Ravellaarryns​:

gcuienveres​:​

.

she held her breath as her corset strings were tied by some of the pale faced serving girls she seemed to have been allocated since her transition to the vale, and gods know they bored her; nothing of excitement, no small hints of mischief, no interesting or passionate conversations. just voices that sounded like mouses, overly timid and sickeningly sweet. did she even want to attend this small lunch her good sister had welcomed her to? definitely not this morning; it would be more entertaining to watch paint dry. the last she had spoken to the woman had been some days before her wedding; in which she had spent most of the event outside with a certain arryn king. 

she found the queen of winter was essentially, unremarkable; as plain faced and timid as the mice now forced within her service, and gods knew she forced a smile to cross her features, though it did not meet her eyes. looking over the small set up, including tea, guinevere found herself incredibly underwhelmed. “how very sweet, your grace.” she spoke, her eyes looking over her surroundings, judgement clear in them. “you tried your best, at least. even if it looks as though it were done for my fifteenth nameday.” 

she remained silent as the woman spoke of sentiments that guinevere realised she cared nothing for, she was not joining the arryn family for her husband was not an arryn - and all of  a sudden the entire thing seemed entirely pointless, causing a trickster-like smirk to play upon the woman’s lips and glden features. feigning fake interest in the objects rosalyn showed her regarding the eyrie and the vale, guinevere looked at her, disengaged. “well considering winterfell is now your home, it is only natural you would want to bring all you can. lest you choose to take comfort in dog furs.” 

‘nothing else, thank you. i am watching my waist.” she spoke, her orbs looking upon rosalyn’s pregnant belly. she had no comprehension of how scalding or how subtle her digs were; slipping from her lips as she took a cup of tea from the serving girl without even the slightest hints of meeting the girl’s eye, let alone a thank you. “yes, the night your incompetency nearly lost us both our lives.” at mention of the secret she had managed to keep buried for months being exposed that night in white harbor, guinevere’s face dropped; no longer even faking a smile, keeping unnaturally uncaring eyes upon the woman who was her good sister. 

.

rosa felt her cheeks burn bright at her words. “i wish i could do more however since neither of us are at our home i fear i lack the supplies to make a proper welcoming tea like i would wish. but i didn’t want to do nothing at all for you, that would feel even worse. perhaps when things are normal once again we will be able to do a welcoming properly.” something was different now though, she could feel it in the air. she could see it in the words she spoke to her. the comfort of dogs? it was a terrible thing to say.

memories  started to flood back to her in that moment. times back in the eyrie court when she was still so young. completely unsure about herself and lacking all self-confidence at all. there had been other young ladies of the court who would fake their smiles and compliments towards her. then behind her back laugh and say absolutely terrible things. things they whispered to each other knowing she could not hear it. but she could see them, she could lipread what they were saying. it was worse knowing that. that was the thing about lacking hearing, you learned how to read people’s faces easily. she could not relay on the inflection of people’s voices to understand the meaning behind the words. but it was their face that rosa would read. the young lady’s words were full of kindness but their faces told her another story. it was fake. the looks on guinevere’s face felt the same. the same fakeness she had grown up dreading to see. she felt like she was looking into a mirror in that moment. that she was just the young lady too afraid to stand up for herself against them.

the look in gwen’s eyes felt like it was stabbing at her gut. but rosa had practice with women like this. she had learned how to hold in anything she was feeling, wait until she was alone to let it out. it had been years since she last had to do this. she hated being back here. “of course… we can just enjoy the tea then.” habit took over and rosa felt herself rubbing her stomach. of course, she was going to look bigger, she was six months pregnant at this point. but the midwives had all told her she was looking well for how far along she was. maybe she wasn’t? maybe she was looking bigger than…no no. she would not let herself go back into old habits of letting the words of court women get to her. 

together they could still salvage this small welcoming party. perhaps it was just nerves that was getting the best of her good sister. certainly, there had been some kindness within her when she came to bring her flowers at the news of her engagement to the king of winter. they had a wonderful conversation then. there was kindness when rosa had caught her speaking with her brother during her wedding. they had both been smiling, they looked happy. there was kindness within guinevere, she knew that, right?

