Laena Longwaters

Laena Longwaters is Ser Vance Longwater's only daughter. She serves as a lady-in-waiting to Aelinor Targaryen, but doubles also as her enforcer.

Appearance and Character
Laena has long, black hair, which she usually keeps in a tightly bound ponytail; bold and severe eyebrows; green, downturned eyes; a medium, bulbous nose; full lips; and a lithe, almost wiry physique.

When not wearing a gown, Laena wears a pixane and hauberk over leather, with steel vambraces and steel scale armour around her stomach for added protection.

Laena is austere but experimental. She is vicious in combat and, boasting little in the way of charisma, curt in conversation with strangers. She is quite proud of her "dragon heritage," and has admitted on several occasions to preferring the company of "dragon bloods" over others.

History
Laena was born in 387 AC to Ser Vance Longwaters, a career knight, and his wife, Jeyne Longwaters. Laena grew up enraptured by her father's weekly bedtime stories. He told her tales of heroic knights fighting in wars, and of valiant heroes accomplishing impossible quests, all for the sake of fame and glory. In her young mind, every last one of these fabled knights was her father, and she wanted nothing more than to be just like him.

On Laena's eighth nameday, her father was supposed to deliver her an especially riveting story, as was tradition, but was accosted on his way home by a group of hedge knights, who killed him over a simple disagreement. Laena waited hours for him to come home, only to be devastated after her mother, Jeyne, had arrived first with tears streaking down her face.

To survive on their own, Jeyne, Laena, and Laenor, her brother, were forced to move from their large manse on the northwest side of Rhaenys' Hill to a more modest home on the southwest side, wedging the three between Flea Bottom and the Street of Silk. Jeyne struggled with depression in the aftermath of her husband's departure, but took up painting and basket weaving to occupy her time; Laenor trained to become like his father, and tried finding a knight who would squire him; and Laena directed what few retainers her family had kept on to escort her around the city on her own errands: regularly visiting the Dragonpit, exploring the larger city, attending court at the Red Keep, and, amongst other things, beating up boys who pretended to be knights. Laena trained with her brother as well, and proved as good a fighter as him, if not better, despite contributing less time to the endeavour.

In 499 AC, while their mothers reconnected at court for the first time in over a decade, Laena and Princess Aelinor Tagaryen met for the first time. Laena immediately worshiped Aelinor for her purer, Valyrian bloodline, and the two fast became friends. Eventually, Visaera, Aelinor's mother, invited Jeyne, Laenor, and Laena to attend her court. She employed Jeyne as one of her ladies in waiting, Laenor as a squire to one of her retainers, and Laena as Aelinor's personal handmaiden.

With so many elite warriors, including warrior women, consistently in close proximity, Laena gained direct access to superior combat training at Dragonstone. Over her years of service to Aelinor, Lanea mastered both the spear and dagger, and surpassed many of Dragonstone's resident warriors. Laena also took to wearing chainmail more than gowns, though not always, as her duties increasingly deviated from the typical handmaiden's; while she did serve as a maid, she also served as an enforcer, a confidante, and a motivator for her Princess. Whatever her desires were, Laena would carry them out. And to this day, she still does.

407 AC

 * Laena attended the Harrenhal tourney with Princess Aelinor Targaryen, but chose not to compete in the tournament.

Family

 * Ser Vance Longwaters, 353-395
 * m. Jeyne Longwaters, b. 366
 * Laena Longwaters, b. 387
 * Ser Laenor Longwaters, b. 388

Household/NPCs

 * Jeyne Longwaters
 * Ser Laenor Longwaters