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58 AC: Queen Alysanne visit to the North
“Above all else, a queen must know how to listen,” Alysanne Targaryen often said. At Castle Black, she proved those words. She listened, she heard, and she won the eternal devotion of the men of the Night’s Watch by her actions. She understood the need for a castle between Snowgate and Icemark, she told Lord Burley, but the Nightfort was crumbling, overlarge, and surely ruinous to heat. The Watch should abandon it, she said, and build a smaller castle farther to the east. Lord Burley could not disagree…but the Night’s Watch lacked the coin to build new castles, he said. Alysanne had anticipated that objection. She would pay for the castle herself, she told the Lord Commander, and pledged her jewels to cover the cost. “I have a good many jewels,” she said.
bran stark appreciation month 2022 → day 2: personality traits (adventurous)
For days, Bran could scarcely wait to be off. He was going to ride the kingsroad on a horse of his own, not a pony but a real horse. His father would be the Hand of the King, and they were going to live in the red castle at King’s Landing, the castle the Dragonlords had built. Old Nan said there were ghosts there, and dungeons where terrible things had been done, and dragon heads on the walls. It gave Bran a shiver just to think of it, but he was not afraid. How could he be afraid? His father would be with him, and the king with all his knights and sworn swords.
***
The greatest living knight was Ser Barristan Selmy, Barristan the Bold, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Father had promised that they would meet Ser Barristan when they reached King’s Landing, and Bran had been marking the days on his wall, eager to depart, to see a world he had only dreamed of and begin a life he could scarcely imagine.
bran stark appreciation month 2022 → day 3: book quotes
“Two,” he sighed, “and one.” He hated Jojen when he got stupid like this. At Winterfell he wanted me to dream my wolf dreams, and now that I know how he’s always calling me back.
“Remember that, Bran. Remember yourself, or the wolf will consume you. When you join, it is not enough to run and hunt and howl in Summer’s skin.”
It is for me, Bran thought. He liked Summer’s skin better than his own. What good is it to be a skinchanger if you can’t wear the skin you like?
— Bran I, A Storm of Swords
BRAN STARK APPRECIATION MONTH 2022
Day 10: Parallels with other characters -> Bran and Daenerys Targaryen
Both Bran and Daenerys are shown sitting upon simple thrones instead of luxurious ones in A Dance with Dragons, which highlights the fact that they’re both modest leaders who primarily use their powers and privileges to protect their people, not to benefit themselves.
Furthermore, it’s also significant that Dany’s and Bran’s thrones are respectively made of ebony and weirwood because these two particular woods appear combined several times in the books (in Tobho Mott’s workshop, in the House of the Undying and in the House of Black and White), likely foreshadowing a future alliance between the Mother of Dragons and the Winged Wolf.
(for more on this topic, see here and here)
BRAN STARK APPRECIATION MONTH 2022
Day 10: Parallels with Other Characters
Death reached for him, screaming. Bran spread his arms and flew. - Bran III, A Game of Thrones
~
Ghosts lined the hallway, dressed in the faded raiment of kings. In their hands were swords of pale fire. They had hair of silver and hair of gold and hair of platinum white, and their eyes were opal and amethyst, tourmaline and jade. “Faster,” they cried, “faster, faster.” She raced, her feet melting the stone wherever they touched. “Faster!” the ghosts cried as one, and she screamed and threw herself forward. A great knife of pain ripped down her back, and she felt her skin tear open and smelled the stench of burning blood and saw the shadow of wings. And Daenerys Targaryen flew. - Daenerys IX, A Game of Thrones
“Why do you read so much?”
“I must do my part for the honor of my House, wouldn’t you agree? Yet how? Well, my legs may be too small for my body, but my head is too large, although I prefer to think it is just large enough for my mind. I have a realistic grasp of my own strengths and weaknesses. My mind is my weapon. My brother has his sword, King Robert has his warhammer, and I have my mind … and a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.” Tyrion tapped the leather cover of the book. “That’s why I read so much, Jon Snow.”
TYRION APPRECIATION MONTH
Day 1: Favorite Quotes
“When I commented that you seemed a poor sort of monster, your sister said, ‘He killed my mother,’ and twisted your little cock so hard I thought she was like to pull it off. You shrieked, but it was only when your brother Jaime said, ‘Leave him be, you’re hurting him,’ that Cersei let go of you. ‘It doesn’t matter,’ she told us. ‘Everyone says he’s like to die soon. He shouldn’t even have lived this long.’”
