at him, what did that mean? Did she hate the thought of scouring pots that much, or was it his confession? How could I tell her that and still think she would love me? part of him said, and another part mocked, saying, Fool of a dwarf, it is only the gold and jewels the whore loves. — Tyrion X, ACOK

And even when he is in the throes of pain, he thinks of Tysha, because the hurts linger and because I believe that deep down Tyrion knew that Tysha being a whore was nothing but a lie (btw I'm totally here, for Tyrion meeting Tysha again and telling her he knew she had never been a whore and she replying she is a whore because that's what he let others make of her — I would love the irony, just saying and it would serve him right):

Ser Mandon. He saw the dead empty eyes, the reaching hand, the green fire shining against the white enamel plate. Fear swept over him in a cold rush; beneath the sheets he could feel his bladder letting go. He would have cried out, if he'd had a mouth. No, that was the dream, he thought, his head pounding. Help me, someone help me. Jaime, Shae, Mother, someone . . . Tysha . . .

(...)

"It loves you too, my lady." "I love to say your name. Tyrion Lannister. It goes with mine. Not the Lannister, t'other part. Tyrion and Tysha. Tysha and Tyrion. Tyrion. My lord Tyrion . . ." Lies, he thought, all feigned, all for gold, she was a whore, Jaime's whore, Jaime's gift, my lady of the lie. Her face seemed to fade away, dissolving behind a veil of tears, but even after she was gone he could still hear the faint, far-off sound of her voice, calling his name. — Tyrion XV, ACOK

Also, this passage is also important imo:

He saw Tysha smiling as she kissed him, saw Sansa naked and shivering in fear. — Tyrion IX, ASOS

He recognises Sansa was shivering in fear, that first night, he recognises he scared her, that he is abusing her (in a way), even if for the time men believed it was their right to take their wives even when they were against the act and Tyrion did not consummate his marriage to Sansa, thankfully. He finds nothing wrong in the fact he had her stay naked. Barely a girl, a girl he married because she was forced into this marriage and who is clearly scared for her life.

If anything, I hope the whole Tysha debacle will shed some light for Tyrion and he lets go Sansa without too much fight.

That night, alone in his tower cell with a blank parchment and a cup of wine, Tyrion found himself thinking of his wife. Not Sansa; his first wife, Tysha. The whore wife, not the wolf wife. Her love for him had been pretense, and yet he had believed, and found joy in that belief. Give me sweet lies, and keep your bitter truths. He drank his wine and thought of Shae. — Tyrion IX, ASOS

This also hints, imo, not to Tyrion/Sansa but to Tyrion/Tysha, because when he thinks of wife, it's Tysha the first face that comes to mind. Also this part ‘Not Sansa; his first wife, Tysha. The whore wife, not the wolf wife’ might hint forward Tyrion/Tysha more than Tyrion/Sansa, what more I don't know how well Tyrion will be received back in the 7K since he is a kinslayer which in Westeros is the worst sin one can commit.

And in fact, anon, I present to you the shift:

"She was no whore. I never bought her for you. That was a lie that Father commanded me to tell. Tysha was . . . she was what she seemed to be. A crofter's daughter, chance met on the road." Tyrion could hear the faint sound of his own breath whistling hollowly through the scar of his nose. Jaime could not meet his eyes. Tysha. He tried to remember what she had looked like. A girl, she was only a girl, no older than Sansa. "My wife," he croaked. "She wed me."

"For your gold, Father said. She was lowborn, you were a Lannister of Casterly Rock. All she wanted was the gold, which made her no different from a whore, so . . . so it would not be a lie, not truly, and . . . he said that you required a sharp lesson. That you would learn from it, and thank me later . . ." (...)

Tyrion watched him go, striding on his long strong legs, and part of him wanted to call out, to tell him that it wasn't true, to beg for his forgiveness. But then he thought of Tysha, and he held his silence. He listened to the receding footsteps until he could hear them no longer, then waddled off to look for Varys. — Tyrion XI, ASOS

And it continues during ADWD, Tysha is always in his thoughts, which makes me think that the attraction Tyrion felt toward Sansa was much because Sansa reminded him of Tysha. Often in the text is said that Tysha had been just a girl, no older than Sansa was, by their story she was filled with romanticism (just like Sansa is, and in love with the songs) she used to sing sweetly, like Sansa is known of doing, both have blue eyes and both are sweet and tender. I think that Tyrion's attraction toward Sansa is a misplaced sense of what Tysha would've been had she been born highborn.

