Aemma Arryn

Aemma Arryn is the fourthborn child, and third daughter to Osric Arryn, late lord of the Eyrie, and Princess Saera Targaryen. Of the Arryn children, she possesses the docile temperament and scholarly aptitude to most closely resemble their Targaryen mother. Aemma drew ever closer to their royal heritage with a childhood betrothal. Now the wife to Prince Baelor Targaryen, she has already born him a son and two daughters from their union.

Appearance and Character
Standing at 5'7", Aemma is by no means a small woman. Having now born three children into the world, the third of which still nursing, she bears the typical weight and rounded frame of motherhood. Her face retains the slim, aquiline features and high cheeks common to her bloodline, but despite her lamentations for her mother's ethereal beauty and regal characteristics, Aemma's appearance remains decidedly Arryn at its core.

Blue eyes as bright as the summer's sky peer out from beneath thick, minimally manicured black brows. When loosed, lustrous raven locks cascade over her shoulders in waves to the small of her back. Unlike her elder brother, whose visage is most often dark and brooding, she is rarely seen without a smile upon her lips or a flicker of joy within her gentle eyes. Among court, she keeps to the current trends and fashions, maintaining an elegantly polished look to befit a Prince's wife.

Although she may take after her father in appearance, it is to her mother that most compare her character. Demure and collected, Aemma has ever been the mediator for her siblings' various disagreements. Observant and clever, she pooled her inclinations into academic pursuits, determined that what conflict she could not prevent and resolve by her word, she would heal by her hand.

Early Life (415 AC - 420 AC)
Aemma was born during a period of relative peace and recovering prosperity for her family in 415 AC. The fourth-born child, Aemma's birth was celebrated, but she could hardly claim the level of coddling that her eldest siblings had received from their parents. She was quiet and demure, prone only to outbursts of frustrations at the rarest of occasions. Even then, she rarely drew an eye. She certainly was not neglected, however. As soon as she was able to walk, Aemma developed a close bond with Arinna.

She trailed after her elder sister like a shadow, playing nearby, joining her for tea, drawing while the elder read. Wherever Arinna went about the castle, little Aemma followed, and her sister obliged her. So close was their bond that it was to Arinna's petticoat that Aemma clutched whenever she felt uncertain of new guests and strange faces, and by her gentle hands that the fledgling Arryn was urged forward whenever their mother summoned them. As a result, the loss of Arinna Arryn at the Slaughter of Ronnel's Ford fell upon Aemma with particular brutality. Her point of anchor and support severed, the unpleasant reality of her position in her family dynamic retarded her development over the following years.

Clipped and Grounded (420 AC - 425 AC)
Aemma was not innately witty and charismatic like Arinna had been; nor was she deft with a blade or quick of tactical wit like Sharra. Neither could she hold a candle to her younger siblings, Jon and Alyssa, immaculate gems in the eyes of the Vale. Growing up, Aemma had little going for her to obviously set herself apart from her siblings, and with the looming shadow of the recent heavy losses her family had sustained, her social needs were once again overshadowed.

Turning inwards to attend her own needs, Aemma gained a level of quiet isolation dissimilar to the confident independence of her siblings. Her toys were the dolls and carved figures left in Arinna's stead; her friends, the stray cats and trained kennel dogs. She began to shy from parents and siblings alike, guided all the more to a state of recluse play as Alyssa's devilish antics began to develop. She lost interest in the games of princess and knights. She refused to look most adults in the eye. And eventually her speech regressed to silence.

Unfortunately, with her father largely absent tending to the needs of the Vale, and her mother preoccupied with diplomatic efforts for crown and home, Aemma's withdrawal went unnoticed. What Osric's gaze failed to notice, however, his brother's keen eye did. Ever the diligent observer, especially of the diversity of human natures, Alesander Arryn took a particular interest in the young girl. Concerned both for her well-being as well as her success as an Arryn, he took several actions.

The first was to request for her a companion. After Arrina's loss, Lord Osric - fearing such a fate might be repeated - had thought to assign a guard to each of his children. With the continued conflicts, it had not been possible. The culmination of the Massacre of the Dales finally forced Osric's hand. Now branded a kinslayer by many, concern for the well-being of his children led him to assign Ser Waymar Malcolm to Aemma. A stout and cheery fellow, the knight did well to disperse much of the young girl's loneliness, enthusiastically entertaining her ideas of fun and games.

