They remember what their Gods whispered
into their ribs: Wake up and ache for your life.
Natalie Diaz ✠ Postcolonial Love Poem
🏰
I. ARCHMAESTER MARWYN:
If the Gods flipped a coin on her genesis,
teetering between madness or greatness...
it shall get neither.
They'll get dragons revenge.
This will not be the origins of another glorious ancestor with whom Princess Shaena shares a bloodline. At this exact moment in the house of the dragon, it is not so much of a home anymore. Only a short time ago, Summerhall had taken it's share of silver-tressed royals in a tragedy and dwindled the might of the house whose stronghold has always been their numbers, and how united they chose to be with them. Beyond their near extinction — there has not been a winged beast alive taking flight above the ghastly red castle in nearly a century. It does not matter, truly, what the Targaryens used to be once; it is far too long ago for anyone alive to care for. The truth of it is simple to her: House Targaryen is the ruling house of Seven Kingdoms, the house that hails their three-headed dragon sigil mightily above all and any, without any dragons to show for it.
The power they wield is all wrong.
She has grown tired of being powerful in the wrong way.
(She cannot be the only one to see the truth of it all, can she? Can no one else see what she sees? They have no power to them anymore. Their existence, lack of dragons, and her king fathers' disposition invokes a challenge Shaena knows her family will not survive...)
The whole of court knows Princess Shaena might be the most decent thing that's come from the Targaryens in a long while. Shaena wishes she could do something honorable with it... Her mother tells her their family is from the same flame as Old Valyria but in this new age, they each have different ways to burn.
II. 𝖉𝖗𝖆𝖌𝖔𝖓𝖘
𝖉𝖗𝖆𝖌𝖔𝖓𝖘
𝖉𝖗𝖆𝖌𝖔𝖓𝖘
𝖉𝖗𝖆𝖌𝖔𝖓𝖘
𝖉𝖗𝖆𝖌𝖔𝖓𝖘
The princess burns in her own way, with her own fire. Her blood runs warmer than any flame and travels onto those she surrounds herself with but there are still days when she whispers back to the ire and assures they'll get their due. Her flame is almost enough to make her mother smile. To pacify her paranoid father when he's not convinced the realm has turned her against him. Almost enough to endure Rhaegar, whose company bestows a particular unhappiness that suffocates her with the reality of how abysmal being a Targaryen woman truly is. On Shaena's worst days, she can feel the ghosts of her female ancestors weighing down the nape of her neck — mayhaps they pray for better end for her, too.
III. 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖆𝖕𝖎𝖘𝖙
𝖒𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗
𝖒𝖆𝖎𝖉
𝖓𝖞𝖒𝖕𝖍
𝖛𝖎𝖗𝖌𝖎𝖓
The crux of it all is this: Shaena Targaryen's long awaited freedom comes at the price of her family's life. Her title. Her home. Her children and her young siblings. All gone. Shaena cannot even begun to make sense of how much it will never be worth it. Because she should know better — especially when the Usurper Kings' Hand tells Shaena the cost of her survival is conditional upon her being wed. Eddard Stark looks at his new bride like her company bestows a feeling onto him that might suffocate her... This time however, Shaena will learn how to breath through it. The ancient blood in her capillaries may still ache to kindle, but no longer does it whisper brutal, vengeful oaths in her ears. In Winterfell, she is Lady of the North. Shaena is warm, and that warmth is finally her in a way she needn't atone for.
(She was tired of being powerful in the wrong way.)
This time around, Shaena Targaryen vows to do it right.
anya taylor-joy 𖣂 jodie comer
as SHAENA TARGARYEN
IV. Everyone you meet you scorch.
༒︎
Charlie Vickers ╱ EDDARD STARK
V. You gave me honor too soon.
Siân Brooke ╱ RHAELLA TARGARYEN
VI. Meeting the same cruel fate.
Woo Do-Hwan ╱ SER ARTHUR DAYNE
VII. Mourning Will Come.
Sai Pallavi ╱ PRINCESS ELIA MARTELL
VIII. Light of the world, hold me.
Phoebe Dynevor ╱ ALERIE HIGHTOWER
IX. Flowers will grow from my bones.
Bradley James ╱ SER JAIME LANNISTER
X. Holding my past like it's a sword.
CROWNLANDS and COURT
🛡 🛡 🛡
rose williams...... Meredyth 'Merry' Rowan
kim seolhyun...... Ashara Dayne
ruiari o'connor...... Lord Jon Connington
eve best...... Queen Mother ╱ Shaera Targaryen
arsema thomas...... Teora Crakehall
elle fanning...... Perianne 'Peri' Massey
luke eisner...... Crown Prince ╱ Rhaegar Targaryen
nia towle...... Alys ╱ Handmaiden to the Princess
and
The Others as Described.
