The Winds of Westeros

Yes, I used the word 'princess' and the word 'Arya' in the same sentence.

Make no mistake, I use it with the greatest respect, in the sense that Arya is a fierce little princess, capable of holding her own against the big boys, in fact, anyone who crosses her path. I don't mean princess in the way everyone thinks of - long gowns, sweeping hairstyles, jewels, fine needle point and an air of genteel breeding.

Hell, no! I mean a young girl who is suddenly thrust into the vicious Game of Thrones, who is able to read people's intentions, train with a sword, learn a few ancient and noble languages, defend her House's honour, stand up and fight for herself and take off in order to survive, study other people, what they say and what they try to hide, accept her growing power as a warg and ultimately, learn how to become one of the most skilled assassins in Westeros. THAT is the type of princess I'm talking about - armed with chain mail, daggers, Needle, shape shifting powers, be multilingual and above all - conquer her fears and take down her enemies.

Arya always knew that she was different from other girls her age. She knew she would never be like her older sister and somehow, that did not disappoint her. She knew it, felt it and accepted it. She was surprised and shocked to learn and understand from her father that she was just like her late aunt, Lyanna Stark. Shocking because Lyanna was considered to be a great beauty in the Seven Kingdoms and surprised because Lyanna had the same spirit and had a rebellious streak in her. It's as if the ghost of Lyanna has come back to guide her niece. And this is a notion that I want to believe in.

I adore Arya Stark - she wants to believe in justice and equality and yet is canny enough, at a young age, to know that Westeros is made up of very dangerous men and women who will lie, cheat, steal and kill to get what they want. We all know that power is an aphrodisiac. Arya doesn't seem to be tainted by it, say the way that Joffrey and Cersei are. No, she knows that anyone can be killed and that you have to be very careful and play the game well and make allegiances with the right sort of people in the Seven Kingdoms. Otherwise, you will find yourself swinging from a rope or have a sword go through your belly.

None of those options are what Arya has in mind for herself. No, not this young wolf pup. She has to go through some very frightening and challenging times in order to grow as a young woman and as an individual, who is trying to survive and learn the skills she needs to - because in time we know what she will use them for.

Vengeance.

And it is my feverent hope that Arya Stark not only survives many assassins and outlaws, but that with each passing day, she remembers that she is a survivor. That she is strong minded and tougher than most.

That she is a Stark.

That she is not a victim.

When the time comes to exact her revenge on the world, may the Seven Old Gods and the New have mercy on her enemies.

For I will not.

The North Remembers.

Valar Morgulis ~ Valar Dohaeris.

Sansa Stark will always be regarded as the Stark daughter who has the genteel breeding that was traditional of a young girl in a medieval society, like Westeros. She is accomplished at needlepoint, poetry and chatelaine duties. It seems to me that her sole duty is to marry well and into a high born family, as befits her own family's station and status in the Seven Kingdoms. She is elegant and poised and to quote her directly, "Courtesy is a lady's best armor." Really?! How about armor is your best protection against the enemy - both protective to your body and your wit?! Sansa may be the perfect daughter, but she lacks the ability to see through people's motives and has no thought to the idea that people have the ability to be malevolent. However, Sansa's biggest priority is getting engaged to a dreamy prince of the realm and making her parents happy.

This bugs me. As in to no end. Yes, I understand that she wants to make her family happy but what about how she is going feel, think and act? It bothers me to such a degree that women are regarded as the silent gender in A Song of Ice and Fire and Sansa embodies this well. Be seen but not heard. No thought to your own wishes and will, but the will of your lord and master.

I think that perhaps a little cunning and intelligence are the order of the day. Let's face it: Sansa dreams of a world where everybody is kind and gentle and they all adhere to the notions of courtly love. Being betrothed to Joffrey Baratheon was no picnic and for viewers of the show and readers of the books, we all know how she was mentally and psychologically abused. She was isolated and used as a pawn by others who had plenty of power over her. In short, Sansa is a victim and has no real power over her own life. Choices are made for her. When Sansa chose that spoiled wretch, Joffrey, over her sister and Mykah in Season I, that is when I lost all respect for her. Joffrey was a maniac and I thought to myself many times, "If that was a preview of what your married life was going to look like, good luck with that one. You deserve that pompous ass for a husband." That and - Arya is YOUNGER than you and can see through people's b.s. and you can't?! (shaking my head right now)

Season II and III fare no better for her - but we do catch small glimpses where Sansa is beginning to understand that people in King's Landing can be duplicitous and it doesn't hurt to have a protective mask in place and perhaps...even lie once in a while! Everyone else at court is a liar and a user, so you might as well try to beat them at their own game.

