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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.”

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.

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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.

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?”.

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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”

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. 

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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.

ravellaarryns​:

kingarryn​:

falcxnprince​:

@kingarryn @ravellaarryns @rosaaaryn

>mini event: cutthroat cousins 

 Rhys paced around the room, finger tapping lightly on his chin while his other hand was folded behind his back. Rumors he believed would soon be dispelled only grew, as did his concern. It was best that he brought this to the attention of his family members. Tensions had grown as of late, and it was time to decide what to do about them once and for all. When the last person entered, he began. “I’ve brought up the subject of our cousins once before, and unfortunately they’ve become the topic of this meeting here tonight. Whispers of a coup have only grown stronger, and I fear they may rally more support before long.”

it was late in the evening when rowan received word from one of his servants who informed him that he was being summoned by rhys arryn. rowan was in his own rooms at the time, but quickly rose to leave and make the trek down the many corridors and make his way to his spymaster’s chambers. he enters the room and sits down until ravella and rosa eventually join them. rowan felt the pit in his stomach drop as he anxiously runs a hand through his hair. he lets out a breathe before speaking, “do we have any confirmation of who is supporting their claim?”

@ravellaarryns​ @rosaaaryn​​ @falcxnprince​

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a summoning at this hour was enough of an indication that something was afoot; and as ravella made her way toward the royal apartments of rhys arryn, she found herself looking harder at the subjects of other kings that continued to linger the hallways of the eyrie. her face remained like stone in reaction to the news; in truth, she knew this moment in time was the least favourable for the family to deal with internal tension within the vale of arryn. they needed to seem united, and strong; to both their allies and opposition the same.

she too awaited the answer for the question the mountain king uttered; how grave was the situation? how credible were the rumours? how much support did isembard arryn have, if any at all - apart from his own wealth; stemming from siding with merchants and trade, rather than a strong lineage of noble blood. “the great gilded falcon…” she spoke, her tone mocking as she poured herself a goblet of bitter wine. “seems to have forgotten that his gold does not equate to a crown.”

@rosaaaryn​

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there was still much work that needed to be done with an upcoming move to the north. rosa had been looking over various paperwork when she had gotten word that her and the other siblings were being summoned by rhys. busy as she was, she would never be busy enough to ignore a message from her siblings. and seeing that the strange message came at night lead her to believe that this would be rather important. her work could easily wait. 

 making her way to her brother's chambers it seemed she was the last to arrive as the rest of her siblings were already gathered together. quietly she listened to the news her brother had to share, watching the reactions and words from each of her siblings. the shock of the statement had yet to leave her. "what?" she muttered. "they have absolutely no claim to the throne at all. who would support such a ridiculous claim as that?" she wondered. "perhaps this is a misunderstanding or another lord twisting the words of our cousins."

@falcxnprince​

ravellaarryns​:

didn’t know? ravella’s eyebrows furrowed for a moment, wondering how rosa had somehow gotten lost in the chaos and was completely overlooked. the perpetrators should have been publicly flogged in her own opinion, paraded for all those who called this tomb home to recognise and shame. by only letting a select few recognise the brute, it was easy for such … unstable individuals to take advantage of others ignorance. "darling, neither you nor i would have been able to outrun such a beast.” she sighed slightly, lifting her royal blue skirts to just reveal her footwear, raising an eyebrow slightly in rosalyn’s direction as if to say, especially in these shoes. “you should have been made able to identify a criminal who sought to harm you all; you had no idea not to approach him.” she thought it something she would take up with the targaryens whenever she caught them; regardless of tensions it could cause. “you are not at fault, not at all. do you understand me?”

