Arya and her beauty

[Alia of the knife]

I don't think Arya was ever ugly; that was just Sansa and Jeyne making fun of her. She's obviously becoming a very pretty girl who will then grow into a beautiful young women (she takes after Lyanna, afterall).

I don't know how much fighting people will be fighting over her, since I don't think she'll be revealing her true self anytime soon, but she'll probably have a beautiful face regardless, which could come into play in other ways.

Her next apprenticeship could be as a courtesan, possibly like one of the mermaids attending the Merling Queen, learning their ways, etc...

I hope she also starts brushing up again on her water dancing skills. She'll need them.

Also, I like the idea of her the younger queen to bring Cersei down, but more likely that would be Dany or even Sansa before her.

I tend to agree with that, though I don't think she ever truly forgets shes a Lady, so she may just learn enough to get information she needs without losing her virtue.

I suppose I think of her as a "Le Femme Nikita."

[The Swaggering Bravo]

I hope she assassinates Dany.

[Lady of Long Lake]

I keep thinking about Cersei's marriage to Robert and Lyanna is dead but is a wall between them, I still like Sansa as the younger Queen, but I can see a older Arya walking towards Cersei and Cersei sees the ghost of Lyanna coming for vengence and Cersei goes mad maybe even killing herself before Lyanna takes all from her.

Wow, that would be something to witness. I hadn't imagined anything like what you describe.

[Ivy Snow]

I agree with the theories on Arya replacing Missandei... I don't know why I love the idea of Danny dying in the hands of Arya.... XD

[vogorroswhore]

I agree with the theories on Arya replacing Missandei... I don't know why I love the idea of Danny dying in the hands of Arya.... XD

I agree too. On at least three occasions, we've seen Dany hanging around her terrace pondering who will betray her next, and almost every time, Missandei shows up and prompts Dany to think something like, "Oh, but sweet Missandei would NEVER betray me." That has always made me raise an eyebrow, but still couldn't really see an 11-year-old pacifist Naathi being super conniving (no matter how pissed off she may or may not still be about her dead Unsullied brothers). However, if sweet Missandei were replaced by Faceless Man Arya...

[vogorroswhore]

And also, isn't it frowned upon for FM to kill people they know? I lent out my copy of ADWD, but I think I recall a scene down in the basement of the God of Many Faces temple where all the FM were assigning "gifts" to give, and one of the guys was like "no, I know that guy, I can't give him the gift." Maybe I'm imagining that, but it almost seemed like it was against the Faceless Man professional code to whack dudes they are personally acquainted with. If that's true, wouldn't that keep Arya from taking out Gendry, or most of the people in her old prayers?

[Fire Eater]

As for the theory of Arya+Gendry, Robert's Rebellion began when a Stark girl didn't marry a Baratheon. Maybe the conflict will symbolically reach cathartic end when a Stark girl marries a legitimized Baratheon.

Another that must be considered is that Lyanna's beauty had more to do with than just her physical appearance, she also had an engaging personality. The same may be true for Arya.

Maybe if Jon becomes King, Arya could use the skills she acquired from the Faceless Men to replace Varys as the Mistress of Whispers. She could even teach his little birds some new tricks.

[Alia of the knife]

Also, on Aryas beauty, if she learns the grace of a a Water Dancer, (like big Ilyrio), that pretty much takes care of any "tomboyishness" as she learns to walk in a way that really turns heads.

[Fire Eater]

Also, on Aryas beauty, if she learns the grace of a a Water Dancer, (like big Ilyrio), that pretty much takes care of any "tomboyishness" as she learns to walk in a way that really turns heads.

Plus, that exercise from Water Dancing really tones the legs.

[a free shadow]

Also, on Aryas beauty, if she learns the grace of a a Water Dancer, (like big Ilyrio), that pretty much takes care of any "tomboyishness" as she learns to walk in a way that really turns heads.

Illyrio will immediately see a new business plan: Get your daughter a dancing maester and make her a queen of hearts! For a small agency fee.

Advertisements with Arya's face will be sent out to the whole kingdom.

[Artemis]

I just seem to worry about Arya, especially with all the Lyanna parallels. I just hope her fate isn't as tragic.

Slightly OT, but does anyone know Arya's age at the end of ADWD? I've seen a few threads around that estimates she's 11, but I calculated it once a while back when the book was first released that she would have probably JUST turned 12.

[Lord Over]

I think Martin is making more of a point of how they are perceived rather than their actual looks. They are after all literary creations. Notice that his descriptions of beuatiful people are quite vague and much of their actual allure derives from their social status, demeanor and more often than not role in the story. The average modern woman (and man) is much better looking than the average medieval woman due to overall health conditions and grooming and noble women had a huge head start in that department. You can picture them in your head realistically and see normal (even plain by modern standards) looking women or you can go on fantasy mode and picture a pure image of hotness. It will have no impact on the story whatsoever.