Being married off to Tyrion Lannister, in my opinion, was the safest thing that could've happened to her. As the wife of Tyrion Lannister, she had the protection of the Lannister family, plus the wealth to go along with it. And Tyrion is not Joffrey, not by a long shot. He might be a "half man" but by the Old Gods and the New, he is an experienced man and ladies, you get my meaning. Sansa could have had a chance to be happy with him, if she allowed herself to look past the fact that he wasn't so golden like one of the Tyrell sons or that he wasn't her perfect picture of a man. In those days, it was rare enough to have a true love match. However, having the Lannister name was an ace up her sleeve.

Will Sansa develop a stronger sense of worth? Will she develop a back bone and start to see all the dangers and intrigue around her? Or will she always be that ignorant little girl who dreams of courtly love, from Winterfell? Or will she surprise all of us fans and end up seated on the Iron Throne, with an army to back her up?

I came across an article that was in defence of Sansa Stark.

Not sure if I like the tone of it but, well, that's for everyone to decide on their own.

However, I will say this: are Arya and Sansa two sides of the same coin? Yes, they have the same last name and are both daughters of the late Ned and Catelyn Stark.

But how different can two teenage daughters/sisters be?

I will write a blog post in defence of one and in reflection of the other. I think you all know that I am #TeamArya.

Call this a fantastic promotional strategy....or a way for fans of the realm to take their frustrations out on King Joffrey Baratheon, through the use of social media!

A few days ago, HBO launched the first ever "Roast Joffrey" event - where fans could take to Twitter and say a few, ahem, 'nice' things about the spoiled, delusional and egotistical King. I know I put in a few Twitter roast posts about him!

With the thousands of fans giving their two cents' worth, I have a feeling that future 'roasts' may be launched and I can think of a few other Game of Thrones characters I'd love to see that for...

Cersei.

Theon.

Petyr Baelish.

Walder Frey.

Roose Bolton.

Ramsay Snow.

Not bad, eh?!

Do you know what is SO awesome?!

Arya Stark memes.

Do you want to know what could possible top that?

A Tumblr account about #AryaStarkMemes.

SO awesome! Posting the link in the Game of Thrones link section!

http://gameoflaughs.tumblr.com/post/64130126767/arya-stark-memes

I have been thinking lately of all the times when I used to make fun of my older brothers. They were and still are huge Stark Trek and Star Wars fans. While I totally loved Star Wars, I couldn't get into the Trekkie thing. Both of my brothers collected the toys, figurines, magazines - anything with the Star Trek crew.

The turn of the tide has come full circle - as I look back on the past few years and look at the incredible amount of A Song of Ice and Fire collectibles that I have purchased. I have spent a small fortune on books, magazines, graphic novels, exhibition tickets, drinking steins, magazines, detailed map books, Funko Vinyl figures mugs, shot glasses, hats, graphic prints, framed portraits, essay books and plushie dolls.

If that wasn't bad enough, I read last night on 109 We Come from the Future an article about GRRM and hos he weaves yet another compelling tale about the politics of war and how much dragons play a part in his newest novella, "Dangerous Women."

My poor husband. I already told him that he has to order the third round of Funko Dolls for Valentine's Day next year. Now this.

Dangerous, indeed, for a woman like me!

OH YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just what the doctor ordered: a new wave of Game of Thrones Funko Vinyl figures!

Right in time for Valentine's Day (or a few days thereafter) but the point is - I will have more to add to my ever expanding collection!

This is INSANE! Better than my Barbie collection!

I am going to order the Brienne of Tarth, Tywin, Hodor, Ghost, Drogon and Ygritte figures!

Not too keen on ordering the Prince Joffrey one, though.

