Fandom High School

Tyrion walked into the classroom and promptly hit a button on the projector to bring up a slide of a beautiful woman.

"I hope that woke some of you up," he announced. "Today, our topic is power through sex appeal. It's the same as any other kind of power: It's a matter of using what you have to get what you want. It just has some fortunate side effects for onlookers."

"Mostly in that you want to throttle the idiots that fall for it," Ghanima added cheerfully. "Although I will admit it has its uses. By being single, I have all the Great Houses angling for an engagement, to try and gain influence over House Atreides. Which means in various negotiations, I always have something that they want."

And weren't going to get. Obviously.

"Where I'm almost certain some Lannister alliances are forged on not having to marry me," Tyrion said, almost cheerfully. "But my sister's been quite aware of how to use her looks since she was small. This is the rare sphere of power where women have an advantage over men."

"Although it's not exclusive to women," Ghanima added. "Those of you whom have taken one of my previous classes need only to reflect on Isabella of France, the She-Wolf. Her new husband, Edward II of England, was notorious for the patronage he lavished on his favourite, Piers Gaveston, but the queen supported Edward during these early years, forming a working relationship with Piers and using her relationship with the French monarchy to bolster her own authority and power. After the death of Gaveston at the hands of the barons in 1312, however, Edward later turned to a new favourite, Hugh Despenser the Younger, and attempted to take revenge on the barons, resulting in the Despenser War and a period of internal repression across England. Isabella could not tolerate Hugh Despenser and by 1325 her marriage to Edward was at a breaking point. Edward's favorites had great power - while they lived - going so far as to wear the Queen's own jewels in public without a murmur of reproach."

"There are also far more modern examples, such as Mae West or Marilyn Monroe."

"Who I knew nothing about until I started preparing this class, but from what I can tell, West succeeded financially and professionally well into old age, while Monroe's life ended in drugged ruin," Tyrion chipped in. "Sex is a double-edged sword, like so much of what we discuss here. Buy into your own myth, and it might drag you down."