#alysanne bulwer

[atopvisenyashill]

left out people who became ruling ladies due to their father and brothers all dying during the wo5k lol but shout out to all the child & spinster maiden ruling ladies. also left off heiresses, probably gonna do a separate poll for that bc a lot of them are Main Characters.

[444namesplus]

all character names used in the song of ice and fire pile

addam addison adrack adrian aegon aegor aelyx aemma aemon aemond aenar aenys aerea aerion aeron aeryn aerys aethan aethelmure aggo agnes ahai aladale aladore alan alannys alaric alarra alayaya alayne albar albett albin alchemist alekyne alerie alester alfyn alicent all allar alleras alliser allyria alton alvyn alyce alyn alys alysanne alyssa amarei amerei amory amos and andar andrey andrik andros androw anguy annara antario anya archer archon's ardrian aregelle areo argella arianne arlan armen armond aron arra arrana arrec arryk arryn arsa arstan arthur artos arwood arwyn arya arys asha ashara ashford aubrey aurane aurion axell ayrmidon azor b baelish baelon baelor balaq balerion ball balman balon banefort bar baratheon barbara barber barbrey barneby barra barre barristan barthogan bass bastards beesbury bella bellanora bellegere bellena bellonara belly ben benard benedict benfred benfrey benifer benjen benjicot bennard bennarion bennifer benton beren berena beric bernarr beron bertrand bess beth bethany bettley bharbo big billy biter black blackbar blackberry blackfyre blackshield blacktyde blackwood blade blood bloody blount blue boarkiller boisterous bolton boremund boros bors borys botley bowen boy bracken bran branda brandon brax braxton breaker brella brienne brightstone bronn broome brother brother brune brus bryan bryce bryen brynden bryndon buckler bullock bulwer bump burley burton byan byrch byron bywater c cadwyl cafferen caleotte calla captain captain's cargyll caron cassana cassel cassella caswell category catelyn catspaw cayn cedric celtigar cerelle cerenna cerissa cersei cerwyn ceryse character characters characters charlton chataya chayle chett chiggen children clarent clayton clegane clement cleos cletus cleyton clifton clydas cockshaw codd cohollo coldhands colemon colin colmar commander commander's connington corbray corlys corne correy coryanne costayne courtesan cousin cox craghorn

crake crakehall crane cregan cregard creighton cressen creylen crow culiper cuy cynthea cyrelle cyrenna d daario dacey dacks daegon daella daemion daemon daenerys daenora daenys daeron daeryssa dagmer dagon dale dalt dalton damion damon danny danos danwell dareon daring darke darklyn darlessa darnold darry daryn daughter daughter daven davos daxos dayne deana deceased deem delena demonlover denyo denys desmera desmond devan deziel dick dickon dobber donal dondarrion donel donella donnel donnis donnor dontos doran doreah dormund dorna dornishman dragons drogo drumm drunkard dryn duckfield duncan dunstable dunstan duram durran durrandon durwald dusk duskendale dusky dustin duur dyanna dykk dywen e ebrose eddara eddard eddison edgar edgerran edmund edmure edmyn edric edwell edwyle edwyn edyth eerl egen elaena elder eldred eleyna elia elinda elinor ella ellard ellaria ellyn elmar elmo elric elwood elyas elyn elys elysar emberlei emma emmett emmon emmond emory endrew erena erenford erich ermesande erren erryk essie estermont estren ethan euron ever eye eyed f falena falyse farman farring farwynd father fenn fergon flatnose flement fletcher flint florent florian florys flowers folk follard fool foote for forel fork forley foss fossoway fox franklyn free frenken frey from g gael gaemon gage galbart gardener gared gareth garibald garlan garrison garse garth gaunt gawen gendry genna gerald geremy gerion germund gerold gerrick gevin gilbert gilliane gilly gilly's glendon glover godry gold goodbrook goodbrother goode goren gormon gormond gorold gower graceford gran grance greatjon green greenbeard greenfield greenhand gregor grell grenn grey greydon greyiron greyjoy griffith grover groves guard guncer gwayne gwenys gwin gwynesse gylbert gyldayn gyles gysella h h'ghar haegon haereg haggo haggon hagon haigh hairy hake hal halder hali halleck hallis hallyne halys hammer hardy hardyng hareth harlan harlaw harlon harma harmen harmond harmund harrag harras harren harrion harrold harron harry harwin harwyn harys hawick hayford heddle helman hendry henly herndon hero herrock heward hibald high hightower hill hilmar historical hoare hoarfrost hoat hobb hobber hobert hodor hogg hoke hollard holly hop horas horgan horn