This just made waiting for the Season IV premiere a little better!

:)

I keep paying down my Visa but, it's so hard to get it all the way down to nothing. Especially when the folks at Funko go and release more Game of Thrones figures!

I guess I better not purchase any Walking Dead ones, right?

I can't wait until they make the Margaery and Lady Olenna Tyrell figures!

Alright, I admit that math is not my strong suit but apparently, there's less than 134 days left to go!

How sweet is that??

:)

Well, just when I thought I had completely paid off my Visa, I heard about this site called "Etsy."

Truth be told, I saw an article about these gorgeous, hand made custom designed Game of Thrones hoodies and I wanted to order them.

Yikes! At $200 per hoodie, that means I have to rethink my strategy. I will not be purchasing the Baratheon or Targaryen hoodies. Yes, I know, it's still an expensive endeavour for me to follow through with but I will be purchasing the House Stark and House Lannister ones.

The seller is on Etsy under the name of "Rarity's Boutique." She sold out her first order. Perhaps this is a good thing. I'll have to wait 2 months to place my order. That will be after the holiday season, so my debts will be paid off!

Sweet!

Okay, as a little girl, I used to love the "Mr. Men" series of books. They were colourful, entertaining and usually had some sort of moral to the story.

I ask you, then, what could be better than regular "Mr. Men" books?

Game of Thrones Mr. Men books!!!

I will post the link in the links section.

As for my favourite Game of Thrones "Mr. Men" character, I'll give you three guesses!

And of course, that goes without saying that it is Ms. Arya Stark! (I'm kind of hoping that the creators of this will get around to drawing more of the characters, because I would love to see what Tywin, Tyrion, Margaery and Lady Olenna would be labeled as!)

My husband gave me the best suggestion: why not have the Arya Stark Mr. Men character as a tattoo, because I have been wanting to get one for a year now and it had to be specifically about Arya or Tyrion. Awesome suggestion, honey. This time, I'm going to listen to you!

:)

I cannot take credit for this but felt compelled to put this in my humble little blog.

"Tywinning" - Portmanteau of "Tywin" and the word "winning." This is mostly used to refer to the character,  Tywin Lannister, Hand of the King from "Game of Thrones." Especially when he destroys his enemies, orders members of his family around, field dresses a moose and otherwise, acting LIKE A BOSS.

If you want to watch the most hilarious video of bits and pieces of Game of Thrones, then click the link and have a good time!

The people who came up with this are brilliant!!!

I think I've watched this about 25 times already. And it only came out yesterday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Krz-dyD-UQ

Just a breakdown:

1 subscription to HBO so I can watch my favourite show!

1 Pinterest board - "A Song of Ice and Fire: Game of Thrones" board with almost 4,000 pins.

5 "A Song of Ice and Fire" books.

4 of them signed by the man himself, GRRM!!!!!! (nobody is allowed to touch them but me...lol)

1 extra set of "A Song of Ice and Fire" novels for my mother. :)

1 extra set of "A Song of Ice and Fire" novels that people can ask to borrow from me.

2 "A Song of Ice and Fire" graphic novels.

9 Funko Vinyl dolls.

2 Rolling Stone magazines with Peter Dinklage on the cover.

2 Entertainment Weekly magazines with the Lannisters and Jon/Dany on the covers.

10+ articles on HBO Watch (most of them pertaining to Game of Thrones).

1 Hand of the King pin.

2 Game of Thrones drinking steins (House Lannister and House Baratheon).

1 Winds of Westeros BlogSpot.

1 Twitter account with lots of links to HBO Watch and Game of Thrones events, news and updates.

2 Seasons of Game of Thrones on regular DVDs.

2 Season of Game of Thrones on Blu-ray DVDs.

1 Season III of Game of Thrones Blu-ray special edition pending order.

1 USB stick full of gawd knows how many Game of Thrones things.

1 e-mail to the makers of Trivial Pursuit and 1 response that "at this time, they are not currently looking into making an edition especially for Game of Thrones." (from 2011)

1 e-mail to Crayola with the idea to make "Game of Thrones" Crayola crayons (from 2011).

2 "The Wit and Wisdom of Tyrion Lannister" books impending order.

