rosalyn had been looking forward to the dinner with her family all day. in between packing up the various things she had brought along and helping to organize some of the arrival details the time came quickly. however, rosalyn had found herself caught in reading a book as it reached a cliff-hanging moment, before realizing she was going to be late. rushing down the hall to where they were meeting, two guards rushed to keep up with her.
the two guards outside opened up the door for her as rosalyn rushed in a flurry of fabric and bouncing red curls. sorry sorry she signed. i was lost in a book and lost track of the time. i didn't keep you all waiting did i? rosalyn signed as she took her seat, thanking the guard who pulled out the chair for her. slightly out of breath but smiling she greeted her siblings, happy to see all of them in one room together again.
"agreed robin. i have missed our family dinners. although it won't feel the same without madelena here, but we will be seeing her soon enough." another amazing reason why she was so excited to be back in the vale.
Robin had asked his siblings to join him for dinner tonight….all of them. Robin typically dined on his own, writing letters, looking over books, working on various things late into the night. Tonight however was far different, after the events with the jester….and then his confession to his eldest sister Ravella about who he was….what he was. He had thought on it quite a bit, and he had reached a decision that left him terrified and anxious. His palms were sweaty and he was anxious, something that he wasn’t quite used to. Eventually, however, all his siblings were gathered around the table where a herb roasted capon was sitting along with spinach, leeks, and a bowl of mushrooms cooked in garlic. Smiling as he took his own seat,
“Thank you all for joining me here, I thought it would be good for us to have dinner together, as a family before we began the voyage back to the Eyrie. After everything that’s happened we need to spend more time as a family.”
@rosaaaryn @ravellaarryns @kingarryn
ravellaarryns:
ravella silently wrapped her arms around her little sister’s more petite frame, rubbing her back comfortingly; whilst rosa was the sun and she the moon, she couldn’t help but let out a breath of relief to see rosa able to still walk unassisted, and talk. pulling away from the embrace after giving rosa’s hand a soft squeeze, ravella motioned for her to sit before her mirror, beginning to loosen the fiery red braid that hung over her shoulder. "the king can’t get rid of me that easily.” ravella mused quietly, gently bringing a brush through rosa’s unruly curls. in truth, ravella had ensured no drama would reach any of her siblings by raven, laying low for weeks - making it easier to slip away when need be. “i’ve had your maids run you a bath.” ravella paused, biting her tongue; there was no need to get into the details of last night yet. “go on.”
.
rosa could stay like this for hours. her siblings always made her feel safe. and with everything that happened during this visit she needed any comfort she could get. and with the surprise visit of her sister, rosa felt like a small kid once more seeking the comfort of her big sister. settling down at her mirror like they had done hundreds of times before as her sister tried to tame her curls. "thank you." she said, happy to relax back into the water. "when did you get here? how?" she asked, having a hundred more questions but holding herself back. stepping behind the partition she undressed before she stepped into to the water. "this is exactly what I needed "she said moving the divider so she could at least see her sister. "i missed you sister."
@caetargaryen
over the years rosalyn had gotten to know the targaryen family. even though the targaryen heir lived with rosa for years now, she’d always kept up a friendship with caerella. though the war made it so it could only happen through letters. still she felt a keen sense of friendship there. when she spotted her in the halls of dragonstone she gave a wide smile. “i believe i have lost your brother. i was supposed to give him something and now i cannot find him for the life of me. you haven’t seen him by chance?”
starkwhitewolf:
closed starter for @rosaaaryn
rough hands gripped the ledge of a balcony and the wolf king looked out at the landscape below. strangers flocked by the hundreds to his homeland, and as much as he would hide it, it truly made him uneasy. he knew not everyone who might claim to come to their aid had the best intentions, and he certainly could think of a southern ruler or two who merely came to see the north fall, but that would not be that day. winter was coming, and if it didn’t stop before winterfell, it would overtake them too, eventually. whether they could convince others for their aid, however, was still up for debate, and torrhen was still unsure as to why he thought it a good idea to even put that kind of faith in those he was not well acquainted with.
to top off the tension that loomed around them constantly, a mad man attacked another regions princess and lady, and threatened his own wife. what he meant by his words, torrhen was unsure. truly, though, he believed they were merely that: words. but how rosa felt, he believed would be different. she was kind, empathetic, and likely would feel haunted by it. he would do his best to minimize this, especially now that she was carrying his child. he turned back to enter their chambers, and closed the balcony door behind him. as much as he savored the cold, northern air, the dropping temperatures were becoming less tolerable, even for him, some time by the fire would be best. he took a seat in one of the chairs placed in front of it, poured himself a cup of ale, and waited for his wife to return.
