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danwhobrowses · 4 years

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10 Things that would’ve Improved the Game of Thrones Final Season (For Me)

So it came to my attention that recently it was the First Anniversary of the Final Episode of HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’. I was taken back to my memory of the BinGOT thing we had at work where we all made predictions of who lived, died and ‘won’ from the last ep (I was in 2nd or 3rd place). And since my mother has started binging it during quarantine I thought in the spirit of that environment I’d discuss a little what I would’ve changed in the final season.

Spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8 Below, if you haven’t watched it then you’re better off not reading this frankly, if you haven’t been spoiled already at least.

So for starters, the final episode is not the worst tv I’ve ever seen, it just was a sloppy final season in general that really didn’t satisfy the 2 years of hype waiting for it, it’s like with the How I Met Your Mother finale, but that annoyance being more than one episode. But without further ado here are 10 things I would’ve changed about the final season Note: Most will involve the finale. The first 2 episodes were great.

10 - Ten Episodes The Long Night was 1 episode, the LONG NIGHT. A Culmination of the army of living and dead confined into one episode. One of the main problems with the final season was that the pacing was a bit rushed, it made character progression seem unnatural and dropped long-built plot points like water through a sieve. With 10 episodes, which was not a big ask given that this was the usual number and the gravitas of it being the final season would easily allow it to be green lit. D&D immediately backed themselves into a corner by giving a limit they weren’t used to and too much content to put in.

9 - Bite of the Spider Varys’ death was an upsetting start of the penultimate episode, while I would’ve loved him to have survived start to end and potentially ended on top (because he’s never shown to be as cunning or dangerous as he is in the books) there was some sense in him dying. However, Varys was shown sending a letter before his arrest and that never came back up, the finale could’ve used this by revealing to the public Jon’s true heritage, which would’ve immediately undermined Dany’s claim and set up a better conflict. Also we never knew what the voice in the flames said to him...

8 - A More Fitting Long Night While everyone probably popped hard for Arya killing the Night King, myself included, the nature of it was rather abrupt. I don’t think anyone can buy that she sneaked past that entire army. I do feel like the Night King was just a MacGuffin for the Long Night, given that he did so little in the actual fight. This is where a multi-part Long Night would’ve been key as well, going from the Night King being immune to Dragonfire to dying a bit later was not a good pace, and we lacked any conflict with Jon like we teased twice, Arya probably wasn’t the most poetic person to kill him either but GoT seldom did poetic deaths (Joffrey, Cersei, Euron). While the Long Night had exemplary deaths like Theon, Lyanna, Jorah and Beric, the Night King fell among the ranks of Melisandre and Edd in terms of meh deaths. The Long Night should’ve been a bigger bloodbath than it was, half the Dothraki somehow survived remember, we didn’t get to see Ghost fight at all either, no giant spiders, a lot of the tension was lost with the way some fight scenes were filmed; it was too easy to read between the lines and not enough characters had any true ‘oh god this person could die’ scenes.

7 - Resolution for the Characters we didn’t See and Plots unresolved With so much funding and finality in the show, there felt like there could’ve been more stuff that could’ve been resolved; what was the Quaith’s prophecy about? What really happened with the Doom of Valyria? Why does Dragonglass and Valyrian steel kill White Walkers? What is Daario doing after Dany died? Were the Faceless Men really that okay with letting Arya wander around knowing their skillset? Nobody hired them to help in the war either. What happened to the remnants of that warlock dude who stole the baby dragons, they sent one scorpion and that’s it, what happens with the Little Birds now that they’re leaderless? Who was Azor Ahai? What were the spirals about? There are a lot of questions the show kinda just, ignored.

6 - The Mad Queen So, Dany going from ‘I’ll stop if they surrender’ to ‘Burn them fucking all’ was abrupt for many, the majority of fans were not ready or willing to accept turning on their Kaleesi in just one episode. While I could see the conclusion coming from being jumped, losing another ‘child’ and her closest friend as well as her new boyfriend being her nephew and a legitimate threat to her legitimacy despite already pledging fealty, Dany’s descent could’ve used more time, and less naivety. While the death of the dragon was a huge shock, the idiocy fell on Dany in thinking that Cersei would play fair and wouldn’t try to occupy Dragonstone while she abandoned it. There also fell inconsistency when the same fleet and rows of Scorpion crossbows suddenly got Stormtrooper aim during ‘The Bells’. Euron is a renowned sailor, he ruined a Dornish fleet in a previous season, he may be an annoying bastard but you have to treat his naval tactics with a bit more respect - and make Dany less stupid with Cersei doing Cersei things. A lot of people definitely needed more time in buying the idea that Dany had lost her cool and that she blamed all of Westeros to justify burning everyone unashamedly.

5 - Proper Redemption We all know who we’re talking about. Jaime, Jaime, Jaime. In the end he just proved Olenna’s point didn’t he? And his turn away from redemption was only to serve as an example point for Tyrion to use to convince Jon to kill Dany. Jaime didn’t have to live, but he didn’t have to die rushing to Cersei’s rescue, or even due to Euron stabbing him. If anything Jaime should’ve died with some Honour, to be the inverse of Ned as he was presented in Season 1.

4 - My Lady does not have to mean M’Lady This is probably the most selfish ones of my 10 but as a shipper at my very heart and soul I wanted one, at least one, ship to survive this entire turmoil and Gendry and Arya were that couple. We almost had it as well, but then for some mad reason D&D decided that Gendry, despite literally saying that “none of it will be worthwhile if you’re not with me”, stayed in Storm’s End. Arya’s character endgame was right in her venturing off not being bound by the fact that she’s a noble, but Gendry spent a lot of time not caring that he was of Kingsblood to basically being his Father’s son. He’ll rule Storm’s End, marry some woman to have kids, but he’ll still have fallen into the same pit as King Robert did. It would’ve been much more satisfying and hopeful if Gendry abandoned the titles and land he never wanted or needed to accompany someone he loves and who loves him back on an adventure into the unknown. She’s not a ‘lady’ if she’s only marrying a blacksmith and love is the death of duty.

3 - Sansa is NOT Smart (and gets what she actually deserves) Right. So I really, really didn’t like Sansa. Like, I get it, she got held hostage by the Lannisters, watched her father get beheaded, got accused of murder, learned that her brother and mother died, watched the guy who fancied her mother and kissed her kill her aunt and then got effectively sold to an abuser in an arranged marriage. But Sansa is not the smartest player in the game, it was annoying that they tried to portray her as one, she had one idea that anyone could’ve told you ‘don’t be stupid against Ramsay Bolton’. She spent all of Season 8 mainly giving side eye like a petty bitch, completely trying to undermine Dany despite the two being very very similar (remember Dany was raped, sold off in an arranged marriage and watched family members get killed too) to the point where she was conspiring for Jon to usurp her. And in reality she took her ball and left, she was so pissy that the leaders didn’t pick her to be Queen of Westeros that she literally pointed out her own brother’s infertility, claimed that the North wouldn’t bow to a monarch, then declared herself Queen. Hide the ‘Yas Queen’ goggles for a sec, this wasn’t empowering she was throwing her own brother under the bus because she wanted to be queen, and she learned far too much from Littlefinger and Cersei’s playbook to actually be a just one. The North is allowed to be an independent nation, but Sansa’s ‘victory’ was more earned by virtue of a lot of shit happened to her than her actually demonstrating qualities to be queen.

2 - Bran Stark can’t come to the Phone right now... While we’re on the subject of Stark children not being fit rulers, Bran. What a cockamamie decision that was. I was 100% behind the destruction of the Iron Throne, but the chorus of laughter with a democratic rule was a bit of a slap in the face. Of all the choices though, Bran had to be near the bottom, it felt completely unearned that he spent literal seasons disconnecting from the world even to the point where he told Meera and Sam that Bran Stark is no longer here anymore only for Bran Stark to magically resurface when a crown is in waiting. I think it defeats the whole Three Eyed Raven thing too, the guy isn’t really one for the people, which is the problem every other ruler before him failed at. If you can’t pick a just person to lead, then why not a council instead? Just using Bran was a poor and messy decision.

1 - THE MOTHERFUCKING VALONQUAR One of the few expectations across all of Game of Thrones was the wondering over whether Cersei was gonna get what’s coming to her, the Maggy the Frog prophecy was going along quite well up until the Valonquar bit, where the younger sibling that was going to choke the life out of her was: bricks. BRICKS! Of all the long-winded prophecy foreshadowings to drop this one was the worst, Cersei (and Jaime) died in underwhelming, thoughtless fashion, the lack of fanfare on killing off one of the best and most ‘love to hate’ villains in the show only cemented the fact that the finale was not able to live up to the hype. True, most of these are small changes, but it’s worth remembering that there was some good coming out of the final season and it was the lack of those little things and attention to detail that led to the season ending on an underwhelming note.

We did however get a good ton of memes out of it, and at work a long-winded discussion on who should get the ‘winner’ 5-points (compared to the 1 correct points) since we had technically agreed that the 5 points goes to “whoever correctly guesses who sits on the Iron Throne” XD I still can’t believe I was right in Drogon melting the throne though that was one in a million

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neithergodsnormen · 4 years

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@tymptir sent ❔

send ❔ and i’ll list a couple muses that i’d like to throw at yours!

okay so I am going through my muses I would like to see interact with yours and elaborating at least one plot idea! putting the rest under the cut cos I have a feeling this will be long because I have a looooot of ideas

Beric Dondarrion

Arya Stark - talking while she is in the Brotherhood’s hands

Domeric Bolton - Domeric not dying like he did in canon and then being among the group sent to deal with the Mountain that became the Brotherhood

Gendry - Brotherhood interactions for reasons

Daario Naharis

Jon Connington - Jon coming face to face with Daario in a verse where Tyrion doesn’t convince Young Griff to take Westeros

Jorah Mormont - The headbutting that we did not see between them since they were not always in Dany’s line of sight

Quentyn Martell - Quentyn being there when Daario returns and the awkward that ensues (at least on Quen’s end)

Rolly Duckfield - Duck coming face to face with Daario in a verse where Tyrion doesn’t convince Young Griff to take Westeros

Victarion Greyjoy - These two would be interesting to have interact

Euron Greyjoy

Victarion Greyjoy - Brothers being rivals

Garlan Tyrell

Edmure Tully - The two talking if Edmure visits Highgarden before shit hits the fan cos his father would have been looking at the major houses with daughters to see about making a match for him and Edmure would go through the motions to make his father proud and that could mean a friendly conversation could happen