hornwood horpe horse horton horys hosman hosteen hostella hoster hot hotah hotho howard howland hubard hubert hugh hugo hullen humble humfrey hunter huntsman husband illifer illyrio ilyn imry irri iv ix j jacaerys jacelyn jack jacks jaehaerys jafer jaime jalabhar jammos janei janna janos jaqen jared jaremy jason jasper jast jax jayne jennis jenny jenye jeor jeren jeyne jhiqui jhogo jirelle joanna jocasta jocelyn joffrey johanna john jojen jommo jon jonah jonnel jonos jonothor jonquil jorah joron jorquen jory joseran joseth joss josua joy joyeuse jurene justin justman jyck k kaeth kandaq karlon karstark karyl kedge kegs kella kenning kermit kettleblack kevan kezmya kindly king king kings kingsblood kingsblood's kingsguard knight knights kurleket kyndall kyra l lad laenor lake lambert lancel langward lanna lannister larence lark larys last laswell leana leathers leek lefford lelia lem lemoncloak lenwood leo leobald leona leonella leonette leslyn lester lew lewyn lewys lharys lia lianna lickspittle lily locke lodos lollys lomys long longbough longleaf longthorpe longwaters lonmouth lonnel loraq loras lorch lord lord loren lorence lorent loreon lorimar lorimer loron lorra lothar lothor lucamore lucas luceon lucifer lucimore lucinda lucion luthor luwin lyanna lyarra lydden lyle lyman lymond lyn lynara lynora lyonce lyonel lysa lythene m mace mad maege maegelle maegon maegor maekar maelor maelys maester maia maid maldon malegorn malleon mallery mallister mallor man mance manderly mandon manfred manfrey manfryd manly marbrand

margaery margaret marghaz margot mariah marillion maris mariya mark marla marlon marna maron marq marqelo marsella marsh martell martyn maryam masha maslyn massey matarys mathis matthar mattheus matthew maz meadows medgar medrick medwick meera megga meha melantha melara meldred melesa melessa melisandre melissa mellario melony melwyn merianne meribald merlon merlyn mern merrell merrett merryweather mervyn meryn mikken milk mina minisa mirri mo mohor mollander mollen monarchs moon moore mooton mopatis mord mordane moreo morgan morgarth morgon mormont moro morrec morrigen morros mors morya moryn mott mounts mullendore mullin mully munda murenmure musgood mya mycah mychel myles myr myranda myrcella myre myriame myrielle mysaria n naerys naggle naharis nan narha night's norbert norcross norjen norman normund norne norren norrey norridge norvos notch noye nute nymeria o o' oak oakenshield oakheart oarsman obara oberyn of old olene olenna ollidar olymer olyvar olyver omer ondrew orbert orkwood ormond ormund orryn orton orys osbert oscar osfryd osha osmund osney osric oswald oswell oswyck oswyn othell otherys othgar otho othor ottyn owen oznak p paege pahl palehair patchface pate pater patrek paul paxter payne peake penny pennytree penrose perceon peremore perianne perkin perra perriane perwyn petyr philip pie piper plummer podrick polliver poole porther pov praed pree prentys prester preston prince

