Wintervsuns​:

ravellaarryns​:

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though she quietly appreciated rosalyn’s gentle comfort, no doubt a reflection of the optimistic innocence that the fire haired woman had been able to contain through most of her girlhood and even now, a queen expecting an heir of the wilderness that was the north, the woman found herself strangely unable to fully find herself comforted. not because of reasons to do with rosalyn being unable to break through some emotional wall, but ravella herself genuinely believed there was nothing to be comforted for; an epitome of marble sat upon the wooden chair, perhaps a reflection of the sternness that was alfrid arryn himself, in the time where the falcons became kings once again; she had championed the break from the crown of the dragon, and would champion anything for the vale.

and, however unknowingly miserable that may be perceived by the kind eyes of rosalyn arryn, the princess of the vale would always champion the vale over herself without a second doubt; without even recognising her choices. “it will be.” she spoke, her tone matter of fact as though had already made her peace with the idea; she was thankful for the fact that lord grafton himself was hardly the type to be restrained and place boundaries upon her, for the boundaries and expectations he himself discarded. her icy orbs rolled slightly at the mention of happiness, as it seemed all made foolish decisions based on such petty emotions that were not considered needed when fulfilling duty, “my happiness lies in the stability of the vale; when it is firm, so am i.”

and right now? it felt like it was anything but. ravella simply nodded, as though the request was enough; the gods knew she would appreciate being away from the eyrie for what felt like the first time in years; she did not understand what madness had come over their home in recent weeks. she paused somewhat, noting an issue that her baby sister would be fretting of; the comment of that fanatical lunatic, regarding the blood moon. “superstition is nonsense, rosalyn - you know that.”

.

ravella had always been someone to sacrifice so much for the greater good of her siblings, of the vale in general. there were many ways rosalyn had observed this throughout their years together. and she was sure there were many ways that she never saw happen. secrets perhaps her sister would hold close to her forever, only coming out when they absolutely had to. she knew this about her sister. it did not mean she couldn’t dream of something better for her. a dream where her sister’s happiness would match the sacrifices she had made. 

so many people talked about the strength of men during times of war. how much they did to help everyone. very little people talked about the strength of the women. rosalyn had a front-row seat to all that her sister had done during war times. maybe this marriage would be a good thing. another move her sister would make to better their homeland. time would only tell. but rosalyn had some power now, a power she never had before. if something was to go wrong rosa wanted to be there to catch her sister if she needed. it was her turn.

“people everywhere believe in superstitions ravella. not just in the north…” she frowned. “if this child is to be born under a blood moon, even if he is not cursed people will believe him to be so. i will do everything in my power to keep that from happening. i will not let some pirate’s words follow my son throughout his entire life…” how on earth she could prevent something like this, she had no idea. but she would do everything she could to make it so. “oh!” suddenly rosa grabbed her sister’s hand placing it on her stomach. “do you feel that? i think he is saying hello.” so much trouble had come their way already and she was sure there was much more to come. but right now, in this moment they could just be two sisters enjoying this special moment together.

gcuienveres​:

closed starter for // @rosaaaryn​

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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."

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.”

@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?”

the floating sound of laughter and giggling filled the hallways near the arryn princess' room. inside young ladies scampered and bounded around as they all gossip and chatted about the latest news to come out. the engagement of rosalyn arryn to the king of winter. some of them ladies of the vale, others some of her ladies in waiting but all of them there to share in the exciting news and congratulate the princess.

a smile seemed stuck on the red-headed princess as she talked with the other ladies about it all. when would it be? would they travel to winterfell? would it be here? what would she wear? comments on how handsome her husband to be was. questioning if it meant she would be a queen. rosalyn didn't mind the questioning, in fact it was nice to be /excited/ for something for a change. for some happy news to be present in her mind and not all the tragic things that had befallen her recently.

a knock at the door pulled rosalyn's focus away from the ladies as one of the guards came in to announcement the arrival of her sister. excusing herself from the still mirthful ladies, she moved over into the other room to find her sister waiting. "ravella!" she smiled, hurrying over to her sister to hug her. "i am so glad you are here. i was going to come and see you later but this is much better."

@ravellaarryns​

Lucrezia Borgias rose dress in The Borgias 1x03

kingarryn​:​

.

the falcon king was an utter mess. it felt as if his whole world was crumbling before him. the loss of his closest friend, his wife’s public banishment by her brothers, the antcipation of what the consequences of their marriage would mean for his kingdom… it was all too much for rowan arryn. the image of tyland lannister holding a knife to his sister’s throat was also still burned in his mind. he stomach turned into knots at the thought of the trauma his loved ones would be forced to carry from this night for the rest of their lives. he was to overwhelmed by his own grief and emotions that he wasn’t able to go to his youngest sister right away. it wasn’t until much later into the night did he find himself calm enough to make his way to her chambers.

he knocked softly on her door, knowing she would not be aware of the knocking unless she had a servant in the room to notify her. “thank you.” he said softly to the queen’s servants, nodding his head at them. waiting for them to leave the room, he made his way to where rosa sat. he bent down to on one knee, taking her hands into his own. “i’m sorry i did not tell you everything sooner.” he stated tenderly, “how do you fare?” 

