#jon fossoway

[highgardenart]

Lady Janna Tyrell & Ser Jon Fossoway

“Buxom Lady Janna was Lord Tyrell’s sister, and wed to one of the green-apple Fossoways…”

[tweedfrog]

The year is 2050. The fandom has finally purged all fanartists who do not tow the party line from all social media platforms. Every single fanart looks like this now

[agentrouka-blog]

"There was hunger in his(Tyrion) green eye, it seemed to her, and fury in the black. Sansa did not know which scared her more."- Sansa(ASOS).

"He wanted something from her, but Sansa did not know what it was. He looks like a starving child, but I have no food to give him."- Sansa(ASOS).

Sansa compared Tyrion lust for her with him hungry for food.

"The Vale of Arryn was famously fertile and had gone untouched during the fighting. Jon wondered how Lady Catelyn's sister would feel about feeding Ned Stark's bastard." - Jon(ADWD)

"He have always wanted it, he thought, guiltily. May the gods forgive me. It was a hunger inside him, sharp as a dragonglass blade. A hunger . . . he could feel it."- Jon(ASOS).

In first quote Jon was thinking about food supply from Vale and in later he was thinking about he wanted to become lord of WF and have a family but feels guilty.

Do you think it's about Jonsa?

Great obervation, please-dot! <3

There's another language parallel involving Tyrion and Sansa and Winterfell that mirrors Jon's thoughts in Winterfell.

I want her, he realized. I want Winterfell, yes, but I want her as well, child or woman or whatever she is. I want to comfort her. I want to hear her laugh. I want her to come to me willingly, to bring me her joys and her sorrows and her lust. His mouth twisted in a bitter smile. Yes, and I want to be tall as Jaime and as strong as Ser Gregor the Mountain too, for all the bloody good it does. (ASOS, Tyrion IV)

It compares well with the quote you used above.

He wanted it, Jon knew then. He wanted it as much as he had ever wanted anything. I have always wanted it, he thought, guiltily. May the gods forgive me. It was a hunger inside him, sharp as a dragonglass blade. A hunger . . . he could feel it. It was food he needed, prey, a red deer that stank of fear or a great elk proud and defiant. He needed to kill and fill his belly with fresh meat and hot dark blood. His mouth began to water with the thought. (ASOS, Jon XII)

When Tyrion and Sansa do eat together, the food is distasteful, or their appetites incompatible.

Another thematic link would be Sansa refusing the offer of a pomegranate from Littlefinger, where the Hades-Persephone symbolism underlines her rejection of him. The closest he gets to her appetite is the giant lemon cake model of the Eyrie served up at the feast for the upcoming tourney, and yet her thoughts revolve around Harry and she is never seen eating of it.

Jon's relationship with food also turns impersonal. What meals he has aren't joyful, they even congeal uneaten. Long forgotten are the days of sweet summerwine and honeyed chicken, or the celebratory meals taken with his new black brothers. Everything revolves around food but Jon becomes divorced from the joy of eating.

Catelyn voices that connection very well.

I am become a sour woman, Catelyn thought. I take no joy in mead nor meat, and song and laughter have become suspicious strangers to me. I am a creature of grief and dust and bitter longings. There is an empty place within me where my heart was once. (ACOK, Catelyn VII)

The connection to the food stores of the Eyrie becomes doubly interesting in that context. GRRM specifically phrased it as feeding Jon himself.

I strongly suspect that when Jon and Sansa meet again, food will take on as symbolic a role as gifts of clothing or mutual offers of protection. There's a very unnecessary, almost random paragraph during Joffrey's wedding that has never left my mind:

And there was one woman, sitting almost at the foot of the third table on the left . . . the wife of one of the Fossoways, he thought, and heavy with his child. Her delicate beauty was in no way diminished by her belly, nor was her pleasure in the food and frolics. Tyrion watched as her husband fed her morsels off his plate. They drank from the same cup, and would kiss often and unpredictably. Whenever they did, his hand would gently rest upon her stomach, a tender and protective gesture. (ASOS, Tyrion VIII)

It's one of the sweetest interactions of any couple depicted in the series, and it revolves around the simple worldly pleasures of food and drink, affection and new life. They eat together, joyfully. The contrast to Tyrion's empty hunger, and to the stilted tension surrounding food that has crept into so many abusive relationships is evident.

So, yes, I think that repeated imagery is very intentional and will return when it is time to feast, metaphorically.

[captainelliecomb]

2023 Fic Stats

February 2023, I decided to start tracking the amount of fic I read. I travelled a lot last year, quite a bit more than normal. I read a lot of fic when I travel.

I did a half year update at the end of June 2023. Between February and June, I read just under 13 million words.

February through December, I read just over 30 million words and 2,049 individual fic (though several are the same fic on a reread).

Some stats:

First read: Head, Hand, Heart by ddagent (@ddagent) (GOT canon divergence, Jaime/Brienne) (04 Feb 2023)

Last read: Other Brother by AlynnaStrong (ASOIAF canon divergence, Tyrion/Brienne) (31 Dec 2023)

Top 5 Most Read Authors

By number of fic. I reread frequently, so this is number of times I read a specific fic, not the author necessarily having written that number of fic.

ddagent, 78 fic (@ddagent)

Aviss, 72 fic (@aviss)

winterkill, 62 fic (@thebrimmingheart)

Lady_in_Red, 61 fic

chrkrose, 58 fic (@chrkrose)

By word count.

cardinalgirl75, 1.8 million words

winterkill, 1.3 million words (@thebrimmingheart)

sdwolfpup, 1.1 million words (@sdwolfpup)

angelowl, 1 million words (@angelowl-fics)

Aviss, 900,000 words (@aviss)

SeeThemFlying, 900,000 words (@seethemflying)

Top 5 Most Read Completed Fic

This includes number of times I read the entire fic while they were works in progress, which skews numbers. I'm doing something different in 2024.

so all the world can see by EllisJay: 12 (ASOIAF, Jaime x Brienne)

Simple by languageintostillair: 11  (GOT fix-it, Jaime x Brienne)

when the sun shine, we shine together by cardinalgirl75: 9  (Modern AU, sports, Jaime x Brienne)

Runaways by greenmtwoman: 7  (@greenmtwoman) (ASOIAF canon divergence, Jaime x Brienne)

Undisclosed Desires by Roccolinde: 7  (GOT fix-it, Addam x Jaime x Brienne)

Top 5 Longest Fic Read

The Keeper by PalyGirl, 532,733 words (GOT canon divergence, Aegon (Young Grif) x Brienne, Jaime x Brienne) (WIP)

Heart Full of Gasoline by sdwolfpup, 406,767 words (@sdwolfpup) (Modern AU, sports, Jaime x Brienne)

