| Miller's wife | |
|---|---|
 The miller's wife by Amuelia | |
|
| |
| Allegiance | House Bolton |
| Culture | Northmen |
| Born | North |
| Spouse | Miller by the Weeping Water |
| Issue | Ramsay Snow |
| Book | A Dance with Dragons (mentioned) |
An unidentified miller's wife is the mother of Ramsay Snow. She owns a mill by the Weeping Water.
Appearance
She was tall and willowy, with long legs and small firm breasts. According to Roose Bolton, she was pretty, "in a common sort of way", and very healthy-looking.[1]
History
She was a young woman who married the old miller of a mill by the Weeping Water, who was twice her age. Soon after the marriage, Roose Bolton, Lord of the Dreadfort, was hunting a fox along the Weeping Water when he came upon the mill and saw the miller's wife washing clothes in the stream. The moment Roose saw her, he desired her. According to the outlawed custom of the first night, it was Roose's right to bed his vassals' new brides. As the miller had married without his lord's permission or knowledge, Roose felt he had been cheated, and had him hanged. Roose then raped the miller's wife under the tree where her husband was hanging.[1]
A year later, the miller's wife came to the Dreadfort with her infant son, Ramsay, whom she claimed was Roose's bastard. Roose considered having her whipped for her impudence, and killing her son, until he saw that the child had the same pale blue eyes as him. The woman claimed that when her dead husband's brother had seen the baby's eyes, he had beaten her and sent her away from the mill. Roose was annoyed by this, so he gave the woman possession of the mill and cut out the tongue of the old miller's brother, so that he could not relay Lord Bolton's unlawful activities to his liege lord, Rickard Stark, Lord of Winterfell.[1]
Every year, Roose sent the woman some piglets, chickens, and a bag of stars, on the understanding that she was never to tell Ramsay who his father was. However, she disobeyed him, and often told Ramsay about his rights. One day, she returned to the Dreadfort to demand that Roose provide a servant for Ramsay, who was growing up wild and unruly. Roose gave her his foul-smelling servant Reek, as a joke, but the man and Ramsay became inseparable.[1]
Ramsay stayed with his mother until Roose's legitimate son, Domeric Bolton, returned to the Dreadfort after his fostering in the Vale of Arryn with House Redfort, and Domeric came to the mill by the Weeping Water to seek out his bastard brother for companionship. After Domeric died, Roose brought Ramsay to the Dreadfort as he lacked any other heirs.[2][1]
Recent Events
A Dance With Dragons
Traveling through Barrowton, Lord Roose Bolton asks Theon Greyjoy if his bastard, Ramsay, has told him the story of his birth. Theon replies that Ramsay has said that Roose met his mother while out riding, and was "smitten by her beauty". Roose finds this description amusing, and tells Theon the true account.[1]
Quotes
This miller's marriage had been performed without my leave or knowledge. The man had cheated me. So I had him hanged, and claimed my rights beneath the tree where he was swaying. If truth be told, the wench was hardly worth the rope. The fox escaped as well, and on our way back to the Dreadfort my favorite courser came up lame, so all in all it was a dismal day.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 32, Reek III.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 16, Bran II.