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Brienne and Gendry: Possible Romance?


HouseFossoway

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20 hours ago, HouseFossoway said:

So this is my first post, and I want to start out by shipping a new couple: Brienne and Gendry

While reading through AFFC, I realized that they are perfect for each other on so many levels.

-First of all, they're actually pretty close in age. Brienne is only 20, while Gendry is 16.

-Secondly, Brienne was in love with Renly, and Gendry bears a very striking resemblance to Renly, enough so that she mistook him for Renly when they first met at the end of AFFC. How great would it be for Brienne to end up with someone who looked like her first love, but was actually a nice person. Although Renly was kind to Brienne, he took her for granted, and kind of strung her along. Gendry would be kind of like the nice version of Renly.
-Third, Gendry doesn't care as much about looks. When Bella, the prostitute at stoney sept approaches Gendry, he adamantly says no, even though she was pretty. But he does seem to like Arya as a friend, and does hold her fierceness and strength in regard, so he'd probably do the same for Brienne. Brienne isn't very attractive, so a shallow person (most men in Westeros) is not going to marry her, unless that person just wants to be lord of Tarth. But it is plausible that Gendry would fall in love with Brienne.

-Finally, they've met each other. The fact that they are in the same vicinity means that there is a chance. What could be a better love story than one that starts out the two met, then killed the Rorge and Biter, the two creepiest members of the brave companions.

So, what do you think of this romantic pairing?

No. 

Just no.

:wacko:

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13 hours ago, Walda said:

Welcome, HouseFossway.

I've bolded the quotes from your post, the better to pull it apart. No, really, you're welcome.

-First of all, they're actually pretty close in age. Brienne is only 20, while Gendry is 16.

Brienne clearly prefers older men. Renly was three years older than her, and Jaime, fourteen. She did first meet Renly when he was sixteen, and he made quite an impression, but even then, she was three years his junior. Note how she dismisses Gendry when she catches her breath. "Renly died in my arms, a man of one-and-twenty. This is a only a boy."(AFfC, Ch.37 BrienneVII)

Also, if we could accuse Gendry of showing any preference towards females, the ones he deigns to associate with are all younger than himself. That is to say, girls, not women.

 

-Secondly, Brienne was in love with Renly, and Gendry bears a very striking resemblance to Renly, enough so that she mistook him for Renly when they first met at the end of AFFC. How great would it be for Brienne to end up with someone who looked like her first love, but was actually a nice person. Although Renly was kind to Brienne, he took her for granted, and kind of strung her along. Gendry would be kind of like the nice version of Renly.
 

It is true that any attraction Brienne feels for Gendry is due to his very striking resemblance to Renly. But Brienne isn't particular about how guys look (or if she is, she likes them to look noble and regal, like a proper king should look). She falls in love with guys that are unavailable, and give her respect anyway.

 

If he is sexually obsessed with his sister, or his wife's brother, courteous, well educated, and has made an implausible attempt to steal the Iron Throne on the basis that 'might is right', she is there. Black or blond, doesn't matter.

 

Guys that take her for granted while she is guarding their lives, and kind of string her along, are what she likes. Also, I am not at all sure Gendry would be a nice version of Renly. More like rude and sulky, with his father's bad temper in place of Renly's sunny one, and not necessarily nice at all. Rough trade, not her style.


-Third, Gendry doesn't care as much about looks. When Bella, the prostitute at stoney sept approaches Gendry, he adamantly says no, even though she was pretty. But he does seem to like Arya as a friend, and does hold her fierceness and strength in regard, so he'd probably do the same for Brienne.

 

This is not reliable evidence that Gendry doesn't care about looks. Bella claimed to be King Robert's bastard, and had black hair like his own. If there is one thing that is guaranteed to disgust him, it is highborns, with their airs and their violence, and the immoral way they use smallfolks. He doesn't approve of breeding bastards, and there's nothing that gets his dander up as fast as highborns with their immoral using ways. It seems to have affected not only his feelings for Bella, but for Arya as well " "You’re not my brother."

