Ravellaarryns​:

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

ravellaarryns​:

kingarryn​:

“they have absolutely no claim to the throne at all.” he hears rosa state, causing rowan to look downwards to the floor for a moment, knots forming in the pit of his stomach at her words. although none of his siblings knew or even suspected his lineage, rowan could sense of guilt and shame slowly start to wash over him. his cousins held a stronger claim to the arryn throne, his throne, than he himself. he felt the burden on his shoulders only grow heavier. 

the threat needed to be taken seriously if house grafton were involved, as well as if even lesser lords or locals were whispering about such a coup as it must meant that their support was growing. rhys’ news made him immediately begin to question himself and his rule. rowan leaned forward in his chain, resting a hand on his leg. “can house grafton be persuaded or do your informants tell you that their allegiance is set?” he pauses for a moment, “what has led to this? was this my doing?” his mind started to wander.

@ravellaarryns​

there was a claim for the gulltown arryns to make; though it were weak, and overextended at best considering the stark contrast between the older, prouder lineages of the noble houses of the vale compared to the richer, merchant families. as well as the fact there was no succession crisis in sight; for the mountain king had lived through the recent wars, and gods willing would continue to do so. the ambitions of their cousins was rooted in trade money, stemming from their close links across the narrow sea; a world away from the ideals and notions of the noble houses of the vale. at her elder brother’s question, she remained silent, her orbs fixed upon his features as though she wondered how he could even think such a thing, so soon after returning from defending their border?

“how could we have failed them?” she asked, her tone typically harsh; her world was one of black and white, of the arryns, of the vale … and everyone who was below them. “our people remain safe within our borders, whilst the people of other kingdoms have become destitute or at worst, buried or scattered ashes.” shaking her head slightly, the woman refused to acknowledge any fault; for how could it be? she understood her brother had his own approach, his own method of dealing with his men and his people, though at times she believed he needed reminding that he was the mountain king; there was a reason for such a placement. “do not question yourself brother; for then we question our very blood and all we know. this is treason; reasons be damned.”

@rosaaaryn​

.

how could family think such a way about them? did they not see that if they prospered as a family the entire kingdom would prosper as well. if there was going to be a fight that broke out between them then everyone was going to suffer for it. rosa's feared that she would be away in the north and unable to help her family. but there was still time now to help if she could, as her move to the north was not this moment.

 "i agree with what ravella says. there is no reason to doubt yourself rowan. you have helped to lead this entire kingdom into a time of peace and then helped protect our borders. we are growing as a country with new allies and protections and all of that has been done under your care. please do not doubt yourself." rosalyn said, signing with her words. "if grafton can be swayed than it would be worth reaching out to them. even if they might be leaning towards our cousins. if we can squash this before anyone else hears than that might be best.

@falcxnprince​

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​

location: winterfell, a week after the fighting in the broke started

@bethanystark​

there hadn’t been many times when rosa was left alone in winterfel. from the start of their marriage they had been by each other’s side. she found herself comforted by his presence, even if he was in another place in the castle. and the times he was gone she was at peace with the knowledge he would be home again soon. but this was much different, more unpleasant than she was expecting it to be. anxiety curled in her stomach like a knot, waiting to see what would come next.

war was not safe for anyone. not even a king. not even the wolf king.

as the days went by she found herself out by the weirwood trees more and more, praying to safe return of all her family. may they come back victorious and unharmed.

that early morning her stomach still felt like it was twisting and turning, but she assumed it was the nerves getting to her once again. luckily enough she was going to get to spend most of the day by her goodsister’s side.

“good morning bethany.” rosa greeted as she walked into the council room. one of the handmaidens came to her side to give her something warm to drink to try to fight off the early morning chill in the air. “have we gotten any news back from anyone? do we know if they have arrived yet?”

location: the welcoming ball, dorne

@starkwhitewolf

a cool breeze blew across the terrace, rusting the pieces of red curls that had escaped her hair style. she wondered if eddard would share in the curly hair she had. he certainly already had the dark color of his father. she’d have to teach him how to properly control it so it didn’t get completely out of control. 

gods even now at a party all she could think of was her son. though she heard it was a common thing for new mothers, especially as they were spending the night away from him. she wondered if he was feeling alright or doing well or giving the maids any trouble at all. maybe she could sneak back. maybe torrhen would be alright without her here? no, no that was silly to think about.

in fact it was nice to get to spend the night together with him without having to run off every moment for their son.

almost like she had summoned him herself she spotted him walking over towards her on the terrace. “i hope you don’t mind i left you speaking with the other lords. it’s far too hot…well everywhere. but at least out here there is a breeze.” she said, closing her eyes for just a moment to enjoy the cool evening air. “are you enjoying the party?”

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.

setting: in the private dinning area within the norths lodging in highgarden. set the morning after the wedding of the new king and queen of the reach

much had been swirling in the queen of the north's mind since she heard the news from her lady in waiting. she did not wish to spoil the wedding night for anyone in the north so she decided the matter could wait until the morning. once owen had settled down at the table, and she had gotten eddie set up in his high chair to eat the queen of the north turned to look at her husband. "darling…i have something i would like to speak to you about. i think it could be a problem." she said, her hands signing along with some of her words.

@owenstark

△ 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

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."

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