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feveredblurs · 3 months

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@apaise | ( continued. )

elinor would be lying if she said there wasn’t a small part of her that enjoyed the terrified look on the soldiers’ faces. there was once a time where she resented the way people kept their distance, avoiding her eyes but keeping her name on their lips as they whispered behind her back. with years of practice, she’s learned to accept it as a sign of power.

yet, for all the times elinor has reveled in her solitude, she finds she’s come to enjoy having beth at her side. the princess, despite her timid air, did not shy away from her as others did. she was always graceful and sweet when addressing even the darkling – never fearing her dark armor or the blood on her hands.

elinor wishes she was half as brave and dared to show beth all of her. the idea of her toll of death and destruction proving too much for the princess makes her breath falter, weak when faced with the possibility of finally losing something she holds dear.

despite her resolve to steel her features around the crown’s army, they soften easily at beth’s quiet remark. she holds elinor in too high regard – it’s addictive and dangerous, the darkling realizes as she attempts to will the warmth in her chest to go away. never did she want to be seen so desperately, knowing it could cost her everything.

she almost points out beth is the only one to think it a loss, but deems it a disservice to the other’s kindness. elinor gives a smile and a grateful bow of her own head instead. what must the soldiers see when they watch them from afar? two dignitaries exchanging pleasantries? would they be able to spot elinor’s subtle fidgeting, suppressing the urge to take the princess’s hand in her own?

brows raise at the remark that follows, surprised beth mentioned the bluebirds. it had been an afternoon in equal parts lovely and terrifying, with elinor offering her a secret so close to her heart. no one knew of her birds, not even her father. it was something she had always believed she’d carry to her grave, a softness she was not allowed. yet beth didn’t even spare it a moment of judgment – and there’s nothing if not gentless in her features when elinor dares meet her eyes now.

“ – i miss them dearly as well, ” she confesses, voice low and tentative. “ they’re quite independent, but i do regret not being able to ask one of the maids to look after them. ” despite being otkazat'sya, harys could command fear into the royal staff as well as any grisha general. they’d tell him of anything they saw out of place – including elinor’s own behavior. she’s lucky she can pass her meetings with the princess as mere courtesy.

“ i may stay a few more weeks, depending on how everything goes. ” as far as everyone knows, the general is here to oversee operations regarding the recent fjerdan attacks on the northern border. her letters to her father will detail whether the search for the sun summoner has proved fruitful after hearing hushed reports of a nearby sighting.

“ and yourself, your highness? ” elinor turns the question to beth. “ i’m sure your sisters will be happy to see you, but the soldier camps may grow quite dull after a day or two. ” she reckons the princesses are allowed to leave their post based on status alone... but elinor finds herself selfishly wishing for stricter rules, if it allows her to accompany beth during her stay instead.

#apaise #i am not immune to the elibeth hyperfixation #brainrot for them always #it's just *chef's kiss* such a good flavor #elinor is so weak for her tho :||| not even subtle abt it smh #( thread ; elinor frey )#( starter ; elinor frey )#( v. grisha )

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kittykatknits · 7 years

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So I read a "post" saying Sansa running WF successfully is ooc. I disagree. Sansa's the defacto lady of the Vale and she's doing a good job. Besides innately being smart she's also getting training for being a lady,administrator, diplomat and in politics. She has natural acumen for organization,logistics,hardwork,knows how to run a household well She's learning to gauge others' motivation&how to maneuver them successfully. Also she'll have advisors to help her. I see her as a very successful 1/2

ruler/Lady of WF or when ruling the North/looking after its daily workings/governing/managing it; I dont think it’s ooc for Sansa to be a capable ruler/administrator/and dispatch the duties that come w/ being Lady of WF/looking after the North at all. That’s where her book arc&training montage is leading her. What do you think? 2/2

In short, I largely agree with you.

I’m loathe to think of fandom as a single identity but there has been a general trend with Sansa as a character over the years (at least based upon my unique experiences). Long ago, when only two books were available in the series, Sansa Stark was largely defined by two things: (1) the events on the Trident and subsequent deaths of Lady/Mycah and (2) the betrayal/execution of her father. Then, the third book was released in 2000 and fandom decided Sansa should also be defined by her feelings, or lack thereof, towards Tyrion Lannister. Oy, I am forever sick of those debates. Opinions changed, somewhat, after aFfC was released in 2005. Twelve years later and we are still waiting to see how fandom reacts to her in the next book.

