The Winds of Westeros

Okay. I saw the BEST Game of Thrones inspired cake EVER!!!!

My birthday is basically a week after Season III premieres (actually, my wedding anniversary is the day before my birthday). So, it's only fitting that I have a three tiered cake, with the top layer being dedicated to House Targaryen, the middle layer being dedicated to Arya, Jon, the Wall and House Stark and the bottom tier being dedicated to House Baratheon and Tyrion Lannister.

Top layer: double chocolate with chocolate butter cream filling.

Middle layer: marble with chocolate and strawberry butter cream filling.

Bottom layer: lemon with strawberry filling.

I just gained 20 pounds and my birthday is not for another 91 days!!!!

How AWESOME is this post from 109 We Come from the Future?

http://io9.com/5966920/game-of-thrones-meets-battle-of-the-bands-with-these-parody-music-logos/gallery/1

I think it's pure genius!

111 days left to go, Game of Thrones fans! Yay!

While I was working over the weekend, the subject of Rhaegar and Lyanna came up.

An important question was posed to me: "Who would you like to see cast as Rhaegar and Lyanna?"

I thought about this for some time. I know that in "A Feast for Crows" there is a lot of reference to Rhaegar and Lyanna.

My husband chimed in with his suggestion - "Monica Belucci for Lyanna Stark. Just pop on some blue contacts and presto! Hotness, guaranteed." (typical man, although I have to agree, Monica Belucci is gorgeous and I am sure that a lot of men would tune in to see her on A Game of Thrones)

I thought of Charlize Theron. I read a while back that she is a huge Game of Thrones fan and would absolutely love the opportunity to get a part, even if it was a small part, on the show. If you've seen Aeon Flux, you'll know she can carry off having dark hair. She certainly is attractive enough! For those of you who've read the fourth book, you'll know that Cersei always had a jealous streak to her and didn't appreciate that the late Lyanna Stark was held to be one of the most "beautiful women in Westeros." I think Cersei was very threatened, because Lyanna was well liked and respected, stunning and came from a noble household.

The fact that Robert Baratheon was in love with her AND Rhaegar presented her with the rose wreath at one of the tournaments says something. Two men, from equally famous houses are in love with this woman? I also think that they need someone who can pull off the flashbacks, in terms of age and looks. Charlize Theron is 36, I believe. Not that she looks 36. She could easily pass for 28 or 29.

Now, in terms of who I'd like to see cast in flashbacks, as Rhaegar, the first person that came to mind was Tom Hardy. He's built, has blue eyes, can carry a melancholy disposition and is gorgeous. I mean, hello?! If you don't believe me, just look him up on Internet Movie Database and check out his roster of movies. I think he could carry it off. I'd LIKE to see him cast! Many women would thank me for my suggestion in the long run. Another actor that came to mind was Jack Huston, also known as Richard Harrow, on Boardwalk Empire. He has an impressive body of work and I think he could carry the part off rather well.

Who would you like to see cast as Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen, if A Feast for Crows gets green lit and they incorporate flashback sequences? Suggestions, anyone?

HBOWatch has published another one of my character pieces. Bran Stark is close to my heart. Why?

I have worked with students with special needs in the last decade and I have found that there is something special about those kids. I am drawn to them like a lodestone. I am looking forward to Season III and seeing how the writers are going to fit in several major events for Bran.

I think this young wolf pup is going to have several challenges ahead of him BUT I think he's going to persevere!

:)

So, I was on a brief road trip with my husband to Niagara County, Ontario and we were listening to the Classic Vinyl and Classic Rewind stations on my Sirius XM radio when a wave of inspiration hit me: there are so many amazing songs out there, that perhaps I could blog about many of them, but that they should be classified according to their appropriate House.

There are, of course, many songs in different musical genres, so this provides me with an outstanding variety of songs to choose from.

Are there any songs out there, that you, my blog visitors, can think of for any of the Houses in Westeros? Feel free to comment and let me know what you think.

I'm going to go through all of my MP3 files and Cd's to see what songs would be appropriate.

Now that I think about it, Florence and the Machine's "Seven Devils" was such an appropriate choice for one of the Season II trailers....that I often wonder what they'll do for the Season III trailers that will be out for spring 2013?

Well, I asked my cake lady if she could make me 2 Game of Thrones themed cakes for the season premiere next year. Yeah, yeah. Laugh all you like, but she gets incredibly busy and I like to book her in advance. http://www.thevanillabean.ca

So, obviously I will have a House Stark and a House Lannister cake. I was thinking, they should definitely reflect the geographic areas of Westeros. What flavours? What colours?

