Maraena Harlaw

== Maraena Harlaw ==
Name: Maraena Harlaw
Titles: Lady Harlaw
Age: 31 (at death)
Culture: Ironborn
Allegiances: House Blacktyde
Marital Status: Married
Issue: Marion Blacktyde
Status: Deceased
== Appearance & Personality ==
Maraena was dark of hair and grey-eyed, with soft features and a sharp stare. Although beautiful, this is not what Maraena is remembered for ---- rather, her cunning and whipcrack wit is what set her apart from the rest. She was a highly opinionated and bold woman, and, for this, was at constant tension with her husband, Aaron Blacktyde. Furthermore, her ambition and drive for greatness manifested as a ravenous hunger for power - which would later be passed on to her daughter, Marion. 
== History ==
Maraena Harlaw was born in the ancestral Harlaw seat of Ten Towers. From a young age, she took to books more than anything else, growing into a learned and bright young woman. She was trained in very basic sword-and-shield combat, but cared little for battle - instead, words and wit were her fancy. 
She was married to Aaron Blacktyde at the age of twenty-two in a relatively lavish Ironborn ceremony. Initially, Maraena rather liked the Iron Giant for his strength and steadfast nature; yet, in the years to come, she would find this fondness fall near to hate. 
Roughly a year later, she gave birth to her daughter, Marion. It was a long and hard labour that left Maraena close to death. Still, she managed to cling to life and pull through, with the aid of several midwives and Blacktyde's Maester at the time. Maraena loved her daughter from the moment she laid eyes upon her, and knew that her child would be destined for greatness.
She raised her daughter to be bold, witty, and proud. Maraena loved her child more than anything else --- Marion was the world to her. Marion credits her strength and tactical prowess to her Mother.
For some, there was relative peace, save for the ever-growing disdain and hatred between Aaron and Maraena. It was then, in the year of Marion's eighth birthday, that Aaron murdered his wife. She was beaten bloody and thrown off the side of his ship to drown. Her bloated corpse recovered on the shore weeks later.
Marion, only a child, was devastated by her Mother's death. The Harlaws mourned the loss of one of their daughters, as did many of the servants at Blacktyde keep. Maraena was remembered as a well-loved woman, and a brilliant Mother.