"That’s right," he said angrily. "I’m too bloody lowborn to be kin to m’lady high."(ASoS,Ch.29 Arya V)

We don't know that he didn't have a quick bite of another peach: "By the time her cup was empty, Arya was yawning. Gendry hadn’t come back"(ASoS,Ch.29 Arya V)

We do know his distrust and dislike when Brienne addressed him as "My Lord", did not diminish when he heard "Lady Brienne is a warrior maid on a quest."(AFfC,Ch.37 Brienne VII)

Thank goodness he can't hear Brienne's thoughts, which only confirm everything he hates about her. She can't look at Willow without thinking "If she were highborn, command would come naturally to her, and deference to them." (AFfC,Ch.37 Brienne VII)

Not sure about his indifference to looks when incest isn't in the question, either. There is some evidence to suggest that Arya is actually quite pretty when she is bathed and nicely frocked (neither of which changes the fact she is nine years old), and from what he mumbled about Bella's black hair later on, it is clear he was not put off by her prettiness.

On the other hand, there is the very direct way he puts looks on the table when he speaks to Brienne "What’s wrong with my face? It’s not as ugly as yours."(AFfC,Ch.37 Brienne VII)

 

-Finally, they've met each other. The fact that they are in the same vicinity means that there is a chance. What could be a better love story than one that starts out the two met, then killed the Rorge and Biter, the two creepiest members of the brave companions.

The very few men that Brienne truly hates, are the ones she has already met. Case in point: Ser Hyle Hunt. She is not the type to go for a guy because she has met him and he is in the vicinity. Gendry could help her kill all seven of the Brave companions, tar their heads for Randyll, and give her full credit, and still not get anywhere with an honest offer of marriage, the minute she remembers that she met him before, that she is the Maid of Tarth and he is an ambitious lowborn knight.

 

Gendry is already pretty much Arya's, if she wants him. Once the problem of their relative ranks to get over, and Arya's immorality, and her list, and her dubious highborn family, and their religious differences, and her marriage by proxy to Bolton's bastard, and her mother's objections, and the fact that he has nothing to offer her but his life, I'm sure he'd gladly die for her if she wanted him to or not.

 

Brienne might help clear a few of those issues up, might already have given him enough information for him to figure out who his father is, might live to put in a good word to Arya's mum for him. Or not.

 

Even so, being a Red God man, and having Kings Blood is a bad combination. Especially if Melisandre finds out. It's not Arya's heartsblood that is likely to quench the next Lightbringer. On the bright side, maybe Gendry will slay Stannis.

 

Which is good, because I have the perfect match for Brienne. He is an older guy, currently unavailable, loves a scrap, nothing but respect for her warrior ways, won't attempt to stop her, will glory in her prowess and, importantly, she has never met him. While he is sworn to the Night's Watch as long as Winter lasts, he can give her a promise of Spring, and steal her away when the Thief is in the Moonmaid.

 

Yes, I'm talking about the Mead-King of Ruddy Hall, Speaker to Gods and Father of Hosts, Horn-Blower, Ice breaker, Bear stealer, tall talker, Lord of Oakenshield and Commander of the Relief of Hardhome, Tormund Giantsbane. HAR!

 

Gendry slay Stannis!  The man is twice his size and experienced at swords besides.  No, I see Gendry fighting Jon rather than Stannis.  Over Arya.  Could be for the leadership at the wall.  Maybe he puts a hammer through Jon's after Snow turns to the other side.

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The fact of the matter is that for all practical purposes Gendry's lowborn and Brienne is highborn. Even if they were so inclined, I can't see Selwyn allowing it. The only scenario I could see Selwyn giving a reluctant blessing is if Brienne pieces together his backstory and deducts that he's Robert's bastard. She seems the most likely do to so out of anyone still living. Marrying his heir to a Baratheon bastard might give him claim over the Stormlands given the power void there right now, especially if the Lannister regime in King's Landing falls.

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19 hours ago, HairGrowsBack said:

Yep. They are so going to have super awkward, steamy sweet sex, it'll be glorious. Then one of them will die.

Aye, absolutely.

Methinks Jaime. I think, though I'll readily admit this is my totally crackpot zero, evidence going on nowt but gut feeling here theory. But I think that Jaime leaves Brienne preggers. And dies fighting with the BWB. In a kinda full circle of his career; which began with him fighting against the KWB. 