Hubster says that the House Lannister cake has to be red and gold. Okay, I suppose that's a given. He also said that a nice combination of flavours would be lemon sponge cake with strawberry filling or raspberry filling. So that means one cake is going to be light and fruity. The lemon sponge cake, as he pointed out to me, would be very rich, just like the Lannisters of Casterly Rock. I told him to calm down and if anyone is going to come up with those awesome ideas, it was going to be me!

As for the House Stark cake, I am inclined to go with blue and white, reflecting on the northern climate of Winterfell. I was thinking about a dark chocolate cake with fudge filling. Hubster totally disagreed with that option (um....should I remind him who is paying for set cakes?!). He said I should go with a nice vanilla cake and blueberries/strawberries/blackberries for the filling. I don't know. I'm not too crazy about the idea of doing a fruit medley for the House Stark cake.

I like the idea of a chocolate and vanilla swirl with chocolate icing and maybe some blueberries in there somewhere, in order to include blue as a colour, to give it that wintry feel. Besides, seeing as how he made suggestions for House Lannister's cake, I feel it only fair that I get what I want and have a chocolate fudgey ooey gooey kind of cake to eat.

Oh wait. I have to share it with my guests. Winter is coming, indeed!!!

Yes.

I actually had the nerve to email a few of my friends on Facebook and invite them to a little get together that I'll be having on March 31, 2013. (imagine that...me planning things way in advance!)

Oh, wait. What's so special about that date? It's seven and a half months away!

In case you haven't read my blog, followed me on Pinterest, haven't read my character profiles on HBO Watch or don't have me as a Facebook friend, then you've been living under a rock! (just joking). I am a HUGE Game of Thrones fan. March 31, 2013 kicks off the season premiere of the third season, known to us all as "Game of Thrones: A Storm of Swords."

I've invited six people so far. Five are coming. I am going to order two cakes from my fantastic cake lady to commemorate the auspicious occasion! One will be a blue and white cake with the Stark dire wolf sigil on it. I'm thinking chocolate vanilla swirl for the House Stark cake (I always order chocolate from my cake lady for my cake flavours so I'll be bold and try something different). As for the second cake, it will be red and gold, as it will represent House Lannister. Flavour? Hm. Strawberry might be a good choice. Lemon is always a crowd pleaser, too.

And NO, I won't be dressing up as Arya, as someone had previously teased me about. Although one day I will go to a Comic Con and I will dress up in a Game of Thrones costume. I've see legions of dedicated fans do it countless times and who says you can only dress up in costumes on Halloween?!

Of course, it goes without saying that the guests I've invited were told to watch Season II before coming by for the Game of Thrones get together (I actually got one of my friends hooked on the series and he totally thanked me for it).

Let's hear it for the Starks of Winterfell!

They're loyal, hearty, disciplined and respected. They are an ancient House in Westeros and they live in the northern part of the continent.

Eddard and Catelyn Stark have five children: Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon. Jon Snow is the alleged illegitimate son of Eddard and some woman from a long time ago, but I doubt that theory. However, that is another blog post altogether.

Maester Luwin was their chief tutor, scholar, advisor and counsellor. Ser Rodrik Cassel was their chief defence advisor and weapons trainer.

We all grew to love Ned, as he was steadfast and loyal to all and a friend and good example of what a Warden and Lord should be. Unfortunately, we know he was falsely executed for treason at the end of Season I. His legacy and memory live on. Catelyn does her best to advise and raise her children but it is not an easy time, nor an easy thing to be a woman in Westeros. Robb is now stationed as King of the North, with a few military successes to his credit. The Young Wolf seems to be following in his late father's footsteps.

Sansa was the dutiful daughter. However, look where duty has gotten her: stranded in King's Landing with nothing but enemies around her. We all hope that her situation changes. Arya had the gumption to pose as a boy, was stationed at Harrenhal and became Tywin Lannister's cup bearer. Talk about getting the best access to war plans and military sieges. She also begins to show a prowess and cunning skill, when it comes to getting rid of her enemies. I like her!

Bran and Rickon are the two youngest Stark children and have not fared so well. Bran became paralyzed after being thrown from a tower window. Upon waking, many modifications had to be put into place, in order to allow him to move about. Rickon is the youngest and has had a difficult time processing all the events going on. The lack of parental involvement has taken its' toll on both the boys. Maester Luwin and Ser Rodrik Cassel were the last two paternal figures they had, and unfortunately, we all know what fates those two men meet.