Diamond in the Rough by cardinalgirl75, 374,333 words (2x)  (Modern AU, sports, Jaime x Brienne)

Honor Compels Me by angel_deux, 335,399 words (@angel-deux-writes) (GOT canon divergence, Jaime x Brienne)

Truth and Measure by Telanu, 271,584 words (Devil Wears Prada, Miranda x Andrea)

Fic Over 100,000 Words Read More Than Once

Brienne-centric Kinktober 2021 by dancinginthecenteroftheworld, 101,177 words (3x)  (@dancinginthecenteroftheworld) (Brienne x all sorts of people and settings)

let's exchange the experience by cardinalgirl75, 116,080 words (3x) (Modern AU, Kimi no Na wa, Jaime x Brienne)

None But the Lonely Heart by OccasionalAvenger, 121,079 (3x) (ASOIAF, Jaime x Brienne) 

To Reach for Spring by Kadi219, 173,394 (2x)  (GOT fix-it and canon divergence, Jaime x Brienne) (WIP)

when the sun shine, we shine together by cardinalgirl75, 126,951 (2x) (Modern AU, sports, Jaime x Brienne)

Anima Dannum by motorbike_on_the_avenue, 121,021 (2x) (Modern AU, soulmates, Jaime x Brienne)

come on now, baby girl by angelowl, 119,957 (2x) (Modern AU, Veronica Mars, Jaime x Brienne)

Cubs and Gemstones by ddagent, 113,073 (2x) (Jaime x Brienne in all sorts of settings)

Brienne Pairings

I am here for Brienne of Tarth stories, and I will read her paired with almost anyone. Jaime x Brienne is my favourite, but here are several other Brienne pairings I read in 2023.

old Jaime/young Jaime/Brienne

Addam/Jaime/Brienne

Aegon (Young Griff)/Brienne

Arthur Dayne/Jaime/Brienne

Brienne & Brienne

Bronn/Brienne

Cersei/Jaime/Brienne

Cersei/Brienne

Cersei & Brienne

Dickon/Brienne

Dothraki OC/Brienne

Hyle/Jaime/Brienne

Jon/Brienne

Leonette Fossoway/Brienne

Margaery/Brienne

Melara & Brienne

Multiple people/Brienne

Oberyn/Brienne

Oberyn/Jaime/Brienne

Oberyn/Ellaria/Jaime/Brienne

Olenna & Brienne

Pevensies & Brienne

Susan/Brienne

Peter/Brienne

Podrick/Brienne

Podrick & Brienne

Renly & Brienne

Robb & Brienne

Sandor/Brienne

Sansa/Brienne

Sansa & Brienne

Thor/Brienne

Tormund/Brienne

Tyrion/Brienne

Tyrion & Brienne

Tywin/Brienne

Settings

Almost 1,000 fic were marked alternate universe. Various AUs include:

Apocalypse and dystopia

Fairy tale

Historical (including 1920s, 1940s, 1950s, 19th century, Regency, Victorian, Vikings, WWI)

Horror

Modern (including actors, artists, bikers, bodyguards, celebrities, doctors, chefs, farmers, firefighters, mafia, models, museums, photographers, politicians, reality tv, royalty, sports, students, superheroes, teachers, veterinarians, wedding planners, and writers)

Space

Western

Canons Used in Crossovers or Fusions

Belinda Blinked

Blade Runner

Dungeons & Dragons

Dragon Age II

Dune

Fight Club

Full Metal Alchemist

Frasier

Fury Road

Ghost and Mrs Muir

Inception

Kimi no Na wa

Leftovers

Leverage

Mountain Between Us

Narnia

Nutcracker

Old Guard

Only You

Pacific Rim

Persuasion

Ponyo and Dory

Romancing the Stone

Sense8

Sharknado

Ted Lasso

MCU Thor

Tortall

Veronica Mars

Westworld

When Harry Met Sally

Witcher

What We Do in the Shadows

Zombieland

Canon settings and divergence

Canon: 303 fic Canon divergence: 747 fic Fix-it: 666 fic

Most of the fic I read last year was Jaime x Brienne. For GOT, I consider canon divergence any story that diverges from Jaime returning to King's Landing in Season 8 and fix-it any story that deals with that return.

[waitingforsecretsouls]

Much as I theoretically understand why fandom glomped onto the possibility of the tragic Daeron and Addam romance, it genuinely doesn't seem like the closest explanation the text itself offers. One of the biggest implications people see for this is the paragraph wondering about Tessarion's motivations for intervening in the Vermithor vs Seasmoke fight:

Vermithor’s size and weight were too much for Seasmoke to contend with, Lord Blackwood told Grand Maester Munkun many years later, and he would surely have torn the silver-grey dragon to pieces…if Tessarion had not fallen from the sky at that very moment to join the fight. Who can know the heart of a dragon? Was it simple bloodlust that drove the Blue Queen to attack? Did the she-dragon come to help one of the combatants? If so, which? Some will claim that the bond between a dragon and dragonrider runs so deep that the beast shares his master’s loves and hates. But who was the ally here, and who the enemy? Fire & Blood Chapter 17: The Dying of the Dragons — Rhaenyra Overthrown

People tend to focus a lot on the love aspect and basically ignore the alternate possibility offered up, which is hate as a motivating force.

As happy as I am for people enjoying the concept of Daeron/Addam, let's acknowledge that they have neither actual on page interactions nor as much as implied aquaintanceship, and GRRM is the opposite of subtle when it comes to "hinting" at these things for implied same sex entanglements. One line about Addam, who canonically served on his mothers trading cogs, having previously traveled as far as Oldtown, or Daeron enjoying spending his off - time at Oldtown's or prior to his fostering King's Landings harbour or shipyards would have been sufficient, but instead there's absolutely nothing.

Whereas Daeron and Hugh Hammer, dragonseed and rider of Vermithor, do have canonical interactions, both on page involving dialogue and implied by their close proximity, that develops into a plot relevant enmity, culminating in Hugh stating he'll claim Daeron's birthright for himself, as rider of the largest surviving dragon, and Daeron approving the Caltrops assassination of Hugh in turn.

