A year into his reign, the Young King Viserys I Targaryen was gifted a second healthy child by the gods. Though the child was a girl, many in the realm took comfort in the confirmation that Queen Aemma could still bear children after suffering so many losses. They named the child Alysanne, after King Viserys' grandmother. Though the egg that Princess Rhaenyra placed in the girl's cradle did not hatch, she became a dragonrider at 10, after claiming Silverwing, who had once borne her namesake into the skies.
In 106 AC, Two years after the young princess' birth, the Young King called the greatest Lords and their houses to King's Landing for a tourney. Queen Aemma was pregnant once again and nearing the end of her term. The celebrations did not go as the King might have hoped, unfortunately. Queen Aemma perished in her birthing bed and the babe-a boy, named Baelon in the short time that he drew breath-soon went with her. King Viserys was left bereft and without an obvious heir. His younger brother Daemon had a claim by rights and tradition but had sullied his reputation among the Lords of Westeros through years of incessant rebellion, whoring, and other disgraceful acts.
Rather than let his brother assume the throne upon his passing, King Viserys instead named his eldest daughter, Rhaenyra, his heir and Princess of Dragonstone. Daemon, furious at being passed over, stole a dragon's egg and fled to Dragonstone to establish his own claim to the island. It was only at the intervention of his brother and beloved niece that he relinquished control and returned to Runestone and his wife Rhea Royce. Lady Rhea was tragically lost after a hunting accident just days after her husband's return.
Though the matter of succession seemed settled in the eyes of many, as Rhaenyra and perhaps even her younger sister now stood between Daemon and the iron throne, King Viserys continued to face pressure from his court to remarry and father a male heir. His attentions soon turned to Lady Alicent Hightower, the daughter of his Hand, despite the insistence of his Master of Laws that Laena Velaryon, daughter of the Sea Snake, would be a wiser choice. King Viserys took Alicent Hightower to wife in late 106 to the displeasure of both his advisors and his elder daughter.
Princess Rhaenyra, who was not far from Queen Alicent's age herself, spurned her new stepmother's attempts at affection in public and levied terrible insults against the new queen in private. She spent many months after the wedding refusing to speak with any member of her family, save her young sister, whom she was said to be very fond of.
Merely a year after their marriage, Queen Alicent Hightower brought Viserys the healthy son he had always wished for, a squealing infant they named Aegon, after the conqueror. Two more children were born in quick succession. A girl, Helaena, was born to them in 109 AC, and a second boy, Aemond, in 110 AC. Young Prince Daeron followed in 114 AC.
Princess Rhaenyra treated her younger half-siblings with the same hostility she had long regarded their mother and in time the children, save Helaena-who possessed a gentle spirit-, came to return her hatred. It was only the young princess Alysanne who kept King Viserys' house united in any regard. The girl was beloved by all for her patient temper and stunning Valyrian beauty. She was her elder sister's close companion and a kind friend to her younger half-siblings. Her brother, Aegon, who was three years younger, bore a particularly strong affection for the girl from a young age. It was said that his mother, Queen Alicent, asked her husband to betroth the two many times over and was always denied, thanks to the intervention of Princess Rhaenyra. Though the princess' motives were likely rooted in hatred for the challenge her brother posed to her claim, young Aegon's temperament did not help his case. Even as a young lad, he was known for his cruelty and unquellable fits of rage. Alysanne, it seemed, was the only one able to cure those, as the prince was careful never to let his anger peek through in her presence.
If Mushroom is to be believed, the young prince made many attempts to charm her, often in strange and unnatural ways. It is said that he gave her morbid gifts for years-skulls of rats and thorny flowers. Worse still, at age 11, he invited the princess to watch him and their brother, Prince Aemond, train in the yard, only to savagely beat the eight-year-old prince with his wooden training sword. He only stopped when their sister intervened and took Aemond to the maester.
Prince Aegon's great mistake, however, occurred when he was 13. Despite the failure of his twisted attempts to romance the princess, he may have stood a chance at winning her hand. His mother, the Queen, and her father, the Hand, had spent many years warming the King up to the idea that it would be smart to unite the two branches of their family. In truth, the safest thing may have been to marry Aegon to Rhaenyra and unite their claims, but the two were so poorly suited that the idea was quickly set aside. Alysanne had a much calmer nature and would be able to better handle and hide the oddities in Aegon's nature.
Aegon, unfortunately, lacked his elder sister's patience. According to Mushroom, he snuck into Princess Alysanne's rooms on the eve of her 16th nameday and attempted to seduce her. Princess Alysanne, being a good and virtuous young woman, rejected his advances and fled to her sister Rhaneyra for help. This, of course, should not be taken as an infallible account of events as it is given to us by a source who both hated young Aegon and loved salacious tales.