It’s funny in a way. Seventeen years and, for the most part, the discussion around Sansa is almost exactly the same, “Starkness”, killed her wolf, cruel to her sister, cruel to Jon, snob, got her father killed, not truly north like, and so on. Well, no, it’s not funny, it’s frustrating because it seems like there is a growing trend of throwing power hungry into the mix although I think that’s fed largely by the show than by the book’s version of the character

For the most part, Sansa has never been a popular character, ever. The trend I’ve seen is not so much that she’s received less negativity over time, because she hasn’t, but that her actual fan base has grown. There was an explosion of Sansa fans after the first season of Game of Thrones aired and then again after the second.

So, anyways, to get to the point, the fact that you saw a post like that, isn’t particularly new or surprising. It’s shallow and inaccurate, but not a surprise. To be honest, I actually blame Martin for some of it. For the most part, he’s done a great job at world building and is fairly consistent when it comes to enforcing the rules. Cat mentions her Ladies once and…that’s it. Cersei is the queen and has no women at court. Martin doesn’t really show us the lives of women in ordinary circumstances, he’s pretty bad at it. We get Marg and her cousins in the third book some and Cersei finally gains a friend (who is also a spy…) in the fourth. There is a lot of work telling us how men are educated, think of the memories of both Jaime and Jon. We even see it with Bran as he functions as the Stark in WF. Heck, the first chapter is showing Ned raising his sons. But, the women, it doesn’t happen to nearly the same degree. Readers need to work at it so much more than they do with the male characters.

To me, I compare Sansa’s interactions with Measter Colemon in the Vale to those of Bran with Luwin. Colemon speaks with and takes guidance from Sansa in the same way Maester Luwin did with Ned/Cat, but much less so with Bran.

And let’s look at this:

Maddy and Gretchel were waiting outside with Maester Colemon. The maester had washed the night soil from his hair and changed his robe. Robert’s squires had turned up as well. Terrance and Gyles could always sniff out trouble.“Lord Robert is feeling stronger,” Alayne told the serving women. “Fetch hot water for his bath, but see you don’t scald him. And do not pull on his hair when you brush out the tangles, he hates that.” One of the squires sniggered, until she said, “Terrance, lay out his lordship’s riding clothes and his warmest cloak. Gyles, you may clean up that broken chamber pot.”

- Alayne II, aFfC

The household is taking orders from Sansa here too. And when her authority is questioned:

Gyles Grafton made a face. “I’m no scrubwoman.“Do as Lady Alayne commands, or Lothor Brune will hear of it,” said Maester Colemon. He followed her along the hallway and down the twisting stairs. “I am grateful for your intercession, my lady. You have a way with him.” He hesitated. “Did you observe any shaking while you were with him?”

- Alayne II, aFfC

This chapter shows Sansa shutting down the Eyrie and preparing for the entire household to take up residence in the gates of the moon. It’s exactly what would be expected of the Lady of the Vale.

And if there is any further doubt, the first Alayne chapter is one long bit of political theater:

“She did indeed. She saw to the mulling of the wine first, found a suitable wheel of sharp white cheese, and commanded the cook to bake bread enough for twenty, in case the Lords Declarant brought more men than expected. Once they eat our bread and salt they are our guests and cannot harm us. The Freys had broken all the laws of hospitality when they’d murdered her lady mother and her brother at the Twins, but she could not believe that a lord as noble as Yohn Royce would ever stoop to do the same.The solar next. Its floor was covered by a Myrish carpet, so there was no need to lay down rushes. Alayne asked two serving men to erect the trestle table and bring up eight of the heavy oak-and-leather chairs. For a feast she would have placed one at the head of the table, one at the foot, and three along each side, but this was no feast. She had the men arrange six chairs on one side of the table, two on the other. By now the Lords Declarant might have climbed as far as Snow. It took most of a day to make the climb, even on muleback. Afoot, most men took several days.It might be that the lords would talk late into the night. They would need fresh candles. After Maddy laid the fire, she sent her down to find the scented beeswax candles Lord Waxley had given Lady Lysa when he sought to win her hand. Then she visited the kitchens once again, to make certain of the wine and bread. All seemed well in hand, and there was still time enough for her to bathe and wash her hair and change.”

- Alayne I, aFfC

This isn’t GRRM being overly verbose here or falling in love with his food descriptions. It’s Sansa setting up a stage, thinking through everything from guest right to the type of table and chairs and their placement. Remember, these are not random guests, these are six individuals that are contesting LF’s hold on SR and the Vale. Everything matters.

