Peace and Sanity are Fragile Things

Indie and Selective RP blog for ASoIaF/GoT. Sideblog to lionsjustice Focused on pre-canon muses; mix of book, show, and headcanon. Main muses currently include: Balerion the Black Dread, Dacey & Maege Mormont, Kevan & Willem Lannister, Rhaella Targaryen, and Syrio Forel

[mytsitsini]

Rhaella and Naerys  – Parallels

A doomed love

Naerys:

I love him as much as Queen Naerys loved Prince Aemon the Dragonknight – A Game of Thrones, Sansa III

Rhaella:

As a girl, though… she was once smitten with a young knight from the stormlands who wore her favor at a tourney and named her queen of love and beauty. A brief thing. – A Dance With Dragons, Daenerys VII  

Married to unwanted, older brothers:

Naerys:

…Naerys wept during the bedding rather than the wedding. – The World of Ice and Fire, Viserys II

Rhaella:

I saw your father and your mother wed as well. Forgive me, but there was no fondness there, and the realm paid dearly for that, my queen. – A Dance With Dragons, Daenerys IV

Had their first child before age sixteen

Naerys:

When Prince Daeron was born on the last day of 153 AC – The World of Ice and Fire, Aegon IV

Rhaella:

there to celebrate the impending birth of his first great-grandchild, a boy later named Rhaegar, to his grandson Aerys and granddaughter Rhaella, – The World of Ice and Fire, Aegon V

Difficulty in having more children

Naerys:

Childbirth also proved a trial to Naerys, for she was small and delicate.  – The World of Ice and Fire, Aegon IV

Rhaella:

Relations between the king and queen grew even more strained when Rhaella proved unable to give Aerys any further children.  – The World of Ice and Fire, Aerys II

Their first child, a son, was rather bookish

Naerys:

Daeron surrounded himself with maesters, septons, and singers. – A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, The Sworn Sword

Rhaella:

As a young boy, the Prince of Dragonstone was bookish to a fault. He was reading so early that men said Queen Rhaella must have swallowed some books and a candle whilst he was in her womb.  – A Storm of Swords, Daenerys I   

Abusive marital life

Naerys:

“I have done my duty by you, and given you an heir. I beg you, let us live henceforth as brother and sister”. “This is what we are doing.”  – The World of Ice and Fire, Aegon IV

Rhaella:

“You’re hurting me,” they had heard Rhaella cry through the oaken door. “You’re hurting me.” – A Feast for Crows, Jaime II

Accused of infidelity by their brother-husbands

Naerys:

…the false accusations of the queen’s adultery made by Ser Morgil Hastwyck were instigated by the king himself, though at the time Aegon denied it. – The World of Ice and Fire, Aegon IV

Rhaella:

By 270 AC, he had decided that the queen was being unfaithful to him. – The World of Ice and Fire, Aerys II

 Had a daughter, Daenerys, born several years after their firstborn son

Naerys:

Another set of twins–a stillborn boy and a girl, Daenerys, who survived–were delivered by Queen Naerys. – The World of Ice and Fire, Aegon IV

Rhaella:

but Daenerys had been only a quickening in their mother’s womb. – A Game of Thrones, Daenerys I

Death in childbirth

Naerys:

Queen Naerys perished in childbed the year after – The World of Ice and Fire, Aegon IV

Rhaella:

Her mother had died birthing her – A Game of Thrones, Daenerys I

[thundersnowstorm]

Fancasts: Clémence Poésy as Rhaella Targaryen, Salma Hayek as Loreza Martell, Angela Basset as Olenna Redwyne, Blanca Suárez as Joanna Lannister, Zhu Zhu as Lyarra Stark, Janet Montgomery as Cassana Estermont, Tamla Kari as Minisa Whent, Melia Kreiling as Alys Arryn, and Michelle Yeoh as Alannys Harlaw

[lionsjustice]

Bold What Applies to Your Muse

[beforethesummer]

lionsjustice‌:

AIR. I have small hands • I love the night sky • I watch small animals and birds when I pass them by • I drink herbal tea • I wake to see dawn • The smell of dust is comforting • I’m valued for being wise • I prefer books to music • I meditate • I find joy in learning new truths from the world around me

FIRE. I don’t have straight hair • I like to wear ripped jeans and overalls • I play an organized sport • I am not afraid of adventure • I love to talk to strangers • I always try new foods • I enjoy road trips • Summer is my favorite season • I love dogs • My radio is always playing

