Leona Tyrell

Lady Leona Tyrell is a scion of House Tyrell of Highgarden, and the Princess consort of Summerhall. Born in 380 A.C., the twin sister of Lyonel Tyrell, current Lord Paramount of the Reach, she married Prince Maekar Targaryen of Summerhall at the age of sixteen, soon giving birth to their firstborn daughter, Rhaena, and another, Gael, a few years later. A woman of great piety and devotion, she is an ardent follower of the Starry Rites, and an advocate for the poor and the downtrodden. Leona is very much devoted to her role as mother and wife, putting her family before anything else.

Appearance and Character
Though she has already been a mother for a decade, now, Lady Leona's heart-shaped face still bears a youthful, serene look. Her minute mouth and nose contrast with a pair of wide brown eyes that exude devotion and the thick mane of warm brown curls that falls down her back is usually held in hairnets and braided, to make it manageable and modest. Modesty, it seems, is what Leona seeks when choosing her attire: the cut of her dress is always clean and elegant, its shades never flashy, and there is no embellishment to decorate it that she has not done herself, with her expert hand. The only jewel she bears is a silver seven-pointed star, each point of which is adorned with a pearl. Lady Leona is far from tall, but her minuteness is masked by her slender, graceful frame.

Leona’s education in the finest courts of the Reach provided a solid backbone to her courtly skills: she is charming and courteous to a fault, and of immaculate reputation. Leona has always been a most devoted woman both to her gods and to her role as wife and mother - often overbearingly so. As her daughters near the cusp of maidenhood, she finds herself worried about their paths, and more and more involved in their upbringing and education.

A follower the Starry Rites, Leona is set on giving up on her excesses and giving alms to the less fortunate but, although she strives towards morality and rightfulness, she too can fall prey to the sins of the human flesh - vanity, jealousy, envy, ambition.

A Rose of Highgarden
Leona Tyrell is born in Highgarden on the year 380 A.C., to Lord ___ Tyrell and Lady ___ Tyrell. The first years of her life are spent serenely, playing around the verdant gardens and hiding in the shady bowers of the fabled castle. She shares a loving relationship with her brothers.

Starry, starry city
At the age of 10, Leona is sent by her Lord Father to the Hightower, to act as a companion to her aunt, the Lady Lynora Lannister. Those were formative years for her courtly education, and for forging new friendships and acquaintances in the active court of Oldtown. She shared a playful bond with her cousin Leyton Hightower, five years her junior. In the centre of the Starry Rites in Westeros, she was also pushed significantly closer to the reformed religion, growing increasingly devout over the years. While there, she also met members of the royal family - namely Jacaerys Targaryen, at the time an acolyte of the Citadel, and her future husband Maekar Targaryen, visiting his Hightower cousins between his campaigns in the East.

Coming of Age
At fifteen, Lady Leona returns to her childhood home. In 396, a tourney is held at Highgarden to celebrate the 16th nameday of Lyonel and Leona. Prince Maekar Targaryen, a guest at the feast, wins the joust, crowning her Queen of Love and Beauty. From there, he begins a courtship that sees them married and with child within the year. They name their first daughter Rhaena, and raise her with love and care, as their own affection grows. Leona finds herself quite at home in Summerhall, though overwhelmed by her new, extensive family and the constant sight of dragons. In 399 the pair have another child, Princess Gael.

War, Love and Death
Maekar, now Prince of Summerhall, returns from the War of the Three Kings as a victor and a hero, and the couple is reunited. In 402, Leona gives birth to their first son, Baelor. The birth is met with joy by the young family, but the boy proves to be quite feeble and sickly. After the war, the family moves to King's Landing, where Maekar hold an advisorial seat in the King's Small Council. Leona comes to despise the place, if not for the religious differences and the scheming, for its stench. The two years that follow are unhappy for the Princess. While on one hand, her husband's prestige and renown increased, on the other, her son's health issues and the dread she felt for the Capital did nothing to ease her mind. At the age of two, Baelor gives in to a sudden sickness and dies. Leona is distraught. Shortly after, Maekar resigns his seat in the council and the mourning family heads back to Summerhall.

Recent Events
Leona resides in Summerhall to this day, three years of mourning and prayer having eased her grief. Partly because she feels the guilt of having abandoned her daughters as she lamented her son, partly because she wants nothing but the best for her children, she has taken her daughters education in her own hands, following them very strictly.

Family

 * Lord ___ Tyrell, father.
 * Lady ___ Tyrell, mother.
 * Lord ___ Tyrell, brother.
 * Lord Lyonel Tyrell, twin brother, current Lord Paramount of the Reach.
 * Lady Leona Tyrell, Princess of Summerhall m. Maekar Targaryen (395)
 * Princess Rhaena Targaryen, daughter.
 * Princess Gael Targaryen, daughter.

Household Members

 * Septa Scodella - a sister of the faith, tutor to the princesses Rhaena and Gael.
 * Ser Byron "the Blue" - a Knight of the Rainbow guard hailing from House Graceford. Sworn Sword.
 * Lady Rhea Rowan, Lady Alla Cuy, Lady Jocelyn Buckler - ladies in waiting.