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[curiousandsmiley]

BARATHEON BROTHERS FANCAST

A Game of Thrones- A Clash of Kings

-These three fancasts are to fit the aesthetic of characters and their presence-

King Robert Baratheon: The Demon of the Trident

With the classic Baratheon look he has heavy black hair and bright blue eyes. As we learn from Cressen Robert's beard is a wild, thick and fierce thing, which hides his double chin. His strength and size is noted by many povs and Ned estimates him as six and a half feet tall/6’6.

I have fancasted him as Clive standen in Vikings and used FaceApp to adjust his facial weight. Ned says due to his height he can carry the eight stone in the nine years he last saw him. I would’ve preferred to have added more weight on him but I’m pleased as I could get Robert in more warrior and kingly clothing I rarely see in his agot fancasts. 

Clive standen in Vikings is  32-36 (main photos are in the later age range) and Robert was born late 262 and died 298 making him 35/36 when we meet and leave him.

King Stannis Baratheon: The King of Dragonstone

Inspired by https://www.tumblr.com/jaehaeryshater/ once I saw Alessandro Fella as Germanicus Julius Caesa in BARBARIANS as stannis Baratheon- I was hooked. Going down a rabbit hole and finding what I could he has many facial expressions that stannis typically would as well as having the black hair, blue eyes and muscular frame of stannis we don’t typically see in many fancasts.

Per Cressen: Stannis is a large man—tall, broad-shouldered, and sinewy who clenches his jaw. Stannis has dark blue eyes and a heavy brow which Alessandro has:

Alessandro Fella is 32 in season one making him two years younger at the start of AGOT and three years younger than stannis in ACOK as stannis is born in early 264.

I also think this gif suits how stannis would laugh in cannon. With a tightness making it fleeting.

King Renly Baratheon: The King in Highgardern

Gaspard Ulliel in La Princesse de Montpensier

Ned describes Renly as visually Robert come again but brienne describes him as lean and lithe, Loras tyrell notes Renly being taller and broader in chest. Brienne describes Renly as having deep blue eyes as my fancast does, but Sansa describes Renly as having laughing green eyes. George R R Martin says he has blue-green eyes which change the appearance depending on the colour he wears. Sansa also notes him being clean shaven but my fancast has a bit of facial hair I couldn’t edit out. Born mid to late 277 he is younger than Gaspard’s estimated 25 age by four years. I did find period dramas he had been in at the same age of renly but the hair and facial expressions wasn’t right. He does have some great ones for an edric storm or young renly in the seige casting.

So these are my fancasts for the Baratheon brothers😃 Check put my previous fancasts including Ser Edmure Tully, Ser Jaime Lannister young and Queen Cersei Lannister.

[turtle-paced]

Do you think Cersei was serious when she told Jaime to kill Arya? Even for her it’s an incredibly stupid idea, it would mean Jaime loses his head and Tywin starts a war he would lose.

Two issues.

One, did Cersei think through the risks all the way? I doubt it. She's almost as much of a hothead as Jaime in her way.

Two, if she did think through the risks, did she believe these would be the consequences? I also doubt that. As is pretty common for Cersei, it's misogyny and empathy issues. Cersei doesn't see much value in Arya, a little girl who's not even conventionally pretty, and therefore struggles to understand why anyone else would value Arya. Cersei's experience of father-daughter relationships is her own father valuing her not for who she was but what she could do for him politically, and so she struggles to understand that Arya's father might love Arya just because she's Arya, and politics doesn't enter into it.

Then she compares the lack of value she sees in Arya and goes "but I'm the queen." A bit of a mental hurdle.

So yes, I think she was serious. Not risk-aware. But serious.

[fideidefenswhore]

On Saturday, 18 March [1554], the Earl of Sussex and the Marquess of Winchester arrived to accompany Elizabeth to the Tower. She pleaded for time to write to her sister, so winningly that Sussex gave in to her request. [...] The 'Tide Letter' was a superb performance, but it did no good. Mary [...] berated Sussex for permitting her to write.