TYRION LANNISTER APPRECIATION MONTH
Day 3: Childhood trauma/abuse/relationship with disability
“No,” Jon Snow said, horrified. “I wouldn’t …”
“No? Never?” Tyrion raised an eyebrow. “Well, no doubt the Starks have been terribly good to you. I’m certain Lady Stark treats you as if you were one of her own. And your brother Robb, he’s always been kind, and why not? He gets Winterfell and you get the Wall. And your father … he must have good reasons for packing you off to the Night’s Watch …”
Tyrion was the last to retire, as always. As he stepped into the shelter his men had built for him, he paused and looked back at Jon Snow. The boy stood near the fire, his face still and hard, looking deep into the flames.
Tyrion Lannister smiled sadly and went to bed.
TYRION APPRECIATION MONTH
Day 2: Favorite Chapters || A Game of Thrones, Tyrion II
Daenerys Targaryen + Stannis Baratheon → Parallel 2/∞
“I dream of it sometimes. Of Renly’s dying. A green tent, candles, a woman screaming. And blood. I was still abed when he died. Your Devan will tell you. He tried to wake me. Dawn was nigh and my lords were waiting, fretting. I should have been ahorse, armored. I knew Renly would attack at break of day. Devan says I thrashed and cried out, but what does it matter? It was a dream. I was in my tent when Renly died, and when I woke my hands were clean.” - ACoK, Davos II
She dreamt of her dead brother. Viserys looked just as he had the last time she’d seen him. His mouth was twisted in anguish, his hair was burnt, and his face was black and smoking where the molten gold had run down across his brow and cheeks and into his eyes. "You are dead,“ Dany said. Murdered. Though his lips never moved, somehow she could hear his voice, whispering in her ear. - ADwD, Daenerys X
TYRION APPRECIATION MONTH
Day 9: Foils- Tyrion & Penny
Penny illuminates the idea that having a loving and non-abusive family is as much of a priviledge as having wealth- which is supported by the fact that Tyrion and Penny are both in the same dire situation in A Dance with Dragons in spite of starting life from such opposite positions- Penny because she is one of the smallfolk victimized by the high lords playing their game of thrones and Tyrion because he was abused and traumatized by the people who were supposed to love and protect him. The fact that Tyrion protects Penny and treats her with kindness gives me hope that he will be able to see himself in her and realize he is also worthy of kindness and protection in spite of how full of self loathing he is at this point in his arc.
TYRION MONTH - DAY 15: Parallels with other protagonists
> CONCERN, AS ACTING LEADERS, FOR FOOD SCARCITY AND STARVATION
Rhaegar passes Aegon’s dream, The Song of Ice and Fire, to Dany during her vision in the House of Undying.
“He has a song,” the man replied. “He is the prince that was promised, and his is the song of ice and fire.” He looked up when he said it and his eyes met Dany’s, and it seemed as if he saw her standing there beyond the door. “There must be one more,” he said, though whether he was speaking to her or the woman in the bed she could not say. “The dragon has three heads.”
A Clash of Kings, Daenerys IV
Just as Daenys foresaw the end of Valyria Aegon foresaw the end of the world of men. ‘Tis to begin with a terrible winter gusting out of the distant north. And whatever dwells within will destroy the world of the living. Aegon saw absolute darkness riding on those winds. When this Great winter comes, Rhaenyra, all of Westeros must stand against it. And if the world of men is to survive a Targaryen must be seated on the Iron Throne. A king or queen strong enough to unite the realm against the cold and the dark. Aegon called his dream ‘The Song of Ice and Fire’. This secret, it’s been passed from king to heir since Aegon’s time. Now you must promise to carry it and protect it.
MAIN CLUES THAT POINT TO DAENERYS TARGARYEN AS AZOR AHAI/PRINCE THAT WAS PROMISED
GRRM: Fire is love, fire is passion, fire is sexual ardor and all of these things. Ice is betrayal, ice is revenge, ice is… you know, that kind of cold inhumanity and all that stuff is being played out in the books.
~
GRRM: Well, of course, the two outlying ones — the things going on north of the Wall, and Daenerys Targaryen on the other continent with her dragons — are of course the ice and fire. of the title, “A Song of Ice and Fire.”
~
Viserys I on House of the Dragon [note that Aegon I’s prophecy came from GRRM himself]: Aegon saw absolute darkness riding on those winds, and whatever dwells within will destroy the world of the living. When this great winter comes, Rhaenyra, all of Westeros must stand against it. And if the world of men is to survive, a Targaryen must be seated on the Iron Throne. A king or queen strong enough to unite the realm against the cold and the dark. Aegon called his dream ‘The Song of Ice and Fire.’