princes promised prudence prunella pryor puckens pyat pycelle pyg pyke pypar q qalen qarl qarlton qhored qhorin qhorwyn qorgyle qotho quaithe quaro queen quellon quenten quentin quenton quentyn quincy qyburn qyle r ragged rakharo ralf rambton ramsay randyll rast raven ravos raya rayder raylon raymont raymun raymund raynald raynard reach red redbeard redfort redpool redwyne reed reference regenard regis regnar renfred renly rennifer reynard reyne reysen rhae rhaegal rhaegar rhaegel rhaella rhaelle rhaenyra rhalla rhea rhogoro ricasso richard rickard rickon rivers rob robar robard robb robert robett robin robyn roderick rodrik rodwell roger rogers rognar rohanne roland rolder rollam rolland rolley rolly rolph romny ronel ronnal ronnel roone roose roote rorge roryn rosamund rosby rose rosey roslin rowan roxton roy royce rufus rupert rus russell ruttiger ryam rycherd ryella ryger ryk rykker rylene ryman rymolf rymond ryswell s saan sabitha salladhor sallei saltcliffe samantha samgood samwell sand sandor sansa santagar sara saranella sargon sarra sarsfield sarya satin sawane scales scarb seastar seaworth sebaston selmond selmy selwyn selyse senelle septon serena serra serry serwyn sevenstreams shadrich shae shaena shagwell sharp she shella shepherd shett shiera shierle shireen shirei shortear shrike shrykos sigfry sigfryd sigorn simon sister sisterton skahaz skinchangers sloane slynt small smallwood smike smiling snow son son soulless sour sparr spicer spotted squire stackspear stafford

stallion stannis stark starvling staunton steffarion steffon stevron stillwood stiv stokeworth stone stonehouse stonetree storm stout strickland strong suggs sumner sunglass surly swann sweet swyft sybell sylas sylvenna sylwa symond syrio t taena tagaros talbert tall talla tallhart tally tanda tanner tarbeck targaryen tarle tarly tarth tawney templeton teora ternesio terys tess that the the theo theodore theomore theon thoren thorne thoros three timeon timotty tion titus tobho todder todric togarion tollett tom tomard tommen torghen torgon torrhen torwyn torwynd tower towers toyne trant tree tregar tristifer triston trystane tully tumitis turnberry turnip tyana tybolt tyene tygett tyler tyrek tyrell tyrion tyrion's tysane tysha tyta tytos tywald tywin u ulf uller umber umfred umma urragon urras urrathon urrigon urron urswyck uther utherydes uthor utt v vaegon vaellyn valaena valerion valiant vance varamyr vardis vargo varly varys vayon velaryon veron vickon victaria victarion victor vikary vines visenya viserra viserys volmark vorian vortimer votyris w waif walda walder walderan waldon walgrave wallace wallen walter walton waltyr walys was waters watt waymar wayn waynwood weaver webber weeper wendamyr wendel westerlands westerling westling wex whalen whent white whittlestick who wick wife wildling will willamen willas willem william willis willow wind wineseller winterfell wode wolves woman woodcock woolfield world woth wulfgar wull wyl wylde wylis wylla wyman wynafrei wynafryd wynch wynton wythers x xaro xho xhoan y yandry yarwyck yew ygon ygritte yohn yorbert yoren yorko youngest yronwood ysabel ysilla z zo zollo

[behindfairytales]

ASOIAF moodboards (au)

Durran Bulwer Younger brother of Jon Bulwer. Quite different from his brother, he travelled the world until Jon got sick. Thinking he was dying, he found comfort in his sister-in-law's, Victaria Tyrell, arms and bed. But Jon got better and Victaria got pregnant so he flew to Essos, renting his skills to the Golden Company. He grew important inside the Company, but Jon got sick again, and died this time, leaving him no choice but to come home to his true love and his new Lord, Alysanne Bulwer, his real daughter. Now that he's home, he wants to make House Bulwer an important place of the Reach.

for @housesofdracarys

[westaeros]

MUSE LIST (AS OF AUGUST 30TH, 2023) :

Aemma Arryn

Alysanne Bulwer

Cersei Lannister

Elspeth Buckwell ( OC )