.
worry had been plaguing her all afternoon. as much as she tried to distract her brain it just jumped right back to what that man said. but surely he was just trying to scare her. what could he possibly know about her and her child? he was not the man he called “the shadow” he was not some god. he was just a violent criminal. she had to believe that for her sake. but what if he was right? what if her poor child was to be born under a blood moon.
her hand traced her stomach as she lost herself in thought once more. fresh air would do her well. that was what her handmaidens told her as they encouraged her to get out of her room and hopefully shake whatever worries she had. all she wanted now was to see her husband.
reaching the large wooden door of their chambers, she dismissed her handmaidens for the night. but she made sure to thank each of them for the company and support they have given to her that day. truly it had meant more than she could say in that moment. her breathing shook as she stepped inside of the chambers, shedding off her fur cloak once inside. would he be upset with her perhaps? maybe she had done something wrong and that was why that sailor had threatened her. had she not done her best to fit in with the people of the north?
maybe her fears could melted away like the snow near the fire’s edge as she saw him sitting waiting for her. but still her worry for what the man said stood strong within her. “torrhen.” she said softly, trying to remain strong. she was a queen now. but even a queen could feel fear.
wintervsuns:
.
it was with a heavy heart the sun of winter approached the fiery haired lady of the eyrie he now called his queen; for she was now the queen of winter itself, the massive continent that was the wild north. the man had been one of the few to make no noise when it was announced the bride would not be one of the north; it was important for them to make connections further south, and if he were being honest, the vale was hardly the westerlands in regards to the likes of those calling it home. his grey orbs had been ones of acceptance from the moment the woman had a silver crown placed upon red curls; being the first to tell rosalyn how those with red locks were believed to be kissed by fire and lucky in the north. and yet, considering the events of the night that had passed, the man approached his queen with an uncharacteristically sombre expression.
“your majesty.” he spoke, lowering himself in an appropriate bow before raising himself to his full stature, dressed in his usual attire of black furs. he brought his grey orbs to scan over her porcelain features, filled more with guilt rather than the usual mirth or warmness that was within them. the man had already taken the knee before his king, and asked for forgiveness; and whilst his distant kin had assured him there was no forgiveness required, there was another that had been at risk that night. another two; the thought caused his stomach to drop somewhat. the man took to his knee, stood before the queen of winter with his orbs upon the wooden floorboards beneath their feet; in his disturbance regarding the truth of what had occured to the dragon king, in his rush of ensuring sarra was safe within the crowds, in his rush of attempting to steady the guards, he had forsaken her - and she had nearly paid for it with something, regardless of what the lion king’s intentions truly were.
“i ask for your forgiveness, for my inability to carry out my duties that night.” he would not speak of specifics, not in knowing how on edge the entire northern court already was in regards to the prophecy of the heir being born on a blood moon. “know that i consider you not only my queen, but my kin - it will not happen again.”
.
the sudden ask for forgiveness had surprised rosa. there were not many lords who were willing to admit they might have made a mistake, or come seeking forgiveness for it. brandon was a true gentleman, an example of what a lord should really be. “lord brandon, rise please.” the queen of the north told the loyal lord. he was someone who had continued to make her feel wanted within the north and helped her to adjust to the new ways of her kingdom. the time had been short but already she could feel herself growing in the strength of her new kingdom. and her husband and her new family had a hand in helping with that.
“like you have said, i consider you kin now and forgiveness has already been given to you in my heart. i am safe, my child is safe. right now, i wish for your focus to be on locating your sister. worry does not need to be spared on my behalf.” there was danger where brandon was going, beyond the normal threats of the harsh, cold wilderness. there was no room for unneeded distractions.
“in fact i have something i wish for you to see.” she said motioning him over towards the pile of work she had been going over. a large map of the north sprawled across the desk, with small notes and drawings of hers written all over it. “i am no fighting, nor a rider. not that i could travel even if i wished in my state. but what i can do is this.” she said pulling out the other documents. “i have been going through records of old taxes and statement collections. i am sure there are dozens of old building scattered around the north no one knows about. but one of them might be listed here. i’ve noted places where i believe there are locations that arent on the map. maybe it’s a fools errand…i don’t know but maybe it could be of some help.”
TRUTH SERUM: Are you disappointed with Rodrik's fury stick? He sure wears a lot furs. Is it to hide something?
