Immediately upon introducing Alys and repeating the speculative theories surrounding her heritage, Archmaester Gyldayn recounts this slew of additional rumors surrounding Alys’s character and conduct, all of which focus on her fertility and her sexuality in combination with her magical ability. In short, all these rumors are focused primarily on Alys’s physical body and what she did with it.

In the spirit of “show, don’t tell,” here’s my take on depicting Alys and the women of Harrenhal in a complex, realistic way. This scene is set some time after Daemon captures Harrenhal in 129 A.C., early in the Dance of the Dragons. We don’t often get to hear direct conversations between smallfolk, including servants, although I do think House of the Dragon made a good start of incorporating more midwives, handmaidens, and other servants into the narrative, and I’m expanding on that inspiration here - think Downton Abbey below stairs meets HotD.

Before returning to analytical posts, I’m taking a welcome leap into the fantastical with a fanfiction screenplay set amongst the smallfolk of Harrenhal. I’m always ready for an eerie tale on a winter night, and as the polar vortex winds are currently screaming around my office, this feels like just the right time for this story. It’s an experiment with using in-world folklore in the way that GRRM does, for both world-building and potential main-story parallels.

Witch stories are always about power. But of course they are: witches themselves are seekers and wielders of magical power, whether for better or for worse. But aside from this, what makes a witch a witch?

Welcome to Sword Without a Hilt! As you’re probably aware, this is a fan blog devoted to the portrayal of magic and religion in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels and related writings, as well as the HBO adaptations of the same. If you haven’t yet stopped by my homepage, take a quick look to find out a little bit more about me and what this blog is about before I dive into the nitty-gritty below. I’m an actor, writer, and historian of Early Modern Europe with a focus on gender, and I’m bringing all three perspectives to my exploration of the continents of Planetos and their many magical and mystical facets.