Genna Harlaw is the wife of Theon Harlaw, and the second daughter of Ser Galladon Harlaw, the Knight of Grey Garden and his wife, Lady Jeyne Lannett. She is the Lady of Harlaw and the Ten Towers by virtue of her marriage, currently serving as the regent of the island while her husband attends the Small Council as the Master of Ships.

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Appearance & Character

Statuesque and elegant, Genna Harlaw carries herself with the undaunted composure and solemn dignity of a model lady, her mere presence drawing attention. Where she hails from an ancient line of Ironborn nobility, her appearance mirrors her Andal mother's, with a fair complexion, golden hair, and a pair of cerulean eyes upon her angular visage.

The beauty of her fading youth is yet preserved in her unblemished features and the willowy figure she retains even after four times of bearing children. In her early thirties, however, hardly is she mistaken for a maiden. The wisdom she had cultivated throughout the years is wielded with purpose, which lends her poise an eternal shine, and enforces reverence.

She is not oblivious to the fact that her worship of the Seven may alienate more conservative parts of the Ironborn nobility, but she is regardless comfortable where she is. Her faith, her intellectual acuity, and the highly regarded assistance she has provided to other islands during two winters and a rebellion has earned her a controversial kind of reputation.

Whilst some speak of her as a stranger and a witch - even though she is as much a Harlaw and an Ironborn as her legendary ancestor, Harras the Knight - many circles have come to respect the Lady of Harlaw for her resolve to see her people and the whole of the Iron Islands thrive. And should any of her peers and subjects call for her aid, she is a generous, yet nonetheless deliberate giver.

History

The Girl from Grey Garden

Genna Harlaw was born in 404 AC during the Scarlet Winter, second of the two daughters to bless the matrimony of Ser Galladon and Lady Jeyne Harlaw. By the grace of the gods, she was a strong and healthy babe, and next to her elder sister, she completed the family the Knight of Grey Garden and his spouse had always wanted. Unfortunately for the pious branch of House Harlaw, where the Seven had given, the Seven also took away; Lady Jeyne fell ill with fever, and passed away shortly after giving birth.

Never having known her mother, Genna could scarcely understand the grief that persisted in her environment throughout the earliest years of her life. As a young child, it confused and scared her, and coming to comprehend the concept of death, she would often turn to blame herself for the unfortunate circumstances. Despite the weighing tragedy of loss, however, she and Margot would not suffer a shortage of parental care and guidance. Ser Galladon missed not a day to dote on his daughters, and his unconditional love gave Genna the security she needed.

Even though she had only a father, she learned what it meant to be part of a family and to be willing to give as much as she had received. She found her guiding principles in that notion, and she developed a rare kind of intelligence over the years. As soon as she could talk, Genna had actively sought the company of others to engage in exhaustive conversations, or simply to ask the right questions and listen. Whilst sometimes her childhood antics invoked ire from the servants at Grey Garden, her ability to connect and show empathy earned her twice their admiration.

By the wee age of five, she had become a quintessential part of the household's life, and as she grew, her interests beyond the joys of companionship had spurted too. She never considered her courtly lessons a chore under Septa Loreza's tutorship, and she developed a particular fondness for art. With a brush, paint, and canvas, she would capture the image of any scenery she found pleasant, and when handed a coal pencil, she would draw her own ideas for the dresses she liked to sew. Genna was a girl of many talents and a sharp mind, and her versatile interests drew attention early on. At her father's behest, she was allowed to learn arithmetic and geometry from the castle's maester, and at the height of her adolescence, her artistic inclinations had been complemented by tangible skills in statecraft and design.

Whilst the turmoil brought upon the Iron Islands by the Fool's Gambit had largely eluded Grey Garden, the following era of peace spearheaded by Dagon Greyjoy and Alannys Harlaw meant a new golden age for the small cadet branch. As hostilities ceased between the Ironborn and the Westerosi, the role of the Faith of the Seven - and consequently of its followers - became ever more important. Ser Galladon was appointed an emissary to the greenlands, and Genna, along with her sister, seized every opportunity to accompany their father on his voyages. Before her fourteenth name day, she had been to Barrowton, Seagard, Fair Isle and Lannisport, and once had traveled as far south as the Shield Islands.

The time spent was productive, for she did not only learn about the intricacies of diplomacy and trade, but also gained a first-hand experience with Andal high culture. Back at home, Genna had received a thorough education in Westerosi customs and the Faith of her parents - and Grey Garden mimicked a traditional Westerosi court as closely as an Islander's household could - but the two were ultimately not the same, so her travels proved invaluable in that regard.

Love and Marriage

Devoted to her faith and enthralled by the virtues of chivalry she had absorbed from the tales told by her father, Genna had similar expectations of men as most young maidens her age. She wanted a gallant, handsome knight of fairy tales to marry her in the sight of the Seven, and she made it clear that she wouldn't be satisfied with anything less. To no surprise, her betrothal to Theon Harlaw in 418 AC hit her as a disappointment. Her future-to-be was an arrogant eleven year-old kid, who looked nothing the knights she'd imagined, and worst of all, worshipped a different god.

When she first met him during their betrothal ceremony at Grey Garden, the boy even made a rude and unwieldy remark about her appearance to voice his own discontent about their match - which was apparently the only thing they had then in common. They were to marry only in a couple years, but the prospect of marital duties had already done well to further the emotional discomforts of adolescence. She fell into melancholy for months and refused to cease her protesting, reserved as it may have been.

