Location: White Harbor, The North

how do you feel amongst the starks? do you truly feel around family?

rosa paused, unsure exactly how to answer. “it is complicated. there are times i feel at home amongst the other starks. they all have been as welcoming as they possibly could be. but...” she paused. “there are still times i feel like an outsider. maybe with the baby’s arrival i won’t feel so much like that. i would like to feel fully at home”

goldcnaura​:

closed starter . ` riverrun 

⤳

@mellaratully​​

        RIVERRUN WAS HOME, RATHER,   it had once been home. back when laughter and joy flooded the castle’s halls. back when the warm touch of the trout queen hovered over the side of elyse’s face. with the return to the riverlands came the repetitive reminder that everything had changed. her memories, tainted with the pain and suffering that had made a home of the tullys. ginger locks are spread over the pillow of her sister’s bed, a halo surrounding doll like features. oceanic orbs are locked on the ceiling, lost in thought. 

         she was no longer sick, the harshness the blizzard had gifted her seemingly… gone. and yet - something lingered. a shift within herself, a change. the princess of the riverlands remained the same. soft, calm, empathetic, compassionate, warm. however, there seemed to be a level of composure that had not been there before. maturity. she had witnessed the extremities of her own thoughts, of her own behavior, she had seen just how cruel she could potentially be and while she hated every bit of it - elyse had realized that the naive way of viewing the world had to go. so it had.

           ❝ does this feel like home to you ?? ❞ head turns, voice seemingly a whisper. it was one thing to think something but another entirely to finally say it out loud. ❝ has it ever ? ❞​

.

these quiet moments were something mel had cherish about her sister, the oter half of herself. moments spent in silence not alone but in the comfort of each other’s presence. mel lazily reading a book she had gotten up north, while her sister laid next to her. when she spoke up, mel tossed aside the book to listen to her. ever since they had gotten the news about elyse, mel wanted to be sure she was there to listen to whatever her sister needed to say or yell or vent.

mel thought of the question, wondering if she was meant to even answer it. it was hard to say, after all that had happened with them.“i don’t really know if it does. i want it to. i hope it does again soon. it felt like home before with you and mom and everyone but now….it’s getting better with cas home. and…well…you know.” and him gone. unspoken but mel knew elyse would understand her. 

“perhaps you will find a new home.” the news of her sister’s engagement was something she had known for a long time would come. but she just didn’t know to who it might be. but her twin was beautiful, kind, and smart. exactly what a princess should be, what a true tully should be. mellara knew one day she would be married, selfishly she had hoped it would be someone from the riverlands. somewhere the two of them could be so close with. the reach was not so far…the north was further. “how are you feeling about all of it?” mel asked, rolling onto her side to face her.

starkwhitewolf​:

.

torrhen was still figuring out rosa arryn. one moment she seemed as easy to read as a parchment he had scanned many times before, other times she seemed as unfamiliar as an entirely new language to decipher. he was never one to try and assume things about others simply based on their behaviors or past lives, but he knew, in part, it was important as husband to understand his wife to a certain degree. marriage to rosa had proved to come easily, but in many ways he was dealing with his own internal struggles. the eldest stark son had always been protective of his family and his home, even knowing he’d have to marry outside of the kingdom one day. a large part of him, to not fault of rosa, still saw the arryn name as an outsider to his kingdom. while he got along well with her brother, the king of the vale, torrhen stark had always put a small wedge between himself and those not from the north. perhaps rosa would help him to find a better way of securing relationships with outsiders, without entirely blocking them off.

the king’s brow furrowed at her words. while honestly was expected, and appreciated, he hated to hear that she didn’t feel completely safe in her own kingdom. how he wished to return to winterfell, to cast out every last southerner, to be rid of the shadows that haunted everyone. at her questioning, however, he shook his head. “no.” he replied firmly. “do not give him that power, rosa. that is how he is thriving, fear.” torrhen sighed, placing a hand on her stomach gently. “the monsters under our beds as children were always a play in our own minds. do not let him torment yours further. if i have to send you south for safety, so be it, i will.“ even if it meant his child was not born in his kingdom, a thought which troubled him in an inexplicable way, he would do what it took to keep rosa and their baby safe.

