Astora Arryn

Astora Arryn was Lady of the Eyrie, Defender of the Vale and Warden of the East during the outbreak of the Second Dance and the mother of Alester Arryn. She was the maternal aunt of Daeron Waters, through her sister Shiera, and supported his claim to the Iron Throne.

Appearance and Character
Lady Astora stood at a quite uncommon height of 5´8, a voluptuous beauty of fair skin, blonde hair and sharp, golden eyes. Her features were those of a hawk, quite appropriate for an Arryn, with a thin chin, thin lips, and a perky nose. The first hint of wrinkles could be seen in the corners of her eyes and lips. She wore her hair either long and loose or, rather more often, collected in different styles of braids. Astora´s clothing was usually dark and covered her figure to an extent, consisting of a dress with a thick cloak more often than not.

The Lady of the Vale would have been quite the desirable catch for any man, except for the chilling aura she exuded. Many said her smile did not reach her eyes, and they were not mistaken. Though she looked as regal as any great lady should, her majesty was in constant competition with the coldness in her eyes and the lack of warmth in her polite smiles. This throw both men and women off, and it could be just as much of an advantage as an annoyance, though there were always those men with a taste for danger.

Lady Astora was strict toward those below her, and she was only a little more lenient toward those of her same status. She did not suffer fools or liars: the first she threw out, the latter she sent to prison. When fulfilling her duties, she had no time for wasteful chatter or joking unless that duty specifically required this. Also, she bore little trust for those she had not known personally for some time, regardless of their status.

On the other hand, the Lady was fair and generous. Those that have been wronged could usually expect a prompt investigation and a little recompense, even if it was simply to dine at her hall. None were beyond this reward, even though Lady Astora was perfectly aware of what a privilege this is for the low-born. She enjoyed listening to strangers of all walks of life, though there were those that suspected their discomfort at being in her presence was a source of much amusement for the lady.

In short: those Lady Astora despised could expect curt replies and being sent off, while those that earned her favour would enjoy the hospitality only a great lady can provide. Of course, not many made an effort to earn the favour of a woman who, while beautiful and possessing pleasant manners, was far above their station and gave off a chilling aura.

Early Life
It was quite clear early in her childhood that Astora would be no common lady. As a child, she was arrogant and uncontrollable, which is not to say that she was hot-headed. No servant could stop her from doing as she pleased, but she was not any more impolite than reminding them what their place was in her lord father´s House, and giving them the occasional whipping with wet clothes. Astora would be sweet and apologetic when her parents were around, but would return to her unruly precociousness as soon as they were gone, a constant circumstance for a noble family that inhabits the most inaccessible fortress in the Seven Realms. Astora was always cool-headed, patient, cunning and strong. She unnerved the servants, challenged the Maester, and explored any place she arrived at with a calm, collected character that was at odds with her absolute refusal to follow the path marked down for her by others.

Thanks to the Seven, Astora´s time was not wasted. Whatever time she was meant to employ in learning poetry and sewing was instead invested in learning everything a lord of the Vale would have known. Beyond managing the castle, Astora immersed herself in falconry, the history of Westeros and beyond, the managing of the Vale and other similarly useful knowledge. Though chastised often for her interests, Astora argued with her father that it would be a very rare thing indeed for a man to refuse the future Lady of the Vale´s hand in matrimony just because she was not a flower in the wall. The point was valid, seeing how she was the firstborn and, despite her parents´ best attempts, only heiress to the Vale. Only two daughters, her parents had, and not one bastard. Her mother was more difficult to get on her side, but by the time Astora considered herself clever enough to argue with her parents in a position approaching equality, the little girl had started to become a woman in very visible ways. Eventually, Lady Arryn, weary of arguments, accepted that the charmless attitude Astora displayed would probably be compensated for through base physical attraction.

