Anonymous asked: so sansa and good queen alysanne am i the only that sees it?
Oh man, Sansa and Good Queen Alysanne parallels are my FAVORITE. I’ve written about it here and there on twitter, but it’s right there.
Well loved, beautiful, tall and elegant with high cheekbones and blue eyes. She forced the Starks to give the Night’s Watch the New Gift (which, Sansa and her eldest surviving ‘brother’ Jon will more than likely be in the position to do what Ned had planned to do, which is resettle it. And who better than those seeking refuge from the Others?).
Sansa’s want of being a good queen is more than just a nod – there are few good queens in history. Sure, there are Targaryen Warrior Princesses, and a scattered amount of women that put up with a male Targ’s shit for a while, but there aren’t many loving, pure, champion of the small folk queens out there. Queens just… exist in ASOIAF. Alysanne sticks out for a reason.
And of course, let’s not forget that George modeled Alysanne off of Hepburn’s Eleanor of Aquitane portrayal.
- Eleanor of Aquitaine:
- Most eligible bride in Europe of her time
- Skilled in sewing, dancing, singing, playing the harp, playing chess
- Well versed in reading
- Her mother and brother die, leaving her heir presumptive
- King Louis VI stakes a claim on her land when he becomes her guardian
- Her first marriage is set aside
- Married her cousin and acted as Regent for her second son in the third crusade
- Queen Consort of two kingdoms (France and England) and the Duchess of Aquitane of her own right
- Outlived most of her children
While it’s not an exact parallel, George likes to hand pick and choose tidbits of history to remix and incorporate with his characters, and it shows here. Bits of Eleanor are seen in Alysanne and Sansa, and bits of Alysanne can be seen in Sansa as well.
She was his most trusted counsellor and his right hand.-GRRM
"Lies and Arbor Gold, she thought." 