[thebrokenhelm]

ᝰ⠀ ⠀ THEBROKENHELM ⠀ ⠀ ⸻ ⠀ ⠀ is an independent, multi-para, mutuals only, canon-derivative roleplay blog dedicated to BAELOR TARGARYEN as depicted in george r. r martin’s a song of ice and fire and mourned envisioned by twenty-five year old eleanor﹙ and all of westeros, no doubt ﹚.

❝ few could doubt that baelor breakspear would be a great king, for he was the heart of chivalry and the soul of wisdom, and came to serve his father most ably as hand . . . but no man can know the will of the gods.

A STUDY IN . . . the king that never was, the burden of legacy, a prince warm and steadfast, sacrifice, a fragile monarchy, a life bartered at the end of a dynasty, the heir to the throne, the perfect son, the loving parent, a knight’s vows, an intersection of culture, duty, and political reform.

ᴵ 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐝. ᴵᴵ 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬. ᴵᴵᴵ 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬. ᴵⱽ 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞. ⱽ 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐬. ⱽᴵ 𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. ⱽᴵᴵ 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨. ⱽᴵᴵᴵ 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠.

REIGNING ALONGSIDE﹙ affiliates ﹚. . . ᴢᴀʟᴅᴀʀɪᴀꜱ + ꜰᴇʀᴀʟʀɪᴛᴇꜱ ᴍɪꜱʀʏʙʀᴇᴅ

SWORN TO﹙ mains ﹚. . . ᴅʀᴀɢᴏɴꜱʟɪɢʜᴛɴɪɴɢ ᴘᴇʀᴢʏʀ ᴀʙꜱᴏʟᴠᴇɴᴛɪɪᴀ ɢᴏᴅꜱᴇQᴜᴀʟ ꜱɪɢɪʟꜱᴛᴀɢ ꜱᴇᴠʏɴᴋɪɴɢᴅᴏᴍꜱ ꜱᴄᴀʟᴇꜱɴꜱɪɴꜱ

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all of the graphics on this blog have been made by ʀᴀɪꜱᴛᴜᴅɪᴏ, save for one set of dividers. the colouring psd used is credited to ɢʟᴏᴏᴍɢʟɪᴍᴍᴇʀ.

[thebrokenhelm]

𓂅 ⠀ ⠀ A⠀⠀WOMAN’S⠀⠀BATTLEFIELD⠀ ⠀ ?

THAT A PRINCE OF THE BLOOD MIGHT BE CONTENT WITH ONLY TWO SONS WAS FOLLY ENOUGH IN PEACETIME; that the heir to a failing dynasty did so was something closer to a death wish written in miniature. westeros, as it so often did, placed the burden of that upon women, and baelor ( . . . ) baelor would have abhorred it. be it the slow toll of successive pregnancies, or the way his wife’s suffering was absorbed into the business of succession as though it were simply the price of loving a man with a crown waiting for him. and so, they had stopped at two — an heir and a spare. the boys were made with love, of course, as all things baelor did with any tenderness were, but he had not gone hoping for a third. he had been present at both births, furthermore — a thing uncommon enough to warrant remark, for the birthing chamber was considered a woman’s battlefield, and men of rank did not generally seek entrance to it. but baelor was not any man of rank, and he would sooner have died than leave his wife to endure such pain without a hand to squeeze and some hair to pull.

[borgialucrezia]

"He was a shorter, slimmer, handsomer version of his sire, without the twice-broken nose that had made Baelor seem more human than royal. Valarr’s hair was brown, but a bright streak of silver-gold ran through it." — GEORGE R. R. MARTIN, THE HEDGE KNIGHT (1998)

[thebrokenhelm]

on a losing streak in wildrift right now and i’m damn near close to throwing my phone across the room. having said that though, baelor would definitely be from demacia had he been a part of the league of legends universe — even though noxus is my personal favourite. noting it down for a potential verse still.