༒︎
authors note
𖣂
I. Literally no words. Blame my seasonal ASOIAF kick, like, when winter is coming or whatever no pun intended. It's just basically my love for Targaryen women and the North intertwining any way I can make it make sense. Unfortunately it is during Aerys' reign so — this will beget tragedy for my princess lemoncake angel. But on the note of ASOIAF fics, I do have a bunch planned. Back to my rotted roots. (Art in the png by dongni hou!)
II. In canon, Aerys and Rhaella did have a daughter, stillborn, named Shaena born a eight years after they had Rhaegar in 259 AC. This is an AU in which that princess did in fact, survive and was born four years later in 263 AC. Joyous. Cruel. Pick your poison. This isn't a vastly new idea I've seen plenty of "AerysRhaella Dawtor B4 Dany Lives" but here is MINE own take on it. With that, Shaena's birth changes little except for the obvious fact of Rhaegar's bride not having to be Elia Martell (this is my precarious position of giving Dorne some deserved reprieve whilst making my OC unfortunately reap the consequences of it) and instead, is of course betrothed to Shaena because the likelihood of Aerys not wedding his heir and daughter is very slim. Especially since it's a snub against Tywin — who wants Rhaegar for Cersei. Yuck. Now, of course Shaena has no love for her brother in the way her parents marriage was loveless. Shaena tolerates him on her best days. She finds Rhaegar dull. The realm delights in the mention of him and she could laugh in their faces. Shaena might've tolerated him more if he was only ever her brother but fate wouldn't have it so thus, Shaena being trapped in this marriage but rest assured, as ACT I of this book will show you Shaena Targaryen tried her very best to make her unbearably unfair life a bit bearable. Spoiler: it's not.
III. Introducing ౨ৎ Shaena Targaryen ౨ৎ with her Ismene sun, Alicent Hightower rising, Nesta Archeron moon. I say all these women because to me, they're each very tragic and made to endure sufferings beyond their control — Shaena is very much a product of them and Paris Paloma's discography. (Labour? Hello? Shaena Targaryen anthem if there ever was one) Shaena, although very amiable and decent, will be somewhat 'unlikeable' at times and whilst I hate that word correlated with women but well, Shaena at her very core, is just a girl given a rotten deal in life. She was brought up, indulged and praised, in the Red Keep — amongst her cunning grandmother and flutter of ladies, all older, who teach her how women of their rank become formidable without dragons or being a man. Shaena doesn't play the game fair because it isn't played that way. She would like to think she is not her mother in that she is mindless about her duty; Shaena would rather have some delight in her life as she feels she is owed but at the same time, does all that is asked of her and still gets disregarded due to her brother-husbands ramblings of prophecy... Shaena's pursuit of selfishness? self-righteousness? are both her fatal flaw and greatest survival skill. That being said, Shaena is terribly naive and fanciful in thinking she will get everything she wants at no cost. It'll be a noticeable shift in her demeanor once ACT II comes into play.
IV. I know I have Anya as the younger Shaena but I just liked the way the gifs looked together hahaha I actually think young Shaena would look a tad like Gemma Ward mixed with Christina Ricci in Sleepy Hollow all with some pretty amethyst eyes. It only makes sense in my head. Also IK everyone uses Jodie Comer as Cersei but real ones will see the Targ Nation potential she has 🫂 again, combine Jodie and Gemma and boom! Also, Do-hwan as Arthur... if you seen him in My Country well you'll get it :D
V. Now, Ned and Shaena . (Btw NedCat I Love You Very Much My Parents I'm Sorry) What to say abt NedShaena.... The angst!! Yearning!! Miscommunication!! They're so precious to me. Their story is so complex and makes me WEEP because UGH!!!!!!! Just imagine it - from Ned and then from Shaena's perspective, the war, the circumstances that started it. It's gonna be soOoOooooooo SO!!!
VI. Last of all, content warning for this book because it is a major thing. ASOIAF is notoriously a very problematic fantasy world renowned for its cruelty of women but I hope to very briefly reference it and not touch on it and instead focus on Shaena's new life. I felt the need to preface & make sure everyone is comfortable on here!! Mentions of incest practices, domestic violence, pregnancy & miscarriages. References to eating disorders/mental health issues & infidelity. Frequent mentions of violence & depictions of blood, gore, & emesis. Brief mentions of martial rape/abuse. Character deaths, child SIDS, forced abortions & medicinal treatment. Typical elements of period misogyny.
started: october 24th 2023
ended: ??????
🏰
© INGYDARS