With his brother Aemond slain as well, the greens found themselves kingless and leaderless. Prince Daeron stood next in the line of succession. Lord Peake declared that the boy should be proclaimed as Prince of Dragonstone at once; others, believing Aegon II dead, wished to crown him king. The Two Betrayers felt the need of a king as well…but Daeron Targaryen was not the king they wanted. “We need a strong man to lead us, not a boy,” declared Hard Hugh Hammer. “The throne should be mine.” When Bold Jon Roxton demanded to know by what right he presumed to name himself a king, Lord Hammer answered, “The same right as the Conqueror. A dragon.” And truly, with Vhagar dead at last, the oldest and largest living dragon in all Westeros was Vermithor, once the mount of the Old King, now that of Hard Hugh the bastard. Vermithor was thrice the size of Prince Daeron’s she-dragon Tessarion. No man who glimpsed them together could fail to see that Vermithor was a far more fearsome beast. [...] The lords and knights of Oldtown and the Reach were offended by the arrogance of the Betrayer’s claim, however, and none more so than Prince Daeron Targaryen himself, who grew so wroth that he threw a cup of wine into Hard Hugh’s face. (...) Lord Hammer said, “Little boys should be more mannerly when men are speaking. I think your father did not beat you often enough. Take care I do not make up for his lack.” The Two Betrayers took their leave together, and began to make plans for Hammer’s coronation. When seen the next day, Hard Hugh was wearing a crown of black iron, to the fury of Prince Daeron and his trueborn lords and knights.

[...] Though Prince Daeron was not present at the council, the Caltrops (as the conspirators became known) were loath to proceed without his consent and blessing. Owen Fossoway, Lord of Cider Hall, was dispatched under cover of darkness to wake the prince and bring him to the cellar, that the plotters might inform him of their plans. Nor did the once-gentle prince hesitate when Lord Unwin Peake presented him with warrants for the execution of Hard Hugh Hammer and Ulf White, but eagerly affixed his seal. Fire & Blood Chapter 17: The Dying of the Dragons — Rhaenyra Overthrown

Which seams like a far more (meaning: at all) established backdrop for that musing about sharing loves and hates to me.

Tldr; Less "love wins" and more "haterism transcending death" for Daeron the Daring.

[asoiafreadthru]

MACE TYRELL, Lord of Highgarden, Warden of the South, Defender of the Marches, High Marshal of the Reach,

His wife, LADY ALERIE, of House Hightower of Oldtown,

Their children:

WILLAS, their eldest son, heir to Highgarden,

SER GARLAN, called the Gallant, their second son,

SER LORAS, the Knight of Flowers, their youngest son,

MARGAERY, their daughter, a maid of fourteen years,

His widowed mother, LADY OLENNA of House Redwyne, called the Queen of Thorns,

His sisters:

MINA, wed to Lord Paxter Redwyne,

JANNA, wed to Ser Jon Fossoway,

His uncles:

GARTH, called the Gross, Lord Seneschal of Highgarden,

His bastard sons, GARSE and GARRETT FLOWERS,

SER MORYN, Lord Commander of the City Watch of Oldtown,

MAESTER GORMON, a scholar of the Citadel,

His household:

MAESTER LOMYS, counselor, healer, and tutor,

IGON VYRWEL, captain of the guard,

SER VORTIMER CRANE, master-at-arms,

His knights and lords bannermen:

PAXTER REDWYNE, Lord of the Arbor,

His wife, LADY MINA, of House Tyrell,

Their children:

SER HORAS, mocked as Horror, twin to Hobber,

SER HOBBER, mocked as Slobber, twin to Horas,

DESMERA, a maid of fifteen,

RANDYLL TARLY, Lord of Horn Hill,

SAMWELL, his elder son, of the Night’s Watch,

DICKON, his younger son, heir to Horn Hill,

ARWYN OAKHEART, Lady of Old Oak,

MATHIS ROWAN, Lord of Goldengrove,

LEYTON HIGHTOWER, Voice of Oldtown, Lord of the Port,

SER JON FOSSOWAY.

[isefyres-archive]

𝐀 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐅 𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐒

Meredyth Crane known as Merry Crane, is a noblewoman of House Crane. Merry is one of Margaery Tyrell's lady attendants in King's Landing. Merry is part of Lady Margaery's retinue. She often goes hawking with Janna Fossoway and Lady Margaery. Merry is shameless and openly flirtacious with the knights and kingsguard, which leads to Queen Cersei plotting to have the Tyrells fall for false accusations. Canon.

Elmor Tully. Youngest brother to Catelyn, Lysa and Edmure. Elmor was thought to have died in childbirth but had his first breath minutes before being declared. They say because of this, Elmor has a connection with the dead and can feel the aura of things. He was fostered at Raventree before being returned to his brother Edmure. He was taken prisoner after the Red Wedding. Semi-OC.

Artemysia Hotah of Norvos. A Lady informant of Princess Mellario of Norvos, Artemysia's brother is part of the kingsguard in Dorne while her mission there is to inform the Princess of her children and what they are up to. She is also a healer and was the one who saved Princess Myrcella's life. OC.

Ser Terrick Tarbeck. The last of the Tarbecks after the Reyne's Rebellion. Terrick was raised as a "ward" of Casterly Rock and tutored by Tywin Lannister to keep the boy close and manipulate him at ever step. After the death of Ser Arys Oakhart, Terrick is made Princess Myrcella's sworn sword as he travels to Dorne. OC.

Kojja Mo is the daughter of Quhuru Mo, the captain of the Cinnamon Wind. Kojja serves as the translator for the crew of the Cinnamon Wind while Samwell Tarly and Maester Aemon and Gilly travel aboard the ship. Her ship has connections to the Night's Watch. Canon.

Barsena Blackhair is a pit fighter famed in Meereen. Her origin is unknown, but she supports the pit fighting culture of the city. It is said that Barsena has slain every woman she has faced in the fighting pits of Meereen in the last eight years. After being injured by Drogon, Barsena joins the Dothraki as Daenerys' guard and travels to Westeros. Canon.

Haera Banefort. Heir of Banefort, a title in dispute as her father is held captive by the Lannisters. Haera considers her father a traitor and has taken the castle to herself. In retribution, Haera plans to allow the rivermen to take the castle to make their way to Casterly Rock if they ever make they way across the continent. OC.

Ser Brandon Cassel. Nephew of Rodrick Cassel, he was in Essos during business when he found out of the war. Learning his niece, a child, has been named the heir and was taken captive and threatened, Brandon travels back to Westeros and declares for Jon Snow as King in the North when he hears Robb Stark declared him the heir. OC.

[asongofsilks]

ASOIAF FANCASTING –> EVERY NAMED FEMALE CHARACTER ABOVE THE AGE OF FIVE, PART XXV

Helya (main series era): A bentback old woman, the steward of Pyke in the Iron Islands. Fancast: Geraldine McEwan.

Henrietta Woodhull (b. approx. 120 AC): The daughter of a landed knight of the Paps, she was presented as a marriage candidate for King Aegon III at the Maiden's Day Ball of 133 AC. She was the last to be presented to the king, and was one of a few candidates to be rushed past him after he had already been presented with the girl who would become his bride, Daenaera Velaryon. Fancast: Larisa Oleynik.

Hildy (main series era): Lover of Lord Jonos Bracken, before that the lover of a sworn sword of Lord Blackwood. Fancast: Nicole Whippy.