Loras Tyrell - Loras looking up to his older brother and going to him for advice on things

Margaery Tyrell - Margaery also looking for her big brother’s advice since Garlan is the only one of the immediate family married

Willas Tyrell - Willas and Garlan brotherly bonding

Gendry

Arya Stark - All the threads between these two, before their separation and their possible reunions

Domeric Bolton - Domeric not dying like he did in canon and then being among the group sent to deal with the Mountain that became the Brotherhood and interacting with Gendry after the Brotherhood finds Arya and company

Edmure Tully - Edmure getting taken by the Brotherhood when he was being escorted to Casterly Rock after the Seige of Riverrun and getting to interact with Gendry after seeing Stoneheart for the first time

Grenn

Arya Stark - AU where Arya makes it to the Wall with Gendry and then the members of the Watch get to deal with angry little wolf

Dalla - AU where my girl Dalla lives and Grenn gets to meet the captive Wildling Queen

Domeric Bolton - I have an AU where Domeric out near the Wall in Mole Town when he nearly died and so could meet Grenn when the people of Mole Town are temporarily moved to Castle Black when the Battle of Castle Black happened

Gendry - AU where Gendry makes it to the Wall and becomes a recruit

Jaime Lannister - AU where Jaime took the Black at the end of the Rebellion so is a senior member of the Watch when Grenn arrives

Jon Connington - AU where instead of going to Essos when Aerys dismissed him Jon Con took the Black and so is a senior member of the Watch when Grenn arrives

Jorah Mormont - AU where instead of running to Essos with his wife, Jorah took the Black to avoid execution so is a senior member of the Watch when Grenn arrives

Ned Stark - AU where Ned is allowed to take the Black instead of being executed like was promised

Sigorn - Grumpy Thenn interacting with Grenn

Stannis Baratheon - I need more of Stannis at the Wall

Harrion Karstark

Arya Stark - Tiny Stark interacting with Harrion, if I recall they were at Harrenhal at the same time

Domeric Bolton - I had Domeric be a pretty close friend of the Karstark siblings before his death soooo

Howland Reed - *chanting* Northern Lords getting revenge for Red Wedding

Jaime Lannister - Either one as prisoner for the other’s side

Lyanna Stark - not sure when you have him born but little Harry interacting with Lyanna before shit goes down maybe?

Ned Stark - Harrion would need to get to know his Lord as the heir right?

Robb Stark - Robb with all his bannermen, just saying

Sigorn - ahahhahahahaha THAT CONVERSATION/THREAD WILL BE FUUUUUN

Theon Greyjoy - The march down maybe?

Torrhen Karstark - BROTHER INTERACTIONS

Jaime Lannister

Arya Stark - Arya being a curious pup and bothering Jaime with tons of questions on the way down from Winterfell to KL

Ashara Dayne - Ashara while still Elia’s lady talking to new Kingsguard Jaime

Elia Martell - Rebellion threads and general threads with Jaime before the Sack

Elia Sand - El getting to come with her parents to KL and getting to interact with Jaime

Jon Connington - Jaime interacting with Jon Con when Jon Con is Hand, before he falls from Aerys’ grace

Loras Tyrell - New Kingsguard Loras and Lord Commander Jaime or even talking after Loras unhorsed him in the joust mentioned by Littlefinger

Margaery Tyrell - Lord Commander of the Kingsguard Jaime interacting with the little rose Queen?

Ned Stark - AU where Ned asks Jaime what the fuck happened in the throne room that day

Robb Stark - Captive Jaime interacting with Young King Robb

Stannis Baratheon - There is over 14 years of interactions we do not see that could have happened with these two

Jeor Mormont

Arya Stark - AU where Arya makes it to the Wall with Gendry and then the members of the Watch get to deal with angry little wolf

Gendry - AU where Gendry makes it to the Wall and becomes a recruit

Jaime Lannister - AU where Jaime took the Black at the end of the Rebellion

Jon Connington - AU where instead of going to Essos when Aerys dismissed him Jon Con took the Black

Jorah Mormont - AU where instead of running to Essos with his wife, Jorah took the Black to avoid execution

Ned Stark - AU where Ned is allowed to take the Black instead of being executed like was promised, or just the convos they had been having in canon about moving people to the Gift to pay taxes to the Wall so it would have better support

Maron Greyjoy

Dale Seaworth - Young Captains with large shoes to fill with who their fathers are?

Ned Stark - Maron being the hostage instead of Theon

Robb Stark - Maron being the hostage instead of Theon

Stannis Baratheon - Maron and Theon both being hostages, but Maron is given to Stannis

Theon Greyjoy - bby Theon and his big brother

Victarion Greyjoy - Maron and his nuncle interacting if Maron survives and Theon was still taken as hostage

Orell

Dalla - Orell getting to interact with his King’s wife

Sigorn - Sigorn poking at Orell before the man goes to the Skirling Pass

Renly Baratheon

Domeric Bolton - Domeric being sent to squire at Storm’s End instead of Redfort

Edmure Tully - Edmure and Renly interacting at one of Robert’s tourneys

Garlan Tyrell - the King in Highgarden, just saying

Jaime Lannister - Again, a good number of years where we don’t see the interactions

Loras Tyrell - Either Loras’s squiring or any number of the years they spent together, and we do have the march they could do

Margaery Tyrell - their wedding maybe?

Ned Stark - We don’t see all of the shenanigans they got up to while in KL

Stannis Baratheon - the Seige, cos 17 year old Stannis watching out for 6 year old Renly before their relationship was soured by circumstance *cough*theirbrother*cough*

Willas Tyrell - THE KING IN HIGHGARDEN

Rhaegar Targaryen

Ashara Dayne - Rhaegar talking with his best friend’s sister and one of his wife’s companions? Maybe them worrying over Elia together when Elia is expecting one of the babes

Elia Martell - Married life and I see these two as good friends

Jon Connington - Jon wants all the interactions with the man he is in love with

Stannis Baratheon - I have a verse where Rhaegar won and Stannis is a captive in KL as the brother of the rebel

Robb Stark

Arya Stark - Arya getting to Riverrun before Robb departs for the Twins

Domeric Bolton - Domeric being warded to the Starks instead of the Redforts

Edmure Tully - Robb and his uncle talking and getting to know one another before the next move in the war

Elia Sand - Little Lady Lance ending up in the Stark army somehow

Howland Reed - Robb getting to do his plan to take Moat Cailin and getting to meet his father’s oldest friend

Jaime Lannister - Jaime as a prisoner

Lyanna Stark - Lyanna lives but refuses to leave Winterfell after what happened, begging her brother to tell the world she died and so she stays in Winterfell as a sort of nanny to her nieces and nephews

Margaery Tyrell - I think an expert from the books sums up what I would love to do on this front “ If you had to fall into a woman's arms, my son, why couldn't they have been Margaery Tyrell's? The wealth and power of Highgarden could have made all the difference in the fighting yet to come. And perhaps Grey Wind would have liked the smell of her as well.” - Catelyn II A Storm of Swords

Ned Stark - Ned teaching his son how to rule the North

Theon Greyjoy - Interactions of the best friends who were practically almost brothers

Torrhen Karstark - Tor was one of Robb’s guards so maybe an AU where he wasn’t killed in the Battle of the Whispering Wood

Samwell Tarly

Arya Stark - AU where Arya makes it to the Wall with Gendry and then the members of the Watch get to deal with angry little wolf

Dalla - AU where my girl Dalla lives and Sam gets to meet the captive Wildling Queen

Domeric Bolton - I have an AU where Domeric out near the Wall in Mole Town when he nearly died and so could meet Sam when the people of Mole Town are temporarily moved to Castle Black when the Battle of Castle Black happened

Garlan Tyrell - Let Sam interact with the Tyrells

Gendry - AU where Gendry makes it to the Wall and becomes a recruit

Jaime Lannister - AU where Jaime took the Black at the end of the Rebellion so is a senior member of the Watch when Sam arrives

Jon Connington - AU where instead of going to Essos when Aerys dismissed him Jon Con took the Black and so is a senior member of the Watch when Sam arrives

Jorah Mormont - AU where instead of running to Essos with his wife, Jorah took the Black to avoid execution so is a senior member of the Watch when Sam arrives

Loras Tyrell - Let Sam interact with the Tyrells

Margaery Tyrell - Let Sam interact with the Tyrells

Ned Stark - AU where Ned is allowed to take the Black instead of being executed like was promised

Sigorn - Grumpy Thenn interacting with Sam

Stannis Baratheon - I need more of Stannis at the Wall

Willas Tyrell - LET SAM INTERACT WITH THE TYRELLS

Sansa Stark

Arya Stark - Sister threads, be it reunion or otherwise

Domeric Bolton - AU where Ned betrothed Sansa to Domeric before Robert arrives and Domeric doesn’t die (basically let’s keep Joffery’s grubby paws away from Sansa)

Edmure Tully - Sansa meeting her sweet hearted uncle

Elia Sand - El getting to come with her parents to KL and getting to interact with Sansa

Garlan Tyrell - Sansa getting to interact with the Tyrells

Jaime Lannister - Sansa and Jaime getting to talk after he made her mother that promise

Loras Tyrell - Sansa getting to interact with the Tyrells

Margaery Tyrell - Sansa getting to interact with the Tyrells

Ned Stark - Father daughter threads are to die for

Quentyn Martell - AU where Ned betrothed Sansa to Quentyn before Robert arrives and before Doran learns that the Viserys idea will not work (basically let’s keep Joffery’s grubby paws away from Sansa)

Robb Stark - LET ROBB BE A GOOD BIG BROTHER

Stannis Baratheon - AU where Stannis wins the Battle of the Blackwater and gets Sansa out of Lannister hands

Theon Greyjoy - AU where Ned betrothed Sansa to Theon before Robert arrives like Theon had mentioned in one of his chapters of hoping (basically let’s keep Joffery’s grubby paws away from Sansa)

Torrhen Karstark - AU where Ned betrothed Sansa to Torrhen before Robert arrives cos Torrhen would be a protective hubby (basically let’s keep Joffery’s grubby paws away from Sansa)

Willas Tyrell - SANSA GETTING TO INTERACT WITH THE TYRELLS also AU where she gets to go to Highgarden and Willas gets to surround her with all the puppies to cheer her up and make her feel safe

Tyrion Lannister

Arya Stark - Arya being the inquisitive pup she is asking tons of questions while everyone is still in Winterfell

Elia Sand - El getting to come with her parents to KL and getting to interact with Tyrion

Jaime Lannister - Brother threads

Jon Connington - Grumbly Griff and Tyrion

Jorah Mormont - The merry adventures of Jorah and Tyrion, members of the Second Sons

Loras Tyrell - Tyrion interacting with Loras after Loras is in the Kingsguard

Margaery Tyrell - Margaery interacting with her betrothed’s uncle

Ned Stark - We lack Ned and Tyrion content

Quentyn Martell - Tyrion and Quentyn meeting in Meereen and the Prince not getting turned into a Crisp

Rolly Duckfield - More adventures on the Shy Maid

Stannis Baratheon - Again missing years of interactions before the series starts

Varys

Elia Martell - Varys talking to her about a plan to save her babies (even if Young Griff turns out to be a fake in the books, give my girl SOME hope)

Elia Sand - El getting to come with her parents to KL and getting to interact with Varys

Gendry - Pretty sure that Varys is the one who got the boy his apprenticeship and out of KL, so threads with them and Gendry not knowing who he is?

