#cqtelyn

HER   EYES   WIDEN   AND  HER  FROST - HUED   LIPS   PART    as   she  raises  her  chin,  looking  up  to  the  woman  as  she  rolls  the  broken  crown,  sitting  upon  wood  as  if  it  were  iron,  a  chair  as  if  it  were  a  throne.  she  is  dead  but…  breathing,  decaying  but  speaking   ——   though  her  voice  is  harsh  and  cold,  rasping  through  what  remains  of  her  throat,  and  arya  wonders  how  long  she  had  to  practise  to  make  the  words  resemble  arya  had  ever  been  taught.  

she  keeps  waiting  for  it  to  kick  in:  the  shock.  yet  it  doesn’t.  she’s  stuck,   freezing  in  a  moment  of  time  that  stretches  forever.  and  it  seems  like  forever  that  death  has  courted  her,  whispered  to  her,  cloaked  her  when  she  slept.  death  has  been  her  ever - present  protector  and  here  she  is:  death  herself,  pale,  ravaged  skin  and  hollow  eyes. 

and  arya  knows  her,  for  death  is  her  mother. 

❝   ——   but…   ❞

she  remembers  a  dream:  a  woman  face - down  and  naked  in  the  river,  red  hair  splayed  out  around  her  head  mirroring  the  blood  leaking  from  her  throat.  she  had  been  a  little  less  rotted  then,  and  her  hair  had  still  been  red  as  autumn  apples.  but  she  knows  her  still,  even  in  the  few  moments  of  disbelief  she  is  only  lying  to  herself  when  she  tries  to  deny  it.  because  it  can’t  be  true,  because  it  can’t  be  possible.  but  she  has  seen  a  dead  man  rise,  and  with  one  quick,  panicked  look  to  harwin  arya  knows  she  has  the  truth  of  it. 

and  suddenly,  she  is  not  afraid.  she  steps  forward.  one  of  stoneheart’s  men  goes  to  grasp  her  but  she  darts,  more  gracefully  than  she  used  too,  from  his  grip,  eyes  desperately  searching  the  woman’s.

❝   don’t  you  know  me   ——   ?   ❞

Brienne had thrashed and struggled against the men holding her with all her might, and she fought all the fiercer when they approached Lady Catelyn. She’d taken a quarrel in the shoulder that was meant for her lady and she was bleeding from her leg too, from some injury she didn’t remember sustaining, but she shook off her attackers one by one until someone pushed the bolt farther in. All the strength went out of her and her legs collapsed. 

The battle’s over, Brienne knew when she lifted her head, but it hadn’t been a battle, not truly. It was a slaughter. They had entered the hall as guests, but once inside they were no more than the lambs and piglets she’d had to butcher as a girl. But I didn’t kill them, she thought numbly. I tried to save them. To save her. She had failed. The tears came thick and fast, blinding her as they had that day so many years ago. A hand was at the back of her head, pulling it back by the hair so she couldn’t look away. Catelyn Stark came into focus before her, clawing at her face in grief. Brienne’s own strangled cry of pain was drowned out by Catelyn’s mad, shrieking laughter. It was only after they opened her throat that Brienne was released. 

- ̗̀   MISCELLANEOUS  INBOX.      /      @cqtelyn​​​  !

halloween sentence meme .   ♡   @cqtelyn .

                         ❝     you  said  i    wouldn’t .     ❞ 

          stated  plainly  and  matter - of - factly,     like    she’d    been  the    idiot    for  bringing  it  up  in  the  first  place !    he  hoists  the  orange  squash  up  onto  his  shoulder ,    triumphantly  showing  off  his    crowning  glory    of  the  night :    snatching  a  pumpkin  from  someone’s  front  steps .    smile  stretches  from  ear  to  ear  and  boasts    confidence ,    feet  carrying  him  down  the  sidewalk  with  long  and    sure  steps .    neck  cranes  to  his  sister ,    serious  as  all  hell ,    until  he  starts  laughing    hysterically .