TRUTH SERUM

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.

tears flowed down the cheeks of the queen of winter. this couldn’t be. this simply could not be. there was always hope that one day their niece would be returned home safe. that one day soon she would be found amongst the mountain clans that took her and she would be returned back home to them. reading the letter her sister had given her broke her heart over and over again with each new word she read.

why would her sister allow her to read such a thing without warning? why not tell her herself to soften such a blow. perhaps she thought this would be easier…it was strange. but grief made everyone act strange. rosalyn’s hand clutched at her swelling stomach as she tried to process the news. 

“rowan made me promise i would look after her.” she remembered back to the time when their family was whole. rowan holding his young daughter and making her swear to look after his daughter if anything happened to him. and now she had let him down. at least the guards who allowed it would also be punished. how they could lack in their duty to protect someone so innocent, so young. they needed to be punished. 

“sister please,”rosalyn said looking over towards ravella who’s eyes had barely moved away from the window. “please sit with me, i need you.” she said reaching out her hand for her sister. gods only knew how different they were from one another, they always had been since they were little. but that never stopped the deep connection of love between them. rosalyn doubted very little could ever stop her from loving her sister.

who: @rosaaaryn​  where: the queens of winter and the mountains of the moon sit together within the private bedchambers of ravella within highgarden, upon the news of their niece’s murder being broken to the queen in the north. a corpse had been found, and identified as the late daughter of rowan arryn.

and the sound of the crying that seemed to come from the lips of her sister at the news was a sound that would once have caused something within her to stir, the way it did upon hearing the way rosalyn’s voice would break whilst having conversation within their father. never once had his favouritism of his eldest daughter gotten in the way of the sisterhood they shared. one that was not filled with affection from the queen of winter, but a level of tolerance that could only equate love.

“cry. you need cry. you can cry.”

and yet now, there was nothing as she stood by the window; she had not spoken the words directly to her sister, instead allowing her to read the letter that had been received to the queen directly. the small council had already been gathered, and she attempted to ignore the ways in which lord stone’s dark gaze looked upon her. somewhere along the way, it was decided that sacrifices would be needed to make the mountain stronger. the mountain needed to be fed, and falcons had lived in delusion for long enough. they were not untouchable. the mountain needed to be fed.

“the guards who allowed it were put to death by the lord commander.”

how was it people reacted to news of such grief? did they sob and sound like a wounded animal, pouring their hearts out into the void amidst the wracking of shoulders? no, that would be entirely undignified. but rosalyn would react in that way, considering she was entirely fond of the girl. the daughter of rowan arryn. weakness ran in blood, and thus so did the undoing of their realm. sacrifices needed to be made to make matters stronger again. sacrifices needed to be made to ensure there was no threat to her own legitimacy, apart from what lay between her legs.

C A L L A    L E F F O R D

“How she needed just that at present; to disappear for a bit, to escape. She wanted the soothing feeling of the wind in her hair, the reins in her hands, and the simple notion of having control of at least one small thing in her life.”

penned by eva

@calla-lefford

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."

location: winterfell, the day of the king’s arrival back home

@kingtheonstark​

news spread quickly throughout the castle that the king was spotted riding up to winterfell. everyone was abuzz with energy getting everything ready for the return of their king and his men. a feast would be held in celebration of his safe return and the good news brought from the war. there would be planning that would require her attention but right now rosa did not care for any of that. all she wanted to see was her husband. to hold him in her arms and know for certain that he was safe.

perhaps the pit in her stomach would be gone, the worry that had settled there the day he had ridden off to fight. the worry had only grown once she had learned the news of her pregnancy only a few days after he departed. the news kept secret from him as to not distract him while out at war. it had been a difficult decision to make but one she knew was right. 

but four month in now her stomach began to swell more and more visibly with each day that passed. the wisdoms and midwives had begun discussing the possibility that she was perhaps carrying more than one child given how large her stomach had already gotten. a likely outcome given her husband was a twin.