Holly (284-300 AC): A wildling spearwife who accompanies Mance Rayder, in the disguise of a singer travelling with six female companions, to Winterfell to rescue Arya Stark, who is supposed to be in the hands of the Boltons. She is shot by the Boltons' watchmen as Theon and "Arya" (actually Jeyne Poole, the Stark girls' childhood companion) escape. Fancast: Hannah Sharp.

Irri (b. 284 AC): One of Daenerys Targaryen's Dothraki handmaids, formerly daughter of a khal who was slain by Drogo. She stays with Daenerys after Drogo's death and journeys with her as far as Meereen. Fancast: Lesley-Ann Brandt.

Jaehaera Targaryen (123-133 AC): Daughter of King Aegon II and his wife Helaena Targaryen. After the death of her parents, siblings and uncles during the Dance of the Dragons, she was married to the only remaining candidate for the throne, Aegon III. However, two years later, she apparently threw herself out of her window onto the spikes of the dry moat surrounding Maegor's Holdfast. The King's Hand, Lord Unwin Peake, may in fact have been responsible for her death, as he immediately tried to arrange for Aegon to marry his daughter Myrielle. Fancast: Eleanor Worthington-Cox.

Jaenara Belaerys (era of Valyrian supremacy): A Valyrian dragonrider who attempted to reach the tip of the great southern continent, Sothoryos, on the back of her dragon Terrax. She returned to Valyria after three years, claiming that she had only encountered endless jungle and mountain. Fancast: Zoe Kravitz.

Janna Tyrell (b. approx. 270 AC): Youngest daughter of Lord Luthor Tyrell and his wife Olenna. She is married to Ser Jon Fossoway and accompanies her niece Margaery to King's Landing when it is arranged that she will wed the king. Fancast: Scarlett Johansson.

Janyce Hunter (main series era): Wife of Edwyn Frey, whose father, Ryman, is the heir to the Twins after the death of his grandfather Stevron. They have a young daughter, Walda, but it is rumoured that she is truly the daughter of Black Walder, Edwyn's brother. Fancast: Phoebe Dynevor.

Jayde (main series era): One of the girls at Chataya's brothel, an upmarket establishment that caters to many nobles in King's Landing. Fancast: Aifric O'Donnell.

Previous

[uncrvwned]

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

#𝖚𝖓𝖈𝖗𝖛𝖜𝖓𝖊𝖉  —  a  book  canon  asoiaf  multimuse  shaped  by  eliza  .

                            ✵  independent                             ✵  mutuals only                             ✵  18+                             ✵  feat. catelyn stark, ellaria sand, willas tyrell && many more                             ✵  mobile muses under the cut. all ocs have accessible bios.

blogroll ; annie cresta luke castellan hp multi tess servopolous peter & edmund pevensie

affiliates/mains ; @pulchramsolis / @clutchofmuses @blossomhcir

primary. catelyn tully. deria martell (oc). ellaria sand. willas tyrell.

secondary. edmure tully. harwin strong. jeyne westerling. jon snow. loras tyrell. maris rivers (oc). rhaenys i targaryen. samantha tarly.

tertiary. davos seaworth. jhogo. jon connington. leonette fossoway. lyssa peake (oc). rowena arryn (oc). sybelle glover.

testing ocs. cassana bolton (leyla tanlar). serala (amita suman). steffar blacktyde (leo suter).

[aegor-bamfsteel]

Hi there! I'm not sure if this is something you can answer, but say in an AU where Maelys I Blackfyre won the war of the Nine-Penny Kings and sailed to Westeros to finish trying to take the Iron Throne, what route do you or your followers think he would take his army? Sail straight to the capital, go through the mountains of Dorne, or go for Dragonstone first, etc. Thank you for your time!

Hi, Anon! Thanks for the question.

While I’m not the best at coming up with military tactics, fortunately we have enough other invasions of Westeros via the Stepstones (which now, at least, are Maelys’)—in the First Dornish War, Fourth Dornish War, after the Myrish Bloodbath, even Aegon VI’s recent landing—that the pirate fleets usually go northwest to the islands (Estermont, Tarth) and coastal settlements (Griffon’s Roost, Crow’s Nest, Rain House) of Cape Wrath in the Stormlands (the Dornish coast being treacherous and not as rich, plus they’re usually the allies of the pirates). I think Maelys, were he interested in taking the crown of Westeros, would start off there. From there, it seems Stepstones pirates raided the east coast of the riverlands into the Vale, though some captured the Wolf’s Den in what is now White Harbor (and apparently some go even farther north). I don’t know what kind of support Maelys would have in mainland Westeros (he had 2 Westerosi allies in Spotted Tom and Derrick Fossoway) as he never got that far. The other invasions of the Stepstones that got as far as they did was mainly because of local support, usually from the Dornish (more recently because of Jon Connington’s insider knowledge). So raiding islands and coastal settlements to appease his supporters with plunder may be all he’s capable of doing (which crosses Dragonstone off the list at least initially, since it’s notoriously poor. Claw Isle and Driftmark seem the better prizes in terms of plunder). Sure, the Golden Company sacked Tyrosh under Maelys, but we only have a rough idea of how big it is (making the shadow city of Sunspear look like a town, though towns could be 1-20000 people) and I’ve speculated the sack was helped with local support. I just don’t think going straight for the capital or Dragonstone would be the strategically wisest move. Maelys might establish himself in the Stormlands and win a few victories there before possibly moving on, as he proved himself in Essos before going to Tyrosh in helping conquer the Disputed Lands.

Thank you again for the kind words.

[highgardenart]

I've been a fan of your ASOIAF portraits ever since finding your account on Instagram, and if my comments on some of them are very lengthy, especially on the Targaryen series, then it's because I had (and still have) so much to say about the characters and their portraits. I was curious about something though. Seeing the portraits in the Tyrell lineup of Alerie, Willas (I will admit that despite not knowing much about him, you designed him very well and I think I legitimately blushed when seeing his portrait), Garlan, Leonette, Mina, her children, Janna, and their husbands, all of the characters that never made it onto the show despite being alive at the time, I was wondering if you had fan-cast any of them at any point. I'm not too good at fan-casting myself but it's still fun to wonder who might have played them had they ever appeared on the show. Also, have you watched Downton Abbey? Because in hindsight, Olenna really seems like the Westeros equivalent of the Dowager Countess of Grantham in many ways :)

hi! first of all thank you for supporting me & my art. lengthy comments are truly always so much fun to read; i adore hearing what everyone has to say about the characters and what i’ve chosen to do with them. it doesn’t go unnoticed!

willas makes me blush on a regular basis. despite us knowing very little canon information about him, i love him dearly. i’m so happy to hear my interpretation did the same for you hehe !

that being said, i do have some (in my opinion) decent book only tyrell fancasts. i change my opinion from time to time, but this is what/ who i’m currently vibing with!

alerie hightower-tyrell: naomi watts, particularly in ophelia

willas tyrell: david oakes! not quite the right age. but imagine long curly hair *chefs kiss*

garlan tyrell: this is the fancast that changes OFTEN. i’m currently vibing with jacob collins levy from the white princess. especially alongside finn jones loras!

leonette fossoway-tyrell: also changes frequently. when i drew her i was imagining lili reinhart mixed w/ florence pugh. but possibly thanks to my garlan fancast, jodie comer is taking it atm.

mina tyrell-redwyne: no fancasts for current mina or paxter or the boys [horas + hobber]. but young mina is sooo nicola coughlan to me.

janna tyrell-fossoway: in that same vein, young janna is harriet cains. i don’t have a fancast for jon though!

desmera redwyne: last but certainly not least! ellie bamber (imagine curlier hair though)

i hope you liked these! i’m a mediocre fancaster myself but they’re not so bad imo. also; downton abbey has been on my watchlist for awhile now!! i swear i’ll get to it hehe.

