T R U T H  S E R U M

C H A R A C T E R  I N S P I R A T I O N S 

 task 001

ella  - cinderella

“Have courage and be kind”

yvanie -stardust

“But to see the way that mankind loves. I mean, you can search the furthest reaches of the universe and never find anything more beautiful. So, yes, I know that love is unconditional.”

it was clear the wedding party was going to go deep into the night. it seemed like everyone was ready for a night of drinking and partying before what was going to lie ahead of them. and while rosalyn had enjoyed her time of merriment with everyone else, she was also happy to sneak away for a bit. holding onto the arm of her now husband the two of them walked the halls of the castle. butterflies filling her stomach once more as they walked alone together. no more need of a chaperon to keep a watchful eye on the couple. they were married which afforded them a little more privacy, which was both relieving but also caused the butterflies to flutter in her stomach. "did you have a nice time?" the now queen asked as they walked together. "i know it was more of a southern wedding but i hope you still enjoyed yourself."

@rodrikofwinter​

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​

location: the stark lodgings, barrowtown

the wind outside rattled the windows around them, the storm still not ceasing to stop. she had never seen anything like this before in her life. she wondered if those from the north had heard of a storm lasting this long before. maybe that is why sleep was so illusive to her that night. she had tossed and turned for hours before giving up. pulling a dressing gown over herself she wandered down the hall to a small common area that connected all the various stark’s rooms. one of the guards on the nightshift kept a watchful eye over her queen as she took a seat by the fireplace, in front of a dragonchess board. 

she had spent nearly an hour slowly playing a game against herself when she heard the sound of another door opening. craning her neck to see, she was surprised it was another stark away “adam?” she called over to him in a hushed voice, not wanting to wake the others. “could you not sleep either?” she laughed. “i feel like i was tossing for at least a few hours. the midwives have told me it’s a common thing this far along. i just cannot seem to find a way to get comfortable.” her eyes wandered down the hall where her husband slept. there was no need to wake him when it was something small like this. might as well be one of them who got a full night’s rest. “would you like to join me for a game?” rosa asked him motioning down to the dragonchess board. “would be nice to play against someone else.”

@adam--stark​

falcxnprince​:

my sister the queen ;; rhys & @rosaaaryn​

The north was not unknown to the youngest Arryn, and yet the white landscape before him still took time to sink in. The powdery ground beneath his feet felt like mush with every step. He wondered how his sister liked it here, how different this trade city was from Winterfell. It reminded him of Gulltown, and that was perhaps not in the best way. He decided he would keep that thought to himself. This entire journey and meeting was quite important for the Arryn family, and he was not going to be the one to squander whatever important business lied before them before it began.

Within the halls of White Harbor, nobles bustled, making niceties with one another, it bored him. He grew tired of all the small talk, the manners, when so much of it was a false front. He preferred the company of those who could be honest, wouldn’t bite their tongues. How their titles were held in such how regard, for people to only show one half of themselves to one another, was almost offensive. Amongst everyone, however, he finally spotted his sister, Rosa. A smile came over his face as he walked a straight line towards her. Giving a dramatic bow. He announced, “The Queen in the North.” Rhys stood up once again, opening his arms for a hug. “Sister, you look radiant. It’s been too long.”

.

rosa had been counting down the minutes until she would get to see her siblings once more. luck had given her the chance to see ravella so early in the day when she first arrived into white harbor, but her brothers she had yet to see. he was not in his rooms when she tried to visit him earlier, so she set her mind to walk until she could find him. and after some time he stood before her giving her an over dramatic bow.

