#capabilities as heir and he was the lord commander of the kingsguard now

[halfyearsqueen]

chrysanthemum: how does your muse express romantic love? how do they feel about love as a concept ?

@carnagebled : BOTANICAL HEADCANONS.

she’s a very physically affectionate person overall, it’s definitely? the love language she gives the most. but when it comes to romantic love, it’s built with a trust that is ? integral for her when it comes to expressing those feelings. there has to be a level of closeness and trust in place for her to feel so comfortable about being forward with those gestures. she is somebody who's lived the better part of her teenage years having her sexual experiences and sexuality scrutinized and weaponized against her ( mushroom even brags about sa'ing her during the blackwater bay ' lessons ' she had supposedly underwent ) and like ? she's almost afraid to make the first move where that is concerned because she doesn't want her intentions to be misconstrued and made into something that they were not, and often into something that is a lot more explicit as well.

there has to be that ? security in her environment, security and the comfortability with the other person, for her to express romantic love physically. but like barring the lust aspect of it, and the want for physical intimacy, she also ? wnats that closeness to be there because she holds a lot of value in the idea of her so being comfortable with her as well. being able to lean on her, being able to relax with her, she wants to be that shelter for the person she loves. whom she also ? would gladly spend every hour of her limited free time with. quality time is also a very big one for her because that's ? something that is very intimate, and very ? telling on how much her company is valued and how. spending all of their time with her is because she is what is precious to them, not what her position could gain them. she's ? somebody who's been in politics and around politics since she was very small, words only mean as much to her in the personal sense, as deeds that back them up. and honestly she wants ? genuinely all she wants is to love and be loved freely, without feeling like the aspect of physical intimacy is something to be ashamed of, or is something that is bound to be under attack.

she's of two minds when it comes to love. like she's come to accept what she can conceivably expect as princess of dragonstone and the king's eldest daughter - and that when it comes to marriage itself, it is likely not going to be her choice. and that it is very important for the king and his council to approve of whoever she was going to make king consort. because potential problems could arise from that which could lead to even more impediments that call into question her worthiness for the position that she has and the place she hopes to fullfil. she knows that it is that way for all nobility, and that rhaenyra's hardly the only one who's had to come to terms with the fact marriage is a wholly political arrangement. but that doesn't stop her from finding someone, on the tour she went on in 112AC, though. part of her knew, her match wasn't going to be wholly her choice. the romantic in her couldn't really help herself trying. and she wasn't ? she wasn't told before the arrangement between her and laenor was set. that was something she was wholly blindsided by and it ? was a very brutal reminder for her that she might be princess of dragonstone, she might do all she can to be a worthy heir, but at the end of the day she's still a woman. she feels ? extraordinarily lucky to have ended up with laenor as a partner, because he gives her a lot of freedom in their marriage she would not have had otherwise. both with how she raises their children and how she moves about court and like - she's able to explore romantic love within the confines of their marriage with someone else, and seek ' solace' with harwin strong.

which, beyond the need for children, she genuinely just wanted to feel lust and to explore lust for the first time without feeling ashamed about it, and to define her sexual autonomy wholly on her own without the imput of everyone else. she associates love, real love, with the freedom of choice. with not being ashamed of needing that physical closeness, with kindness, with gentleness. she sees love as feeling secure with someone, for feeling protected by someone. for whatever she or they need from each other, and like. love is something that can and does often guide her actions that do have a very good intention behind them but can become objectively reckless when she's acting in service of it. she thinks love is worth prioritizing, and real, true love is worth doing anything for. ultimately, she views love as a partnership. she wants someone who can stand at her side and face her very turbulent world with her without balking. she wants to be able to work toward her own ambitions, and have a partner. and she knows she needs to make concessions of her own to find someone who would willingly bear that.

#HC // #' well what about criston' i don't think she's really had a crush on him since she was twelve and alicent asked at court ' who protects the #princess from ser criston' #because like before that point she had a very fanciful idea about him and a very romantic view of ' her white knight ' and like. #she did not really think of the costs of that scandal and what that would mean if she was serious about those feelings for him which. she #was not. she was twelve #if she had felt the same way about him and disregarded what alicent had said then. her answer might have been different #she loved him and relied on him emotionally in the way that you do whenever someone spends every day and every night with you since your #formative years. she wasn't romantically interested in him at all when he asked her to run away with him. because she'd come to terms with #the fact it was asking too much of both of them ; and like. she'd only just built herself up to a place of recognition for her own #capabilities as heir and he was the lord commander of the kingsguard now #that IS fundamentally too much to give up for either of them. so she abandoned the possibility #and like she’s just ? known a lot of attempted intimidation by men via those groups at court who fixate on her sexuality / her desirability #that like ? gentleness is the most disarming quality to possess to win her heart😭 #sa mention /

[daenerysstormborntargaryen]

"Jaime Lannister sends his regards."

What does this line mean? What are the implications, the message it is trying to send? Is it a better line than the changed one in the show?

These are questions I have been asking myself as of late. Initially, I wanted to explain why I liked the show's version better, but as I thought about what the book's version meant, I started to change my mind

To be honest, the reason why I liked the show's version better for so long was because I thought it was more impactful. By saying "The Lannisters send their regards" rather than just Jaime, it made the Lannisters seem like a unified front, a great House that is not to be fucked with and not just a singular great man. It would send the message that it is not the actions of a singular person but something that will set a precedent for the House as a whole when dealing with, ultimately, people getting in their way.

