Location: Winterfell, The Day Of The King’s Arrival Back Home

wyattgrafton​:

who: @rosaaaryn​

where: white harbor, godswood in the wolf’s den

heavy feet hit the pavement made clumsy by fatigue. an effort had been made in the first weeks of his stay in the city to familiarize himself with whatever culture and entertainment white harbor had to offer but somehow his troubles followed him everywhere, plaguing his thought and even alcohol in excess did nothing to drive them away. he’d even visited the famed godswood in the wolf’s den but in his troubled state even spirituality was no fit remedy. the gods in all their magnanimity and wiseness had been no match for all the questions he had. questions only he could answer. and yet in the grand scheme of things the pride of one wyatt grafton nor the fate of house grafton weren’t of great importance. not in light of recent developments. not when westeros was facing more threats than ever before. still how was he meant to fill the role his king had entrusted him with when he was so aimless, so lost as to where to even begin to rebuild both himself and his house. 

and so here he was on his knees, hands joined in prayer, searching for the words. there had been prayers on the kingfisher, only far less solemn ones. the men in his employ would often make some up to gods he’d never even heard of, gods he suspected were for a good half at least partly invented. he hadn’t prayed for much over the years. when he was a child he had made a habit of praying for strength and courage. two qualities his father insisted he lacked. and when the strength and the courage he found all on his own proved to be no match for his father fury, he’d stopped praying. there was no use in sending wishes up to the heavens, hoping against all hope that one day he’d be what waleran grafton expected of him or even more grotesque a wish that he would be himself and that would be enough. the gods couldn’t change him any more than they could transform his father. so he’d ran and turned his back on the gods and now here he was, hands shaking and joined and praying anyway. standing up and dusting snow off of his dark coat he made to leave but stopped in his haste as he heard distant footsteps, reflexively looking for a place to hide but finding to his dismay that he was exposed for all eyes to see, with nowhere to hide. catching a flash of red hair he immediately bowed his head in reverence. whether they belonged to a tully or an arryn he was no doubt in the presence of royalty. the face that came into his view still managed to surprise him though and he stuttered an incredulous “Your Grace. What a surprise! Should I leave? I wouldn’t want to intrude between you and them.” He let out, looking up at the sky with his finger pointed to the clouds, with a wink.

.

it had only been a month since everyone had arrived up in her new kingdom. just a few weeks and yet it felt like they had been living through all of this for a year now. each new arrival of news ready to seed the next roots of worry and paranoia within all of them. what else could happen next? the question itself had struck fear into so many of their hearts. and now all of them needed to move somewhere safer. somewhere they could be together and still keep their distance. the close quarters halls of new castle felt like a chessboard to maneuver through. part of her was almost thankful to leave.

however there was something she wished to do before she left.

heavily guard, rosalyn stark walked through the streets of white harbor towards where daemon targaryen had met his final moments. she had wished she did not see what had become of him. she wished she could keep the memories of him in the vale instead. all of them so young then, so unaware of everything to come their way.

the guards around her, stayed close as they neared the weirwood tree. not only were they protecting their queen but the child she was carrying. now five months along in her journey, there was no hiding her stomach. clutched in her hand was a beautiful bunch of winter flowers. walking into the garden that held the tree she paused when she noticed another man there. her heart beat raced until she realized who it was. an unusual relationship the two of them found themselves in. "please lord grafton, no need to hurry away on my account. i only came to leave these behind." she said motioning towards the flowers. "i hear from my family that the vale is leaving soon for barrowtown? are you joining them?"

harlon | morra | theo | ophelia | cass | mel

HALLOWEEN AND HORROR THEMED MUSE Q’S —

content warning for overall dark themes including morality, murder, death, blood, addiction etc

NECROMANCY - What are their views on death? Undeath? Immortality?  TOMBSTONE - What do they think their legacy would be? What do they think people would etch on their tombstone or say at their funeral? VAMPIRE - Be honest, do they have any secret addictions or deeply hidden vices? DARK DIMENSION - If there was an entity living under their bed or in their closet, how would they react? Would they befriend it or be frightened? SUCCUBUS - What is their best asset when it comes to manipulating other people? Money, connections, sex, words, etc? GHOST - Have they ever been ghosted? What effect did it have on them mentally? RAVEN - What sad song, poem or sonnet would they be associated with? NIGHTMARES - If they had a chariot leading them through their universe’s version of Hell, what animal or creature would be pulling them? MIDNIGHT - Have they ever had a lurid affair? Ever broken someone’s heart with messy passionate actions? MONSTER - When they look at the world what is the first thing they see and hate? CRYPTID - Which cryptid or urban legend best represents your muse?  TAROT - Do they believe in a fixed fate? Or does free will have more power? What are their opinions on prophets, mystics and oracles?  BLOODBATH - Would they ever kill for pleasure? Is murder a turn on or turn off for them? EXORCISM - Is there anything your muse dislikes about themselves so much that they wish it could be removed completely? ie. a mental, physical or emotional trait or habit.  PUMPKIN - Out of character real quick, what’s YOUR favourite part of Halloween? WITCH - What are they readily willing to sacrifice to ensure their plans work? What is too much and how far are they usually willing to go? CAULDRON - What is their favourite comfort food? HAUNTED - When they’re suffering are they willing to admit it? To who? Why or why not? POTION - If they had to bottle any ingredients to create their own essence what would the ingredients be? What would the bottle look like? SCRY - What is one thing in their life they would have been better off NOT witnessing? LICH - If they had to choose, which physical item would they pick for their phylactery?  FULL MOON - What is one thing they try their best to stay ignorant of? What illusions do they uphold but really shouldn’t?  SHADOWS - Do they believe people can be just “good” or “evil”? Or is morality a grey area to them? Considering their logic, where do they think they fall in a moral alignment? NIGHTSHADE - How would they prefer to die? HORROR SHOW - Muse, name three people in your life. Who’s sacrificed? Who’s the killer? Who survives until the end? Where does that leave you? ENCHANTED - What is one kind of bait that would absolutely lure them into someone’s trap? Something they can never say no to? DEMONS - If they were in hell and walked into the night club, what song would be playing? ZAGREUS - Are there any cycles they seem to never escape? Any lessons constantly following them?