Whatever happened on Alysanne Targaryen's nameday, though, shifted the dynamics of the royal family. In the days following, Alysanne herself was seen more often at her sister's side than not and the King spent many hours conferring with his Queen, the Hand, and his elder daughters. Eventually, they decided it was time that Alysanne took a tour of the Seven Kingdoms, as her namesake had often done. She was a woman grown and, with Aegon removed as a candidate, needed to find a proper young lord to marry. Septon Eustace wrote that the princess herself chose her companions-her stepmother and three youngest siblings-as an attempt to make peace with Queen Alicent after the tensions that followed her nameday, though he does not do more than hint at the act that caused such tensions.
The princess' tour visited all of the great castles of Westeros over the course of a year and a half. Her train was minimal but appropriately lavish with her dragon, Silverwing, as a crowning jewel. Though the she-dragon was still small compared to Vhagar, she was older and mightier than most in the realm and was said to be very close to Princess Alysanne. Many sources report that the princess required every suitor for her hand to meet Silverwing, so that she could judge the wise dragon's opinion of him.
Though she was perhaps more polite about it, Princess Alysanne seemed nearly as indifferent to the many young lords of Westeros as her sister had mere years ago. She was a gracious guest and never spoke ill of anyone, but seemed to much prefer the company of her dragon and her family to any of the lords. Still, she was judicious and patient, letting every man say his piece and taking her time to get to know the great lords and their lands.
It was noticed by all, though, that she stuck very closely to her schedule. The princess never stayed more than two weeks at any castle or holdfast, until she reached Riverrun.
The Lord Paramount of the Trident, Grover Tully was an old man who had outlived all of his children and even his eldest grandchild, Ser Elmo. His heir, Ser Elmo's brother, Walter, was a young man of 18 who was known for his honesty and commitment towards ruling the Riverlands justly, even if that had not been his expected path in life. Walter had once planned to join the Citadel, but after his brother died, Lord Grover had insisted he stay and learn to rule. Though Ser Elmo had left two sons, the boys were still barely out of their infancy and their mother had died giving birth to the younger lad. The ailing Lord Grover had chosen to name Walter his heir so that his legacy would not be left in the hands of two young, untested boys.
When Princess Alysanne arrived at Riverrun in 120 AC, she requested that Ser Walter, among other men, meet Silverwing. When Ser Walter arrived in the field where Silverwing had made a temporary nest, he did not approach her, as many men had done in an attempt to prove their courage. He did not balk either, as some did to show their respect for House Targaryen and the power it held. He, instead, asked the princess a question-to clarify the pronunciation of a Valyrian greeting, specifically. She answered and he approached the dragon slowly, pronouncing the respectful greeting in careful imitation of the princess. Princess Alysanne herself later shared that Silverwing bowed her head to Ser Walter and let him touch her muzzle. It was the first time Silverwing had greeted a suitor warmly. Most of Ser Walter's predecessors reported that the dragon all but ignored them and servants at many keeps whispered that the dragon had snorted or even roared at their masters, though no Lord would ever validate the occurrence of such a slight.
Ser Walter had won Silverwing's approval and the princess' affection followed soon after. Servants overheard her apologize many times over to her stepmother, the Queen, for neglecting her during their stay at Riverrun. Queen Alicent dismissed the apology each time, saying that she was happy Alysanne had finally found a suitor of whom she enjoyed the presence. Ser Walter seemed to return the princess' affection as well and commented often on the princess' grace and sharpness of mind. Most knew the princess as a kind, if quiet, young woman. During her days at Riverrun, though, she grew nearly boisterous and incredibly quick to smile and laugh. She sat next to Ser Walter and remained in close conversation with him at every dinner feast. He introduced her to his beloved nephews and the boys grew to love her nearly as fiercely as her own younger siblings did. Soon, Lord Grover and Queen Alicent were seen having their own close conversations and a betrothal contract was drawn up for the young pair. Queen Alicent, ever dutiful to her young step-daughter and friend, made certain the document emphasized Ser Walter's right of inheritance, so her favored step-daughter would have her future secured. The Queen could not approve the contract, herself, though, and ordered a copy to be sent to King's Landing for King Viserys to review.
Lord Grover invited the princess and her retinue to stay at Riverrun while they waited for a raven to return. She accepted happily. During their wait, however, Ser Walter Tully plainly distanced himself from the princess for reasons unknown but much speculated. Mushroom wrote that the young knight snuck away from his meetings with the princess to spend his time with other men engaged in behaviors this book will not describe. The rumors, notably, bear a resemblance to those spread about Ser Laenor Velaryon, husband to Princess Rhaenyra.
Septon Eustace insists that it was not Ser Walter's disinterest that kept him away from the princess, but rather his profound respect for the young lady and her station. In this report, Ser Walter merely believed himself unworthy of the attention of a princess. He was, after all, a second son who was only to inherit thanks to a series of tragedies that had weakened House Tully.
Princess Alysanne remained polite as ever even through Ser Walter's avoidance, but the visible joy she'd possessed at the beginning of her stay at Riverrun vanished. She spent many days outside, occasionally taking one of her young half-siblings with her on Silverwing or playing games with young Kermit and Oscar Tully, Walter's nephews. But, though her young companions entertained her, she still never seemed quite as happy as she had been. Both Queen Alicent and Lord Grover attempted to encourage the return of the affection that had been lost between the princess and Ser Walter, but even when they did spend time together, it was in near silence.
