   LadyEllyn Reyne | |
|---|---|
 Ellyn Reyne, as depicted by Magali Villeneuve in The World of Ice & Fire | |
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| |
| Alias | Ellyn Tarbeck[1] |
| Title | Lady of Tarbeck Hall[1] |
| Allegiances | |
| Culture | Westermen |
| Born |
~190–221 AC[2] Castamere |
| Died |
261 AC[1] Tarbeck Hall[1] |
| Father | Robert Reyne |
| Spouses |
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| Issue | |
| Books |
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Ellyn Reyne, also known as Ellyn Tarbeck, was a noblewoman of House Reyne of Castamere, who married into House Lannister and later House Tarbeck. She was the daughter of Lord Robert Reyne and the sister of Lord Roger "The Red Lion" Reyne and Ser Reynard Reyne.[1]
History
[edit]Early life
[edit]Ellyn was described as a spirited, strong-willed, hot-tempered, and ambitious woman, who dreamed of not only marrying into the wealthy House Lannister, but of also making herself the Lady of Casterly Rock.[1]
Due to House Reyne's position and wealth, Lord Robert Reyne had little trouble arranging his daughter's betrothal to his squire, Tywald Lannister, the heir of Gerold the Golden, Lord of Casterly Rock. However, Ellyn's betrothed and father were slain during the Peake Uprising in 233 AC. Ellyn, unwilling to give up her dream, seduced Tywald's younger twin brother and the new heir, Tion, persuading him to give up his betrothal to a daughter of Lord Rowan. Gerold, having witnessed how quickly Ellyn acted after the deaths of Robert and Tywald, opposed this match, but the ailing lord eventually let his son follow his heart.[1] According to a semi-canon source, this was after Tion revealed that Tywald's last words were begging him to "take care of Lady Ellyn".[3]
House Lannister
[edit]Lady Ellyn married Tion Lannister in 235 AC. With Lord Gerold Lannister twice widowed and refusing to remarry, Ellyn became the Lady of Casterly Rock in all but name. As Gerold became less involved with ruling, Ellyn became a rival of Jeyne Marbrand, the wife of the thirdborn son of Gerold, Tytos Lannister. Ellyn hosted tourneys and balls, and her splendid court was filled with musicians, artists, and mummers.[1]
Ellyn also used her new position to empower House Reyne. Her brothers Roger and Reynard were ever at her side, and Ellyn lavished them with offices, honors, and lands. She did similar with her cousins, uncles, and other kin. Lord Toad, Gerold's fool, was heard to say, "Lady Ellyn must surely be a sorceress, for she has made it rain inside the Rock all year."[1] According to a semi-canon source, when Ellyn heard the jape, she commanded that Lord Toad be whipped. As Lord Gerold was too sick to interfere, and Ser Tion was too in love to refuse his wife anything, it was done.[3]
In 236 AC, Tion perished fighting in the Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion, dying without issue. To prepare Tytos for rule, Lord Gerold became involved in the affairs of the westerlands again. Due to the Widow's Law, Ellyn remained at the Rock, but her influence declined in favor of Tytos's wife, Jeyne.[1] According to a semi-canon source, Lord Toad rejoiced that the "Reign of the Reynes" was over.[3] Per that same source, Lady Ellyn made an attempt to cling to her position, claiming to be pregnant by her late husband, but as months passed, she was seen to be a liar. Lord Toad was merciless in his mockery of Ellyn, angering Roger Reyne,[3] who soon departed Casterly Rock for Castamere, accompanied by his brother and many of the other Reynes.[1]
Ellyn was no longer allowed access to the Lannister gold, nor called to council, nor included in decisions and deliberations, and though Lord Gerold permitted her to attend when he held court, she was not allowed to speak. Knights no longer begged tokens of her favor at tourneys, jewelers and dressmakers no longer lavished her with gifts in hopes of her patronage, petitioners no longer came to ask her to intercede for them before the court. The singers who had once vied with one another to praise her face and form, instead sang of the beauty of Tytos's wife Jeyne.[3]
House Tarbeck