kingarryn​:

.

so she knew for awhile now. he couldn’t help but nod at her words, not overly surprised or upset that ravella had informed rosa of his marriage to guinevere. it was not that he was purposely keeping it from her, but rather, he feared that his news would only add stress to her; stress she did not need due to her current condition. he knew stress was not good for the baby. it also didn’t help that pregnancy was a terrifying concept to rowan arryn; having lost his late wife to childbirth a little over six years ago now. the uncertainty of it all was difficult for him to tolerate; the not knowing how his little sister will fare and if she would survive the labour. he did not wish for her to be taken from him like his wife was. he tried his best to not think about it. “i swear i wanted to tell you. i just didn’t know how. i’m sorry.” he took both her hands into his, giving her a gentle squeeze. “but i can promise you that moving forward, there will be no more secrets between us. i swear to it.”

he felt a sting of pain form at the back of his throat when she mentioned daemon’s body; still in disbelief over all that has happened. “truthfully?” he asked, his voice hardly above a whisper. “awful. i don’t know how to feel. it’s a lot. it feels like everything we have fought for these last ten years were for nothing with him gone.” he couldn’t bare to say his name out loud.

.

a part of rosa wanted to be upset with her older brother for keeping such a secret from her. something that would so deeply affect not only their entire family but the entire vale. but another part of her could understand why he did it. there was no secure way to get the message to her without risking it falling into the wrong hands. that would have been them all in far more danger. rosa gave his hands a tight squeeze back, “you don’t have to tell me every secret. you deserve to have things that are just for you. but if you promise to tell me the important things then i will be happy. there is nothing you can’t tell me.”

“it was not for nothing rowan. look where we are, look how far we all have come. we keep things going, the change going for daemon. i wish more than anything he was here now, i truly do.” it was hard seeing rowan in such a way, knowing how close he and daemon were. the years they all spent together in the vale had helped to shape who they all were as people. as rulers now. daemon’s death could not be vain. “right now, it’s okay to be sad or angry or anything you are feeling.” there were only a few times that rosa had ever seen her brother like this. and it broke her heart each time to see it. but she was glad he could be open with her instead of bottling it away

△ 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

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.

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

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​

TRUTH SERUM: Are you disappointed with Rodrik's fury stick? He sure wears a lot furs. Is it to hide something?

“i.....i do not know what you are talking about.” rosa said, trying to understand what was happening. “is this something i should know about? i am confused i’m sorry.”

L U C R E Z I A   R E D W Y N E 

“Because the woman spent her life caught between different roles, roles that clashed and caused mayhem and chaos and tears to her personal life, a clash that came more into play than it did for her male counterparts. ”

penned by bambi

@lucreziasredwyne

visxionaries​:

@rosaaaryn​

he saw the figure of rosa arryn, sat upon a bench beneath one of the cloisters of dragonstone as the rain fell outside, talking to … a basket? cedric almost narrowed his eyes in momentary confusion before clearing his facial expression as the woman noticed him; he had heard much of rosa arryn’s emotionally fragile nature, and seen a fair amount of it in the few moments rowan had allowed his little sister to stay with the bunch of older boys. offering her a nod of acknowledgement, he did not intend on stopping but continuing on his journey -  it was then he saw the floppy ears of a rabbit peep from the basket. ah, cedric thought. not mad. almost simultaneously, his four legged fox of a shadow had chosen to sneak from the shade of the foliage; vivid orange tail upright as his amber eyes fixed on the rabbit now being cradled in the woman’s arms.

“kit, no.” cedric hissed under his breath, moving to step before the creature in an attempt to stop the arryn woman from seeing the creature that wanted to feast upon her precious bunny for a spot of lunch. “go on, bugger off. we’ll get you lunch somewhere else.”

.

there was a cool breeze move past from the soft rain that fell outside. she had forgotten long ago what the rain sounded like falling on stone but she knew it was a peaceful noise. if she closed her eyes and concentrated hard enough then maybe she could conjure up the sound or imagine what it could be. the arryn was happy enough to sit on the bench and enjoy the view at least. for a moment she might even look as if she belonged in that spot, like a statue caught in time.  

her gaze was mostly fixated on the book she had brought along with her, along with her small companion who was enjoying the protection of the basket he was tucked into. the breeze moved around them carrying hints of sweet rainwater that hung in the air with each rustle of the wind. lost in the paged of her book she missed cedric walking by her, only looking up to lean over to share a small piece of fruit with smudge she smiled. “there you go.” she told the tiny bunny.

up ahead of her she did not hear the agitated words of the tyrell as he commanded his own small companion to keep walking. rosa could only see the red flash of a fox trotting over towards her. and more likely over towards smudge. quickly she scooped up the small bunny in her arms, standing up to keep out of sight of the fox who now stood at her feet. “no, you are getting no meal here. find somewhere else to go little fox. shoo…shoo please.” her eyes searched up towards someone walking up “he cannot have smudge. is he…feral?” she said holding the bunny closer, only noticing them who it was. “oh, cedric. hello.”