𝖍𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖉 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖞

content mentions : relationship age gap / possible murder / forced marriage / death

         she was born the eldest child of a great fool . while he garnered northern respect , harald cerwyn was a northern fool - -  with a typically foolish northern pride . perhaps , equally , he was a fool for allowing his daughter access to an unfiltered world , one that would see her discontented for the rest of her days as she began to understand her place in it . he was a fool for allowing her not to be a fool.

lady alyssane was educated in the fashion of a little lord. much to her mother’s dismay , dancing & sewing came secondary to the very minutia of ruling a house & commanding a crowd. she learned sums , history , & policy. in his daughter , harald saw a brilliant mind , a silver tongue , and a keen ability to solve problems before problems arose. what choice did he have but to cultivate such a girl ? particularly when it seemed as though she would one day rule castle cerwyn , with no male heir to contend with. to placate his wife , alyssane was subjected to the ‘education’ of a proper lady. a cunning mind was veiled with pretty smiles & elegant courtesies. she became just enough of a northern beauty that she was no apparent threat to suitors that might one day court her. 

house cerwyn itself was not the force it had been centuries prior. never quite recovering from the financial & personal tolls of the northern rebellion , and then struggling once again during the ironborn skirmishes , the house stood on its name & reputation alone. as alyssane grew older , she assisted her father with the thankless task of fortifying the coffers of her family to the limited degree that they could. 

the freedom which governed her childhood turned a headstrong girl into an emboldened young lady. no sooner could a lord arrive at the castle gates on business with her father , than alyssane would find a critical flaw in their character & engage in a verbal sparring match to prove to them that she was smarter - that she was better. she was her father’s right hand  - she would restore castle cerwyn one day. she had nothing to fear. 

alyssane’s fifteenth year saw the introduction of the biggest competition for both her father’s time & affection. an unexpected infant brother now dominated the discussion , and replaced her as heir. while she doted on the child , she could not help the resentment she felt for being so swiftly unseated. 

at nineteen , tragedy changed alyssane’s life permanently when a seemingly incurable fever took her father from her. she had mourned no more than three months before her mother informed her of her fate : marriage.  the aging lord manderly , taken by her beauty and blissfully unaware of her nature , offered the widowed lady cerwyn a financial security she could not ignore , not for herself nor for her family. alysanne would be well taken care of in the new castle , her mother reasoned. there was no need for her to remain at home. 

while the white harbor invigorated alyssane’s senses , her marriage stifled every portion of her spirit. her husband , apart from being nearly thrice her age , was demanding & unkind. he overspent the profits earned on his behalf & managed his finances poorly.  he cared very little for his wife and sought only to control a woman who deemed very early on that she would not be controlled. 

alysanne’s wifely duties soon saw her withchild. dread filled every day of her pregnancy as she imagined her husband raising a son in his own image , or treating a daughter with the same contempt & disregard that she had suffered for the better part of two years. whatever her child was , they would be the heir. her husband’s brother had fought & died protecting the port against the ironborn 22 years prior, alongside his son & heir. 

nearly two weeks before the birth of his child , after a night of heavily indulging his cups , the lord manderly was found dead in his bed. many attributed his sudden passing to his age & lifestyle , while others imagined his young wife slipping him poison, or smothering him in his sleep. alyssane did little to dissuade the rumors , knowing that they would exist regardless of her involvement. no sooner was he buried than a daughter , lysa , was born to his widow,

alysanne made no show of mourning. she wore black as she was bid , but engaged fiercely in her duties as a new ( and entirely devoted ) mother & regent.

 immediately , she took over the books of her husband , and sought out areas where revenue could increase , and spending decrease. she became a woman of the people , doing everything a lady of repute should have avoided, and frequently venturing into white harbor to converse with commonfolk about their business & the import and exports of the city. she used  personal funds to buy up brothels , converting them into more hospitable environments for both workers & patrons. she began to heavily invest in the port city , and soon reaped its rewards. within the span of a few years  , she had transformed the city & the house alike . 

all the while , gossip surrounded her. she paid little mind to the criticism & outrage. she was , for once , entirely herself.  she flaunted her wealth in the means of furs & silks & jewels , fueling the fires of conversation even further. those who did not support her, she reasoned, at least needed something to talk about.

as a result of her keen financial & political sense , alyssane secured a position as the northern kingdom’s mistress of coin. she is the first woman in the northern kingdom to hold the title .

despite all of her successes , she is very lonely . creating a reputation for herself has created more controversy than it has born new friends & allies. men are typically intimidated by her unapologetic nature , and women are scandalized by her very presence. 

for this reason , alyssane has set aside any foolish notions of romantic love , knowing that she will never marry , as she refuses to allow her independence to be taken from her , and will protect the security of her daughter’s future until her last breath. 

PERSONALITY , SUMMARY , & OTHER TIDBITS

     this is where i switch off my  ‘formal’ writing mode to give you the nitty gritty.

while alyssane is a pretty unapologetic ‘bad bitch,’ she’s far from heartless and unkind. much of her sentiment was covered with a layer of ice when she married , but she is a woman of great feeling. she cares very deeply for others , and does everything in her power to better their lives utilizing her own methods. she’s very kind in her own sort of way. almost everything she does & feels is hidden under the veils of the image that she’s created for herself. if you manage to crack the veener , you begin to see glimpses of who she might have been , and maybe still is , before life altered her so dramatically. 

she literally will not take shit from a man ( or anyone for that matter ). while she’s wildly charismatic , and has an extreme gift for speech , she does not hold any punches when she feels threatened or questioned. 

she’s also wildly wealthy , but i feel the need to clarify that that was largely of her own making in the last five or so years. nothing has been handed to her , and she’s taken great pains to create a legacy for herself & her daughter.

speaking of her daughter , she loves lysa more than she will ever love another living soul. that girl is her whole heart. 

she’s so ?? lonely ?? on a variety of different levels , but will never admit to it , because she refuses to be vulnerable.

she literally does not give ONE SHIT ( at least externally ) about what other people think about her. she uses her wealth and its ostentatious display as armor. the fact that she is very frequently entering and inspecting the books of northern brothels & interacting with folk well below her station in a professional capacity has largely made her a laughing stock to most ( at least npc’s -- i know that many of the characters here are going to be way more welcoming than i’ve characterized for her and for that i thank you ). she very much acts as though it doesn’t phase her in the slightest.do at this point , the fact that she very-well-could-have-murdered-her-husband is a pretty open secret among polite company. at this point , her wealth and the expertise she brings the northern kingdom , as well as the fact that she play the part of a lady exceedingly well is what saves her among other nobility. 

other stuff TBA as i think of it.