#baelor of harrenhal

[ilreleonewikiart]

TDIOBCB challenge - day 11:

M/F Ship - Baelor of Harrenhall and Alys Stark

This time I don't have captions or quotes to show you, but only a brief description. This adorable couple, in fact, is not present in the main story, and they will only meet years after the end of TDIOBCB. However, their love story is so important for the lore of this AU that I decided to draw them anyway. Since the events I will describe are subsequent to the fic, there will be some spoilers.

"Prince Baelor Targaryen, son of Aemond Targaryen and Alys Rivers, and Lady Alys Stark, eldest daughter of Lord Cregan and his second wife Alysanne Blackwood, met in 146 AC, three years after the main events of TDIOBCB, when the young prince - then six and ten years old - went to Winterfell for a visit. Although they hadn't seen each other in person before this moment, their destinies had long been intertwined, even before birth. It was thanks to Black Ally, who had intervened between the High Priestess and Daemon Targaryen, that Alys and her unborn child were not killed after the defeat of the Greens. To thank the young lady for her courage and devotion, the High Priestess appeared in a dream to Cregan Stark, urging him to come to Harrenhal, where he would meet his future bride. Indeed, it was thanks to her that the two met and fell in love instantly: from their love, four daughters were born, but the first they had decided to name Alys, in honor of the woman who had united them in marriage under the Weirwood of Harrenhal. Timidly, the two young people approached each other and secretly promised eternal love. Upon returning to the capital, the prince expressed to his parents his desire to marry the young lady and no one else. The day of their wedding was a happy day for everyone, even for the groom's father, who, though famous for his composure, could not help but be moved to see his only son get married."

(warning: these illustrations are inspired by an AU Divergence and have nothing to do with canon (book or tv show) events and are not meant to be reposted outside of their contest)

[ilreleonewikia13]

◌TDIOBCB chapters as gifsets ↪

∯ C H A P T E R 4 : The Reckoning of Time

The Isle of Faces was an inhospitable place, not meant for the likes of ordinary mortals such as himself. On that narrow piece of land surrounded by the frigid waters of the Gods Eye, time seemed to flow to a different cadence than on the mainland. Though he had arrived there some six years ago, Aemond would sometimes experience the strange and inexplicable sensation of having penetrated the island's magical shroud only a few months past. On other occasions, his mind would convincingly argue that he had dwelt there for years, perhaps decades, often blurring the line between day and night, summer and winter. This peculiarity might be attributed to the fact that in the Riverlands, and especially on the Isle of Faces, the sun was often concealed by thick rain-laden clouds for most of the year, creating an eternal autumn where months seemed to blend seamlessly. Yet, deep within himself, Aemond recognized that such temporal disorientation couldn't be solely attributed to the island's weather patterns. By his calculations, he should have been approaching his twenty-sixth year, and consequently, his countenance should have begun to bear the marks of maturity, of manhood, or at the very least, a divergence from the visage of the twenty-year-old prince he once had been. However, this transformation failed to materialize. His face, akin to his physique, remained unaltered over time as if not a single day had ticked by in this forsaken place. Only the length of his hair and the gradual fading of his wounds served as tangible indicators of the ebbing months and years. Following his capture at the hands of his uncle and the Blacks, Aemond's once-flowing locks had been summarily shorn, leaving his scalp nearly bereft, a calculated act of derision. The purpose had been to unveil the mark Daemon had branded upon the nape of his neck, showcasing it as a grim war trophy upon their arrival in the capital. This was the reason why Aemond still bore a partially bald pate when Alys transported him to this secluded island. Since his initial arrival on the island, his hair had managed to grow at an agonizingly sluggish pace, now reaching a length that cascaded halfway down his back. It stood as the unequivocal testimony to the passage of time, a tangible reminder that the world had not remained stagnant since his advent. Hence, the prince had resolved to never shear his silvered mane, allowing it to flourish unchecked.  For, in its flowing strands, he found the only concrete evidence that years had indeed traversed him and imbued meaning into the tableau that encircled him.

[carebooks]

and if i say that aemond is the main targ going mad on the show and is the one causing the most damage to the realm and the aemond stans will start defending him in the comments— what then

[thedeadthree]

VALAENYA TARGARYEN daughter of destiny (asoiaf) // (VALA)ENYA DAYNE sword of the morning (asoiaf)

IOVANNA DAYNE mistress of mists (hotd) // UNA NATHAIRA ULLER mistress of misery (hotd)

ELAENAERA TARGARYEN the lady of luna (hotd) // LAENAERA VELARYON siren of the sea (hotd)

TAGGED BY the darlings @florbelles, @phillipsgraves, @jendoe, @chuckhansen to make the dears in this cutest meiker! ty ty so much! <3

TAGGING: @feystepped, @griffin-wood, @kingsroad, @risingsh0t, @denerims, @leviiackrman, @queennymeria, @nightbloodraelle, @shellibisshe, @fragilestorm, @noonfaerie, @marivenah, @jacobseed, @corvosattano, @jackiesarch, @arklay, @50sjello, @pearlcscent, @leondaltons, @lollyhaze, @aartyom, @unholymilf, @loriane-elmuerto, @girlbosselrond, @jillvlntine, @morvaris, @blissfulalchemist, @malefiicarum, @roofgeese, @hoesephseed, @themysteriouslou and you!

[cdragons]

Bound by Embroidered Chains - Aemond Targaryen x Seamstress!OC x Jacaerys Velaryon - Chapter One

Prologue

Summary: Dragons have a habit in hoarding the prettiest of jewels, and pearls are of no exceptions.

Warnings- MDNI 18+ Obsessive Behavior (we all knew this was coming), tiny!Aemond is delulu, tiny!Jace is delulu, Dark Themes, not betaread we burn like Harrenhal, etc. Also translations for Valyrian will be added at the bottom! Also I used an online translator for the High Valyrian, so it may not be great 🫠

Author's Note: Hello everyone! Thank you all so much for the amazing support for this story's prologue, I did NOT expect so many positive reviews! I'm sorry this took so long, but I had a ton of applications and finals. But since I am on winter break, hopefully I will be able to upload more fics! Happy Holidays and big shoutout to @valeskafics, who continues to be the HOTD fanfic writing ICON that we all know and love! If you liked reading this work, reblog and comment if you want to be tagged in future installments of this work! Also I apologize for any grammatical errors, I wanted to post this as soon as possible.

You have known your entire life that you were going to be one of the many seamstresses that serviced the Royal Family.

By the age of three, your mother would teach you how to begin your very first stitches, which soon shifted to learning the most complicated patterns of embroidery. You still remember the tears in her eyes as you presented the silk-woven handkerchief that had lovely little purple and blue flowers embroidered on the borders for her birthday. Your face flushed to an almost too bright red when she insisted on showing all the other royal seamstresses and tailors your first handkerchief. But it made you smile in remembering how big her smile was that week, as she was so pleased by how much you’ve progressed at such a young age.

