Open Starter.

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?”

edricxstark​:

Who: @rosaaaryn​  Where: Barrowtown “Rosa, do you have a moment?” Edric had few people that he trusted with his true inner thoughts. His sister in law was one of those few- well rather, two people. “I… Well I could actually use some advice. And from someone who isn’t going to answer with political agendas in mind.” He knew he could trust her to speak truth to him.

.

glancing up from the small needlepoint she was working on, the new queen of the north gave a smile to her good brother. “of course i do. although my needlepoint is very important but i believe it can wait.” she said placing the embroidery hoop down on the table next to her. she gave a signal for edric to come sit next to her by the fire. she had hardly moved from the spot all day as the winter storm still continued to rage outside. 

with everything that had happened recently she had agreed with torrhen it was best for her to stay within the stark’s buildings unless it was completely necessary. thought she did find it nice getting to spend more time with her brothers and sisters in law. it did seem like something was troubling edric however and it was not just the words he said. his demeanor did not seem exactly like him. “what’s going on? i am always here to listen.”

ravellaarryns​:

@rosaaaryn​

upon entering rosalyn’s chambers, brushing past the guards that had been stationed on either side of the double doors with a nonchalant brush whilst her own arryn guards discussed details and identities, the emptiness of the room was immediately apparent. well, not entirely empty; some serving maids, definitely not those rosa had left her home with. “are you not paid a wage to attend on my sister?” ravella demanded, her voice as stern as a whip as she remained in the shadows of the room. “quickly run a bath for the princess and  get out of my presence.” ravella immediately busied herself by closing a window that was allowing in cold draughts of sea air.  ensuring the hot water of the bath was filled with relaxing scents and salts, she lingered by the window to see rosa slowly crossing the courtyard, making her way back to her chambers. nobody had been clear in regards to what had happened the night before; the woman intended on hearing it from her sister first, before seeking out robin and finally, rowan.

.

most of that morning had been spent arguing with maesters. all of whom had told rosa of the benefits of regular walks in the fresh air and how it could help with healing of her neck. the last thing she wanted wanted was to leave the safety of her room. every corner and dark spot could hold new danger she was not ready for. but eventually she gave in and took the walk surrounded by guards. asha as she made her way back to her chambers, she was stopped by one of the guards to inform her she had a visitor. "who? "she asked. the guard only shrugged before opening the door. stepping in nervously she looked around before spotting a familar dark brunette in the corner. "ravella..." the shock of seeing her there not setting in. maybe it was a vision. but that couldn't stop her from running toward her, flinging her arms around her. "how? how are you here?"

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

gcuienveres​:​

.

she held her breath as her corset strings were tied by some of the pale faced serving girls she seemed to have been allocated since her transition to the vale, and gods know they bored her; nothing of excitement, no small hints of mischief, no interesting or passionate conversations. just voices that sounded like mouses, overly timid and sickeningly sweet. did she even want to attend this small lunch her good sister had welcomed her to? definitely not this morning; it would be more entertaining to watch paint dry. the last she had spoken to the woman had been some days before her wedding; in which she had spent most of the event outside with a certain arryn king. 

she found the queen of winter was essentially, unremarkable; as plain faced and timid as the mice now forced within her service, and gods knew she forced a smile to cross her features, though it did not meet her eyes. looking over the small set up, including tea, guinevere found herself incredibly underwhelmed. “how very sweet, your grace.” she spoke, her eyes looking over her surroundings, judgement clear in them. “you tried your best, at least. even if it looks as though it were done for my fifteenth nameday.” 

she remained silent as the woman spoke of sentiments that guinevere realised she cared nothing for, she was not joining the arryn family for her husband was not an arryn - and all of  a sudden the entire thing seemed entirely pointless, causing a trickster-like smirk to play upon the woman’s lips and glden features. feigning fake interest in the objects rosalyn showed her regarding the eyrie and the vale, guinevere looked at her, disengaged. “well considering winterfell is now your home, it is only natural you would want to bring all you can. lest you choose to take comfort in dog furs.” 