but one insult after another insult was being thrown in her face. the last one felt like she had been slapped. the queen of the north paused, unsure what to even say back to her. “my incompetence?” she repeated, stunned that she had seen the words correctly. the fake smile now gone from her face. maybe she was seeing the real guinevere now, what was lying beneath it all. did her brother know? or had she tricked him? “in the chaos of everything that had happened i was trying to control what i could. i was trying to help your family before that choice was taken away from me. i don’t believe any of us acted perfectly that night, nor would i expect any of us to given what happened. how does one have a clear mind after seeing a friend butchered in front of them…” rosa frowned, she did not need to defend herself. especially not after a blade was put to her throat that night. 

the queen sat up straighter in her seat. she could take control of this back, she could try. “do you really wish to discuss such unpleasant things right now?” she asked her, pouring herself another cup of tea. “i invited you here to welcome you and to get to know you better. we are family and i wish to start things off on the best foot we can. can we do that?”

O M E R   F L O R E N T

“his pride let him tell people they were fine because he wouldn’t shrink away. and she saved him. she always saved him. always.”

penned by quen

 @omerflorent​

C A S I M I R   T U L L Y

“Casimir understood that perhaps, though his words had sounded strong and unlike the boy in his youth, the voice of his younger self had indeed peaked through.”

penned by belle

@casimirtully

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.

location: the vale’s buildings, day after the attack

@ravellaarryns @falcxnking​

time had stopped when the news of the attack reached her.

there had been such joy with her sister’s return so recently. so many plans she wished to make with all her siblings. hoping to get to spend time with them all after being away for so long. for most of her life they had been her whole world, the one thing she cared about more than anything else. them and their happiness. and now they were all together again.

and then in a moment, it was gone.

the news of her brother’s death had reached the young queen as quickly as it could. at first she could not believe it, knowing it had to be wrong. not her brother, no way could he gone like that. then a deeper worry sunk in worrying for ravella and rhys and if they were alright or had they been taken too? would she have to burry all of them at once? be the lone falcon still atop a mountain of sorrow she would never wish on anyone?

but the gods were kind and kept her two other siblings safe.

her husband had come with her, as she saw for the first time the body of her brother. he had held his wife up as she barely kept it together seeing what had happened to him. but after some time he had left to give her some space and allow her time alone with her siblings.

alone she sat waiting for ravella and rhys to join her. asleep next to her was her baby, still too small to be away from her for long. but thankfully he seemed as if he would sleep through most of this. rosa’s fingers fiddled with the black fabric of her dress, trying not to let her mind wander to what her siblings must have gone through that night. her eyes closed for a brief moment as she uttered a prayer to herself, “please gods, watch over them. keep them safe.”

ravellaarryns​:

.

          A PARTICULAR HARSH gust of wind seemed to answer the queen of winter’s question before the princess of the vale could even open her mouth to retort an answer; an icy blast putting out some of the candles lit on the mantelpiece. for a moment the fiery haired woman made a movement to appear as though she were ready to raise herself to relight the candles, much needed in the darker room of the north considering the later time of day as the sun began to set over the wintery horizon; ravella simply wordlessly shook as her head as if to insist the woman remained seated, rising to her own feet to relight the torches with a spark resting upon the windowsill. “fetch some more quilts for the queen; the sun is setting.” the woman instructed one of the serving girls; who meekly responded in a usual strong northern accent ravella herself could hardly understand through the crackling of the fire. 

the woman remained stood, her hands clasped together before her cape as she paced back and forth beside the firelight, opening her mouth as if she wanted to speak before closing it again. it were unlike the woman, for as much as she wished to prioritise the security of the arryn throne by binding house grafton through a royal dowry, her pride would surely someday be her downfall. as much as she wished to never have to leave the vale, to remain close to all she had ever known, she had admittedly never once thought this prospect would be a possible one. a dark smile seemed to cross her features as she pondered her thoughts, remembering the moment the king had told her of the news before their youngest brother; and all that had happened between them that night. no doubt irritation had gotten the best of them all, and the news was delivered in a way that was unlike the mountain king, and she couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. “of all the times i would have wished for him to be sterner, he chooses this matter.” 

the serving girl had returned with the quilts, and the woman simply took them from her at the door before closing it in the serving girl’s face with a nonchalant attitude about her, resting the warm blankets over rosa as though she were tucking in the little girl afraid of thunder once again. “you know i am not one to turn down a challenge sister; especially not in this crucial moment. when the coup fails, i will find myself married into the greatest naval house in the kingdom; it has more benefits, unfortunately.” she paused, momentarily looking at the woman’s small curve. “would you request my presence for the month you are due to take to your bed?” she asked, her mind working out the logistics already. 