When you were only six, your mother had begun to teach you how to properly extract the dye from beautiful flowers and the scales of brightly-colored insects. So skilled and nimble were your fingers that you even gave your childhood playmate, Aemond Targaryen, a thick green wool cloak with green and silver dragon embroidery. The cloak’s wool had been dyed by your hand with copious amounts of goldenrod and indigo flowers. You then carefully stitched silk to line the inside of the cloak to prevent him from overheating, as even the harshest winters in the Crownlands were hardly anything compared to the summers in the North. It had caught you off-guard in the almost too-tight embrace he locked you in, but you eagerly reciprocated as you could tell he appreciated the gift more than words could describe.

It was not just a gift for is name-day from a childhood companion, but also a way to reassure him that he will one day have a dragon. And even if the gods do not grant him worthy in their eyes, he would always be considered a prince worthy of the Targaryen name in yours. After all, there were not many princes that would willingly spend all their free time with a lowly seamstress’ daughter – even if the supposed seamstress that was your mother was so heavily favored by the Queen.

“Pearl,” came a voice with a tone far too serious despite its youth, “what are you doing in the Godswood?”

You lifted your head from old tome you were studying, only to see a young boy of only nine name-days, that stood as straight as one of the stone pillars that stood in the Sept of Baelor. His white locks nearly blinded you with how the sunshine seemed to reflect on them.

“Well my prince, as you can clearly see, I have decided to take advantage of this fine day to do a bit of studying of my own.” You lifted the near ancient tome on your lap to show him the title, Myths and Legends of the Jade Seas.

Whatever outwardly beauty the book possessed had long diminished, the spine was bent from the hundreds of hours spent looking through its contents and the letters were near faded to a dull grey as the pages yellowed from age. But the colors of the ink remained as vibrant as when they were first painted on the frail sheets, accompanied by beautiful imagery of magical dragons and elusive mermaids. The details were so fine and intricate that it felt as if you only needed to touch the ink in order to be transported into the stories. You remembered how you begged either your mother or father to read it to you every night, as utterly transfixed by the colors back then as you remained so now.

“You are more than welcome to join me, but if – and only if – you share one of those apples hiding in your knapsack.”

Finally showing an expression appropriate for his age, the young prince reached in his pouch to show two gorgeous apples – the skin was practically gleaming in the sun as your mouth watered for its taste. Aemond handed one to you as he sat by your side underneath the plentiful shade of the heart tree. Scooting over to make room on the overgrown root you sat on, you eagerly showed him strange text.

“Look Aemond!” you exclaimed as you shoved the book to his nose. “This book says that there were dragons in Yi Ti! Isn’t that amazing?”

Aemond looked at you as if you had suddenly grown two heads and five eyes. “How can there be dragons in Yi Ti? All the dragons save the ones in the dragonpit and the rocky shores of Dragonstone had perished in The Doom that sunk Valyria. Everyone knows that pearl.”

“These dragons are different! According to my kepa, Yi Ti dragons don’t even need wings to fly!”

The young prince rolled his eyes at that. “How could they fly if they don’t have wings? Even Carraxes the Blood Wrym has wings, and he looks like an overgrown red snake.” Honestly, his pearl could be so silly. “Besides, what would your father know? He’s a bastard from the Iron Islands, that’s nowhere near the Jade Seas.”

Now it was your turn to roll your eyes. “He heard so on his travels with Lord Velaryon and Prince Laenor! Apparently, these dragons use magic and live in the ocean. And they don’t even breathe fire! They make it rain and control the oceans!”

“…Pearl, I think you’ve been spending too much time making those dyes. The fumes must have gotten to your head.”

You openly gaped at your friend’s comment, completely in shock for how blatantly he dismissed you. It made you want to pound your fists on his person until he took it back. So naturally, you did just that.

“Aemond Targaryen, you take that back right now!” you shrieked. Although your actions told otherwise, the smile on your face showed that you took no true offense to his words. If anything, it pleased you to know that you could still make the stone-faced prince giggle as a boy should at his age.

“Never!”

As the two of you giggled and played, several pairs of wandering eyes spied and grimaced at the distasteful display. Although your friendship with the next generation of the royal family was no secret, much of the court disapproved of how highly the royal family thought of you and Prince Aemond’s friendship. After all, he was the second born prince of House Targaryen, born of King Viserys and Queen Alicent. By the time the Targaryen prince could toddle, great things were expected from him. From a very early age, he immersed himself in his studies befitting of a prince of Westeros. You, on the other hand, were only the daughter of a seamstress and a bastard knight who became a lord of a holding so minor that it had no name. You only skills were that you could make pretty dye, and stitch pretty pictures with a needle and thread.

But he always treated you kindly and defended you whenever his eldest brother decided to use you as his latest target for mockery. You were a precious pearl – his precious pearl – Aegon may be his brother, but he could never love Aegon as much as he loved you. True, your father being a bastard did you no favors in the Red Keep’s court, but Aemond would never tell you that himself. Instead, he openly acknowledged his bravery and commended his loyalty to the Crown. After all, how many bastards can boast that they saved the Lord Corlys Velaryon, holder of the Driftwood Throne, from a siege of pirates during one of the lord’s many voyages to Essos?

In turn, you always made sure to provide comfort and support whenever his brother and nephews decided to pick on him. Without fail, he would seek out your company – his eyes red and puffy, while his cheeks were wet from hastily wiped tears. You would take his hands and the two of you would venture out to the library’s more secluded sections. You made sure to pack whatever you have been working on with you. While you were glad that he came to you for comfort, it would do little good for either of you if you were to be punished for not completing whatever tasks your mother assigned you.

“Who cares if you don’t have a dragon?” you once asked him as the two of you laid next to each other, surrounded by books. “There are plenty members of the Targaryen line that did not have dragons, but they still lived out important lives in serving their family however they could. King Jaehaerys was considered a great ruler for how he served the realm– not for riding Vermithor. And even if you had a dragon, is that all you wish to be known for? Your grandfather, Baelon the Brave, was wise and beloved by the small folk for how he tried to make their lives easier. But all he is known for in history books is how he burned down Dorne with Vhagar.”

“Better to be known for a dragon than to disappear, not being known for anything – not even a dragon worthy of the Targaryen name.”

Sitting up against a bookshelf, you repositioned Aemond to lie his head on your thighs. Luckily the candlelight made the area dark enough so that you wouldn’t see his ears turning red. Instead, he buried his face in the soft cotton of your blue tunic as you stroked his soft silver white locks. Although his heart was beating erratically, your sweet scent along with your body’s suppleness was enough to take away any ire left in him.

“Stop that,” you ordered, “you will not be forgotten, don’t be so dramatic.” Eyes softening at his tense shoulders, you eased on the sternness of your tone. “Nyke pendagon iksā brilliant. Eman dōrī rhēdan anyone else qilōni kostagon ȳdragon Valyrio Eglie hae sȳrī hae ao.  Kostā solve problems bona aegon ēza trouble lēda during aōha lessons lēda se Giēñatī.  Aemond, iksā ñuha sȳrje raqiros.  Gaomagon daor ivestragon kesā sagon daor rūnas.”