Jaime Lannister - Time in Aerys’s court or Robert’s court

Jon Connington - Jon Con’s time as Hand

Jorah Mormont - We know he was on Varys’ payroll as a spy so how did he become Varys’ spy?

Ned Stark - Ned and Varys finding a way to get Ned’s ass out maybe?

Quentyn Martell - Quen meeting Varys would certainly be interesting

Stannis Baratheon - Again, missing 14 years of interactions

yeaaaah i wrote a lot on this >.> and so ends my mini manifesto

#🇮🇪 outofwesteros: ramblings of the mun #🇮🇪 my heart's desire: wanted plots #tymptir

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wackygoofball · 5 years

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Any chance you could make my dreams come true and please make a J/B Sound of Music moodboard?? 🙏🙏🙏

Hi @tarthserjaime! Thanks for a) believing my moodboards worthy enough to fulfill dreams - I did not know they had that much power, and b) for such a lovely prompt.

I have to send two things ahead, however:

1) I have not watched the movie (I know. *rings Shame Bell*), which is why my knowledge is based on synopses and short clips I saw. I hope the moodboard transmits the vibe nonetheless.

2) I set this story in Westeros because I never feel comfortable setting those characters in real life, which is why I did away with the Nazi regime plot as I wouldn’t want to associate any of the GoT/ASoIaF characters with that ideology. I went with Daenerys Targaryen as the factor to push them away from home because she canonically has reasons to want Jaime gone and because she seized government control in canon as well. But I want to keep her in the background here as I want to put my focus on that curious family and this most curious couple instead. So yeah, just as a heads-up.

Either way, here is the moody board to go along with it, and I certainly hope that it makes your dreams come true!

Jaime x Brienne - The Sound of Music AU

Brienne of Tarth, postulant at the Citadel, is livinga life in hiding ever since her father’s passing. While she loves the otherseptas and the Elder Sister dearly, she always feels out of place because sheenjoys fencing and activities not associated with a young lady. More often thannot, she finds herself stealing away to the hills to pursue her privatepassions of fencing and singing.

Eventually, the Elder Sister takes her aside afterBrienne came late for service yet again. Brienne is very apologetic, but theElder Sister, as usual, is mild with her and instead makes the suggestion toher about to change her entire life:

To go out into the world and get to know it.

“But I am to become a septa.”

“If you so choose, but I believe you cannot take thevow in good conscience before you have seen what else the world holds for you,my dear. You spent many years here without seeing what lies beyond the hills,and I believe it is about time that you do.”

And so, Brienne is sent to the Lannister family,living in a large estate on the outskirt of the capital. She is to become thenew governess for the children in Commander Lannister’s care – his deceasedsister’s and Catelyn Stark’s two daughters. There she meets the recentlyretired war veteran Commander Lannister, a soldier who lost his hand in the warand his reputation after he murdered Aerys Targaryen. And Brienne must say… sheis anything but impressed.

The man always keeps his distance, something Briennecannot understand for just a single second. She knows what a blessing it is tohave a family, and what a curse it is to be without. And here is a man who haseverything and instead spends most of his time being miserable over the loss ofhis hand.

The children, in turn, are on their very own paths,some of whom need much discipline whereas others would do better with a littleless.

Brienne finds it hard at first to connect to thechildren. After all, she never thought she would have an opportunity to raisechildren, as all of her engagements ended before they ever began and she knowsfor a fact that she is an ugly thing with queer antics. Septa Roelle likelyalways had the right of it when she told her that with this kind of attitude,she could only ever make it as a septa, which later inspired her to join the Citadel,once her father came to pass and she didn’t know what else to do with her life.

However, unexpectedly, she finds a way out of themisery: It is the mixture between discipline, which she teaches the childrenwanting to learn how to fence, and encouragement that seems to turn the tablesfor her. Brienne also realizes that the children, stuck at the mansion for mostof their time, are longing to see what lies beyond the fences of the residence.Thus, she makes it a habit to take the children out into nature, teach them howto fence and later on gathers the courage the sing for and with them, too.

However, not all is well at the mansion, as Briennealso makes the acquaintance of Jaime’s brother Tyrion, a man she finds is ofquestionable character at best. She is irritated by his closeness to DaenerysTargaryen, who has, not long ago, wrestled power from their sister and overthrewthe government. Because she cannot imagine that this woman likes the Lannisterfamily very much. And yet, the man prides himself with his massive intellectand how that will all play out to their advantage.

Thus, Brienne keeps her distance and instead focusesall of her efforts on the children, who soon grow on her more than a lot.Commander Lannister’s behavior eventually has her snap, however. After yellingat the children returning from a boat tour, ushering them back inside as heforbade them to go out, a drenched to the bone Brienne of Tarth has had enough.She calls him upon his behavior, but when he keeps deflecting, Brienne informshim that she cannot continue to work for him under such circumstances and willpresently return to the Citadel.

Later that day, the Commander comes to her chamber andfinally shares with her the reasons for his behavior: He doesn’t want thechildren outside that much because he is afraid that he will fail to protectthem against Daenerys Targaryen. For now, she is busy with other things, but heknows that his presence poses a danger to them because he killed her father –if for very good reasons, as he explains.

As to the reasons for his distance, Jaime admits that heis afraid that someone will realize that Cersei’s children are actually notRobert’s but his, too. His sister beat it into him to stay away from them andnow he has a hard time reconnecting with them without giving away who he trulyis to them. Things worked for a while when the children were with her while hetook care of Catelyn’s children as he promised it to her when she released himin exchange for them during the awful hostage situation during the war thatkept building up between the two factions back in the day.

“Lannisters always pay their debts, and I owed Catelynthat much… or rather, she would have deserved more, but I am afraid this is allI can give.”

Brienne is shocked to hear the news, but she also hasto realize that despite what she finds more than questionable about him, shecan’t fault him for loving, and she can’t deny that, deep down, he is a goodman. When Jaime asks her to stay, she agrees, under the condition that he willchange his old ways and try to grow closer to the children again.

“You owe a debt to them as well, but foremost toyourself. To finally have that family you thought you’d never have.”

In the course of the events, the Commander and his governessgrow closer and closer, because, as it turns out, there is more to connect themthan meets the eye. Both share a passion for music, and for the first time inher life, Brienne finds someone more than accepting of her “queer antics”,volunteering to give her private fencing lessons.

“May I have this dance, Miss Tarth?”

Things take a sudden turn when no one other thanCatelyn Stark winds up on their doorsteps. Sansa and Arya are more thanoverwhelmed with their mother’s reappearance after everyone assumed her to bedead, but as it turns out, Catelyn was saved by the revolutionist group TheBrotherhood, led by Beric Dondarrion. They rescued her and hid her away and eventuallyhope to bring her back home North, an area that fought hard for and finallygained its independence.

Catelyn is overly thankful to Jaime for expanding hispromise to take care of the girls and not just return them back North. Jaimeinvites her to stay at the residence with them. Brienne, sensing the closenessbetween the two, grows more and more weary of her growing feelings for Jaimebecause he and Cat have such a history going back that she can’t imagine herdream of a life together as a family will ever become true.

Not that this stops the feelings from making her blushin his presence by any means, however.

In a private moment, Jaime and Tyrion discuss thelatest developments. Jaime is shocked when Tyrion proposes to him that heshould ask Catelyn Stark to marry him. The younger brother makes a valid point,by Jaime’s own admission, that Cat is in an impossible situation as a widowwithout her family’s wealth available to help her start over – and a womanstill searched for by militias who continue to have their feuds with anyoneassociated with the Starks or Lannisters, for that same matter. Tyrion addsthat it may be a useful union for both of them as Catelyn may be their way outof this situation with Daenerys Targaryen.

Jaime doesn’t know what to make of that, after all, hehas feelings for Brienne already. At the same time, he cares for Cat and herdaughters as though they were part of the family already, and leaving them indanger or having them try to make their luck in the current situation thecountry is in feels wrong to him.

It would be without honor, after all.

Tyrion, believing himself on the right track withthings at last, carries the idea over to Catelyn before waiting for Jaime’sanswer. Cat, unaware, finds herself entertaining the idea more than maybe sheshould.

Brienne does not remain blind to those circumstances. Drivenby both her wish to protect the family she came to love so dearly – and the manshe grew to love in particular – and her belief that he could never choose herover Catelyn, Brienne feels any urge to leave the household and head back tothe Citadel.

Not that she tells anyone about those thoughts justyet, of course.

Having witnessed the children performing, Tyrion hasanother fabulous idea to help the cause, which is to have them perform forDaenerys Targaryen. If they succeed to get her on their side, or so hebelieves, they may get to keep the mansion and she won’t persecute his brotherfor murdering Aerys Targaryen.

Currently, there is no searching order for him and hewas not yet summoned to her, but Jaime is under scrutiny, everyone knows, even moreso because he’s made himself rare in an effort to keep the children guarded. Jaimeis very much against it, not believing that the woman can be swayed in his oranyone’s favor after all that’s been.

Wanting to give the children an opportunity to performnonetheless, Jaime arranges for a private party to which only friends areinvited. That evening, Brienne mostly stays with the children outside, feelingvery much out of place all over.

Some things just never seem to change.

When Tommen asks her about a particular dance thepeople inside are performing, Brienne explains that it is a dance that used tobe reserved for royals back in the days of knights and kings, though somefamilies still require their children to learn it.

“And did you learn it?”

“A lifetime ago.”

“So can you teach me?”

“Oh, I don’t know… I don’t believe I should.”

However, the children insist, and so Brienne starts todance the same steps she used to take back at Evenfall Hall when she didn’t yetknow that she was the ugliest girl in the world.