WATER. I wear bracelets on my wrists • I love the bustle of the city • I have more than one set of piercings • I read poetry • I love the sound of a thunderstorm • I want to travel the world • I go to sleep past midnight most days • I love dimly lit diners and fluorescent signs • I rewatch kids’ shows out of nostalgia • I see emotions in colors not words

EARTH.  I wear glasses • I enjoy doing the laundry • I am a vegetarian or vegan • I have an excellent sense of time • My humor is very cheerful • I am a valued advisor to my friends • I believe in true love • I love the chill of mountain air • I’m always listening to music • I am highly trusted by the people in my life

AETHER. I go without makeup in my daily life • I make my own artwork • I keep on track of my tasks and time • I always know true north • I see beauty in everything • I can always smell flowers • I smile at everyone I pass by • I always fear history repeating itself • I have recovered from a mental disorder • I can love unconditionally

tagged by: @prphecybound​ & uh @rhaggat​ & anyone on the dash who wants to!

Tagging: It’s fun, have at it y’all.

[beforethesummer]

meta: Maege's relationship with Jorah

This took me a long time, mostly because I really just…I wanted to get this right.  Well, and then there was a bit of a hiatus in there too, oops.  But, mostly I wanted to get this right.  So, let’s go into what is blog canon for Maege and Jorah (which is obviously subject to change when interacting with Jorahs!).

The Mormonts can be a pretty abrasive bunch - especially Maege.  Jeor even insults her while telling Jon he loves her dearly.  And everything he says is most certainly true: Maege is stubborn, snarky, short-tempered, and willful.  But that’s not all she is.  Maege raised wonderful daughters, she was a strong and independent woman who raised a daughter strong enough to make it onto Robb’s Kingsguard.  Her daughters are, from what we see, as comfortable wearing dresses as mail, and she seems to have been a very good mother.

My best answer for you, is that Maege likely stepped in after the death of Jorah’s mother, and became a second mother figure to him.  She likely helped teach him how to fight, how to rule, how to be a good lord and knight in general.  She even named one of her daughters after him, not too long before Jorah was exiled, more than likely.

And for her own part, I think Maege certainly sees him as the son she never had.  The son her brother ignored and squandered, and so she took him under her wing and - in her own brusque manner - taught him what he needed to know.

In verses where she lives to see Jorah and Dany come back to Westeros - where she sees Jorah in the North - there’s a lot for her to work through.  There’s her betrayal, as if he were her own son; her relief at seeing him alive and well; her mistrust of Dany but trust in Jorah; her resentment of her own trust in his judgment…There’s a lot going on, because their relationship is so much less about their blood tie and so much more about them making a fairly broken family into something functional.

Also on a sidenote, it is 100% true that Jorah and Dacey sparred and played together when they were kids, I don’t make the rules.

[beforethesummer]

Jus some Balerion edits under the cut!

Yes, he blacl with blue undertones; I like me some blue boy.

[beforethesummer]

Guys I made a baby and an adult Vhagar edit!

The adult one is gonna go on my muses page, honestly, but!!  This is proof of concept!  Now to try to get some Meraxes and Balerion...Balerion will be my Great Hurdle.

[lionsjustice]

So, quick semi-hiatus update: I was gonna get some drafts done this last weekend, and actually be productive after my family’s big house project.  Except, it turns out that an old wrist injury got inflamed from the work, and I can’t use my left hand for much, including typing.

So, until I can take my brace off and actually use my left hand, guess I’m on a semi-hiatus.  I can read the dash, but typing hurts a lot, so.  I just gotta wait this out.  Hopefully this’ll only be a few days.

[viragotic]

           “ Och, Visenya, will you not wipe that frown of your face, already? You look so huffy. ” Though the youngest out of the three, one could claim she was also the boldest. After all, it was her who reached out to the moody dragon and then, physically, pushed the corners of the woman’s mouth back up, the result a sight comical enough that it made Rhaenys grin from ear to ear. 

          “ There, I much prefer this look. The frowning should be reserved to Aegon. ”

sc. ( accepting ) | @beforethesummer

[beforethesummer]

           The eldest of the trio looked at the youngest, raising one silver brow at her sister.  Rhaenys was bold, vivacious....full of life in every way that mattered.  Rhaenys was, in many ways, the opposite of she and Aegon both - in different ways, perhaps, but opposite all the same.

