Margot Massey

Margot is the firstborn child of Lord Mycah Massey, and heir to Stonedance. Publicly, she serves Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen as a member the Dragon Maids, but quietly serves as a spy for the Hand of the King, Aerys Velaryon

Appearance and Character
Margot's heart shaped face features the honey blond locks and hooded green eyes of her mother, and the smug smirk of her father. Standing just under five and half feet, she possesses a toned, lithe build, marred with thin angry scars crisscrossing her back. Typically found with her hair messily pinned up, she favors dark riding leathers over frilly gowns, but often chooses said dresses to play the part of a lady at court.

Given a second chance at life, she works hard to prove her worth to both Aerys Velaryon and Queen Rhaenyra. This typically means enduring the gossiping ladies of the royal court, and enduring rigorous training in the yard. With so many masks to don, it is easy for her to hide the emotional scars of her traumatic childhood.

Early Life
Margot was born to Mycah Massey and Barba Cressey in 418 – a complicated birth that ultimately ended with her mother’s passing. Margot was a precocious child, always finding ways to sneak into the kitchens, the dungeons, and wherever else noble little girls should not end up. Unfortunately for House Massey, a troublesome toddler was the least of their problems. For although Margot’s uncle, Lord Abelar Massey, ruled his lands with wisdom and kindness, her father, a greedy, envious man, had always hungered for the lordship. Without his wife to keep him in check, Mycah turned to drink, which only served to heighten his bitterness. Finally, after a particularly egregious week of drunken rants and ravings, Mycah and Margot were banished from Stonedance and sent to live with her late mother’s family at Greycrest.

The Beast of Greycrest
Just before Margot’s eighth nameday, her father took up a new wife in hopes of producing a son, but when she proved barren, he beat her to death in a drunken rage. The Lord Cressey refused to take action against the heinous act, essentially setting a precedent for Mycah to do as he wished within the keep.

The years that followed were a reign of terror in the Cressey household, for Mycah grew accustomed to taking his anger out in fits of fury. Even Margot herself was not spared, receiving countless lashes across her back for the smallest of sleights. Soon, it became clear the safest course of action was to stay out of her father’s sight. This meant creating diversions, or just plain hiding whenever her father was deep into his cups. Proactively, Margot began training to defend herself, and learned to wield a sword from Ser Domeric Waters, the Cressey man-at-arms.

The Storming of Stonedance
Their exile from Stonedance produced one ray of fortune, if one could call it that, for it meant she had escaped the slaughter of nearly all the Massey line by the zealots of Second Hammer Uprising. In the aftermath of the tragedy, the only daughter of the late Lord Abelar, Cordelia Massey, claimed lordship of the house. Enraged at being passed over, Mycah plotted the demise of his niece.

Less than a year later, Cordelia Massey and her nephew, Justin Massey, the strongest claimants to the lordship, succumbed to a suspicious illness that took their lives within a fortnight. Finally, Mycah was named lord of Stonedance, and Margot moved back into a castle she barely knew.

Escape!
The new lord of Stonedance received very little respect from his household and retainers, leading to an increase in drunken rages. Even with some martial training, a fourteen year old Margot could not adequately defend herself, and her beatings continued, as it did back in Greycrest. Her only respite came in the form of the castle’s kind maester, who taught her to treat her wounds.

Finally the Gods turned their mercy upon the miserable child, and sent the new Hand of the King, Aerys Velaryon to Stonedance. His most trusted friend, Anders of Driftmark had served the Massey household during the reign of Lord Abelar, thus wished to personally check on the survivors of the Storming of Stonedance. What they found was a terrorized household, and a battered Margot. There was little for Aerys to do, for a lord could rule as he pleased in his own castle, but he did demand Margot be sent to ward at the Red Keep.

Life at the Red Keep
Not really knowing what to do with his new ward, Aerys thrust Margot upon the ladies of the royal court, hoping one would be in need of a lady-in-waiting. Queen Rhaenyra herself took an interest in the young girl, and upon discovering Margot’s quick hands, and aptitude with the blade, groomed her to join the ranks of the Dragon maids. The Queen was a demanding, but fair mistress, and under her tutelage, Margot honed her skills as a warrior and a lady of the court.

Despite this allegiance to the Queen, Margot’s gratitude truly lay with the man who had rescued her from her abusive father, and thus wished to repay Aerys in any way possible. It did not take her long to realize the best way to repay the Hand of the King was with whispers. Her freedom to move about court produced an unending collection of gossip and rumors. Most of which, were of course, nonsense, but as the useful information began to grow, so too did Aerys’ trust in Margot.

Although the royal court considers her one of the more uninteresting members of the Dragon maids, Margot has quietly developed a wide network of informants. These ‘pebbles’, as she likes to call them, report to her ripples from all over the realm, which she in turn relays to Aerys.

Family

 * Lord Abelar Massey (373 AC - 432 AC)
 * m. Beatrix Pyle (374 AC - 408 AC)
 * Lady Cordelia Massey (398 AC - 433 AC)
 * Ser Ryon Massey (375 AC - 432 AC)
 * Domeric Waters (b. 390)
 * m. Alysanne Follard (386 AC - 430 AC)
 * Ser Justin Massey (417 AC - 433 AC)
 * Mycah Massey (b. 389 AC)
 * m. Barba Cressey (400 AC - 418 AC)
 * Margot Massey (b. 418 AC)
 * m. Tansy Pyle (402 AC - 425 AC)
 * No Issue
 * m. Bessa Crabb (b. 420 AC)
 * Mina Massey (b. 435 AC)
 * Daena Massey (b. 438 AC)
 * Maldon Massey (b. 390 AC)
 * Roslin Brune, nee Massey (b. 404 AC)

Household and NPC's
Alys of the Gullet, Maidservant (b. 424)

Lyra Cressey, Friend (b. 423 AC)

Gyles Strong, Blacksmith (b. 401 AC)

Qarl Waters, Sellsword (b. 415 AC)

Otto of Flea Bottom, Urchin (b. 429)