She is shocked when someone wants to take the nextturn – and it turns out to be Jaime. After all, he used to learn it himselfback in the day.

“May I have this dance, my lady?”

Brienne accepts and dances with Jaime, forgetting allher troubles and insecurities for a moment to listen to the music and dance toit, unafraid.

With him.

When the music dies out, Brienne finds herself evenmore in emotional turmoil, only to run away when Catelyn comes outside to seeabout what’s going on.

Brienne packs her things in a hurry, wanting to leaveand return to the Citadel. Cat comes to her room and they come to talk aboutJaime. Catelyn admits that she doesn’t bear romantic feelings for him.

“But… against all odds, I came to see that he is agood man who does right by the children he helps raise – and my own, which is arare gift in these most troubling times.”

“He is a good man, no doubt. I think you could be veryhappy… together.”

“And would you be happy with us together?”

“Me? Why does my opinion matter?”

“You tell me.”

Brienne says nothing to that and walks out of theroom, letting Catelyn know that she truthfully wishes her all the luck in the world.

“Because no less do all of you deserve.”

Later that evening, the children perform and all arein awe with the act. Brienne watches them with fondness, proud of how far theycame as a family, how close they grew, but she tries her best to stay clear ofJaime, even though he desperately wants to talk to her.

Heartbroken, Brienne returns to the Citadel, wantingto take her vows as a septa. The Elder Sister calls her out on her feelings forJaime and tells her that she must return to the Lannister residence because shecould not take Brienne’s vows in good faith if all the promise would meanrunning away from her true feelings for that man. She encourages her to returnto the residence to look for her life.

“You never ran away from a fight, my dear, why startnow?”

Brienne comes back to the Lannister residence to learnthat Cat and Jaime got engaged. With a heavy heart she agrees to stay as agoverness for the children until they found a replacement for her.

Jaime is fed up with her trying to sneak away, whichis why he corners her eventually to finally have honest conversation with her. Hewants her to understand that he proposed to Catelyn, believing she’d never comeback.

“We don’t marry for love. She doesn’t love me and Idon’t love her. It would be to keep her safe and ensure the girls don’t have tolive a runaway life.”

“I understand all that. And I am happy for you. Who knows,maybe you will grow to have more feelings for one another over time. My fatherdid with my mother, did I ever tell you?”

“That is all you have to say about this?”

“What else is there to say? I am… I am happy.”

“You are.”

“I am. Because the best part of my life, this family,will get its happily ever after. What more could I wish for… Commander?”

“You tell me.”

Wanting to protect the family to the best of herabilities, Brienne makes a daring proposal: She wants them to give up on theresidence and try to get to the independent North to start over there insteadof hoping for Daenerys Targaryen to go mildly on Jaime.

Jaime and Cat are perfectly in shock at the proposal. Whilethey have some money on the side, they don’t share enough to make for a livingthere. Jaime essentially lives off of his savings because he can’t hold a jobafter his crippling. And selling the property would draw unwanted attention tothem all the same.

“That should be no issue.”

“Money is sadly an issue, always.”

“I will provide for it.”

“You are… a septa.”

“Postulant. Since I haven’t taken my vows just yet,the Citadel has not demanded of me to give my money away just yet. And I havemore than a lot from my father’s inheritance.”

“You do?”

“How else would I know that dance, hm?” she huffs. “The money was meant to go to charitable causes, but Ibelieve I have a more personal cause now. I want to invest. Into the children,into their futures… into yours. You want to look for Catelyn’s sons – and youshould – but you can only do that in the North. In the independent zone, youwill be safe from Daenerys Targaryen and her accusations against you. So… takethat money to pay the Brotherhood to help get you to the North before thesituation grows more severe and you will get the future I want to invest in.”

“I can’t accept that.”

“Of course you can, now don’t be a stubborn idiot…Commander.”

“And what of you in that alternative?”

“I will return to the Citadel and take my vows. I canbe happy there, but only if I know this family protected. So please, let meprotect you.”

Whereas Brienne and Jaime continue to struggle tobalance their oaths and their undeniably strong feelings for one another,Catelyn also has to decide on how she wants to carry on in life, whereas the children have more than a hard time coping with losing either of the three.

However, all of that is soon overshadowed by thethreat of Daenerys Targaryen pushing charges against Jaime for murdering herfather, which may tear this family apart before it can ever hear the sound ofmusic again…

Additional Image Sources: The Sound of Music (1959), http://gwendoline-christie.com/

#jaime x brienne #jaime lannister #brienne of tarth #game of thrones #braime #moodboard #aesthetic #got moodboard #got aesthetic #wacky tries gimp #and hates the lack of line breaks #the sound of music au

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katlyn1948 · 5 years

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Evading Capture: Chapter 3

Evading Capture

Katlyn1948

Chapter Management

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Chapter 3

: The Failed EscapeSummary:

Arya tries to escape, but something halts her plans.

Notes:

Ya'll are lucky! It usually takes me several weeks to update a WIP, but I'm in a good mood so....and I already have the whole story planned in my head, so alls I gotta do is write it! I am hoping it takes only 6 parts to finish, but it just depends on what my brain wants to add to the chapter as I am writing it. Little inside: I don't plan out my chapters like a normal person. I don't have an outline or anything like that. Nope...I act out all my chapters before I write them. So, let me explain. I literally have full blown conversations with myself as these characters using dialogue. It is how I "plan out" my stories. It sounds weird, I know, but hey it works. I also voice myself doing this and use that dialogue in my stories. Think of it like a script. I say what the character says and then I will also explain what is happening in the scene. Basically I am audiobook script! LOL. Anyway, call me crazy, but it works! So enjoy and as always, happy reading!

Chapter Text

The night was cold; more so than any other night that Arya had ever encountered in the Riverlands. It was a testament to what her family words were; Winter is Coming, and she was sure that it would grow colder as time progressed. This gave her an advantage to those that surrounded her. She had thick blood; that of a wolf and not even this lingering cold would hinder her get away.

She was right to assume that, as the evening drew on, the men around her would begin to divulge in their leather sacks filled with whatever alcohol they could get their hands on. Lem was the first to fall, slumped over a log as his mouth trailed drool down the side of his chin. Next was Anguy with his bow strapped securely to his chest. Hot Pie hardly drank and ounce and could chat the tongue off of anyone, so Arya was please when his eye lids began to droop with sleep. Thoros hummed as he lifted from in front of the fires, drifting towards his horse, and rolled out a dusty old blanket for him to lay his head upon. It took only a few short minutes for Arya to hear the soft snores escape the priest. Beric was the last to fall, trying his best to keep guard of the surroundings, but the lack of sleep and effects of drink finally caught up to the lord, causing him to drift his head back, mouth agape as he slept soundly.

Gendry stayed up, charged with watching the brush around them as well as keeping a studious eye on Arya. So long as he was awake, so would she. No sleep would come to her, so long as she knew on these men were awake.

“You look exhausted.” She observed as she watched Gendry’s head bob with slumber.

“Hmm, I am.” He confirmed.

Arya chuckled, “Then go to sleep. I’m sure Hot Pie could watch the camp. All he has to do is ring out, and you lot will be up within seconds.”

She could see Gendry contemplate the thought and was sure that he would agree to her dubious plan. She prayed to the whatever Gods would listen that he did, so when he reluctantly agreed she let a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

“Aye, he can, but you must stay beside me.” He rubbed the back of his head with his hand, a slight blush creeping to his face as he did so. Arya’s smiled faltered and her heart suddenly began to race.

“I-I don’t think that’s necessary. I can stay up with Hot Pie, keep on the lookout.” She hastily said.

Gendry groaned as he lifted from his perch just beyond the fire, where the horses were being tied, “Sorry, milady, but no can do. If I sleep, you sleep. Can’t run the risk of you escaping.”

Arya watched as he strode her way, lifting her up from under her arms, until she was standing. He grabbed her upper left arm and guided her to the thick blankets that were laid out earlier in the evening, plopping her down with a thud. She huffed at his roughness and wiggled her hips to try to get the hard ground somewhat comfortable for her slumber. She leaned back, letting her back fall upon the hard ground, turning from where Gendry was walking to wake up Hot Pie.

She couldn’t see their interaction, but she could hear the soft whispers exchanged as Gendry asked Hot Pie to be a look out. His steps were unmistakable as she heard him make his way back to where she was laying. His presence was suddenly evading hers, and although he made sure to keep distance between him, she could feel his heat radiating, making her shift uncomfortably.

Arya couldn’t sleep, not only from her bound hands, but because of the anticipation of her eminent escape. Her mind was awake with ways for her sneak through the camp, all while trying not the wake the band of rebels. Scenario after scenario drifted through her head, each with subsequent consequences if caught. She was sure that her downfall would be the ropes that currently held her wrists in place. With such restrictions, she was sure to lose her balance and hurt some part of her body because she would not be able to break her fall. She tried on multiple occasions throughout the night, to wiggle her wrists free, but that only seemed to cause more harm than good. The action left her wrists raw and bloody, causing her wince in pain every time they chaffed against her skin.

The only other solution to her situation would be to steal the small dagger from Gendry’s side in order to cut herself free, but the action was risky. Arya had no inclination on how deep he slept, or if she would be able to reach the damned dagger in the first place. She knew it was placed on the right side of his hip, which he was currently laying on. She had hoped he would turn sometime in the middle of the night, but he didn’t and all she could do was bore holes into his head with her glaring eyes.

She huffed in frustration and turned so that her back was now facing him. She scanned the dark woods and noticed the slight glow of sunrise trying to break through the horizon. It was morning, and she had spent the better half of her night coming up with stupid plans that were sure to fail.

Watching the sky turn bright colors of yellows and purples, Arya gathered her courage. If she were to escape, she had to do while they were asleep; right before the sun had a full chance to awaken.

Pulling herself up with the sure will of her abdomen, she sat, observing her surroundings once more before jumping to her feet. She managed to keep her balance and even managed not to disturb the sleeping bull beside her. She scanned the forest edge, squinting her eyes to adjust to the low light the sky as emitting, and noticed Hot Pie drifting off to a sound sleep.

With this wonderful revelation, she took her chance.

She took a deep breath and kicked her feet from under herself, propelling them forward into a sprint. She had to be weary of the fallen trees that surrounded her, making sure she didn’t accidently trip over one of them. She darted passed the horses; only giving them a slight wind she brushed by. She was almost home free; away from the camp and away from The Brotherhood. All she had to do was clear the camp and hide herself in the densely wooded areas.