outside the triumphant sound of horns echoed across the castle as the king’s party entered the castle's walls. there was cheering and celebrations from all who were outside. all welcoming back their king and heroes. rosalyn hurried down the halls to make her way there, leaving behind her ladies in waiting encouraging her to slow down. but how could she when theon was here? when he was right outside. she hurried until she arrived at the large curved door that lead to outside, taking a moment to pull herself together as a queen should before stepping outside.

and there he was. alive, safe and finally home. “my king.” she smiled seeing him in their home at a last. the pit in her stomach already disappearing just seeing him here. taking the steps down to meet him in the courtyard, reaching her hand out for him. “welcome home.”

two figures sat on a large, smooth stone way. red and dark brown hair contrasting against the marble they sat upon. hours ticked by and the two of them still sat there, waiting. rosa had promised that she would take madelena down to meet her father as he arrived back home. of course there was no telling exactly when he would be back, but by her best estimates, she would assume sometime in the afternoon. yet the little girl could hardly wait, she couldn't sit still. rosalyn couldn't blame her. she felt the same tickling nerves in her stomach of excitement that her family was finally going to be home. they could finally be safe as soon as they were within eyesight of her.

after much persuading, rosalyn agreed to taken madelena down early if she promised to bring the needlepoint they were working on together. rosalyn doubted she was going to get the young princess to do much else. "come now maddie, only a little bit more work until it is done. and then you can give it to your father as a gift." that seemed enough of an incentive to get her to sit down next to her aunt to finish the piece filled with soaring falcons in the sky.

time ticked slowly forward and forward as the two waited for the arrival of the soldiers.

and then they both heard it, the sound of horses drawing closer and their heads looking up in unison. before she could stop her maddie jumped down from the wall and started running towards the sound, her new gift clutched in her small hand rosa hurrying after her, both of them scanning the faces of the men until finally they both saw him, rowan. the king had finally returned back home.

@kingarryn​

R A V E L L A    A R R Y N

“no, she felt a literal sense of belonging over the place and the people in it; as though she could reach her hand out and it would cast a shadow over the entire realm. everything beneath that shadow, all the souls that came under such a cloud, would be under her control; her judgement, her mercy - the king remained the king, and yet, the woman had grown hungry for power. ”

penned by salma

@ravellaarryns

ravellaarryns​:

who: @rosaaaryn where: the great hall, the eyrie, the vale of arryn when: the wedding feast of queen ravella arryn and lord graham royce

The sound of a baby crying won’t leave the very fringe of her mind, as though she could just about hear it over the sounds of talking and the lute, the sounds of footsteps hitting the floor, the sounds of bodies hitting the floor. The ruling Queen of the Vale of Arryn appeared as distant and untouchable as the most holy of stars as she remained sat upon the Weirwood throne, which so many Arryns had sat upon in the centuries, decades, years and even weeks leading up to this very moment; finally the Gods had played their dominion over her in a way she had always suspected they would, and bound the houses together. 

Those houses that were always supposed to be bound, with the two same souls as it were in the very beginning. What had all of this been for, if not to start again in the very beginning? How much of a say did any of them have, over any of it? 

What the fuck was that sound? Who was crying? Her hand clenched around around the weirwood, looking down upon it; was it not a very twisted symbol of that Andal conquering over the First Men, chopping down those trees that held some sense of meaning only to sit upon it. Her hand was a fist upon the edges, her knuckles white as her jaw stiffened; those who had been in the far North had already seen a vision of those icy, dead orbs that now fixed upon the King Consort in his negotiations with the Braavosi dignitary. Why did she feel so, so far away?

 The Queen barely noticed her sister approaching her, the glow of motherhood remaining upon her porcelain features, with hair that had been kissed by fire; the only two Arryns seemingly left in the world, from what felt like  a dynasty in the very beginning. How it had all had fallen down from such dizzying heights, and how she would ensure to fix it, dragging it up if she needed to; the Arryns needed to be untouchable once again. It was the only way. 

She did not react as her sister spoke to her, though there was no doubt the women were entirely opposing figures in what their wedding day had looked like; Rosalyn the blushing bride of the Mountain, and Ravella had not cracked a smile once. That was hardly out of the ordinary though. She looked upon her sister in silence for a few moments, realising she would need to put herself through the same torture she seemed to love putting herself through. She would need to now. There was no other choice.