But then I started thinking about why Tywin would have them say Jaime specifically. I came to two major conclusions:

1) Tywin doesn't care that Jaime is a member of the Kingsguard let alone the Lord Commander, he still wants Jaime to inherit Casterly Rock. Cersei is the Queen, just the thing Tywin wanted her to be, thus he wants to keep her right where she is. Tyrion is the heir of Casterly Rock but Tywin would rather bring the Seven Hells upon Westeros than see Tyrion as the Lord of Casterly Rock. He has always seen Jaime as the heir, his heir. When he made his vows, Tywin was pissed as all hell, at Jaime, at Aerys, at everyone. But then Joffrey set the precedent that members Kingsguard don't have to serve for life with the dismissal of Baristan Selmy, thus opening up the path for Tywin to make his wishes come true.

Several time through the series, we see the song "The Rains of Castamere" used as a threat, a reminder to any and all of what Tywin Lannister is capable of. The ruthless destruction of Houses Reyne and Tarbeck solidifies Tywin's fearsome reputation and I believe the Red Wedding is meant to be Jaime's Castamere. By giving him the responsibility, Tywin is securing Jaime's legacy almost. Already Jaime is well-known for being one of the greatest swordsmen alive, but he needs to be more of a threat, more of a foreboding presence at the back of people's minds than just someone who is pretty handy with a sword. If people believe Jaime capable and willing to do something as horrible as the Red Wedding, what else is he willing to do to protect the realm (or just his family)?

However, similar to Castamere, the Red Wedding is a huge, huge, huge political mistake. It is not a show of power, of skill in battle, of cunning or wit. No, it's a demonstration of brutality. It says to everyone else that the Lannisters will do whatever they want in response to slights, minor or otherwise. The Red Wedding especially does this. Sure, you crushed the Northern rebellion and took out a huge threat to your power, congratulations. Now no one trusts you or respects you or will want to be by your side. They may fall in line out of fear, but fear can only hold people for so long and to such lengths. Tywin os still upset, to his dying day, of the perceived failings of his father. He hated how his bannerman laughed at him, hated how a "whore" wore his mother's jewels and clothing, hated the weakness he saw. But I would argue it is better to be underestimated yet respected than feared yet reviled. When the going gets tough, who will come to Lannister aid after this? After this violation of a sacred law, Guest Right, who would ever want to be on the side of Lannister?

2) This is more of a narrative reason, though I certainly believe Tywin may think similarly, but this line is also a twisting of the knife. Cat let Jaime go and everyone and their mother told her what a horrible idea it was. Now, it's come to bite her in the ass. Had she not released Jaime, I am not entirely sure the Red Wedding would have happened but that is a whole different discussion. Fact of the matter is, she did and now she has to watch her son be murdered in front of her. How could she not blame herself? How could she not blame the Lannisters for being cravens wholly lacking honor? How could she not blame the gods for their cruelty? This line is the cherry on top of the tragedy of the Starks.

While (iirc) Tywin did not know Catelyn was the one who let Jaime go, I believe he thinks he somehow escaped on his own, I do think he would also view it in the same way. As consequence of taking his son, and of letting him slip through their fingers, their lives are forfeit. Yes, when they rebelled their lives were forfeit to begin, but I think Jaime's capture pushed Tywin to such a drastic means of dealing with them.

At his core, Tywin is a petty, vindictive person who values getting his revenge more than actually doing what is best for the Lannister name. True, he may believe this is the best course of action, but that just goes to show what an emotionally-driven, lack of forethought moron Tywin truly is. He is not clever, he is cruel. Do not confuse the two. And, much like every other Lannister, Tywin seems to believe because the Targaryens conquered and kept the peace through fire and blood, he can do whatever violent acts he wishes and history will laud him for it, but he is not a Targaryen, it does not work the same way. Targaryens for centuries were viewed as closer to gods than men, Lannisters never were held in that esteem. All he is doing is dragging the Lannister name through the mud.

One of the things that makes Tywin Lannister notorious in Westeros is told about in the song "The Rains of Castamere," which details how Tywin brought about the end of House Reyne and House Tarbeck, serves several times as a reminder and threat of what Tywin Lannister is capable of ie complete ruthless brutality. It is intended to keep people in line and to keep their noses clean. I believe Tywin wanted to give Jaime a similar reputation.

#game of throne #asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #game of thrones meta #asoiaf meta #tywin lannister #jaime lannister #got meta #a song of ice and fire meta

[leesielex]

Magic Awakens | CH 56: Varys V

Summary: Varys thinks back on the chaos of King's Landing over the last few moons, the fruits of his labor, and the many plots he has enacted to ensure the realm is ready for his king.

A Preview:

The pacing back and forth he was currently doing in the dark tunnels beneath the Tower of the Hand was wearing a path on the dragon tiled mosaic that covered the floor. Varys was unsure about the history of this specific room, though he had often wondered why it had been so intricately decorated and who had enjoyed the once beautiful space.

Now though, all he could think about was the dwarf that was currently climbing above to confront his father. If this should go poorly the Spider would lose his own head and it would destroy the plans he had cultivated for decades. He should have knocked the imp out and left him here while he escaped on his own.

His nerves were shot. He wanted to shout in his frustration. Jaime, what have you done? What had he, himself done?

It seeemed like the gods smiled upon him when the wayward brother returned to the Red Keep. Another pawn for Varys to use for his plans to cause chaos within the ruling class from within. Jaime Lannister came back different, with his missing sword arm and his experiences away enlightening him to Tywin and Cersei’s true characters.

One of his little birds had overhead the twins’ reunion, which had been terse, though they still fucked like Targaryens. Naturally they also filled him in with the meeting of father and son, Jaime advocating for Tyrion but falling on the deaf ears of his father who was just glad to be rid of the shame of an imp for a son. It ended with Jaime storming out, declaring he would never be heir of Casterly Rock as his father wished, he had sworn vows and would not leave the Kingsguard.

Varys perfectly timed it so he just happened to run into Jaime a few moments later with a solution to save Tyrion. It was plain to see the imp would confront his father and so Varys set him upon that path. Killing Tywin Lannister was important in the conquest for the Iron Throne if they ever wanted to wretch it from the lions.