“i.....i do not know what you are talking about.” rosa said, trying to understand what was happening. “is this something i should know about? i am confused i’m sorry.”
visxionaries:
@rosaaaryn
he saw the figure of rosa arryn, sat upon a bench beneath one of the cloisters of dragonstone as the rain fell outside, talking to … a basket? cedric almost narrowed his eyes in momentary confusion before clearing his facial expression as the woman noticed him; he had heard much of rosa arryn’s emotionally fragile nature, and seen a fair amount of it in the few moments rowan had allowed his little sister to stay with the bunch of older boys. offering her a nod of acknowledgement, he did not intend on stopping but continuing on his journey - it was then he saw the floppy ears of a rabbit peep from the basket. ah, cedric thought. not mad. almost simultaneously, his four legged fox of a shadow had chosen to sneak from the shade of the foliage; vivid orange tail upright as his amber eyes fixed on the rabbit now being cradled in the woman’s arms.
“kit, no.” cedric hissed under his breath, moving to step before the creature in an attempt to stop the arryn woman from seeing the creature that wanted to feast upon her precious bunny for a spot of lunch. “go on, bugger off. we’ll get you lunch somewhere else.”
.
there was a cool breeze move past from the soft rain that fell outside. she had forgotten long ago what the rain sounded like falling on stone but she knew it was a peaceful noise. if she closed her eyes and concentrated hard enough then maybe she could conjure up the sound or imagine what it could be. the arryn was happy enough to sit on the bench and enjoy the view at least. for a moment she might even look as if she belonged in that spot, like a statue caught in time.
her gaze was mostly fixated on the book she had brought along with her, along with her small companion who was enjoying the protection of the basket he was tucked into. the breeze moved around them carrying hints of sweet rainwater that hung in the air with each rustle of the wind. lost in the paged of her book she missed cedric walking by her, only looking up to lean over to share a small piece of fruit with smudge she smiled. “there you go.” she told the tiny bunny.
up ahead of her she did not hear the agitated words of the tyrell as he commanded his own small companion to keep walking. rosa could only see the red flash of a fox trotting over towards her. and more likely over towards smudge. quickly she scooped up the small bunny in her arms, standing up to keep out of sight of the fox who now stood at her feet. “no, you are getting no meal here. find somewhere else to go little fox. shoo…shoo please.” her eyes searched up towards someone walking up “he cannot have smudge. is he…feral?” she said holding the bunny closer, only noticing them who it was. “oh, cedric. hello.”
rodrikofwinter:
a private meal with his betrothed was a luxury in the vale that rodrik would not enjoy so often in the north. as the lord of winterfell and now king of winter, he often took his meal in the great hall with his men, as his father had before him. there was something to be said about a meal in private, where his singular focus could remain on the woman who was soon to become his wife.
the smile upon rosa’s face brought one to his own, a more genuine smile than the wolf of winterfell often showed in the south. “we are often quite insular at times,” he told her, his head inclining. “our gods are different, our way of life. we are simpler; i do not take much joy in gold or jewels as you might be accustomed to here.” he took a sip from his ale. “when we are in the north, i will assign someone to instruct you in our customs.”
fingers moved to cut the meat that was on the plate in front of him. “i know that i am not the warmest of men, rosa,” he spoke candidly, wishing for her to know his thoughts. “but i will do all in my power to make you happy. as my queen, you will be elevated above most. and as my wife,” here he paused before exhaling. “as my wife, i will be faithful and belong to you alone.”
.
it had only been a handful of times that rosa had seen the king of winter smile since she had met him at dragonstone. although it was rare, it was kind. it felt genuine each time he gave one, not a forced pleasantry like so many other nobles painted on their faces. she felt quite special to get to see it more and more as the days drew closer to their wedding.
rosalyn knew moving to the north would mean a big change in customs that she had been used to. and there was no denying that she was nervous but it felt almost exciting as well. a simpler life was by no means a worse life or anything to snub her nose at. she often found solace in the quiet moments of the castle, she was sure she would find the same at winterfell. "someone to help me would be great help, thank you. that last thing i want to do is offend anyone."
taking a small sip of her drink, she could feel her cheeks burn the slightest color of pink, despite her efforts. "rodrik," rosa started. "you have been nothing but kind to me from the moment i have met you. you have been learning how to sign for me when no one said that you must. i find that to be very warm." she told him. there was a pause, a slight hesitation at her next words. as she was unsure if they were right or not. "i want for you to be happy as well. i...i hope i could also help to make you happy."
gcuienveres:
closed starter for // @rosaaaryn
.