“rhys!”

reaching out to him she flung her arms around him, holding him tightly. closing her eyes for a moment she felt like she was back in the eyrie. she was waiting for rhys to come home from whatever new trip he was taking for information or for fun. but like she would do when any of her siblings were gone she would wait at the entrance gates for them. and then the moment she saw them once more she could pull them into her arm knowing they were safe home. and maybe they were not home but at least in this moment she could know rhys was safe. 

hugging him for a few moments longer she finally pulled away. “i have missed you so much. we have so much to catch up on.” of course there was the ever lingering issue their sister had brought to her attention but that could wait. for right now she was just happy to have her family back. “have you found your rooms already? is everything alright? was the trip safe? have you eaten anything? i can get something for you if you need?” the slew of questions pouring out of her as she wanted to be sure he was content.

mereyagrafton​:

Who: @rosaaaryn​  Where: Barrowtown 

“Your grace, how are you? I had wanted to have a chance to speak to you earlier but I presumed you might be overwhelmed with all that has taken place as of recent.” Mereya approached the redheaded queen of the North. She felt it important to show her kindness to more of the noble ladies surrounding her in Barrowtown, especially with her sister seemingly being a traitor. She wanted to show she was anything but. 

.

there were few places that rosa had gone to beyond the stark’s housing since the storm hit. given she seemed to be growing bigger and bigger each day and safety was of torrhen’s utmost concern at the moment. but a quick trip to barrowhall was all she needed to make, and her guards were sure to stay close by her side throughout the entire journey.

rosa was preparing to leave soon when she heard a voice call over towards her. mereya grafton. not much about her had come her way since the arrival of her brother and her. she knew all about her family though. she may be queen of the north now but she was still very protective of the eyrie and her family. it seemed however for now mereya was on the side of the arryns….for now. “lady grafton. i am doing well, thank you for asking. unfortunately, it seems that life is busy for most of us. however, with the safe return of everyone, we can all hope that things are getting better. i was going to go for a short walk in the halls, stretch my legs a bit. the maesters say it’s good for the baby and also helps from going a bit stir crazy with the storm.” she said with a slight laugh. “how have you been?”

location: in the great hall of winterfell after one of the nights of the northern games

@anya-snow

the northern games had cast a spell of joy across the castle that seemed to have been in hibernation. laughter echoed in the corridors, people recounting the day's events or enjoying catching up with people. for a land that had weathered the storm of a war, the northern folk deserved the pleasure of celebration, a collective exhale after being ensnared by a man's unwarranted quest for power.

as the sun dipped below the horizon, various houses and families gathered in the great hall for an evening feast. the air was full of merriment, the spirits of the north rekindled by a shared joy. rosa, the queen, found delight in conversing with lords and ladies, the hall alive with the burgeoning cheer of a people reclaiming their right to happiness.

amidst the revelry, rosa spotted anya across the hall and beckoned her lady in waiting to join at the table. with a server gracefully pouring glasses for each, the queen inquired, "are you enjoying the games, anya?" her words carried genuine interest as they settled into the lively mood of the feast.

"i wanted to speak with you, to get your thoughts on some matters," rosa continued, her demeanor earnest. "as a representative for the merchants guild, and with the wars now hopefully behind us, i believe it's time to look to the future of our trade. i know you've discussed matters with his grace before, but i was hoping to hear directly from you." she offered anya a reassuring smile, her intentions clear.

"i think you should consider reaching out to other merchant guild representatives from different kingdoms as one of our ambassadors. alternatively, if you're willing, you could venture to yi-ti. i recall your desire to visit. you would be going as our representative, ensuring northern support accompanies you." rosa spoke with both warmth and wisdom she had recently begun to embrace, delicately addressing a desire she had sensed in anya during their late-evening conversations in the court. she aimed not to pressure but to guide—a gentle nudge towards a decision anya may have yearned for but hesitated to embrace.

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."

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​

rosa knew her husband was busy and this would be just another thing to add to his growing list of tasks but it was important to stop this in its tracks. "i was getting ready for the wedding with my ladies in waiting and we were discussing the upcoming wedding. young lady mara mentioned how lucky this new queen would be that the first man she got to be with on her wedding night was her husband...." rosa took in a deep breath to continue the story, unhappy with the news she had to present. "after some questions it seems that mara's sister was made to sleep with the lesser lord who looked after her village. and she had no idea that the first night had been banned by law."

Owen wasn't prepared for his morning to go one way or another. He had the routine of his meals and meetings and sparring and sketching and circling back to meals through various points. And honestly, he let his council run meetings without him. And the wedding season seems even busier than most of those seasons.

"Of course, my wife. What's on your mind? Has something happened?" Owen asked as he began to pile food on his plate.