I think she returns to Tarth after hastily marrying Ser Hyle as legitimacy for her baby and basically keeps her head down raising a secret Lannister. 

To be clear I think Jaime and her marry too, cos I don't see Brienne dropping her smallclothes without first receiving a cloak. But that after shit goes down, being Lady Lannister, with a Son and Heir legitimately able to claim CR will be just too dangerous. So she has to basically go raise her kid as someone else's. Again kinda the story going in circles. 

But yeah zero evidence. Not even in text hints. Just crackpot musings. 

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13 minutes ago, The Weirwoods Eyes said:

Aye, absolutely.

Methinks Jaime. I think, though I'll readily admit this is my totally crackpot zero, evidence going on nowt but gut feeling here theory. But I think that Jaime leaves Brienne preggers. And dies fighting with the BWB. In a kinda full circle of his career; which began with him fighting against the KWB. 

I think she returns to Tarth after hastily marrying Ser Hyle as legitimacy for her baby and basically keeps her head down raising a secret Lannister. 

To be clear I think Jaime and her marry too, cos I don't see Brienne dropping her smallclothes without first receiving a cloak. But that after shit goes down, being Lady Lannister, with a Son and Heir legitimately able to claim CR will be just too dangerous. So she has to basically go raise her kid as someone else's. Again kinda the story going in circles. 

But yeah zero evidence. Not even in text hints. Just crackpot musings. 

Damn, that's basically what I think will happen too. But rereading their chapters, there are a lot of elements that may foreshadow this.

I'm not sure they'll marry , though. I think will go to hell to the point that they might not care about having sex out of wedlocks (see "He wondered how many bastards would be born from this pointless search. Unbidden, his thoughts went to Brienne.. " If that isn't foreshadowing, I don't know what is.).

In any case, I agree with the rest. Brienne is a good candidate for survival, and I don't think GRRM has bothered introducing Hyle for nothing.

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Oh, wow I think this is the first time anyone has actually agreed with me beyond them having sex. :D 

I think that is good foreshadowing you just picked up there. Yes I think it will be deliciously ironic that Hyle ends up getting what he wanted. Marry Brienne and lord it up on Tarth, but that he knows full well that his own children will never inherit it. Kinda like a great life lesson for him. He's definitely becoming a better person the longer he stays with her. And I think it would be a good conclusion to his character. Starts out selfish, and greedy and totally shallow and ends up making a personal sacrifice to help Brienne. 

I kinda want them to get married. Like I think Jaime is trying to do the right thing now, and taking Brienne's virginity without marrying her first isn't the chivalrous thing. I think as well that he should get the joy of knowing he will finally have a child he can call his own. Even if once he dies that chance slips away and she has to claim it is Ser Hyle's instead. Also think that if they do it would mirror Rhaegar & Lyanna's wedding, under a Weirwood tree. Witnessed by a handful of people but unknown to the realm at large. 

And yeah the idea that he began his career fighting alongside Arthur Dayne against the Kingswood Brotherhood, but ends it fighting for the small folk as part of the Brotherhood without banners seems fitting to me. He couldn't do the right thing working within the social constructs of nobility and power, but he comes to realise that he can fulfil all the Knightly duties by serving those without power. And fighting to better the lives of the weak and vulnerable. 

But yeah totally just my own musings I don't really have anything to base it on. So I don't expect anyone to take it seriously. So i am flattered thank you.

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26 minutes ago, The Weirwoods Eyes said:

Oh, wow I think this is the first time anyone has actually agreed with me beyond them having sex. :D 

I think that is good foreshadowing you just picked up there. Yes I think it will be deliciously ironic that Hyle ends up getting what he wanted. Marry Brienne and lord it up on Tarth, but that he knows full well that his own children will never inherit it. Kinda like a great life lesson for him. He's definitely becoming a better person the longer he stays with her. And I think it would be a good conclusion to his character. Starts out selfish, and greedy and totally shallow and ends up making a personal sacrifice to help Brienne. 

I kinda want them to get married. Like I think Jaime is trying to do the right thing now, and taking Brienne's virginity without marrying her first isn't the chivalrous thing. I think as well that he should get the joy of knowing he will finally have a child he can call his own. Even if once he dies that chance slips away and she has to claim it is Ser Hyle's instead. Also think that if they do it would mirror Rhaegar & Lyanna's wedding, under a Weirwood tree. Witnessed by a handful of people but unknown to the realm at large. 

