Laena Longwaters

Laena Longwaters is Ser Vance Longwater's only daughter. She is sworn to Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, and serves as the senior member of her Dragonmaids.

Leal and diligent, Laena also doubles as Rhaenys' closest confidante and, occasionally, her assistant when taking care of Vhaegon.

Appearance and Character
Laena has long, black hair usually kept in a tightly bound ponytail; thin but severe eyebrows; green, downturned eyes; a medium, bulbous nose; full lips; and a lithe, almost wiry physique. Preferring mobility over optimal coverage, she wears a pixane and hauberk over leather, with steel vambraces and steel scale armour around her stomach for added protection.

The most senior Dragonmaid is stern but experimental. She is vicious in combat and curt in conversation with strangers. She frequently refers to her own "dragon heritage," and has admitted, on several occasions, to preferring the company of "dragon bloods" over others. To prove her claims, she constantly spends time

History
Laena was born in 384 AC to Ser Vance Longwaters, a career knight, and his wife, Jeyne Longwaters. Laena grew up inspired by her father's weekly bedtime stories. He would tell her of heroic knights fighting in wars and tournaments, and of valiant heroes earning nothing but praise and prestige from within the realm and beyond. In her mind, every last one of these fabled knights was her father. On her eighth nameday, however, it became quickly apparent to Laena that knights were the scum of the earth. She was to receive an especially riveting story that night from her father, as was tradition, and waited several hours for him to get home. It was her mother who arrived first, tears streaking down her eyes. He had supposedly abandoned them for better opportunities, taking her brother with him.

To survive on their own, Laena and Jeyne 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 two women 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; Laena directed what few retainers her family had kept on to escort her around the city on personal errands: visiting the Dragonpit, attending court at the Red Keep, and, amongst other things, beating up boys who pretended to be knights.

Laena first met Rhaenys when the Black Princess was just over 11 – Laena was 14. They were both at court on a particular boring day and made conversation to pass the time. A couple weeks later, they met more intimately at the Dragonpit. Rhaenys had noticed the surrounding dragons' ease around Laena, and the two struck up conversation about the superiority of their shared heritage. The moment Laena had boasted about her prowess with daggers and her increasing proficiency with spears, the Black Princess immediately declared Laena her "new best friend in King's Landing," making it Laena's "duty to teach [Rhaenys] what [she] kn[e]w" whenever Rhaenys was in town. After Rhaenys' second visit, Laena was offered a debutante's position at Dragonstone, which she took at Rhaenys' urging. The two have been inseparable since.

The first Dragonmaid was just over 18 when Rhaenys first formed the controversial group, though Laena would become something far more than a sworn shield by the time she was 20. Following the fallout between Rhaenys and her twin brother, the two women became lovers, and, for a while, remained that way. Passions that sparked during the day were often addressed at night, fiercely. "Extended" shifts became regular shifts. "Service" became a secret double entendre. But as the years went by, Laena began to chafe under the secrecy of her relationship with Rhaenys. With the threat of their own fallout approaching on the horizon, the two eventually chose to (largely) end their sexual relationship, valuing instead the continuation of their longstanding companionship.

With a bedrock of intimacy between them, Princess Rhaenys not only kept Laena on as her most senior Dragonmaid, but also turned the warrior woman into her most trusted confidante. Even the large and mercurial Vhaegon, after a hundred close calls, came to partially tolerate Laena in the Princess's presence; if there was ever a true "dragon maid," she was it. And as the group of maids grew larger, so too did her responsibilities, for she became its commander in all but name.

Laena has since trained, protected, and consoled the Black Princess, and has never left her side. The foremost Dragonmaid has also taken to practicing with her sworn sisters, honing their joint effectiveness and combat skills, though not without difficulty. Outside of training, Laena is consistently reticent towards her "sisters," as if they were nothing more than perpetual strangers. To her, they are merely upstart maids unworthy of the dragon designation, and nothing more.

407 AC

 * Laena attended the Harrenhal tourney with Princess Rhaenys

Family

 * Ser Vance Longwaters, b. 353
 * m. Jeyne Longwaters, b. 361
 * Laena Longwaters, b. 384
 * Ser Laenor Longwaters, b. 388

Household/NPCs

 * Ser Vance Longwaters
 * Lady Jeyne Longwaters
 * Ser Laenor Longwaters