A dragon may burn a man alive. Mysaria need only whisper his name.
The White Worm was more dangerous than many a lord with a sword.
She came from Lys with neither name nor lands, yet she learned what kings and princes never could: secrets are worth more than steel and gold.
She came to Westeros as a dancing girl, sold for her beauty and wit, and might have vanished into the brothels of King’s Landing like a thousand others before her, had my uncle Daemon Targaryen not taken her as his favored lover. For a time, she carried his child and received a dragon’s egg besides, gifts granted only to those who share Targaryen blood.
But the loss of that child changed her.
She returned to King’s Landing no longer as a woman waiting to be discarded, but a spider at the center of her own web. The smallfolk named her the White Worm, mistress of whisperers in truth though never in title, with eyes in every brothel, alehouse, and shadowed alley the great lords of the realm never thought to look. She served no crown, only information, and information, in the right hands, outlasts armies.
When the pretender’s cause needed eyes the Iron Throne could not blind, it was Mysaria who supplied them. It was she who brought word of uncle Daemon’s dealings with Nettles at Maidenpool, when suspicion alone was not enough to condemn him. Loyalty, to the White Worm, was never sentiment. It was leverage... spent carefully, and rarely wasted.
Some women are remembered for the blood they were born into. Mysaria is remembered for what she built with none.
The realm remembers dragons for their fire.
It should remember the White Worm for proving that a woman without a name, a crown, or a drop of Westerosi blood could make kings tremble at a whisper.
#HOTD #ASOIAF
After quite a bit, I finally wrote more than tweets & TV scripts. Here is my piece on #25yearsofDilChahtaHai. I write about a generation taking its first baby steps into privilege & therefore not having to apologise for it. https://t.co/2f92kaONyT
THE WORST TARGARYEN KINGS
Aegon II Targaryen,The Usurper
Aegon II is remembered not for his own cruelty, but for the conflict he unleashed. By claiming the throne against the wishes of his father, Viserys I, he started the Dance of the Dragons, a brutal civil war that divided House Targaryen and decimated its dragons. His reign was short and defined by this struggle for power, so while he was a bad king, his legacy is more that of a usurper than a tyrant on the same level as those who followed.
Aenys I Targaryen "The Abomination King"
Aenys I was the ruler who succeeded his father, Aegon the Conqueror. Unlike his father, he was a weak and indecisive king. His inability to deal with the opposition of the Faith Militant seriously endangered the realm his father had united. He was seen as a cowardly king, and his weakness directly led to his brother Maegor taking control through extreme violence to save the dynasty.
Aerys II Targaryen , "The Mad King"
Aerys II began his reign with promises of greatness alongside his Hand, Tywin Lannister, but a series of betrayals and his growing paranoia drove him into madness. His fascination with fire and torture turned him into a tyrant who executed his subjects in the cruelest ways, such as burning Rickard Stark alive and hanging his son Brandon in a torture device. His tyranny directly sparked Robert’s Rebellion, which ultimately ended the Targaryen dynasty’s rule of the Iron Throne.
Aegon IV Targaryen ,"The Unworthy"
Aegon IV was the epitome of a king who put his pleasures before his duties. He was a decadent, corrupt, and gluttonous ruler who filled his court with sycophants and indulged in unchecked lust. However, his worst act came on his deathbed, when he legitimized all of his many bastard children. This triggered nearly a century of civil conflict known as the Blackfyre Rebellions, which bloodied the realm for generations.
Maegor I Targaryen ,"The Cruel"
Maegor is, without question, the cruelest and bloodiest of all the Targaryen kings. Considered the "worst king" because of his limitless brutality, his reign was defined by constant bloodshed..
He fought the Faith Militant without mercy: Burning septs and placing bounties on the heads of its members.
He massacred the builders of the Red Keep: He ordered the execution of all the masons and workers who built the castle so that its secret passages would be known only to him.
His brutality extended to his own family: He mercilessly killed his wives and nephews to secure his grip on power.
#HOTD #GOT
The Iron Throne is still within reach... 🐉
Win a lettered copy of our sold-out Limited Edition of A Game of Thrones, signed by George R. R. Martin.
To enter:
🐉 Like the post
🐉 Reply and tag a Westeros fan
🐉 Follow @foliosociety
Closes midnight 24 August (UK). T&Cs online.
📲 Hughie O’Donnell (Lord Varys) just uploaded these photos to his IG stories, of GRRM meeting the cast backstage, and signing his bald cap! 🧑🏼🦲🕷️
📸 hughie.od via IG stories
Wrapped Baara Number 🎬
A found-footage horror film & my 2nd collaboration with @thevirdas & @KaviShastri. Surrendering to their audaciousness with stories is always such a rewarding ride !
It’s been a mad, crazy time with this incredible bunch of actors and crew. You know who you are . definitely a few new levels of madness unlocked 😅🧟♀️
Always wanted to do horror and grateful to be attracting stories that feel so different from one another🫶🏼🐦🔥
30 years ago today, author George R.R. Martin released ‘A GAME OF THRONES’, the first novel in the ‘A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE’ fantasy series.
What began as a single book grew into one of the most influential franchises in modern entertainment.