Jeyne Westerling

Joanna Baratheon ( OC )

Lyanna Stark

Myrielle Baratheon ( child of Tommen OC )

Tybalt Baratheon ( child of Tommen OC )

[cubcrowned]

The fact that Tommen seems to be the only child his age in the Red Keep is so fascinating to me. Because, if we look at history in our world, royal children would have companions to share their lessons and keep them company. But it seems, in AFFC at least, that Tommen has no companions. Except maybe Pate, but since Pate is a whipping boy, that’s inherently a different dynamic —- Pate is physically punished when Tommen misbehaves (or “misbehaves” by way of defying/disagreeing with his mother), and so there’s always an unspoken sense of… not distance, but Disparity between them. Additionally, Pate was Joffrey’s whipping boy before he was Tommen’s, which implies that he’s closer to Joffrey’s age than Tommen’s. In AGOT, Bran was supposed to be a companion for the princes, but that was obviously made impossible when Bran had an unfortunate incident with a window. In AFFC, Cersei and her lady/companion/lover(?), Taena Merryweather, discuss the idea of bringing Taena’s son, Russell, to court to be Tommen’s companion. But as of the end of the book, that hasn’t happened yet.

The only named character who is noted to be close to Tommen’s age is Alysanne Bulwer. And even then, Alysanne is one of Margaery’s ladies, so she is at court to serve Margaery, and Margaery would be her priority/the focus of her loyalty (meaning that if there was a rift between the Tyrell faction and the Lannister-Baratheon faction, Alysanne would of course be on the Tyrell side, as a Tyrell bannerman). So Tommen, functionally, is very isolated, and surrounded by people older than him, who are mostly trying to manipulate him to their own ends.

[she-wolf-of-highgarden]

A Game of a Different Sort (3109 words) by Shewolf_of_highgarden Chapters: 1/? Fandom: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Major Character Death, Underage Relationships: Catelyn Tully Stark/Ned Stark, Joffrey Baratheon/Margaery Tyrell, Tommen Baratheon/Sansa Stark (marriage), Arya Stark/Willas Tyrell, Sansa Stark & Margaery Tyrell, Cersei Lannister/Jaime Lannister, Podrick Payne/Sansa Stark, Wynafryd Manderly/Robb Stark, Women & Other Women, Alysanne Bulwer & Arya Stark, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added

Additional Tags: Game of thrones happens later AU, No Magic AU, political Starks, Character Death, most of the Starks are south, The author has been watching too many Starz period pieces, Older Man/Younger Woman, Older Woman/Younger Man, women as their own political sphere, usual asoiaf warnings, Other Additional Tags to Be Added

Summary: The King is dead and his Hand sits in the Black Cell for treason. The game of thrones begins again, but the board has changed and the pieces moved.   or another song is sung, but the Stark children are older.

Almost all of Ned and Catelyn’s children are grown when Ned is beheaded and the war of the kings start. Somehow this does not make things any less complicated. 

AU Where the War of the Five Kings happens, but everyone is older 

[asongofsilks]

ASOIAF FANCASTING --> EVERY NAMED FEMALE CHARACTER ABOVE THE AGE OF FIVE, PART IV

Alys Stackspear (c. 230-244 AC): A noblewoman of the Westerlands. She was the first wife of Jason Lannister, younger brother of Lord Tytos Lannister, who became the father of Joanna Lannister. Fancast: Lena Headey.

Alys Stark (b. approx. 134 AC): The second daughter of Cregan Stark, Lord of Winterfell, and his second wife Alysanne Blackwood. Fancast: Alison Brie.

Alys Turnberry (b. 67 AC): Lady companion to Princess Saera Targaryen, who was the daughter of King Jaehaerys I and Good Queen Alysanne. She was involved in the sex scandal which estranged Saera from her family and gave birth to a bastard daughter before being married off. Fancast: Jessie Cave.