Her heart was pumping and the overwhelming feeling of excitement washed over her body like a blanket. She couldn’t believe that she was nearly there, the taste of freedom on her fingertips. Her footsteps seemed to float as if she was running on air. She made little to no sound, not even the deep breathes that were escaping her small body were enough to wake the sleeping giants. She could see, the line distinguishing the camp from the forest. Just a few more steps and she would be rid of them, but then her feet suddenly halted. Her head thinking about all she left behind.

She didn’t have much, maybe a few breeches and a jerkin. She had a water satchel and rucksack and a few oddities that she would be able to steal along the way. However, what she didn’t have were her reminders. She didn’t have the small piece of cloth ripped from Sansa’s dress. How she would cradle it at night and sniff the fine silk, for it still smelled of her sister. She didn’t have the piece of broken wood from her play sword that she used to train with Syrio, nor her Stark emblem clasp that held her thick cloak together from when she was in the north. She didn’t have Needle. The one thing that she had left of her favorite brother.

All of the small meniscal items were replaceable, but her sentiments were not.

It should feel stupid to her that simple little things left a huge impact of her life that she couldn’t leave them. They were costing her freedom, yet she had to go back. She would rather be a hostage than to even think about losing those close items. So, with a deep sigh, she turned on her heel and began to trudge her way back to the camp. She was no more than two steps in when she saw a large brooding body come barreling at her like a runaway horse.

His body collided with hers and they both went tumbling down to the ground, rolling a few good feet before halting. She struggled in his grasp, trying to wiggle her way free, but it seemed useless. He was bigger and stronger than she was and she would expel most of her energy if she tried to escape his unruly grasp.

“Will you let me go, you insufferable man!” She wailed.

“Stop trying to escape and maybe I will.” He huffed as he tried to still her thrashing body. His arms were square around her body and Arya could feel the tickle of his ragged breath on her ears. Taking the opportunity, she threw her head back, hearing the familiar crack as she did so. Gendry yelped in pain and released one of his arms from around her, giving Arya the room to escape his grasp. She turned in his arm and brought her knee to his groan, for good measure, causing him to yell in discomfort.

Rolling from him, she picked herself up and glanced down and the withering man. She couldn’t help but smirk at the way he had one hand clutching his nose and the other clutching his groan.

“Serves you right for tackling me like that!” She spat.

“What in the name of seven hells is going on here?” Beric inquired. Arya turned her head to notice the band of men making their way to where they were. She took several steps back from Gendry, allowing Anguy to grasp her upper arm so that she wouldn’t run off once more.

“Fuck! I think she broke my nose!” Gendry’s hand still covered his face, muffling his response.

“Good, I think you’ll look better with a crooked nose, anyway.” She grumbled.

Beric bent down to where Gendry was laying and swatted his hand away. He pinched the bridge of Gendry’s nose and bent it back into shape, not giving any warning to the young man as he did so.

“It’ll be fine.” He assured Gendry. Beric stood and turned his head towards Arya. “Now, please someone tell me what happened!”

She winced at the severity of his voice, and it reminded her of when her father used to reprimand her for doing something she wasn’t supposed to be doing.

“I-I had to take a piss, so I decided to do it at the edge of the camp. I didn’t want you all to see me!” She lied smoothly. Sometimes it scared her at how easily she could do it.

“And what about him?” He motioned to where Gendry was sitting.

“I’m walking back to camp, when I see this bull of a man hurl my way! Next thing I know, I’m on the ground trying to get away.”

“I thought you were escaping!” He countered.

Arya shook her head, “And how do you supposed I do that? My hands are bound, idiot.”

Beric sighed, “Look, it was a misunderstanding. Let’s all just get back to camp so we can pack up and leave. Anguy, change her ties, their rubbing her raw and Gendry, try not to get your arse kicked by a girl next time.”

Arya watched as Beric walked back to camp. She was guided by Anguy and gave Gendry a smug smirk as she passed.

“You’ll pay for this.” He grumbled as he pointed to his nose.

Arya shrugged, “We’ll see.”

#Arya Stark #Gendry #axg fic #axgedit #the brotherhood #hot pie is in this #au #some canon #some canon divergence #made up my own shit #gendry x arya #arya/gendry #gendry/arya #Arya Stark/Gendry Waters

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turtle-paced · 5 years

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Revisiting Chapters: Jaime VII, AFFC

This is also on my wordpress.

In many ways this feels like the essence of AFFC to me, focused on aftermath and character rather than action.

The story so far…

Following last chapter’s planning to get Edmure to hand over Riverrun, Edmure’s handed over Riverrun. It’s Jaime’s problem now.

Long Live The New Boss

The chapter begins with Emmon Frey in fine form, ranting to the point of spitting about his rights to Riverrun.

“I will have [Edmure’s] head off! I rule in Riverrun, by the king’s own decree, I -”

“Emmon,” said his wife, “the Lord Commander knows about the king’s decree. Ser Edmure knows about the king’s decree. The stableboys know about the king’s decree.”

As Tywin once said, any man who must say I am the king is no king at all. Same goes for lords. Funny thing, how all these people who have to say I am the man in charge got those positions through Tywin Lannister’s work.

Jaime leaves Emmon with a garrison he personally considers to be more than what Emmon should need to defend the castle, while Genna tells her husband that if he can’t manage to defend Riverrun himself, he’d better just run back to the Rock.

Following Jaime’s meeting with Edmure and Emmon, another shoe drops. Sybell Westerling, mother of Jeyne, was involved in the Red Wedding. She refers to Robb as “the rebel” within seconds of entering Jaime’s presence, but after Jaime asks whether Jeyne is pregnant, we get the full story.

“She is not,” said Lady Sybell, as her daughter struggled to escape. “I made certain of that, as your lord father bid me.”

Back in Catelyn III, ASoS, Jeyne mentioned to Catelyn that she drank a posset of herbs in ale every day, provided by her mother. They were supposed to help make Jeyne fertile. They did the opposite. It’s clear that Jeyne would never have agreed to take them if she knew what they really did. Sybell’s been in on this plan for a while. Now Jaime’s here to make payment.

As Jeyne fled sobbing down the the stairs, he considered her mother. “House Westerling has its pardon, and your brother Rolph has been made Lord of Castamere. What else would you have of us?”

“Your lord father promised me worthy marriages for Jeyne and her younger sister. Lords or heirs, he promised me, not younger sons nor household knights.”

From this we can see that not only has Sybell been in on it for a while, she played an active, willing part. As Jaime thinks, the best matches that Jeyne and Eleyna could have hoped to make in the Westerlands were second sons. As for Raynald Westerling, Tywin promised that Sybell “would have joy of him” for Raynald. This turns out to mean Joy Hill, bastard daughter of Tywin’s brother Gerion, the Lannister proximity meant to be an honour to the Westerlings (of a sort). And, of course, no way Tywin just hands out the title Lord of Castamere. This payment reflects the value of Sybell’s actions to Tywin. She was never on the back foot, arguing to preserve the Westerling position. She was proactive, trading Robb’s betrayal for her family’s advancement.

We do, however, learn that Sybell didn’t know of the Red Wedding per se, as she says that she would never have allowed her elder son to attend Robb’s wedding if she’d known. We have no reason to doubt this, as Tywin himself said that nobody knew more than they needed to. Including Walder Frey, who Jaime notes would not have known about Sybell’s involvement either, and would therefore feel no compunction about killing Raynald Westerling. Jaime promises to follow up. Yet another occasion of the Red Wedding rebounding on its perpetrators.

Jaime does indeed follow up, not just on Raynald, but on the Frey hostages from the Red Wedding in general, asking that they be handed over to the Crown. This is asking the Freys to hand over a significant political and financial resource (any subsequent ransoms would go to the Crown rather than the Freys), but they agree. As for Raynald, he apparently got crossbow bolts to the shoulder and the gut defending a tied-down Grey Wind, but managed to throw himself into the river. No body was found – at least none they could identify as Raynald Westerling.

“We found a few thousand corpses afterwards. Once they’ve spent a few days in the river they all look much the same.”

“I’ve heard the same is true of hanged men,” said Jaime, before he took his leave.

It’s not like Jaime is completely ignorant of why there are so many outlaws around. Keep that in mind. The Freys found a few thousand corpses in the river. The Red Wedding was, most emphatically, not just killing a dozen at dinner, even before anyone takes the breach of social contract into account.

From Riverrun, Jaime means to move on to Raventree and the Blackwoods. He’s not planning on a siege this time. In fact, he orders all the Frey siege equipment burned. The assembled lords drift out of Riverrun over the next few pages, some to return home, others to go fight more outlaws. Jaime deals with Riverrun’s former garrison, refusing to put them to the question as to Brynden’s whereabouts, as he’d sworn to Edmure the garrison could leave unharmed.

“That was chivalrous of you,” his aunt said, “but it’s strength we need here, not chivalry.”

Genna, it must be recalled, is a Lannister. Jaime internally rejects the idea that he’s been chivalrous. Well he might, because he hasn’t. That trebuchet threat was a doozy. Though he does end up congratulating himself on dealing with the matter of Riverrun without taking up arms against Starks or Tullys. At least he’s got his personal integrity, I guess. Jaime makes the released garrison swear not to take up arms against Lord Emmon or House Lannister, a measure which does not please Genna.

We leave Emmon as we started the chapter, ranting about how he’s Lord of Riverrun and waving a parchment around.

As for Jaime and his efforts to handle matters with Tywin’s strength and decisiveness, he dreams of standing vigil over Tywin’s body again, and a woman he knows.

Her eyes were green, her hair spun gold. He could not tell how old she was. Fifteen, he thought, or fifty. She climbed the steps to stand above the bier. “He could never abide being laughed at. That was the thing he hated most.”

“Who are you?” He had to hear her say it.

“The question is, who are you?”

This is Jaime’s mother, Joanna, and even a true dream of his mother knows that Jaime is not Tywin. Jaime does not hate what Tywin hates, and he does not want what Tywin wants. When he wakes, it’s snowing in the Riverlands.

Snow in the riverlands. If it was snowing here, it could well be snowing on Lannisport as well, and on King’s Landing. Winter is marching south, and half our granaries are empty. Any crops still in the fields were doomed. There would be no more plantings, no more hopes of one last harvest. He found himself wondering what his father would do to feed the realm, before he remembered that Tywin Lannister was dead.

Jaime thinks on what he might have done if winter came earlier. Not only would his father be there to feed the realm, he’d be out there making snowballs to throw at Tyrion and Cersei, with both hands. Winter has come, though, Jaime’s family is broken, and so is the political regime they’re running.

