Hi, Aliandra here. Lots of food for thought in your last reply, thank you so much! You have now made me very curious about Maester Pylos. I don’t know that I’ll be writing you Loras/Pylos…but I don’t know that I won’t either. ;-)
I do like your headcanon that Tanselle from The Hedge Knight might be related to the present-day Martells (c.f. the widow’s peak), especially with Rohanne confirmed as having married into the Lannisters. Dunk really gets around, doesn’t he? (We love him so.)
I’d be curious to know if you have any particular headcanons regarding the relationship between the Hightowers and the Citadel, or any things you especially enjoy seeing in fic that features the Citadel.
Hello Aliandra! Very sorry for the delay in replying, between the holidays and my other secret santa responsibilities, I’m afraid I was too swamped to do much else. Hope I can answer you well at least!
Regarding the Hightowers and the Citadel… hmm… I just think it’s super interesting that they founded the whole order back in the distant days of history, when the “pet” alchemists, wizards, healers, teachers, and wise men of a disabled but favored Hightower scion were granted an island by his kingly brother, to continue their quest for knowledge. I think it’s also interesting that they provide the most (though not all) funding for the maesters today, to the point that Lord Hightower is titled “the Defender of the Citadel”. (Among other titles of course.) Like, even in academia with major donors, it’s not usually quite that intense, lol.
Though I have the feeling today’s Hightowers don’t really influence the direction of the Citadel’s research very much – the way today’s archmaesters are so anti-magic, and yet Lord Leyton is reportedly “consulting books of spells” atop the Hightower, says there’s not that much of a connection. Though maybe it’s possible that Archmaester Marwyn, as an eldritch researcher, was protected from “the grey sheep” by the influence of Lord Leyton? Although of course it’s also very possible Marwyn could protect himself from “poison in his porridge”… but it would be interesting to think that in addition to consorting with all sorts of people down in the depths of the city, Marwyn also spent a lot of time in its greatest heights consulting with the lord of Oldtown.
As for fic that features the Citadel, I’m afraid I haven’t read that much. IIRC I’ve read a minific or two featuring Aemon when he was a student there, but those were more character pieces than anything about the Citadel itself. I tend to avoid speculative/theoretical fics about Sam’s upcoming story there, as I would much rather prefer to read only what GRRM has planned tyvm lolsigh. Though I can at least recommend @poorshadowspaintedqueens‘s excellent Alleras / House Targaryen history fic, which in addition to the joys of academia, has our favorite undercover Sand Snake maester-in-training researching a journal about the Targaryen queens written by their ladies-in-waiting, filling in so many of the terrible gaps in Fire & Blood. I love the worldbuilding and history, but I must say the backbiting comments about the archmaesters and their predilections are also a favorite. My own maester OC also has a tendency to go off about his experiences at the Citadel, though his bitching tends to be more about their medical practices and instruction than about their issues with historiography… though he’s not immune to that either. ;)
Anyway, again let me just say, whatever you decide to do, I’m sure I’ll love it. And hope you’re having a happy new year!