[winterfellsroses]

The Dance of Ice and Fire

Pre-story Timeline

While the events from Fire and Blood reflect the 'real' history as recorded and known during Sansa's own time, part of the premise of this fic is that Sansa going back in time causes a ripple in time, meaning a lot changes (such as new characters, different timelines, characters who have changed from what Sansa has learned about them, etc. ...), and this story will be based on the show's version of events. Consequently, the book timeline doesn't work. I've taken the dates for the births of Viserys' generation and Rhaenyra's year of birth as mentioned in the book as guidelines for my own timeline, which will up to a point follow the show timeline, or at least my interpretation of it. 

Below are all the relevant dates of births and deaths for House Targaryen, House Stark, House Velaryon, House Strong and House Hightower, and other signficant events prior to the day when this story starts, which is the 28th day of the last moon of the year 124 AC.

Events with canon dates according to Fire and Blood or other WOIAF sources are in bold. I've also added the years of birth for Viserys' generation's parents when known.

This timeline may be updated as I define more details.

legend

* birth

+ death

name x name wedding

name - name betrothal

son/daughter of name x name trueborn child

son/daughter of name/name natural child

# other event

older spouses are listed first

53 AC

* Corlys Velaryon

54 AC

* Jocelyn Baratheon

55 AC

* Aemon, son of Jaehaerys x Alysanne

57 AC

* Baelon, son of Jaehaerys x Alysanne

60 AC

* Alyssa, daughter of Jaehaerys x Alysanne

* Vaemond Velaryon

63 AC

* Vaegon, son of Jaehaerys x Alysanne

* Lyonel Strong

71 AC

* Otto Hightower

74 AC

7th day of the 7th moon, * Rhaenys, daughter of Jocelyn x Aemon

* Catelyn Fossoway

77 AC

* Viserys I Targaryen

78 AC

* Rickon Stark

81 AC

* Daemon Targaryen

* Bennard Stark

82 AC

* Aemma Arryn

83 AC

* Rhea, daughter of Yorbert Royce x Amanda Arryn

86 AC 

Lyonel Strong x Denyse Malister

87 AC

* Harwin, son of Lyonel x Denyse

89 AC

* Gilliane Glover

* Otto Hightower x Catelyn Fossoway

90 AC

* Rhea Manderly

* Mysaria of Lys

Lyonel Strong x Alys Frey

* Daeron Velaryon

91 AC

Corlys x Rhaenys

* Meredyth, daughter of Otto x Catelyn

* Larys, son of Lyonel x Alys

92 AC

13th day of the 3rd moon, + Aemon Targaryen

93 AC

* Drystan, son of Otto x Catelyn

* Criston, son of Artor Cole x Myria Sand, a natural daughter of Lord Jordayne

* Margaret Karstark

94 AC

Viserys x Aemma 

* Laena, daughter of Corlys x Rhaenys

Lyonel Strong x Jeyne Darklyn

95 AC 

* Gwayne, son of Otto x Catelyn

* Melony, daughter of Lyonel x Jeyne

96 AC

* Laenor, son of Corlys x Rhaenys

* Alicent, daughter of Otto x Catelyn

97 AC

* Rhaenyra, daughter of Viserys x Aemma

* Roslyn, daughter of Lyonel x Jeyne

99 AC

* Jaehaerys, son of Viserys x Aemma

* Alysanne, daughter of Corlys x Rhaenys

100 AC

1st day of the 7th moon, + Alysanne Targaryen

* Daemion Velaryon

101 AC

+ Baelon, son of Jaehaerys x Alysanne

# Great Council, Viserys is chosen as Jaehaerys' heir

Jaehaerys - Alysanne

Bennard Stark x Margaret Karstark

102 AC

* Alys Rivers, daughter of Rickon Stark/Ellyn Strong

103 AC

+ Jaehaerys Targaryen

# ascension of Viserys I

* Benjen, son of Bennard x Margaret

105 AC

Laena Velaryon - Fregar Montaryon

+ Jaehaerys, son of Viserys x Aemma

Daemon Targaryen x Rhea Royce

106 AC

+ Catelyn Fossoway during a hawking accident

* Brandon, son of Bennard x Margaret

108 AC

Rhea Manderly x Daryn Hornwood

109 AC

* Arya, daughter of Bennard x Margaret 

* Arra Norrey

* Jon Cerwyn

Rickon Stark x Gilliane Glover

110 AC

* Harrion, son of Rhea x Daryn

* Cregan, son of Rickon x Gilliane

111 AC 

+ Aemma Arryn

* Baelon, son of Viserys x Aemma

+ Baelon, son of Viserys x Aemma

+ Daryn Hornwood

# Daemon and the Velaryons leave for the Stepstones

* Beron, son of Bennard x Margaret

112 AC

1st day of the 1st moon, Viserys x Alicent

* Eddard, son of Rickon x Gilliane

+ Giliane Glover

* Aelon Waters, son of Daemon Targaryen/Mysaria of Lys

* Sara Snow, daughter of Rickon Stark/Jeyne Poole

* Aegon, son of Viserys x Alicent

113 AC

* Daena, daughter of Daemon x Rhea

* Lysa, daughter of Bennard x Margaret

114 AC

Rickon Stark x Rhea Manderly

* Helaena, daughter of Viserys x Alicent

Daemon returns from the Stepstones

# Daemon and Rhaenyra visit Flea Bottom,

# Rhaenyra sleeps with Criston Cole

115 AC

1st day of the 1st moon, * Alysanne, daughter of Rickon x Rhea

+ Rhea Royce, died in a hunting accident, though there are rumours that she was killed by or by order of her husband, Prince Daemon

Laenor Velaryon x Rhaenyra Targaryen

+ Fregar Montaryon, betrothed of Laena Velaryon, killed in a duel against Prince Daemon during Princess Rhaenyra's wedding celebrations

