Alerie Florent

Alerie Costayne Florent is the Lady Regent of Brightwater Keep. She was born a Costayne of Oldtown, and is the aunt of its current lord, Jon Costayne. She has five living daughters.

Biography
Alerie Costayne was born in 170 AC to Leo Costayne and his wife. Her father died a year later, but she grew up surrounded by older siblings, and was therefore not a lonely child. On the contrary, Alerie was talkative, energetic, and vivacious.

As the youngest daughter of House Costayne, Alerie was born into one of the most powerful and richest families in the Seven Kingdoms, a fact she was always aware of. One of her brothers went on to marry the Crown Princess, Rhaenyra Targaryen, and two of her siblings would marry Velaryons. She expected to make a similarly advantageous match, and she trained herself for that purpose. Like most highborn girls in the Reach, she learned to sing, dance, play the harp, ride, and embroider, and she did her best to excel at all of them. She also showed an aptitude for numbers which would serve her greatly later in life.

Her efforts were rewarded with a match to the young lord of Brightwater Keep, a fact she resented, as Alerie’s ambition had led her to dream of marrying a Tarly or a prince, not someone as mundane as a Florent. Disillusioned, Alerie protested and fought against the betrothal with all her strength, but was overruled. In time, they told her, she would see her elders had made the right choice for her.

So she married Erren Florent in early 188 AC; the couple was blessed with a son, Jason, later that year. Alerie would go on to have five more children with her husband, all girls: Elinor, Alyce, Helicent, Rohanne, and Victaria.

After they were married, Alerie, always accustomed to luxury, took it upon herself to oversee the construction of renovations in Brightwater Keep, as well as the refurnishing of its rooms, to better suit her tastes. She could never say that she loved her husband, but they had an amicable and respectful relationship, and the arrangement provided her with enough freedom to exert her influence over their lands and in the Reach, which pleased her greatly. Indeed, she thought, her elders had chosen well for her. In time, she told herself, she would choose well for her children too.

Over the years, she earned a reputation for being resourceful and ingenious, able to manage the projects she supervised with ease. Never one to sit still for very long, she’d also make friends with the noblemen and noblewomen of the Reach, amassing a network of informants to report what they saw and heard at every keep and castle. She would even go on to place one of her nieces by marriage in the Red Keep, as a lady-in-waiting to her goodsister, the Crown Princess Rhaenyra.

In 208 AC, Alerie's husband, her goodbrother, and her son all left to fight in the Conquest of Dorne under Bayard Tyrell's command. Her goodbrother would die there that very year, and her husband would follow in 209 AC, with her son dying as well the next year. This would leave only her son's infant son, Jasper, as the lord of Brightwater Keep.

Serving as his regent, Alerie would overcome her grief through hard work. Under her supervision, Brightwater Keep and its lands would see several improvements, including the construction of more ships and farmsteads.

Presently, she is at Harrenhal with her five daughters, eager to marry them off.

Family tree
Links to her daughter’s tree as it’s easier to see every member of the House there

Timeline
170 AC: Born to lord and lady Costayne.

188 AC: Married to Erren Florent, later that year she bears a son, Jasper.

190 AC: Her first daughter Elinor is born.

193 AC: Birth of her second eldest daughter, Alyce.

194 AC: Her daughter Helicent is born.

197 AC: Her second to last daughter, Rohanne, is born.

200 AC: Birth of her last daughter, Victaria.

208-210 AC: Conquest of Dorne; her husband, son, and goodbrother are all slain.

215 AC: Present.

Supporting characters
Elinor: Scholar. The eldest daughter, born in 190 AC (age 25). A serious young woman with a scholarly disposition. Crowned Queen of Love and Beauty once, said to have tossed the crown after the tourney was over. She resembles her mother in looks the most.

Alyce: Trader. Second eldest daughter, born in 193 AC (age 23). Haughty, arrogant, and proud. The most beautiful of the daughters, with long dark blonde hair and hooded grey-blue eyes. Rumored to have had her heart broken. Difficult, if not impossible, to impress.

Helicent: Unarchetyped. The third daughter, born in 194 AC (age 22). A friendly, vivacious girl without an ounce of malice in her heart. Innocent and trusting. Enjoys tourneys and dreams of being QoLaB.

Rohanne: Unarchetyped. An adventurous, coquettish, willful, sometimes reckless girl of eight and ten (born 197). Likes riding and vexing her mother. Inherited her father’s red hair and her mother’s comely features.

Victaria: Unarchetyped. Youngest daughter at age 15 (born in 200 AC). Mischievous, loud, and smarter than she lets on. Like Rohanne, she has red hair instead of blonde like their other sisters.

Desmera Florent: Agent. A lady-in-waiting to Crown Princess Rhaenyra. Grew up at court.

Garlan Florent: Warrior (Swords). Desmera and Gwayne’s older brother, cousin to the Florent girls. Fought in Dorne during the Conquest.

Gwayne Florent: Commander.

Ceryse Florent: Wife to Vortimer Tyrell. Alerie’s goodsister.