Arys Florent

Arys Florent is the firstborn son of Alesander Florent and Jeyne Tyrell and heir to Brightwater Keep. Arys was raised in Brightwater Keep up until he became old enough to squire for Ryam Redwyne. Now a knight, Arys takes up any opportunity he can find to prove his martial prowess.

Appearance and Character
Arys looks like a traditional Florent, with the same dark red hair and green eyes as his father. Shorter than his father, but not nearly as slim, Arys is either seen with a suit of plate armour at a tournament, or in a white doublet with a large embroidered fox's head in the center, surrounded by azure flowers and an ermine background, stretching from chest to stomach.

Above all, Arys values a man's ability with a sword or army, lance or fleet. Considering war the best measurement for a man's true value, he is set to prove his own worth. Quick to jump into a fight he believes worthy of his involvement. Arys will stand up for his kin and honour alike, though not likely fight for someone he does not know, or does not care for.

Arys can be a kind and understanding man, especially in the presence of his sisters, mother, or aunt. However, when his father around, he is far more irritable and hot-tempered, probably as a result of the tension that has built up since his return. His changing attitudes are known to most long-term guests of Brightwater Keep.

Early Childhood
The heir of Brightwater Keep was always considered a bold and sometimes foolish child, putting himself at risk more often than not, often costing him a scrape or a bruise, Arys was always willing to jump head-first into any adventure he could come up with in his young mind, never considering the consequences. His father and mother tried many things to keep him safe from himself, by having him be followed by guards everywhere he walked, to locking him in a room with the Maester when he was expected to be learning, yet one way or another, whether it was a question of minutes or days, Arys would find a way to escape.

While his ingenuity in slinking away from his escort was admirable, his dedication to his studies was less so. Always managing to find yet another distraction or excuse, Arys did his best to avoid sitting in a room and simply learning the histories of houses he thought he would never meet. The only lessons that Arys would ever pay attention to where stories and fables about great knights.

The moment Arys was old enough to pick up a practice sword, he would run around Brightwater Keep's training yard, hoping that one man or another would be willing to teach him. His father, happy enough with the boy finding at least one thing he would be diligent in, indulged the future lord, and allowed him to train as long as he wanted. After all, by that time, Gareth had grown old enough to start his lessons, and though the boy was young, he seemed far more capable than his brother.

Gareth and Arys had always been close, regardless of their different interests. It was Gareth that brought at least some semblance of interest into Arys for learning what he was expected to learn, and it was Arys that forced his brother to the yard, to train to fight with him. After all, it was Arys' dream that one day they would fight together, side by side, regaining the long lost glory of House Florent at the end of a sword.

The Arbor, 431 A.C.
Yet the brothers were split up, when Arys was sent to the Arbor. An attempt by Alesander to solidify the relationship he had with the now Lord of the Arbor, Arys was to become Lord Ryam's squire. Arys at first suffered, missing his brother, and escalating the tension with his father, who by now seemed more interested in Gareth. It was jealousy, but not one which caused a rift in the friendship between two brothers, but rather strife between father and son.

Arys arrived at Ryamsport, a shyer boy than he had been in Brightwater Keep, dwarfed by the larger court of the Lord of the Arbor. It did not take long for him to warm up to his host family, for his aunt had been quite welcoming alongside the rest of the Redwyne family. He immediately became infatuated with Florys Redwyne, attempting to impress his older cousin at every turn. It was a childish notion at first, though he would continue to try to make her give him the attention he so desired. Whether she passed by when he was training or when he was helping her lord father with a task, he would always make sure he would look as good as possible, and glancing over every now and then to see if she was looking at him as well.

As time passed, Arys' attention was pulled away from his crush, as his skill improved. There was disagreement in the Redwyne family regarding Ryam's ambition, Arys made sure to avoid being included or asked, and if it came to that, he would support his aunt who in turn supported Ryam, regardless of how much Arys disagreed.

Return to Brightwater Keep, 436 A.C.
Upon his return from the Arbor, Arys came a changed man. Less foolish, and more calculated than when he had left. At first, his resentment towards his father had been a thing of the past, yet as time passed on, the embers had been rekindled. Despite a strong bond at childhood, Gareth and Arys grew distant upon his return. While fantasies of what the other brother had grown up to be like had sown the seeds of disappointment, they found another, as different as they could be. Gareth was no longer willing to entertain Arys' antics, and had little patience to force himself out to the training yard, just to be humiliated by his brother. As revenge, Gareth in turn would use his intellectual advantage over his brother to exact his revenge, humiliating him in turn whenever he could. What had been a co-depending relationship of learning, had now turned into a rivalry, costing the brothers their dearest friend.