[edit]According to Beldon, the maester at Casterly Rock, Ellyn unsuccessfully attempted to bed Tytos in 239 AC, urging him to set aside his wife and marry her instead. However, Tytos found Ellyn so intimidating that he was unable to perform, and ran to his wife to confess and beg her forgiveness. Lady Jeyne was willing to pardon her husband, but was less forgiving of Ellyn, and quickly informed Lord Gerold of the incident. Within a fortnight, Lord Gerold had Ellyn wed to the twice-widowed Walderan Tarbeck, the fifty-five-year-old Lord of Tarbeck Hall. Ellyn Reyne, now Lady Tarbeck, departed Casterly Rock with her husband, never to return.[1]
Nevertheless, the rivalry between Lady Ellyn and Lady Jeyne continued. Lord Toad called the bitter and ugly rivalry the "War of the Wombs", as they competed to provide their husbands with heirs. Though Ellyn had not had a child with Tion Lannister, she proved more fertile with Walderan Tarbeck, who had a number of sons from his previous marriages, quickly giving him two daughters and a son.[1] According to a semi-canon source, Ellyn named her children (Rohanne, born in 240 AC, Cyrelle, born in 241 AC, and Tion, born in 242 AC) deliberately to spite her former good-father. Maester Beldon said the names were "daggers aimed at Lord Gerold's heart."[3]
Lord Gerold Lannister died in 244 AC, and Tytos Lannister became the new Lord of Casterly Rock, a position he was manifestly unsuited for. Bannermen and merchants took advantage of the weak-willed Tytos, who was eager to please. The power of House Lannister waned and many other neighboring Houses grew in strength. In 252 AC,[1] Ellyn was present at the great feast in the westerlands when Tytos announced the betrothal of his daughter, Genna Lannister, to Emmon Frey. Ellyn laughed, likely because she did not find it a good match,[4] since House Frey was far below the Lannisters in power and prestige, and Tytos had agreed to marry his only daughter to the second son of Lord Walder Frey merely because he asked politely.[3]
House Reyne prospered as House Lannister declined, and so did their allies, House Tarbeck. Thanks to Lady Ellyn, the poor but ancient house had begun to flourish. Though she was still unwelcome in Casterly Rock, Lord Tytos found it difficult to refuse her brother, Roger Reyne, and House Tarbeck received large loans of Lannister gold. Ellyn used the funds to restore the crumbling Tarbeck Hall, rebuilding its curtain wall, strengthening its towers, and furnishing it to a splendor as great as any westerlands castle.[1] According to a semi-canon source, Ellyn encouraged her husband to expand the lands of House Tarbeck by buying the lands of the neighboring lesser lords and landed knights, and taking by force the holdings of those who refused to sell. (Those who lost their lands that way went to Lord Tytos for justice, but he ignored them.) Lord and Lady Tarbeck built roads, septs, and holdfasts, and brought more and more knights, archers, and men-at-arms into their service. By 255 AC, they had five hundred household knights.[3]
However, that year three landed knights who had been dispossessed by the Tarbecks presented their grievances at the Red Keep for the king's justice. King Aegon V Targaryen became angry and commanded Lord Tytos to deal with the matter before he dealt with it himself. Tytos sent his good-father, Lord Denys Marbrand, to capture Lord and Lady Tarbeck and bring them to Casterly Rock to answer for their crimes. However, Ellyn had friends within the Rock who informed her of Lord Denys's mission, and she informed her brothers. Roger Reyne led a host in attacking the Marbrand men in the night, slaying hundreds including Denys. Though calls went out for war, Ser Reynard Reyne convinced Tytos that the attack was a misunderstanding, claiming that Roger was unaware of Denys's identity and thought he was attacking outlaws. After Reynard offered apologies and a blood price to House Marbrand, Tytos pardoned Roger Reyne, and Lord and Lady Tarbeck as well.[3]
During the War of the Ninepenny Kings, Walderan Tarbeck was one of the few lords who stayed home, and became the ruler of the westerlands in all but name. And Walderan was ruled by his wife, Lady Ellyn.[3] However, the return of Lord Tytos's sons from the war in 260 AC finally heralded change. Ser Tywin Lannister, the heir of Lord Tytos, demanded that the loans owed to Casterly Rock be repaid. Walderan rode to Casterly Rock,[1] assuring Ellyn that he could intimidate Tytos into curbing his heir,[3] but was subsequently imprisoned by Tywin. Tywin expected the Tarbecks to yield, but instead the redoubtable Lady Ellyn sent forth her knights and took hostage two Lannisters of Lannisport, as well as Tytos's nephew Stafford Lannister,[1] whose sister Joanna was betrothed to Tywin.[4] Ellyn, wise enough not to come herself, let Tytos know that she would kill the Lannisters if he harmed her husband. Although Tywin advised to send Lord Tarbeck back in three pieces, Tytos was too gentle for that, and an exchange was arranged.[5] Tytos went so far as to apologize to Lord Walderan and forgive him his debts. A feast was held at Castamere, where Lannisters and Tarbecks vowed to remain each other's loyal friends "through all eternity."[1]