"Wherever whores go." Tyrion had warned his father not to say that word. If I had not loosed, he would have seen my threats were empty. He would have taken the crossbow from my hands, as once he took Tysha from my arms. He was rising when I killed him. — Tyrion I, ADWD

And it continues:

A light wind was riffling the waters of the pool below, all around the naked swordsman. It reminded him of how Tysha would riffle his hair during the false spring of their marriage, before he helped his father's guardsmen rape her. He had been thinking of those guardsmen during his flight, trying to recall how many there had been. You would think he might remember that, but no. A dozen? A score? A hundred? He could not say. They had all been grown men, tall and strong … though all men were tall to a dwarf of thirteen years. Tysha knew their number. Each of them had given her a silver stag, so she would only need to count the coins. A silver for each and a gold for me. His father had insisted that he pay her too. A Lannister always pays his debts. — Tyrion I, ADWD

And it's never ending: Tyrion translated his love for Tysha onto Sansa, in fact next when he thinks about his wife, he pictures Tysha and not Sansa.

"If m'lord would prefer a boy, I can have one waiting in his bed." M'lord would prefer his wife. M'lord would prefer a girl named Tysha. "Only if he knows where whores go." — Tyrion I, ADWD

And she's always in his mind.

Tyrion thought of Tysha. — Tyrion II, ADWD

And I'm not joking either, she's always in his mind. He thinks of her almost in every chapter in ADWD.

Those were all the words he knew, aside from the refrain. Hands of gold are always cold, but a woman's hands are warm. Shae's hands had beat at him as the golden hands dug into her throat. He did not remember if they'd been warm or not. As the strength went out of her, her blows became moths fluttering about his face. Each time he gave the chain another twist the golden hands dug deeper. A chain and a keep are nothing, compared to a woman's kiss. Had he kissed her one last time, after she was dead? He could not remember … though he still recalled the first time they had kissed, in his tent beside the Green Fork. How sweet her mouth had tasted. He remembered the first time with Tysha as well. She did not know how, no more than I did. We kept bumping our noses, but when I touched her tongue with mine she trembled. — Tyrion II, ADWD

...

Not mine. I carry mine own sorrows with me, everywhere I go. He thought of Tysha and wondered where whores go. Why not Volantis? Perhaps I'll find her there. A man should cling to hope. He wondered what he would say to her. I am sorry that I let them rape you, love. I thought you were a whore. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me? I want to go back to our cottage, to the way it was when we were man and wife. — Tyrion IV, ADWD

Tbh, if I were Tysha I would not forgive him. But I am digressing.

The ruin was sad enough, but knowing what it had been made it even sadder. There was laughter here once, Tyrion thought. There were gardens bright with flowers and fountains sparkling golden in the sun. These steps once rang to the sound of lovers' footsteps, and beneath that broken dome marriages beyond count were sealed with a kiss. His thoughts turned to Tysha, who had so briefly been his lady wife. It was Jaime, he thought, despairing. He was my own blood, my big strong brother. When I was small he brought me toys, barrel hoops and blocks and a carved wooden lion. He gave me my first pony and taught me how to ride him. When he said that he had bought you for me, I never doubted him. Why would I? He was Jaime, and you were just some girl who'd played a part. I had feared it from the start, from the moment you first smiled at me and let me touch your hand. My own father could not love me. Why would you if not for gold? Through the long grey fingers of the fog, he heard again the deep shuddering thrum of a bowstring snapping taut, the grunt Lord Tywin made as the quarrel took him beneath the belly, the slap of cheeks on stone as he sat back down to die. "Wherever whores go," he said. And where is that? Tyrion wanted to ask him. Where did Tysha go, Father? "How much more of this fog must we endure?" — Tyrion V, ADWD

And not only he thinks of her constantly I think his passages might point at a most improbable reunion between 'em too, though it might to be as sweet as Tyrion would like it to be. Or maybe Tyrion will be condemned to never know where whores go, because it's the wrong place where searching for Tysha, since she was no whore. That would be fitting.

Also, here's another passage in which we have a Sansa's decoy, and he's not of sweet disposition toward her for sure.