Things changed later that year, when after his return from Summerhall, Theon visited Grey Garden again, this time on his own accord, and apologized to Genna and her father for his previous behaviour. It was heartfelt, and she could tell that her betrothed had changed since the last time she had seen him. He had grown as a person she could tell, and though she still held reservations about him, she accepted his request to officially court her. Besides, getting to know each other beforehand seemed the most viable way to cope with a future dictated to them by the will of their betters, and to seize as much agency as possible. So it was, that over the cold winter years ahead, what had started as awkward between them would blossom into friendship, and then love.

Hailing the arrival a spring in 420 AC, their wedding was held at Ten Towers in a grand ceremony, and when the night fell, she gave him her maidenhead with contentment. The joy of newly-weds rendered them inseparable for days to come, and nine months later, Genna gave birth to their first children; a pair of golden-haired twins, whom they named Alysanne and Triston respectively. Still young, she was ill-prepared for motherhood, but the two lovable little additions to her life would have her learn and embrace the responsibility.

Though Genna was grateful for things going so well after a rough start, a lot had happened to her in a very short span of time, and adjusting to her new life turned out to be the most difficult job. The Ten Towers was a change of pace and scope alike, and the thought of eventually having to manage all of that as its Lady - and the whole island with it - rightfully scared her. Alannys was quick to notice Genna's talents, and she gave her more and more tasks around the castle to prepare her for her future role as the Lady of Harlaw. Her good-mother certainly made her feel useful, yet the guidance of a like-minded friend helped her get around.

She had gotten acquainted with Arianne Costayne in 419 AC, when the latter had visited Grey Garden with her husband, Ser Emmon Greyjoy. The brother of the Lord Reaper had been a good friend of Ser Galladon, and possibly being the only knights of the Seven in the Iron Islands, the two of them had frequently met to regale and converse. That particular visit was the first time Emmon had brought his new wife to introduce her to the Harlaws, and much to a mutual benefit.

Beyond their faith and similar fates, Genna and Arianne shared a peculiar mindset that naturally lent itself towards thoughtful exchanges, and in spite of the five years in the Reachwoman's favor, the two of them had become fast friends. Accepting Arianne's expert aide, Genna swiftly got a hang of her administrative tasks, and in return, she also had a couple things to teach the older woman about the Iron Islands and its people. Overall, their friendship allowed them to whether through long years of readjustment together.

Her Way

By her early twenties, Genna had effectively governed Harlaw in Lady Alannys' stead, and when the chilling winds of the Blue Winter descended upon the island, she readily answered their challenge. While Theon braved the seas to find more secure trading routes and ensure the safe delivery of supplies, his wife employed efficient ruling to save the populace from starvation. Among her deeds, she ordered the construction of greenhouses to cultivate specific plants during less cold moons, employed masons to reinforce the structures of granaries and stockpiles, and issued decrees to regulate rations island-wide. Westeros hadn't seen a season as devastating in decades, and it was due to her efforts that Harlaw repelled its brunt.

Though some would rejoice as winter lifted its pale veil from the world, the long summer in its wake brought a bitter harvest. In 432 AC, war engulfed Westeros, and it wasn't long until it reached the Iron Islands. The Black Prophet's Rebellion, they came to call it, was a bloody civil war unlike any in the Iron Islands before. Not even Harlaw was spared, and Genna got a taste of the bloodshed herself.

The Ten Towers came under siege early not long after Loren Greyjoy had declared himself king, attacked by those whom the Harlaws had thought loyal kin and friends. Ravos Harlaw, instead of abiding Theon's orders, rallied the Houses Volmark and Kenning to support his claim to the lordship of Harlaw, and combining forces with Loren's invading host from Orkmont, turned on his liege. With Alannys leading a campaign on Great Wyk, and Theon organizing a second host on Pyke, the islanders looked to their future Lady for guidance.

For once, Genna was unable to respond to the threat, for she knew little about commanding troops, and the very thought of gore intimated her. She was driven by her instinct to defend her loved ones alone, and the one advantage she had that could help her whether the siege was her thorough knowledge of the keep she was stuck in with her family. She sent a raven to Pyke as soon as the enemy had been sighted, and she tried her best to alleviate the inevitable damage.

Directing the castle's defences with a depleted garrison, and employing every men and women stuck within to fortify the walls, with every tool they had at their disposal, Genna managed to withstand Ravos' assaults for the three longest weeks of her life, until the reinforcement she had anticipated at last arrived - led by none other than Theon Harlaw. The Heir to Harlaw saved the day, but had it not been for his diligent lady, only the gods could tell what ruination would've befallen House Harlaw, and with their strength shattered, the loyalist cause.

In the end, the black prophet's might was toppled as well and the loyalists won the war, but Genna, like many others, saw the victory as bittersweet at best. Harlaw had suffered, her people had suffered, and Theon was devoured by a rage in his grief, which she could barely soothe. She was worried that it was not the end to the calamities that were yet to befall their family. As another winter passed by, Genna hoped the next spring on the horizon would hail a new age of harmony.

Recent Events

Family

Immediate Family

Ser Galladon Harlaw, Knight of Grey Garden b. 375 AC

m. Jeyne Lannett, Lady of Grey Garden b. 378 d. 404 AC Margot Harlaw, Heir to Grey Garden b. 401 AC m. Philip Jast b. 397 AC Jacelyn Harlaw b. 423 AC Domeric Harlaw b. 425 AC Genna Harlaw, Lady of Harlaw b. 404 AC m. Theon Harlaw, Lord of Harlaw b. 406 AC Alysanne Harlaw b. 421 AC Triston Harlaw, Heir to Harlaw b. 421 AC Edmund Harlaw b. 429 AC Meredyth Harlaw b. 432 AC Harwyn Harlaw b. 434 AC



Extended Family

See the page of House Harlaw and the extended family tree.

Household

Ten Towers