Taena of Myr

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Myr.svg Lady
Taena of Myr
House Merryweather.svg
Taena of myr by eluas.png
Taena by Eluas ©

Alias Taena Merryweather[1]
Title Lady of Longtable
Allegiance House Merryweather
Culture Myrish
Born In 276 AC (roughly)[2]Myr[3]
Spouse Lord Orton Merryweather[4]
Lovers
Issue Russell Merryweather[4]
Books

Taena of Myr,[6] also known as Taena Merryweather,[4] is the Myrish wife of Lord Orton Merryweather, and is the Lady of Longtable. They have one child, Russell.[4]

Appearance and Character

Taena is a beautiful, shapely woman,[7] as tall as Queen Cersei Lannister,[8] but more busty.[5] She has olive skin, thick black hair, and large, dark eyes.[7][9] Taena has long legs, white teeth, and dark, full lips.[9][8]

Lady Merryweather is sultry in her demeanor[10] and speech.[9] Witty[11] and flattering,[12] Taena has a throaty laugh,[13] and speaks the Common Tongue with a Myrish accent.[9] She enjoys wine.[1]

History

Taena, by Christine Mitzuk © Fantasy Flight Games

Taena met Lord Orton Merryweather during his exile from the Seven Kingdoms.[8] She accompanied Orton when King Robert I Baratheon allowed him to return to Westeros.[13]

Recent Events

A Storm of Swords

When Margaery Tyrell is betrothed to King Joffrey I Baratheon, Taena accompanies her husband, Lord Orton Merryweather, to King's Landing.[10] She provocatively dances at the wedding feast of Sansa Stark.[7] Sansa considers Lady Merryweather to be a "sultry black-eyed beauty".[10]

Taena is called as a witness for the prosecution in the trial of Tyrion Lannister for the death of King Joffrey. Although Tyrion is innocent, Taena testifies that she saw him drop something into the wedding chalice during Joffrey's wedding feast.[14]

A Feast for Crows

Taena and Cersei Lannister, by Drazenka Kimpel © FFG

During the funeral of Lord Tywin Lannister, Taena catches the eye of the Queen Regent, Cersei Lannister.[9] She approaches Cersei during the wedding of Tommen I Baratheon and Margaery, confiding in Cersei and attempting to get into her good graces. Taena allies herself with Cersei, passing information to the regent while feeding Margaery what Cersei wants her to know.[1][12][13][15] She reveals that Cersei's maid Senelle is spying on her for Margaery.[8] Taena also tells Cersei that Olenna Tyrell keeps a large chest of House Gardener gold coins from before Aegon's Conquest, half the weight of newly minted gold dragons, to pay unwary tradespeople. This adds to Cersei's suspicion that the Tyrells were involved in the escape of Tyrion from his prison cell and in the assassination of Tywin, as one of these Gardener coins was found in the quarters of an undergaoler named Rugen (actually an alias of Varys), who vanished at the same time Tyrion did.[13]

During a night of drinking, Taena admits to Cersei that she had a secret lover, a Myrish captain with a scar on his face.[1] Cersei suggests that Taena have her son brought to court so he could befriend Tommen, but Lady Merryweather insists that Russell would be more comfortable remaining at Longtable.[12] Lady Merryweather tells Cersei that she had attended Margaery's earlier wedding to Renly Baratheon at Highgarden, and as she had participated in Renly's disrobing, she thinks Margaery's claims of maidenhood are unlikely.[12]

As one of the queen's companions,[13] Taena sometimes sleeps in Cersei's bed.[5] After learning that Bronn killed Ser Balman Byrch, an angry Cersei has sex with Taena, trying to feel whatever power her late husband King Robert Baratheon felt when he had sex with her. Cersei thinks Robert would have loved Taena, for an hour, but would have trouble remembering her name afterwards.[5]

After Margaery learns that her brother, Ser Loras Tyrell, was wounded in the siege of Dragonstone, Lady Merryweather spends the night consoling her.[16]

Taena attends court[16] and council[15] with Cersei, and the Queen Regent names Taena's husband, Lord Orton, as Hand of the King.[15] Taena is aware of Cersei's schemes against Margaery and her cousins—Megga, Alla, and Elinor Tyrell—and she offers to speak with Alla about turning against her kin.[15] After Cersei has a nightmare of Maggy the Frog, she tells Taena about the maegi and her prophecy of the valonqar.[15]

The Faith of the Seven imprisons Margaery and her cousins after Ser Osney Kettleblack confesses carnal knowledge of her. Lady Merryweather accompanies Cersei when the Queen Regent goes to visit Margaery in the Great Sept of Baelor. Cersei tasks Taena with manipulating Margaery's three cousins.[17] The High Sparrow has Cersei arrested before she can leave the Great Sept.[17]

Qyburn later informs the imprisoned Cersei that Taena had informed the small council of the Faith's accusations against the Queen Regent, and that she and Lord Merryweather then fled King's Landing for Longtable. Cersei is relieved to learn of the Merryweathers' departure, since Taena is privy to incriminating information which could be used against Cersei by the Faith.[17]

A Dance with Dragons

Still a prisoner of the Faith, Cersei recalls Lady Merryweather as having been her one true friend.[18] After her walk of atonement, Cersei asks her uncle, Ser Kevan Lannister, if Taena can attend her again once her innocence is proven.[19]

Quotes by Taena

Taena: Lord Merryweather and I wish only to serve Your Grace and the little king.
Cersei: We must speak again, my lady. Taena, is it? You are most kind. I know that we shall be great friends.[9]

—Taena and Cersei Lannister

Cersei: I would be very sad if you ever betrayed my trust, Taena. I would have no choice but to give you to Lord Qyburn, but I know that I should weep.
Taena: I will never give you cause to weep, Your Grace. If I do, say the word, and I will give myself to Qyburn. I want only to be close to you. To serve you, however you require.[5]

Cersei Lannister and Taena

Taena: Would it amuse Your Grace to be a man one night?
Cersei: Only if you remained a woman.[16]

—Taena and Cersei Lannister

Quotes about Taena

Lady Merryweather was all but a stranger. Tyrion wondered if she was blind or bought.[14]

—thoughts of Tyrion Lannister

The Myrish woman was too beautiful by half; long-legged and full-breasted, with smooth olive skin, ripe lips, huge dark eyes, and thick black hair that always looked as if she'd just come from bed. She even smells of sin, like some exotic lotus.[8]

—thoughts of Cersei Lannister

Jaime could not help but notice the way the Myrish woman moved her hips as she walked. Every step is a seduction.[13]

—thoughts of Jaime Lannister

Jaime: How much do you know about this woman?
Cersei: I know she is a mother, with a young son that she wants to rise high in this world. She will do whatever is required to see that he does. Mothers are all the same. Lady Merryweather may be a serpent, but she is far from stupid. She knows I can do more for her than Margaery, so she makes herself useful to me.[13]

It was a pity Taena could not serve as Hand. She was thrice the man her husband was, and far more amusing.[15]

—thoughts of Cersei Lannister

Family

Owen
 
Unknown
wife
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Son
 
Unknown
wife
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Orton
 
Taena
of Myr
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Russell
 


References