But as with most of his plans lately, it quickly got away from him, veering off from the course he had carefully orchestrated. Something had happened between the two brothers as he freed Tyrion from the black cells. That much was obvious from the dwarf’s pained expression and the lack of the one handed Lord Commander of the Kingsguard meant to accompany him.

The Kingslayer was supposed to escort his brother to him, and instead handed him the keys and left. Like many of his plans recently, this one had not gone as he wished. Tyrion had been accused and found guilty of the murder of King Joffrey, though Varys knew he was innocent. Cersei had been just as happy as her father to have a reason to finally dispose of the imp.

Though the Queen Mother possibly truly believed her brother’s guilt, Tywin knew he was innocent. It was a plot between Littlefinger and Lady Olenna, long in the making, since the Queen of Thorns had found King Joffrey to be cruel and vicious. He was not capable of love or kindness for anyone, certainly not her beloved granddaughter, the future Queen.

Olenna would do what was necessary to protect her granddaughter. Mace Tyrell was power hungry and adamant that his golden rose would be Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. While Olenna was just as eager to elevate her house, she could not sway her son from all his pursuits of power. First he wedded the girl to Renly, a man more likely to bed her brother, Loras, than the beautiful young Margaery. When that failed, he moved on to Joffrey.

But everyone knew Lady Olenna was truly the head of the household, and Tommen would be a better option for Margaery. Tommen was sweet, kind, and still a boy. He would be easy to manipulate with Margaery’s charms, and most importantly, would not abuse and torture her.

Littlefinger’s motives were less obvious. As a boy he had a fondness for Sansa’s mother. Whether it was love or vengeance for Lady Catelyn and the treatment he had received due to his infatuation, was something still to be determined.

After the humiliation Petyr had served at the hands of Brandon Stark, Lord Baelish had been as instrumental as Varys was in the destruction of the Targaryens and more so in the Starks. The slimy man sowed chaos in his wake and clawed his way higher each time. This time he would become Lord of Harrenhal and gain control of the Vale.

Varys received word from his spies in the Eyrie that Littlefinger had been corresponding with Lysa, and had visited a time or two. A boat had been prepared and poor Ser Dontos was the patsy to spirit Sansa away. The poor girl didn’t make it though. Varys was surprisingly sad about that. If Aegon failed to seduce Daenerys and make her his wife, mayhaps Sansa would be an excellent match.

She was a beautiful and meek thing, educated in how to be a perfect lady, the kind of woman Aegon could use by his side. He could swoop in to save her from her imprisonment and secure the North. A smile graced his face as he stopped his pacing and fretting to picture it; Aegon upon the Iron Throne with Sansa to his right, all the lords and ladies of the realm bowing at Aegon’s feet.

Time ticked away, each moment seemingly longer and slower than the next. The possible situations that could go wrong flitted through the Master of Whisperers head the longer he stood alone. As if enough had not gone awry already, with Oberyn dead and the Mountain dying from the poison of the Dornishman’s spear.

This could work in his favor as Ser Gregor Clegane admitted to the entire crowd his heinous murders of a babe and it’s mother. He even admitted to raping Elia with her son’s lifeblood still on his hands. Varys had their own Aegon safely tucked away, ready to reveal and safe the realms.

With the mountain disposed of, he had one less person to testify the babe was truly Aegon or some whelp he switched with him. And now Dorne was even more contentious towards the Lannisters. They also held Myrcella, a royal hostage, though she was to wed Trystane, Doran’s youngest son.

The Queen mother became more unhinged and desperate each day, believing herself to be clever, Tywin with tits, but she was arrogant and did not think throught the consequences clearly. Leaving Cersei to rule as her son’s regent without Tywin to temper her was his best course of action to ensure Aegon would be a welcome change.

A creak above him had him snapping his head towards the sound as he could hear someone climbing down in the secret passages. Time stretched on, his heart beating like a hummingbirds wings, until he could see the stubby legs. A sigh of relief left his as he finally let out the breath he had been holding, feeling his entire body relax with the confirmation of Tyrion returning.

The thud as the dwarf landed sounded like a man broken and defeated and when he turned around to face Varys, his devastated face reiterated it. He waddled into the light, tears dried on his face.

The Spider gave him an admonishing look before he asked, “My Lord, what have you done?”

It was all an act, of course. The dwarf had done exactly what he hoped he would, pushed him to do even. Tyrion huffed and walked on as if he hadn’t spoken. He opened his mouth to ask the Lannister again, as he followed behind him, but just as he did the little lion spoke.

“I went to confront my father, as I said I would. He knew I didn’t kill Joffrey, yet he sought to have me killed for it anyway. When I came upon his bed, it was not my father laid upon it, but Shae. No matter, neither will scheme and plot and hurt anyone again,” the dwarf said, sounding numb.

A hysterical laugh burst forth from his chapped lips. “I shot my father with a crossbow as he sat on the privy and now I have proof. Lannisters do not shit gold, not even the great Tywin.”

Varys smirked as they came to a cross where the tunnel branched out into five different directions, though his small friend beside him could not see his amusement in the pitch black. He passed Tyrion and began to lead them in the proper direction so they may reach the ship. For years he was the Master of Whisperers, well known around the realms of men for his little birds bringing him news from every edge of the world.

The Spider spun his webs and his plans had succeeded, but lately more had fallen apart. The Targaryen girl had thwarted him at every turn and he would be back to the drawing board. This time things had gone better than he could have imagined and he hadn’t needed to do anything but plants seeds.

He merely sat back and let the others plot against the Lannisters, making the best of the situation at hand. He had known from the moment he caught wind of it all, that he could use it to his own advantage, like sails capturing the wind to propel them. Mayhaps Littlefinger truly had the way of things, chaos is a ladder.