Alysane Mormont (b. approx. 275 AC): The second daughter of Lady Maege Mormont of Bear Island. Currently guarding Asha Greyjoy at the winter camp of Stannis Baratheon. Fancast: Rumer Willis.

Alysanne Blackwood (b. 113 AC): Lady of House Blackwood, the aunt of Lord Benjicot Blackwood. She fought alongside him during the Dance of the Dragons. She became the second wife of Lord Cregan Stark of Winterfell and bore him four daughters. Fancast: Blanca Padilla.

Alysanne Bracken (main series era): Fifth and youngest daughter of Lord Jonos Bracken of Stone Hedge. Fancast: Tatiana Papamoschou.

Alysanne Bulwer (b. 291 AC): Lady of Blackcrown and Head of House Bulwer. She is a distant cousin of Queen Margaery through her mother, Victaria Tyrell, and accompanies Margaery to King's Landing in her retinue. Fancast: Georgie Henley.

Alysanne Farman (d. approx. 210 AC): First wife of Gerold Lannister, who later became Lord of Casterly Rock after the suspicious deaths of his older brother and baby niece. Fancast: Lily James.

Alysanne Hightower (main series era): Fifth daughter of Lord Leyton Hightower and wife of Lord Ambrose. Fancast: Scarlett Sperduto.

Alysanne Lefford (main series era): Becomes the Lady of the Golden Tooth after the death of Lord Leo Lefford. Fancast: Anna Maxwell Martin.

Alysanne Osgrey (c. 190-210 AC): Daughter of Ser Eustace Osgrey, who supported Daemon Blackfyre during the First Blackfyre Rebellion. She was taken as a hostage to King's Landing after the failed rebellion and became a silent sister before dying in the Great Spring Sickness. Fancast: Nikki Hahn.

Previous

[wpmorse]

"OH, I'M A MAID, AND I'M PURE AND FAIR! I'LL NEVER DANCE WITH A HAIRYBEAR! ABEAR! ABEAR! I'LL NEVER DANCE WITH A HAIRYBEAR!" Sansa pg 88

Margery and Olenna have some plotting to do with Sansa out earshot and to make sure these things stay out of earshot they have their fool Butterbumps perform the Bear and the Maiden fair, loudly,

Butterbumps is becoming one of my favorite tertiary characters. Based on the talents he displays in this chapter, he's the smartest fool in the selling. According to my personal headcanon, he may be the Queen of Thorns’ agent.

[westerosiladies]

House of Minor Ladies Week

Day 6 - The Reach or Islanders: Margaery's ladies in waiting

[asongoficeandfiresource]

Margaery Tyrell’s Female Attendants: “Two of her ladies share her bed, different ones every night. Two others bring her breakfast and help her dress. She prays with her septa, reads with her cousin Elinor, sings with her cousin Alla, sews with her cousin Megga. When she's not off hawking with Janna Fossoway and Merry Crane, she's playing come-into-my-castle with that little Bulwer girl. She never goes riding but she takes a tail, four or five companions and a dozen guards at least.” -- A Feast For Crows

[dragonmartellstark]

Women of House Tyrell (Ladies of Highgarden, daughters, distant relatives and their daughters)

[disregardcanon]

Oh! Just to add to the High Garden head canon, Alysanne Bulwer would probably run about and pick flowers with Arya. Sansa says in one of her chapters that Alysanne reminded her of Arya.

this is a fantastic addition. i always love the idea of arya having friends who are girls because she was always made to feel so inadequate with the girls at winterfell 

[joannalannister]

I had a question about ladies in asoiaf. I recall Lady Bulwer being young and I was curious about what age it would be usual to go attend to a lady from your liege's House? Similarly around what age do you think young girls would start getting companions? Is it possible that Margaery was part of her mother's group and that when she was old enough some of the younger women went to her and the older ones are Alerie's? Or that several Targ princesses shared companions and be in large groups?

Hi @shoot-the-smiles! First, you probably already know this, but just so that everyone is on the same page when I post this: 

GRRM uses the terms lady-in-waiting and companion and lady (as in “Margaery’s ladies” etc) interchangeably. 

