A small tidbit that I remembered! A while back, when looking through ASOIAF related art, I came across the official website of artist Paolo Puggioni. He did the Tourney at Harrenhal piece for The World of Ice and Fire. While identifying the characters depicted, he talked about how GRRM was very particular about this specific art and briefed certain aspects of it to him, giving small descriptors for each character. This is some of what GRRM said:
“We’ve always imagined that the perfect image of the tourney at Harrenhal would kind of let you pick out all these figures in the stands, each with their different reactions when ‘the smiles died’. Jon Arryn and Robert and Lord Hunter joking a moment before what was happening dawned on them, Ned watching as Rhaegar was about to stop in front of his sister (who must have been seated quite close), mad Aerys glowering in the distance, Elia stiff-backed and trying to act as if nothing was wrong, Jon Connington probably looking vaguely sad (read: jealous), and so on.”
We’ve never actually gotten any indicator of Elia’s reaction to Rhaegar crowning Lyanna in the text (although we can imagine), so this is the first I’ve seen, as limited as it is. Stiff backed and trying to act if nothing was wrong. Oh, Elia. Giving nothing away, still playing her part and swallowing her humiliation as her husband disgraces her for all to witness. The dates we’ve been given tell us she was pregnant with Aegon at the time too. The argument that she might have agreed to this near unprecedented public display of humiliation has always been bizarre and baseless but this says all it needs to. Does this sound like someone who knew what Rhaegar was about to do? Someone relaxed and unfazed as her husband publicly announced his preference for another- in a world where it would ruin her- as she’s made to watch?
The moment where all the smiles died. Beautiful Elia, second on the left, watching as Rhaegar crowns another. An act so cruel that nobody could believe it was happening yet it’s still made into a romance at her expense, with her being made complicit in her own dishonour and suffering. Elia Martell deserved better.
baratheonpilled
snowghoul
germansingergirl
turnnoffyourmind
prguitarman
janainaart
titsay