As far as Arya goes, she will be annoyed and perplexed by male reactions towards her, invariably conseidring anyone mooning over her stupid. The affect it will have on the story will be how others react to her.

That's actually a very astute observation. I remember that one guy (not sure, one of the kettleblacks?) telling Cersei to keep her crown on during sex.

[Lan the Clever]

Arya will probably be one of those people who don't even notice how beautiful they are. She never worries about being ugly or pretty. She's oblivious to that, and not only because she's a child, I think.

[kephv]

Slightly OT, but does anyone know Arya's age at the end of ADWD? I've seen a few threads around that estimates she's 11, but I calculated it once a while back when the book was first released that she would have probably JUST turned 12.

She's been in Braavos for over a year by the end of ADwD so she's definitely 12 (her storyline is a few months ahead of everyone else).

[Howling Mad]

I disagree with the people wishing for Arya to murder Dany for the sake of murdering Dany to fulfill their own inner hatred for Dany's character. Arya's story arc should make sense based on her charcter and experiences to date. I would be extremely disappointed if GRRM put Arya through all of her trials and tribulations just to have her serve as a random FM that assasinates a major ASOIAF character for whom Arya does not know and has caused Arya no harm.

[Alia of the knife]

I disagree with the people wishing for Arya to murder Dany for the sake of murdering Dany to fulfill their own inner hatred for Dany's character. Arya's story arc should make sense based on her charcter and experiences to date. I would be extremely disappointed if GRRM put Arya through all of her trials and tribulations just to have her serve as a random FM that assasinates a major ASOIAF character for whom Arya does not know and has caused Arya no harm.

Personally, and IMHO, I think much of what she goes through is to impress upon the reader the lengths she may be put through in an attempt to forget who she is- assasinating anybody aside.

When, in the end she can't forget who she is,a Stark of Winterfell, turns her back on the FM, (I'm not entirely convinced they are for the good either as they are just another faction driving the cycle of vengeance), and ends up back in Westeros, maybe in Dorne.

(I do think there are correlations in the naming of their direwolves), and I think she is reunited with Nymeria.

I think she hooks up with the Golden Company, hence Aegon, and leads an army against the Lannisters.

I suspect Arya will end up as Aegons Queen, (if he's real), or Ned Daynes wife.

Sansa I think is ultimately the one who is least Stark-like as events foreshadowed by the loss of her Direwolf.

Sansa was the one who through her complicitness in carrying on Joffreys lies, caused the death of Lady, since Arya was smart enough to send Nymeria away.

I don't dislike Sansa, but I think her destiny is to end up living in peaceful obscurity, perhaps married to gentle Willas Tyrell, because all her life, she has wanted the lime life.

Now, she knows what cost it was to her.

[Howling Mad]

(I do think there are correlations in the naming of their direwolves), and I think she is reunited with Nymeria.

I agree with each of these comments. It will be interesting to see if Arya is reunited with Nymeria the direwolf or if she follows the path of her namesake Queen Nymeria, perhaps both.

[Sand Snake No. 9]

Another fantasy plotline of mine (see George? see what happens when you make fever-brained readers like me wait years for the next volume?), is that Arya will return to Westeros, soonish, and get to the Riverlands. Because she's a pretty girl, and because the Freys are notoriously horny, when she goes to the Twins and asks to enter their service they'll let her right in. Dunduhdundundaaa!!! There will be a Ghost in the Twins that will make all the other ghosts look like amateurs.

[Howling Mad]

Another fantasy plotline of mine (see George? see what happens when you make fever-brained readers like me wait years for the next volume?), is that Arya will return to Westeros, soonish, and get to the Riverlands. Because she's a pretty girl, and because the Freys are notoriously horny, when she goes to the Twins and asks to enter their service they'll let her right in. Dunduhdundundaaa!!! There will be a Ghost in the Twins that will make all the other ghosts look like amateurs.

While I will thoroughly enjoy seeing House Frey pay the Ironprice so to speak for their crimes against the King of the North and House Stark, I would be disappointed to see Arya become the Westeros version of Charles Bronson. I think GRRM has something larger in store for Arya then Deathwish version 182.

[Fragile Bird]

And also, isn't it frowned upon for FM to kill people they know? I lent out my copy of ADWD, but I think I recall a scene down in the basement of the God of Many Faces temple where all the FM were assigning "gifts" to give, and one of the guys was like "no, I know that guy, I can't give him the gift." Maybe I'm imagining that, but it almost seemed like it was against the Faceless Man professional code to whack dudes they are personally acquainted with. If that's true, wouldn't that keep Arya from taking out Gendry, or most of the people in her old prayers?

Yes, that's right, FMs are not supposed to kill anyone they know. Probably to make sure they don't back down at the last minute, or perhaps tp prevent FMs to take matters in their own hands, which Arya is always being warned against. They are not to play God with people they know. Very cynical, as far as I'm concerned - they can play God with people they don't know.