The dire wolves are a huge part of House Stark. After all, the sigil is the dire wolf and the motto for House Stark is "Winter is coming."

So far, Grey Wind is with King Robb. Lady was put down, by Ned himself, that way she did not suffer an even crueler fate by being butchered by some Lannister halfwit. Nymeria is somewhere out there....in the wilderness, grazing, search and travelling with a pack. Summer and Shaggywolf are constantly by Bran and Rickon's side, protecting the little Lords.

It pains me to see such a noble house suffer such injustice. I know that George R R Martin writes with purpose and intellect, but it just gets my blood boiling whenever a good character is torn asunder, betrayed or abandoned. Hence, the success of the books and series!

Damn you, George! (joking....well, sort of)

Just because you are a Queen doesn't necessarily give you absolute power.

Just look at Cersei Lannister. She yearns to sit on the Iron Throne and rule over Westeros with a vicious grip. Not bloody likely. Not while she is Queen Regent. Which, for all of her scheming and calculations, it more or less backfired in her face. Placing Joffrey on the thrones was like unleashing a swarm of angry bees after someone has knocked over their hive. Not pleasant for anyone involved.

Not that she fared any better as Robert Baratheon's Queen. She did her duty: she married him, united two powerful Houses in the Seven Kingdoms and produced three children (whom we all know are not legitimate children borne of that union, but products of incest).

Sansa Stark was betrothed to Prince Joffrey Baratheon in Season I. She would've been his Queen, once the late King passed on and perhaps things may have had a nicer turn out, had Eddard Stark not been accused of treason and Joffrey didn't turn out to be the vile sociopath that he really was. In Season II, Sansa should thank her lucky stars that she did not wed Joffrey. Her physical and mental abuse at his hands (or his henchmen's hands) was a real nice preview of what a 'blissful' married life they would've had together. (note my sarcasm)

Next candidate for Queen: there are two potential women who vie for the title and all it's privileges: Lady Talisa Migear and Lady Margaery Tyrell. (in the book we know that Robb Stark ends up marrying a character named Jeyne Westerling, from an impoverished House)

Lady Talisa is a field nurse, tending to wounds, cuts, amputations and dead bodies, no matter what House they serve. Lady Margaery has been trained by birth in the finer arts of women's studies, castellan management and court politics and etiquette by her grandmother, Lady Olenna Redwyne. Who is more worthy of the title? Who will be able to play the game better, outwit and outlast people longer and live to see another year in the Seven Kingdoms?

The tides have now turned and people's fortunes rise and fall just like the sun and the moon in the Seven Kingdoms. By the end of Season II, we see that Lady Margaery Tyrell has now been betrothed to King Joffrey Baratheon. Where Sansa cowered and put on a mask to conceal her true feelings, Margaery looks like she's able to use her looks and her sexuality to manipulate Joffrey. She doesn't look like she's afraid of Cersei, either. And you wonder why I like Margaery Tyrell.

Season III is going to place the women of Westeros on a whole different playing field!

What can you say about a man like Petyr Baelish?

Liar. Schemer. Manipulator. Genius. Businessman. Menace. Power hungry. Threat.

I think the list - as accurate as it may seem - could probably be a little longer and I'm sure Game of Thrones fans would agree. If any readers want to comment on what else they think Petyr Baelish represents, I say go for it and leave a comment! (interesting little aside - as I started typing this post, my husband suggested I look up the word 'megalomaniac; when I did, the definition eerily fit Petyr Baelish's persona, especially in Season II)

Petyr Baelish, or Littlefinger, as he is commonly referred to as, comes from humble beginnings. He was raised as a ward in the Tully household, alongside Catelyn and Lysa. Petyr has unrequited feelings for Catelyn and yet, had no problems having a secret relationship with Lysa before she was married off to John Arryn, the Lord of the Vale.

The way Petyr comes across to many of the characters in Game of Thrones is nothing short of sleazy. The man is a proprietor of several established pleasure houses. He also holds a seat on the Small Council and is in charge of the finances for King's Landing. He is a smooth operator - the man has a saying or a come back line for any given situation. He never breaks out into a sweat and his eyes miss nothing. I feel sorry for those that actually try to oppose him. He is a man who is well informed and he pays well for that kind of knowledge.

