Belinda Rosby

Belinda Rosby was the Mistress of Whisperers and the Lady Regent of Rosby, ruling in the name of her young son from 412 AC to 425 AC. Once a bookish girl from a petty house on Crackclaw Point, Belinda became infatuated with Lord Rosby’s third son and successfully conspired to bring him to the front of the line of succession. Though she had hoped the lordship would mold her husband into a better man, he instead became more abusive and erratic, straining their already tumultuous relationship. Six years into his rule, Lord Benedict Rosby was murdered, allegedly at the hands of his eldest bastard.

Already practiced at gathering intelligence on her husband’s behalf, Belinda’s talents earned her the attention of the crown. She spent most of her time in the capital, serving as a trusted informant while also working to secure a more prosperous future for her son. She was also the proprietor of the Old Fountain Inn, a bustling tavern in the heart of King’s Landing that served as a conduit for gathering intelligence.

In the Seventh Moon of 418 AC, she succeeded Aelinor Targaryen as the Mistress of Whisperers. Though she intended to retire after her fifteenth year, Lady Rosby chose to remain on the Small Council after the outbreak of The Bleeding. At the conflict's conclusion in 435 AC, she at last ended her service to the crown. Since then, she has enjoyed a quiet retirement within the castle of Rosby.

Appearance and Character
Average in her height and size, Belinda was blessed with a beautiful face and a flattering figure, both of which have gracefully weathered the birth of six children and the passage of four decades. Naturally blue-eyed and blonde, she darkened her hair while mourning the death of her husband and has maintained a deep shade of brown ever since.

Fond of high fashion, Belinda is nevertheless adept at dressing for every occasion. In King’s Landing, she tends toward expensive gowns in vibrant colors, perfectly tailored to emphasize her most appealing features. At the court of Rosby, however, she usually sports modest garments in dark, drab colors, cultivating a somber appearance more appropriate for a widow.

As with her wardrobe, Belinda strives to equip the right face for every audience. To new acquaintances, she conveys a charming presence, counterbalancing assertive tendencies with well-delivered flattery. Should her humor cross the line between teasing and mockery, she can quickly diffuse the tension with a convincing apology and a shift to self-effacement.

Her courtiers and subjects at Rosby know Belinda as a stern and capable ruler, though not one without tact. She offers praise in public and admonishment in private, rewarding loyalty with the envy of peers while sparing the negligent from humiliation.

At an early age she distinguished herself as a quick, perceptive learner, and though she is no longer as studious as she was before, Belinda always keeps one eye open for useful information. Keenly aware of every man’s strongest desires and ugliest secrets, she appeases the former with generous favors and the latter through threats of exposure.

In the course of her lifetime, Belinda has received as much suffering as she’s given. She justifies her ruthless actions with a cynical view of the world and a genuine belief that severe measures can bring about a greater good. Though not without sympathy and compassion, only her fear of punishment from the powerful can compel her to refrain from nefarious plans.

In the Pines
Belinda Pyne was born to a petty lord in Crackclaw Point. Though proud of their ancient roots, the Pynes presided over an impoverished patch of woodlands and marshes, from which they could field little over a hundred men. Hailing from a wealthier house, Belinda’s mother was accustomed to a luxurious life and attempted to raise her children with all of the perks of civilization. To that end, she encouraged them to study intensively under their Maester and provided copious amounts of reading material. Belinda embraced her education with enthusiasm, exhibiting an exceptional aptitude for grammar, mathematics and history.

A good-natured child, Belinda’s early years included many idyllic days of outdoor wandering, during which she befriended a kindly woods witch. From the lowborn crone she learned much of herbology and medicine before her superstitious father forbid her from these lessons.

As she entered adolescence, Belinda grew out of her studious curiosity and substituted it with impulsive infatuation. To commemorate the end of the Great Famine, a small tourney was held at Crackclaw Point, and Belinda Pyne was introduced to Benedict Rosby.