There was only one such in the house, and she was not Tysha. She had freckled cheeks and tight red curls upon her head, which gave promise of freckled breasts and red hair between her legs. "She'll do," said Tyrion, "and I'll have a flagon too. Red wine with red flesh." The whore was looking at his noseless face with revulsion in her eyes. "Do I offend you, sweetling? I am an offensive creature, as my father would be glad to tell you if he were not dead and rotting." Though she did look Westerosi, the girl spoke not a word of the Common Tongue. Perhaps she was captured by some slaver as a child. Her bedchamber was small, but there was a Myrish carpet on the floor and a mattress stuffed with feathers in place of straw. I have seen worse. "Will you give me your name?" he asked, as he took a cup of wine from her. "No?" The wine was strong and sour and required no translation. "I suppose I shall settle for your cunt." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Have you ever bedded a monster before? Now's as good a time as any. Out of your clothes and onto your back, if it please you. Or not." — Tyrion VI, ADWD

This clearly hints at Sansa. For once the girl's whole characterisation, she's young and looks westerosi, she has red curls (just like Sansa) and he calls her sweetling; then he proceeds to ask for her name but the phrasing is particular, at least to me and it might be because I ain't a native speaker, ‘will you give me your name?’ instead of ‘will you tell me your name?’; by marrying Sansa while he might not have taken the Stark name (which might suggest the last husband Sansa's going to have will take her name) he has ‘taken’ her claim to Winterfell. The girl does not reply but Tyrion takes it as a ‘no’ and proceeds to fuck her. Pardon my crudeness.

And that ‘if it please you. Or not’ doesn't bode well. I truly hope that Sansa' third attempt at rape does not come from Tyrion because he is frustrated he's not found Tysha or he has not liked what he has found and he turns that frustration on Sansa who has ‘betrayed him’ in his mind because she has abandoned him in KL fleeing the capital after Joffrey's murder.

He rolled off feeling more ashamed than sated. This was a mistake. What a wretched creature I've become. "Do you know a woman by the name of Tysha?" he asked, as he watched his seed dribble out of her onto the bed. The whore did not respond. "Do you know where whores go?" She did not answer that one either. Her back was crisscrossed by ridges of scar tissue. This girl is as good as dead. I have just fucked a corpse. Even her eyes looked dead. She does not even have the strength to loathe me. — Tyrion VI, ADWD

Do not worry about the last part, since the girl has been written as a Sansa's decoy. Because that's just Tyrion's perception of her. The back crisscrossed by ridges of scar tissue might hint toward all the pain Sansa has suffered for the Northern independence; and after she has disappeared it's not unlikely people will claim she's dead or presume her dead. Also, Sansa's eyes had looked haunted and he had liked it — now this girl's eyes look dead, because she doesn't have the strength to loathe him. He loathes himself and when the girl doesn't seem to loathe him he is looking a broken mirror of himself thus it's his own eyes that look dead. Also, if it hints at anything pertaining Sansa it might hint at people believing her dead and her playing her role of Alayne always ‘inside and out’ as they “looked dead” instead of “were dead”.

Anyway, on we go.

His wrist was throbbing where he'd torn the skin, and his fetters made it impossible for him to sit, let alone stretch out. The best he could do was twist sideways to lean against the wall, and before long he began to lose all feeling in his hands. When he moved to relieve the strain, sensation came flooding back as pain. He had to grind his teeth to keep from screaming. He wondered how much his father had hurt when the quarrel punched through his groin, what Shae had felt as he twisted the chain around her lying throat, what Tysha had been feeling as they raped her. His sufferings were nothing compared to their own, but that did not make him hurt any less. Just make it stop. — Tyrion VII, ADWD

And on it goes.

Twice exiled, and small wonder, Tyrion thought. I'd exile him too if I could. The man is cold, brooding, sullen, deaf to humor. And those are his good points. Ser Jorah spent most of his waking hours pacing the forecastle or leaning on the rail, gazing out to sea. Looking for his silver queen. Looking for Daenerys, willing the ship to sail faster. Well, I might do the same if Tysha waited in Meereen. Could Slaver's Bay be where whores went? It seemed unlikely. From what he'd read, the slaver cities were the place where whores were made. Mormont should have bought one for himself. A pretty slave girl might have done wonders to improve his temper … particularly one with silvery hair, like the whore who had been sitting on his cock back in Selhorys. — Tyrion VIII, ADWD

Also...

"Was she your wife? She … she was very beautiful …" And false. Sansa, Shae, all my women … Tysha was the only one who ever loved me. Where do whores go? "A lovely girl," said Tyrion, "and we were joined beneath the eyes of gods and men. It may be that she is lost to me, but until I know that for a certainty I must be true to her." "I understand." Penny turned her face away from his. — Tyrion IX, ADWD

Can we take a moment to analyse this? Tyrion is in no way remaining faithful to his vows to either Sansa nor Tysha (as he has entertained himself with whores after escaping KL), yet he uses Sansa as an excuse to convince Penny (who might hold any degree of affection for him) that he means to remain true to his vows to his false wife. Also the fact that Tyrion comments she “might be lost to him” hints perhaps at him thinking Sansa might have ended up dead in her escape from KL.