You pretended not to notice how tightly he clenched your dress as you ignored the how warm the spot where his hot tears grew.

As you continued to stroke his hair, Aemond made a silent vow that when he finally claimed a dragon, you would be the first person he would ride it with. He thought about how his bastard nephews would always try to take you from him, especially Jace, how he despised that boy. No, your touches would belong to him, and only him. Your sweet words and kind demeanor were his to cherish. You were his pearl – his pearl – and no one else’s, especially not the pretend Targaryen that was Jacaerys Strong.

Yes, it pleased Aemond to know that he was your best friend. But sometimes it frustrated him in how you refused to take him seriously as a man. For example, he once announced that when he claimed his dragon, he would finally be a noble dragon knight who would protect you from the most vicious of beasts. No matter how he insisted on his sincerity, you only rolled your eyes at the proclamation. You told him that you had no need for a knight, let alone a dragon knight. You had your dearest kepa for protection, and there was no finer knight in all the Seven Kingdoms in your eyes. So silly was his pearl indeed.

“Ashi’!” a new voice called out, interrupting the comfortable silence between him and his pearl. It belonged to the king’s eldest grandson, Prince Jacaerys Strong Velaryon, heir to the Iron Throne after his mother, Princess Rhaenyra. “Your mother is looking for you! She said that she needs your help with Mother’s clothes!”

“Alright!” When you stood from you spot, you made sure to brush away any dirt or debris left on your skirts. You gathered your mother’s book in both arms when you made your way to the prince. “But why did my muña not send one of her attendants instead? It would not have been difficult to find me. Everyone knows that I enjoy reading under the Hearts Tree in the Godswood during my spare time. Are you not busy with your own duties, my prince?”

Straightening his posture to appear taller, Jace did his best to sound as authoritative as his father had taught him. “I just finished my lessons for the morning, and I volunteered to escort you. Besides, I figured that it would do me some good in practicing escorting you. I’ll need to do it in the future when I am king after my mother.” His round freckled cheeks reddened to a rosy hue at that last part.

Not at all catching the terribly obvious implication, you shrugged off his words as you figured that he meant that he was using you as practice for whichever future noble lady he would court in the future. However, the suggestion was not at all lost on your friend, who was still sitting on the overgrown root, glaring at his eldest nephew with a fury that rivaled the Great Doom that sunk Valyria.

“Well, we should be on our way then. Come on Aemond, we should get going!” You held out your held for your friend to hold on to, but were quickly interrupted by the brown-haired Targaryen at the side.

“He can’t! I mean-” stammered Jace as did his best in thinking of an excuse, “-I’m afraid my uncle cannot join us. You see, um – his mother, the Queen, requested his presence in her solar.”

“I’m sure my mother won’t mind waiting for a few moments while I join you in escorting my pearl to her favorite friend, nephew.” This wasn’t a lie on Aemond’s part. While he didn’t like the idea in keeping his mother waiting for him, he despised the thought of you being alone with the Strong Knight’s eldest bastard even more. Besides, his mother adored you as if you were her own daughter. It would have gone without saying that she would be happy with her son spending time with her best friend’s daughter.

“But why would you want to risk it, uncle?” Jacaerys wasn’t going to let his selfish uncle hog all of your attention. You were his friend too! It wasn’t fair that he had find crumbs of your time and affections, while his uncle got to feast on your smiles and laughter. He had spent hours with the dragon keepers of the dragonpit to help him train Vermax, all so that he could finally show you how close he was in riding him! But you were always too busy comforting his stupid dragonless uncle!

Enough was enough. Jacaerys may have been a Velaryon like his father, but he was also a Targaryen like his mother. It was he who carried the dragon’s blood, and dragons took what they desired or felt what they deserved. And he desrved to be with you more than Aemond.

“It’s alright Aemond, we’ll talk more later! Let’s go Jace, we shouldn’t keep our mothers waiting any more than we have.” Grabbing his hand before walking out of the gardens, you weren’t able to see the younger prince throw a triumphant smirk to his uncle before once more facing you with the story of how Luke accidentally got egg in his hair.

Watching his literal bastard of a nephew walk hand-in-hand away with his pearl, Aemond Targaryen felt his fury grow more potent with each step. He hated that you called his nephew by his nickname, all while he had none. What’s worse was the fact that you allowed him to refer to you as “Ashi.” What a ridiculous name, only a lowborn such as his nephew would refer to someone as precious as you as something as study and simple like “Ashi.” You were a pearl – his pearl, in fact. A fact that he felt was important to emphasize as he watched your head being thrown back in laughter. His anger grew to an all-time high when he watched you ruffle Jacaery’s hair with abundant affection.

Not wanting to make a scene, he walked to his mother’s chambers in fuming silence. While her presence wasn’t yours, maybe he could think of a plan to get you away from his whore of a sister and her illegitimate offspring.

If worse comes to worst, he might need to recruit his sister to his cause. He knew that Helaena would especially be thrilled in receiving your presence. You were the only one besides your parents that did not treat his beloved sister like an oddity. If you were not with Aemond, you were often found stitching with the young princess. It seemed that you were the only person in the entire world that could get her to smile.

Such a sweet girl, his pearl. Someone so kind was not meant to endure the presence of lowly bastards – even if they did technically carry royal blood.

He needed to come up with something fast.

Translations:

“Nyke pendagon iksā brilliant. Eman dōrī rhēdan anyone else qilōni kostagon ȳdragon Valyrio Eglie hae sȳrī hae ao.  Kostā solve problems bona aegon ēza trouble lēda during aōha lessons lēda se Giēñatī.  Aemond, iksā ñuha sȳrje raqiros.  Gaomagon daor ivestragon kesā sagon daor rūnas.” - “You’re brilliant. I’ve never met anyone else who can speak such fluent High Valyrian, especially at your age. You can solve problems that Aegon has trouble with during your lessons with the Maester. Aemond, you are my best friend. Don’t say that you will be forgotten.”

Tagging:

@valeskafics, @faesspace, @aphroditesmoon, @dreaming-for-an-escape, @nellychick, @asa-do-your-thing, @arcielee, @bellamys-girl1, @immyowndefender, @xxlovingfandomsxx, @elinedjarin, @meg-egg-blog, @marvelescape, @mandiiblanche, @lokiofasgard12, @boxedpandas, @anewpersonthatexists, @toodlesxcuddles, @mckiquinn, @cvspians, @aemondslove

[atopvisenyashill]

Lyanna likely married Rhaegar of her own will. If she was kidnapped or held against her will, then she would have slit Rhaegar's throat like Ygritte/Arya might have had.