[thebrokenhelm]

just wanted to say i’m not ignoring anyone here or prioritising anything at the moment — be it threads, asks, or DMs. i easily get overwhelmed by people’s expectations while writing, as well as things ooc, and i’ve been losing muse recently. i’ve been hoping to get back on track and give you all some of this old bean but it’s taking a little longer than expected. please be patient with me 🥹

[thebrokenhelm]

so i’ve been thinking about baelor beating daemon in that one wedding tourney. while baelor is strong, daemon was likely physically dominant. larger, stronger, possessing of that almost mythic martial presence that made men follow him into rebellion. in a contest of pure force, daemon would have won, but baelor would have known where to place his lance so the angle of the hit would redirect the force rather than absorb it. maybe it took daemon by surprise, leading to baelor unhorsing him. this is a 1 am thought though so i’ll be back with a better explanation and some pretty formatting in the morning.

[ntrgyn]

❝ she knelt in quiet devotion, as if prayer might soften the sorrow the gods had written into her soul ( . . . )

( . . . ) ⠀ ⠀ NTRGYN ⠀ ⠀ ⸻ ⠀ ⠀ an independent, multi-para, mutuals only, canon-derivative roleplay blog dedicated to NAERYS TARGARYEN, as depicted in george r. r martin’s a song of ice and fire and envisioned by twenty-five year old eleanor. oc and cross-over friendly.

[thebrokenhelm]

how much can you truly endure before the weight of it all finally tips you over the edge? for someone like baelor, the strain would likely not break clean, but seep inward, manifesting in occasional panic attacks.

[thebrokenhelm]

❝ I CAN’T HELP BUT LOVE YOU, EVEN THOUGH I’VE TRIED NOT TO. I CAN’T HELP BUT WANT YOU. I KNOW THAT I’D DIE WITHOUT YOU.

@dragonslightning

[machy-march]

"I can still recall our last summer"

[thebrokenhelm]

if baelor had lived to see lyonel’s little rebellion this would have been his reaction btw:

[thebrokenhelm]

𓂅 ⠀ ⠀ THE ⠀ ⠀ HONOURABLE⠀ ⠀ .

perfection is not in the nature of man — but if it ever took shape, baelor targaryen would wear it like a motherfucking crown. a knight without cruelty and a prince without vanity, he carries himself with honour as if it’s on instinct rather than choice. he’s much like his father in that regard. he’s the son of daeron i targaryen and myriah martell, born into the dying years of aegon the unworthy’s reign. aegon, who despised his own son, who questioned his parentage openly, and who legitimised every bastard he’d ever sired as a final act of spite. as a prince, daeron spent years navigating a father who wanted him diminished, and as a king, he inherited a realm destabilised by the impulses of his predecessor. at least daeron looked like a targaryen though. many men look upon baelor’s dark hair and mismatched eyes as a sign of his inadequacy, and considering the unknown number of legitimised bastards at risk of usurping his father’s throne ( . . . ) well. i think we can all agree it’s a lot of pressure, especially since they no longer have any dragons.

but then there’s the trial of seven, and rather than fight for his nephew — or even abstain from fighting altogether — he chooses to side against his family. or, well ( . . . ) does he really? some may argue that aerion winning would have served as a more effective demonstration of targaryen strength, but is that really what they’re there for?

disgust flickered plain across baelor’s face, his mouth tightening into a grimace as his nephew drove the steel into his opponent’s steed. it’s a crude, dishonourable display of strength, and really, it does nothing but work against him.

by siding with ser duncan, however, baelor would have sided with the people. he would stand against his own kin for the sake of an innocent man. regardless of whether they’d win or not, he would be celebrated for not only his strength, but also his honour. of course, siding with ser duncan is the right thing to do, and no doubt he would have, but i don’t think the reasoning was absent either.

and maybe that’s why lyonel’s remarks lands the way it does. because baelor would have known, on some level, that it’s true. sworn to protect him, the kingsguard would be unable to take up arms against him. he himself had said as much. considering steffon fossoway’s ambitious nature he wouldn’t dare hurt a targaryen, much less the heir to the throne. that leaves the targaryens themselves — two of whom i’m certain baelor thought he could handle — and maekar, who ( . . . ) who wouldn’t have wanted him hurt if he could avoid it.