The second monumental change by Alesander's hand was to take Aemma under his own direct tutelage. She had ever been a clever child and quick to learn, but without adequate guidance, her talent for academia had not yet been discovered. As such, it came to a great surprise to many, although perhaps not the learned maester, that she thrived among the books. In particular, she found the intricacies of the healing art to align to her empathetic nature and desire to preserve life.

When she wasn't studying applications of tinctures and potions, she was wandering the gardens with Ser Waymar, often accompanied by her uncle, and even occasionally Ser Abelar. These new skills most often found themselves applied to Sharra: small hands tending the many bruises and lacerations that the elder sister would receive during clandestine sparring sessions.

This was not the only topic to draw Aemma's attention, of course. Preservation could not simply be maintained through reparation of health alone, Alesander often reminded her. To address such a value holistically, he would have had to teach her proper stewardship: to carefully manage and supervise the livelihoods of those who served her family, to learn to invest time and charitable resource into those individuals who gave their lives for the Vale, to expend the energies necessary to properly appreciate the historical and current values of each of their vassal houses and of those beyond their borders. And for the next decade, so he would.

Birds of a Feather (425 AC - 428 AC)
The onset of winter was the worst that the Vale had seen in some time, and as such Aemma joined the rest of her family in their descent to the gates of the moon. Now in closer proximity to near and distant family alike, the years that followed seemed to force existing relationships into their extremes. With Sharra, she grew more and more distant. Although she tended to her wounds and neither found particular issue with the other, their continuously diverging interests left them at odds with little in common.

On the other hand, where Godric and Aemma had previously been estranged, this provided the opportunity to become better acquainted. A quiet, studious and dutiful young man, her elder brother shared many of her own interests. When days were not quite so blisteringly cold, the two would venture out together upon horseback, or tend to the falcons. And when winter's bite was too painful to bear, the two could often be found nestled by a roaring fire in relatively close proximity to each other, each absorbed in a book of their own choosing. Although their conversations were rare, those they did have were among the most intellectually and philosophically stimulating discussions that Aemma had enjoyed. More often than not, however, the two found mutual solace and comfort in each other's quiet company.

The same positive development could not be said of the relationship between Aemma and the Arryn twins. Already a child with a naughty disposition, Alyssa was often prone to troublemaking, and the target of such pranks was - more often than not - Aemma. Or so she often felt, at least. Whether it be salt in her tea, her favourite book hidden up a tree, scribbled drawings obscuring carefully written notes, or wine splashed to dye a piece of particularly intricate embroidery, Aemma could never prove that Alyssa had done anything. But by the smug sneers and lidded gazes cast her way over supper, she knew.

Alyssa had ever been someone who placed more value in martial acuity than Aemma felt strictly necessary - or healthy - and Aemma certainly was not that type. Their feud had begun years ago, and without the typical distractions and outlets for the youngest sister's antagonistic ways, their fighting reached new heights. So much so that it damaged what relationship Aemma had had with her brother Jon. As the only one to have earned Alyssa's respect and ear, he alone could cool her antics and pull her from any hostile situation. As winter wore on, Aemma saw him increasingly infrequently but for his interventions into the frequent disputes with her haughty younger sister.

Keen to distance herself from what she saw as completely uncalled for attacks and bullying, Aemma jumped upon the opportunity to tour the Vale the moment it presented itself. Not that she wouldn't have ventured to Runestone with her brother, Godric, otherwise. As it was told, royalty was making an appearance, and upon the wings of a dragon, no less. This excited Aemma for a multitude of reasons. The dragon alone was enough to draw her interest. Not everyone could claim to have met a dragon, and as an avid student of animals, training and their behaviour, this presented to be an exceptional chance to observe such a beast for herself. But her interest far surpassed superficial studies. This wasn't just any dragon, this was Siren; and not any rider, but none other than Visenya Silvermoon herself.

During their stay at the Gates of the Moon, Aemma had grown closer to her mother. She learned of her mother's history, the adventures she had taken, the places she had been. She learned of the friends she had made. Of those, Princess Saera spoke often of a Selenya of Lys and Prince Jacaerys of Summerhall. Whenever she spoke of either, it was both with great reverence and great sadness. Absorbing these tales and stories, Aemma learned a great deal of the two figures, often interjecting her own questions and queries. And so it was no surprise that she developed a sort of divine awe for the Silver Princess whose mother had been the closest friend to Aemma's own, and whose life had been saved by the sacrifice of the Learned Prince.