.

there was a longing to return back home to winterfel. away from all of this mess. a place where they could just spend time together as a married couple as they had. it had only been a short time since they been married, since she had moved her life up north, since they had discovered the wonderful news of their child. she wanted to spend time just to enjoy those moments. spend the time to get to know torrhen more. he had so many walls up around him, almost like she could see them. it had taken time but already she could see a few of them begin to fall around them. letting her into the real him, a side he might hide from others. she wanted to know that part of him.

“i would not leave you. i want to stay here with you, i want our child born in our home. with you by my side…” danger seemed to lurk around every corner for them now. it might be safe to leave to the south to have the child but then what? “if i go south then i would be giving into their fears. i want to be strong for you, for this child.” if she could do that, if she could show her strength then perhaps whatever curse this man was trying to throw at her could be overpowered. if she was strong then this child would be. she placed her hand over his on her stomach. the smallest kick was there, only just started but each time she could breath a sigh of relief that the child was okay. her other hand, moved to the side of his face, running her thumb over his cheek. “i want to be here with you. i feel safe with you here.”

Eleanor Tomlinson for Schon! Magazine (2021) ♥

TRUTH SERUM

feel free to ask anything, in character or anonymously, and my character will be forced to answer truthfully.

rosa || mellara || ophelia || morra || harlon || theo ||

starkwhitewolf​:

torrhen paced the halls, wincing with every cry of pain his wife made as his good friends tried to comfort him. he was eternally grateful for rhydian and brandon in that moment. despite tradition or formalities, he was desperate to be with rosa, but he knew his presence was best outside, surely there were better hands and minds within the room, one more would only distract from focus and he wanted everyone’s attention on his wife and child. suddenly, as if by magic, a babe’s cry filled the halls of winterfell, and torrhen’s heart. he waited what seemed like hours, but finally a midwife gave the welcome, and he walked faster than he had in his life.

the king of winter entered with a bright smile and went to lay beside his wife, admiring the little babe in her arms. gods he was so small. smaller than he ever imagined. it had been long since he had seen a baby, perhaps even since his own younger brothers and sisters had been born. he remembered hearing mothers’ laboring echoing in the halls, their first cries. he had been worried then, of course, although not quite understanding the severity of the situation. with his own wife, however, it was the equivalent of torture. had he been able to take aware a fraction of her pain, taken on a bit of the risk she had to, he would.

yet they were here, frozen in time, in this moment. he would recall this for the rest of his life. “he’s perfect, rosa.” he whispered, pressing a kiss to her temple, reaching a gentle finger to stroke the little one’s cheek. “i did not imagine a baby to be as peaceful as he.” he jested with a soft chuckle, ice blue orbs turning to his queen. “i know some might think of this as duty, but you have given me the world, i am eternally grateful to you.”

.

after everything they had gone through together, he was here. all the worry and doubt of what was going to happen. cursed words thrown at her by pirates and threats. but their son was here and not born under a blood moon but a perfectly clear night sky. suddenly in a moment all that worry and stress and fear was gone as she held him in her arms. he was safe now in her arms. she knew she would never let anything bad happen to him and torrhen would never let anything happen to any of them.

what a blessing it was to have them both here with her now.

“he is absolutely perfect.” she smiled, getting to see the look on torrhen’s face as he saw his son for the first time. the king of the north and the future king swadded in her arms.

torrhen said she had given him the world but rosa knew in her heart that she would have given anything to him in that moment. anything he could ask for. “and you have given me the world too, a new world in my arms. a new home, a new life. i could never thank you enough for everything you have given me. i love you more than i can put into words this moment.”

despite still being sore, she adjusted herself up in the bed, holding out their son for torrhen to take. “you should hold him.” she said.

standing up from her seat, the queen moved to the spot next to her husband and reached out to take his hand. a gentle touch but one to let him know she was there, to help calm him as she could see the tension building within him. even if she could just help to take away some of the stress from him she would. she wished to take all of it from him.