Aegon and Viserys had begun their journey to meet up with the Golden Company. Illyrio had done his part in securing the famous sellswords. Varys had been prepared to let Tyrion die while he continued to serve in King’s Landing.

He had taken great care to remain loyal enough to Cersei and Tywin, so as not to raise suspicion. He personally found many witnesses himself and fed them what to say to further incriminate the imp. Jaime had returned just in time though.

When he begged Varys to save his brother and help him escape, he saw a new opportunity. Tyrion had wit that surpassed most any man, and read many books. His cunning would be useful for Aegon, so he would send him to his service.

The dwarf was well versed in the history of Red Keep and Westeros, and more so the politics. Better yet, he knew the enemy, his own family and blood. He understood how they thought and what plans they would likely make and had every reason to want his revenge upon them.

It didn’t hurt that his mere presence would sow anger and dissent. Especially once Cersei found out Jaime was responsible for his brother’s great escape and in turn, their father’s murder. Varys continued to think of ways he may use this to isolate Cersei, a volatile power, emotional and short-sighted.

The biggest problem with this turn of events was Varys must now flee or hide as well. Now that Tyrion had killed his father, it wouldn’t be long before the guards found him naked on the privy. They would quickly find Tyrion had disappeared and that their Master of Whisperers was nowhere to be found.

If Jaime was intelligent enough, he would play off his own part and lay the blame at the Spider’s feet. It would be a stupid risk, and Varys did not take stupid risks. He had already planned for an outcome where he would be unable to hide his responsibility in this matter or one of his other plots were uncovered, and therefore could not return.

When they stepped up to the boat, the dwarf turned to him, expecting him to follow. Tyrion knew his days were up in the Red Keep as much as his own. But alas, Varys’ place was here, where he could be of most use to Aegon.

He would stay and continue to be the eyes and ears in King’s Landing. It was the safest way to ensure Aegon’s eventual victory.

“Varys, you can’t stay here,” Tyrion looked genuinely concerned, if not full of mistrust.

The Spider just rolled his eyes at the dwarf’s statement of what was obvious.

“No worries, my friend, I shall not stay here. Or rather, Lord Varys will not be seen in the Red Keep or King’s Landing again.”

He was certain the dwarf understood his meaning, he was a mummer afterall. And once the Lannister’s no longer held the city, he would already be in place for his King. He did not add salt to Tyrion’s wounds or mention any of his plans to him.

Though the dwarf hated his father and sister, rightfully so from what he could tell, he knew the man of short stature had a big heart and soft spot for the two remaining Lannister children. King Tommen was a plump boy of a kind and gentle nature. Princess Myrcella was just as sweet, though a great beauty like her mother.

Tyrion was another of his pawns now. The less he said to the imp, the less chance he had for him to figure it out. If anyone would, it would be the smallest lion. What he lacked in height, he made up for in wits, which were unmatched, except perhaps Varys’ own.

“Goodbye, old friend.”

Varys reached out a hand to shake the imp’s, though Tyrion refused to take it. Instead, he nodded solemnly and walked off in a daze. The Spider stepped back into the shadows watching until the ship was well on its way, hidden in the cloak of darkness and fog on Blackwater Bay.

Click here to read full story on AO3

#varys #lord varys #the spider #asoiaf #jonerys #daenerys targaryen #jonerys endgame #jon snow #fanfic #ao3 #magic awakens #a song of ice and fire

[stormxblooded]

the courts offer bread and salt to hallis hornwood of house hornwood. many say that the thirty one year old lord commander of the northern kings guard is known to be capable and strategic, though ill tongues whisper that he is arrogant and hedonistic. when his name is uttered , one is reminded of days old stubble rough to the touch, elegant blades wielded with a practiced hand, lips stained with dark red wine, vows uttered in the godswood and forgotten in the moonlight. may he be blessed and protected in this war of crowns.

BASIC INFORMATION

Full Name: Hallis Hornwood Nicknames: Hal, The Horned Knight Age: 31 Occupation: Lord Commander of the Northern Kingsguard Religion: The Old Gods Character Tropes: Pretty Boy, Bow and Sword in Accord, Frontline General, Undying Loyalty, The Ace Character Inspiration: Jaime Lannister, Legolas, Alistair (Dragon Age) Personality Type: INTJ Alignment: Chaotic Neutral Enneagram: Type 8 - The Individualist Deadly Sin: Lust Heavenly Virtue: Humility

FAMILY

Six Siblings

BACKGROUND

The Hornwoods have long been utterly loyal to the Starks of Winterfell, one of their most steadfast bannermen. It is one of the earliest lessons Hallis remembers learning - above all else, utter devotion to the Kings and Queens of the North is the pillar in which House Hornwood rebuilt their ranks. 

The previous Lord Hornwood was blessed with seven children - four sons, and three daughters. Neither heir nor spare, the question soon arose as to how Hallis could distinguish himself, how he could be most useful to the Northern Kingdom. There were two options available to him at a young age. He could become a maester, travelling to The Citadel to learn his craft, or he could become a knight and serve on the Kingsguard. Either would see him on the small council one day, and as luck would have it, Hal proved himself to be a talented athlete. His training began at an early age, and when he was eight, he was sent to Winterfell to squire with the previous head of the Kingsguard. 

Thus, Hal was perfectly groomed for the position he would one day take up. He took his vows on his eighteenth birthday, and established his name over the next few years. A tourney favourite, known as the Horned Knight for his elaborate helms bearing the moose antlers of his house, his future as the successor to The Lord Commander was a dead cert - the only problem is, nobody ever asked him if he truly wanted it. 

