Visaera Blackwood

Visaera Blackwood is the youngest child of the late Lord Symond Frey and Lady Cassana Vance. She is the youngest sister of the late Jeyne Frey. Her uncle is the current Hand of the King, Perceon Vance. She acted as a Lady-in-Waiting to Berena Tully following the death of Berena's mother, Bethany Blackwood. She is married to Ambrose Blackwood and the mother of his children.

Appearance and Character
Due to her most formative years occurring in winter, Visaera was smaller than some of her Frey ancestors as a girl. Her hair is a curly, fiery red, and her eyes are brown as is recently common in the Frey line. Visaera's wardrobe remains less opulent than her late sisters’, owing to their contrasting spirit and lifestyles. Childbearing and a stint as a mercenary has left its scar on Visaera's body, which became thicker and more curvaceous as she entered adulthood, and is scarred thoroughly by her mercenary escapades. While typically boasting a stoic nature, Visaera is undoubtedly the most short-tempered of her line and it shows easily upon her features.

Years of service to the ladies of Riverrun saw her become proficient at her duties as a girl, although Visaera has a mischievous heart. She cares little for the traditional role of women, and spent two hours practicing in the courtyard for every one spent at her lady's side. In her spare time, Visaera enjoyed sneaking and climbing around Riverrun, which saw her become quite stealthy. The loss Visaera has witnessed affects her more than she tries to let on.

The traumas of the past decade wear heavily on Visaera, though she tries to hide it. If not for her company, then her children.

Early Life
Visaera Frey was born in 393 AC, the youngest child of Lord Symond Frey and his wife, Lady Cassana Vance. Jeyne's youngest sister was placed in her mother's arms and, perhaps distracted by the chaos, none removed Jeyne from the room as her mother bled to death. Whatever anger Jeyne harbored towards the babe from that day forward, she would conceal it well. This marked Visaera's first brush with death, moments after her birth. Memories of a woman with tears down her cheeks and her lover's name on her lips would haunt Jeyne's dreams for many years, but Visaera retained no such memory. Visaera's uncle, Whalon, used Lord Symond's grief to his advantage; as his broken brother wept at night, Whalon made moves to cement his own reign. Whalon, though ruthless, was effective in recovering Frey lands from the famine. Thankfully, they barely had a reputation to keep intact. Uncle Whalon produced more than a sizable harvest- he sired a number of bastards. Symond was too buried in melancholy to reprimand his brother for his shameful actions, for a time. The baby Visaera was seldom handled by anyone save for her nursemaid. That is, until Jeyne grew older and fulfilled the motherly role in her younger siblings' lives. In 398 AC, five-year-old Visaera cries for a day when Jeyne leaves to serve Princess Visaera Targaryen following a botched plot by Uncle Whalon to marry himself to Jeyne.

Visaera witnessed the violence leading up to her father's death, noting a number of distant family and servants who vanished, including her nursemaid. Symond never invited his younger brother back to the Twins, but he was a touch too dead to stop him, and none of his children saw their uncle for what he was. Jeyne resumed her role as a motherly figure to her siblings, though her youngest sister Visaera was sent to serve Lady Bethany Blackwood in Riverrun during 400 AC.

Lady-in-Waiting
The companion of a mother she never knew, Bethany Blackwood, became Visaera's new surrogate mother. Though Visaera's quietly rebellious side began to make itself apparent around this time, it was never in the company of her Lady; she took Lady Bethany's disappointment as if it were coming from her real mother. From Lady Bethany, Visaera learned to trust, to survive courtly life, and to serve. In 401 AC, Visaera and the Tully entourage attended the wedding of her sister Jeyne to their Uncle Whalon. Hearing the news of Whalon's death on their wedding night was like honey to little Visaera's ears.

Lady Blackwood's suicide created an aura of death around Visaera that the girl never felt fully able to shake.

She took up service to Lady Bethany's daughter, Berena Tully, soon after.

While present during the events of Taming of the Lady, Visaera remained in the dark about the bastard Landon's true nature until told by Jeyne at Harrenhal in 407 AC.

Recent Events
Visaera departed Riverrun with Berena Tully in 407 AC to attend the Tourney at Harrenhal in 407 AC. She is reunited with her sisters, intending to return to the Twins following the celebration's end. After a failed betrothal to Eon Stark to secure Northern complacency, newly-betrothed Jeyne conspires to marry Visaera to Loreon Lannister. Jeyne is murdered by her betrothed, Prince Jacaerys Targaryen in 407 AC, leaving Visaera's remaining sister Elana Frey to become Lady of the Crossing.

Ambrose, Elmo, and Visaera made their way to Maidenpool where they were given passage by a charming pirate by the name of Syro. On his ship, they set sail for Myr. Along the way, Ambrose and Syro played a friendly game of spying on the other, all for good fun despite the normally dangerous nature of such a thing.