And yeah the idea that he began his career fighting alongside Arthur Dayne against the Kingswood Brotherhood, but ends it fighting for the small folk as part of the Brotherhood without banners seems fitting to me. He couldn't do the right thing working within the social constructs of nobility and power, but he comes to realise that he can fulfil all the Knightly duties by serving those without power. And fighting to better the lives of the weak and vulnerable. 

But yeah totally just my own musings I don't really have anything to base it on. So I don't expect anyone to take it seriously. So i am flattered thank you.

Believe me, I really want them to get married too, and if it came to pass I think it would be more or less as you see it. I just think George likes things to get a bit messy on that side, but still, why not. It's funny that you mention Rhargar and Lyanna btw, because I've read a post recently that pointed some very interesting parallels : http://blackbetha.tumblr.com/post/100362186194/alright-so-i-got-this-idea-a-while-ago-and-it

Anyway, we can still keep that hope in our heart until TWOW comes out. There are many elements that point to that general direction, but it's hard to tell what's foreshadowing and what's not till then.

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40 minutes ago, The Weirwoods Eyes said:

Oh, wow I think this is the first time anyone has actually agreed with me beyond them having sex. :D 

I think that is good foreshadowing you just picked up there. Yes I think it will be deliciously ironic that Hyle ends up getting what he wanted. Marry Brienne and lord it up on Tarth, but that he knows full well that his own children will never inherit it. Kinda like a great life lesson for him. He's definitely becoming a better person the longer he stays with her. And I think it would be a good conclusion to his character. Starts out selfish, and greedy and totally shallow and ends up making a personal sacrifice to help Brienne. 

I kinda want them to get married. Like I think Jaime is trying to do the right thing now, and taking Brienne's virginity without marrying her first isn't the chivalrous thing. I think as well that he should get the joy of knowing he will finally have a child he can call his own. Even if once he dies that chance slips away and she has to claim it is Ser Hyle's instead. Also think that if they do it would mirror Rhaegar & Lyanna's wedding, under a Weirwood tree. Witnessed by a handful of people but unknown to the realm at large. 

And yeah the idea that he began his career fighting alongside Arthur Dayne against the Kingswood Brotherhood, but ends it fighting for the small folk as part of the Brotherhood without banners seems fitting to me. He couldn't do the right thing working within the social constructs of nobility and power, but he comes to realise that he can fulfil all the Knightly duties by serving those without power. And fighting to better the lives of the weak and vulnerable. 

But yeah totally just my own musings I don't really have anything to base it on. So I don't expect anyone to take it seriously. So i am flattered thank you.

This is quite lovely, too: http://asoiafuniversity.tumblr.com/post/54078194733/marriage-swords-and-shared-custody-why-brienne

(With the caveat that, it did not pour forth from my set of writing implements, the erudite stream of textual clues...) 

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Brienne's proximity to Gendry, her courageous and honourable nature, her possession of Oathkeeper and Gendry's status as a smith all recall aspects of Azor Ahai's forging of Lightbringer. Since Azor Ahai forged the sword himself, he must have been a smith as well as a warrior. Brienne actually makes a good Nissa Nissa - she's endowed with all the virtues associated with the woman who was sacrificed to produce the magic sword - as the legend has it, her "but her blood and her soul and her strength and her courage all went into the steel". Gendry was in the front row when Brienne demonstrated her courage and strength fighting Rorge and Biter on behalf of the orphaned children in the Inn so he is aware of this aspect of her personality, if nothing else. 

Additionally, there's the matter of Oathkeeper, reforged from Ice, Ned's sword. Arya sees the comet as Ice itself, covered in Ned's red blood. Given the association between the 'bleeding' sword and bleeding comets and the comet's association with the prophecy itself (Rheager for instance thinks Aegon is TptwP because he was conceived on the day a comet was sighted etc), one cannot fail to wonder about a possible connection between Brienne and Gendry. Of course, Nissa Nissa was Azor Ahai's wife, so the notion that a romance might develop between these two is a possibility. Prophecies in general cannot be trusted, however. We can speculate on this. If Brienne fails Lady Stoneheart's test regarding her oath, she might well be condemed to die by her own sword, thrust through her heart by a representative of the brotherhood - Gendry. Just a thought.  