"it seemed that she did not know. i am sorry i had to bring you this news so early in the morning. but i knew you'd find it just as important as i did." she frowned. "i think the criers may be needed. at least in the lands we cannot fully trust their petty lords."

she squeezed his hand as she spoke, understanding his worry. a feeling growing up in the vale she was very accusumed to. "no i do not think they disobey you. i have seen the way your lords look to you. they respect you as a man and a king. i do not think many disobey you. especially after you lead them to a victory in battle with you by their side. they would foolish to do so. this petty lord is foolish to think no one would find out about this."

rosaaaryn​:

there was no doubt in rosalyn’s mind that her husband wouldn’t take this seriously. when they had discussed the new laws of the north they had done so together. she never felt pushed aside or made to feel less than. the laws of the north were an effort for both the king and the queen. after all it was both of their duties to look after the people within their kingdom. men and women alike. “i can get you her name and the husbands name. i don’t think she knew of the law that was passed, she seemed surprised that i mentioned it. the sister did not seem to know either. i doubt she wanted to sleep with the lord before her own husband.” she said, recounting the look of shock on her face when rosalyn had mentioned about the banning of the practice “from what she knew there was at least five wives that had to follow this rule. and those are just the ones she knew about. gods only know how many there actually is.”

rosa hated the thought of what these poor women had to go through because of one narcissistic man. did that mean there were other laws that were not known? most of these people could not read themselves. how else were they supposed to find out about these laws if their lord did not tell them “perhaps we need to find a way to ensure these new laws are reaching everyone. i don’t want to think about what other laws this man might have not told his people…”

o.

“She didn't know? I expressed that it should be announced and now this petty lord must be stripped of lands and titles. Lest he makes me look a fool among my own people and courts. What sort of King cannot handle his own people?” 

And he didn't show much of his anger to her but there is a tension in his shoulders and it's obvious what choice he will make. It was time for examples to be made and when a King stepped in to punish petty lords it bruised the egos of their ruling Lords. It showed a lack of trust from the King to his Lords, a lack of trust the didn’t have when he denied their lords the title of Duke.

“We must send out criers as were used in the old days. The smallfolk can't read. They must know what their lords and knights don't tell them.” Owen felt a brief worry creep into his shoulders, “Do you think they disobey me far and wide?”

△ do you think your husband really would have chosen you as a bride over your sister, or was his hand forced?

△ - 3

“i do not deny my sister is beautiful and smart and talented. but i know my sister and i know my husband very well. i know they would have very likely torn each other apart if they were married. i not believe they would have chosen each other.” rosa leaned back in her seat, looking towards her son. a smile crossed the stark queen’s face. “my husband and i both agreed to the match. he did choose me.”

@ravellaarryns

rodrikofwinter​:

@rosaaaryn​

the meal was quite good, though rodrik couldn’t really recall exactly what he was eating. his focus remained on the woman across from him, the one who was to be his wife — and the mother of his future children. he had not spent much time with rosalyn without one of their siblings present, though today the only other presence in the room was a servant who also doubled as chaperone ( flimsy though that argument might be ) for the duration of the meal.

rodrik set his goblet down as he signed to her, well aware that his signing was nowhere near as good as he might like it to be. he spoke as well, knowing that she might better read his lips than the motions that his unpracticed hands made. “what do you know of the northern customs? i am not certain what southron septas teach of the north.”

.

butterflies had fluttered around her stomach the entire day as she waited for the night to come. it was then she'd be able to spend dinner alone with her soon to be husband. the thought alone was strange and foreign to her. she always knew she'd get married to someone, but the thought of it being here now was hard to believe. she only knew a little about rodrik, but it was what he had shown her that was enough to win her over.

for the first time she felt like she was alone with him. she loved her siblings more than anything in the world but it felt a little freeing to be away from their watchful eyes. she knew they only wanted the best for her, but there were somethings she wanted to discover on her own.

the way his hands moved, although somewhat clumsily, through his signing brought a smile to her face. her hands matched in kind with her words, knowing it would be best to help him practice. "i know a little but i am sure there are many things i do not know. i know the northern people to be a proud and honorable people. i just hope i can prove myself worthy to them. i do not expect them to trust me right away. is there....things i should know?"

truth serum

@mellaratully @harlonvflowers @kingvmorra @opheliafowler @cassvstark