Oh well. 

.

the music swirled around the halls of eyrie like it had done so many times before and would continue over and over again. although to rosa is was barely audible to her, enough for her to hear what was happening and for her to enjoy the melodic tunes. when she was little, she hated being sent away from parties by her father since if she ventured too far from the room the music would be lost to her. all of the party would be lost to her the moment she was out of the doors, while her siblings could at least enjoy the sounds of it through the halls. ravella was always there for her, ready to interrupt something for her or steer their father’s anger away from her. there was a bond of sisterhood that not even their father could sever from them.

it was strange they were the last two arryns left standing. how their father must be rolling in the crypt to think his daughters would be who would carry on his legacy. it was frightening to think how large and strong their brothers were growing up and to think where they fell to. 

no. she could not think of such things at her own sister’s wedding. this was a time for celebration and happiness. the vale would be in good hands with ravella and graham. both of them cared for the future of the vale, they always had been. they needed that now, they needed people who could carry the burden of ruling.

the music reached its end and everyone in the hall gave polite applause for the dance. rosalyn had thanked her dance partner, a vale lord who said it was an honor to be dancing with one of the arryn queens. and the younger queen searched for where her sister was. and unsurprisingly , she was in the same spot atop her throne. but as she approached her sister, there was no recognition on her face. 

rosalyn knew what this marbled silence from her sister could possibly mean. it was like her sister was staring into another world. one that she could not fathom to understand. while rosalyn loved her sister so very dearly, feeling as if she was part of her own heart, she knew of the walls that ravella had built up. of the cold exterior that must be maintained for some reason. had it always been like this? or lately had the marble become more and more frequent? it was hard to say as her time was spent in her new home.

 “sister are you alright?” she asked, her voice quiet so none other would hear. but she got no response, just a silent look from here sister. oh gods she really was in that other world today. the winter queen took a seat down next to her sister, turning to face her. her hand rested gently on her sister’s hand that gripped the throne so harshly. “come back to me for a moment.” she spoke softly. “something is wrong. what is troubling you? this is your wedding day you should be dancing with the rest of us yet you sit up here all alone.” she said, her hands signing along with her words as they often did when speaking with her family. “i know you now have this new weight upon your shoulders that was not supposed to be yours…but bearing it alone is not something you must do.” she told her. “what is troubling you?” she asked again.

a q u e e n ' s c h o i c e

in the dimly lit chamber, heavy with the weight of anticipation the wisdom’'s voice bore the burden of grief as he delivered the dire news to the king of the north. “only one of them can most likely live your highness. i’m so sorry.”  throughout the evening, the stone walls of the castle reverberated with anguished cries, marking the onset of labor for the next child of house stark. but this time, the arrival was fraught with unforeseen complications. owen, somber and resolute, settled by his wife's side, his hand seeking hers in a silent gesture of solidarity. together, they listened as the sage relayed the harrowing choice that lay before them: the life of the queen or that of their unborn child. in a heartbeat, rosalyn, with unwavering resolve, voiced her decision. her gaze met owen's, her eyes a reflection of unwavering maternal love and sacrifice. "our child, owen. we must choose our child," she declared, her words bearing the weight of an unimaginable sacrifice. rosalyn knew the risks of what she choice. what it meant to have them focusing on saving the childs life. but she would willingly surrender her own life a thousand times over to safeguard the future of her children. if it meant they had a chance. she had known the risks everytime she laid down in the birthing bed. every woman did. and so she choice their child. with a heavy heart, rosalyn embraced the risk inherent in her decision, knowing full well the perilous path ahead. yet, she harbored no hesitation, for she would willingly surrender her own life a thousand times over to safeguard the future of her offspring. as their children were ushered into the room, rosalyn savored a fleeting moment to shower them with kisses, her heart heavy with the bittersweet knowledge that these may be her last embraces. alone with her husband in the quiet before the storm, rosalyn clutched owen's hand tightly, her tear-filled eyes. "don't let them forget me, promise me. please," she implored, her voice choked with emotion. "i won't. i promise you, they will not forget you," owen vowed, his own grief mirroring hers. even he knew the likely outcome of this. grasping onto the flickering flame of hope amidst the encroaching darkness, she spoke quietly to her husband "you are a good man, owen stark. you have a good soul. you doubt yourself i know you do…" she whispered, her voice trembling with conviction. "promise me you won't lose that." rosa could swear she saw a tear moving down his cheek, “i wont.” he promised, his voice tight. quiet and solumn as he made his promise. and so, as the night wore on and the castle fell into a hushed stillness, the cries of a newborn babe pierced the air, a beacon of life amidst the shroud of sorrow. the child was saved, but queen rosalyn was lost to them, her sacrifice felt by all those around her. the child that survived has been named rosalyn jeyne stark. a baby with red hair like her mothers. queen rosalyn will be buried in the crypts of the north, in the customs of the land she had gotten to embrace and call her own. @owenstark