the risk was real in the abstract but considerably softened in practice, and baelor would have been clear-eyed enough to see that before siding with ser duncan. which is why when lyonel says it, he can’t refute it without sounding defensive, and he can’t really ignore it without it lingering. that’s probably why he says nothing. after all, saying nothing is better than saying the wrong thing.

for the first time, we see ❝ THE GREAT AND HONOURABLE BAELOR TARGARYEN, FIRSTBORN SON OF KING DAERON THE GOOD, PRINCE OF DRAGONSTONE, HAND OF THE KING, AND HEIR TO THE IRON THRONE ❞ upset. and dare i say he seems to be pouting a little after the ordeal. still, it’s not so much that others notice his small lapses in honour as much as it is that someone made it known. lyonel saw through him, and as if that wasn’t enough, he dared to make known what he saw. though baelor is far from perfect, he has spent his whole life trying to be, so to have someone point out his flaws as lyonel does likely stirs something ( . . . ) ugly in him.

[calledannabella]

blood

[thebrokenhelm]

i’d like to think baelor saw a little bit of matarys in dunk. while we don’t know much about him, we do know he was considered a sweet child full of promise, which . . . well, sounds like dunk to a t.

[thebrokenhelm]

𓂅⠀ ⠀ @whatsbehindthefacade⠀ ⠀ asked ⠀ ⠀ ❛ i must be strong. i must have fire in my eyes when i face them, not tears ﹙ from valarr ﹚ ⠀ .

HE BEARS A STRONG LIKENESS TO YOU, his late father had said of valarr once, and baelor finds the words returning to him now, unbidden, as he looks at his son, whose eyes are as bright with unshed tears as his own.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ ❝ i thought much the same when i was your age. ❞ it had not been him his father had seen in him then, but his grandmother — naerys ( . . . ) soft-eyed and quiet in her suffering, who had borne the weight of the world after long asking to be relieved of it. ❝ in times of uncertainty, the people look to us to stand firm, and as heir to the throne, you must. however ( . . . ) ❞ behind his back, his wrists cross, knuckles white as he clenches his fists. ❝ ( . . . ) as my son, i’d rather you did not. ❞ something in his tone betrays him as he says it. despite only being second in line to the throne, valarr had grown up with the weight of it already fitted to his shoulders. much had been asked of him, and more, still, had been taken from him. how, then, could he possibly ask him to endure it?

he sets a hand to his shoulder. ❝ you are to return to dragonstone with your lady wife, where you will be afforded your grief in private. ❞ private, in so far as dragonstone would allow for it. he would not be without his household, his servants, his obligations, but there would be fewer eyes to pretend for, and that, he thinks, is the only thing he can offer him.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ ❝ your mother will need to remain here. ❞ not only because custom demands it, but also because he could not in good conscience leave her to valarr’s keeping. MATARYS IS GONE, and grief of that particular kind — of a mother’s — is not something he could bring himself to ask his son to shoulder.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

[thebrokenhelm]

so it suddenly hit me that i’ll never see baelor on screen again . . .

[calisources]

𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐒.

All of these sentences are mostly taking by my own mind and i'm not joking. It was hard finding material quotes regarding tournaments in historical or fantasy setting. Some are from shows or media but eighty percent is all from my own mind, please give credit if use these. Change pronouns, names, locations as you see fit. All of these involve the medieval event of a tournament and what happens around them.

I fear I am already bending far too many rules just by taking you, my young princess.

Show me your hands, you will have blisters soon.

Lady Eglantine doesn’t believe in love, only lust.

In the world of competition, only the strongest shall prevail.

A true champion is not defined by their victories, but by the obstacles they've overcome.

Victory is sweetest when it's earned through sweat, hard work, and determination.

Will you not participate in the tourney, my lord? 

