"Germinal
" is an A Song of Ice and Fire fanfic by Ladyoflosgar, where Domeric Bolton, who survived his bastard brother Ramsay's attempt on his life, deals with building up the Boltons' hold on the North with a Stark bride.
Tropes appearing in this fanfic:
- Acquired Poison Immunity: According to the author, Tywin has been trying to poison Joffrey for years, but Joffrey has managed not to die.
- All Animals Are Dogs: Zigzagged. Of the direwolves that Domeric interacts with in the present day, Nymeria is more aggressive while Grey Wind acts much more docile, with Domeric thinking of Grey Wind as Sansa's overlarge dog.
- Alliterative Name: Harys Hornwood, Daryn Hornwood and Alys Karstark's son.
- Arranged Marriage:
- The main story surrounds Domeric's betrothal and subsequent marriage to Sansa Stark. He hopes for more than that with her.
- Tywin Lannister arranged a match between himself and Catelyn Stark to increase ties between House Lannister and the Starks and Tullys.
- Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: Bran Stark.
- Asshole Victim: Deconstructed. Killing Ramsay in self-defense may have been the right thing to do, but Domeric feels horrible about it all the same.
- Bigger Is Better in Bed: Referenced when Alys Karstark drunkenly asks if "all Ryswell men are hung like horses."
- Cain and Abel: Played with; Domeric and Ramsay fit the mold as they did in the books, but here, Domeric has already killed Ramsay after discovering his half-brother intended to poison him.
- Call-Back: Sansa still can't do math.
- Cool Big Bro: Domeric greatly treasures his little half-brother Walton.
- Dead Guy Junior: Harys Hornwood is named for Halys Hornwood and Harrion Karstark.
- Death by Adaptation:
- Ramsay was killed by Domeric in a fight.
- Greatjon Umber fell at the Whispering Wood.
- Harrion Karstark and Medger Cerwyn were killed at the Green Fork.
- Roose Bolton and Brynden Tully are killed in the war with the Others.
- Death by Falling Over: Robb was killed by being shoved down a staircase and broke his neck.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation:
- Instead of being riddled with crossbow bolts and stabbed, Robb Stark was shoved down a staircase and broke his neck.
- Tywin Lannister, Joffrey Baratheon and Oberyn Martell die fighting the Others, while none of them ever went near the Others in canon.
- Dragon Ascendant: Axell Florent received the lordship of Dragonstone.
- Everyone Has Standards: Domeric's big standard is rape, refusing to exercise his rights with Sansa and having a man-at-arms who tries to force Jeyne Poole into sex hung upside-down by his feet for a whole day.
- Hope Spot: When the remaining Northerners besieged Winterfell as it was held by the Ironborn, Domeric sat down with Theon Greyjoy and told him the story of how he killed Ramsay, imploring him to not commit the same crime. For a single night it seemed to work. Then the next morning Domeric watched helplessly as Theon killed Shaggydog and Rickon.
- Icy Blue Eyes: These are at the center of Domeric's nightmares after the death of Rickon Stark.
- Inheritance Murder: Discussed. Arya sarcastically suggests that once Sansa is pregnant, she could push Domeric off a staircase just like Lord Bolton did to Robb Stark.
- I Want Grandkids: In Chapter 3, Domeric and Sansa receive letters from their surviving parents asking why Sansa isn't pregnant, stressing the marriage alliance between the families.
- Licked by the Dog: Zig-zagged. Among the Starks' direwolves, Grey Wind and Summer like Domeric while Nymeria and Shaggydog did not.
- Luke, I Am Your Father: Before the North's army leaves for the Wall, Cley Cerwyn confesses that he impregnated Lord Ryswell's granddaughter Beth.
- My Greatest Failure: Domeric has two: being unable to save Rickon Stark and killing his half-brother Ramsay.
- Original Character:
- Jason Lannister, Catelyn Stark's son with Tywin Lannister.
- Rickard Stark Bolton, Domeric and Sansa's son.
- Posthumous Character:
- Ramsay Snow. Domeric had gone to visit him as in canon, but he'd seen the poison Ramsay was going to use, drew a knife, and stabbed him in the ensuing struggle.
- Rickon Stark, whom Theon killed along with his direwolf Shaggydog when Domeric besieged Winterfell.
- Robb Stark. Lord Bolton betrayed him, but in a more surreptitious way than the Red Wedding.
- Practically Different Generations: Domeric's half-brother Walton and Sansa's half-brother Jason aren't much older than Domeric and Sansa's son Rickard.
- Real Men Love Jesus: Domeric is very pious and spends a lot of time praying in the sept for Sansa and his entire family. He is also a very capable lord (which even Arya grudgingly acknowledges in the end) and fights the war for the dawn.
- Rhyming Names: Domeric's half-brother Walton Bolton.
- Secret-Keeper: Domeric is one of the few people who knows that Bran Stark, Meera and Jojen Reed, and Hodor are still alive.
- Sexless Marriage: Domeric and Sansa's marriage... at first. Then they receive letters from their parents that they should have kids for the sake of the alliance.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: Domeric. It took him a while to start eating again after Theon killed Rickon and he has nightmares from that day due to his guilt over being unable to save him.
- Small Role, Big Impact: An elderly woman warned Domeric to "beware hellebore and pink oleander." This made the difference in Domeric surviving.
- Spared by the Adaptation:
- Domeric Bolton, as that's the story's premise.
- Because Domeric killed Ramsay, Rodrik Cassel and Cley Cerwyn aren't killed at Winterfell as in canon.
- Catelyn Stark and Grey Wind, since there was no Red Wedding.
- Rickard Karstark, since Robb apparently didn't survive long enough to execute him.
- Universally Beloved Leader: Domeric ends up universally beloved in Winterfell, a welcome change for him after Dreadfort.
- Would Hurt a Child: Theon Greyjoy killed Rickon Stark to make an example of him to the Northern forces taking back Winterfell.
