but a rose was no good

jaime's an accidental and reluctant philosopher but there's this overt hand of george element to watching jaime pick through ilyn payne's rooms looking at the absolute wreck that devoted service to tywin made of ilyn's life and you have jaime there dragging ilyn out of his cave into the sunlight to try to give him a chance at living the sort of worthwhile life jaime imagines he once intended to live

there's nothing subtle in the way this relates to jaime's view of his own life.

“The blood of the dragon,” Dunk said. “Silver-gold hair and purple eyes, everyone knows that.”

I do believe that Aerion especially picks on Egg because of this. As the only other son in the family with silver hair, Aerion was probably threatened by the existence of another, because he needs to be totally superior, and a big part of that is the classically Targaryen look. (I mean, look at how people talk about Baelor. Despite how capable he's proven himself, they discredit him just because he looks too Dornish.)

And I say "son" bc even if the daughters were also silver-haired, Westeros is a patriarchy. Daughters don't have power by virtue of their gender, and are not really and truly considered in succession, especially after the Great Council of 101 set precedent by passing over Rhaenys. That is also why Aerion's threats to Egg are specifically castration/emasculation/making him a girl. Because if Egg was a girl, his threat [to succession, to Aerion] would be neutralized.

I'm not even saying Aerion is consciously thinking of succession because honestly he wasn't raised expecting to be anywhere close. His father is the fourth son, after all. But in matters of power and worth, all of these are taken into consideration. It's more of a personal superiority than actually thinking it's a threat to succession.

I'm not even saying Aerion is consciously thinking of succession because honestly he wasn't raised expecting to be anywhere close. His father is the fourth son, after all. But in matters of power and worth, all of these are taken into consideration. It's more of a personal superiority than actually thinking it's a threat to succession.

Mwuah!

Pretty much the same with those tourneys, jousting, swordsmanship itself, even Show!Aerion's hair + clothing (Ira stating the Targs at that time held a certain fashion. Show Aerion coping that fashion. No originality), etc. These empty accolades.

(ASOS, Jaime IX)

Beginning in the twelfth century, the improved status of blue was made most evident by its prominence in images of the Virgin Mary, notably in her robes. This prevalence, which continues even now, has transformed blue into a color of sanctity and divinity.

(Blue: The History of a Color by Michel Pastoureau (trans. Markus I. Cruse))

A writer of the early Christian era says that the unicorn is so ferocious that no hunter can possibly capture him. Only by leading a virgin maiden to him can he be taken. Charmed by her, the unicorn springs into her lap and embraces her. Tamed and distracted, he is then trapped, killed by the huntsmen, and brought to the palace of the king. It is important to note that the unicorn hunt and capture in the tapestries have enormous symbolic significance. On one level the symbolism is religious: the hunt and capture by a virgin are themes that can be interpreted as the whole divine plan for man’s Redemption—Christ’s incarnation through his birth to the Virgin Mary, the pursuit of him by his enemies, his death on the cross, and finally his resurrection, which coincides with the reappearance of the live unicorn in the last tapestry. On the other hand the symbolism is secular: many people believe that the Unicorn Tapestries were made to celebrate a wedding, their story representing an allegory of courtship and marriage. After the fourteenth century the unicorn sought by hunters and then beguiled by the virgin maid personified the valiant medieval lover undergoing great danger and suffering to gain the acceptance of his beloved.

(“The Unicorn Tapestries”)

Throughout the fourteenth century, […] the use of colors in chivalric romances underwent several metamorphoses. […] Most striking was the appearance of blue with its positive associations: from this period on, blue knights are courageous, loyal, and faithful characters. Knights dressed in blue first appeared as secondary figures, before moving into the ranks of heroes in the second half of the century.

(Blue: The History of a Color)

At close hand, the brilliant blue armor looked rather less splendid; everywhere it showed scars, the dents of mace and warhammer, the long gouges left by swords, chips in the enameled breastplate and helm. His cloak hung in rags. From the way he moved, the man within was no less battered. A few voices hailed him with cries of “Tarth!” and, oddly, “A Beauty! A Beauty!” but most were silent. The blue knight knelt before the king. “Grace,” he said, his voice muffled by his dented greathelm.