Defiance

Jaime’s plan to secure Riverrun might have gone off well, but as he discovers very early into the chapter, not all went without a hitch. Aside from being in a position where he has to listen to Emmon Frey talk, he’s got a splitting headache, he hasn’t slept for an undefined but presumably lengthy amount of time, and oh yes, Edmure aided and abetted Brynden Tully’s escape from Riverrun. Here we see the limits of Jaime’s threats.

“I did all that was asked of me.”

“Oh? […] I do not recall asking you to let Ser Brynden escape.”

“You required me to surrender my castle, not my uncle. Am I to blame if your men let him slip through their siege lines?”

Similar to Wyman Manderly’s take on guest right in the North, Edmure sabotages the spirit of the agreement he reached with Jaime by upholding it to the letter and not an iota further. As Jaime quickly realises.

“Where is he?” he said, letting his irritation show. […]

“He never told me where he meant to go.”

“And you never asked.”

So that’s that line of inquiry. Further threats to Edmure’s wellbeing only get Jaime the information that Brynden swum under the slightly-raised portcullis in the middle of the night, only possible because Edmure took a rather long time to effect Riverrun’s surrender. Worse for Jaime, he dare not send out Riverlanders, that is, people more familiar with the area, because they’re more likely to do something like what Edmure just did rather than capture the Blackfish.

This is a real concern, as Jaime’s convinced that Brynden means to “continue the fight.” This is why Edmure allowing Brynden to escape is a big deal; the Blackfish is a potential rallying point for further and future rebellion, and he’s an extremely capable military man. In particular, Jaime fears that someone like, say, Beric Dondarrion or even Brynden himself, might make an attempt to free his nephew. He fears that to the point where he’s sending as many men to escort Edmure to Riverrun as he’s leaving to defend Riverrun.

When Jaime asks if there’s anything else Edmure might like to say before he leaves, Edmure gives Jaime this:

“This was my father’s solar,” said Tully. “He ruled the Riverlands from here, wisely and well. […] You will never know how sick it makes me to see you in this room, Kingslayer. You will never know how much I despise you.”

Edmure makes it clear through this passage that Lannister/Frey rule here is spitting on his family’s graves. He does not believe the Freys can rule wisely and well. He expects the opposite.

Jaime eventually sends Edmure and the Westerlings off with an escort of four hundred men. The commander of this escord, Ser Forley Prester, gives us enough details of the security he’s got planned that it really, really sounds like this security’s going to be thwarted. This impression only gets stronger as Jaime returns from seeing this party off, only to discover the fate of the last party he sent from Riverrun.

“Lord Commander,” Rivers said with cold courtesy, but Edwyn blurted out, “My father’s blood is on your hands, ser.”

That took Jaime a bit aback. “How so?”

“You were the one who sent him home, were you not?”

Someone had to. “Has some ill befallen Ser Ryman?”

“Hanged with all his party,” said Walder Rivers. “The outlaws caught them two leagues south of Fairmarket.”

As Jaime notes, this is not a day’s ride from the Twins, which is nothing more than spitting in the collective eyes of the Freys. Nor can they be sure which outlaws hanged Ryman Frey – Beric, Thoros, or “this woman Stoneheart.” They aren’t short of candidates. Edwyn even mentions Black Walder as potentially having had a hand in this, as part of his bid to become Lord of the Crossing. (More sound leadership structure from the Freys.) This leads to the important point that there are spies in the Frey camp, feeding information to their enemies. Who could this spy be?

Well, towards the end of the chapter, Jaime stops for a chat with the singer he met in the Frey camp. He’s a funny man, who knows lots of bawdy songs. Jaime advises him to get in good with Genna. In return, the singer says,

“I know better songs than ‘The Rains of Castamere.’ I could have played you…oh, all sorts of things.”

Then he introduces himself as Tom O’Sevens, who we know from ASoS is a man of the Brotherhood Without Banners. The readers have definitely found at least one outlaw spy.

Oh, and on top of the outlaws, there’s a massive wolfpack targeting Lannister camps, led by a female wolf so large you’d swear she was a direwolf. Weird. So strange in fact that Jaime twigs that it might actually be a direwolf.

Dead Loves

In this chapter, Jaime meets Jeyne Westerling, widow of Robb Stark. This is critical context for his conscious decision at the end of the chapter.

After a run-down of her physical attractiveness, with emphasis on those characteristics associated with childbearing and nurturing (hips, breasts), he decides she’s pretty enough, but not worth losing a kingdom over. Contrast Jaime’s decision to give up Casterly Rock for Cersei and what Jaime’s implicitly saying about Cersei’s appearance.

The next thing he notices is that her face is puffy (from crying) and she’s got a scab on her forehead. How’d that happen? Not like Jeyne’s been out there fighting.

“It is nothing,” insisted [Jeyne’s] mother. […] “She would not give up the little crown the rebel made her, and when I tried to take it from her the willful child fought me.”

“It was mine.” Jeyne sobbed. “You had no right. Robb had it made for me. I loved him.”

Though we’ve just learned that Sybell was treacherous, we see here that Jeyne was not. She had nothing to do with the plan to murder Robb, and her mother used her feelings cruelly. Sybell’s abuse has also turned physical, even as Sybell attempts to slap Jeyne for having the temerity, the temerity I say, to have loved her husband.

On another level, again consider Jaime. Though he does not explicitly comment on it in his internal monologue, he’s looking at a woman who refused to give up her crown out of love for her husband, after that husband was killed and his cause disgraced, in spite of the conflict it puts her in with her parent. Contrast Cersei, who refused to give up her crown to pursue her relationship with Jaime.

The fact that Jaime’s been comparing Jeyne and Cersei subconsciously becomes most apparent at the end of his meeting with Sybell. Not only does he call Sybell “a scheming turncloak bitch,” but he tells her that Jeyne “is worth ten of you, my lady.” Then, at last:

Jaime had to wonder how much Lord Gawen knew about his wife’s scheming. How much do we men ever truly know?

And, when the Westerlings leave,

The widow rode with downcast eyes, huddled beneath a hooded cloak. Underneath its heavy folds, her clothes were finely made, but torn. She ripped them herself, as a mark of mourning, Jaime realised. […] He found himself wondering if Cersei would tear her gown if she should ever hear that he was dead.

In the Westerling women, Jaime’s seen two reflections of Cersei. In Jeyne, he sees the Cersei in his head, the Cersei he hoped Cersei would be if he should die – the ideal widow, defying others for her right to her love and her grief. In Sybell, he sees something closer to the Cersei that is – his condemnation of her scheming is not accidental. Nor, I fear, are his violent thoughts:

Jaime would happily have strangled [Sybell] with her seashell necklace.

Not a good sign for his eventual reunion with Cersei, especially with what we’ve learned of her prophecy over the course of AFFC. Then he starts expressing those violent thoughts to Ser Ilyn. What starts as a grim joke turns into more disturbing fantasising.

“I should have the tongues removed from all my friends,” said Jaime as he filled their cups, “and from my kin as well. A silent Cersei would be sweet. Though I’d miss her tongue when we kissed.”

He’s also considering what to do with Cersei’s lover. Surprise, it’s violent. He plans to have Kettleblack gelded and sent to the Wall (ironic, given Cersei’s plans). He hasn’t worked out what to do with Cersei, yet, but note the reason he’s not planning on killing her.

“Tommen has lost a brother, and the man he thought of as his father. If I were to kill his mother, he would hate me for it…and that sweet little wife of his would find a way to turn that hatred to the benefit of Highgarden.”

It’s not a matter of principle that’s staying Jaime’s hypothetical hand. It’s a matter of politics. When he thinks of returning to King’s Landing, he thinks that his place is with his King, his son, rather than Cersei. Rather than returning to King’s Landing to be with her, as he did during ASoS, he’s making plans to minimise her influence. He wants Tommen out of her custody. He wants a new Regent and a new Hand.

At the end of the chapter, when Jaime wakes to snow, he also gets a letter. Jaime reads that letter from Cersei in the light of the cold white morning – just a bit of symbolism, the start of a new day and a new season, the associations between white and the Kingsguard – and when he’s done reading her words of love and her passionate plea to assist her, he rolls the paper back up “as tight as one hand would allow,” and tells his squire to burn it. With this rejection, Jaime completes his AFFC arc of breaking up with Cersei.

Chapter Function

More external politics – Riverrun changes hands and is left with Emmon Frey. The disposition of the Lannister forces is made clear, as they scatter over the region. The major ongoing threats to Lannister rule are also made clear – outlaws, mostly, but there’s also the matter of Brynden’s escape and the giant wolfpack.

As mentioned above, the sheer detail given to Edmure’s escort would lead me to think that something there’s probably going to go wrong. We also learned the identity of the Brotherhood’s spy in the Lannister camp and heard what befell Ryman Frey. I’m very afraid for Jeyne Westerling, that’s for sure.

In character terms, Jaime comes to a conscious decision about his relationship with Cersei. From his internal monologue, we can see that subconsciously, his decision is already made – I doubt he’d be quite so vitriolic towards Sybell if her actions did not remind him of Cersei’s. Nor would he be planning to have Cersei replaced as regent if he was bent on maintaining his romantic relationship with her. Bringing this decision into explicit thought backed up by action, however, is an important step in Jaime’s character development. By rejecting Cersei’s appeal in her time of need, he’s ended this relationship for good.

Miscellany

Edmure’s description of a day at the office for Hoster Tully shows us a bit about how Hoster raised Catelyn as opposed to Edmure. While Edmure was making block castles, Catelyn was in Hoster’s study, reading to him when his eyes got tired. Whether Catelyn was reading books out for Hoster for his enjoyment and a break from the work, or whether she was reading out the work itself, either way Catelyn was included in Hoster’s work day and exposed to ideas or matters of administration that Edmure doesn’t seem to have been, even when he was too old for blocks. It’s worth noting, however, how explicitly Hoster’s said to have favoured Catelyn. Her inclusion in her father’s world would not seem to be part of the usual upbringing for young noblewomen.

It’s also useful to contrast this glimpse of Catelyn’s political education to what we see of Cersei’s political non-education.

We learn that Sybell’s grandmother was “some sort of half-mad witch woman from the east”, in Jaime’s words. Maggy the Frog, in other words, who gave Cersei her prophecy.

Jaime’s thought that Petyr Baelish would make the ideal Hand of the King is…ironic. Still the Lannister regime has no idea what he’s done.

It will be interesting to see if Desmond Grell and Robin Ryger ever make it to the Wall.