May I have the honor of wearing your favor today, my lady?

Good luck to you, my Prince.

The tournament is not just a test of skill, but a test of character as well.

Is it always this bloody? Will those poor men die? Someone must see them.

I want him to wear my favor.  Only him. 

If he wins, the knight has the right to name his Queen of Love and Beauty. And at the feast, they shall dance.

Be careful. A tourney is a grand place for courtly love, but also, for blood to rise and affairs to appear.

Call me what you like, say I'm without honor, I don't care. I'm not getting on any more horses to whack you people with a stick.

Kings may be chosen by God, but they still make the mistakes of men.

When even those who rule can sink this low, it is not possible to change anything.

It's my lucky charm, be sure to bring it back to me.

My favorite blue ribbon. Take it.

It will bring you good fortune and you will return from joust unharmed.

I was hoping to ask for the Princess's favor.

How about a kiss, for luck?

Courtly love was the culture around the performance of love at court.

And now, rather than admit these feelings, you're dancing around one another with this mind-numbing and frankly boorish mating ritual.

The knights take on the duties of shadows with pride.

Whoever wins the tournament, shall become the prince/princess’ new betrothed.

You want to marry my daughter? Prove yourself worthy.

Petyr survived only because I begged Brandon not to kill him.

When Petyr heard of my engagement, he challenged Brandon to a duel. 

You do qualify to marry my daughter.

What matters most is who she will give her favor to. 

Her face is one that can create dynasties or crumble empires.

I was hoping for a word before you rode on the tourney, my Prince. 

My brother is the one competing against you, please be gentle with him.

The games are done for the day, please, feast and drink as you wish. 

You have been staring all day, my lord. I was beginning to wonder if I had something in my face.

Any damsel that's in distress - she'll be out of that dress when she meets Jim West.

Great men do not seek power... they have power thrust upon them.

My daughter seems. . .infatuated with you. I have yet to see why.

The princess is naive and thinks any man who is kind means well. A tournament will only show her the reality of life.

You honor the arena with your combat. May your swords and shield preserve the peace.

In the songs all knights are gallant, all maids are beautiful, and the sun is always shining.

I will be brave for Princess Pea.

As a squire, your first duty is to your knight’s armor. Your knight’s armor is more important than your own life. 

You will be knighted and you will have earned your knighthood.

You are hurt. At least let me tend to your wound.

The men laugh and fight and the ladies search for husbands.

Nothing like a good tournament to find a husband, or a companion for the night. 

Rumors are always spread with ease in these.

Can I have your daughter for the rest of my life?

You say I'll never get your blessing till the day I die.

We're married now, but we still haven't told your dad. This is the right time.

Are you promised to someone?

My sister's getting married. It's a love match. A rare thing. I’m not so lucky. My husband is to be chosen by who can hold a sword the longer.

Why can’t women participate in the games?

There are games for the ladies, Your Grace. But they are less. . .gruesome. And of course, the dancing.

Princes and Princess all over the realm and across the sea are coming for this event. You must shine brighter.

Let me help you with your armor. It appears loose.

As I promised, I return your favor to you, my lady. 

The Prince never loses a joust. He will crown his queen and then all will be well.

I do not understand the appeal of this. 

I spend days making these favors, let me stay a little longer.

My lady, I do not need your favor to win, but perhaps, a kiss of good faith. 

I do not care who wins these games, your hand is already arranged for another.

Men are scoundrel, specially when blood runs hot after a good battle, stray away from them.

These games are done in honor of the king’s heir.

The lord’s daughter is said to have bloomed, and the man chooses to announce it like this. 

A tournament is for men to boost their strength, fathers sell their daughters like mares and for affairs to happen.

I saw you on the stands today, my lord. But you did not participate on the games.

My brother wishes to dance with you, my lady. He is all too shy to ask himself.

You were injured. Have you allowed someone to heal them or are you too stubborn to let them?

Princess, you must not stray too far away. 

Mother is too drunk and annoyed to care, she won’t mind.