source: trust me bro

and i’m sorry, i’m about to be so annoying with this answer, but this comparison is so ridiculous. because what you’re saying here - not in the text. what is in the text is that arya is literally kidnapped by several different people and can’t fight her way out even when she has gendry and hot pie, bc they are all children up against trained fighters who frequently outnumber them. what is in the text is jon gets the drop on ygritte, because sometimes you simply lose a fight! what is in the text is this moment from ned’s memories:

lyanna screaming for her brother! even with how distorted this dream/memory is, lyanna screaming for her brother is included for a reason. and how is she supposed to fight her way out of this? she is 16 and dying and being held captive by three of the most skilled knights in westeros’ history. arya can’t even beat sandor or harwin how is lyanna supposed to beat three people? you can’t just say no to the king (or crown prince) and not face serious repercussions. look at arya just whacking joffrey on the trident - harming the crown prince is dangerous, it is treason, it doesn’t matter if he’s a dick. it doesn’t matter if he’s the one in the wrong either - joffrey was hurting someone & being belligerent but it doesn’t matter because he’s crown prince. in the mystery knight, aerion brightflame gets to be a huge asshole and racist to Tanselle Too Tall and the only reason he faces a consequence is because Dunk is there AND Baelor Breakspear, the crown prince, agrees that his nephew needs to not be such an asshole. You cannot say no to royalty!

we also have no evidence in text that lyanna and rhaegar married as of yet! there’s some moments that could foreshadow a marriage, but that is not yet canon, it is a theory, and even so, it still doesn’t answer whether she was lied to or manipulated in some way to go along with rhaegar’s plan - and we don’t even know what rhaegar’s plan was anyway, besides making off with lyanna and impregnating her.

what we have in the text are the untrustworthy memories of people like ned, aemon, barristan, and jon connington. these are people who had biases, who were involved in the conflict, and who didn’t have all or even most of the information. we have meera’s story version of the harrenhal tourney, which is howland’s pov. we have a few comments over the years from george. but we do not have a peek into lyanna or rhaegar’s minds or plans. and it is certainly a possibility that four fully grown, very skilled knights subdoed a 16 year old.

[melrosing]

anyway I'm gonna start posting My Own Robert's Rebellion Adaptation ep by ep because.... GRRM's never gonna do it?? I have too much time?? both?? stay tuned

rules are I can fuck with timelines a little as a treat, but not so much that events/character ages & development are changed. so for example Aerys doesn’t actually make Tywin hand till four years into his reign I think, but who actually cares when Jaehaerys died, let’s say it was a little later and that Tywin was made Hand straight off

finally I am picturing a two season show where this one ends w Harrenhal. anyway

Next Part: Episode 2

Episode 1: Aerys' Dad Dies

We open on the body of King Jaehaerys II, lying in state at the Sept of Baelor. There’s a silent congregation standing around him, and closest of all his children, Aerys and Rhaella. Between them stands their young son, Rhaegar

At the King’s council as they discuss next steps from here. Right now, Aerys seems faintly charming, albeit with a jagged edge. There’s mention of Rhaella’s new pregnancy, and a fear that the distress of losing their father might cause her ill health. Everyone wants the transition to Aerys’ rule to be smooth as possible, so he must choose a Hand asap. His council have ideas; Aerys has one of his own 🦁

We are introduced to Tywin Lannister, travelling in a golden coach (obvs) to King’s Landing. With him are Joanna and their year-old twins. Tywin looks pleased with himself; Joanna notes he’s not Hand yet, but Tywin has no doubt he will be

The Lannisters are greeted jovially by Aerys, who is a little too familiar with Joanna, making her, Tywin and Rhaella equally uncomfortable. Aerys is introduced to the Lannister twins (inadvertantly meeting his own future murderer - 🚨 kill bill sirens 🚨 ), and welcomes all. Generally just appears a bit too upbeat for a funeral, because as a human being he is just fundamentally Off

The funeral: burning Jaehaerys’ body in a ‘manmade pyre’. Aerys mumbles they used to have dragons for this, the implication being that there’s something faintly undignified about this for a Targaryen. Rhaella weeps, and Rhaegar stares hard into the flames because he is a weird 👏 kid 👏

Rhaella and Joanna take a walk through the gardens of the Red Keep. Rhaella implies having noticed Aerys’ behaviour towards her, and that she has noticed it before. Joanna quietly asserts that she does not invite it. Rhaella says she knows - Aerys is like that

Aerys and Tywin meet for post-funeral drinks in Aerys’ solar. Aerys comments that he finds Rhaegar kind of strange and bookish, and believes he has too much of his mother in him. More generally, we see both the familiar and the fractious in how Aerys and Tywin engage, and have some sense of the two being childhood friends (insofar as either of these men even know what a friend is ❤️). Aerys offers the position of Hand to Tywin. Tywin plays a little hard to get, but ultimately agrees. A rare Tywin smile is witnessed x

The coronation: Targ aesthetic dialled up to eleven, because I imagine the more insecure Targaryen kings would cling to it in the absence of dragons. Aerys passes the dragon skulls on his way to the throne (some heavy-handed visual foreshadowing by urs truly xo). Watching on are the heads of the greathouses and their young scions: Aerys death stands all about him in the room, even if he doesn’t know it yet. Rhaella too receives a crown, and somehow doesn’t looked thrilled about it

Final scene sees Rhaegar sitting crosslegged on the floor of his bedchamber with a book and a candle, singing a Valyrian song to himself - the words are not translated

[nobodysuspectsthebutterfly]

how do you feel about j*nsas stealing and appropriating your theory Frankenstein style? I know I’d be pissed but on the other hand it’s funny because it’s still their strongest “argument” haha

It makes me laugh, honestly. Especially the way many shippers -- who have evidently never read The Hedge Knight -- place so much importance on the Ashford Tourney, the Ashford fair maid, and the Targaryen champion! Like, Lord's Ashford's daughter is so significant, she doesn't even have a name. And the whole thing with Valarr Targaryen was that he was a pretty awful jouster, and only held onto the position as the fair maid's champion out of nepotism, because nobody good actually challenged him. (Though his cousin Aerion threatened to, before deciding to bully someone else.)

And the most significant point, that Valarr didn't come out of nowhere, defeat all the other champions, and crown the girl queen of love and beauty -- lol, not in the slightest, he was a champion from the start, and the way the tourney was set up was that at the end of the third day, whoever were the final five champions would either choose to keep Ashford's daughter as the QOLAB or select somebody else to be. And either way, that never happened, since during the first night Dunk and Aerion had their altercation, Dunk never saw who any of the champions were on the second day because he was in prison, and the third day the fair maid/champion tourney was canceled and they held his Trial of Seven instead. There was no queen of love and beauty at the end of the story!

Like, this tourney does not compare in significance to, say, the Tourney of Harrenhal. Historically, the fair maid means nothing, the Ashford Tourney is only remembered for the Trial of Seven that ended with Baelor's death. And I only happened to think it was a bit of a funny coincidence that four of the first day's champions matched Sansa's suitors (that's how you know it was taken from me despite claims of independent creation, it was known as "the Fifth Suitor theory") and thought it might be an even more funny coincidence if Aegon ended up pursuing Sansa as a bride after (or in the process of) claiming the throne, which was a common bit of speculation in 2012 after Aegon was revealed to be alive (presumably) in 2011's ADWD. And the whole point I had was how futile said champions were in the face of Dunk's actions, and well, *cough*.