GRRM uses the term handmaid (sometimes shortened to maid) to refer to a position similar to what we would think of as a lady-in-waiting, but handmaids in ASOIAF often have a lower social status than the noblewoman they’re serving, and there’s an expectation of obedience. For example, Lady Rosamund Lannister is referred to as Princess Myrcella’s handmaid, because House Lannister of Lannisport is a House distinct from, and much lower in status than, House Lannister of Casterly Rock. I think the way GRRM uses the terms, handmaid and lady in waiting could be interchangeable, but I don’t think they’re perfect synonyms, if that makes sense.

Like, for example, I do not think that Rhaella would have called the Unnamed Princess of Dorne her “handmaid”; indeed, in the text, the noblewomen around Rhaella are referred to as her “ladies” or “companions,” reflecting their similar social status.

(Also, a maid may simply be referring to a maiden. Also, handmaids may or may not be virgins.) 

Ok, now that we have the vocab down,

I was curious about what age it would be usual to go attend to a lady from your liege’s House?

Alysanne Bulwer was 8 years old when we first see her as Margaery’s lady-in-waiting, but we don’t know exactly when she entered Margaery’s service. Catelyn makes no mention of any ladies around Margaery in ACOK, but I’m not sure that means anything, considering how absent-minded GRRM is when it comes to ladies-in-waiting. 

A girl or woman serving as a lady-in-waiting is a way to forge alliances between Houses, similar to the way that boys serve as pages, cupbearers, squires, or wards, which usually happens around age 6-8. 

(This is probably not the example anyone else thinks of but, for example, Kevan Lannister because a page at Castamere at age ~8. And Tywin of course became Aegon V’s cupbearer at 10. Ned Stark was fostered at age 7. And for a more recent example, Edric Dayne became a page to Beric Dondarrion at age 7. Jon Arryn was making plans to foster Robert Arryn when Robert was 6 or so.)

(See also: @asoiafuniversity‘s tags for #fostering and #squires, or @nobodysuspectsthebutterfly‘s tags for #wards and #cupearers) 

So anyways, I think it would be safe to assume that girls may (may!!) start serving as ladies in waiting as early as ~7 years old. But that’s definitely on the young side. For example, Joanna Lannister was around 13 years old when she became Rhaella’s companion. In contrast, the Unnamed Princess of Dorne was in her 20s or 30s when she became Rhaella’s companion. 

So there’s a lot of variation. Like, if you’re a 35 year old married woman, I doubt you want a whole lot of 10 year olds as your attendants. Maybe one 10yo, fine, but you also want older women to actually be your companions. So I think it just depends on who the lady is who’s getting the attendants, what the political climate is, etc. It would be a case by case basis. 

I suppose the usual age to first become a lady-in-waiting in ASOIAF is anywhere from 8 to 16, but I’d argue that the age distribution is skewed to the left. That’s just a rough guess, though. (FYI, in real life, the minimum age to become a lady in waiting was usually at least 16, and often older. Love that ~~historical accuracy~~, @ GRRM!!)

Similarly around what age do you think young girls would start getting companions?

Cersei recalls getting her first ladies after The Incident when Joanna separated Cersei and Jaime: 

Though Cersei often slept alone, she had never liked it. Her oldest memories were of sharing a bed with Jaime, when they had still been so young that no one could tell the two of them apart. Later, after they were separated, she’d had a string of bedmaids and companions, most of them girls of an age with her, the daughters of her father’s household knights and bannermen.

So Cersei started having companions when she was about seven or eight, and her companions were around the same age as she was. When Cersei was 10, her companion Melara was about 11, and Jeyne Farman was younger. Also, I think this is worth noting here, Jeyne Farman may have been taken to Casterly Rock as a hostage against the rebellious Lord Farman. So hostages are another factor in determining companions. 