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Here's a crazy idea that I had…I think that Arya is going to somehow take advantage of how she is technically married to Ramsay unless the Bolton's admit that they used a ringer, which they don't want to for obvious reasons.  To cement her claim on the Dreadfort after assassinating Ramsay and Roose and Fat Walda, she will need a child, but she's too young for that yet, and she can't wait the couple of years she guesses it will take her to become a woman if she wants to claim the child as Ramsay's if he is to die soon.

But her good friend Gendry may become involved with Brienne, and Brienne could very likely be in a situation where she can't raise the child as her own - so what if Arya uses her mummery skills to appear more physically mature and claims that the child of Gendry and Brienne is the child of Ramsay Bolton and herself?  That would work out well for all involved, I think, and it would be a big F.U. to the House of Bolton that their line is continued by the bastard of a Stormlander peasant and a Stormlander lady.

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I don't see Gendry and Brienne together. He's a follower of R'hllor and she of the Seven. He despises the nobles and as others have stated, Brienne thinks he's just a boy. If Jaime ever sees him, he'll know exactly who he is though and that may prove interesting, being that he's on a redemption arc. But it will be hard to give Gendry any title as there is no hard proof that he's Robert's except for his looks...he's lowborn and has no education or social skills.

I think that Jaime and Brienne may end up together for a time (I don't think Jaime survives the series) but as others have stated, if anything happens, they will marry.

Quote

Brienne lurched to her feet. She was all mud and blood below the waist, her clothing askew, her face red. She looks as if they caught us fucking instead of fighting. Jaime crawled over the rocks to shallow water, wiping the blood from his eye with his chained hands. Armed men lined both sides of the brook. Small wonder, we were making enough noise to wake a dragon. "Well met, friends," he called to them amiably. "My pardons if I disturbed you. You caught me chastising my wife."

 

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I don't see a romance between them, but I can foresee Brienne mentoring him and start training him in the arts of sword fighting. He has all physical and genetic tools to become a great warrior, he just needs a proper mentorship. Brienne and Jaime might be an excellent start.

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On 2/3/2016 at 1:30 PM, A Song of Ass and Fire said:

I can definitely see it happening…though I have been a proponent for the theory that Gendry is going to create Lightbringer by stabbing Arya (he's the only semi-major smith character in the series), it could well be that he ends up stabbing Brienne, and I could see scenarios happen where he feels compelled to do so - e.g. if Lady Stoneheart compels her to try and kill someone Gendry sees as an innocent.

Well, both Brienne and Arya are virgins.  Perhaps virgin blood has magical effects.  Daenys the Dreamer's virginity was emphasized and she clearly had power.  It could be virgin blood holds value to the ones who grant magical wishes.

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So I'd wager the very notion of true and lasting happiness on this giant landmass we call Westeros, over the years necessary to the nuptials, is in danger of imminent dissolution with these books, but when the business of white picket fences comes fortuitously too near the fireside...

Quote

If Cersei wants another child, I'll give her one...and this time I'll hold him, and the Others take those who do not like it. Robert was rotting in his grave, and Jaime was sick of lies.

He turned abruptly and galloped back to find Brienne. Gods know why I bother. She is the least companionable creature I've ever had the misfortune to meet.

-- ASoS, Jaime VII

A bunch of such hints, however, through the series, might suggest that George is setting something up, where Jaime actually gets a second chance at fatherhood with Brienne. Mostly I think he may just want us to lodge this bit in the back of our minds for future reference:

Quote

"I feel sorry for them. All of them have lost their mothers and fathers. Some have seen them slain."

Hunt rolled his eyes. "I forgot that I was talking to a woman. Your heart is as mushy as our septon's porridge. Can it be? Somewhere inside our swordswench is a mother just squirming to give birth. What you really want is a sweet pink babe to suckle at your teat." Ser Hyle grinned. "You need a man for that, I hear. A husband, preferably. Why not me?"

-- AFfC, Brienne VII

Oh, Hyle... Just you wait. :lol: 

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