Clothing Porn

Edmure wears a quilted doublet of red wool embroidered with a leaping trout, blue breeches, and black boots.

Sybell wears a gown of green velvet with a necklace of golden seashells.

Tom O’Sevens gets his Robin Hood on with ragged breeches and tunic in two shades of green, brown leather patching the holes.

Food Porn

None.

Next Three Chapters

Brienne VII, AFFC – Catelyn VII, ACoK – Catelyn III, AGoT

#ASoIaF #revisiting chapters #cw: violence #cw: abuse #jaime lannister #jeyne westerling #sybell spicer #edmure tully #genna lannister #a feast for crows

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asoiafnerd · 6 years

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Jaime and the Burning Swords

My theory is that Jaime is going to take the black and die in action(Terrified and yellin nooooo). Why do I think so? Well, Jaime has this dream in ASoS that prompts him to go back for Brienne. So some of the things in this dream are prophetic. Like Brienne asking about a bear, and maybe even this bit:

Around him stood a dozen tall dark figures in cowled robes that hid their faces. In their hands were spears. “Who are you?” he demanded of them. “What business do you have in Casterly Rock?”

They gave no answer, only prodded him with the points of their spears. He had no choice but to descend. Down a twisting passageway he went, narrow steps carved from the living rock, down and down.

that might signify his capture and eventual presentation to Lady Stoneheart(Or his taking the black, we’ll come back to this shortly). But what about some other things? What about his burning sword?

As he raised the sword a finger of pale flame flickered at the point and crept up along the edge, stopping a hand’s breath from the hilt. The fire took on the color of the steel itself so it burned with a silvery-blue light, and the gloom pulled back.

What about it going dark? What about only Brienne’s sword remaining alight?

The fires that ran along the blade were guttering out, and Jaime remembered what Cersei had said. No. Terror closed a hand about his throat. Then his sword went dark, and only Brienne’s burned, as the ghosts came rushing in.

“No,” he said, “no, no, no. Nooooooooo!”

Now let’s analyze this step by step. The dream describes Jaime being forced down a winding stairway. It might signify his capture by Lady Stoneheart’s men.

Below the earth his doom awaited, he knew with the certainty of dream; something dark and terrible lurked there, something that wanted him.

UnCat is using caves as their hiding spots, and she wants Jaime, fully agree. But then there is this:

I must go up, he told himself. Up, not down. Why am I going down?

Does this signify his thinking that the Night’s Watch is not worthy of him? The southron people don’t hold NW in the highest esteem, we know. And in the last Jaime chapter, we see him thinking about removing Cersei from Tommen’s court, so we know he has things to do, people to go back for. I must go up, not down, could be his thoughts as he is taken on the long journey to the north. The going up might also reflect his boyish dreams of glory and honor, and how the NW won’t be any of this. Maybe this is long shot, but there is also this:

The steps ended abruptly on echoing darkness. Jaime had the sense of vast space before him. He jerked to a halt, teetering on the edge of nothingness.

This seems like a description of the wall. Maybe this prodded journey foreshadows both his journeys, to UnCat, and then to the Wall? Maybe he doesn’t want to go down because of those pesky vows, and becauset of how hard it will be for him to desert and return to Cersei. Maybe Brienne’s stubborn ‘I swore to protect him’ will persuade UnCat to let Jaime take the black(I don’t think this is it, ‘cause in the dream Jaime doesn’t want to go). Or if Brynden meets up with her before a noose finds Jaime, he might convince her, being maybe in on the Grand Northern Conspiracy, that Jaime might be a good hostage for Jon. Too many things can happen on their way to the north, and maybe Jaime gets free of his captors. But by this time, KL has to have fallen to Aegon and the only way forward for Jaime is the wall, for he can’t very well return to a red keep being ruled by a Targaryen as the Kingslayer. Maybe Cersei brokers some deal with Aegon and explains to Jaime via a raven, sent to Bolton maybe, or to whoever has Jaime now, that he can’t come back. Maybe this explains the lines…

“Sister!” he shouted. “Stay with me. Stay!” There was no reply but the soft sound of retreating footsteps.

and:

“Stay with me,” Jaime pleaded. “Don’t leave me here alone.” But they were leaving. “Don’t leave me in the dark!” Something terrible lived down here. “Give me a sword, at least.”

… that signify his sister going away from him. The terrible thing living down there might be the Others. I doubt it is UnCat he is referring to right now, since Cersei didn’t abandon him to her, he did that himself. Just her stopping her efforts, if she makes any that is, to retrieve him from the Wall might signify her leaving him, however.

Then there is the biggest reason for me to think that he will take the black. The burning swords. ‘I am the sword in the darkness, I am the watcher on the walls. I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn.’ Of course, Beric had a burning sword. But if it is the case like Beric Dondarrion, burning sword but no black cloak, then Brienne will also have to get a burning sword but no black cloak. That is just too much, don’t you think? There is also this:

“Do they keep a bear down here?” Brienne was moving, slow and wary, sword to hand; step, turn, and listen. Each step made a little splash. “A cave lion? Direwolves? Some bear? Tell me, Jaime. What lives here? What lives in the darkness?”

The cave lion question is natural because they are under Casterley Rock. Bear, ‘cause she is facing the bear at Harrenhal. But direwolf? Why? Only because she pledged allegiance to the wolves? Or might it have something to do with the oft-repeated phrase, 'there are still direwolves beyond the wall’? She also asks what lives in the darkness. If it is just Lady Stoneheart, she already knows about that, and won’t have to ask. Maybe this is just her asking if the Other’s that the black brothers are talking about are real. Jaime’s answer is

“Doom.” No bear, he knew. No lion. “Only doom.”

He tells her doom, not as if he were speaking about his own doom, which could be UnCat, but doom in general. Also, note how he thinks no bear, no lion but not 'no direwolf’, maybe because the darkness Brienne is referring to is the haunted forest and he knows that there are direwolves there.

As for why Brienne might take the black, maybe she meets the spearwives down in the north and sees that they don’t think she’s a freak. Maybe she finds some sister from another mother down there (Gods, let it be Val). Look at how Jaime thinks of her

She was as tall and strong as he remembered, yet it seemed to Jaime that she had more of a woman’s shape now.

and

In this light she could almost be a beauty, he thought. in this light she could almost be a knight.

About her being a beauty and womanly, it might be nothing, or just his little head thinking since he gets no action on the wall. But the light that makes look like a knight maybe the black cloak she wears, or the spearwives that surround her.

Finally, about him dying. Well, there is nothing to it. Cersei says that they will die when the swords stop burning.

“The flames will burn so long as you live,” he heard Cersei call. “When they die, so must you.”

And Jaime’s does, and GRRM is careful to point out that Brienne’s remains burning, telling us that the burning swords are important. I know people want him to be the one to kill Cersei, but there is not a shred of evidence(that I’ve come upon) that puts him in front of Tyrion in the line for this job. Or maybe he will kill Cersei, somehow ending up in KL, maybe to talk to Aegon and company about the wights and the Others and then free Cersei of whatever imprisonment she is now by giving her the release of death.

Also, there is a lot about oaths in the dream. Maybe the vows of the NW. Simply put, we need a POV at the wall now that Jon is dead. Maybe Jaime will be the 999th, or the 1000th LC of NW. First LC of the Kingsguard to become the LC of Night’s Watch. There is another dream that he has in his last chapter in AFFC

…“Who are you?” He had to hear her say it. “The question is, who are you?” “This is a dream.” “Is it?” She smiled sadly. “Count your hands, child.” One. One hand, clasped tight around the sword hilt. Only one. “In my dreams I always have two hands.” He raised his right arm and stared uncomprehending at the ugliness of his stump….

This might signify the reality of his situation crashing down on him at the Wall, when he is saying his vows. ’In my dreams I was Arthur Dayne’, but he has become a crow instead. In the end, he wakes up from the dream:

He woke in darkness, shivering. The room had grown cold as ice.

Maybe this is just the fact that winter was there, or another foreshadowing. In closing, I’ll just like to add.

“No,” he said, “no, no, no. Nooooooooo!”

#asoiaf meta #asoiaf theories #burning swords #night's watch #jaime lannister #brienne of tarth #jaime is doomed lol #dying while yelling nooooo #kingsguard nightswatch #sister from another mother #valonqar

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liesandarbor · 7 years

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On House Dayne’s Rebellion Timeline and Ned Dayne’s Parentage

I’m currently working away at a mega-Ashara post that I’m hoping to give you all in the next few weeks or so, but House Dayne’s timeline has always looked just a bit wonky to me, so a while back I dove into it. Check it out at the cut.

House Dayne: the mystery house we love, and the house we are left with next to no details about. At first glance, we are left with mysteries about Ashara, Arthur, who Ashara's stillborn baby is, are they alive? Who! Are! They!

George hasn't given us much on House Dayne- and that's for a reason. When he wants to withhold information from us, boy, does he.

I don't plan on disassembling anything too important for you today (EG: Ashara and Arthur's crazy timelines will not have any real effect on why I'm here), but in analyzing all of this crazy information, I've had a few questions. Specifically surrounding Edric Dayne, his father, the "Eldest Dayne", and who in the heck his mother could be.

There's nowhere near enough text to tear apart to get answers to any of these questions, so we get to * DIVE IN * to pure speculation and any surrounding text.

House Dayne's timeline in Robert's Rebellion is very weird when you lay it out. The decade of 280 AC is wonky and power packed with birth and death.

This is where you have to buckle up friends- we're going on a wild ride

(it couldn't hurt to grab some aluminum foil while you're buckling up, either).

First, let's look into some rough estimated dates that are preconceived off textual notions and death and life of others surrounding them.

Here's the rough cut of my jib, but below I'll break down some of the assumptions.

Mom and Dad Dayne: 230-240 AC Birth, 280-287 AC Death

Eldest Dayne: 250-255 AC Birth (Lord of Starfall 287 AC - 297) 294-297 AC Death

Arthur: 255-260 AC Birth, 283 AC Death

Ashara: 260-265 AC Birth, 283 AC "Death" (based off of SSM )

Allyria: 280-285 AC Birth (rough estimate: 282 AC, but that's a whole other theory)

Edric: 287 AC Birth, Lord of Starfall somewhere in 294-297 AC

Assumed timelines:

Mom and Dad Dayne's births are assumed off of Arthur's 260 AC estimated birth, putting them somewhere between 20-30 at his birth.

The eldest Dayne brother estimated birth would put him somewhere between his parents aged 15-25 upon his birth.

