#volantis meta

Talisa is a Maegyr of Volantis. Her family name is important because it means she is not only a highborn daughter, she is the relative of one of the Three Triarchs of Volantis. The Three Triarchs aren't kings or princes but are essentially the equivalent; they're three elected freeborn landowners (regardless of sex or gender). You might even say that the Three Triarchs are sort of presidents given the two political parties have animal motifs (with one being an elephant) and the fact that the elections have a lot of bribery and campaigning. Malaquo Maegyr is the only ruling triarchs who 1 - is part of the Tiger party (meaning he's a big advocate for war, unlike the elephants who love money), and 2 - he's been a triarch for a long time as he's been re-elected many times [according to ADWD Chapter 22]. So we know that he's good at what he does and he's currently probably been out-voted on any war efforts since his two fellow Triarchs, Doniphos Paenymion and Nyessos Vhassar, are elephants. Doniphos is particularly anti-war, at least anti-going to war against Daenerys because Nyessos - perhaps because he has basically been paid enough by Illyrio Mopatis (always in the background of the crime scene) to own Nyessos eight times over, who we know is bankrolling F!Aegon - is fine to command Volantis to go to war against Daenerys. In terms of Malaquo's political motivations, we know that he is staunchly anti-Daenerys enough to go to war with her, even if he wasn't from the 'we want war' tiger party: he tries to hire the Golden Company to silence the High Red Priest of R'hllor and his followers who are preaching for Volantis to support Daenerys, since he can't use the city guard because most belong to the Faith of R'hloor. Note: he fails in hiring the Golden Company. In the book it is mentioned that there is strong belief that Malaquoplans on supporting Yunkai using the fleet of Volantis who will go to Meereen to re-enslave all the people who had been enslaved before Daenerys' uprising. He is also up for reelection at this time.

Anyway, enter: the Sand Snakes. In the books (specifically after ADWD), Doran Martell has his brother's daughters swear their allegiance so he can confide in them his plans. He tasks Nymeria with returning Myrcella to King's Landing and joining the small council. He also sends Tyene, her sister, to accompany her in disguise as a septa so she can infilitrate the Faith of the Seven and get the confidence of the High Sparrow. Remember the names because they're important later.

So, arguably, if Talisa is Malaquo's daughter, granddaughter, or great-niece, or other close relative (the dude is old), it would be reasonable to assume that if he likes war so much he would keep an eye on wars across the pond he can benefit from and maybe send someone across the pond to keep the war going (i.e. cockblocking a marriage alliance that could end the war) or just to ensure he has futher evidence why the people of Volantis should go to war against Daenerys.

In season 2 episode 6, Talisa says that being from Volantis, she isn't familiar with the titles of nobility used in the Seven Kingdoms. Arguably, the inverse is the same, that the Westerosi people don't know the nobility structures of Essos. Therefore her name holds no real meaning to Robb or his advisors, otherwise they probably would have written to such a rich man and asked him to send soldiers or loan them money.

I think Talisa, had she lived and had a son, would have been able to write to Malaquo and ask for reinforcements and Malaquo could have put this into action because of one crucial thing: Volanteen blood supremacy akin to Targaryen blood supermacy.

After the Doom of Valyria, the people of Volantis considered themselves the heirs to the Valyrian Freehold and rightful rulers of the world (which arguably puts them in anti-Daenerys territory and anti-F!Aegon). Also, one other crucial component of being eligible to be a Triarch is that you have to be from the Old Blood which means families can prove unbroken descent from Old Valyria itself. Anyway freeborn and a landowner in Volantis can vote in the elections but only the Old Blood are influential enough to be leaders because they consider themselves to be of superior breeding. The Maegyrs are part of the Old Blood. Therefore, though Talisa's son would only be half Old Blood, it could be seen as the Old Blood taking their rightful place as rulers of the world and conquering Westeros. Also it would mean that Talisa, if anything happened to Robb after her son was born, would be Queen regent of the North which would be even more power that the Old Blood would have and therefore more stake in a war the Tiger party can use to push for a war to defend 'their blood'.

Now consider the Sand Snakes. Nymeria Sand was born in Volantis to a woman of the Old Blood and Oberyn Martell. Nymeria was the daughter who looked foreign to the Westerosi but more importantly she is the daughter that gets sent on a politically important important position where her connection to her family is important (and arguably will become more important in the upcoming books) and could be used to advantage her family in the light.

As aforementioned, Malaquo wants the Faith of R'hllor to stop preaching about being pro-Daenerys and he can't use force to stop them so he must use someone working in the shadows: enter nameless OC or unseen character who is Tyene's paralell. This female character would have been sent to become a priestess of one of the faiths in Volantis. Arguably, the most important would be the Faith of R'hllor. She could have slowly wormed her way into a position of prominence to be able to turn the head of the High Red Priest in Volantis: Benerro.

Benerro is a fairly influential figure in the books: his preaching unnerves the triarchs because the freeborn are outnumbered by the people they have enslaved by a lot and they fear an uprising, and a lot of the guard also worship R'hllor. Benerro has even been preaching that Volantis will "surely burn if the triarchs take up arms against the silver queen." [ADWD C.22].

So, another Maegyr could either be used as an assassin... Or to try and convince him to think otherwise. I'd go with the latter since the text sets up that going against the Faith violently will only cause an uprising and whilst Benerro isn't a priest who is "corrupt and cyncil, the sort who like[s] to sit on soft satin cushions," and "nibble sweetmeats", that doesn't mean he is infallible. If Maegyr uses an assassin, perhaps its also an Arya paralell since Tyene is the child we know Oberyn taught to milk vipers for their venom and when Doran touches Tyene's head in AFFC, the Maester checks him for signs of being poisoned because he fears her knowledge of poisons.

This also had the potential to make a Fake!Rhaenys instead of a Fake!Aegon (that it was Rhaenys who actually survived, was swapped with a different baby who dies, and she had been secreted away to live in a militant environment, being raised for the day she would be Queen. Arguably, this is flimsy given the Old Bloods believe they are the true inheritors of Valyria but then again, having a Targaryen in their family they could marry to one of their own would end that threat once and for all. Or I suppose you could also have Fake!Aegon/Young Griff in the same role but given it would be replacing the Sand Snakes, I believe it could have just as easily been a girl.