How I Met Lady Kara of House Tully

Game of Thrones is one of those shows that has encapsulated folks across the world, from all walks of life.

I got into the show a season or two into its run, and some of my friends shortly after. I’ve had friends tell me their reactions to various scenes, like my friend Ser Brandon who threatened to quit the show after the Red Wedding. Other friends didn’t care for it and have stated their reasons for not watching and wear it like a badge of honor—like Bry, who said he refrained from the program because of his religious beliefs, much to the annoyance of Ser Brandon and myself.

The majority of my friends who watch Game of Thrones knew me before the show aired, but there was one gal who I forged a friendship with due to our mutual love of Westeros and the characters who inhabit that realm.

Enter Lady Kara of House Tully—I am using a fictional last name from the show out of respect and privacy, and I will be referring to her as Lady Kara for the remainder of the story.

I first met Lady Kara during my junior year of college. She and I endured the same journalism classes as our peers, and shared a similar disdain for our professors and their archaic teaching methods.

I didn’t get to know Lady Kara until our senior year when we had to take 400-level classes together. After a class visit to the courthouse to watch a courtroom scene, Lady gave me a ride back to the bus plaza. Within seconds of being in her vehicle, one of us mentioned something about the courthouse being like Westeros. Following a few back-and-forth Game of Thrones jokes, it hit us that we enjoy the same show and similar characters, specifically Tyrion Lannister.

From that day, we would occasionally sent text messages to each other and made comments during class related to the show, mostly the “God of T*** and Wine.” We would compare classmates to characters, and we both vowed to name our sons Tyrion. On social media, we would share a meme or two on our Facebook or Twitter feeds.

One of my favorite memories with Lady Kara was drinking at the Elk.

A friend and I stopped speaking to each other—part of it was my fault and lack of understanding the whole situation. Needless to say, the situation left me in a bad state. One day, Lady Kara and I agreed to venture to the Elk for some liquid therapy as a way to wash away my troubles in a way that would make Lord Tyrion proud, though instead of wine, it was Mac and Jack’s amber ale. Lady Kara’s friend, Lady Kat, joined us for drinks. She too also shared a love for the show and Tyrion.

The evening of drinks wasn’t just a fun way to get to know one of my classmates outside of school. It meant a lot to me because I had lost a friend and the people closest to me were against me. The night took my mind off the stress of not only my personal life, but also the upcoming graduation and post-college life that lie before us.

I am not saying that Lady Kara and I wouldn’t have been friends if not for Game of Thrones—I’m sure we would have found some other common interest.

Shows like Game of Thrones can be something to help you get past the awkward stage of walking up to someone and saying hello.

Lady Kara is doing great things right now, and while she and I don’t send each other messages any more, we still occasionally raise a class of Mac and Jack’s to one another.