But it was always just a crack theory, a silly coincidence. That they've imbued it with such significance, well, um. Good for them I guess. It's certainly less worse than pointing to Sansa Stark daughter of Rickon and her half-uncle Jonnel -- when most likely that was a forced marriage to steal an inheritance like the uncles of Alys Karstark attempted with her, and Jonnel had no children with either Sansa or his second wife, died, and two successive brothers became Lord of Winterfell before the youngest had any children to succeed him. That is not a historical model you want to follow, I'm sorry.

BTW, this post of mine also getting appropriated by jonsas also makes me laugh (2 for 2 lol my god), because the point of that parallel was that Jon is indeed a hero from the songs -- since again, in 2011 immediately post-ADWD there was a fandom reaction pushing Aegon up as the actual PTWP and such. (Well. The ones who didn't decide Victarion was Azor Ahai lol sigh.) And that Sansa's words were the foreshadowing ones, I thought was significant, again in response to fandom decreeing her unimportant. It was not to make Jon specifically Sansa's hero or lover or anything where is that implied I have no idea oh shippers oh fandom sigh sigh sigh 😂😅

[cowboysanddragons23]

How Rhaegar Targaryen parallels the worst Targaryen kings:

-Maegor I: Maegor believed that being a Targaryen meant "doing whatever you want with no regard for the consequences." And forcibly wed the Black Brides, raping them repeteadly in hopes of getting a heir, eventually ending up dying in a violent way. This parallels how Rhaegar manipulated Lyanna into becoming the vessel of his "Third Head of the Dragon" keeping her captive on the Tower of Joy and ended up provoking a war against the Kingdoms, dying himself surrounded by Fire and Blood.

-Baelor I: Baelor was a man beloved by his people, but also a religious fanatic with a messiah complex who thought himself the chosen one by the Seven, to the point he almost started a holy war against the North. He also imprisoned his sisters on the Maidenvault and ended up making blunder after blunder (like naming an illiterate carver as High Septon because of his skill as a carver and not because of competency), until he died himself by fasting. This parallels how Rhaegar was also beloved by the people, yet he also thought himself as "The Prince that Was Promised" which led him to his doom.

-Aegon IV: Aegon IV was not only a man who liked to cavort with whatever women who caught his fancy, but also liked to mistreat his wife Naerys, trying to humilliate her in a tourney (which didn't happen because Aemon the Dragonknight interfered) and was utterly apathetic towards Daeron II and Daenerys, while favouring Daemon Blackfyre, while being disdainful of Dorne and trying to slight them at any chance he got. This mirrors how Rhaegar humilliated Elia at the Tourney of Harrenhal by crowning Lyanna as Queen of Love and Beauty, leaving his wife Elia and children Rhaenys and Aegon to die in King's Landing, in a very xenophobic court, while he cavorted (or more accurately tricking into cavort) with Lyanna.

-Aerys I: Aerys I was a mediocre king who was not only apathetic towards his people, but also his wife, caring only about books and prophecies, making the blunder of installing Bloodraven as a hand (who was indifferent to anything that didn't involve the Blackfyres). This parallels Rhaegar's obsession with the "Prince that was Promised" prophecy and allowing his love for reading to alienate him from reality.

[alannybunnue]

Ok, A Song of Ice and Fire Stories

Welcome! So you want to see my stories on the rollercoaster that is a Song of Ice and Fire.

Well, serve yourself, we got a lot going on here...

Imagines

The Targaryens as Yanderes Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

-> Asks:

Curse between Generations

Age gap between Borros and Viserys!Reader

Maegor and his only daughter

The last names of Pre-Dod!Reader and her daughter

Aemond and Dod!Reader

Is Dod!Reader heir to Harrenhal?

-----------------------------------------------------------

If Daemon and Rhaenyra had a bastard child

Keep it Short

Immortal!Reader being the reason why everything started Part 2 Last Part

Joking Around

Modern!Reader stuck with the Yan!Targaryens Part 2

You Asked for This

Yan!Aegon I and Maegor I as your lovers/husbands.

Yan!Aegon, Aemond, Daemon and Jacaerys with a Stark!Reader

Daemon Blackfyre in his Red Wedding

We made History

Dance of the Dragons 0.5 ✔

Aegon with a Septa!Reader ✔

Bloodraven VS Bittersteel for Bracken!Reader ´

Queen!Reader with Aenys Targaryen ´

Criston Cole x Lady Dondarrion ´

Yan!Robb Stark VS Mother!Cersei Lannister ´

Baelor the Blessed with a Stark and a Greyjoy ´

Baelor Breakspear x Reader VS Daemon Blackfyre ´

Stannis Baratheon with a Tyrell!Reader ´

Baelon Targaryen with a Stark!Reader ´

Larys Strong with his brother's wife ´

Duncan the Tall VS Aerion Brightflame ´

Yan!Roose Bolton x Reader + PlatonicYan!Ramsay ´

Westeros x Demigod!Reader ´

My personal face claims for the readers Part 2

Well, that is all for today, if you got something on your mind, don't be afraid of requesting it :3

[esther-dot]

Isn't it more Aery's fault than Rhaegar's that Elia and her kids were murdered? Because they were being kept in King's Landing instead of Dragonstone where they belonged? Not necessarily defending Rhaeger but we don't know the whole story yet.

You know, even with the contributing factors, the agency of other characters, Rhaegar is at the bottom of it:

They wouldn't have been slaughtered without the war

We wouldn’t have had the war of it weren’t for Aerys demanding Robert and Ned’s head after murdering his father and brother (+others!)

Aerys wouldn't have done that if Brandon didn't show up screaming for Rhaegar

Brandon wouldn’t have gone to KL if he didn’t believe he had to save his sister from Rhaegar.

Rhaegar's choice to crown and then kidnap/run away with Lyanna is what started the mess which eventually resulted in the death of his wife and children.

So, yes, I do blame Rhaegar.

Rhaegar’s calculation that everything depended on the prophecy baby, the disaster that befalls procuring it not withstanding, was wrong, and no matter how much anyone romanticizes the man, we all know, Martin is criticizing that kind of blind acceptance/obedience to prophecy which means, even in the most charitable of readings, it's ultimately a Rhaegar critical story.

I’ve mentioned before that you can have a sympathetic view of what prophecies do to a person (the girl in grey prophecy messing with Jon in TWOW seems pertinent), and Martin is likely going for a more nuanced take with Rhaegar than I care for considering his position of power and privilege, but all the same, Rhaegar's choices started the mess. And bear in mind, those choices came after he knew how fallible he was, switching from believing the prophecy was about himself to thinking it was his son ie he was willing to risk everything even knowing he'd already fucked up the interpretation of the prophecy .

