Taena : A Myrish mystery

[TheLastWolf]

Who the hell is this woman and what is her agenda ? She does have an intriguing history and I'd like to get to the bottom of it.

Theory One-

Taena is just what she appears to be, a mother and wife who wants to put her son and husband in high positions using her friendship with Queen Cersei. And her mysterious Myrish captain with a scar might just be a tale....and the real father might be Robert I Baratheon. This might be the reason why she hesitates to bring her son Russel Merryweather, to court as Cersei might find out from his appearance (she has killed 13 of Robert's 16 bastards after all). but this would disprove Maggy the frog's predictions about the number of Robert's bastards....or that Cersei killed one child who was not Robert's.

Theory Two-

She might be a creature of  Varys and her Myrish captain with the scar would just be her own business with no impact on the plot.

Theory Three-

She might have her own agenda and that Myrish captain could be a half truth....meaning that the said captain could be Euron Greyjoy. Or Jaqen h'ghar or even Oberyn Martell. Please read my next Forum topic about my prediction-theory of Jaqen's origin and motives.

[zandru]

I think Taena Merryweather is just what she appears to be: one of Marguery's confidants who is taking advantage of Dowager Queen Cersei's self-centered credulousness and arrogance to become Cersei's confidant, and is reporting everything she learns back to Marguery and the Queen of Thornes. That she fled King's Landing just before the Sparrows came down on Cersei confirms this.

[Hodor the Articulate]

Most likely she's Varys' agent. He already stoked Cersei's paranoia about the Tyrells with the Gardner coin, and Taena was more of the same. There's the Essoss connection too. I doubt she's Highgarden's pet considering where Margaery ended up.

[Lord Varys]

The best take on her and her husband Orton are that they are in the Aegon camp, working either directly or indirectly for Varys due to a Golden Company connection Orton and his father (who died in Essos, it seems) and grandfather might have established during their exile.

Taena just makes not sense as an ambitious social climber being only in the game for herself. Such a woman would have brought her son to court to befriend Tommen, rather than leaving him behind. That is the dead giveaway that Taena isn't honest with Cersei - and if she isn't, she has a different agenda. Because she cannot work for the Tyrells after what happened with Margaery thanks to her and Orton's actions.

[Loras]

3 hours ago, Lord Varys said:

Taena just makes not sense as an ambitious social climber being only in the game for herself. Such a woman would have brought her son to court to befriend Tommen, rather than leaving him behind. That is the dead giveaway that Taena isn't honest with Cersei - and if she isn't, she has a different agenda. Because she cannot work for the Tyrells after what happened with Margaery thanks to her and Orton's actions

 

4 hours ago, Hodor the Articulate said:

Most likely she's Varys' agent. He already stoked Cersei's paranoia about the Tyrells with the Gardner coin, and Taena was more of the same. There's the Essoss connection too. I doubt she's Highgarden's pet considering where Margaery ended up

I completely agree regarding Taena.  

The Tyrells can be ruled out because if she was informing with the intention of strengthening the Tyrells against Cersei, then why has she allowed Margaery to be arrested and tried by the Faith.  Taena was aware of Cersei's intentions to remove Margaery from the board.

Cersei is also aware that something is up with Taena because of the Russel angle.  She hints towards that in her conversation with Kevan in the Epilogue of 'A Dance with Dragons'.  I guess all that praying is giving her plenty of time to think and scheme.

[TheLastWolf]

4 hours ago, Lord Varys said:

Taena just makes not sense as an ambitious social climber being only in the game for herself. Such a woman would have brought her son to court to befriend Tommen, rather than leaving him behind. That is the dead giveaway that Taena isn't honest with Cersei - and if she isn't, she has a different agenda

She isn't honest with Cersei because Russel is Robert's bastard...or might be.

 

[Megorova]

I think that she's Littlefinger's agent. Possibly she is also bloodrelated to him (first or second cousin), and amongst her (and LF's) ancestors there's a Black Pearl of Braavos.

 

 

 

[TheLastWolf]

14 minutes ago, Megorova said:

I think that she's Littlefinger's agent. Possibly she is also bloodrelated to him (first or second cousin), and amongst her (and LF's) ancestors there's a Black Pearl of Braavos.

 

 

 

She could also be the one of the friends who Doran Martell has in King's Landing.. though it's unlikely, it could be that her lover was Oberyn Martell and her features are similar to the Dornish too

[Hodor the Articulate]

12 hours ago, Megorova said:

I think that she's Littlefinger's agent.

I thought about that, but what does he gain from creating tension between Cersei and the Tyrells?

[Damon_Tor]

Are we just going to pretend that Preston isn't doing a multi-part series on Taena right now? I know he's not popular here, but so far his analysis of Taena seems uncontroversial.

 

 

 

[TheLastWolf]

12 hours ago, Damon_Tor said:

Are we just going to pretend that Preston isn't doing a multi-part series on Taena right now? I know he's not popular here, but so far his analysis of Taena seems uncontroversial.