Sansa, who is eleven in AGOT, had Jeyne Poole and Beth Cassel (who is about 8 or 9 in AGOT) as companions, although neither seem to have been Official Ladies In Waiting, because GRRM is careless like that. They seem to have been friends for a while. Also, these relationships aren’t really about strengthening alliances, as we see in the South; it’s more that these girls were all living in the same castle together and just became friends. 

Arya, who is nine in AGOT, doesn’t seem to have highborn female companions at Winterfell, but this may be related to Arya not fitting into the role expected of her and (again) GRRM’s carelessness. Alternatively, perhaps the adults at Winterfell had hoped that Arya and Beth would become friends, but it just didn’t work out that way. The AWOIAF app suggests something maybe along those lines: “Though closer to Arya in age, she [Beth Cassel] tends to hover amidst Sansa’s more glamorous retinue.” 

Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen was about eight years old when the two daughters of Lyonel Strong because her “handmaids” in 105AC. 

So I think it’s safe to assume highborn girls tend to get companions somewhere around 7 to 10 years old, and probably on the younger side of this age bracket. 

In fanfiction I’ve written, I went with 7 years old as the age to start getting companions. However, keep in mind, I’m writing about southron courts (specifically, Casterly Rock and King’s Landing) in fic, and most of the strong courtly tradition GRRM has in the books is in southron courts. The North looks down on the pomp and glitz of the South, and there may (may!! possibly!!) not be as strong a tendency to have ladies-in-waiting, although we have so little information here that’s it’s hard to say. It would be really nice if GRRM would ever release the D&E story about the she-wolves of Winterfell but anyways. If you’re more interested in the North than the South, keep in mind that it’s less formal and less structured. Also, I’m sure the political climate at the time plays a part in girls getting companions or not, so keep that in mind. 

Is it possible that Margaery was part of her mother’s group

We have very little information, so I may be wrong, but I personally don’t think there’s a strong tradition in ASOIAF of a daughter acting as her mother’s lady-in-waiting. In real life, mothers were more interested in “placing” their noble daughters in an advantageous position in someone else’s household. Young women “would be sent to the household of a family of equal or higher rank to their own, where they would act as attendants on the mistress of the house, and learn her role” [x]. Often the girl/woman who is serving as a lady in waiting is going to marry someone in her foster household. For example, Melara Hetherspoon had dreams of marrying Jaime one day (so Cersei killed her); I’m not sure these dreams were realistic considering Tywin, but Lord Hetherspoon may have been overly ambitious. 

and that when she was old enough some of the younger women went to her and the older ones are Alerie’s?

It doesn’t work like that in ASOIAF. GRRM has said that a noblewoman’s ladies may vary significantly in age, where some may be much younger than the woman they are in service to, while others may be much older. 

I think something to keep in mind is that GRRM really simplified court life. In the same way that he doesn’t have a whole lot of titles like Duke and Count and Marquis in ASOIAF, his system of ladies-in-waiting doesn’t have a lot of structure and definition, and a lot of it seems informal. (In real life, there were all these titles and Rules for ladies in waiting. GRRM doesn’t even have gentlemen of the bedchamber in ASOIAF as a formal male counterpart for ladies-in-waiting.) 

So I think the way it worked with Margaery is that, as a very young child, she was ~unattached~ so to speak, and she would play with her brothers and any visiting cousins, and she would observe her mother with her own ladies. And then when Margaery turned six or seven or eight, thereabouts, Mace and Alerie invited various ladies to become Marg’s attendants.

Or that several Targ princesses shared companions and be in large groups?