Elizabeth: Renaissance Prince, by Lisa Hilton

[everythingieverloved]

“Early on the evening of New Year’s Day 1536 a bedraggled-looking lady knocked at the gates of the house [Kimbolton], explaining that she had fallen from her horse less than a mile away and needed shelter to recover. This was Maria de Salinas, the faithful Lady Willoughby, who had rushed up from her London property of Bas Court. News of Catherine’s illness had traveled swiftly and Salinas “thought never to see the princess again.” They had survived the terrifying sea journey to England together as young girls all those years earlier. Since then she had proved to be her closest and most loyal friend. “In all my suffering, she is the only one who gives me consolation,” Catherine had said two decades earlier. Now Salinas was determined to be back at her mistress’ side during her final hours. She acted out an elaborate charade to force her way into the house, claiming the letter licensing her to enter was on its way and begging them not to turn away a woman who had been thrown from her horse on a cold winter’s night. The men running the household had no answer to that. Salinas went straight up to Catherine’s rooms and slammed the door behind her. “And since that time we never saw her, neither any letters of her license [to come here,” reported the house’s befuddled steward, Sir Edmund Bedingfield.”

— “The Spanish Queen of Henry VIII: Catherine of Aragon,” by Giles Tremlett

[margaritiques]

But for María and the other Spanish women, Richmond must have felt like a gilded cage. Their household was kept in comparative isolation even from others living in the palace, and there was little to do but wait for the tides of fortune to turn. Not surprisingly, she was desperate to return home. She reminded her brother-in-law Ochoa repeatedly that she had no intention of remaining in England after her mistress’s marriage, and declared that ‘this is not a land to stop [in] unless necessary’. She was so unhappy that she could not bear to contemplate the glory of going home in case it did not come true: ‘I want my departure so much that I cannot receive it except as a mockery.’

On María de Salinas' desire to leave England and return to Spain once her mistress Katharine of Aragon remarried.

Excerpt from The Waiting Game: The Untold Story of the Women Who Served the Tudor Queens by Nicola Clark, published 2024.

[asoiaf-things]

This took entirely too long but its a labor of love. This is a comprehensive guide to the lordly houses of Westeros broken down by region with brief histories, traits, personalities, etc. Hopefully this will be useful! I have left out background on the Targaryens as they are the main characters through the series there is a lot of information regarding them. That being said if you'd like more info on any houses I'm more than happy to put out more information. Also if you would like information on any knightly houses, unassigned houses, or extinct houses let me know.

Again this is roughly through the reign of Maekar I

I will likely do a graphic on the Age of Heroes as that is referred to a lot in this guide with houses descending from the First Men. If yall need clarification on anything again let me know

Hope yall enjoy!

If yall made it this far send me some asks! Lets talk about characters and interesting houses. Ask me what my favorite houses are!

[ghostinwinterfell]

“she was a good girl, and always remembered her courtesies” as 11 year old sansa stark smiles through a bloody lip and lowers her eyes and thanks her tormentors…gotta be one of the most evil chapter endings in the whole series.

[tiredeyes1]

Faith determines how you find your Soulmate AU

Depending on which god you believe in, there will be a different way to find your Soulmate.

For those who believe in the Old Gods you dream of your future soulmate.

For those who believe in the Seven depending on which you tend to pray to the most you can get a different blessing.

For the Father you gain strength just from being near your Soulmate.

For the Mother your wounds heal faster when you are together.

For the Warrior you get a tattoo of your Soulmates favorite weapon.

For the Crone you share the one talent you take the most pride in.

For the Smith you can draw pictures on your skin and they will appear on your Soulmate skin no words.

For the Maiden you hear your Soulmates favorite song when they are near you.

For the Stranger when your Soulmate dies there ghost appears by your side.

For those who believe in R’hllor (The Lord of Light) when Soulmates touch they light up in a bright white light.