           After a moment, Visenya’s smile became real, and she even chuckled softly at her sister’s antics. “Perhaps ‘huffy’ was my intention, sister dear, and you have ruined the effect for us all,” she countered lightly, indigo eyes flashing with mirth.

[viragotic]

                “ Don’t look at me like that, Vhagar. ” Dragonrider chided, lips pursing slightly, a spark of mischief brewing in violet gaze. “ I would not truly want you to roast my brother. Only slightly simmer - you and I both know he deserves that. He just had to be so incredibly difficult. Wields sword and cock with much bravado, but knows so little about the weapon that is the spoken word that I would rather he keeps his mouth shut, sometimes. Either way, it would not do him too much harm - after all, we Targaryens can handle the fire. What do you say, hm? ” 

sc. ( accepting ) | @beforethesummer

[beforethesummer]

         Vhagar rumbled low in her throat, head tipping in amused doubt.  Oh, Aegon Targaryen would be well-immune to her flames, of that the dragon had little doubt.  But after a moment the bronze monster rumbled again, and lay herself down a little, amused.

      “And what has he done this time, my friend?  I am sure Balerion will delight to hear.”

[racefortheironthrone]

Not sure if you’ve been asked this before, but for a lady in waiting at the royal court where would she sleep & live? Like were there bedchambers specifically for them or did they just wind up wherever?

Good question!

The whole point of being a lady or gentleman in waiting is that you were physically proximate to the royal you were waiting on, so that if they needed someone to serve them, whether that was helping them dress, keeping them entertained, handing them stuff the moment they asked for it, or even more intimate assistance - you were on hand so that they didn’t have to wait, ever. 

To that end, generally there would be a set of rooms or apartments near those of the royal that would be set aside for their close companions. These rooms were a major part of the compensation package that came with the office, and which room one got - with the best rooms being closest to the royal and those furthest away being the least desirable - were a very visible sign of one’s favor and influence.

In addition, it was usual for a royal to have a companion share their sleeping chamber - sometimes in the royal equivalent of a pull-out bed, sometimes in the same bed - so that if they woke up in the middle of the night they didn’t need to ring for service. 

[opinions-about-tiaras]

In an ASOIAF context, a very good example of this is from Alayne I, AFFC:

As the rising sun came streaming through the windows, Alayne sat up in bed and stretched. Gretchel heard her stir and rose at once to fetch her bedrobe.

Alayne is sharing her rooms in the Eyrie with a maidservant whose entire job is to do things like hear her wake up and immediately begin waiting on her and seeing to her needs.

Cersei and Lady Merryweather is another good example. It tends to be overshadowed by the more prurient elements of that chapter but it would be entirely normal for a Queen to have a highborn lady companion sleeping in the same bed as her.

In a more practical note: sometimes it was literally a good way to keep warm. Those old English buildings could be terribly drafty and cold and another body in the bed in the dead of winter could be quite the benison.

[warchaplain]

Warrior by mind, might, and soul. 

[daenerysjontargaryen-blog]

VISENYA TARGARYEN

[moonlightsdreaming]

GAME OF THRONES: An Animated History of the Seven Kingdoms Conquest & Rebellion - House Arryn, Kings of the Vale

The Vale of Arryn was the last of the great kingdoms left. Old and proud, House Arryn did what they always did in times of strife: they shut the Bloody Gate, sealing off the Vale. Then, the Queen Regent Sharra of House Arryn retreated with her son, the boy king Ronnel, into the Eyrie, their family’s impregnable fortress. From the top of their mountain, they could look down on Westeros far below, its problems hidden beneath the clouds. But one day, Queen Sharra entered the outer courtyard to find her young son sitting on the knee of Visenya Targaryenand ogling her dragon, Vhagar, beside her. Just as he asked for another cake at dinner, little King Ronnel asked his mother if he could ride on the nice lady’s dragon. Visenya smiled at Sharra. So, Sharra imagined, did Vhagar. Remembering her manners, Sharra asked if she could have Visenya brought some wine or food, she must be tired after such a long flight. But Visenya demurred. Bored with his mother’s pleasantries, Ronnel demanded an answer. Poor boy. He didn’t even understand the question. Sharra hesitated for a moment, then asked Visenya, as a mother, if it was safe for the boy. Visenya assured her it was. What choice did Sharra have? Whilst her son circled the castle, she collected his little ringlet, her own regent’s coronet, and the ancient Falcon Crown of Mountain and Vale, which the Arryns had worn for thousands of years. Ronnel had taken to the sky as a king, but he landed as a lordling. Perhaps he considered his ancient rights a fair trade for a few minutes of flight, as a little boy would. More likely he didn’t even notice the three crowns at Visenya’s feet or recognize the swords of his garrison beside them.