.

“i knew. i knew the first day you all arrived here at the north. ravella told me so. i was just waiting for you to share it with me.” rosalyn never wished to be angry at any of her siblings. especially not now, not when she hadn’t seen them all for so long. all of them were important, all of them being pulled in hundreds of different directions with different duties and responsibilities to maintain. still, she had missed her eldest brother dearly and it felt like she had yet to see him. maybe he was avoiding her, avoiding telling her the news or avoiding disappointment. 

the new northern queen didn’t know what it was. whatever the reason was rosa was sure to forgive him. they all needed to be strong now. “i am shaken up. seeing daemon like that….the chaos of everything. the sword…” she paused, knowing she didn’t need to say more. everything happened in the blink of an eye. she had tried to take control of everything but there was too much happening. a small seed of disappointment was left inside of her that she could not help better. maybe she could have helped her brother and his new wife now. who’s to know?  “and you rowan. how are you faring?”

ravellaarryns​:

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pulling away from the queen in the north’s seemingly ample amount of furs; she took a moment to cup her porcelain hands on her sister’s rosy cheeks, before placing a swift kiss on her cheek. the arryn sisters had known much of sacrifice over the long ten years they had spent within the clouds; ten years in which the vale had uncharacteristically involved itself in the wars of others. thankfully her family had all returned in one piece, without a major loss; though she briefly wondered how long the gods intended on extending that blessing for. 

the north became rosalyn, in a strange way; almost as though they both offered one another something that was previously missing. she brought a sense of beauty and softness to her new kingdom, whilst they graced her with a sense of steel she perhaps was growing accustomed to. at her sister’s signing, ravella admittedly did not know as much as their eldest brother, though she would rather of anything than him as of this current moment; how she had spent most of the journey up north to white harbor quietly seething, often ignoring his presence utterly unless there were lords present. “thank you.” she whispered, her face brightening as she pulled away from her. 

for the first time in a long time, it felt the way it had when it was just the two of them, high atop the rest of the world. they knew there was a war raging beyond the giant’s lance, and yet all they saw from beyond their window was cloud. it was difficult to grasp the true severity of the world wrapped so high above it all; only taking short trips to runestone to pass on official messages to lord royce on behalf of their own lord father. she had chosen loyalty to her family during those days; remaining in the eyrie to ensure her sister was not left alone with their father, rather than settling with the happiness she knew she would find with the eldest son of lord royce. 

it had costed her that connection with him; though she would do it again, for it was duty to not only the eyrie, but her little sister. though perhaps she was only more bitter to know not all within her family prioritised duty as her and her own sister did. “you’ve just missed rhys; i believe he went ahead to meet with the baratheons. and the other one…” she trailed off, her voice sour; king? he did not act like one. brother? barely. “he’s somewhere.” 

.

“i have much to catch you up on. and even more to show you if we end up going to winterfell. i think you secretly might like it there. it can be rather peaceful at times.” rosalyn happily looped her arm with her sister and began the walk towards the rooms she had set up for them. “but what about you? i wish to hear everything about you.” rosa had been hoping for good news to arrive with her siblings but with the tone her sister spoke of rowan she knew something was wrong.

 it was clear as day there was some tension going on between the siblings. rosa had feared that when she had left for the north. she had always tried to play peacekeeper between her siblings most of her life and mostly between rowan and ravella. they loved one another sure but they always seemed to be butting heads. each of her siblings had a unique strong personality. each one of them able to hold their own in a fight or conversation. that lead to strong thoughts, strong options and lots of arguments. without her there she feared there was no one to try and calm things down. 

 however much she wanted to ask her more about it she knew it would be best until they were alone. a few halls and turns later and they arrived at the rooms set for the arryns. opening the room to the meeting hall she had arranged for them, she waited until her sister was there and close the doors behind them. the large room was heated by a hearth that already was blazing for them. a stained glass window illuminated the rooms in various colors as the sun had finally begun to peak through the clouds. here they could be alone. no guards and no listening ears. “what has happened? is everyone alright? are you alright?” the red head asked, taking her sister’s hand in hers. “you did not send me a raven about it. is it bad?” rosa’s mind said quickly jumping to some horrible conclusion.

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 ? ❞​

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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.