Personality: Alayne Stone is a young woman who knows her place in the world. She is the bastard daughter of Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish and she is beginning her training in courtly etiquette under his tutelage. On the outside, she is polite, courteous and ready to follow the guidance of her "father". Her "mother" is out of the picture - she doesn't wish to speak of her - so it follows that she must rely on her adoring "father" for everything she needs or wants. It is her hope - or so Littlefinger has told her - to make a promising match between herself and a well-to-do young man. As a bastard, that is all she can hope for, surely.
Underneath her act as Alayne Stone, however, Sansa Stark is unhappy. She hasn't healed from the horrors she has witnessed/endured - including watching her Aunt Lysa pushed through the Moon Door. At first, it was easy to let Littlefinger take control and mold a new, safe life for her as a bastard daughter. However, after losing her Aunt, she is beginning to realize that he is using her as a means to an end.
She is, frankly, tired of being used. The least she can do is keep her eyes and ears open to a path which will lead her back to Winterfell. She misses her home more and more every day. If she can, somehow, make her way back to that beloved castle and restore it to its former glory, her sacrifices will have been worthwhile. So, yes, for the time being she will be a bastard daughter of Littlefinger and dye her hair dark. Others have asked far more of her without giving her anything close to Winterfell in return.
The hopelessness that she felt in King's Landing while under the thumb of the Lannisters has, more or less, abated. There are times she is sad and the longing for Winterfell is growing rather than lessening, yet she is focusing her energy into being the best daughter for Littlefinger. Her determination for a better future - something she hasn't had since learning King Joffrey's true nature - is like a fire burning in her heart.
"With my wits and Cat's beauty, the world will be yours, sweetling." - Littlefinger
She won't let the fire die down - even if Littlefinger is tricking her too. The thought has occurred to her - how could it not after dealing with Lannister lions? - but she is prepared to follow this path. The pale, broken prisoner of King's Landing is blossoming into a true wolf - and lady - of Winterfell.
But there is still a certain fragility about her. She will forever be someone who feels their heart keenly. The best she can do is teach herself to look strong even when she isn't feeling strong. The world is far harsher than she ever imagined as a child and she knows, thus far, she has been easy prey for the courtly predators. She fears her weakness will continue - especially when she is in uncomfortable territory. But she is finally in a place where she feels like she can make a stand. Maybe not in the manner she desires, but beggars can't be choosers.
Alayne, despite her strong exterior, is also prone to anxiety and depression - though she hides it well. How can she not be scarred from her past as Sansa Stark? As much as she likes to pretend she is smarter - stronger - she knows, deep down, that it's a convenient act until she can secure herself behind the familiar walls of Winterfell.
Her fragility will be especially apparent upon arriving in Haven. The fact that her path has been altered again (and that she is in a different world) will hit her hard. The hopelessness of her past will return until she realizes that she can be a strong, supportive role model to others. The shackles that bound her in King's Landing and the Eyrie will vanish and her life will be her own for the first time in her life - and that is even including her childhood.
Slowly, Alayne Stone will transform back into Sansa Stark again.
Psychological Transition from Sansa to Alayne: Before arriving to the Eyrie, Sansa had been stuck between a rock and a hard place. Joffrey's death would inevitably be blamed on her - especially since she fled during the feast - and her life was hanging on a thread. She took a chance by following Ser Dontos - revealing her desperation - and, consequently, she put herself right in Littlefinger's hands.
At first, the idea of being Alayne Stone was strange. She knew she didn't have a choice - particularly after witnessing the instability of her Aunt Lysa - so she shouldered the mask without complaint. However, after the death of her Aunt - and even in quiet moments before that, she found it easy to push her life as Sansa Stark to the back of her mind. Alayne Stone's life was easier - safer. It resembled the life she had as a child in some ways and, over time, she let the mask of Alayne Stone become her main self. Sansa Stark was like a ghost; like a girl she used to know, but not her.
In fact, Littlefinger's revelation that she would strip away the mask and reclaim Winterfell was met with conflicting feelings. Winterfell had become a place of dreams for her - of course she longed for it - but she didn't feel like the proud daughter of Stark that she had once been. Did she belong in Winterfell? Was she meant to reclaim the title? Her past life as Sansa Stark and her current life as Alayne Stone collided painfully over those inquiries and she could only take one day at a time; one step at a time.