I believe that Petyr Baelish serves his own interests and is smart enough to conceal that by putting on on heck of a poker face and doing his duty but paying lip service to the Lannisters, or who ever has the most power to grant him money, power and titles. After all, this little man who came from nothing didn't get to being on the Small Council by being a willy nilly and naive fellow. Remember when he told Ned Stark "Distrusting me was the smartest thing you did since you got off your horse?" in Season I? Well, I can only imagine the sheer frustration and anger that many fans - myself included - felt when Ned was betrayed.

Season II turns out to be quite profitable for Petyr. He acquires a new leading prostitute, his own sigil and brokers a deal between the Houses of Tyrell and Lannister. Yes, he a pimp - the man is a machine who just doesn't stop. If he can make more money, acquire more power at court and gain powerful allies along the way, then perhaps we should also think of him as a survivor. The man has a knack for deceit as a talent.

My skin just crawls when he says to Sansa that she reminds him of Catelyn at that age. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing and because I've read four of the books, I happen to know just what a sleazy man Petyr Baelish truly is. He is a fantastic liar, especially when it comes to the Tully women and his supposed 'relations' with the both of them. I'll stop right now, before I get into too much detail (and possibly ruin it for other people who haven't read as far as me).

I'll say this: I'd trust Petyr Baelish with my money but not with my life!

In my defence, I am going to dedicate this blog post to all Game of Thrones fans, whose names begin with the letter "E." Seeing as how this is my blog, I more or less think I can get away with posting this, too.

Oh, alright. I'll include "The Eyrie," which we all know to be the ancestral home of House Arryn. This is a fortress that stands very tall, on top of a mountain range that is almost impossible to climb during any season except summer. It is certainly advantageous from a protection and a military standpoint. The Eyrie has a few floors for their prisoners, known as the 'Sky Cells.' Tyrion Lannister found that out when he was brought there for a trial by Lady Catelyn Stark.

Life appears to be very elegant in the Eyrie. As Lady Lysa Arryn once said, "Life is elegant here in the Vale, we have no executioner." The Vale of Arryn has yet to declare support for any of the ruling families who are fighting for the Iron Throne, thus it is seen to be neutral territory. The Vale of Arryn lands are situated between the lands of the north (belonging to House Stark) and the lands to the middle of Westeros (belonging to House Tully, which just happens to be Lady Lysa's father's lands).

The Eyrie is currently ruled by lady Lysa and her son, Lord Robert Arryn, a sickly and temperamental young boy.

Well of course! What did anyone expect?!

If I ever have a little girl, I already told my husband that we are naming her Arya and that's the end of the discussion. He has perfected a way of acknowledging me, when he is either amused with my shenanigans, or hasn't really paid attention to them, by stating, "Yes, dear."

I hope I have a little Arya to call my own in the near future (here's hoping that job comes my way). Now, back to the topic at hand. Where to begin? We catch a glimpse of a young girl, bored to tears and doing some needlepoint in a room with other ladies at the castle of Winterfell. We also see just how bored Arya is with having to do such a pointless task (yes, I said pointless, I fully agree with Arya on that one).

We also see that Arya has a keen intellect and longs for something more. Arya can shoot a bow as well as any of her brothers. In fact, she actually makes Bran look bad in front of the older Starks. We also know that Arya resembles her late aunt, Lyanna Stark. They share the same looks and personality.

Arya had some pretty neat experiences during the first season- she travelled to King's Landing with her sister and father, she met Syrio Forel and took up fencing and swordplay and she began her training. Unfortunately, she has some terrible experiences, too: she fought against that turd Joffrey and Lady ended up paying the price for it, she came to see how evil the Lannisters were and was present while her father was executed.

In the second season, we see Arya toughen up - by circumstance. Yoren smuggles her out of King's Landing with Gendry (the late King Robert Baratheon's illegitimate son) and takes them to the safety of the Wall. Only they don't get too far. They end up at Harrenhal. She ends up being a cup bearer for Tywin Lannister, of all men. Not that it's a bad thing, mind you, especially when the men discuss warfare and strategy. We see Arya hold her own against the great lion. The little wolf pup is growing up and growing teeth, while she's at it.

She is tough, spunky and clever enough to pose as a boy and then as a commoner. Tywin grows rather fond of her and they have meaningful conversations. She shows a maturity that most 11 year old girls don't possess. She also meets the mysterious stranger, Jaqen H'gar. They have an unusual agreement. I can't wait to see more of Arya Stark in "A Storm of Swords" (season three).

April 2013 is going to ROCK!