At Eight, The Princess Was Placed Into Service As A Cupbearerbut For Her Own Father, The King. At Table,

At eight, the princess was placed into service as a cupbearer…but for her own father, the king. At table, at tourney, and at court, King Viserys thereafter was seldom seen without his daughter by his side. – Fire and Blood

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You will do, I think. For so long as I remain at Harrenhal, Nan, you shall be my cupbearer, and serve me at table and in chambers.“ This time she knew better than to say that she’d sooner work in the stables. “Yes, your lord. I mean, my lord.” – Arya IX, A Clash of Kings

The role of cupbearer is an apprenticeship for a leadership position for a child as it requires them to be at the side of a high ranking individual as they navigate their position of power. As cupbearers, Rhaenyra was present for audiences and council meetings where she would have learned politics and administration from her father, the king, as well as the others who were present. Similarly, when Arya became the cupbearer of Roose Bolton, she witnessed war councils and political meetings. This on the job training was specifically intended within the narrative to prepare Rhaenyra to become queen regnant, while GRRM intentionally includes this as part of Arya’s ongoing training.

Jacaerys Velaryon, a Prince of questionable parentage (whether it be true or false), turned out to be 10 times the man/leader than any one of Alicent’s “trueborn” sons (Aegon the Usurper, Aemond One-Eye, and Daeron the Useless) could ever be.

- confirmed by Green biased Maesters as well.

I love how GRRM addresses the issue of parentage here, and shows how children born under questionable circumstances can rise to be better than children born “the correct way”.

It also shows how simple-minded people in the Middle Ages used to be, believing that only children born from a sanctified union, could ever be worth something.

It’s not a coincidence that GRRM made Rhaenyra’s sons good, well-mannered, brave and loyal, while Alicent’s sons are all despicable, rude, anger-driven, and overall huge disappointments (yes, Daeron too. He ended up showing his true colors. Bitterbridge never forgets).

this has most probably been noted by others but it hit me just now that dany's dragons actually do act like the people they're named after, not just in terms of how they were as real humans and their relationship with her but how dany chooses to remember them.

viserion is notably the most affectionate, and this is because viserys was affectionate and kind to dany when they were younger. drogon is the one that she bonds with as a rider, and the one that's the most fearsome, because drogo was the first man that dany derived power from (my sun and stars made a queen of me); drogon becomes her ultimate symbol of power.

rhaegar was the brother that she never knew, but idolises and tries to emulate, especially when she is taking big decisions. she takes rhaegal with her to petition the pureborn, because that is still early stages of her becoming queen in her own right, and rhaegar was the crown prince and it makes sense that one of her first diplomtic attempts are with her almost-king brother at her side. i'm not saying that this is what she was thinking, but that symbolically i like the choice. she doesn't really know him, only anecdotes, and this is probably why rhaegal is the one that is most... free in personality. there's simply not enough to establish a relationship with rhaegar and dany so that transfers to rhaegal and dany, but rhaegal has been noticeably more sharp than viserion, snapping at ser barristan and irri. he is quick to act when dany is irritated, or conflicted, but he also snaps out in defense of her when she meets with that slaver outside yunkai, so... i believe that kind of transfers back to how rhaegar and dany's relationship could have been had he lived. makes sense because she is so much younger than her eldest brother that she is the age of his children. rhaegal is also the one that kills quentyn martell who tries to "tame" viserion.

all of this also makes me think that viserion will be the one that euron greyjoy binds with the dragon horn, but because viserion is named after viserys, and dany believes "his dragon will do what he could not".... i think viserion will be reunited with dany. viserys was lost to dany by the end, so much that she had to effectively view him as dead before he was actually killed (this man who had once been her brother) so there's probably going to be a lot of angst surrounding this period, but viserion will win out in the end somehow. especially because dany tried multiple times to help viserys when they were with the dothraki and he rebuked at her every turn, so this time her efforts will not be in vain.

Jon Snow

“Kill the boy, Jon Snow. Winter is almost upon us. Kill the boy and let the man be born.”

Status: In a Love-Hate Relationship with my dash.

I scroll down and before I know it, I have over 1000 likes. How can I ever shift through them enough to reblog?

Every episode of Widower Arc has a scene like:

Dean, being depressed: ...

Sam: Don't worry Dean. We'll get Mom back.

Dean: I'm ThInKIng abOut Cas