In 427 AC, she participated in the welcoming retinue with star-struck curiosity, and what she encountered was far more than she ever could have expected. Princess Visenya had not come alone. With her had come her younger brother, the fabled rider of Aegorax. If any could embody the image of a knight in shining armour, it was he. Smooth of skin, sleek of hair, purposeful of movements and conservative of temperament, Aemma found herself immediately drawn to him. Such an impression was made between the young Aemma and Prince Baelor, that Princess Saera Targaryen had them betrothed upon Aemma's return to the Gates of the Moon - acting upon the wishes of her sister, the late Black Queen Visaera.

Royal Affairs (428 AC - 432 AC)
With Springtide blossoms breaking through the Blue Winter's icy embrace, Aemma's dreams to once more lay eyes upon her beloved and betrothed would once again be realized. A great announcement had been made that the Prince Aegon and the Princess Rhaenyra were to be wed in a grand display of power, wealth, and security of crown. To witness the royal affair, lords and ladies across the seven realms had been invited to partake of bread and wine at King's Landing. This would mark Aemma's first venture beyond the Mountains of the Moons that posed as the impenetrable walls of the Vale she called home.

Like her father, she was awed by the size and density of the capitol. The sheer diversity of food and dress, language and culture was a stark contrast to the relative monotony of the Vale. Here, Aemma had her first tastes of courtly life. She could not say she felt particularly at ease to know that she would have to leave her castle in the sky for this, where lacquered lips spoke poison in the dark and powdered faces hid ill intent. As much as she yearned to be at the heart of the stories of princes and princesses, she could not ignore the growing anxiety that clenched at her stomach every time she set foot amongst those unfamiliar to her. Whenever she allowed her gaze to fall upon Prince Baelor, however, she felt a calm come over her. Despite the chaos of movement and cacophony of voices, the Prince remained always resolute, his expression unworried and relaxed. It gave her strength. If they were to be married, perhaps she could find the strength to fly as a falcon among dragons, even if only in the safe shielding of his own wings.

For the duration of her stay, Aemma's thoughts were clouded with notions of weddings and feasts, dragons and knights, courtly dresses and intricate up-dos. She began to take more liberties from her studies to appease her girlish notions and dove into the histories of the great kings and queens of the realm, sometimes imagining what it might be like to where a crown herself. Of course, she knew that would never come to pass. It was Prince Aegon who was destined for the throne, not Baelor, and Princess Rhaenyra at his side.

Even still, the thought of marrying a prince was a notion that Aemma still struggled to reconcile. For her whole life, she had thought herself the least likely to amount to anything of importance of her siblings. Yet somehow it was she who had secured a royal marriage. A royal marriage. She would be a princess by proxy. It was a dream come true.

For the years between Prince Aegon's first and second marriages, Aemma endeavored to develop herself into a suitable wife, one of whom Baelor could be proud. To herself, she vowed that she would not be a burden to him. And so - in the peace that had come with Alyssa's removal to the Stormlands - she revisited her studies with renewed vigor, learning what she could of politicking and the houses of the realm. She began to request attendance at her mother's diplomatic affairs, and approached nobility and staff alike at home when they hosted and abroad when she could (such as her attendance at the Silver Wedding), to expand her social network, practice communication, and foster a more wholesome worldly understanding.

From the Nest (432 AC - 435 AC)
In the year of 432 AC, the betrothal between Aemma and Prince Baelor would come due and the two would be wed upon the Fourth Moon of that year. To Aemma's initial surprise and disappointment as her imagination had conjured images of the royal weddings she had recently witnessed at the capitol, it was a modest ceremony before the Gates of the Moon within view of Alyssa's tears. These thoughts quickly faded from her mind as she found herself standing before her Prince, however, and nothing that day could possibly mar her joy; not even Alyssa's venomous remarks. Following the celebrations, the pair would depart the Vale together and move to King's Landing to be with the rest of Baelor's kin.

It was a remarkably difficult feat, leaving the nest. As infatuated as she was with her new husband, Aemma was leaving behind everything familiar. Alesander, Godric, her mother, and the rest… The fact that she could not be certain when - or even if - she may ever see them again troubled her greatly. She was off to spend the rest of her days in a foreign city with unfamiliar people surrounded by customs she wasn't certain she would adapt to, with responsibilities she couldn't even begin to hope to uphold. And all the while without those on whom she had leaned for support until now. It was deeply unsettling.