3 Game of Thrones calendars.

2 tickets from 2012 and 2013's HBO's Game of Thrones Toronto exhibitions.

4 Game of Thrones shot glasses.

3 Game of Thrones essay style books.

1 on-line membership to "Westeros.org" - the friggin' PHENOMENAL on-line community built by Elio and Linda!

Too many pics from the March 13, 2012 meet George RR Martin book signing downtown at Indigo.

3 Game of Thrones styled cakes (one for birthday and wedding anniversary - April 2012 and 2 for season premiere party 2013, with countless more to go for 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017).

3 Plushie Dragon Eggs on order.

6 Plushie Direwolves on order.

OMG.

I don't even want to think of what my next Visa bill is going to look like or how thick the envelope is going to be!

I didn't want to exit off of my Pinterest account last night.

My husband made me!

"Oh, as if 3,700 pins on your Game of Thrones board isn't enough," he went on to say.

EXCUSE ME! THAT is NOT the point!

Yes, I'm a wee bit kerfluffled. I like going on Pinterest. Just in case anyone else was wondering, I also have other boards, some educational and some just for fun, that I occasionally pin something to.

I reluctantly logged off and let him have the PC.

Maybe I need help.

Or maybe I *need* someone to buy me Game of Thrones stuff. LOTS of it, too!

Yes, I guess I should, from time to time, slow down on my GoT obsession.

But "not today."

;)

If I thought I could get away with it, I would name my future son Tyrion.

My husband does not approve of the name. He says it is best to leave it where it belongs, on HBO and for GRRM's awesome hero, Tyrion Lannister.

I heard that the book, "The Wit & Wisdom of Tyrion Lannister" will be released to Britain in October, so you all know that I have already ordered two copies.

In the meantime, I found this article and thought it was just brilliant! A compilation of Tyrion Lannister quotes we can all enjoy.

And then, there's a bonus scene at the end of the article.

One I think we all love to watch over and over and over....

So....

Apparently GRRM loves AMC's "Breaking Bad." My husband and I have checked it out from time to time, although I confess, I have been WAY too obsessed with HBO's Game of Thrones, with the second runner up, Boardwalk Empire, to actually start following "Breaking Bad" on a regular basis.

I will admit that I am a little bit obsessed with "The Walking Dead," too.

GRRM blogged about how he felt that "Water White was a bigger monster than anyone in Westeros."

Yikes! Really?! I don't know if I agree with that, GRRM. One poster, on the "109 We Come From the Future" website, wrote his points on an excellent article about GRRM and Breaking Bad, that Walter White was like Tywin Lannister.

I thoroughly agree with his points, as they were well thought out and eloquently written.

I'll be posting links to those amazing articles on the right hand side, where the Game of Thrones links are.

Sweet.

I just discovered that the lady I go to for my manicures and pedicures is reading A Song of Ice and Fire!

Come ON already! That is totally awesome!! Shout out to N! You rock, lady!

This just in and hot off the press....

Mark of Gatiss, of "Sherlock Holmes" fanfare, is set to play the character of Tycho Nestoris, who hails from the Iron Bank of Braavosi.

I won't give it away but to put it politely.....you REALLY don't want the men from the Iron Bank of Braavos coming to collect late fees, interest or ANY outstanding accounts.

The end result isn't good.

To quote the late rapper, Biggie Smalls, "Mo money, mo problems."

(Cersei: have you been paying attention?)

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NFL teams plus Game of Thrones style sigils = PURE AWESOMENESS.

Yes, I am well aware that awesomeness is not an actual word, but I like the way it sounds. And it totally fits the bill for this!

Hmmmm. More internet buzz. The actor who portrayed Daario Naharris has been recast.

I was just starting to get used to him, too!

Michiel Huisman, who has been on Treme, is now set to play Daario. Will he live up to the fan's expectations? Only time will tell!

Apparently, the actor who played Tommen Baratheon has been replaced with the actor who played Martin Lannister in Season III.

According to Winter is Coming, that is the buzz on the street. I guess this change is needed, because after all, we know that certain events may be taking place in Season IV and I guess, in all honesty, Tommen has to look as though he has gotten a little bit older. My guess is that he was about 6 or 7 when the first season started. He has to look a little bit older for the coming events.