Allyria is betrothed to Beric Dondarrion in 294 AC, putting her birth some 12-14 years earlier (assuming highborn betrothals occur around age 11-14, flowering same)

Eldest Dayne Brother would have been the Lord of Starfall somewhere from at latest 287 AC on, putting the Mom and Dad Dayne deaths somewhere between Allyria's estimated birth, 280 to 287 AC.

Allyria's betrothal is in 294, and the match is a very political one- marrying the youngest Dayne "sister" to a Marcher Lord. Eldest Dayne Brother probably made this match.

Edric Dayne is the Lord of Starfall as of 297 AC, putting his father's death at 294-297 AC

The Eldest Dayne didn't have an heir/Edric until 287 AC (didn't really have a need for one, until most of his family died off between 283-287 AC). He would have had Edric when he was 32-37 years old.

Notable occurrence:

We won't go into what this truly means for the text (at least not today), but Allyria being born in 282 AC would align with Ashara being "dishonored" at the Tourney at Harrenhal and possibly having a kid. Her 20 year age gap from Ashara puts the Mom and Dad Dayne between 42-52 years old at her birth - would not be surprising if they passed Allyria off as their own daughter. The timing is weird. *Anyway. Moving on.

Advantageous Political Matches: part A

Allyria was engaged to Beric Dondarrion when she was around 12. Someone had to make that match, and I'm sure it wasn't 7 year old Edric Dayne.

We don't have an established textual death date for the Eldest Dayne brother, but in ASOS, it seems like 12 year-old Edric hasn't been the lord for too long. When Allyria was betrothed in 294 AC, Edric went along as a page for Beric, making this match a package deal, and probably not his doing. Edric Dayne is 12 in 300 AC.

"How long have you been Lord Beric's squire?" She asked, to take his mind from his misery. "He took me for his page when he espoused my aunt." He coughed. "I was seven, but when I turned ten he raised me to squire. I won a prize once, riding at rings." "I never learned the lance, but I could beat you with a sword," Said Arya. "Have you killed anyone?" That seemed to startle him. "I'm only twelve."

This passage in Arya's chapter, along with several other small quotes, give us small details that help us figure out the when/where of Allyria's betrothal and Ned's squiring. But they don't give us insight as to "why" they would betroth Allyria to Beric Dondarrion, who held a castle on the Marches and was the lord of Blackhaven.

Advantageous Political Matches: part B

While every left out character in the books does not always have to "be" someone- EG, the Eldest Dayne's wife is really just Lady Dayne- I have no doubt in my mind that George has definitely written down somewhere who the Eldest Dayne's wife was, and who Ned Dayne's mom is. No, I don't think it's some 'secret' theory or person- I think there's a perfectly logical explanation that doesn't detract or truly add too much to the main narrative.

The Squire seemed nice enough to Arya; maybe a little shy, but good-natured. She had always heard that Dornishmen were small and swarthy, with black hair and small black eyes, but Ned had big blue eyes, so dark that they almost looked purple. And his hair was a pale blonde, more ash than honey.

A physical description of Ned Dayne gave me a run for my money. There were no Hightowers or Velaryons that could fit the timeline, no notable fair blonde maids born in a fifteen-year span that could possibly match up to half of Ned. While all hope seemed lost, I realized that I was looking for "who", when politically, I needed to be looking for "why".

I settled on another stony Dornish family, with what little family tree and textual evidence we have.

I settled on the Fowlers.

The Fowlers, a house sworn to Martell, highborn enough to befit a match with the heir to House Dayne. A house known for tawny maidens with blonde hair, and a house famous for warring against Marcher Lords- the first Dornish War alone in 10 AC, Lord Fowler led a Dornish host, burning Nightsong and taking hostages from the castle.

So how does it fit?

If the Eldest Dayne brother had married a lady of house Fowler, him creating a match for Allyria (and sending Edric along to page and eventually squire) could be seen as an advantageous political match to bind a Marcher Lord (Beric) to House Dayne, especially if it meant peace between house Fowler and the Marches.

*Now as we know, it wouldn't really matter, since Beric did the whole dead on and off and on thing, and Eldest Dayne died at some point, so the Eldest Dayne's political motions were quite literally dead on arrival. *

Underwhelming? Entirely. But at a glance, it fits. The biggest con/hole in my fit would be that the Fowlers are described as having yellow hair, while Edric is very much so described as having ash blonde hair. Geneology isn't VERY important in the scope of such a minor ASOIAF detail, but George did distinctly specify Ned's hair being ash blonde and not "honey".

Do I think this is 100% right/will we ever find out?Nah, probably not in the slightest, unless George eventually releases a huge encyclopedia/tome style piece with these small answers and family trees. As stated above, I definitely think Edric has a mom, and I am sure somewhere George has it written down, but it isn't very important to the narrative and the direction of the story.

I've puzzled over this timeline for ages, and found some of the crossover entirely insane and weird. There's so much speculating we can do when it comes to having a lack of information, and House Dayne is certainly fun to speculate upon!

TL;DR: The Eldest Dayne brother married a Fowler, and arranged a match for Allyria to marry Beric to make sure there was peace between the Fowlers and the Marcher Lords. Also, the Daynes have a crazy timeline.

#house dayne #edric dayne #asoiaf meta #asoiaf #asoiaf theories #mine

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dizknowzmoviezandtvshowz · 7 years

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Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 1: Dragonstone

After more than a year of anticipation, theorizing, yearning, over-analyzing, and re-watching, Winter is finally here. I want to take time to both analyze the episode, and hypothesize about what is coming next. If you haven’t watched yet, mind the meme above, Spoilers are coming.

In King’s Landing:

We see Queen Cersei, first of her name, speaking with the commander of the Lannister forces Jaime Lannister.They converse about being surrounded on all sides by enemies (Olenna Tyrell to the West, Jon Snow to the North, Sand Snakes to the South, and Dany and Tyrion to their East). Jaime points out that they have no allies, nor heirs for this new dynasty, Cersei says something about being the queen anyway and that she has an idea. During this whole conversation I thought of this...

To me Cersei is everything we feared Joffrey would be. She’s unpredictable, lacks diplomacy, and doesn’t seem to have a plan that doesn’t involve killing all who oppose her. We then get a smash cut to Euron Greyjoy pleading his case for an alliance (and a marriage which Jaime wasn’t crazy about) with the Lannisters. We hear about commonalities between the two (traitorous family members) and more importantly we hear of some of Euron’s backstory.

Maester’s Note:

Euron was a major part of the Greyjoy Rebellion which took place roughly six years after King Robert’s Rebellion. Euron and the Iron Fleet destroy the Lannisters ships and sack Lannisport (the trade hub of the west). Balon declares himself King of the Iron Islands. King Robert sends a force consisting of Stannis Baratheon, Eddard Stark, Tywin and Jaime Lannister to crush the upstarts from the Iron Islands. The end result was a Greyjoy defeat. Euron was exiled, and all but one of Balon’s sons were killed. The surviving son Theon was given to Eddard Stark as a hostage.

Now in KL Euron was not able to gain the alliance he desired initially, but vowed he would not return until he had a “priceless gift” for Cersei. What this gift may be has many fans hypothesizing. Many that I’ve spoken to think it’s going to be Tyrion, but that seems both too obvious and way too difficult (more on Tyrion later). My sister thinks it will be one of the spare Sand Snakes to go after the vengeful Queen’s heart. But I think a much more perfect target will be fan favorite Olenna Tyrell. She’s old, she has no family, she is presumably in Highgarden still, and her death will be both extremely satisfying to Cersei, and actually help their cause of feeding their troops during the Winter.

In the North:

Bran, Meera and the vastly underutilized Dolorous Edd are at the Wall. Bran mentions Hardhome and the army of the undead to seemingly convince the Night’s Watch to allow the two safe passage. Word of Bran will surely reach Jon at Winterfell and could further complicate things.

Jon and Sansa have their first argument in regards to the Umbers and Karstarks, in which ultimately Jon overrules her and forgives the children of these traitorous houses. Sansa and Jon have an extremely tense conversation about this decision. Sansa believes Jon is being too soft and seems to be channeling her inner Cersei “Be smarter than father and Robb” though if we think of their mistakes Robb killing papa Karstark for defying him and killing the young Lannister cousins, and Ned both failing to side with Renly, ordering Sandor Clegane’s death, and trusting the wrong people. Jon seems aware of this and understands the two bigger pictures. The Night’s King and the White Walker army, and another thing that reminds me of the great Tywin:

Littlefinger tries to deepen the wedge between Sansa and Jon. Tormund flirts so hard at Brienne, Lyanna Mormont shows she’s the baddest motherfucker in Westeros, but not much else of note happens in Winterfell.

In the Riverlands:

Arya continues to warm all of our hearts by killing the Frey’s and then she runs into Ed Sheeran and other Lannisters men at arms. Arya seemed surprised by how human and how likeable these men are. The novels do a great job of this with Daven and Genna Lannister while Jaime helps them take back the Riverlands. Arya vows to kill Cersei, all laugh, and I’m left longing for a Nymeria reunion. Further North, and presumably to the east towards the Vale, we see The Hound, Beric Dondarrion, my dog Thoros of Myr, and the rest of the Brotherhood without Banners heading north. We learn that their purpose is to stop the army of the Night, and they are heading for Eastwatch-By-The-Sea which will lead to the Brotherhood meeting up with the Night’s Watch, and hopefully Jon.

Everywhere Else:

Samwell Tarly is in Oldtown training to be a Maester (and you thought you had a shit job) and we learn 3 things. Jorah is being studied for his Greyscale. There is a mountain of Dragonglass at Dragonstone. Finally the Maester’s believe Sam, but they see this as no major threat as long as The Wall stands. (spoiler alert this means the wall will fall)

I’ll end this with where the episode ended it. Dragonstone. Daenerys finally walks on Westerosi soil. She’s accompanied by her usual crew. They tear down the Flaming heart of the Rightful King Stannis Baratheon, and get to work. Based on their location, I imagine them plunging further inland than marching straight to King’s Landing. I see a battle at Harrenhall coming, which would lead to a beautiful parallel with the books, and the past. It was at Harrenhall where Aegon the Conqueror scorched the great fortress during the first Targaryen Conquest.

Predictions:

We see Ellaria and Yara enjoying a smooch, then Yara demanding they march on King’s Landing...cool...more importantly we see Northern lords saying the Targaryens can’t be trusted. Another possible wedge between Sansa and Jon will come up. Will Jon mirror Torrhen Stark and be the Stark King to bow to the Targaryens? Or is marriage going to be the next most likely option? I can’t wait for this season.

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