Her husband was a god-send during this time. Never had she met a knight so caring, or a man so aware of her discomfort and hesitancy. When she felt as though she were faltering, he was there to give her his arm, figuratively and actually. She had been granted a few graces to help establish familiarity in King's Landing: Ser Waymar Melcolm had accompanied her at the behest of her father as her sworn shield, she had been permitted to take her choice of steed from the stables, and Godric had gifted her a pair of falcons that had hatched from a mated pair they had selected several years ago. But those could hardly aid her in the throne room or with matrimonial duties. Whenever able, however, Prince Baelor aided her introduction into courtly life and eased her transition into wifehood. And she loved him all the more for it.

Unfortunately, he would not be able to remain with her for nearly as much as she would have liked. As it had done in the Vale, war arose during the Second Hammer Uprising and Baelor was required to take his leave and act upon his obligations as a knight and commander. Having lost Arinna in her childhood in a similar conflict, Aemma feared the worst. She tried to veil it, but her anxiety rose continuously high for the duration of his absence. All the more so when she realized herself to be carrying his child.

Not knowing who else to turn to, Aemma sought the only approachable individual she knew to have successfully weathered motherhood: Visenya. Although initially hesitant, opportunities for more intimate conversation allowed Aemma to realize just how lovely the Princess truly was. Although the Arryn scion would never dare to allow herself the audacity to think that the Silver Princess might call her "friend", she certainly began to accept the reverse. Gradually, Visenya began to fill the void once left by Arinna as the elder sister Aemma had long-since lost.

In the twelfth moon of 433 AC, Aemma successfully gave birth to a squalling baby boy. Relieve had washed over her in a wave of unexpected emotion when she realized that she had completed her duty to bear him an heir. As Prince Baelor could not be there to offer his own input, she took it upon herself to name their newborn son after the man her mother had so admired. If they could be so lucky, Baby Jacaerys would grow to be just as intelligent, driven, and altruistic an individual as his name-sake. To do so, however, Aemma would have to raise him properly. She was determined to be involved heavily in his growth and development while she was able. With the advice and support of her more experienced cousin and the royal Maester, Aemma performed the majority of his care herself, joined later by Baelor in the early months of 434 AC  upon his return from war. For a year thereafter, the three found a routine of peace.

Upon Dark Wings (435 AC - 438 AC)
It would be in 435 AC that a shift would occur within the inner court of King's Landing; the appointment of Aerys Velaryon as King Aegon VII's Hand left a vacancy within the Small Council. As Prince Baelor had begun to form a reputation as a justly figure and capable individual from his actions during The Bleeding, Aerys Velaryon himself would vouch for Baelor's integrity and ability to replace him as Master of Laws. Over the next several months, Aemma's husband poured much of his time becoming familiar with its duties, and organizing the Goldcloaks.

Her husband's scarcity was not the only loss Aemma would have to endure that year. Far from it. Following the Gulltown Massacre, Aemma received word not only of her mother's death in the conflict, but the untimely death of both her father and her brother's wife. In a matter of moments, the stability of her world had been shattered and a crushing anxiety swept over her. Godric had ever been the most reclusive of her siblings, but he had come into his own and found happiness with his wife. Aemma feared this sequence of familial losses could push him to follow in their father's footsteps and into the maw of the moon door. After presenting her plea to her husband, Prince Baelor would grant his permission for Aemma to take leave of King's Landing with Jacaerys to return to the Vale - hoping to alleviate some of the pain her kin and herself were feeling from both the loss of Osric, Saera, and Lysa.

Upon her arrival, Aemma found that Godric had ensconced himself within the keep at the Gates of the Moon. Letters and visitors to Godric were met with the steely faced expression of his Winged Knights, but even they could not sway Aemma's insistence to see her kin, and in fact, many of his knights welcomed her arrival, recognizing the connection the two siblings shared and hoping she could aid to soothe his melancholy. And so it was that she spent the winter with him in relative isolation, often with neither saying anything to the other, both reading or caring for their falcons as they did years past. Godric's grief made him unable to verbalize his affection, but Aemma knew by his disposition.

While Aemma sequestered herself in the Vale, Baelor would occasionally take the time form his duties cementing himself as Master of Laws to take a few days - and the occasional week - to visit his wife and child. A period of mourning and reminiscence during one such visit led Aemma to share how Saera used to take her children - Aemma and her siblings - to the top of the frozen Eyrie in the midst of winter to gaze down upon the frozen valley.