Kem liked that. "Singer's stew. I'll ask for that next time I get back to Flea Bottom. What do you miss, Halfman?" Jaime, thought Tyrion. Shae. Tysha. My wife, I miss my wife, the wife I hardly knew. "Wine, whores, and wealth," he answered. "Especially the wealth. Wealth will buy you wine and whores." It will also buy you swords, and the Kems to wield them. — Tyrion XII, ADWD

I wouldn't be surprised if he intended to return to Westeros and find her to make of her lady Lannister and lady of Casterly Rock only to spite Tywin.

Anyway I sincerely doubt Martin has in mind, with all this, to go with a final Sanrion. It's unlikely in my opinion.

There you have it, I completely agree with you anon, thank you for sharing and look at the evidence collected against a possible Sanrion endgame.

Posts and asks related to this matter:

Where do whores go? part I

Tysha has blue eyes

Where do whores go? part III, Tyrion's toxic behaviour toward whores pre and post Tysha's innocence

As always thank you for the ask, it was interesting to analyse this matter! Hope you enjoyed the read! And as always I wish you a very nice day!

[fandomficsnstuff]

Little Dragon - Part 9

Summary: You were a child slave of Meereen, when one day a silver haired woman sets you free. Though your master isn’t too keen on letting you go, and Daenerys took personal action to see you freed and taken care of.

(Warnings: a bit of Dothraki which will be written in bold, also, the tiniest hint of a possible future ~romance~)

High Valyrian is in cursive

You giggled as you flew besides Drogon, Daenerys’ on top of him, heading back towards Dragonstone. Daenerys had suggested flying together, since she knew how much you loved it, and besides, she loved it herself. As you landed near Dragonstone you couldn’t help but feel a certain freedom, one you knew Daenerys felt as well.

You sighed as your feet hit the ground, and you moved to Rhaegal’s face, your hand running along his neck all the way and you gently placed it above his nose, leaning your forehead against his nose tip for a moment before letting him fly off with Drogon. You walked with Daenerys back to Dragonstone, parting ways by your room as she continued down the hall, possibly to her own room.

As you got inside of your room you saw Missandei standing near a hot bath and you grinned widely “Missandei” you greeted and she spun around, hiding something behind her back as she bowed her head “Princess” you walked closer “what are you hiding?” You watched as Missandei pulled a small, but detailed, wooden figure of a girl, and the closer you looked, the more it resembled you, making you grin even more. “One of the Dothraki made it, he was young, a bit older than you, a few years maybe, but he said that he hoped to live long enough to see you and your mother on the throne, he asked me to give it to you”, you looked up at her with tears in your eyes, still grinning. “You inspire a lot of love, Princess (Y/N), just like your mother” you nodded as you wiped away a few tears that had spilled over the corners of your eyes “did he really say ‘throne’?” Missandei laughed “no, he said ‘iron chair’, I see your mother told you that the Dothraki have no word for ‘throne’” you nodded at her words as you took the small figure from her, it really looked like you, but not like in a dress, it was the clothes you had on when you rode Rhaegal, he must have seen you in it and remembered “she did… where is he, the Dothraki who made this?” Missandei smiled gently at you “I can show you, but after your bath, before the water gets cold” you nodded, putting the figure on your night stand before returning to the tub “of course, thank you, Missandei” she smiled and left your room so you could undress and bathe in peace.

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After your bath you had changed into a dress, it was one out of thick material, to keep out the cold, but it was comfortable all the same, it was (Y/F/C), a small dragon pin on your chest, symbolizing your mother’s house, and your own now, your shoes were also warm and thick, but still fit enough to walk on the sand, which you currently were. You watched Missandei point out the Dothraki who had made the small wooden figure, sitting on a stone along with a few other Dothraki, no more than five, scattered on the beach. This Dothraki was handsome, he had the same copper-tones skin as all the other Dothraki but a different glow to it, the same almond shaped eyes that stood out anyway, but he was different, he was younger, so his hair and beard had no real length to it, his curly black hair rested on his head like the rest of them, but you’d somehow be able to see him even in a crowd of Dothraki he was obviously tall, you couldn’t be sure of what physique but he seemed lean, he was leaning his elbows on his knees, a knife in his hand and a rock in the other, he was sharpening his knife. His black coal eyes found yours and you swore, on your life, that you saw a hint of blush on his cheeks as she quickly looked away again, trying to act like he hadn’t seen you. You approached with an amused smile, walking straight up to him, forcing him to look at you without touching him, and your smile somehow grew as your eyes locked, you watched him quickly stand up and try to bow as he had seen the Unsullied and others do but it didn’t go over well, which you didn’t mention, but the fact that he tried made feel weird inside.