‘nothing else, thank you. i am watching my waist.” she spoke, her orbs looking upon rosalyn’s pregnant belly. she had no comprehension of how scalding or how subtle her digs were; slipping from her lips as she took a cup of tea from the serving girl without even the slightest hints of meeting the girl’s eye, let alone a thank you. “yes, the night your incompetency nearly lost us both our lives.” at mention of the secret she had managed to keep buried for months being exposed that night in white harbor, guinevere’s face dropped; no longer even faking a smile, keeping unnaturally uncaring eyes upon the woman who was her good sister. 

.

rosa felt her cheeks burn bright at her words. “i wish i could do more however since neither of us are at our home i fear i lack the supplies to make a proper welcoming tea like i would wish. but i didn’t want to do nothing at all for you, that would feel even worse. perhaps when things are normal once again we will be able to do a welcoming properly.” something was different now though, she could feel it in the air. she could see it in the words she spoke to her. the comfort of dogs? it was a terrible thing to say.

memories  started to flood back to her in that moment. times back in the eyrie court when she was still so young. completely unsure about herself and lacking all self-confidence at all. there had been other young ladies of the court who would fake their smiles and compliments towards her. then behind her back laugh and say absolutely terrible things. things they whispered to each other knowing she could not hear it. but she could see them, she could lipread what they were saying. it was worse knowing that. that was the thing about lacking hearing, you learned how to read people’s faces easily. she could not relay on the inflection of people’s voices to understand the meaning behind the words. but it was their face that rosa would read. the young lady’s words were full of kindness but their faces told her another story. it was fake. the looks on guinevere’s face felt the same. the same fakeness she had grown up dreading to see. she felt like she was looking into a mirror in that moment. that she was just the young lady too afraid to stand up for herself against them.

the look in gwen’s eyes felt like it was stabbing at her gut. but rosa had practice with women like this. she had learned how to hold in anything she was feeling, wait until she was alone to let it out. it had been years since she last had to do this. she hated being back here. “of course… we can just enjoy the tea then.” habit took over and rosa felt herself rubbing her stomach. of course, she was going to look bigger, she was six months pregnant at this point. but the midwives had all told her she was looking well for how far along she was. maybe she wasn’t? maybe she was looking bigger than…no no. she would not let herself go back into old habits of letting the words of court women get to her. 

together they could still salvage this small welcoming party. perhaps it was just nerves that was getting the best of her good sister. certainly, there had been some kindness within her when she came to bring her flowers at the news of her engagement to the king of winter. they had a wonderful conversation then. there was kindness when rosa had caught her speaking with her brother during her wedding. they had both been smiling, they looked happy. there was kindness within guinevere, she knew that, right?

but one insult after another insult was being thrown in her face. the last one felt like she had been slapped. the queen of the north paused, unsure what to even say back to her. “my incompetence?” she repeated, stunned that she had seen the words correctly. the fake smile now gone from her face. maybe she was seeing the real guinevere now, what was lying beneath it all. did her brother know? or had she tricked him? “in the chaos of everything that had happened i was trying to control what i could. i was trying to help your family before that choice was taken away from me. i don’t believe any of us acted perfectly that night, nor would i expect any of us to given what happened. how does one have a clear mind after seeing a friend butchered in front of them…” rosa frowned, she did not need to defend herself. especially not after a blade was put to her throat that night. 

the queen sat up straighter in her seat. she could take control of this back, she could try. “do you really wish to discuss such unpleasant things right now?” she asked her, pouring herself another cup of tea. “i invited you here to welcome you and to get to know you better. we are family and i wish to start things off on the best foot we can. can we do that?”

dear cedric,

i hope your travels back to highgarden have been well. you departure was so sudden i was not able to find you before you left. i'm sure it is important business why you are away and not because you grew bored of all of us at the vale. 

i'm unsure if you knew when you'll be traveling back to the vale with all the talks of battles and fighting going on. (are you fighting? you know you all don't have to fight but you are so very similar to my brother. i’d be very happy for some company back in the eyrie.)

smudge might be the only one relived with your departure since that means kit is not lurking around every corner to make a new snack out of him.

i do have some news my friend....it seems like my wedding is going to be sooner than expected. the fighting ahead has moved everything along. and i know it is probably going to be a stretch and i’m sure you have other important thing to do.... but i would really love for you to be there. you've been a dear friend and i want you there for the day. it would mean a lot to me.

of course i understand if you have other obligations and cannot make it.