After one such trip and having returned to King's Landing for a time, a letter brought by raven would reveal to him that his wife found herself with his child once more. In hearing this, Baelor's ventures to the Vale acquired much more frequency as her due date grow nearer - ultimately settling himself in to stay by her eighth month of the pregnancy. Wanting to share that moment, to talk about her mother - Baelor's aunt - and to witness that view again, the two would take wing with Aegorax. In two moons' time, Aemma would send a raven to King's Landing to inform her husband that she had found herself with child once more.

Still committed to ensuring her brother's comfort and easing his and her family's transition through grief, Aemma carried the pregnancy throughout her stay there. Baelor's ventures to the Vale increased in frequency, ultimately settling himself in to stay as she approached the end of her term. Giving birth to a beautiful baby girl in the early moons of 436 AC. Following the delivery, Godric would briefly display a moment that could only be described as clarity - a former look at his old self prior to his own loss. The infant's birth seemed to bring Godric out from his shell, and Aemma's surprise could not have been any greater when he suggested that they name her Saera. For the following week, Godric was more engaging and outwardly social than he had been for months. He seemed happy.

This elation was short lived, however, and as suddenly as he had made an appearance amidst the rest of the household, he shut himself away again. Only this time, he denied even Aemma entrance. It was also at this time that Visenya visited the Gates of the Moon to pay her respects to the fallen family. By her suggestion, and by Baelor's insistence, Aemma would take her leave from the Vale with the two royals as soon as the babe was deemed fit for travel.

There, in King's Landing, Aemma has resided ever since, torn between her loyalty to her family and staying true to her Arryn roots, and to her role as wife and mother in the capitol and bearing the burden of a royal image. Following her departure from the Vale, she has written to Godric and her family every moon, but the replies - when they come - have been curt at best. Troubled by the uncertainty of her familial standing, and determined to play her part for the people as her husband did his, Aemma has spent the past years immersing herself in the health of the city through the establishment of small hospitals, implementation of standardized education for healers, and cultivation of hygiene practices throughout the metropolis.

Recent Events

 * Heavily burdened with child once more, Aemma travels with her husband to Oldtown to observe the union of Arthur Hightower and her sister-by-law, Naerys Targaryen.
 * 11th Moon, 428 AC - Aemma gives birth to a healthy baby girl. She and Baelor name the infant Alysanne, though she goes on to be referred to as "Little Alys" more often than not.
 * Recent news of the king's northern demise and the grand council called as a result has spurred Aemma to consider the possible implications for the realm, and to ensure the safety of her children.

Family

 * Alaric Arryn, Lord of the Eyrie and Defender of the Vale, b. 364 AC d. 407AC
 * m. Theodosia Belmore b. 365 d. 402AC
 * Osric Arryn, Lord of the Eyrie and Defender of the Vale b. 382AC d. 435 AC
 * m. Rowena Waynwood b. 382 AC d. 407AC
 * Arwen Arryn b. 400 AC
 * m. Donnel Redfort b. 398 AC
 * House Redfort
 * m. Saera Targaryen b. 381 AC d. 435 AC
 * Arinna Arryn b. 409 AC d. 420 AC
 * Godric Arryn, Lord of the Eyrie and Defender of the Vale b. 410 AC
 * m. Lysa Templeton b. 413 d. 436 AC
 * Sharra Arryn b. 413 AC
 * m. Robar Baratheon b. 413 AC
 * Aemma Arryn b. 415 AC
 * m. Baelor Targaryen b. 415 AC
 * Jacaerys Targaryen b. 433 AC
 * Saera Targaryen b. 436 AC
 * Alysanne Targaryen b. 438 AC
 * Jon Arryn b. 417AC
 * Alyssa Arryn b. 417AC
 * Jasper Arryn b. 385AC
 * m. Katerina Hunter b. 381 AC
 * House Hunter
 * Alesander Arryn b. 386AC
 * Artys Arryn b. 387AC
 * m. Alayne Grafton b. 387 AC
 * Robert Arryn b. 410 AC
 * Jason Arryn b. 412 AC
 * Roslin Arryn b. 414 AC
 * m. Brynden Tully b. 414 AC
 * Lysa Tully b. 432 AC
 * Jocelyn Arryn b. 418 AC
 * Alys Arryn b. 389AC
 * m. Eon Stark b. 389 AC d. 419 AC
 * House Stark