When they landed in Myr, Visaera and company quickly attached themselves to a group of sellswords, finding themselves in good hands over the course of their time with them, especially endearing themselves well to the captain, who went by the name of Valarr the Vulture. Through diligent work and cleverness, Ambrose rose through the ranks to become a prominent name in the 'Company of Vultures'. Through this Ambrose gained much experience in the machinations of war, but remained rather unskilled in combat due to his less than brilliant stature, leaving such pursuits to his friend Elmo.In the Third Moon of 413 AC, Visaera learned she was pregnant with her first child. While working for the company, her husband would often buy gifts using his pay for what he imagined the child would like- books and baubles, a small wooden sword and shield. But his joy turned to ash when the boy was born. He was already dead, and Ambrose's happiness was shattered. For awhile, he and Visaera's relationship was weak. Their relationship lacked the intimacy it once had. Visaera's cruel and capricious nature intensified.

Eventually in the Second Moon of 414 AC Valarr fell in combat working a minor job helping to secure a small village from bandit raids. The company, for a long time, became defunct as they attempted to find a new captain to lead them and get them new contracts. Ambrose was in a good position- he was a favorite of the former captain, and was well experienced in matters of war. It certainly didn't hurt that Syro, his old friend, loaned him enough dragons to bribe the dissenters. Yet it was not enough, and the once large company fractured into small groups. Ambrose renamed the company in the memory of the life he once had. And so, the Company of the Raven, sometimes known as the Raven Company, was born.

In the Seventh Moon of 414 AC, Visaera gave birth to twins, Imogen and Benjen Blackwood.

Together, they lead the Raven Company, as Ambrose dealt with financial matters, planning, and logistics, while Visaera exhorted the men on the field, driving them to do better lest they be bested by a woman.

As time went on, the Company had its ups and downs, but for once things went better than worse. In 418 AC, Ambrose's daughter Lenore would be born. His good fortune would continue onwards, ever onwards, as the company grew thanks to his good stewardship. With better contracts coming in more and more, Ambrose felt rather content. With few real reverses to speak of, the Company of the Raven was in high demand, with some saying that its reputation matched that of the Golden Company from more than a century prior.

With the birth of his second son, Damion, in 425 Ambrose looked forward to a life of luxury in Essos. That is, until he got the message that would change the direction of Ambrose's life for good. A disenfranchised branch of Blackwood under a man named Richard Blackwood invaded, casting his brother Damion out of Raventree Hall and forcing him to the Wall, after having slain much of the Blackwood line. With no other option, Ambrose got together the Company of the Raven and sailed to Westeros to claim what now rightfully belonged to him.

As time went on, the Company had its ups and downs, but for once things went better than worse. In 418 AC, Visaera's daughter Lenore would be born. With better contracts coming in more and more, Visaera felt rather content. With few real reverses to speak of, the Company of the Raven was in high demand, with some saying that its reputation matched that of the Golden Company from more than a century prior.

With the birth of his second son, Damion, in 425 Visaera and Ambrose looked forward to a life of luxury in Essos. That is, until he got the message that would change the direction of their lives for good. A disenfranchised branch of Blackwood under a man named Richard Blackwood invaded, casting his brother Damion out of Raventree Hall and forcing him to the Wall, after having slain much of the Blackwood line. With no other option, Ambrose got together the Company of the Raven and sailed to Westeros to claim what now rightfully belonged to him.

Upon arriving in Maidenpool, Ambrose immediately got his men started on a forced march to Raventree Hall, getting his men there within a week. With Visaera's sister, Elana, supplementing the Company with Frey men, they looked to outnumber Richard. Yet still, the fighting was fierce in what came to be known as the Battle for the Blackwood Vale. The fighting was fierce, with heavy casualties on both sides. However, the turning point came when Visaera and Elmo led a charge and reached Richard's position, with Visaera slaying him in personal combat, and Ambrose leading archers up onto a hill and raining arrows down on the enemy's right and putting it to rout. With these losses, the battle was over. Ambrose had won, and was the new Lord of Raventree Hall.

His reign started out tenuous, but with a firm hand Ambrose guided things back to peace and prosperity. Although he struggled over the Winter as did everyone else, House Blackwood suffered no real casualties to the cold, and would remain firm in its strength. Another daughter, Phoebe, was born in 433 AC.

Visaera served relatively silently as the Lady of Raventree Hall until word of her niece's defilement spread.

She returned to the Crossing to do her duty to her House a final time.

Family

 * Elana Frey (†), Lady of the Crossing b. 392 AC d. 438 AC
 * m. Preston Vance
 * Petyr Vance (†)
 * Cassana Vance
 * m. Lancelyn Erenford
 * Symond Frey (†), Lord of the Crossing
 * Walter Frey
 * Jeyne Frey
 * Visaera Frey, b. 393
 * m. Ambrose Blackwood
 * Bowen Blackwood (†)
 * Imogen Blackwood
 * Benjen Blackwood
 * Lenore Blackwood
 * Damion Blackwood
 * Phoebe Blackwood