wyattgrafton​:

⋅ ◆ ⋆

with fire kissed hair and blue eyes to match, rosa arryn stood out among her siblings whose dark hair matched their often austere moods. despite recent events and although wyatt caught a flash of apprehension across the woman’s face, the youngest arryn daughter was of a much more sunny disposition. for one her curiosity seemed genuine and unmotivated by hidden motives. a far cry from the conversation he had entertained with rhys arryn a few weeks ago, which had been filled with silences and double meanings. wyatt didn’t know rosa well and with the two of them now residing in completely different parts of the kingdom opportunities to get to know the newly anointed queen of the north would be few and far between.

he’d admired rosa’s resilience over the years as she hadn’t been dealt with all the blessings some of her siblings had been but she had made a place for herself in the world despite her struggles and he had no doubts even the harshness of the north was no match for her strength. he did wonder if the northern men and women were truly treating her as one of their own even as he saw heavily armed guards flanked at her side. the vale and the north differed in traditions as they did in many other things and surely adapting must not have been the easiest thing. now that she was with child however he assumed must of the pressure that rested on her shoulders must have lessened somewhat.

he shrugged at her comment regarding his prayers. “i appreciate the sentiment but in truth i was starting to feel a bit tired of kneeling. besides there’s only so many prayers i know by heart.” he could count them on one hand and even those he was ashamed to say he didn’t fully recall. if anything he’d become most familiar with prayers to the drowned god during his travel at sea. he’d even prayed to them once during a particularly memorable storm. “i’ll be joining them, yes. i assume you’ll stay in winterfell considering your condition. your brother has many skilled advisors with him, i wouldn’t worry too much. if you need anything, know that you can always write to me. i’ll do my best to be of assistance.”

.

“would you give me a moment good sirs?” the queen said giving a small glance over her shoulder to the guards flanking her. hesitant for just a moment they back up enough to give the two of them a little privacy however there was no way she doubted they would be leaving her sight. a light dusting of snow had begun to fall from the hair, clinging to whatever it touched. a small halo of white begun to appear around wyatt’s dark hair as it fell. her own sprinkled with the same soft snowflakes.

there was not much she knew about wyatt himself and yet so much she was learning about his family. and then of course there was so much she was learning about him from ravella, although given her attitude about him she did not think that was the most accurate portrait of him. rowan seemed to have a good view of him however, and it was a rare time that she disagreed with her brother’s visions of things.

“my condition?” something about it struck her as odd. but the soft smile of rosalyn stark did not leave her face. “thank you lord grafton for your kind thoughts but i can assure you i will be traveling with barrowtown with both of my families. my husband and i both believe it is for the best right now.” stepping around him, she carefully bent down to leave the flowers for daemon. he didn’t need his prayers here, she had given enough of them on her own. rising back to her feet with her center of gravity off center with her stomach was a little more tricky as the days went on. “my brother surrounds himself with smart men and women, he always has. i think he has a knack of seeing things in people that other’s do not see. i have no doubt he is in good hands. but it is good to know you can also be of assistance.” the red head turned to look back over at the grafton lord. “i too am of service if you need anything. despite my condition, i can assure you i am very capable still. you are new to the court of the mountain. it can be different but a good place but it can take time to find ones place, however.”