For those who believe in The Drowned God Soulmates receive each others lost items.

For those who believe in The Many-Faced God Soulmates switch bodies with each other once both their Soulmates are of age.

For the Old Gods of Valyria there Dragons were there guides who showed them who there soulmate were.

[ratgirl300]

by his parents neglected. And also maybe emtionallly by those around him? He did say about mothers neglect as well

Ugh this is such a good ask okay I've been thinking about it since you first brought it up:

When we meet Lyonel at Ashford, he is not yet the actual lord of Storm’s End. He's a knight, and the heir, but it's implied that at least his father is still alive. His parents are not at the tourney, and while it makes sense that they would be busy governing the Stormlands, there is no mention of them really at all. 

Let's start with the “Mother loved you best” line. I happened to be rewatching that episode when I was typing this, and seeing it again the statement seems kind of strangely out of the blue. Obviously, it's both a reference to the Mother and how she ties into the whole episode, and also foreshadows the fierceness in which Maekar fights against him, but the actual line itself seems like it comes out of nowhere unless you understand exactly what Lyonel is talking about. Baelor knows what he means immediately- he’s seen the way it affected his most beloved brother- but to everyone else there it kind of seems like… what? How is that important right now? Lyonel even makes a face that has this sort of miserable understanding to it, like he knows what it's like to want something that badly, like he needs to prove himself in any way he can. 

Another tell of possible neglect is the way he displays himself. Lyonel’s larger than life, big and strapping, this formidable warrior who will do anything to be the center of attention. Dancing on tables, an antlered crown and helm, even the epithet “The Laughing Storm” invites the idea that he is as extroverted as can be. While part of that is just him, that Baratheon wildness, another part of it comes from wanting to be seen and heard. If someone is ignoring you, becoming the loudest, brightest, grandest person in the room forces them to focus on you. It borders on reckless, sometimes; the pursuit of a good time mixed with the need for an audience for his theatrics. When asked why he joined Duncan for the trial, his answer was basically, “Well I couldn’t miss it!” paired with a joke. He says it in a way that implies he’s not worried. The casual flippancy fits in with the idea that he’s putting on this act of a true, brave warrior, one a Lord father might be proud of. 

In regards to people ignoring his feelings: I think it's pretty common for people who come off as social, loud, and thrilling to be treated as if they aren’t someone with serious emotions. Take Daeron for example, he is an obvious mess and shows real signs of depression, among other things. There’s no question that someone would immediately assume he needs help, Maekar probably has him on 24 hour watch post trial, but Lyonel is almost the opposite. He’s strapping and healthy, boisterous and animated. It's probably safe to assume the other knights and lords he hangs around are not even considering him to be somber or overcast or pensive; all normal emotions for people to have but not something Lyonel is showing on his sleeve. It's much easier to pretend nothing bothers you than to think about the fact that no one cares enough to ask. 

There's that bit where Dunk first sees Lyonel in his tent; he’s trying to get people’s attention to talk about something historical, but he can’t get anyone’s attention. We see a moment of frustration there, almost like it's typical that people love to be around him for the good times- the wine, the women, the dancing, the gold- but when an actual genuine subject gets brought up, all his friends are gone. 

Maybe Lyonel likes the fact that you really see him. That you’ll sit in his lap after a long day, kiss his face, pet his hair, and ask him how he is. And when he says he’s “just fine,” you push for a real answer. That's what does it for him; not that you asked, but that you want to know the truth. Sometimes just having someone to gossip and complain with, who will listen to your problem, and already know what kind of response you want. 

The first time you pry into his feelings, he is certainly confused. With the lack of comfort from his family and the carelessness of his friends, he’s never had to share his emotions with anyone and isn’t really sure what to say. If he says too much, goes too deep, too far, will it scare you away? Will you think him weak, less of a man? Of course you don’t feel that way, but for someone who hasn’t had the opportunity to be doted on in that way, exposing your thoughts sucks. I don’t think he’s really sappy or a crier or anything like that, and he’s not depressed, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have strong emotions, positive and negative. He’s let them stay bottled up for so long, it kind of all comes out at once when he finally lets you in.