Possibly. In the days when there were lots of Targaryens, there may have been large groups of shared companions. As I said, GRRM’s concept of ladies in waiting isn’t well defined and structured, so they may have all been thrown together. For example, after the first Blackfyre Rebellion, when men like Eustace Osgrey had to surrender their young daughters as hostages,

“I bought my head back with my daughter’s life. Alysanne [Osgrey] was seven when they took her off to King’s Landing and twenty when she died, a silent sister. I went to King’s Landing once to see her, and she would not even speak to me, her own father. A king’s mercy is a poisoned gift. Daeron Targaryen left me life, but took my pride and dreams and honor.“ 

Before she became a silent sister, Alysanne Osgrey may have been a companion to a Targaryen princess, although that honor may have been reserved only for those of higher rank. But the way Alysanne turns away from her father so completely … that suggested to me an anger at not only Eustace but also at his cause, his dead Rebellion, and I felt like she would get that - that disgust for Daemon’s supporters, from living within a staunchly pro-Daeron household ie a Targ household. 

So anyways, there may have been a lot of “””“companions”””” at certain points in Targ history and there could have been large groups.   

As another example … well, whenever we get the last D&E story, I’m very curious about learning more about Aegon V’s family, his sisters Rhae and Daella that GRRM won’t tell us about, whether Duncan the Small had any children, etc. Because I think young Princess Rhaella had various companions who were her cousins, second-cousins, etc, and all these girls/women – all her friends / relatives – died at Summerhall, and that’s one of the reasons you get girls like Joanna invited to be one of Rhaella’s ladies. (This is My Theory™ about Joanna, but there’s more to it than that.) 

(One day I should write out all of my theories about Rhaella’s companions.) 

(I am so eager to see all the death and devastation after Summerhall, I wanna see a young Gerold Hightower as the last Kingsguard left standing, I wanna see Jaehaerys II’s face, but mostly I wanna see all these people rising phoenix-like from the ashes, it’s gonna be great.) 

I think the idea of sharing companions might be more for younger princesses tho? As Targ ladies get older, I don’t think you really want to share, because you’re competing for status and influence. 

I hope that helps! I recommend you check out this post where I go into a lot of detail about background info about ladies in waiting in ASOIAF. I also have a tag for #ladies in waiting, if you want more. 

[westaeros]

MUSE LIST (AS OF SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2024) :

Aemma Arryn

Alysanne Bulwer

Cersei Lannister

Daella Targaryen ( OC )

Daenaera Velaryon ( possible canon divergence )

Elspeth Buckwell ( OC )

Jeyne Westerling

Joanna Baratheon ( OC )

Lyanna Stark

Myrielle Baratheon ( child of Tommen OC )

Tybalt Baratheon ( child of Tommen OC )

[cubcrowned]

So, as of right now, in my nebulous “canon future” AU, Tommen and Margaery’s marriage ends at some point in the future, either by Margaery’s death or (more hopefully, imo) an annulment on the grounds of non-consummation. Tommen eventually remarries to Alysanne Bulwer, who is Lady of Blackcrown in her own right. As of now, in my headcanon, they have two children, Tybalt and Myrielle.

[aliadayne]

ASOIAF: The Book of the City of Ladies

Ruling ladies in the time of the War of the Five Kings 10/18

Alysanne Bulwer, Lady of Blackcrown.

Daughter of Lord Jon Bulwer and Lady Victaria Tyrell, a distant cousin of Lord Mace Tyrell. She succeeded her father as the head of her house at an early age, after he died of a sickness. With only 8 years old, Alysanne arrives at King's Landing as a lady attendant of Margaery Tyrell.

"Butterbumps arrived before the food, dressed in a jester's suit of green and yellow feathers with a floppy coxcomb. An immense round fat man, as big as three Moon Boys, he came cartwheeling into the hall, vaulted onto the table, and laid a gigantic egg right in front of Sansa. "Break it, my lady," he commanded. When she did, a dozen yellow chicks escaped and began running in all directions. "Catch them!" Butterbumps exclaimed. Little Lady Bulwer snagged one and handed it to him, whereby he tilted back his head, popped it into his huge rubbery mouth, and seemed to swallow it whole. When he belched, tiny yellow feathers flew out his nose. Lady Bulwer began to wail in distress, but her tears turned into a sudden squeal of delight when the chick came squirming out of the sleeve of her gown and ran down her arm."

A Storm of Swords. Sansa I.