+ Joffrey Lonmouth, succumbed to wounds suffered at the hands of Ser Criston Cole during the tourney that was part of Princess Rhaenyra's wedding celebrations

* Aemond, son of Viserys x Alicent

116 AC 

Daemon Targaryen x Laena Velaryon

117 AC

* Baegor, son of Daemon x Laena

* Arella, daughter of Rickon x Rhea

Alysanne Velaryon x Daemion Velaryon

118 AC

* Aemma Velaryon, daughter of Harwin Strong/Rhaenyra Targaryen

+ Eddard Stark, who drowned in the black pool of Winterfell's Godswood

* Daeryssa, daughter of Viserys x Alicent

119 AC

* Veraena, daughter of Alysanne x Daemion

* Edric, son of Rickon x Rhea

* Rhaena, daughter of Daemon x Laena

* Lucerys Velaryon, son of Harwin Strong/Rhaenyra Targaryen

120 AC

* Jaemion, son of Viserys x Alicent

121 AC

* Joffrey Velaryon, son of Harwin Strong/Rhaenyra Targaryen

* Laenora, daughter of Alysanne x Daemion

123 AC

Daena Royce - Aemond Targaryen

[asoiafdrabbles]

Eventuality, Chapter 14

AO3 Link

Note: I'm planning on posting up the chapters of my chaptered fics (at least this series, Red Ruins, and Trinity) here on Tumblr and will be doing a single post for each collecting links to all of the chapters, so while right now they won't be in order, they'll be easier to navigate eventually. At that point I'll remove most of the navigation tags from individual chapters.

XxXxX

Jon usually stayed close to Daeron during the social events they hosted if only to keep abreast of his plots. This time, he stuck even closer still, the reminder of Daeron’s possessiveness echoing in his thoughts.

There were many handsy lords, and some ladies, among their supporters, and he didn’t want to give Daeron an excuse to hurt someone. He had concluded moons before that he could never give the impression of straying and certainly not allow someone to lose their life, or worse, over being too familiar with him.

It was one of the reasons he made no efforts to add men to his retinue, despite sometimes wishing there were other ones with him. Daeron might still see women as a threat for Jon's affections, but they did not come along with the threat of line theft.

He did dance with Oberyn, at one point, and a few of the older Crownlands lords he knew Daeron wouldn't care about. But he skirted around the current guests of honor, representatives from the Reach who were pretending not to have their liege's permission to speak with Daeron.

The Tyrells were grasping for power, having supported Renly, who died quickly, more or less a laughingstock of the Kingdoms, and they were now shackled to King's Landing, first to the little monster that was King Joffrey and now to the too-young King Tommen.

"Perhaps Margaery for Robb, it would get her out of the way, bind her to someone loyal, and give the suggestion that a daughter of theirs would be more likely to be betrothed to your heir," he suggested, keeping his thoughts detached when thinking of the next generation.

Daeron tilted his head in acknowledgement, eyes drifting over the Hightowers and Tarlys, the Redwynes and Fossoways. “It has merit, though we certainly won’t make any promises about our heirs. With luck, we will have a boy and a girl within a few years of each other and they can wed.”

If accepting being with his uncle was difficult, imagining his eventual children being together was worse.

Yet, he understood why it had to be that way: dragons made it so. Both to keep their blood as strong as it could be now that magic had returned and to keep it out of other Houses, so they did not have to worry about the power of a rival.

“With luck,” he replied, not knowing what else to say, then stood again. “One more round, I think, and then surely I can make my excuses and retire?”

The indulgent smile and the heated look that swept over him assured him of Daeron’s agreement before he even opened his mouth. “Yes, bathe the stench of these others off of you when you return to your rooms. I will be there when I am able.”

Jon gave a polite acknowledgement before stepping away from the high table once more. He drew attention in this body as he rarely had in his old one, though he often wondered if he had been raised a prince, if that would have been different. Highborn women had to be more careful and discerning in their attentions and would not give much notice to a bastard.

Highborn men, however, allowed their gazes to fall anywhere they pleased, and they seemed to be very pleased to look at Jon. He was glad he had not been cursed with a large bust or behind, that there was less for them to view.

“My queen.” The sudden voice jarred him out of his thoughts and he gave his attention to a new figure.

He wore an aquamarine seahouse on his coat and the silver detailing marked him as a bastard of House Velaryon. If Jon had not already had an inkling to his identity, the silver hair of a Valyrian would have given it away.

“Aurane Waters,” he acknowledged, with a regal nod of his head he had seen Sansa give at times in their last life.

His smile was stunning and playful. “Might I have the next dance, your grace?”

Jon knew he should not grant him one, he was not the safe sort of partner that he’d been with so far, and was being far too bold for a bastard as Jon well knew, but it was difficult to find the words to dismiss him. There was want in his eyes, yes, but unlike with most of the other men, they did not stray from his face.

“I suppose I could grant you this one request, my lord.”

Aurane was graceful and as sure footed as a sailor surely had to be, and still his eyes did not wander. At least, Jon decided as they spoke of little and less of importance, they did not wander to his body. They did look over his face, tracing his brow and cheekbones, his lips and nose. As they passed under a shifting light from the candles in the chandeliers above, he seemed intent on Jon’s eyes.

There was no reason to look at his body with lust, Jon realized with some amusement, when he was looking for the Targaryen in Jon instead. The Velaryons might not have practiced incest in the way that his house had, they may not have bred into his own line since Queen Alyssa, but it should be no surprise they might be fixated on the blood of the dragon as he’d heard from Daenerys that parts of Essos were.

At one point, Jon risked glancing towards Daeron. He missed the next step, drawing Aurane’s attention. He followed Jon’s gaze and tensed under his hands.

“I have heard dragons are possessive creatures,” Aurane leaned in and teased, surely seeming too close to be appropriate from the angle Daeron watched them. “A shame.”

He bowed out of the dance after that, stalking through the room as though he was not running. Bold, perhaps brash, but not suicidal. It made Jon wonder what his true motivation for drawing Daeron’s ire might be.

XxXxX

Notes:

Aurane Waters is a side character in the books who is highly amusing to me. Cersei has a crush on him and he very clearly takes advantage of that...to get the bankrupt Iron Throne to fund extravagant new ships for the royal navy that he then steals lol (he may or may not be the new pirate king of the Stepstones). Originally she thinks he looks like Rhaegar (as they're both Valyrian featured), but then notices differences as she actually gets to know him. I imagine in a GOT world he'd resemble the Velaryons in HOTD.