golden skirts swishing around her ankles as the sound of her footsteps bounced off the marble walls, guinevere held the grand, admittedly heavy, bouquet of ornate roses close to her chest as she made her way through this specific wing of the eyrie, a part of the castle she had never yet explored before. the two woman had never spoken much in all the time they had been in the vale and back in dragonstone, aside for when their ladies would cross paths on their daily duties and they would engage in civil small talk for the sake of politeness. her first impression of the youngest arryn princess was one of fragility; almost reminding her of the sunflower fields back in the rolling hills of the westerlands, vibrant, but delicate, and needed to be cared for properly.
the lannister woman knew how a lady of her rank was supposed to behave; hiding true feelings and thoughts behind a facade of sweetness and kindness, whilst silently observing the situation around them and supporting their own causes privately. and in the years a woman spent learning to be quiet but observant, one would pick up the ability to be a decent judge of character; the woman had learned to listen to her senses, her gut, the tone of one’s voice and the warmth in their eyes. and guinevere, from a quiet distance, had begun to think that rosalyn was good; truly good, in the purest way. and so when her engagement to rodrik stark became the court’s main source of gossip for the week, guinevere done what she had aways been taught to do; play the part.
congratulating a princess hosting you in her home for news of her engagement wouldn’t be considered brazen, or bold; but rather women being women, fawning over foolish notions of romance and chivalry, and finding anything excuse to gossip. guinevere did not intend on even knocking on the door of the chambers and alerting the flame haired woman of her presence, motioning to the guards on either side of her door to leave the bouquet at her door, accompanied with a small note expressing simple congratulations for the engagement on behalf of the house lannister. with that, the woman had ushered toward her own lannister guards to turn as they began to make their way back up the corridor, only to hear the chamber door open before she could leave the doorway. “apologies; i did not wish to interrupt. a small gift, for your good news.”
.
the last thing she expected to see as she stepped out of her room was the sigh of the lannister princess, and a small gift that was sat at her doorstep. a smile spread across the young arryn's face as she realized what gwen had done.
"you brought me a gift?" rosalyn said, pure surprise in her voice. how incredibly thoughtful that was of her to do. with the last-minute nature of her wedding, she figured it would not be such a big deal to other houses. it was nice to see someone congratulating her like this. someone thinking of her.
"thank you so much for these. they are truly so lovely." she smiled once again. "please, your highness i would love for you to join me for some tea if you have the time. as a thank you for such a thoughtful gift." bending down she picked up the bouquet of flowers that had been left for her. how beautiful they were. and the thoughtfulness behind them made them even more beautiful.
it would be nice to get her mind off the planning of the wedding for a few moments. and getting to spend time with gwen who she had barely gotten a chance to see since they had arrived back in the vale. everyone seemed so busy that it was hard to stop to enjoy simple pleasantries.
stepping aside to allow guinevere inside, she took a quick moment to sign to her handmaiden asking her to grab some tea and other small goodies for them. placing the bouquet on one of the large windowsills she turned to look back at her new companion.
"you know, it seems a little silly but ever since i was a little girl i have collected pressed flowers. if you look through my books now i'm sure you will find a dozen of them tucked in between the pages." she laughed. "they are like little memories hidden away. i've started a collection of flowers that have to do with the wedding. when the time comes i will be adding these to it, so i can remember."
“perhaps she had them all fooled. her air of confidence was in truth a well-crafted cloak that took years to perfect. lyra knew it well enough. she had been the master of her own deception.”
penned by anya
@sunglxss
location: winterfell, a week after the fighting in the broke started
@bethanystark
there hadn’t been many times when rosa was left alone in winterfel. from the start of their marriage they had been by each other’s side. she found herself comforted by his presence, even if he was in another place in the castle. and the times he was gone she was at peace with the knowledge he would be home again soon. but this was much different, more unpleasant than she was expecting it to be. anxiety curled in her stomach like a knot, waiting to see what would come next.
war was not safe for anyone. not even a king. not even the wolf king.
as the days went by she found herself out by the weirwood trees more and more, praying to safe return of all her family. may they come back victorious and unharmed.
that early morning her stomach still felt like it was twisting and turning, but she assumed it was the nerves getting to her once again. luckily enough she was going to get to spend most of the day by her goodsister’s side.
“good morning bethany.” rosa greeted as she walked into the council room. one of the handmaidens came to her side to give her something warm to drink to try to fight off the early morning chill in the air. “have we gotten any news back from anyone? do we know if they have arrived yet?”