When news that the raven from King's Landing first came to the Queen, she said a prayer that her husband had not approved the betrothal. The Gods, it seems, heard her message, as the note the raven carried contained a request. Before approving any contract, the King wanted to hear a report from his daughter on the matter at the Red Keep. The young princess, he wrote, would often place duty above her own happiness, and he wanted to ensure that any marriage of hers was well wanted.
Lord Grover Tully was a prideful man, but not a stupid one. Though he was insulted that the King did not trust his own word on the matter of the affection between his heir and the princess, he did not take time to brood. The princess had, from the beginning, intended to continue her tour once the raven arrived and would be leaving soon. And she was not like to give a favorable report to the King after being all but shunned by Lord Tully's grandson in recent days.
Here, again, we find ourselves with two contradicting reports of a particular matter—that is, of Princess Alysanne's final day at Riverrun and Ser Walter's apology to her. To the shock of none, Mushroom's account depicts the young lord coming into the princess' chambers to apologize for sneaking off with various young squires and to cement the bond between them through various carnal acts. Septon Eustace, in his usual manner, paints a more chivalrous picture. His writings tell of a grand confession of Ser Walter's unyielding love and respect for the princess. He had once believed himself unworthy, but he had since realized that he could not be the one to determine his own value. If the princess had chosen him, who was he to question her judgment? Eustace's tale ends very properly with Ser Walter promising to do everything he can to further the happiness of the princess. This version, again, seems more plausible as all sources—save Mushroom—agree that the young princess was a good and virtuous woman who would never surrender to primitive lusts or expose herself to possible claims of indecency.
Though we are unsure how it was accomplished, we do know that the mood of Princess Alysanne severely improved on the day of her planned departure and that in the morning, as her retinue prepared for the journey to the Westerlands, she took Ser Walter riding on Silverwing.
Princess Alysanne's behavior in the Westerlands and Reach was much as it had been in the Stormlands, Vale, and North. She treated her young suitors kindly and spent many hours walking the grounds of the great castles of the regions with their young lords. The princess did not, however, bring any more suitors to meet her dragon. Though most lords and knights accepted this change easily, if not happily-it is a rare and stupid man who could face a grown dragon without feeling a twinge of fear in his heart-Ser Erwin Lannister, younger brother to the Lord of Casterly Rock took it as a challenge. Lord Jason Lannister later argued that his brother's attempt to greet the dragon had been done out of affection for the princess and an honest desire to prove himself. When one considers Ser Erwin's history of gambling at tiles, however, it may perhaps look like the young knight simply saw approaching the silver dragon as another game to be played.
Silverwing was gentle as she-dragons come and a match to both Alysannes in temperament. It is very possible that she would have let Ser Erwin Lannister be had he not approached her while she was sleeping. Startling the dragon cost Ser Erwin a hefty price, that of his face and right arm. The dragon burnt the man horribly, charring the flesh of his sword arm and melding his helmet onto the bones of his skull in some places. The young knight lived but bore both the scars of his stupidity and a hatred for the Targaryen dragons for the rest of his days. He pleaded with his lord brother to oust Princess Alysanne and her dragon, but his request fell upon deaf ears. Lord Jason Lannister was a smarter man than his brother and instead feasted the Targaryen retinue the next evening, toasting Silverwing and Princess Alysanne's health.
The princess accepted Lord Jason's kindness and wished good health to his household as well, but she was careful to never blame her dragon nor herself for Ser Erwin's burns. Dragons burned when they felt threatened, it was simply their nature. She was not without sympathy, though. During her visit to Highgarden, many knights won the disapproval of their princess by making crass japes about Ser Erwin Lannister.
All sources agree that arriving at Oldtown was a great relief to the princess, as it let her take a rest from entertaining suitors. Though she herself shared no blood with House Hightower, none in the realm thought it likely that a Targaryen would marry a Hightower for the second time in less than 15 years. A wise king casts a wide net of allies and though King Viserys had let Princess Alysanne seek and choose her own husband, it was known that the princess was smart enough to understand the political implications of her marriage.
This, perhaps, is partially why she was so set on Ser Walter Tully. As the heir to a Great House, Ser Tully had enough resources and men to be a powerful ally to the Iron Throne, and their location in the Riverlands meant that those resources and men could be moved relatively quickly to any location in Westeros and that Princess Alysanne would never be a far dragonflight from any part of the realm.
Nevertheless, the princess' mood improved a second time during her stay at Oldtown, not because of a favored suitor but rather because of the lack of serious suitors altogether. Queen Alicent Hightower was similarly happy to return to her family's city. She spent many of her days there visiting with family members and showing her children around Oldtown and the Citadel. Some of the royal family's joy at arriving at Oldtown could also be ascribed to the stop signaling that the end of their journey was near. They had made their way through all of the Great Houses and only had a few smaller keeps to visit before returning home to the Red Keep.