Furthermore, we can't argue that he trusted his father and was shocked by the man's inability to handle the situation when we have quotes that tell us, their relationship had deteriorated which is prolly something we don't incorporate into readings of pre canon events enough:

Meanwhile, King Aerys was becoming ever more estranged from his own son and heir. Early in the year 279 AC, Rhaegar Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone, was formally betrothed to Princess Elia Martell, the delicate young sister of Doran Martell, Prince of Dorne. They were wed the following year, in a lavish ceremony at the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing, but Aerys II did not attend. He told the small council that he feared an attempt upon his life if he left the confines of the Red Keep, even with his Kingsguard to protect him. Nor would he allow his younger son, Viserys, to attend his brother's wedding. When Prince Rhaegar and his new wife chose to take up residence on Dragonstone instead of the Red Keep, rumors flew thick and fast across the Seven Kingdoms. Some claimed that the crown prince was planning to depose his father and seize the Iron Throne for himself, whilst others said that King Aerys meant to disinherit Rhaegar and name Viserys heir in his place. Nor did the birth of King Aerys's first grandchild, a girl named Rhaenys, born on Dragonstone in 280 AC, do aught to reconcile father and son. When Prince Rhaegar returned to the Red Keep to present his daughter to his own mother and father, Queen Rhaella embraced the babe warmly, but King Aerys refused to touch or hold the child and complained that she "smells Dornish." (The World of Ice and Fire - The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

and

The Red Keep had its secrets too. Even Rhaegar. The Prince of Dragonstone had never trusted him as he had trusted Arthur Dayne. Harrenhal was proof of that. The year of the false spring. The memory was still bitter. Old Lord Whent had announced the tourney shortly after a visit from his brother, Ser Oswell Whent of the Kingsguard. With Varys whispering in his ear, King Aerys became convinced that his son was conspiring to depose him, that Whent's tourney was but a ploy to give Rhaegar a pretext for meeting with as many great lords as could be brought together. Aerys had not set foot outside the Red Keep since Duskendale, yet suddenly he announced that he would accompany Prince Rhaegar to Harrenhal, and everything had gone awry from there. If I had been a better knight … if I had unhorsed the prince in that last tilt, as I unhorsed so many others, it would have been for me to choose the queen of love and beauty … (ADWD, The Kingbreaker)

If that was all Aerys' paranoia, it should have told Rhaegar his father was in no condition to handle a crisis, and if it was true that he planned to depose his father/ act against him:

Rhaegar had put his hand on Jaime's shoulder. "When this battle's done I mean to call a council. Changes will be made. I meant to do it long ago, but . . . well, it does no good to speak of roads not taken. We shall talk when I return." (AFFC, Jaime I)

well, then there is no excuse for Rhaegar throwing everything into turmoil and abandoning his wife and kids to the care of others when his father already distrusted him, and he didn't trust his father.

And yes, Aerys insisted Elia and the children be in KL, but Rhaegar secreted Lyanna away to Dorne. It's a bit much to swallow that he took Lyanna that distance for her safety, to his wife's homeland, and took no special precautions for his wife, heir, and little girl. It's especially unforgivable when we know Aerys was not only increasingly paranoid, but was a racist, abusive POS, so there were additional reasons why it should have occurred to Rhaegar, he needed to do more regarding their safety.

Obviously, neither Rhaegar nor Aerys knew Tywin would betray them or unleash a monster on innocents, but even when I employ a very sympathetic reading of Rhaegar, I don't think it lessens his responsibility. Rhaegar knew too much, risked too much, to achieve his own ends without the necessary regard for those depending on him:

He found her hiding under her father's bed, as if she believed Rhaegar could still protect her. (ASOS, Tyrion VI)

[ilreleonewikiart]

Baelor Targaryen and Alys Stark for the @ohmyarda Ocs challenge From my fic The Doom in Our Blood Comes Back

As I mentioned in my past stories I've decided to submit my 16th illustration to a second challenge, as the characters of this drawing are both my ocs and I wanted a reason to talk more about them ☝️😊

This couple has appeared before in the TDIOBCB ship challenge and i gave some vague details about their backstories.

For the ones who already read my fic, Baelor already appeared and we also saw his birth, as he's one of the main characters of the story, while Alys is only briefly mentioned, as her appearance is not important in the events of the main story, at least till now.

However for the ones who still don't know them, this is a brief description, however, it will contain a major spoiler of my fic:

"Baelor Targaryen, or Baelor of Harrenhal, is one of the main characters of this story. He's the first and only son of Prince Aemond Targaryen and his first wife, Alys Rivers, the High Priestess of the Isle of Faces. Because of his mother's lineage, who was half human and half Children of the Forest, it's implied that Baelor inherited her powers and can practice magic. At the age of twelve, he claims Silverwing, becoming her first rider after Queen Alysanne. After his father marries his cousin Baela Targaryen, he becomes her stepson and her heir, however, he decides not to inherit Dark Sister. At the age of seventeen, he marries Lady Alys Stark, daughter of Cregan Stark and together they have one daughter Alyssa. Alys Stark is the first daughter of lord Cregan Stark and his second wife, Alysanne Blackwood: because it was Alys Rivers to arranged for her parents to meet and marry the two decided to name their first child after her. It will be later implied that Alys Rivers did that because, already back then, she knew that their daughter was destined to marry her son. In 146 AC, years after the events of the main story, she meets Baelor, who went to Winterfell in visit and the two will later fall in love. A year after they will get marry and have a daughter, Alyssa, who later will became the new Lady of Crows, like her grandmother Alys. "

(warning: these illustrations are inspired by an AU Divergence and have nothing to do with canon (book or tv show) events and are not meant to be reposted outside of their contest)

[sunsetstarrogue]

Sunsets Masterlist

Ghost: Rhaenys-centric, angst, angst and more angst.

Since the death of her mother Rhaenys had longed to go to her homeland. Elia Martell had spoken of her home so fondly that her daughter could not help but long for it, especially after her mother had left her.

You're On Your Own, Kid (You Always Have Been): Rhaenys-centric, Rhaenys Targaryen x Robb Stark.

Rhaenys never wanted to marry Robb Stark, but here she was; with the King and his men on her way North to pay for the sins of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark.

Right Where You Left Me: Rhaenys-centric, Rhaenys Targaryen x Robert Baratheon(political), angst.

Rhaegar's life is spared by the valiant intervention of Arthur Dayne, moments before Robert deals the fatal blow. With their lives preserved, Rhaegar and the remaining Targaryens seek refuge on Dragonstone, eventually making their escape to Essos. Regrettably, Rhaegar is forced to leave his eldest daughter behind. Left in the midst of her adversaries, Rhaenys grows up surrounded by those who view her as an enemy. As time passes, she becomes entangled in the treacherous game of thrones, particularly in the aftermath of Cersei and Jaime Lannister's public execution for their incestuous relationship. Caught in a web of schemes and deceit, Rhaenys finds herself compelled to employ similar tactics in order to ensure her own survival.

Sequel to Right Where You Left Me - Ptolemaea: Rhaenys-centric, angst, family drama.

Seventeen years have passed since Robert's rise to the throne, forcing Rhaegar and his kin into exile in Essos. Now, Rhaegar has journeyed back with a singular yearning in mind: to reclaim his daughter, Rhaenys. She had been held captive, first by Aerys Targaryen as a pawn against the Dornish, and then again by Robert Baratheon. However, Rhaegar's return unfolds in a manner he never foresaw. The longed-for reunion he had pictured is tempered by an unexpected chill. The reality before him dashes his hopes of a heartwarming reconnection. Enraged by her father's culpability in her king's and husband's deaths, and his seizing of the crown from her son, Rhaenys is resolved to seek retribution for the wrongs inflicted upon her, her children, and her mother.