This was how she eventually met Dollen Hunter, second son of House Hunter. He was a handsome man, intelligent, honest, and both aware and accepting of his duties. Astora and Dollen were smitten with each other at first sight, and madly in love within a fortnight. Though there were better, more convenient prospects, the two stood strong together against the objections of their lords, which were relatively mild anyway. House Hunter was as pure as could be, Ser Dollen was a man of proven intelligence, manners and courage, and Lord Hunter would hardly have argued against one of his sons marrying the future Lady of the Vale. His desire for Dollen to become Lord of the Vale was quick in coming, though also briefer than expected. Lord Arryn died in one of the many comings and goings from the Eyrie, and his Lady chose to retire to a more pleasant dwelling down in the verdant valleys.

Dollen and Astora formed a blessed marriage. Together, they were merciful judges, generous hosts and lords, and fearsome enemies. They staged the moving of villages inwards towards the valleys, drew the mountain folk out of their hideouts in search of spoils, and Dollen used that chance to fall upon them with all the might of the Vale, killing hundreds of the rebels and allowing for the quick resettlement of the abandoned areas. The cost of the campaign and the loss in revenue from the harvests was covered by House Arryn. This and other policies made the two quite popular in their early thirties.

Two problems came up a few years later, though. Firstly, the mountain folk were seething and looking for a chance to strike back at the rulers of the Vale. Secondly, Dollen and Astora could produce no heir. Shiera, Astora´s younger sister, should have been the next in line and the one to give birth to a successor for House Arryn, but she was lacking in a number of things compared to Astora. She was not as strong in character, understanding of human nature or aware of the consequences of her actions. Astora did warn her several times, but Shiera never listened, nor stayed around long enough for her older sister to have a proper talk with her. When Shiera gave birth to the king´s bastard, Astora was disappointed, and developed a bitter attitude toward her younger sister. Shiera gave birth to a bastard, yet Dollen and her could not have children. The unfairness of it was almost more than Astora could bear, and for the following years she practically locked herself in the Eyrie, refusing to see her own sister or the baby.

This sudden change in her mood, and her inability to get pregnant, cast a dark cloud over the Eyrie for a number of years.

Astora did not know it until some time later, but her first meeting with her nephew was engineered by her husband. Lord Dollen sent the boy to the Eyrie´s library knowing that Astora was there, immersed in reading to soothe her heavy heart, with the hope that they would somehow make peace. Several meetings like this, always carefully planned by Lord Dollen, managed to at least make Lady Astora see Daeron as an innocent boy, and not an abstract object to hate. Her attitude toward him mellowed out, even if it would still take some time for something that could be called `warmth´ to appear.

It was but a few years afterwards when Lord Dollen, riding a circle through the villages that had once been threatened by the mountain folk, was ambushed by said rebels. They had not forgotten the slaughter they suffered at his hands, and they were cunning about carrying out their attack. They struck, then tried to run. Unfortunately for them, Lady Astora was also in the column. The knights might have been confused and distracted by their lord´s death, but the need for vengeance cleared Lady Astora´s mind quickly and thoroughly. She took command of the knights of the Vale and began the pursuit. Another couple hundred mountain folk were killed, and this skirmish was soon followed by a full military campaign that Lady Astora devised with those that had been her lord husband´s most trusted captains. Though the mountain folk can perhaps never be scoured from the mountains surrounding the Vale, it is a safe bet that the carnage the campaign caused among them will probably not be forgotten until well past her death.

Lady Astora´s character did not seem to change much after her husband´s death, but only to those that know her well. A group of people that can be counted on one hand. To the Lady of the Vale, life lost its taste. Never the warmest woman except with her husband, Astora became colder, sinister even. Her smiles became fake, her eyes lost their light, and her clothing became somber and black, for the most part.

Aiding her nephew in learning falconry when his bird came to him, as well as meeting her sister Shiera again, only partially repaired the damage caused by her late husband´s demise. Only one thing, one specific event, could have brought Lady Astora out of her cold new shell...

… and it did take place, but a few weeks after Lord Dollen´s passing. Lady Astora was pregnant.

The news were celebrated with enthusiasm in the Vale and drew the attention of the whole kingdom. Some called it a miracle, a number thought it was a lucky turn of events, and a few were intelligent enough not to voice thoughts that would have merited strong rebukes. Whatever the reaction, Lady Astora gave birth to a healthy boy of yellow hair and golden eyes like hers, and the future of House Arryn was safe.