The only Florent willing to attempt to mend the rift between the brothers was Lysa, the second daughter of Alesander. While both parents toiled away at maintaining the lands, Lysa would attempt scheme after scheme to bring the brothers together. Whether it was locking the two brothers in the same room, promising to only let them out until they made amends, or begging, and attempting to guilt her brothers into speaking with the caring tone she had once known again. Through her efforts she grew closer to both, and they to her. She became the substitute for each brother, filling a hole that had been left by the lost friendship. Though young, Lysa was as shrewd as her father, and as kind and caring as her mother.

It was misfortune that brought the two brothers together once more, with the passing of Lysa. She was found in the morning, motionless in her bed. Though the Maester ruled out murder, the cause remained a mystery. In shared sorrow, the brothers leaned on each other. Though the entirety of the Florent household had grown mournful with the death of the brightest child, it was Arys and Gareth who had grown the closest, and most dependent, on Lysa.

The two brothers promised, separately, to their lost sister, to set aside their petty feud in honour of her. They would not grow as close as they had been as children, yet they would rekindle a lost friendship.

The Great Council
Arys attended the royal wedding in Oldtown and participated in the tourney. Following the death of King Aegon VII Targaryen in the War Beyond the Wall, Arys joined the rest of his family in journeying to King's Landing for the Great Council of 439 AC. Though he found the city exciting, Arys longed to return to his familiar and beloved Reach, though he did find something of a kindred spirit in Margot Massey - the daughter of the lord of Stonedance, one of queen Rhaenyra's dragonmaids and, unbeknownst to most (Arys included) a spy for the Hand of the King Aerys Velaryon.

The death of Arys' uncle and Lord Paramount of the Reach Gareth Tyrell kicked off a series of events culminating in the announcement of the Great Council's chosen heir. Word of a Lannister army marching for the northern Reach sent many of the southern lords into a panic, and Lord Alesander raised Brightwater Keep's banners to prepare to meet any foe. Despite Arys' expectations, he was not dispatched home to lead the soldiers, much to his chagrin. After Daeron III Targaryen was named the new king and Aelyx Sunderland's regency plan put forward, Lord Alesander was elected as the regent for the Reach, and thus was set to remain in King's Landing after the Great Council's conclusion.

What happened next drew a sharp wedge between Arys and his father: rather than give over lordship of Brightwater Keep to his eldest son and heir while Alesander remained in the capital as regent - an arrangement which would have given Arys a chance to prove himself as a capable lord and administrator, not just a warrior - the Black Fox instead sent his entire family home sans Arys, declaring that his heir was of more use to him in the capital. Arys, furious, nonetheless remained, while his brother Gareth was charged with running the day-to-day business of Brightwater Keep's lordship.

Tumult and Trial
Following Lord Alesander's appointment to the small council and the regency, Arys accompanied his father and was present for the Crimson Parley. He also solidified a quiet friendship with Margot Massey - one of Queen Rhaenyra's dragonmaids - for whom he developed an affection.

As war loomed between the Reach and the West, Alesander gave Arys a chance to prove himself, dispatching him to Highgarden to take command of Brightwater and its vassals' levies. Leaping at the chance, Arys presented himself to his cousin, Lord Garlan Tyrell, and the other lords of the Reach. When the decision was made to lead an army to defend Old Oak and secure the claim of the late Lord Desmond Oakheart's uncle Ser Renly, Arys was given command of the Reachman forces - over 90,000 strong - despite his youth and comparative inexperience. Desperate to prove himself, Arys nonetheless rose to the challenge.

Family
Alester Florent d. 300 AC, m. Melara Crane
 * Alekyne Florent b. ~285-290 AC, m. Merrill Hightower
 * Rylene Florent b. ~315 AC
 * Axell Florent b. ~320 AC
 * Gyles Florent b. ~340 AC,
 * m. Melissa Peake
 * Imry Florent b. 366 AC d. 421 AC
 * m. Loreza of Braavos
 * Auguste Florent, Keeper of the Queen's Purse b. 386 AC
 * Alesander Florent, the Black Fox b. 392 AC
 * m. Lady Jeyne Tyrell, Lady of Brightwater Keep b. 387 AC
 * Arys Florent b. 419 AC
 * Gareth Florent b. 421 AC
 * Renata Florent b. 422 AC
 * Lysa Florent, b. 423 AC d. 437 AC
 * Leyton Florent b. 425 AC
 * Renata Florent, Lady of the Arbor b. 392 AC, m. Ryam Redwyne b. 384 AC
 * Florys Redwyne b. 413 AC, m. Garlan Tyrell b. 409 AC
 * Rossart Redwyne b. 416 AC
 * Alerie Redwyne b. 420 AC
 * Joanna Florent, b. 379 AC, m. Kevan Costayne b. 377 AC
 * Arianne Costayne, Lady of Three Towers b. 398 AC, m. Emmon Greyjoy b. 389 AC
 * Olenna Costayne b. 410 AC, m. Harys Hunt b. 410 AC d. 433 AC
 * Jory Costayne b. 413 AC d. 434 AC
 * m. Bethany Fossoway b. 414 AC
 * Myranda Costayne b. 417 AC
 * Meryn Florent