Fires of Fate: ASOIAF/Silmarillion crossover, Rhaenys-centric.

In which after her death, the Gods of Old Valyria send Rhaenys Targaryen to the lands of Aman.

Baelon The Cruel And His Queen Of Love And Beauty: OC/Elia Martell, Elia Martell/Rhaegar Targaryen, crack.

Baelon Targaryen, the second-born son of King Aerys and Queen Rhaella, and the twin brother to Crown Prince Rhaegar, possessed an ethereal beauty expected of one with Valyrian blood. Yet, behind his captivating face, an aura of cruelty and ruthlessness lingered, casting an unsettling shadow over his reputation. And his sudden appearance at the Tourney at Harrenhal unknowingly changes everything. (or just a crack fic about Rhaegar's 'cruel' twin brother and his shenanigans at the famed Tourney at Harrenhal)

You Were My Crown(Now I'm In Exile): Elia-centric, Elia Martell/Rhaegar Targaryen, Elia Martell/Baelor Hightower.

Shortly following her death, Elia Martell is granted an unexpected opportunity for a new beginning. Armed with insight into her own future, she's resolute in evading the path she once walked. Yet, unbeknownst to her, one of the individual's implicated in her tragic end has also been granted a chance at redemption. Will Rhaegar Targaryen manage to rectify his past transgressions, or will he once again succumb to the labyrinth of his own thoughts?

We Fall Apart As It Gets Dark: Elia-centric, Elia Martell/Brandon Stark, Elia Martell/Rhaegar Targaryen.

The apparent abduction of Lyanna Stark sets off a chain of events: Brandon Stark and his allies march to the Red Keep, where Brandon demands Rhaegar's head. A duel is called by Aerys, and fire serves as his champion, leading to the death of Brandon's father and Brandon's own imprisonment. It's only after these events that a letter arrives at Winterfell, written by Lyanna herself, explaining that she left of her own accord. The deaths of the Lord of Winterfell and the Heir of the Eyrie, along with Aerys' demand for the heads of Robert and Ned, ignite a rebellion. Elia, isolated in Kings Landing without her children, must play her role as the dutiful wife. However, complications arise when the man who once demanded her husband’s head becomes her constant companion, the Kingsguard sworn to her. Will she stay true to her duty or follow her husband's example and forsake it?

Reckless: Elia-centric, Elia Martell/Rhaegar Targaryen, angst.

"Get out," she tells him. "Leave." "You're not going to talk to me?" His voice comes out hoarse; she wonders why. "You've done enough!" she lets out. He looks disappointed when she says it, his eyes clouding over. She almost apologizes for snapping at him. But she reminds herself that he shouldn't be here at all, he shouldn't be here with her. "Goodbye, Rhaegar," she says gently, not allowing any trace of emotion to surface in her voice. The name sounds foreign coming out of her mouth, as though it belongs to someone else. She wishes for the days to go back to before he met Lyanna. Before everything turned sour. Before it was too late. or Rhaegar returns to her but things are difficult now.

What Is Meant For You Will Stay: Rhaenys-centric, angst.

Rhaenys was gently shaken awake. The sheets beneath her rustled a bit as she moved, the night shift she wore rode up as she squirmed trying to get away from the callous hands that shook her awake. Her mind was foggy and disoriented as she stirred awake. Rhaenys sprung to life when her mind finally registered that someone was with her, in her chambers, late at night. Her eyes searched wildly in the darkness, desperately trying to catch a glimpse of the stranger. “A man does not wish to harm the Princess,” the voice came out in a low tone, almost like a faint whisper, “The Princess must remain calm,” the voice was masculine and Rhaenys felt the fear within her tremble. or Rhaegar flees to Essos with his family, though he leaves his daughter behind. Years later, he hires a faceless man to bring her to him.

[untilmynextstory]

Elia Week 2024 Day 3: Elia + Her Nieces/Nephews, Princess ("Queen") x Knight I took a bit of liberties with this prompt. AO3

Today should be a joyous day for her family - the Realm. Yet Elia wanted to scream and cry. She wanted further away from the Red Keep - King’s Landing. She wished she would have married Baelor Hightower, and this day may have never come to fruition. Maybe everything that had happened in the past 20 years wouldn’t have happened. 

All she could do was watch in grief and mourn the life her nephew would never get to live as his uncle placed a white cloak around his shoulders. 

Elias Martell was born five years after the Battle of the Trident. 

His birth was sudden and took everyone by surprise. It was the first birth Elia had witnessed of her brothers' children. 

Elia tried not to have favorites. She loved her children, nieces, and nephews equally. However, Elias was dear to her heart. She liked to think it was because he was her namesake. 

King’s Landing was a city that had always felt isolated, even before the Tourney of Harrenhal, the disappearance of Rhaegar, and the death of Aerys. 

If Elia had felt out of place as a Dornish Princess, being a Dornish Queen paled in comparison, primarily when she had been forced to inherit a crumbling dynasty. 

She knew she would never be accepted at court because she was Dornish. No matter what good she tried to do for the city, realm, and her children; it wasn’t enough to wash away the rumors and pity her husband had cloaked her in from his actions. 

No one would forget how Rhaegar had caused half of the realm to be widows and orphans, especially not when there was a live reminder living in court. 

However, she watched as most of the nobles conveniently forgot their King's actions if it made them closer to that wretched throne. 

Her brown eyes watched in disinterest as her husband worked the floor. She knew later that she would have to hear him complain about the politicking he still had to do as King. There had been a time she had enjoyed the complaints, but now it seemed she had to suffer for her husband as he held on to a relic of their fractured past. 

And she knew they were now having such a celebration because of who the new Kingsguard was. Yet, she found nothing joyous about her nephew taking these vows. 

She didn’t care he would be protecting her son - the future king - nor that he had been taught under the guidance of his father and uncles. 

She wanted anyone with a drop of Martell or Dornish blood to be far away from a place like King’s Landing. But ambition had cursed her blood. 

She had been surprised when Oberyn and Cersei had one child. The second one she felt was more for the duty of always having a spare for the heir. However, in the third pregnancy, she knew it was a decision between Oberyn and Cersei. She had been shocked to see the two seemed to get along for the most part. Yet, a part of her wondered if this was also a way for her brother not to let her husband get one over on him. 

She knew she and Cersei would never be more than cordial, but for her brother, who had no desire to be married, she was glad to see him in a stable marriage. It is stable enough for people with such stubborn personalities. 

Elias was born during her first visit to Dorne. She hadn’t been able to visit her homeland since the Rebellion. Finally, after five years, she was trusted to sink her feet into the white sand covering her home's coastline since Rhaegar had become King. 

Although her youngest nephew was so small, he had tiny, powerful lungs, and his birth made her long for another one of her own. 