The Velaryons married into House Targaryen two other times after Alyssa (wife of Aenys I, the eldest son of Aegon I): Laenor to Rhaenyra I and Daenaera to Aegon III. Rhaenyra's children with Laenor never lived to have children of their own and Aegon III's line isn't the future Targaryen line (if the Blackfyres had won, it would actually be both lines that sat the throne, because Daemon Blackfyre's mother was Princess Daena, eldest child of Aegon III, and his father was Aegon IV, eldest child of Viserys II). But for Jon (and Daenerys), Queen Alyssa is their closest Velaryon relative.

[goodqueenaly]

Why do you think Jon Fossoway was married to Janna Tyrell when the Green Fossoways are a knightly house? I understand that some knightly houses can be really powerful, but why not marry a Tyrell off to a powerful lordly house of the Reach, or elsewhere?

Well, for one, it’s not necessarily the case that every daughter of a noble House - even a House as great as House Tyrell - marries a lord or heir of equal standing. The reasons for not doing so may be different in every case, but it’s certainly not unknown for a daughter of a paramount House to marry someone of “lesser” dynastic status. Maybe there were no great lords or heirs available at the time Janna was marrying - because they were already married, or because they were betrothed already, or because they had heirs already and her children would be lower in the lordly succession. It could be any of these, or another reason entirely.

Still, I wouldn’t say that the head of House Fossoway of New Barrel is a particularly bad match for a daughter of Lord Tyrell. For one, of course, it’s natural for lieges’ daughters to marry their fathers’ vassals; the green-apple Fossoways might be “only” landed knights, but they are still sworn directly to Highgarden, and might expect the same sort of favor-marrying as any of their neighbors. Too, I wonder how strong House Fossoway of New Barrel is: landed knights can be as strong, or even stronger, than some of their lordly neighbors - “lords in all but name” - and if the green-apple Fossoways were richly rewarded in the aftermath of the Third and/or Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion (by a grateful Prince Aegon/Aegon V, perhaps, who of course had reason to think well of Ser Raymun Fossoway), they might be an eminent power in the Reach, more than appropriate as a marital choice for a Tyrell of Highgarden. Finally, I wonder whether this marriage was not in some part a shoring up of relations between the Tyrells and the Fossoways in the aftermath of the War of the Ninepenny Kings: with Ser Derrick Fossoway being one of the infamous Band of Nine, the Tyrells might have wanted to make sure that the Fossoways were firmly supportive of Highgarden and its pro-crown lords. Ser Jon Fossoway was the head of this possibly strong if “only” landed knightly House, had the Fossoway name (and, through that, descent from the mythical reacher hero Foss the Archer), and might have seemed a politically sound choice. 

[jedimaesteryoda]

"Ser Raymun, if you please." He cantered up, a grim smile lighting his face beneath his plumed helm. "My pardons, ser. I needed to make a small change to my sigil, lest I be mistaken for my dishonorable cousin." He showed them all his shield. The polished golden field remained the same, and the Fossoway apple, but this apple was green instead of red. "I fear I am still not ripe . . . but better green than wormy, eh?"

. . .

"And I Ser Steffon Fossoway. Would you care to try me, Ser Duncan the Tall? It would be good to have someone new to cross swords with. My cousin's not ripe yet, as you've seen." "Do it, Ser Duncan," urged the beaten Fossoway as he removed his helm. "I may not be ripe, but my good cousin is rotten to the core. Knock the seeds out of him."

-The Hedge Knight

The prince acknowledged him with a nod. "Flowers is a bastard name. You're from the Reach." "Aye. My mother was a washerwoman at Cider Hall till one of milord's sons raped her. Makes me a sort o' brown apple Fossoway, the way I see it."

-A Dance with Dragons, The Lost Lord

Ser Franklyn Flowers is undoubtedly Ser Steffon Fossoway’s descendant. Steffon was the Knight of Cider Hall, and Franklyn’s father was likely one of his progeny. 

That and Franklyn describes himself as a “brown apple Fossoway” or a rotten apple, which fits Raymund’s description of his cousin as a rotten apple for betraying Dunk and switching sides to fight with Aerion. 

Finally, Franklyn is shown to be first and foremost a sellsword working for the Golden Company. Steffon was not too far from the (in this case, apple) tree when he betrayed Dunk and sold his sword to Aerion in exchange for the promise of a lordship, even though doing so would mean Dunk losing his hand and foot.

Aegon is purposely made into a kind of pseudo-Egg. He grew up in humble surroundings alongside the common people, always traveling, and even has a Dunk in the form of Duck to serve as the common-born knight and later Kingsguard, to train him. However, Duck isn’t Dunk, who got into trouble for assaulting someone highborn to defend a puppeteer, upholding his knightly vow to defend the weak, compared to Duck assaulting one for taking his sword from him (Caswell had it coming don’t get me wrong). Duck just doesn’t have Dunk’s concern for the smallfolk and devotion to chivalry. 

Likewise, Franklyn clearly isn’t Raymund Fossoway who fought on behalf of a common hedge knight he just met, because he believed in chivalry and justice. Franklyn is an amoral sellsword who killed an unarmed maester at Griffin’s Roost by defenestration on Connington’s orders. Aegon has the rotten apple Fossoway fighting for him. 

[depends-on-the-sellsword]

hi! i was wondering if you would write something like reader (gn or fem, idk if you want to specify) is jealous and sad because of jon’s close relationship with dany and just like him reassuring them and stuff.

thank you! i love your writing by the way!

before it kills me || jon snow

"Are you jealous?"

"Maybe. Or maybe I'm afraid. I don't know."

you're jealous of the dragon queen, and it's tearing you up. fem!reader. takes place s8.

Thank you so much for the request! Sorry it took so long!Hope you like it!

masterlist

-----------

You'd always been the jealous type. Not just with lovers, but with friends, and with things, and with luck. When you were a child, you'd stare at the highborn whenever they passed through your village, dressed in silk and plate armor, on shining, well-bred horses. Why them?  You would think. Why them, and not me?

At the Wall, you'd been jealous of Jon at first. He was stronger, and faster, and better trained than you-- that is to say, trained in the first place. You'd been jealous of Sam, who could read, and Grenn, who could ride, and Pyp, who could sing. It had faded, of course, and you hadn't let it stop you making friends for too long, but still, it was your first instinct. It always had been.

Now, at Winterfell, after years of fighting, and bleeding, and freezing your ass off on the edge of the world, you found yourself jealous again. Not of someone's skill, or weapon, or training, like would be even marginally acceptable for someone of your age. No, you were jealous of a pretty woman, and how much time she spent with Jon Snow. And it was bad.

That fucking Dragon Queen had you pacing. Pacing, and brooding, and biting your nails, and cursing yourself for all of it. You had more important things to be worried about than the affections of Jon Snow, who wasn't yours to be jealous for in the first place. Gods, when did you even start loving him? Maybe you always had. Either way, this was what you got for dancing around him for years-- you hadn't made him yours when you could've, and now, someone better had shown up to whisk him off on dragonback.