.

maybe it was true she should have known what he looked like. but maybe she should have sought out that knowledge too. deep down she knew it wasn't her fault. but that nagging feeling was still there. "i should have found a guard or not approached a stranger. "she mumbled quietly, resting her head on her knees. "he had this horrible laugh. i can't get it out of my head. last night i just tossed and turned hearing it over and over. despite everything i could still hear that laugh, it's unfair" everything she was denied hearing but felt cursed to hear that." he grabbed me by my throat and held a dagger there. i could barely speak. i forgot any self- defense we were taught. i just felt so helpless." what more could she have done? if rowan hadn't arrived and he got her down to boat, what then? would he have killed her or taken her with him to gods know where?

how do you feel amongst the starks? do you truly feel around family?

rosa paused, unsure exactly how to answer. “it is complicated. there are times i feel at home amongst the other starks. they all have been as welcoming as they possibly could be. but...” she paused. “there are still times i feel like an outsider. maybe with the baby’s arrival i won’t feel so much like that. i would like to feel fully at home”

Lucrezia Borgias rose dress in The Borgias 1x03

BETROTHAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

the king of the vale has graciously permitted the king of winter to take his dear sister princess rosalyn arryn’s hand in marriage. 

@rosaaaryn + @rodrikofwinter

ravellaarryns​:

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         “I CAN IMAGINE IT WOULD BE PEACEFUL AMONGST THE DEAD.”  her comment was casual; a sly indication to her dark sense of humour, referencing to the barren lands surrounding the harsh, ancient beauty of winterfell. it was a quiet place, away from the bustling of a city and much further north than most southerners would visit lest on route to castle black at the wall. there was beauty in isolation; whether it were atop the highest mountain within the mountains of the moon, or within the cold white landscape of the rugged north. ravella of house arryn found the most peace in order and routine; in knowing what to expect and remaining steadfast to the traditions the arryns had followed for thousands of years. 

after all; the andals invasion of westeros had started with the vale of arryn; her own bloodline tracing back to the andals rather than the wilderness of the first men. she thought the reason the arryns had held onto their grip on power for so long was their understanding of their people, their landscape, and their traditions; there was safety in sticking to what one knows. and for the vale, it was military warfare and knighthood being used solely within the vale of arryn; historically at least. since the dance of dragons, her family had spilled vale blood for outsiders; just as most of westeros had done - and yet it were the first in a long history for the vale of arryn.

there had always been something different about rowan; his mindset, his opinions, his view that differed greatly from the way alfrid arryn had taught the rest of his children. it was something she resigned herself to ignoring; for she knew him to be steadfast in his pursuit of fulfilling duty, as they all were. he was her brother, he was her king; she would never dare to question him before their subjects, for then she would be questioning her blood and her own line. and now? there was different, and then there was being poles apart from what she thought she knew of rowan arryn. even rhys admitting his secret was less of a shock than what had been brought upon the family; a shadow, and a lion’s roar.

“i couldn’t send a raven - for fear of it being read by the wrong eyes. it stays between us, rosalyn. not even your husband can know yet, as he hasn’t informed any of our allies.” would they have allies after this move? how could they consider them allies, when their own king married into the enemy? “it seems the king decided to gift us a lannister queen; for love, as he supposedly says. he eloped.”

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this moment felt familiar to the new northern queen. the two sisters huddled together in secret. during the war it felt like the two of them worked quietly behind the scenes to ensure everything was going to be alright. secrets whispered between them of everything they knew or what they had found out from their brothers. in that time it felt like all she could trust was her family. even to this day some of the secrets shared in that room had stayed between the two of them. only to be uttered to themselves. this would be a new secret to add to it all. but now it felt strange to have to keep it from her new growing family. rodrik would understand though, she hoped he would.

ravella’s words struck rosa harder than she expected it to. part of her knew that if ravella couldn’t send a raven then it must be important. but she never expected this.

a lannister queen? how could that even be possible? a flicker of a memory came back to her in that moment. her wedding. the night was so full of laughter and happiness that the small memory had been buried somewhere within her mind. but she remember it now. the small fleeting moment between her brother and gwen. it was only a small moment she caught before she was pulled away. but it was a look. had she missed those moments all along? were they right in front of them all but they were too busy to see it. and did that make her a bad sister for not seeing something that could make her own brother so happy? “they must really love one another” her voice quiet. “why else would he do something like this? risk so much if it wasn’t for love.” like a story in one of her books. “how could he not tell us of his plans though….”