The Selyse Baratheon Appreciation Thread

[The Young Maester]

11 minutes ago, Lord Varys said:

When first reading the whole thing about Alysane and Asha picking up on Stannis' attitude towards women I was kind of annoyed that George didn't come up with something else ... but quite a few female readers pointed out that women actually do quickly realize it when men around them have issues with their presence or them being female, so that's that.

In the case of alysanne and asha is that theyre women that walk around in chainmail and lead men into war. That would probably irritate stannis a bit.

12 minutes ago, Lord Varys said:

But I guess Robert would have been more interested in Asha than in Alysane - the latter is older and already (properly) married.

Dosent alysanne claim her children are fathered by a bear like her mother. Although it wouldnt stop Robert. Seeing as they are the only women in the army (I think). Wouldnt put it past Robert to make a move for either of them. Weeks on campaign without a women would drive Robert mad.

15 minutes ago, Lord Varys said:

I guess it is part that she is denial about that, but also wants to find some other explanation why Stannis doesn't want to do his duty. I mean, this is still a dynastic marriage, not 'love' or 'romance' - and I'd correct myself there about saying that Selyse 'loves Stannis'. I guess it would make more sense that she likes him or is fond of him and tries to make the marriage work. There is no indication that she loves him in a romantic way.

As the wife of a great lord and subsequently the wife of a king Selyse's main duty is to play role of lady and queen - and the big thing there is to give her husband heirs.

One can say selyse thinks she failed as a wife because she couldnt give her husband any sons. In this world we see how noblewomen emphasis on giving their new husband many sons. Noblewomen probably take pride on being able to have many sons.

Both catelyn and fat walda wanted to give their husband sons. Cat mentioned she wants to give Ned another son, and fat walda wants to repopulate the dreadfort with many little Boltons.

And yeah selyse definitely likes him to a degree which is weird. Her and davos would probably be the only people that like stannis. Not even stannis likes himself tbh.

[Seams]

Selyse Florent,

Shaver of Chins,

Bride of Fury,

Queen of the Axells,

Slayer of Alester,

Mother of Gardens.

The comparison to Lysa Tully is apt but I think we are also supposed to compare her to Renly's partners, Ser Loras and Margaery. Renly and Stannis are fighting with each other about who is the rightful heir to the garden (of Eden?). In the crypt at Winterffel, Robert told Ned that the best part of being king was the fruit from Highgarden and nearly-naked women walking around and swimming in the moat in the hot weather. 

Then Renly offers Stannis a super splendid peach from Highgarden. Stannis declines, Renly eats the peach, Renly dies and Stannis expresses regret that he turned down that peach.

But.

Stannis has fathered Shereen. She is not a peach; she is a stone. Where one would expect to see the soft and lovely cheek of a young girl, there is instead greyscale. I suspect that the "stone" aspect of Shireen's face represents the pit, or stone, from which a peach can grow. The symbolism might be that Renly was willing to achieve the throne by taking low-hanging fruit but Stannis is taking a long-range strategy of growing his own peach tree.

The Tyrells and the Florents are rivals as heirs of Highgarden. Right now, the Tyrells are ascendant. Like a reborn Florys the Fox, Selyse is working behind the scenes to bring the Florents back into power as the rightful successors to House Gardner. 

[frenin]

2 hours ago, The Young Maester said:

Selyse definitely reminded him of how Robert insulted him when he took delena to bed. Lol Robert was one dickhead of a brother.

I'm sorry but there's so many things Stannis can blame on Robert. Stannis dislikes Selyse because she's very ugly, it's the same why he uses Melisandre's bed that often. Robert had nothing to do with either of that. Had Selyse looked like Cersei, who ironically enough thinks she can't seduce him, Stannis would have had in him forgetting that night and they would have had a couple of mean teeth grinding Baratheons.

 

[The Young Maester]

28 minutes ago, frenin said:

I'm sorry but there's so many things Stannis can blame on Robert. Stannis dislikes Selyse because she's very ugly, it's the same why he uses Melisandre's bed that often. Robert had nothing to do with either of that. Had Selyse looked like Cersei, who ironically enough thinks she can't seduce him, Stannis would have had in him forgetting that night and they would have had a couple of mean teeth grinding Baratheons.

Stannis always compares himself with Robert on his mind. From his point of view he has the moustached ugly wife from a different branch of the florent lords. Whilst Robert gets the most beautiful women in Westeros, and the daughter of a great lord.

If he had a pretty wife he probably would visit her more. 

[Aejohn the Conqueroo]

Yikes I hope that's not a firm limit.  36 biweekly appreciation posts might not be enough to scratch the surface.

[James Arryn]

On 5/3/2022 at 10:59 AM, frenin said:

There's absolutely nothing on young Lysa that reads as egocentric and unstable and we're pretty much told that old Jon resented Lysa for being soiled goods.

You mean apart from the probable sexual assault?

[Springwatch]

1 hour ago, James Arryn said:

You mean apart from the probable sexual assault?

Not probable at all, not even a little bit. Poor Lysa! Not a predator, not egocentric, not unstable.  Just an innocent child.

And this thread is about Selyse anyway.

[Springwatch]

Selyse - three things:

1. Awe and dread at the scale of the challenge of depilation in medieval times. She did try.
2. Val is a beauty bitch queen to Selyse on this (though was provoked).
3. The general rule of asoiaf seems to be that queens should be strong and bright and shining - it's feels like a bad omen that this one is weak and shivering. She calls herself 'the Light of the North' - a light without radiance neatly representing the failing sun. She may have to die before the Long Night properly gets started.

ETA

Fourth thing: GRRM likes hair, he probably counts a downy lip as a very positive thing. Even Arya was insulted as hairy - obviously false, but anything attached to Arya becomes super brilliant.

[frenin]

9 hours ago, James Arryn said:

You mean apart from the probable sexual assault?

Indeed.

 

 

[Daendrew]

On 5/4/2022 at 11:50 AM, Seams said:

Selyse Florent,

Shaver of Chins,

Bride of Fury,

 

[Roswell]

Selyse is high born. Or born high.  Depending on how you want to look at her.  She is little different from Cersei.  They both think they're up there with the gods.  It is how they were born and nurtured.