Lyonel just wants you to know him, as much as he knows you. Remember how he sat with Dunk, listening to his problems the night they met. It was already an intimate conversation and they barely knew each other. This kind of shows how much he craves actual connections with people. He loves learning about people, and secretly wishes someone would want the same for him. 

[curiousandsmiley]

Reminded me of this from ACOK

“Look at me!" he would shout as he ran laughing through the halls of Storm's End. "Look at me, I'm a dragon," or "Look at me, I'm a wizard," or "Look at me, look at me, I'm the rain god." The bold little boy with wild black hair and laughing eyes was a man grown now, one-and-twenty, and still he played his games. Look at me, I'm a king, Cressen thought sadly.

[themakeupbrush]

JoliPoli

[halewynslady]

Merlin 1998

[turtle-paced]

is Ned the only person Robert loved?

I think Robert loved Jon Arryn too. But that's it.

Robert is the story's first notable rejection of the idea that love alone can fix emotional problems. Robert himself thought love would fix his personal issues, fixating on Lyanna as the representation of his ideal wife and ideal life - and never truly appreciating that he already had people who loved him and were trying to do the right thing by him. And, consequently, that the problem was him.

Robert's big fatal flaw is laziness (not his only flaw, of course, just the specific one that dooms him). He was not willing to commit to loving other people as a practice and a discipline. Easier to pine over what's already lost than to try and build something new. Easier to reminisce with Ned over Lyanna than it was to face up to his responsibilities for Ned's sake (and the realm's sake). Robert did not want to do the work of reciprocating.

Ned's love for Robert was as real and selfless as you can get. (And no less for being platonic!) What he wanted from that relationship was for Robert to be the best version of Robert. Nothing more. But also nothing less.

Robert did not see the value of that love and wasn't willing to put in the effort to return it in kind. The feelings were there, but the commitment wasn't. If you only get out of a relationship what you put in... well, Robert wasn't putting in anything. Little wonder he wasn't getting the returns he wanted.

[st-just]

A character trait/dynamic that I'm endlessly compelled by is someone dealing with (or, like, failing to) being the child of people who were too busy being good people to have the time and attention to be good parents. This can be anywhere from 'was a public defender who gave a shit working 60 hour weeks with basically no vacations' to 'left their family behind to join the revolution/war effort and is now a universally beloved martyr-hero who saved/remade the world with their final breath' on the groundedness spectrum. The important thing is a viscerally felt but confused and ugly mess of longing, resentment, and guilt about feeling the resentment.

[cozyvu]

via cozyvu

[alicewiththreefingers]

[themakeupbrush]

JoliPoli

[marwyn]

There are some lines of Baelor’s in the novella that I really wish the show had included, such as the following:

Maekar would never admit as much, but I believe it was his secret hope that his sons might outshine mine in this tourney.

And yet, the show does work with a similar thread:

This isn’t very realistic—in the books the herald would certainly use Maekar’s titles (Prince of Summerhall, etc.), but of course books and visual media are not the same; and on an extradiegetic level, I think it was a pretty clever way of translating to the screen the following sentiment from the novella (as it’s conveyed there via Dunk’s internal focalization rather than spoken aloud):

Maekar was said to be a redoubtable warrior in his own right, though ever in the shadow of his eldest brother.

This theme makes Maekar’s accidental kinslaying all the more poignant to me—he finally moves out of “the shadow of his eldest brother,” but in a horrific way that he “bitterly regretted” for the rest of his life, and for which—according to his son Aemon—he viewed his eventual kingship as a “punishment”:

And my father … he never thought the throne would pass to him, and yet it did. He used to say that was his punishment for the blow that slew his brother. I pray he found the peace in death that he never knew in life.

[debustee]

Elia with her babies💙