The Rosbys
Davos Rosby was a kind and contented lord, more interested in writing poems and singing songs than tending to his holdings. The small town at Rosby stagnated under his idle tenure, but he was beloved nevertheless, as were his eldest two sons. Benedict Rosby, however, hardly resembled his phlegmatic father. His malevolence began in infancy when his birth ended the life of his mother.

From an early age, Benedict was a man of extremes. Intense in his emotions, he had no lack of charisma and was capable of bestowing great affection. He was intelligent and comely, too – but these qualities could only endear his acquaintances for so long. Benedict was prone to violent bouts of rage and too easily tempted by an unbridled libido. He had a habit of picking fights, not helped by his tendency to win them.

But in his adolescence, Benedict managed to reveal his virtues far more often than his flaws. For a short period, his behavior showed more promise than danger.

The attraction between Benedict Rosby and Belinda Pyne was mutual and immediate, and only grew as they became better acquainted. They shared many common interests and provided each other with the affection and admiration that they both found lacking in their lives. Before they first parted ways, they arranged to meet again in Duskendale, where the two would regularly reunite to date in discretion.

Love and Marriage
Even on the day they met, Benedict had shown Belinda hints of his inner wickedness, and these warning signs became routine after they settled into their relationship. He began to strike her in the heat of their arguments, and often goaded her into bed when she was too hesitant. Still, he could do little to shatter the illusions she’d entertained about him. Whenever Belinda threatened to end the affair, Benedict groveled desperately for her forgiveness and flattered her with grand romantic gestures, a pattern that would continue until the last days of their marriage.

Eventually, Belinda became accustomed to her lover’s aggression and abuse, and even began to fight back. The violence was no longer one-sided; every bruise he left on Belinda was repaid in kind. She had become desensitized to the venomous nature of their relationship, and remained convinced that Benedict would soon grow out of his vices. But one obstacle still stood in their way: Lord Rosby’s approval.

Though Davos was immediately fond of Belinda, he knew that a lord of his stature had nothing to gain from marrying his son to a Crackclaw girl. He had instead arranged a match with the daughter of a prominent lord in the Reach, to whom Benedict felt no attraction. The lovers, therefore, resolved to sabotage the engagement. With a few bribes and several forgeries, Belinda deceived the Reach lord into distrusting the Rosbys, and the betrothal was abruptly broken.With his best laid plans gone awry, Davos Rosby reluctantly agreed to let his youngest son take the Pyne girl’s hand in marriage. He decided that Belinda could be a positive influence on his unruly son, believing that his love for her could inspire him to change.

One week before their wedding, Benedict confessed that he had recently impregnated a common girl and would soon expect the birth of his first bastard. Belinda was livid, and threatened to abort their arrangement – but she still clinged to her belief that he would soon mature into a better man. In the middle of the year 396 AC, the two were wed in an elegant ceremony at Rosby, where they were allowed residence in their own section of the castle.

Skipping the Line
Not long before the wedding, the Seven Kingdoms had entered a six-year war with the Stepstones. While Lord Rosby’s heir, Harrold, had elected to stay home with his wife and daughter, his second son was eager to prove himself in battle. The next year, Tyler Rosby perished in battle – and as the Rosbys mourned, Belinda saw a unique opportunity.

If marriage could not tame her husband, Belinda reasoned, then the demands of lordship certainly would. Knowing that Benedict could hardly resist the allure of power, she persuaded him to partake in their most sinister scheme yet: the assassination of Harrold Rosby. A year later, the heir to Rosby was found dead in what appeared to be a hunting accident. The news devastated Davos Rosby, whose famously carefree demeanor was no longer enough to weather the loss of his first and favorite child. In a depressive spiral, he took to drinking and self-imposed solitude, effectively relegating his duties to Benedict and Belinda.

Her plan seemed to work out perfectly; for the next few years, Belinda's marriage was relatively more harmonious, with her husband taking pride in his position of authority. These years also saw the birth of their first two daughters, and though Benedict wanted a male heir, he was confident that their next child would be a son.

