Winter Is Coming with Fire and Blood

fancast: alexander dreymon as cregan stark and meghan ory as alysanne blackwood

Edit Request Meme: Favorite Pre-series Story (requested by @ginghampearlsnsweettea)  ↳ The Dance of the Dragons || The Dance of the Dragons is the flowery name bestowed upon the savage internecine struggle for the Iron Throne of Westeros fought between two rival branches of House Targaryen during the years 129 to 131 AC. To characterize the dark, turbulent, bloody doings of this period as a “dance” strikes us as grotesquely inappropriate. No doubt the phrase originated with some singer. “The Dying of the Dragons” would be altogether more fitting, but tradition, time, and Grand Maester Munkun have burned the more poetic usage into the pages of history, so we must dance along with the rest.

There were two principal claimants to the Iron Throne upon the death of King Viserys I Targaryen: his daughter Rhaenyra, the only surviving child of his first marriage, and Aegon, his eldest son by his second wife. Amidst the chaos and carnage brought on by their rivalry, other would-be kings would stake claims as well, strutting about like mummers on a stage for a fortnight or a moon’s turn, only to fall as swiftly as they had arisen.

The Dance split the Seven Kingdoms in two, as lords, knights, and smallfolk declared for one side or the other and took up arms against one another. Even House Targaryen itself was divided, when the kith, kin, and children of each of the claimants became embroiled in the fighting. Over the two years of struggle, a terrible toll was taken on the great lords of Westeros, together with their bannermen, knights, and smallfolk. Whilst the dynasty survived, the end of the fighting saw Targaryen power much diminished, and the world’s last dragons vastly reduced in number.

The Dance was a war unlike any other ever fought in the long history of the Seven Kingdoms. Though armies marched and met in savage battle, much of the slaughter took place on water, and…especially…in the air, as dragon fought dragon with tooth and claw and flame. It was a war marked by stealth, murder, and betrayal as well, a war fought in shadows and stairwells, council chambers and castle yards with knives and lies and poison.

in a world where aegon and rhaenys, alysanne and jaehaerys, alyssa and baelon, jocelyn and aemon, corlys and rhaenys, rhaenyra and daemon, alysanne and cregan, baela and alyn, elaena and michael, aegon and betha, shaera and jaehaerys, duncan and jenny, joanna and tywin, doran and mellario - in a world where all of them married for love by their own choice assuming that the willful lyanna stark who was denied the freedom of choice since she was a child (and wasn’t even allowed to play with a wooden sword) would be absolutely fine with the idea of her father picking up a husband for her - any husband - is insane and screams not understanding her character at all

Alysanne Blackwood

Black Aly

she looks like my fifth grade teacher

“Aye, I’ll grant your boon” “And in return?” she asked. “All I ask is all of you, forever.” the Lord of Winterfell said solemnly. “I claim your hand in marriage.”

Cregan Stark x Alysanne ‘Black Aly’ Blackwood

“She smells of woodsmoke, not flowers…”

One of my favourite OTPs from Fire and Blood 🐺❤

I drew Cregan Stark and Alysanne Blackwood for my art trade with the very talented @nalustrepalustre who drew Daemon and Laena for me in return! I love how they turned out, thank you so much! 😍😍😍

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Day 20 of #teamblackstober, Alysanne “Black Aly” Blackwood

CREGAN STARK & ALYSANNE BLACKWOOD

Asoiaf minor ladies week ❧ Day 2: the Riverlands/the Iron Islands

ALYSANNE BLACKWOOD

“Amongst their supporters were two extraordinary women: Alysanne Blackwood, called Black Aly, a sister to the late Lord Samwell Blackwood, and thus aunt to Bloody Ben, and Sabitha Frey, the Lady of the Twins, the widow of Lord Forrest Frey and mother of his heir, a “sharp-featured, sharp-tongued harridan of House Vypren, who would sooner ride than dance, wore mail instead of silk, and was fond of killing men and kissing women,” according to Mushroom.” 🪶♥️ _________________________________________ It’s Black Aly Blackwood and Sabitha Frey (nee Vypren) for ASOIAF #PrideMonth2021 🌈✨ These two are so badass they’re like, top tiers 😩🔥 Also fucking hate IG’s cropping now it looks like shit 😤 I’ve never seen a depiction of Sabitha, therefore it’s free for my imaginings XD

AGAIN HAPPY PRIDE MONTH TO ALL OF MY BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE!!!!!

So I did some quick concept busts of Cregan Stark and Black Aly Blackwood, and I really like the way they came out! I can’t believe I’m starting the new year drawing F&B characters that aren’t Targaryens 😅 I’m going to try to draw some more iconic F&B characters like this, pray that this helps my inspiration constipation go away!

favorite pre-series ladies: alysanne blackwood

“Though Black Aly was no man’s queen of love and beauty, her fearlessness, stubborn strength, and bawdy tongue struck a chord for the Lord of Winterfell, who soon began to seek out her company in hall and yard. “She smells of woodsmoke, not of flowers,” Stark told lord Cerwyn, said to be his closest friend.” Finished this quick little illustration which was very fun to draw! Not an immaculate piece of work but I enjoyed the emotions I was able to convey with this piece. Inspired by this screencap!