Daenerys Stormborn-- First of Her Name,  Breaker of Chains, Mother of Dragons. The Unburnt, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Queen of the Andals and the First Men. How could you ever compete with that?

Did you even want to try?

What could you possibly give him that she couldn't? She was inspiring, powerful, and unmatched in beauty. A Targaryen. A gods-damned dragon rider. And you were a bastard girl who cut her hair and became a man of the Watch. Not even a bastard of someone noble and important, like Jon was. Just a Flowers of some Redwyne or Fossoway who's name your mother forgot. Rough, weary, dressed in old black ringmail and scars.

Daenerys dressed in furs and silver.

Didn't he deserve her?

You should have just talked to him. You knew that. But jealousy was an old friend, a familiar pain. It was easy to sink back into. So you let it claw at you for hours, for days, alternatingly ferocious and grieving. It ate you from the inside out and the outside in, made you irritable and anxious and guilty. Distracted. You slipped up on the sparring field. Battle plans went in one ear and out the other. No sleeping position was comfortable anymore, and your jaw ached from constant clenching and grinding your teeth.

Your friends had grown worried. You hadn't let even Davos coax out what was wrong, though you suspected he already knew. You were growing worried too. Fighting the dead would need you at your strongest, and the dull ache in your chest was taking its toll.

You grit your teeth again, and got out of bed. This has got to end. Fuck it if he loved her, if you had been wrong, and all the glances, the stray touches, the so-nearly-kisses that always seemed to get interrupted had all meant nothing to him. At least you'd know, and you'd move on. Or you'd die fighting Walkers, and none of it would matter. Either way, it'll be better than this.

The castle was sleeping, and nobody but a few wandering soldiers were there to pay you any mind. Poor bastards probably can't sleep either. Some bowed their heads respectfully when you walked past, mumbling "M'lady," or sometimes "Ser," though you were not a knight, and lady of nothing but your sword. You quickened your pace.

When you reached Jon's room, you didn't let yourself think twice. You didn't steel yourself, didn't take a breath, just rapped on the door before you had a chance to go craven and leave.

Jon opened the door. Disheveled, in nothing but a plain shirt and trousers, though clearly awake. Your breath hitched. It felt intimate, seeing him this way, out of his capes and his leather, without Longclaw on his hip. His eyes widened, and you remembered your own appearance. Your bare feet, your undone hair, your dressing gown. At least we're even, then.

Jon ran a hand through his hair. "You need something, Flowers?" He mumbled, not unkindly, a tired smile ghosting his lips.

"Do you love me?"

"What?"

You pushed your way into the room. Jon's eyes flared again, but he didn't stop you. "You heard me, Snow. Do you love me? All those times we sat on watch together. All those times you held my hand, and came to greet me at the tunnel when I came back from a ranging, and fussed over me when I got hurt. How you called for me when the fighting ended at Castle Black, and after the Boltons, and how I called for you. Did all of that mean something to you, or did I imagine it?"

His brow furrowed, and for a moment, he just looked at you. Then, his face softened. He took your hand in his, warm and rough and familiar, and threaded his fingers through yours.

"Are you jealous?"

Damn him.

"Maybe." Your voice came out a tremble. "Or maybe I'm afraid. I don't know."

"Come here." He tugged you into his arms, and you found yourself clinging. It had all been so much so fast. All the fighting, the dying, the red woman, the free folk. Ramsay, and Cersei, and the threat of the dead, and the beautiful Daenerys with her dragons. Jon held you as you cried about nothing and everything for a while, rubbing your back and carding his fingers through your hair, murmuring reassuring things that you couldn't hear.

You could've stayed there forever.

But I need to know before it kills me.

With an effort, you stepped back, feeling a little empty without his arms around you, and a little guilty about the damp spot you'd left on his shirt. You took a shaky breath.

"I need to know if you love me, or--" you pushed a sob down, before it could break. Jon opened his mouth, but you didn't let him get a word in. "It's okay if you don't, really-- I just," you offered him a watery smile. "I need to know now. If you love me, or if you love the Queen. Please, Jon. Before it kills me."

You bit your trembling lip for dear life. You would not cry if he said loved her, you swore it to every god you knew. You would not ruin it for him, more than you already had. If he said he loved her, you would smile, and thank him for his honesty, and be done with it.

But Jon Snow didn't say anything. Instead, he sat on the edge of his bed, and took your hand, and kissed your knuckles. He kissed your palm, and your wrist, inviting you to sit beside him with a gentle pull. You nearly fell into place. Something about his touch always made you lean into him without thinking. He wasn't magnetic, exactly-- it was something softer than that. More akin to the gentle urge of gravity on a feather.

He held your face in his hands, and brushed away a tear, and kissed you softer than any fur or silk in the world.

"Of course I love you," he said, voice wavering. Tears had made a home in his eyes, just as they had in yours, and the look on his face sent a wave of guilt crashing over you. "I'm sorry you ever thought I didn't. Please, forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive, Jon. You know how I get, I--" you paused, trying to find the words. "I'm sorry. I'm a jealous woman, a scarred woman. I have no dragons, and no crown, and no beautiful silver hair or perfect face. I have no name of my own. I have nothing to give you but my sword and my love, and Daenerys has seven kingdoms. Well, she will, I mean. Just-- I felt like you'd abandoned me for someone better. Which is stupid, because you're not even mine to think about that way--"

"And who says I don't want to be?" Jon interrupted. He took your hand, took your scarred knuckles to his lips again. The way he was fixing those beautiful eyes on you, with such perfect sincerity, took every word you'd ever known right out of your mouth. Whatever he was going to say next, he meant it.

"I want to be yours, and I want you to be mine, and I don't want it because of power, or money, or dragons. I just want to love you. Is that so hard to believe, Flowers?"

"You would love a jealous woman?"

Jon laughed. "You would love a jealous man? I can be just as bad as you, you know. Remember when you got to be a ranger, and I didn't?"

That was true, and you chuckled at the memory. "Gods, you're right, Snow. You had on the most sullen look I've ever seen when you watched me and Grenn ride off for the first time."

"And that was me trying to hide it."

Jon Snow took you in his arms again, smiling now, and kissed your brow. When you buried your face in his shoulder, he smelled of linen, and smoke, and something that was just him. Familiar, safe, and gentle.

"Stay with me tonight. I want to hold you." His whisper fluttered over your ear, tone almost desperate, almost yearning. Your heart skipped about ten beats at once, and you shuddered. He's going to be the death of me, you thought, pulling back to look in those deep, dark eyes. He is going to be the death of me, and I don't mind at all. Gently, you pressed his shoulder, pushing him down to lie on his back, with you settled in the pocket of his arm.

He held you, and you held him, and for the first time in many days, you slept comfortably.

--------

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