The Scarlet Winter
In the year 402 AC, Belinda welcomed a boy into the world, though not before winter had returned. Born premature and underweight, Justin Rosby was a sickly infant, vulnerable to the hardships brought on by the cruelest winter in living memory. Within a year, the child perished, filling his mother with grief and his father with rage. Belinda suspected that this was divine retribution for their murder of Harrold Rosby, but Benedict laid the blame solely on her. His cruelty reached an unprecedented level, and he brought his two bastard sons to court – including one he'd previously kept secret, born to a servant girl three years into his marriage. He wielded them as a reminder of his need for a trueborn heir and threatened to legitimize them both should Belinda fail to produce a son.

At an early age, the oldest bastard, Roger, proved to be his father's son. He was cruel, short-tempered, and arrogant enough to proclaim that Rosby would one day belong to him. Benedict was harsh to both of his boys – but where the beatings made Roger more aggressive, they made Robin more passive. Though she was initially inclined to despise both of the bastards, Belinda soon found Robin to be a sweet and humble child, and she showed him a bare minimum of compassion that no other Rosby would provide.

Robin Waters was not the only one at Rosby who came to favor Belinda. Embarrassed by their lord's negligence and frightened by his heir's volatility, most of the men at court began to turn to her before carrying out Benedict's commands. However, she was careful to keep her influence quiet, not wanting to appear to undermine her husband's authority.

Succession
Winter had been unkind to the aging Davos Rosby, already ill in conjunction with his depression. He died in 406 AC, formally passing his title to the son who had already wielded it in practice. Belinda no longer expected the lordship to straighten up her husband, but the consequences of his rule were worse and more immediate than she anticipated; as the new Lord Rosby, Benedict left terrible first impressions upon many of his nearest peers.

The beginning of the next year saw the birth of another Rosby daughter, and once again Benedict was infuriated. However, the outbreak of the Mummer's War was enough to divert his attention, and though House Rosby had little choice but to remain loyal to King's Landing, Benedict was fearful that the tides might turn in favor of the rebel claimants. He needed to know where the rest of the kingdom placed its allegiance, and to that end, he tasked Belinda with hastily cultivating a network of informants.

It was not lordship that made their marriage more harmonious – it was war. As they cooperated on this ambitious project, they became too busy to feud, and Belinda's travels gave her a much needed respite from Benedict's presence. To meet with her informants in secrecy, Belinda was allowed to purchase an old, dilapidated tavern in King's Landing. Her little birds did not produce any sensational discoveries, but they were at least able to assure the Rosbys that the Queen on the Iron Throne would soon emerge the victor. As the war came to a close, their information network was dismantled and Belinda was recalled from King's Landing – and yet again their marriage took a tumultuous turn.

Home to Roost
Peace had been restored to the Seven Kingdoms, but Lord Rosby felt less secure in his position than ever before. He caught on to his wife's undue influence at court and became paranoid when he began to realize how poorly he was regarded by his fellow Crownlanders. Distrustful of his peers and even more abusive toward his children, Benedict's alienation and paranoia fueled each other in a vicious cycle.

In the year 409 AC, Belinda at last produced not one but two healthy male heirs. Yet again, receiving what he'd always wanted was not enough to curb Lord Rosby's terrible impulses; he was only emboldened. He broke his promise to dismiss his bastards as soon as a legitimate son was born, and at the age of thirteen, the unruly Roger Waters began to follow in the footsteps of his lecherous father. Belinda had hoped to appease her husband's paranoia – and spend more time away from him – by assembling another network of informants in the Crownlands, but Benedict no longer trusted her to carry out such a task faithfully.

There was no love left between them, and Belinda only remained at Benedict's side for her children's sake. But she could no longer stomach their mistreatment, either, nor even that of the mild-mannered Robin Waters, who had been forced to work for long hours as a stable boy. In the year 412 AC, Belinda's eldest daughter tearfully informed her that she had been molested by her own father. It was the final nail in Benedict Rosby's coffin.

It had been fourteen years since her last murder, but Belinda knew this would only require a simple plan. Poison was poured into Lord Rosby's wine, and as he collapsed before his court, Belinda accused Roger Waters of the crime. None had any doubt that the vicious bastard would slay his own kin, and he was immediately sent to the Wall.