But most of all, she remembered his wide doe eyes looking up at her, and she swore he smiled at her. 

The only place that ever seemed to provide some sort of peace in King’s Landing was the godswood. Somehow, it remained untouched by the plots and webs of deceit that curled around the throne. 

It was where her nephew had found her. He wasn’t in his armor yet. He was clad in Dorne's traditional wardrobe. Tomorrow, his duties would truly begin. Gone were oranges, yellows, reds. Soon, it would all be white with the hope his cloak would never stain red. 

“Aunt!” 

“Nephew,” she greeted. “Or should I say Ser Elias, now?”

His golden eyes were lit with jubilation. She would assume he had been in his cups, but she knew her nephew didn’t like to indulge in drinks. However, as his father, they carried a carefree demeanor. Despite their charismatic characteristics, one would never estimate a viper of Dorne.

“I’ll always be your nephew, Aunt.” His smile was wide and genuine. When he smiled, she could see Aegon in there. Aegon had most if not all of his father’s features, yet sometimes an expression, his smile, and his demeanor were that of the Martell blood. She had Rhaenys in her image, and her husband had Aegon.

“Are you sure you want this?” She knew Cersei and Jaime were proud of Elias wanting to join the Kingsguard. Oberyn was proud of his son’s accomplishment, but she knew he held the same feelings towards King’s Landing that she had. 

“You know there isn’t much out there for being a 3rd son.” Her nephew replied as he walked closer to the oak that was a crude imitation of a heart tree. 

“Still, these vows are for life; why would you want to be chained to a King…”

“Saying Aegon won’t make a fine King?”

She glared at her nephew, but it softened as she saw his teasing smile. She believed half of why he joined the Kingsguard was to remind her husband of how Dorne viewed him. 

“Aegon’s reign will only be peaceful because of you,” Elias added softly. “The only thing he seems to have inherited from his father is that damned silver hair and purple eyes.”

Elia chose to ignore the distaste Elias had expressed for her husband. “You could have a seat at his council versus this.” Elias could excel as Master of Coin. He would still be allowed more freedom to move around the realm. 

Her nephew gave her a sad smile. “Maybe, but I could be dismissed at any time on a council. I want you to be happy for me, Aunt, for I want this.”

Elia wanted to be happy. She did. Most would be proud and boast of an accomplishment like this. “Why do you want this?”

The wind displaced the leaves around them. Elias sighed and knocked his knuckles against the tree. 

Her nephew's voice was cold. He sounded like her brother when he could contain the poison of anger and rage within him. “He left her with three Kingsguard, and you only had my uncle.”

Elia sighed. It always went back to that. 

The birth of her nephew made Elia yearn a new babe of her own. As much as she cared for Daenerys as her own, and even for her own bruised pride and worth, the little Jon, they served as constant reminders that she couldn’t do her one duty in giving her husband more heirs. 

It was why her husband's eyes had wandered to the Winter Rose and the realm paid for it in blood. 

She wondered if what the Maester said was true. 

Now, she had time to regain her strength, and her body had time to recover from birth. Yet, any desire waned at the thought of sharing a bed with her husband. 

Besides, she didn’t want to give Rhaegar any hope that she held any fondness for him outside of him being the man who had the privilege to get her with two marvelous children. 

When she arrived at King’s Landing, she hoped some bitterness had subsided. Holding on to so much anger and resentment was exhausting most days. It was a bitter drink she couldn’t keep drinking. Yet, when Rhaegar greeted her with his trusted shield, Arthur Dayne, at his side, she had looked for little Jon. 

But she remembered how downtrodden Jon had been when she had been preparing to leave with Rhaenys and Aegon. She knew Doran and Oberyn had no ill-will with the small child, only the father. Yet, she didn’t want to flare some of her Dornishmen’s short tempers. 

Rhaegar was attentive to Rhaenys. He was already grooming their son for the throne. Jon only got scraps of his affections. She could never tell if it was because of regret, the love or lack of love he held for the boy’s mother, or the fact he wasn’t the prophesied Visenya. Jon was the reminder of his hubris. 

It reminded her that her husband could be cruel, like his father. 

“My dear nephew,” she cupped her nephew’s cheek. As a young girl, she fantasized about a robust and valiant knight becoming her protector. It took her a while, but the vows of knights didn’t change anything regarding a man, and they were men like the rest of them. The vows were only a shield of their cruelty. 

How could she tell her nephew that as soon as she married Rhaegar, she had lost any sort of protection that Dorne could and had provided?

When Rhaegar’s seed had quickened, she perpetually flirted with the Stranger.  Having a knight in fancy armor and a quick hand with steel didn’t change the fact. 

It wasn’t a shield she needed from fists and words. 

No man could shield her from the wounds of her heart. 

[zalrb]

(soa anon) I don't think you've been asked this before. What are your favorite GOT episodes? Can limit it to top ten if you don't want it too short.

Oh! I haven't been asked this before. It's so difficult because there are scenes that I really like in episodes but I wouldn't necessarily say those episodes are my favourite. Hmm...

A lot of them are the penultimate episodes because that's when there's a battle or a massacre or the Big Event but it's more layered than simply being action because it's when all of the tension from the season finally comes to a head

3x09 - The Rains of Castemere

I will never be over this.

2x09 - Blackwater

I very rarely like battle scenes. showed me I can be quite engaged in them if they're done properly.

1x09 - Baelor

I will also never get over this.

6x09 - Battle of the Bastards

Season 6 was a pretty dry season for me and so getting the Battle of the Bastards was really welcomed and invigorating.

4x09 - The Watchers on the Wall

I remember people thought I was crazy for being more emotional about this than Oberyn's death but I wasn't attached to Oberyn, I was attached to Grenn and the others.

2x06 - The Old Gods and the New

This episode, specifically the riot and more specifically the scene with Sansa, is what I think of when I watch HotD and scream internally about how boring that show is because this episode was all about the simmering tension/resentments and the dam bursting and it was straight up chaos and it was captured well.

1x07 - You Win Or You Die

Again, when watching HotD, this episode is one I think of when it comes to compelling dialogue that reveals character and drives the plot forward and keeps you engaged.

1x08 - The Pointy End

The music at the end when Sansa begs for Ned still stays with me.

6x10 (sorta) - The Winds of Winter

2x05 - The Ghost of Harrenhal

The tension in this episode was palpable.

4x02 - The Lion and the Rose

At the time I was unimpressed with 4x02 but in hindsight of the whole series, I'll put it down

3x03 - Walk of Punishment

[cicelyneville]

• House Targaryen presents King Aemon I & Queen Jocelyn and their offspring.

1. Rhaenys, Princess of Dragonstone. Married to her brother and in due time became queen herself.

2. Aegon II, Prince of Dragonstone. Married to his eldest sister.

3. Baelor, he was a squire to his uncle; in due time took as wife his sister Daena, and became hand of the king; also lord of Harrenhal.

4. Daena, lady of Harrenhal. Spent much of her time at court with her sister. Married to her brother, had issue.