It’s no different than the Lannisters in the throne room after the Battle of the BW. That’s one long bit of political theatre too, with the rehearsed scene between Joffrey and Loras or Tywin riding in atop his horse. It’s presentation and Sansa is doing a really good job here of setting everything up to their advantage.

After this, Sansa dresses herself:

“There was a gown of purple silk that gave her pause, and another of dark blue velvet slashed with silver that would have woken all the color in her eyes, but in the end she remembered that Alayne was after all a bastard, and must not presume to dress above her station. The dress she picked was lambswool, dark brown and simply cut, with leaves and vines embroidered around the bodice, sleeves, and hem in golden thread. It was modest and becoming, though scarce richer than something a serving girl might wear. Petyr had given her all of Lady Lysa’s jewels as well, and she tried on several necklaces, but they all seemed ostentatious. In the end she chose a simple velvet ribbon in autumn gold.”

- Alayne I, aFfC

Again, it’s more of the same. This isn’t Sansa obsessed with clothes (although what’s wrong with that if she is?) It’s the image she wants to present, it’s the same reasons the Tyrells drape themselves in gold and green.

Sansa’s chapters are swimming with this stuff and it tends to get dismissed. This stuff matters and it matters a lot. This theater and pageantry is present in every wedding and clothing choice. It’s present in the food (remember the poor fare offered at the RW?). It’s reflected in seat placement at both the WF feast and the PW. And Sansa is really good at it, like really damn good.

Heck, even Tyrion picks up on her skills:

“She is good at this, he thought, as he watched her tell Lord Gyles that his cough was sounding better, compliment Elinor Tyrell on her gown, and question Jalabhar Xho about wedding customs in the Summer Isles. His cousin Ser Lancel had been brought down by Ser Kevan, the first time he’d left his sickbed since the battle. He looks ghastly. Lancel’s hair had turned white and brittle, and he was thin as a stick. Without his father beside him holding him up, he would surely have collapsed. Yet when Sansa praised his valor and said how good it was to see him getting strong again, both Lancel and Ser Kevan beamed. She would have made Joffrey a good queen and a better wife if he’d had the sense to love her.”

- Tyrion VIII, Sos

But, as important as all of this is throughout the entire series, it has always tended to be overlooked and dismissed which is really disappointing. I don’t claim to know her ending, whether Hand, queen, Lady of WF, or something else. But, I guarantee all of the above is going somewhere and it isn’t just to take out LF or rebuild after. I suspect it will be incredibly important come the war for the dawn too.

This has gone on for a long time though, so I will stop now. But, hopefully, I answered your question…at least some.

Thank you anon for letting me talk about my girl!! I love Sansa so much. :)

#Sansa Stark #ASoIaF #asoiaf meta #house stark #anon ask #feel free to ask #feel free to ignore #sansa stark meta

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feveredblurs · 1 year

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@apaise

most of elinor’s life has been spent chasing a ghost. she’s heard countless tales of the fabled sun summoner, the one who would bring new light to the world. elinor never thought she’d be more than a myth, another saint for the lost ones to look up to but after creating the sea of shadows that split the nation in two, she finds herself seeking out her power as well.

at first, she wanted nothing more than to undo her mistake. the fold had been a manifestation of her anger, her grief. her father saw something else. it could be an opportunity for them, a saving grace for grisha after decades, centuries of oppression. they could use it to their advantage and reclaim their rightful place at the helm of ravka.

elinor never wanted power. but she wanted revenge for her mother’s death. for all the grisha soldiers who became casualties in the petty wars of otkazat'sya. they should not have to bend to the will of a powerless king. and they never would again.

yet all those plans felt distant without the final piece of the puzzle. elinor’s father had put numerous resources into tracking down the sun summoner, but to no avail. every clue turned out to be a dead end, no more than baseless rumors... until one day, she appeared all on her own.

the girl had been right under their noses the entire time an armourer of the first army. maybe elinor had even crossed paths with her in os alta before. she had let out a flash of light inside the fold ( ironic, that she was just where elinor needed her ), effectively keeping the volcra away and allowing for the skiff to cross safely.

though both father and daughter were eager to declare their search finished, they had to make sure this girl wasn’t deceiving them. it wouldn’t be the first time someone claimed to be the sun summoner if they thought it’d get them money or prestige. they couldn’t risk it when they were so close.