As suited as he was to the life of a knight, nobody ever stopped to ask Hal if it was the life he truly wanted. Whilst he was happy enough to have such things decided for him, he couldn’t deny that he wanted other things - more than being stuck in the North for the rest of his life can give to him. A hedonistic creature, and restless, too, he can often be found taking solace in the bottom of a tankard of ale, or between a woman’s thighs. 

He’s never really thought about what could have been, nor the life he could have had. There’s little that can be done about it now, and only an idiot would wish for more than what is possible to have. Hal may be many things, but he is no fool.

WANTED CONNECTIONS

open to anything and everything!

#broken.intro #my first intro was better but Tumblr ATE it #so this is a temporary one until I go back and edit

[fakexface]

Part 1

I don’t know if anyone remembers, but a few months back, I wrote out an entire AU where Rhaegar Targaryen survived, and how that ended up changing the series. So, here’s this. I’ll post it in 6 parts, because this is VERY long. But since it’s Targaryen Appreciation Month, I figured this would be a good time.  After the Battle is where my own canon starts up, and it is where I begin to take a LOT of liberties. I don’t own Rhaegar or any of these characters, I did this purely for roleplay purposes and figured hey, I put in three weeks time on making this mesh well, why not share it? And if you do end up using any of the headcanons that I used in here, please reference back to these posts. 

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 𝓣𝓮𝓵𝓵 𝓶𝓮 𝔀𝓱𝔂 𝔀𝓮 𝓰𝓸 𝓽𝓸 𝔀𝓪𝓻; 𝓽𝓸𝓸 𝓶𝓪𝓷𝔂 𝓰𝓸𝓭𝓼. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ •Prince Rhaegar was the firstborn son of King Aerys II Targaryen and Queen Rhaella. He was born at Summerhall in 259 AC, on the same day as the Great Tragedy there. As a child he read obsessively, to the point that jests were made about his habits. He became a noted warrior later in life, although he did not initially seem inclined to martial habits. However, apparently by something he had read, Rhaegar became motivated to become a warrior.

•At the age of seventeen, Rhaegar was knighted, and from all reports grew into a highly skilled and capable fighter, always distinguishing himself well at tournaments, although he seldom entered the lists - he never loved the song of swords the way that men like Robert Baratheon or Jaime Lannister did.

•Rhaegar's squires were Myles Mooton and Richard Lonmouth, and after he knighted them they remained close companions. Jon Connington, whom he had squired with, was a good friend to Rhaegar as well. Returning from a trip to Dorne, Rhaegar once visited the Connington seat of Griffin's Roost. His songs brought the castle's women to tears, while Lord Armond Connington sought House Targaryen's support against rival House Morrigen. Rhaegar's closest and oldest friend, however, was Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, trusting him more than Ser Barristan Selmy.

•Rhaegar often liked to visit the ruins of Summerhall with only his harp and when he returned he sang songs of such beauty they could reduce women to tears. Although Rhaegar was often dour, private and bookish, Cersei Lannister noted at the tournament in honor of Viserys's birth in Lannisport in 276 AC that the smallfolk cheered for Lord Tywin Lannister twice as much as for King Aerys II, but only half as loudly for Tywin as for Rhaegar. Rhaegar fought well in the tourney besting a dozen skilled knights, among them Barristan Selmy, Gerion, and Tygett Lannister but was defeated in the champion's tilt by his friend Arthur Dayne. Aerys refused Tywin's offer at the tourney to betroth Cersei to Rhaegar. Rhaegar defeated Arthur in the tourney at Storm's End.

•Rhaegar was born at a time when the Targaryen's had declined, and once he came of age, there was no sister, or anyone else of their bloodline, available for him to marry. King Aerys sent his first cousin, Lord Steffon Baratheon, to seek a bride for Rhaegar. Despite Valyrian blood still being present in Essos, Steffon could not find appropriate females of noble-enough birth for Rhaegar to wed.

•After this in early 279 AC, Rhaegar was formally betrothed to the Dornish princess, Elia Martell, the younger sister of Doran Martell, Prince of Dorne. They married the following year in 280 AC, a lavish ceremony was held at the Great Sept of Baelor. His father did not attend the wedding as he was paranoid about an assassination attempt and nor did he permit the young Prince Viserys to attend. Rhaegar and his father's relationship was straining at this point, and he and his new bride took up residence on Dragonstone instead of King's Landing. Rhaegar and Elia had their first child, a girl named Rhaenys, in 280 AC. When the babe was presented at court, Rhaegar's mother, Queen Rhaella, embraced her grandchild warmly while King Aerys remarked: "she smells Dornish". The relationship between Aerys and Rhaegar became more and more estranged.

•Elia and Rhaegar had a son they named Aegon. Elia, due to her delicate health, was bed-ridden for half a year after giving birth to Rhaenys and nearly died giving birth to Aegon, after which the maesters told Rhaegar she would be unable to have any more children.

•Maester Aemon, whom Rhaegar corresponded with via raven messages, remembers that Rhaegar believed his child Aegon to be the prince that was promised.

•When Lord Tywin resigned his position as Hand of the King and left court, the new focus of King Aerys's mistrust and paranoia was his own son and heir, Prince Rhaegar. At court, there was growing tension between factions loyal to the king and to the prince. Grand Maester Pycelle dispatched a letter to the Citadel, writing that tensions and division at court strongly resembled those before the Dance of the Dragons. Pycelle was fearful a civil war would break out unless some accord could be reached that would satisfy both factions.

•In 280 AC, Lord Walter Whent announced a tourney would be held at Harrenhal to rival any previous tournament. It is believed by some that the tourney was secretly arranged and financed by Prince Rhaegar, as a pretext, so Rhaegar could meet up with the great lords of the realm to discuss arranging a Great Council and the removal of his father. The tournament was announced by Walter shortly after his brother, Ser Oswell of the Kingsguard, visited his older brother. When Lord Varys alerted Aerys II to this possibility, the king decided to attend the tourney.