However it should be noted that very little of her conflict has to do with Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish. He has urged her to create a new world for herself - one where she can forget the horrors of her life as Sansa Stark - but he has also warned her that, one day, that world will be stripped away. He is a potentially dangerous ally and she doesn't give him her full trust even though she does give him her kisses and adapt herself to being his bastard daughter.
Alayne Stone | A Song of Ice and Fire | Not Reserved | 2
Underneath her act as Alayne Stone, however, Sansa Stark is unhappy. She hasn't healed from the horrors she has witnessed/endured - including watching her Aunt Lysa pushed through the Moon Door. At first, it was easy to let Littlefinger take control and mold a new, safe life for her as a bastard daughter. However, after losing her Aunt, she is beginning to realize that he is using her as a means to an end.
She is, frankly, tired of being used. The least she can do is keep her eyes and ears open to a path which will lead her back to Winterfell. She misses her home more and more every day. If she can, somehow, make her way back to that beloved castle and restore it to its former glory, her sacrifices will have been worthwhile. So, yes, for the time being she will be a bastard daughter of Littlefinger and dye her hair dark. Others have asked far more of her without giving her anything close to Winterfell in return.
The hopelessness that she felt in King's Landing while under the thumb of the Lannisters has, more or less, abated. There are times she is sad and the longing for Winterfell is growing rather than lessening, yet she is focusing her energy into being the best daughter for Littlefinger. Her determination for a better future - something she hasn't had since learning King Joffrey's true nature - is like a fire burning in her heart.
She won't let the fire die down - even if Littlefinger is tricking her too. The thought has occurred to her - how could it not after dealing with Lannister lions? - but she is prepared to follow this path. The pale, broken prisoner of King's Landing is blossoming into a true wolf - and lady - of Winterfell.
But there is still a certain fragility about her. She will forever be someone who feels their heart keenly. The best she can do is teach herself to look strong even when she isn't feeling strong. The world is far harsher than she ever imagined as a child and she knows, thus far, she has been easy prey for the courtly predators. She fears her weakness will continue - especially when she is in uncomfortable territory. But she is finally in a place where she feels like she can make a stand. Maybe not in the manner she desires, but beggars can't be choosers.
Alayne, despite her strong exterior, is also prone to anxiety and depression - though she hides it well. How can she not be scarred from her past as Sansa Stark? As much as she likes to pretend she is smarter - stronger - she knows, deep down, that it's a convenient act until she can secure herself behind the familiar walls of Winterfell.
Her fragility will be especially apparent upon arriving in Haven. The fact that her path has been altered again (and that she is in a different world) will hit her hard. The hopelessness of her past will return until she realizes that she can be a strong, supportive role model to others. The shackles that bound her in King's Landing and the Eyrie will vanish and her life will be her own for the first time in her life - and that is even including her childhood.
Slowly, Alayne Stone will transform back into Sansa Stark again.
Psychological Transition from Sansa to Alayne: Before arriving to the Eyrie, Sansa had been stuck between a rock and a hard place. Joffrey's death would inevitably be blamed on her - especially since she fled during the feast - and her life was hanging on a thread. She took a chance by following Ser Dontos - revealing her desperation - and, consequently, she put herself right in Littlefinger's hands.
At first, the idea of being Alayne Stone was strange. She knew she didn't have a choice - particularly after witnessing the instability of her Aunt Lysa - so she shouldered the mask without complaint. However, after the death of her Aunt - and even in quiet moments before that, she found it easy to push her life as Sansa Stark to the back of her mind. Alayne Stone's life was easier - safer. It resembled the life she had as a child in some ways and, over time, she let the mask of Alayne Stone become her main self. Sansa Stark was like a ghost; like a girl she used to know, but not her.
In fact, Littlefinger's revelation that she would strip away the mask and reclaim Winterfell was met with conflicting feelings. Winterfell had become a place of dreams for her - of course she longed for it - but she didn't feel like the proud daughter of Stark that she had once been. Did she belong in Winterfell? Was she meant to reclaim the title? Her past life as Sansa Stark and her current life as Alayne Stone collided painfully over those inquiries and she could only take one day at a time; one step at a time.
However it should be noted that very little of her conflict has to do with Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish. He has urged her to create a new world for herself - one where she can forget the horrors of her life as Sansa Stark - but he has also warned her that, one day, that world will be stripped away. He is a potentially dangerous ally and she doesn't give him her full trust even though she does give him her kisses and adapt herself to being his bastard daughter.