+ bonus:
In a Game of Thrones video about the religions of Westeros, GRRM confirmed that Azor Ahai and Prince that Was Promised are one and the same (and not two different prophecies about two different saviors) when he says that the prince that was promised will receive Lightbringer as a token from R'hllor. Hence why the gifset collects evidence showing that Dany is Azor Ahai and Prince That Was Promised.
D&D confirmed in Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon: Game of Thrones and the Unofficial Untold Story of the Epic Series that show!Arya killing the Night King was an original, last minute decision made for the sake of shock value that 1) highlights how fickle they were (since they even considered to have a non-POV character like Sandor Clegane save the day) and 2) will have no bearing on the ASOIAF books. This is especially interesting considering 1) the fact that Jon killing Dany was also D&D’s idea, 2) the book foreshadowing for Dany being AA/PTWP, 3) GRRM having previously disproven a theory about Dany burning a place and suggesting that she’s not involved in the second dance of the dragons (which makes it unlikely that she will ever burn KL in the books) and 4) GRRM saying that he’s moving forward with his 1991 ending (which is noteworthy because Dany survives in his 1993 outline). All in all, every book related evidence suggests that Dany will continue to be written as a heroic figure in A Song of Ice and Fire.
Queen Arya and Lady-in-Waiting Sansa End Game
Once the Long Night was brought to an end by the united efforts of humanity headed by Arya, Bran, Daenerys, Jon, and Tyrion, a bleeding Westeros needed rebuilding. Though the realm remained united under Queen Daenerys and King Bran, Arya retained her title of Queen in the North just as the Dornish retained their titles of Princess and Prince. As she worked to heal the North, Arya also took her sister into her service as a lady-in-waiting. Sansa never asked to play the game of thrones and under Arya’s protection, she need never play that game again. The proximity to power without the responsibility of administration allowed Sansa to live the life she dreamed with art, beauty, and pageantry as Arya concentrated on the practicalities of ruling.
Why Daenerys Targaryen and Cersei Lannister are foils
On the ADWD cover for Brazil, I [Marc Simonetti] put Daenerys at the top of the stairs of the Meereenese pyramid. I had undoubtedly been, unconsciously, influenced by the series. And George [R. R. Martin] told me that Daenerys wants equality for everyone, she wants to be at the same level as her people, so I had her climb down to keep it consistent.
~
George R. R. Martin: There’s certainly a great level of narcissism in Cersei. She has an almost sociopathic view of the world and civilization.
~
Sometimes he [George] felt like showering after writing a chapter about Cersei, though, as her world-view is quite unsympathetic.
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George regrets that Cersei and Dany will not be contrasted directly.
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[George’s] biggest lament in splitting A Feast for Crows from A Dance with Dragons is the parallels he was drawing between Cersei and Daenerys.
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Cersei and Daenerys are intended as parallel characters – each exploring a different approach to how a woman would rule in a male dominated, medieval-inspired fantasy world.
~
While discussing how he writes his female characters, [George] also mentioned that splitting the books as he did this time meant we didn’t get the parallel between how Daenerys and Cersei both approach the task of leadership, which is a bit of a shame.
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And that one of the things [George] regrets losing from the POV split is that he was doing point and counterpoint with the Dany and Cersei scenes – showing how each was ruling in their turn.
~
George R. R. Martin: By season five and six, and certainly seven and eight, I was pretty much out of the loop. […] So I think what you’re going to find is, when “Winds of Winter” and then, hopefully, “Dream of Spring” come out, that my ending will be very different.
@targaryensource’s Targaryen Week 2023 || Day 3: Favourite Targaryen monarch - King Aegon I Targaryen & Queen Daenerys I Targaryen
No one was calling her Daenerys the Conqueror yet, but perhaps they would. Aegon the Conqueror had won Westeros with three dragons, but she had taken Meereen with sewer rats and a wooden cock, in less than a day.
Daenerys Targaryen is no maid, however. She is the widow of a Dothraki khal, a mother of dragons and sacker of cities, Aegon the Conqueror with teats.
No. You are the blood of the dragon. The whispering was growing fainter, as if Ser Jorah were falling farther behind. Dragons plant no trees. Remember that. Remember who you are, what you were made to be. Remember your words. “Fire and Blood,” Daenerys told the swaying grass
—
“but you are also a Stark of Winterfell. You know our words.” “Winter is coming,” Arya whispered.