The Reyne-Tarbeck revolt
[edit]Ser Tywin Lannister remained determined to defeat the disloyal vassals of House Lannister. In 261 AC, less then a year after the exchange of captives, Tywin sent ravens to Castamere and Tarbeck Hall, demanding that Roger and Reynard Reyne and Lord and Lady Tarbeck present themselves at Casterly Rock "to answer for [their] crimes." As Tywin had expected, the Reynes and Tarbecks instead rose in open revolt, renouncing their fealty to Casterly Rock. Without asking permission or even informing Lord Tytos, Tywin marched against the upstart vassals, with an army of five hundred knights and three thousand men-at-arms and crossbowmen.[1]
Because the Lannisters marched on Tarbeck Hall so suddenly, Lord Walderan Tarbeck had no time to rally his banners. As such, he met the Lannister host in battle with only his household knights. A short bloody battle ensued in which the Tarbecks were butchered.[1] According to a semi-canon source, Walderan was captured alive and expected to be ransomed by Lady Ellyn, but Tywin instead executed him.[3] The heads of Walderan and his sons were impaled on spears, and led the march to Tarbeck Hall.[1]
At their approach, Lady Ellyn Tarbeck closed her gates and sent ravens to Castamere, summoning her brothers.[1] According to a semi-canon source, when Ser Kevan Lannister arrived under a peace banner demanding her surrender, she laughed at him, telling him her brothers were also lions, with claws as sharp as his.[3] Lady Ellyn expected a long siege due to the castle's rebuilt walls, but Ser Tywin had siege engines prepared in less than a day. A trebuchet was used to throw a great boulder over the walls onto Tarbeck Hall's aged keep, bringing the castle down upon Ellyn and her son, Tion.[4] Tywin's brother, Ser Tygett Lannister, later told their sister Genna that he saw Tywin give one of his rare smiles when the castle collapsed.[4] Tywin then had Tarbeck Hall put to the torch.[1]
Legacy
[edit]Lady Ellyn Reyne's words describing her brothers as lions with "claws as long and sharp as yours"[3] were attributed to the "proud lord" of the song "The Rains of Castamere",[6] written by a singer after the end of the revolt.[7]
Quotes
[edit]Take care of Lady Ellyn.[3]
—the last words of Tywald Lannister, to his brother Tion
Send back my lord and love, or these three shall answer for any harm that may come to him.[5]
—Ellyn Reyne, to Tytos Lannister
You are not the only lions in the west, ser. My brothers are coming, and their claws are just as long and sharp as yours.[3]
—Ellyn Reyne, to Kevan Lannister
When Tarbeck Hall came crashing down on Lady Ellyn, that scheming bitch, Tyg claimed [Tywin] smiled then.[4]
Family
[edit]
Behind the scenes
[edit]The first draft of The World of Ice & Fire had Tarbeck Hall's gates breached by a ram, and all those within captured or killed by the Lannisters. Per this version, Ellyn Reyne was captured with her children, and thrown from the window of the castle's tallest tower, where she was strangled to death hanging from a noose.[3] However, as this contradicts Genna Lannister's description of Tarbeck Hall crashing down upon Lady Ellyn,[4] it was corrected to the published version.
See Also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 The World of Ice & Fire, The Seven Kingdoms: The Westerlands (House Lannister Under the Dragons).
- ↑ See the Ellyn Reyne calculation.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 The World of Ice & Fire: The Westerlands (unabridged). georgerrmartin.com
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 33, Jaime V.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 44, Jaime VI.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 39, Arya VII.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 19, Tyrion III.