You didn’t know how much of the common tongue he spoke, and you didn’t know that much Dothraki, so instead you showed him the small figure, grinning when you saw his eyes widen in realisation, “I am very happy for this” you knew there was no word for thank you in Dothraki, so it was the best you could do, but he seemingly understood you as she grinned himself “good, but I did not know the lady would tell you that it was me who made it” he spoke a bit too fast but you still understood most of what he said, his voice wasn’t as deep as some of the other Dothraki, but then again, he was young, “I asked” you gave a light shrug, enjoying the way he seemed to be shy around you, not at all how you imagined a Dothraki would act up close, but then again, you had heard from Daenerys of Khal Drogo, her husband, and how gentle he could be with her when no one else was around.

“What is your name?” you did your best, but Dothraki had not been one of the languages you had not focused on, sadly, and now you cursed your younger self for not paying more attention.

“Ezzo”

“Ezzo…” you tasted the name on your tongue, it gave you a warm feeling saying it, and it made you smile brightly up at him, and after a while you realized that you had stared, making you blink and quickly look down, blushing red. “I-I hope my Dothraki is understandable enough, I’m afraid that I never paid enough attention when my teacher tried to teach it to me” you knew, you just knew that it sounded awful, but glancing up you only saw his smile “I think you sound beautiful” you grinned widely at him, about to say something else when out of the corner of your eyes you saw an Unsullied soldier approaching, making you turn your head to him, it was one you knew, not well, but you knew his name, his name was Grey Curse, just thinking about it made you wince, so you never spoke it out loud.

“Princess (Y/N), her Grace is asking for you, Missandei said you might be here” you nodded and looked back at Ezzo, who had no idea what was being said “I have to go... “ you said in a sad voice, making Ezzo frown but nod all the same, almost like he expected you to just go right then and there, but you couldn’t help yourself, you leaned up and gave him a peck on his cheek, a quick one, you barely noticed it yourself. You couldn’t help the grin you had on your lips the whole way to the map room where Daenerys and all the rest were waiting for you. Daenerys raised her head to look at you, about to say something but seeing your grin she froze, narrowing her eyes at you and smirking ever so slightly “want to tell me why you are so happy?” she spoke High Valyrian, mainly because she wanted a bit more privacy, even though she knew that Missandei, Varys and Grey Worm could understand her, but both Varys and Grey Worm were good at pretending not to hear her, however Missandei smirked amused at the scene unfolding before her “no reason, why are we speaking Valyrian, mother?” you shrugged, making Daenerys scoff amused at you “I just got ready to scold you for being late, but seeing you this happy, I’ll hold it off, for now” you knew she was just being playful, it was in her tone, and both Varys and Missandei couldn’t help the tiny smile that forced it’s way onto their lips, hearing their Queen’s words, but quickly shook it off as Daenerys turned back to face the map carved into the table.

“So, you were saying?” all of you looked back to Tyrion who nodded and resumed talking about his plan to sent the Unsullied to Casterly Rock, but for some reason, your mind were stuck on the beach, standing with a tall Dothraki, who’s curly hair was like a crown, resting gently on his head, his eyes black as coal but still warm, and you kept thinking of his name, Ezzo, you wondered what it meant. Ezzo, maybe it meant kindness, or maybe it meant strength, or courage, or maybe it meant handsome, if so then it’d certainly fit. You were so lost in thought that you hadn’t noticed the map room clearing, all but Daenerys, who smirked at you with amusement “so” she began, snapping you out of your day dream, you eyes locking with hers and instantly you blushed, looking down and fiddling with the wooden figure you still had in your hand, something that Daenerys easily noticed, “who made that?” you let her take it from your hands, letting her study it with a warm smile “a Dothraki” her head instantly snapped to yours, making you realize what she feared “he’s very sweet,” you quickly assured, seeing her visibly relax, of course she trusted her army, but Dothraki was not known for being gentlemen, she knew this very well, better than most “his name is Ezzo… Missandei said she saw him carve it and he asked her to give it to me” you continued, taking back the small figure as you looked at it fondly “I wanted to thank him so Missandei brought me to him, I’m sorry I lost track of time” when you finally raised your head to meet her gaze, you saw nothing but warmth and joy, a small smile resting on her lips “well, I’d very much like to meet this, Ezzo” a part of you began to grow nervous, what if she didn’t like him? You knew she loved you and only wanted what was best for you, but you also knew that although she had not birthed you, you were her daughter, her only living human child, and you knew that no matter what, a dragon would protect it's young, with fire and blood if need be.