i hope you are well

your friend,

𝖗𝖔𝖘𝖆

@visxionaries

L Y R A   S U N G L A S S

“perhaps she had them all fooled. her air of confidence was in truth a well-crafted cloak that took years to perfect. lyra knew it well enough. she had been the master of her own deception.”

penned by anya

@sunglxss

rodrikofwinter​:

@rosaaaryn​

though many in the north would consider him to be jovial, a man who will share a drink and a laugh with his men, in the south rodrik has long been thought of as the dark wolf, a man who has made decisions others would often revile. his expression was solemn in the south, made even more so by the dour walls of dragonstone. the harsh neutrality of the grey bricks juxtaposed against the sea so turbulent the water was little more than droplets and cresting waves that crashed against the shore, both reminded him of home and made him wish that he was still in the north.

his crown, hammered bronze with spikes of black iron, was heavy on his head, though he did not wear it outside of his official duties.

( his bearing, his countenance, the way he spoke so confidently made it clear, rodrik thought, that he was the king of winter. anything more was an ostentatious showing he did not believe in )

rodrik had sparred in the training yard with a couple of his men and as he walked back into dragonstone itself, he kept from wiping beads of sweat percolating on his forehead. as he neared the hallway toward his chambers, however, he saw a familiar face though it was not one he knew well. the arryn princess his father had wanted him to wed stood just ahead and though negotiations between the families had not begun again, he felt it impolite to simply ignore her.

“good afternoon,” he said, the small talk sounding strange even to his own ears. “it has certainly been some time since we’ve last met.”

.

the days at dragonstone were coming to an end. and honestly, rosa was thankful for that fact. after everything that happened on this island, the arryn princess was ready to make her way back home. when they were first leaving to come to dragonstone rosa was overjoyed at the thought of getting to leave the vale for awhile. all throughout the war she had been stuck in the vale and honestly mostly in the eyrie to keep her safe. so getting travel somewhere was exciting for her. but now she wondered why she had left the vale at all.

but rosa couldn't let these thing bring her down. to break her. no she needed to stay strong for herself and for her family. so despite how much anxiety it might bring her she decided to go for a nice walk today. her guards following behind her to at least bring some comfort.

"king rodrik." surprise laced in her melodic voice. rosa had seen the other king during the time on the island but had never a real chance to speak with him. plus with the rumored talked of their father's arrangement she thought it might be inappropriate for her to reach out to him without knowing where people stood. but now with the two of them in the hall together there was no leaving a perfectly polite conversation. "it certainly has been a long time and much has changed. is your family well? i haven't had much of a chance to speak with either of your sisters here yet." she smiled. "and you! i hope you have been good as well with all the new pressures of kinghood."

ravellaarryns​:

ravella silently wrapped her arms around her little sister’s more petite frame, rubbing her back comfortingly; whilst rosa was the sun and she the moon, she couldn’t help but let out a breath of relief to see rosa able to still walk unassisted, and talk. pulling away from the embrace after giving rosa’s hand a soft squeeze, ravella motioned for her to sit before her mirror, beginning to loosen the fiery red braid that hung over her shoulder. "the king can’t get rid of me that easily.” ravella mused quietly, gently bringing a brush through rosa’s unruly curls. in truth, ravella had ensured no drama would reach any of her siblings by raven, laying low for weeks - making it easier to slip away when need be. “i’ve had your maids run you a bath.” ravella paused, biting her tongue; there was no need to get into the details of last night yet. “go on.”

.

rosa could stay like this for hours. her siblings always made her feel safe. and with everything that happened during this visit she needed any comfort she could get. and with the surprise visit of her sister, rosa felt like a small kid once more seeking the comfort of her big sister. settling down at her mirror like they had done hundreds of times before as her sister tried to tame her curls. "thank you." she said, happy to relax back into the water. "when did you get here? how?" she asked, having a hundred more questions but holding herself back. stepping behind the partition she undressed before she stepped into to the water. "this is exactly what I needed "she said moving the divider so she could at least see her sister. "i missed you sister."

@kingarryn​

“huh?” rosalyn asked, peeking her head up from her book, she clearly must have been intently engrossed into. she wasn’t sure if her brother had been speaking to her for awhile or just walked in. “i’m sorry, what did you say again?” she smiled.