227 days to go!

A few days ago, I was on the internet and was watching a few animated short clips from Game of Thrones (off of the 109 We Come From the Future website), when I came across an article about an animated short about a street rat who, through a series of events, finds himself inside of a research lab and falls in love with a female albino rat. The title is called "One Rat Short." It was done in 2006.

I can't begin to tell you what watching "One Rat Short" did to me, or of its' aftermath on my somewhat happy and peaceful life.

Who knew that watching an animated short could reek tears and despair? I felt inconsolable, depressed and quite forlorn. I haven't felt like this since Brandon Stark was thrown from the window, since Lady was killed, since Ned Stark was beheaded and since the AWFUL Red Wedding.

I couldn't help but comparing the feelings of angst and heartache that the two rats endure in this short, to the love story of Daeneyrs and Khal Drogo, Ned and Catelyn Stark and Robb and Talisa Stark.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Sometimes, it is an act of violence that takes your loved one away. Other times, it is a mercy killing that needs to take place, because your loved one is no longer the same person and it hurts to see them suffering. Other situations, it is the act of betrayal and being stabbed (in the back) by someone you once trusted. In the case of the rats, it is a few seconds delay amongst chaos and the door closing, separating the loved ones for good.

I will post the link on my Game of Thrones links.

I am still bummed. Warning: when you watch this animated short, be prepared to cry. And make sure you have a box of Kleenex near by.

The second season of Game of Thrones had an incredible song called "Seven Devils" by Florence and the Machine.

Totally appropriate for what the season was showcasing.

I thought, will the folks at HBO pick another amazing song for the season three official trailer? Ding! Ding! They picked a song called "Bones" by the group MS MR. Extremely in tune with all the dark themes of season three.

I wonder...what song will be chosen for the fourth season's official trailer? March...8 months away.  A lot of wondering and waiting for us fans in the realm!

Who do you consider to be the sexiest vamp on Game of Thrones?

Who, in your humble opinion, is the most dastardly of men, in the Seven Kingdoms?

Who do you think will reign supreme and come out on top - proving many people wrong and perhaps raising a few eyebrows?

I think Margaery is the sexiest vamp to hit the screen. Cunning, lethal and seductive, not only does she know how t play Joffrey like a lute, she dresses to accentuate her womanly curves and titillates with her come hither eyes.

The most vile, dastardly of men....well, this is a tough one! I asked my husband and his answer (right away, without hesitation) was Roose Bolton's bastard, Ramsay Snow.

I agree with his choice. I also want to add Walder Frey and Petyr Baelish in that club, too. Dirty rotten scoundrels! And yet, these men seem to be outlasting a lot of other people!

As for who will come out on top, well, I would love to see this happen: I would love for Arya Stark to somehow, someway, meet up with Dany Targaryen and become a member of her Queen's Guard. In fact, I would love to see those two women team up and have each others' back. Dany with her dragons and Arya with her street smart, assassin savvy skills, well, what more could you ask for?! Well, of course, I would love to add Tyrion Lannister to the mix. He would be the political advisor to Dany Targaryen. That would be SO awesome!

I'd also like to see Jaime say, "Eff you, Cersei!" and never, ever be under her malignant influence again! He should go off in search of Tyrion, beg his forgiveness and restore the bonds of brotherhood. I'd also like to see Jon Snow become the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch with Samwell Tarly by his side, as his most trusted confidant. I'd love to see Margaery rule - through Tommen and have her grandmother at her side as a political force to be reckoned with. BOOYEAH.

I'd like to see Cersei get her JUST DESSERTS. I would also like to see Bran and Rickon reunited with Jon, somehow, someway, with the Reeds, Osha and Hodor intact, too!

I know, I know. Perhaps this is just wishful thinking on my part...

I was a huge fan of the HBO series, Rome. So you can just imagine my excitement at hearing that Indira Varma, who played Niome, in Rome, has been cast as Ellaria Sands, the paramour of the Red Viper!

I think she is going to be excellent - she has an exotic look and is quite alluring. I think we have something along the lines of 240 days or so to go until Season IV rolls around!

Good times, y'all!