[moonlightsdreaming]

GAME OF THRONES: An Animated History of the Seven Kingdoms Conquest & Rebellion - House Lannister, Kings of the Rock & House Gardener, Kings of the Reach | THE FIELD OF FIRE

When King Loren joined his forces to Mern of House Gardener, King of the Reach, they had the mightiest army in history, a so-called “iron fist” to break the would-be conqueror. But while an iron fist can smash a man’s face in battle, you’d look silly hunting birds or beasts with it, and Aegon had a creature that was both. The kings had never even seen a dragon, let alone fought one. They had fought each other for thousands of years, and victory always went to the larger army. Surely a force five times that of Aegon’s could manage one dragon. But Aegon arrived with three. Still, the Lannisters and Gardeners hoped for victory. The battlefield they chose was a wide plain with firm ground and clear skies. Perfect for archers and mounted cavalry. But neither of the kings spared a thought for why the ground was firm. There had been no rain for a fortnight, which meant all the wheat and grass on it were bone-dry. Perfect for dragons.

[beforethesummer]

prphecybound‌:

            Silver king had become accustomed to the ways of dragons. They were not like humans ( how could they be, when they were so far from one? ), but they loved the same. Through the connection between the two of them, he could feel a warmth Rhaegar could only take as fondness. 

            “ Was your hatching so difficult, then? ” He had watched the fires from which his sister had emerged with anguish - but the dragons had hatched already once the smoke cleared up. She’d had no wounds to be seen. He imagined Balerion’s rider then - his sister, but with more height to her. The corners of her mouth turned down. “ She seems like someone I would have enjoyed knowing. ” They shared sadness, and dreams. And the never-ending search to find something to smile about.

            “ I imagine it was not quite the flight you had in mind, was it? ” Fleeing. With good reason, and he did not condemn his ancestors, but that is what it had been. Running from the storm. It had allowed him to live, to be here today - and to fail their legacy. “ Would she… Would she be ashamed, of what I’ve done? ” What I cost our family, our land?

          The dragon was quiet, thinking over the long years.  So much had happened between his first moments and these...so much pain and grief.  So much joy.  He had changed so much, mind growing from a simple, merely intelligent beast to...well.  Perhaps it was self-aggrandizing to say he was so wise and intelligent now.  He liked to think he’d learned in a few centuries.

        “My shell was hard as obsidian, and as sharp.  A reflection of what I could become...but not yet free of my egg, my scales were soft.  Little more than thin leather.  The shell hurt me, and she could not bear to hear me cry out.  I bled greatly in my first hours, and might have died of exhaustion had she not aided me.”

           After a moment, the beast shut his eyes, another ‘shrug’ rippling down their bond. “I did not truly understand what was going on.  Why we had to leave.  Human concepts are...difficult to grasp, before a true Bond has been formed.  It was not until she took to my back that I understood what she meant, why we had to leave...and the joy of sharing my world with her was far stronger than anything else.  Our homeland would be lost...but I yet had her.  That was all I cared for.”

          Balerion cracked an eye open at the last, however, a chiding rumble reverberating through his chest.  To another it might sound as genuine anger, but it was no more annoyance than it was a breath of fire.  Only an old, tired scolding, even as the dragon drew himself closer to his Rider.

        “Hear me, Rhaegar, and hear me well: Daenys would no more be ashamed of you than I.  You did what you could, as she did...and like her, the actions of others pushed events to a point not even the Sight could help you from.  That is all one can do.” He went quiet a moment, sighing heavily. “I have done many things in service to your House.  I have laid eggs and sired them, had Riders who cared little for the smallfolk, or who killed their kin.  I have felt the lifesblood of my own hatchlings flow between my teeth, to leave them lifeless.  This last I have done knowing what my choice - and theirs - would result in.  And I have chosen to stay loyal to cruel Riders.  She might be disappointed in me, or many of my Riders.  But not in you.”

[omginutilidades-blog]

[poeahdameron-deactivated2018022]

Thranduil’s Hair Appreciation Post [alt]