they arrange for the girl to be brought to elinor once she’s been seen by a healer. though she could wait patiently in the little palace, elinor goes to her herself. she walks across the soldier camp with long strides, earning curious glances from grisha and otkazat'sya alike. the general was rarely seen outside of the battlefield after all. it’s good to remind them of her presence, her power.

she hears the girl before she sees her, an altercation between her and the grisha soldiers bringing her. clearly she was not happy about being found and brought to the darkling herself. elinor wonders why she hid. were the stories of her coming too big to fit her? did she only want a normal, quiet life? ridiculous. she could never be anything less than incredible.

the tent opens to welcome a young woman with starlight hair, her clothes dirty and tattered. she wears an expression of a mix of fear and anger, looking from the soldiers to her surroundings. had they met a few years in the past, she would’ve seen a different elinor a girl sympathetic to her struggles, who would offer a gentle hand and a comforting word. but she has only the darkling before her now, composed and unwavering.

elinor steps out into the light, finally leaving the solace of the shadows. she eyes the other from head to toe, gaze finally setting on her features. “ the sun summoner. at last. ” there’s the slightest curve to her lips, a pleased smile. “ i must say, you’re very hard to find. ”

#apaise #this got long bc setup #BUT I WAS SO HYPED FOR THIS #HAD TO JUMP ON IT IMMEDIATELY #never thought anything good could come out of this cursed ship #but i'm on board now #hope the hcs for this are ok!#lmk if anything needs changing #( thread ; elinor frey )#( starter ; elinor frey )#( v. grisha )

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feveredblurs · 2 years

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@apaise

it wasn’t unusual for cirilla not to be present at embroidery class. she was the princess, after all. her status allowed her to miss these types of meetings without anyone batting an eye save for the occasional sigh from the ladies who wished she’d attend so they could try to win her favor. cirilla was often the target of the other girls’ praise and attention; meaning elinor, in turn, was the target of their scorn. they did not approve of someone of elinor’s standing ( far below theirs ) becoming fast friends with the princess let alone a girl as quiet and meek, who faded to the background so easily.

why cirilla chose her as a companion, elinor had yet to understand. perhaps it was merely the princess’s gentle heart that had found a kindred spirit in her somehow.

elinor misses her company in class, too. she figures cirilla is out riding or with her cousin if only elinor could join them... but she did not have the same privilege as members of the royal family. her duty was to attend as many classes and social gatherings as possible, in order to ensure a place in high society. it was all that was expected of her.

when the instructor returns to the room after a few minutes, she reveals the reason behind princess cirilla’s absence is nothing so mundane she’s sick and unable to leave her chambers. elinor’s heart immediately sinks, heavy with the weight of her unseemly thoughts. how could she think to be jealous at a time like this?

worrying for the princess’s health, elinor finds herself unable to focus on her embroidery. had cirilla merely caught a cold? a stomach bug? what if it was something worse? elinor’s hands shake as she envisions every possible ( and impossible ) scenario... only to realize everyone is staring right at her.

she straightens up with a quiet peep, earning a frustrated sigh from the instructor. the woman motions for the maid at her side ( when had she gotten inside? ) and repeats explains that elinor has been summoned to the princess’s bedchambers. it brings equal parts relief and panic did cirilla simply need a friend at her side? or was her illness something far more serious?

elinor exits the room with a bow and follows the maid across the palace hallways. every part of her wants to run straight to cirilla’s room... but she can’t let herself act so freely. she must match the maid’s awfully leisurely pace and fight the urge to pick at her skin.

when finally they reach their destination, the maid announces elinor’s arrival. elinor’s gaze instantly seeks out the princess and finds her in her bed, accompanied by a few more maids; from where elinor’s standing, she looks to be all red, in cold sweats.

" ciri ” for a moment, elinor forgets they’re not alone. she can’t speak to the princess so casually, using the nickname saved only for her. her outstretched hand returns to her side, and elinor promptly drops into a deep bow; she can’t be so careless to forego pleasantries in the company of others.

“ princess cirilla. ” her voice is much steadier now, devoid of any trace of its earlier panic. even an attentive eye wouldn’t be able to tell just how much she wants to rush to cirilla’s side. “ your maid informed me of your awful condition. how are you feeling? ”

#apaise #me like im not gonna write that much #and no surprise we ended up here instead :/#it was for the setup!!!#and already planting the seeds of jealousy #and elinor feeling out of place #it's a surprise tool that will help us later! :)))#hope this works!#still getting her voice down #( thread ; elinor frey )#( starter ; elinor frey )#( v. patp )

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