My contribution for @eliaweek
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My contribution for @eliaweek

Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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Special poll 34: Since today is the Ides of March, which of the following assassinated leaders from Game of Thrones least deserved their fate?
Joffrey Baratheon
Robb Stark
Renly Baratheon
Robert Baratheon
Tywin Lannister
Balon Greyjoy
Doran Martell
Roose Bolton
Olenna Tyrell
Season 8 Daenerys Targaryen
Walder Frey
Pre-Melisandre resurrection Jon Snow (so only about his Lord Commander tenure)
For the person accusing those who depict Elia Martell and her children as ālighterā of colorism: the Martells are not brown. Dorne is canonically inspired by Al-Andalus, and George R. R. Martin has said countless times that, phenotypically, the Dornish are Mediterranean. Mediterranean means Spanish, Greek, Italian, Turkish, Moroccan⦠and of course that includes a wide range of skin tones.
More specifically, the Martells are understood to have that salty white complexion typical of Mediterranean people who tan in the sun. Honestly, before talking about colorism, people could drop the basic āRaja of Indiaā orientalism they project onto the Martells. The Martells have never been South Asian; they are Mediterranean. That implies that, yes, phenotypically the mix between Elia and Rhaegar would read as white. White that tans rather than burns, but white nonetheless.
Just take a look at Mediterranean actors and actresses and youāll see exactly what weāre talking about.
In reference to Confession #11
"If the beggar king crosses with a Dothraki horde at his back, the traitors will join him." The interesting thing here is that Viserys is still called a king, a beggar king, but a king nonetheless. Heās not referred to as the beggar prince or the beggar Targaryen. That title alone reinforces the idea of legitimacy. Rhaegarās sons have no real path to the throne on their own. In any case, they need Daenerys, not just for the dragons, the army, or the power she brings, but because she is the only surviving daughter of King Aerys. Her claim solidifies any potential Targaryen restoration. Even JonCon understands this; he wants Young Griffās hand free to marry Daenerys. YG still needs Daenerys to legitimize his claim. Similarly, Jon Snow will need Daenerysās army and dragons to face the threat of the Others. Loyalists, smallfolk, and even Great Houses like the Martells need Daenerys. Sheās not just a symbol of Targaryen's restoration; sheās the embodiment of a chance for change and stability. Some assume that Quentyn's death will push Doran away from supporting Daenerys and toward backing Young Griff, but the books suggest that the Yronwoods appear to be positioned as a growing threat to the Martells rather than Daenerys. The real fallout of Quentynās failed mission seems more likely to drive a wedge between House Martell and House Yronwood. Anders Yronwood lost both his heir and his ward on Doranās secret mission, which ended in failure. Dorne's story right now is all about plans going wrong and unintended consequences piling up.... I think Dorne could be one of the first challenges Daenerys faces when she lands in Westeros. She wonāt need to prove her military might; her dragons and army will speak for themselves. But she will need to prove that she can govern effectively and unify the fractured realm. Whether itās Young Griffās claim, Jon Snowās fight against the Others, or the grievances of disillusioned Great Houses, Daenerys is the key that unites them all. Without her, any attempt at restoration or confronting the greater threats would likely fall apart.
anon is either/both responding to this post or this post.
ooooo, thanks for this, anon! I see it, and I'm feening for it!
are there any plot lines, character arcs or just moments you wish the show had included from the books?
Iām not near as critical of the show as a lot of peopleā¦however there are a few things!
1. Dornish plot, just the entire thing. I love Arianne and I love Doranās scheming and Quentyn and all the rest of it with Myrcella. Itās unfortunate cause I really like how they cast all the Dornish characters and then they didā¦nothing with it lol.
2. While I actually donāt really mind Sansaās plot with Ramsay and her taking over Jeyneās arc, I really wish we got to see more of her in the Vale and to see how thatās actually going to go down.
3. I kinda wish Val was in the show? Idk her character just interests me and I wouldāve liked to see what the show did with her.
4. Because I just reread it in ASOS, Robb and Catās whole showdown with her freeing Jaime and him coming back married to Jeyne Westerling is a great moment cause theyāre basically at a stalemate of being able to shame each other š
There are probably other things but these are ones that always come to mind when I think about things I wish we got to see.
But, as a bonus Iāll say of a change they made from the books that I think is brilliant is Arya being Tywinās cupbearer. Iām currently rereading ASOIAF and everytime I am waiting for it once Arya is at Harrenhal before I remember thatās a show only invention!

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What should we do with Oberyn Martell (HBO's Game of Thrones)?