•During the great tourney at Harrenhal, Rhaegar seemed unstoppable and defeated even Ser Arthur Dayne. Taking the winter rose crown for the queen of love and beauty, he revealed his interest in Lyanna Stark by passing over his wife, Princess Elia of Dorne, and setting it in Lyanna's lap. Eddard Stark later recalled that moment as "when all the smiles died". The next year, Rhaegar seemingly kidnapped Lyanna, for reasons unknown. This act ultimately triggered Robert's Rebellion and the downfall of the Targaryen dynasty.

•Some believe that Rhaegar spent the beginning of Robert's Rebellion, also known as the War of the Usurper, with Lyanna Stark at the tower of joy in the Red Mountains of Dorne. King Aerys sent Ser Gerold Hightower, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, to retrieve Rhaegar. Leaving Ser Gerold, Ser Arthur Dayne, and Ser Oswell Whent at the tower, Rhaegar returned to the crownlands and took command of the Targaryen army after the defeat of his friend Jon Connington in the battle of the Bells. Ser Jaime Lannister was left at the Red Keep to protect Rhaegar's father and family.

•Rhaegar met Lord Robert Baratheon in combat at a ford during the battle of the Trident, where the pair had a legendary duel in the raging rivers of the Trident. Rhaegar, despite wounding Robert, was struck down with a massive blow from Robert's warhammer, which scattered the rubies encrusted in Rhaegar's armor into the water. Despite receiving a mortal wound, he survived. However, he was knocked unconscious, and thinking him dead, Robert left him.

•Upon waking, Rhaegar found himself alone. The wound had cut through his chest cleanly, baring bone. He could not remove his armor on his own; thus, he forced himself to his feet and half stumbled, half crawled to the nearest Inn- Crossroads Inn. The Innkeep, alarmed and confused, took Rhaegar in and did their best to patch him up. During all of this, his mother and Viserys were spirited away to Dragonstone Island while his father was slain upon his throne by Jaime Lannister. His wife and children were murdered by The Mountain, Gregor Clegane.

•Hearing this news, he laid low, keeping his head down and going as far as to color his hair with bricks of dye, darkening the ivory locks to a muddy blonde. He sold the few rubies that remained from his armor for safe (and secret) passage to Dragonstone. It had taken him nearly eight months to completely heal, in which he went by a false name and claimed he was a bastard- a Rivers. He’d learned of his former wife, Elia’s, death- of his children’s murder, of his father’s murder. Usurped by none other than Jaime Lannister.

•He arrived at Dragonstone the day of the great storm, where he bore witness to the birth of his sister, Daenerys. Try as he might, his mother bled far too much, and passed on due to the complicated birth. He, along with Viserys, Daenerys, and Ser WIllem Dary fled to the Free Cities. There, for fifteen years, they remained, being welcomed with open arms. Rhaegar, the true heir of the Iron Throne, was well sought-after by family after family; a twice-widowed Targaryen prince. He, along with his siblings, find solace with Magister Illyrio Mopatis, who allows them to live within his estate in the Free City of Pentos.

•He takes time to write in secret to Aemon Targaryen, a distant relative who is stationed on the Wall, having taken the Black long ago, requesting information- if any- on Ned Stark and the “bastard” that he has. Aemon responds that there is a new Bastard, but knows nothing more.

•This thus has Rhaegar writing and sending a raven to Ned Stark, explaining that yes, he is alive- his siblings live, as well. His mother perished, but they are alive, and in Essos, laying low. He requests that Ned look after Aegon and Lyanna, believing her to still be living. 

•Ned writes back, simply stating that Lyanna died shortly after giving birth to Aegon, who Ned has taken in as his bastard and will be going by the name Jon Snow, and that he would not tell Jon of his true parentage until the time is right. Reading that Lyanna is dead breaks something in Rhaegar, and for a short time, he becomes melancholic and reclusive, refusing to speak or work on gaining favor with the families in Essos, grieving for Lyanna and Elia simultaneously- both women he loved, now dead. 

•While the Dothraki screamers were a tempting alliance- he did not make one with them. No, instead, he let them be. Rather, he held a minor celebration for his youngest sibling, Daenerys- a coming of age celebration. Illyrio Mopatis brings forth a surprising gift- dragon’s eggs. Rhaegar questioned him on how he came to hold such treasures, but only received riddles in response. Ser Jorah Mormont, a knight of Westeros, brings books about the Seven Kingdoms and offers Rhaegar his service. Daenerys is given a beautiful white mare.

•That night, before beginning their journey across Essos, Daenerys requests a bath. Rather than waiting for it to cool, she enters it. Alarmed, the handmaiden fetches Rhaegar, claiming that his sister is going to hurt herself. Rather than be alarmed, Rhaegar is pleased- claiming simply that fire cannot kill a dragon. He later reveals that he himself prefers to take his baths beyond scalding temperature, for it soothes the phantom pains he holds in his chest. Viserys is the only one who disagrees.

•They begin the slow trek across Essos, coming into contact with the Dothraki unintentionally. Rhaegar makes is clear that they are merely traveling, explains who they are, and finds himself and his companions brought before the Great Khal himself, Khal Drogo. The situation, while tense, plays out in their favor: Rhaegar manages to convince the Khal to allow them to travel with the Dothraki, just through the Grass Sea.

•During their travels, Rhaegar keeps Daenerys under strict guard, ordering Jorah to keep her with him at all times. While he did not want to assume, he also did not want anything to happen to his baby sister. He himself rode near the Khal often; a quick learner, he was able to pick up the language surprisingly fast, well enough to hold a simple conversation or ask simple questions. Doreah, a handmaid gifted to them for Daenerys, grows close to Viserys during this time.