 

 

 

Where did you find this... It's good 

[Megorova]

10 hours ago, Hodor the Articulate said:

I thought about that, but what does he gain from creating tension between Cersei and the Tyrells?

Speculations:

I think that Varys and fAegon are Blackfyres, and that Varys and Illyrio conspired with Redwynes. Redwynes are Blackfyre supporters. Olenna Tyrell is a Redwyne by birth, and her older daughter is married with a Redwyne, with Olenna's nephew. Varys conspired with Tyrells/Redwynes back in 70-80s, he planned to orchestrate a civil war between Aerys and Rhaegar, and after one of them would have died, and 7K would have been weakend by war, Golden Company was going to invade. Though Rhaegar spoiled Varys' plans by kidnapping Lyanna Stark and causing a civil war between Targaryen-loyalists and Robert's supporters. When that civil war ended, instead of being weakened, 7K became united (thru marriages between Ned and Cat, Lysa and Jon, Cersei and Robert), so the invasion would have failed and thus had to be postponed indefinitely.

During Robert's Rebellion Mace Tyrell was holding his army away from confrontation with Robert's army. He deliberately was late while going to Ashford. When he came there, the battle was already nearly won by Randyll Tarly. Afterwards Mace didn't went after Robert to Stoney Sept, neither did he went to King's Landing to give his aid to Aerys' troops, instead he went to Storm's End, and spent the rest of Rebellion resting his troops and keeping them ready to aid Golden Company, when GC would have invaded 7K. They were supposed to join their forces and to attack King's Landing. Though the invasion didn't happened, because of unfavorable circumstances. And Tyrells had to wait, while Varys was crafting a new plan, which took years.

Seems that Varys promised Tyrells that if they will aid fAegon during Sixth Rebellion of Blackfyres, then later, when he will become the King of 7K, he was supposed to marry with Margaery, and she would have became the Queen. Littlefinger knew about all of that, because he was one of Varys' little birds. He's a dragonseed, same as Varys and fAegon, he's descended from Aegon IV thru Jeyne Lothston and Jeyne's son, the Bastard of Harrenhal/Manfryd of the Black Hood/Manfryd Lothston/Lord Whent, grandfather of Shella Whent, father of the sellsword from Braavos (Lord Whent's bastard, born by one of Black Pearls, that was one of Aegon IV's daughters or granddaughters), who was Littlefinger's great-grandfather. Varys knew who Littlefinger really is, that's why he made him his apprentice. Though later Littlefinger betrayed Varys, and his personal sigil, mockingbird (Varys' ex-little bird), is a symbol of his victory over Varys. From Varys he knew about his deal with Tyrells, about Robert's bastards and Cersei's children, so he used that information to spoil Varys' plans, and to start a civil war, in result of which Sansa Stark would have became the Queen of 7K and fAegon's wife, instead of Margaery.

After Jon Arryn's death, Varys and his people weren't ready yet to lauch GC's invasion, they were going to wait for several more years (I'm basing this on Varys' conversation with Illyrio, that Arya eavesdropped). Tyrells got tired of waiting. They wanted Margaery to become the Queen. So Littlefinger went to them and negotiated marriage between Margaery and Renly (maybe not personally, maybe it was done by his agents, that convinced Tyrells not to wait indefinitely for Varys and his promises, but to act now, while there's a chance for them to gain more power). He did it not to aid Tyrells, he did it to take away their aid from Golden Company. Because if Margaery could have became the Queen of 7K, as result of her marriage with Renly, then there was no reason for Tyrells to support fAegon, and give him aid of their troops.

Renly was supposed to defeat Stannis, then he was supposed to fight against Lannisters. Littlefinger got rid of Starks, Tullys and Arryns, and thru Sansa was going to take control over The North, Riverlands and The Vale. No matter who would have won, Renly-Tyrells or Lannisters, the winner would have been weakened, and would have been an easy target for Littlefinger's troops from The Vale. He was going to seize King's Landing, and when fAegon would have arrived to Westeros with Golden Company, he would have offered him to marry with Sansa. Then he would have done the same thing as he did with Lysa Tully and Jon Arryn - Robert Arryn is Littlefinger's son, he persuaded Lysa to poison Jon, then got rid of her, and now he is a de-facto ruler of The Vale. So, Sansa would have married with fAegon, then gave birth to Littlefinger's child, while everyone would have believed that it was King fAegon's child, then LF would have made Sansa to get rid of her husband, and then either he would have killed Sansa and became her child's Regend and the Hand of little King, or maybe he would have let Sansa live, if she would have been more easily manipulated than Lysa.

Though Littlefinger is making adjustments to his plans, when certain elements change. For example, Renly died too soon, and thus there was nothing that was stoping Margaery from later getting married with fAegon, and Tyrells giving their aid to Golden Company. Thus Littlefinger negotiated her marriage with Joffrey. And because Joffrey was a maniac, and Olenna Tyrell didn't wanted her granddaughter to suffer in that marriage, they conspired with LF to poison Joffrey, and to marry Margaery to Tommen. LF was pretending that he is an ally of Tyrells, that he is more useful to them than Varys, who promised and promised but done nothing. LF pretended to Tyrells that he's going to let them take Sansa (the key to three Kingdoms), and that by marrying her with one of Tyrells, they will have total control over 7K, and thus they won't need fAegon, Margaery will remain as the Queen of 7K thru her marriage with Tommen. That's what Littlefinger promised them, but that was all a lie, and he just used all of them in his own plans.