.

there was so much that could be said about her sister. so much that rosa had always admired. and so much she did not realize she had done for her throughout the years. for a time it was just the two of them. the two of them against the world, up in their mountain castle. father gone. mother gone. brothers fighting in a war. it was ravella who comforted her in the nights were fear seized her tightly. it was ravella who was able to take on the harsh words of the older lords who clamored at a chance for power without their brothers around.  rosa had done her best, always had. she helped where she could, were her strengths lied. but deep down she knew the weight that had been on her sister’s shoulders was greater than her own.

part of her wished there was a way she could make it up to her, even if ravella never gave her a hint of resentment. even now she took care of her. there was a confidence that emanated off of ravella. an unspoken air of it that encircled her. rosa had wished to learn it. maybe day by day it grew within her but she doubted it would ever be as strong as her sister’s.

“you are always up for a challenge but married life doesn’t have to be one.” however they both knew the truth. marriage for them would always be something that benefitted the family. it did not mean she could not wish for her sister. “my wish more than anything in the world ravella, is for you to be happy.” rosa said reaching out to take her sister’s hand. “if you can find happiness in this then i will not fight it. but you deserve to be happy.” with such new power she had she was unsure what she could even do, but she could hope it would be something to help.

rosa’s other hand moved her graze over her stomach. the time would come quicker than she would expect. already it felt like time was flying by. “y…yes. if you are able to be here. i know it is a lot to ask. but i would like you to be here.”

anya-snow​:

Location: The North, Winterfell Closed starter for @rosaaaryn​

After the meeting, Anya remained within the chambers of the council to discuss some matters regarding the trading alliance with Yi Ti. King Theon and his trusted knight, Ren, went over some of the details of beginning to send Northern soldiers to the regions of Wan and Shizi as had been agreed. In turn, the blacksmith turned representative for the merchant’s guild and liaison to the free regions of the Golden Empire had informed them both of the upcoming visit from her father and her uncle. Jinhai in particular was someone she knew the Winter King might wish to meet, as her dear uncle was the current head of one of the richest, most influential guilds in Wan. A powerful man in Yi Ti as a whole.

Exiting the council chambers, Anya was greeted by familiar wintry air. Over her warm coat, the raven-haired woman wore a jade green cloak with embroidery of golden thread made from one of the rolls of silk her uncle gifted her on his last visit. Dahlia had sewn it for her a while back but now that the king had legitimized her in Westeros, it felt right to finally wear it. Let there be no doubt that she was proud of her ancestry and the links that tied her to her father’s family.

She walked across the courtyard of Winterfell and stopped to look over her shoulder when her name was called. “Your grace,” the blacksmith said, seeing the Queen in the North. There was evident respect in her tone and as Anya approached the redheaded queen, she also offered a polite bow of her head. “How may I help you?”.

.

a sense of calm had rested over winterfell since everyone had returned from the fighting. it felt like all of them could breath once more. there was no more waiting for a messenger to bring the starks terrible news of a loss of one of their own. it felt like now they could start again to focus on what was most important, which was building up the north to be the best it could be.

there were many tasks of being a queen that rosa had found herself settling into rather well. but the biggest piece of advice that had been given to her was to surround herself with friends in her court. ladies who were smart, and clever, and represented all sides of what being a northern woman could be. there was one woman who had impressed the queen at every opportunity presented to her.

“anya!” rosalyn called out to the blacksmith as she spotted her heading out of the meeting. “i hope i have not caught you at a bad time. i was hoping you could come for a little walk with me, i wanted to ask you something.” she smiled. “although it should be inside or else i think the wisdoms will throw a fit given, well…” she said motioning to her stomach which was growing more and more each day. 

heading back into the relative warmth of the castle, she waited for the other to join her. “how are you enjoying your new position so far? i know everyone is excited to see what new opportunities are ahead of us now with bringing in new ties to the north.” the queen said. “i believe the king and i share a vision for what new people could be brought into the north and find their home here. there are opportunities for people to move beyond where they have begun….i believe that is important”

rosaaaryn​:

t r u t h  s e r u m

rosa | ophelia | morra | cassana | harlon | theo | mellara | axell | ellie

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​

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."