•During one of the final nights they would be riding with the Dothraki, Rhaegar approaches Daenerys with an idea. The eggs, while they may be stone, might be opened- with fire. At first, Daenerys assumes he means for her to simply place the eggs in the fire, until he speaks a common phrase amongst the Targaryens: fire cannot kill a dragon. Viserys claims that his older brother has gone insane. Rhaegar does not reply. Instead, he watches as his baby sister strides into the flames, holding two eggs- the final being held by Rhaegar himself. He remembered having read in a book long ago, before the Sack of King’s Landing, how a dragon’s egg would be bathed in flame before hatching.

•Lo and behold, he was right. And behind his sister he strode confidently through the flames. While she hatched two dragons, a vivid black and red and a vermillion and gold, he came through with the final one: a gold and red dragon.

𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐰𝐨 •They depart from one another after traversing the Grass Sea; the Dothraki to Vaes Dothrak, and Rhaegar and company to Qarth with their new dragons. Viserys, acting as scribe for Rhaegar, documents this occasion in detail. Their arrival to Qarth is not as welcoming as Rhaegar had expected. The Thirteen, the ruling council, refuse them entry unless they show their dragons- which Rhaegar and Daenerys both vehemently refuse to do.

•When it seems she will be turned away, the Qartheen dignitary Xaro Xhoan Daxos vouches for them and their people, against the order of the Spice King.

•Rhaegar and his surviving people are made guests in Xaro's lavish home. Slowly, he and Daenerys begin to teach their dragons to cook and eat their own meat, and slowly begin breathing fire on command. Rhaegar seeks out any sort of information he could find in the form of books or old scriptures. Daenerys suggests to Doreah that she use her skill as a lover to find out more about Xaro, who happily agrees. Their host holds a reception for the Targaryen siblings, introducing them to Pyat Pree of the Warlocks of Qarth. He demonstrates his magic by replicating himself and invites Daenerys alone to visit his order at the House of the Undying. Rhaegar does not approve of this, though Daenerys does not listen.

•Xaro suggests that Ser Jorah has feelings for Daenerys but she denies this. Xaro shows the siblings the Valyrian stone vault that guards his fortune and offers to fund their return to Westeros in exchange for Daenerys’ hand in marriage. He relays news of the death of King Robert Baratheon. Rhaegar secretly revels in the joy of this information. Daenerys seeks the council of Ser Jorah and Rhaegar. She is eager to seize the opportunity, but both men counsel against entering Xaro's debt. Jorah reveals the depth of his feeling for her and his hope for the ruler that she will become. She agrees to take the harder path that he suggests, but does not acknowledge his affection. Rhaegar becomes troubled with this knowledge, but does not speak to Jorah about his feelings.

•Later, Rhaegar, Daenerys, and Viserys try to negotiate with the Spice King for ships to return to Westeros. However, he considers it to be too risky an investment – considering that they have no army and no open supporters in Westeros – and they receive nothing. Rhaegar states that he will take what is rightfully theirs with Fire and Blood, but the Spice King remarks they will have to do it without his ships.

•Daenerys, Rhaegar, and Viserys unsuccessfully appeal to more of the merchant nobles of Qarth to lend them ships. After meeting with them, they return to Xaro's home to find that it has been attacked; half of their men have been brutally murdered, and Doreah and the dragons are missing. Unbeknown to them, Doreah has taken their dragons to the House of the Undying, due to an alliance with Xaro and Pyat Pree.

•Xaro hosts a council of the Thirteen so Rhaegar, Viserys, and Daenerys can appeal to them for aid. During the meeting, Pyat Pree reveals that he was responsible and Xaro announces his intention to seize control of the city, as the new King of Qarth. The warlock uses his magic, creating thirteen duplicates to murder the rest of the Thirteen. Rhaegar draws his blade, intent on fighting, though Viserys convinces him to flee with himself and Dany. However, Pyat Pree appears to them, only to be stabbed through the back by Jorah. The stabbed Pyat is revealed to be another one of the duplicates. He repeats his invitation to Daenerys, telling her that her children are at the House of the Undying.

•They take refuge in a disused courtyard, where Jorah advises Daenerys and Rhaegar to leave their dragons and flee Qarth, as he has recently booked passage to Astapor. Daenerys insists on attempting to reclaim them and asks Ser Jorah to lead her to the House of the Undying, without knowing what lies in wait. Rhaegar agrees, stating that he and Viserys will create a diversion for them.

•Daenerys arrives at House of the Undying and is magically separated from Jorah and Kovarro. She finds herself in an empty circular room with many doors.

•She chooses one and opens it. She is presented with tempting visions. First the snowy, ruined throne room of King's Landing where she turns away from the Iron Throne. She then walks through the gates of the Wall surrounded by more snow, and into a tent. She finds Khal Drogo and what could have been her infant son Rhaego. They talk about whose dream they are in, and Daenerys silently leaves after touching Rhaego's hair.

•Meanwhile, Rhaegar and Viserys are causing chaos, fighting against a few of Xaro’s men before Rhaegar tells Viserys to go after Daenerys, that he has a bad feeling. Viserys agrees and leaves, which leaves Rhaegar to fight against three men.

•In the meantime, Daenerys returns to the room with many doors and finds the dragons chained to a pedestal in front of her. Pyat Pree appears and explains that she and her brood are the source of his restored magic. Daenerys is also chained by Pyat's magic. The young Targaryen is unconcerned however, and simply regards Pree with a cool, almost lazy gaze. She calmly utters a single word: "Dracarys"; after a couple of tries, all three dragons unleash their fiery breath, and Pyat Pree is incinerated.