So Littlefinger's goal is to prevent Tyrells(Varys) from giving their aid to fAegon. And he accomplished it by clashing Margaery and Cersei. Taena spyed after both of them, and was doing it on LF's orders. Or something like that.

[rotting sea cow]

On 6/22/2020 at 1:46 PM, TheLastWolf said:

(she has killed 13 of Robert's 16 bastards after all)

Where did you get that? As  far as we know she has killed three (if I'm not mistaken) and we have met four of Robert's bastards. Mya, Edric, Gendry and Bella. Do I forget anyone?

[TheLastWolf]

16 hours ago, Megorova said:

Taena spyed after both of them, and was doing it on LF's orders. Or something like that

What about her Myrish captain with the scar?

[Megorova]

4 hours ago, TheLastWolf said:

What about her Myrish captain with the scar?

I have no idea. Though I doubt that that guy is Euron (many readers think so). If at least part of my theory about LF and Varys is correct, and LF does know about Varys' plans, about fAegon and Golden Company, then it's likely that, besides Knights of the Vale, he's planning to bring reinforcements from Essos. In those years that he was the Master of coin, he had opportunity to steal a lot of money, thus now he can use them to hire troops from abroad. If Taena is LF's agent, and her Myrish lover is also working for LF, then that guy will bring Myrish crossbowmen to Westeros. Why particularly crossbowmen from Myr? ->

Possibly LF's ancestor was the Bastard of Harrenhal/Manfryd. During First Blackfyre Rebellion he betrayed Daemon. Maybe, as a payment for that betrayal later he was legitimized by King Daeron as a Lothston. Daemon lost that battle on Redgrass Field because of Manfryd's betrayal, and also because Lord Bracken, who was supposed to bring Myrish crossbowmen from Essos, was delayed from sailing by storms. Though, maybe Lord Bracken got delayed on purpose, could be that he conspired with the Bastard, and intentionally brought those Myrmen too late to aid Blackfyres. The Bastard's betrayal became known, while Lord Bracken managed to keep his reputation clean, even though they both were traitors and conspired together. Possibly, even after the Rebellion Manfryd stayed in contact with his business partners from Myr, and so did his descendants. Who are Kettleblacks? Maybe, they are LF's contacts from Myr. Thus, Taena's captain could also be one of those contacts. Or not.

[TheLastWolf]

On 6/24/2020 at 9:48 PM, Megorova said:

Though Rhaegar spoiled Varys' plans by kidnapping Lyanna Stark and causing a civil war between Targaryen-loyalists and Robert's supporters

I am not sure whether she was kidnapped or went willingly as she was a stubborn and wild girl, not easy to subdue....and Robert would have found some another reason to rebel.. remember telling that his Warhammer was his real claim to the throne? 

[Adam Yozza]

1 hour ago, TheLastWolf said:

I am not sure whether she was kidnapped or went willingly as she was a stubborn and wild girl, not easy to subdue....and Robert would have found some another reason to rebel.. remember telling that his Warhammer was his real claim to the throne? 

They didn't rebel over Lyanna. Jon Arryn raised his banners after Aerys murdered Rickard and Brandon and demanded Ned and Roberts head.

[TheLastWolf]

On 6/25/2020 at 12:45 AM, rotting sea cow said:

Where did you get that? As  far as we know she has killed three (if I'm not mistaken) and we have met four of Robert's bastards. Mya, Edric, Gendry and Bella. Do I forget anyone?

Bella is not confirmed and cersei knows the real number of Robert's bastards which even Varys did not(Varys knew only 8 while cersei confirmed that Maggie the frog's prophecy was true, how could she have known it was 16 if she didn't finish those 12/13 depending whether Bella was Robert's bastard or not? ) 

[rotting sea cow]

56 minutes ago, TheLastWolf said:

Bella is not confirmed

Please!

Even Arya notes the resemblance and shrugs it off because Gendry has the same traits!

56 minutes ago, TheLastWolf said:

and cersei knows the real number of Robert's bastards which even Varys did not(Varys knew only 8 while cersei confirmed that Maggie the frog's prophecy was true, how could she have known it was 16 if she didn't finish those 12/13 depending whether Bella was Robert's bastard or not? ) 

Becasue Maggy told her the number

Quote

Will the king and I have children?

Oh, aye. Six-and-ten for him, and three for you. Gold shall be their crowns and gold their shrouds, she said. And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you

 

[Eltharion21]

On 6/24/2020 at 9:15 PM, rotting sea cow said:

(she has killed 13 of Robert's 16 bastards after all)

+ 10000 Robert sons, mostly eaten by her own admission