Hug
Kiss
Marry
Kill
@womenasoiaf house of ladies week | day 4: house nymeros martell
Martell ladies + powerful moments
Hi! I've been going through some of your asoiaf posts and fic and it made me wonder, why do you think Oberyn never married Ellaria in canon? I've seen someone speculate it was because she was too lowborn, but I'm not sure if Oberyn is someone who would be held back by that considering how much of his life was unconventional. I would love to hear your take. Thank you!
Hi! Thank you so much for your question ā Iām glad my work could inspire that kind of thought for you!
Before I get into what my take on Oberyn and Ellariaās relationship is, Iād like to issue a disclaimer: I know very little about the Martells as it relates to the ASOIAF books. My exposure to them is almost exclusively through the Games of Thrones show and what Iāve read in summaries and articles about them, so Iām well aware that my understanding of their position within Dorne, Westeros, and their own families as a whole is most likely missing key information. This take is most likely going to lack the appropriate amount of nuance, and be mostly based in feeling rather than fact, so I highly recommend checking out @sunontherhoyne for a more in-depth examination of the Martellsā lives and legacies!
That being said: if weāre talking my own personal take on why Oberyn didnāt marry Ellariaā¦.itās complicated. Itās not out of any lack of love for her, nor is it someone else forcing outside pressure onto him. Personally, I think itās genuinely just a casualty of the rampant misogyny present in ASOIAF as a whole ā the same reason Elia was a victim of rape and murder, the same reason the Sand Snakes are brutally eliminated. GRRM does not care for his female characters, particularly women of color. They have little value to him ā yes, even characters like Sansa or Aria. My guess is that he didnāt think it really mattered whether Ellaria was anything more than Oberynās lover, and it reads as more salacious if they had daughters out of wedlock, so he just left it.
But if weāre talking specifically in canon, typical fantasy misogyny aside? I think part of it, ultimately, is the fact that, no matter what way you spin it, Ellaria is illegitimate. While her father is head of House Uller, that doesnāt mean anything, and to marry her would be to cause uproar in Dorne, and spark rumors everywhere else. (And the man already has enough of those floating around him as it is, with his lifestyle.) Oberyn doesnāt care for his convention, but he also doesnāt care so little for his family and for Dorne that heād be willing to send the entire monarchy into chaos. While Oberyn is not Dorneās ruler, he cares for Doran, who is. He clearly has respect for convention and order, even though he may not respect those who make the orders. And while Dorne is suggested to be a lot more liberal in its culture than the other regions of Westeros ā and thatās a whole other can of worms Iām not going to get into ā this is still a medieval-inspired fantasy world. Illegitimacy is a running theme through the ASOIAF books, from what little Iāve gathered. (See: Jon Snow.)
And I think, to some extent, everyone in ASOIAF is ruled by those kinds of conventions and constructs, because itās what they know. To them, the idea of not being able to marry because of a difference in status is just how things are. That does not stop Oberyn from loving Ellaria with everything in him, nor does it stop him giving her privileges usually given to a wife, but it is the law of the land, and a law that Oberyn doesnāt have the power to change. Itās not dissimilar to Englandās King George VIII abdicating to be with Wallace Simpson ā to marry a non-royal, particularly an illegitimate child, would mean stepping away from all his royal duties and leaving himself, Ellaria, and his daughters all defenseless. And with Doran as frail as he is ā which is why Oberyn ends up in Cerseiās court in the first place, as a Royal ambassador ā forsaking his royal status when he can just as easily be Ellariaās husband in all but name feels a foolish choice, even for him.
Oberyn Martell is not as reckless and swashbuckling as people make him out to be. He is noble, and has a flair for the dramatic, and at his end was blinded by rage and emotion, but he is not a stupid man. Not to say that any of that is what you implied with your question at all, but I get the distinct impression that most fans of Oberyn specifically ā not ASOIAF in general ā think heās some kind of sex-crazed, Byronic hero who openly gives the finger to everyone and everything that displeases him. He is cunning, and in every step of the way uses the systems placed before him to his advantage. With the complex web of the monarchy presented to him, and the already complex lineage of his daughters, whatever advantages being married to Ellaria might offer clearly do not outweigh the disadvantages for him.
And whoās to say Oberyn really even needs a wife? Dorne is a matriarchy. His brother is on the throne, Arianne is next in line, not him. So, I think, in a way, youāre right ā Oberyn and Ellaria live enough of an unconventional life that they see no reason to bother. With all the red tape surrounding it, a wedding is just a formality Oberyn most likely has no desire to bother with, when he can provide all the love and support Ellaria could ever need or want just the way he is now. They know that they love each other, and thatās good enough for them.