•Daenerys knows that Xaro has betrayed them. She finds Viserys outside of the House of the Undying, and together, they return to Xaro’s palace to confront him. Rhaegar joins them shortly after, wounded but not mortally. They return and find Doreah in bed with him. Daenerys takes his key and uses it to open his Valyrian stone vault. They are surprised when it is empty, but observes that this proves something can easily come from nothing. Rhaegar suggested that Doreah be executed for her treason against the Targaryen crown. Daenerys disagreed. On Daenerys’s orders, Doreah and Xaro are locked into the empty vault to die, their pleas cut off by the closing door. Daenerys salvages enough from Xaro's household to buy a ship. The siblings seize Xaro's gold and jewels; no one attempts to stop them, not with the dragons that rest upon Daenerys and Rhaegar’s shoudlers.

•Rhaegar states that he wishes to travel farhter across Essos soon; there is a company of soldiers who were formed beneath a bastard of Aegon Targaryen that they could use in retaking their homeland. Rhaegar also brings a select few soldiers from Qarth that served beneath Xaro, the beginnings of an army.

#Rhaegar Targaryen #rhaegar lives au #house targaryen #game of thrones #game of thrones au #my writing #fakexface writing #this is 10 pages in word #but it was FUN

[robbstarkwriting]

The Northern War Council

Robb never lived long enough to see anything but war in his reign and he never got to rule the north from within the north, but if he had managed to survive the war and return home one day, he'd have needed a council to help things run smoothly, especially in the aftermath of the Greyjoy invasion. Shortly before he dies (in the books) we see him beginning to plan for the future, pointing out how important it is for him to find an heir following the marriage between Sansa and Tyrion (he believes Bran and Rickon to be dead, so if Robb dies the north would go to Sansa and therefore Tyrion/the Lannisters). Eventually, he names Jon his heir, much to Catelyn's dismay (I believe this parchment which is in the Neck somewhere will be what leads to Jon being named King in the North in the books, and not how he was chosen in the show). Also, while being the King in the North, Robb's full title was actually the King in the North and of the Trident, due to the riverlords also proclaiming him as their king. Robb's power runs from the north and through the Riverlands. The north operate very differently from the south, and I don't think Robb would have any interest in having a master of whisperers, for example. But I do believe that the below roles would be essential, and in my head those listed are who he would have chosen. Hand of the King - The Blackfish. The Blackfish was pivotal to Robb's success in the books, he played a major role within Robb's arc (again, unlike the show). He's an experienced knight with a credible reputation in Westeros, a friend of Robb's father, and has nothing to inherit at Riverrun while Edmure lives and has an heir (which would be the case if Robb's war had been a success). Master of War - Roose Bolton. This was an incredibly tough choice between Roose and the Greatjon, who both oversaw many key marches for the north during the war (until Roose became a traitor). However, Roose was given command of the second portion of Robb's army at the beginning of the war (those who distracted Tywin so that Robb could free Riverrun and capture Jaime at the Whispering Wood), and went on to capture Harrenhal in Robb's name also. In this headcanon, of course, Roose doesn't become a traitor. Lord of the Southern Marches - Black Walder. This was a role given to The Blackfish during the war, but with him now as Hand he'd be occupied in the north and a presence would still be needed to oversee any conflict south of Moat Cailin. Obviously, Edmure holds the real command here as Lord of Riverrun, but I think Robb would continue with this title and give it to the Freys just to keep them happy. Black Walder is a capable soldier and he's fourth in the line of succession for The Twins, meaning he's unlikely to inherit a further title. Master of Ships - Jason Mallister. The north hasn't had a presence at sea for centuries, and I believe that this is something that Robb would want to correct upon returning home, having seen how pivotal a fleet could have been to him during the war (this was the entire reason he sent Theon home, to negotiate with Balon and secure the iron fleet). Robb would have tossed the ironborn back out of the north easily enough, just like Roose and Ramsay did, but to exact revenge and attack the Iron Islands he'd need a competent fleet. Jason Mallister is the Lord of Seaguard, and the one Robb entrusts with any sea-based tasks during the war. The Manderlys also man White Harbour and would be proficient at ship-work and the likely source of building the fleet, while Mallister is the Master of Ships I think Robb would also have one of Wyman Manderlys sons overseeing a lot of responsibility within the northern halve of his kingdom in this role and eventually succeeding Mallister (he's pretty old). Master of Coin - Wyman Manderly. This one is right there in the text of A Clash of Kings. ""King Robb needs his own coinage as well" he declared, "and White Harbour is the place to mint it." He offered to take charge of the matter, as it please the king, and went from that to speak on how he had strengthened the ports defences, detailing the cost of every improvement." Grandmaester - None. Whoever the Maester at Winterfell was would just remain as the regular Maester. After Maester Luwin's death, in the show I think it's eventually the Bolton/Dreadfort Maester that fulfils the vacant role, but obviously Roose is alive and not a treasonous bastard in this headcanon so it's a role that would still need filling. Master of Whispers - None. Not a role Robb or any Stark would see a need for, in my opinion. Master of Laws - Edmure Tully. Another loose title. Robb would of course oversee his own laws within the north just like his father did, but I think he'd be happy to see Edmure rule the Riverlands as he saw fit. Lord Commander of the Kingsguard - None. Robb would not have a kingsguard, I believe he would have 'personal guards' as he did during the war, but no kingsguard. Captain of the Guards - Hallis Mollen. This is a role that has existed within Winterfell for many years and is currently occupied by Hallis Mollen in the books, so it'd stay that way. The Companions - Robb's battle guard, aka personal guards. He keeps up to 30 during battle, but I believe he'd narrow this number down after the war. For some reason, I have 12 in my head, so let's go with that. They would include: Dacey Mormont. Robin Flynt. Patrek Mallister. Smalljon Umber. Olyvar Frey. Raynald Westerling. Donnel Locke.