The Lady Regent
Benedict Rosby's funeral was a silent affair – not out of respect, but out of indifference. With the succession of his three year old son, his widow's self-appointment as the Lady Regent of Rosby went uncontested. The few who still doubted Belinda were quietly dismissed, and those who remained found their work less burdensome and more rewarding. Despite his potential claim to the castle, Robin Waters remained loyal his step-mother, eventually becoming her most diligent assistant.

The Crownlanders expected that the death of Benedict would restore sanity and stability to the court of Rosby, and Belinda immediately resolved to prove their expectations right. With the help of a new, regional information ring, the Lady Regent learned what every lord wanted to hear, and visited each to tell them just that. The reputation of House Rosby was restored, and their holdings became prosperous and tranquil once more.

Watchful Eyes
Belinda's snooping, though largely harmless, did not escape notice. In the year 415 AC, a Pentoshi man met with Lady Rosby at the Old Fountain Inn, where he revealed his knowledge of her information network – and her complicity in her husband's death. After identifying himself as Lazarynno, the Master of Whisperers, he had little trouble persuading Belinda to serve the Iron Throne under his direction. With the Pentoshi's help, her informants became more sophisticated and discrete, funneling invaluable information back to King's Landing.

The next year, Lazarynno was replaced by Aelinor Targaryen, who saw even more potential in her subordinate. The scope of Belinda's network was expanded well beyond the Crownlands, and for the first time in a century, her house proved to be more than just a good neighbor to the capital. With Rosby in the hands of her trustworthy castellan, Belinda began to spend most of her time in King's Landing, where she has been equally dedicated to the Small Council and her small child.

Recent Events
In the Seventh Moon of 418 AC, following the resignation of Aelinor Targaryen, Belinda was named the new Mistress of Whisperers.

House Rosby

 * Davos Rosby, Lord of Rosby b. 349 AC d. 406 AC
 * m. Meredyth Mallery b. 353 AC d. 380 AC
 * Marsella Rosby b. 372 AC
 * m. Rolland Stokeworth, Lord of Stokeworth b. 368 AC d. 418 AC
 * Harlan Stokeworth, Lord of Stokeworth b. 392 AC
 * Addam Stokeworth b. 394 AC
 * Bethany Stokeworth b. 396 AC
 * Harrold Rosby b. 376 AC d. 398 AC
 * m. Alysanne Farring b. 376 AC
 * Meredyth Rosby b. 393 AC
 * m. Raymun Royce b. 394 AC
 * Tyler Rosby b. 378 AC d. 397 AC
 * Benedict Rosby, Lord of Rosby b. 380 AC d. 412 AC
 * Roger Waters, Ranger of the Night's Watch b. 396 AC
 * Robin Waters b. 399 AC
 * m. Belinda Pyne b. 380 AC
 * Lyanna Rosby b. 398 AC
 * Leyla Rosby b. 400 AC
 * Justin Rosby b. 402 AC d. 403 AC
 * Lynesse Rosby b. 407 AC
 * Jon Rosby, Lord of Rosby b. 409 AC
 * Jaime Rosby, Heir to Rosby b. 409 AC

House Pyne

 * Jon Pyne b. 357 AC
 * m. Roslin Celtigar b. 358 AC
 * Anara Pyne b. 378 AC d. 413 AC
 * m. Duncan Harte, Lord of Deer's Hall b. 372 AC
 * Mabel Harte, Heir to Deer's Hall b. 397 AC
 * Belinda Pyne b. 380 AC
 * Criston Pyne b. 382 AC
 * Alerie Pyne b. 385 AC
 * m. Walys Mooton b. 384 AC
 * Children of Walys and Alerie
 * Osney Pyne b. 3##
 * Manfryd Pyne b. 372

Household

 * Gran Massey, Castellan
 * Steffon Hill, Steward
 * Morgan of Planky Town, Master-at-Arms
 * Septon Walter
 * Septa Barbrey
 * Maester Neal
 * Robin Waters, sworn sword
 * Ser Gwayne Boggs, sworn sword