Althea Marsh

**Work In Progress!**

> "
>
> I am not a leader, Rhys."
> ― Althea to Rhys Flowers on her new Lady status in Streamsong
>
>

**Lady Althea Marsh**, known as **Ahi** for most of her life in Volantis, is the current Lady of Streamsong and head of House Marsh. She is the only daughter of Jojen Marsh, the second son of the previous Lord of Streamsong Torrhen Marsh, and Zhali, the wife of a Bloodrider of Khal Movvo who "changed hands" after a bar brawl where Jojen showed his strength and beat three Dothraki screamers in a fight- including Zhali's previous husband, Gezro. Currently Althea is in White Harbor, just having- reluctantly- arrived from Volantis to take her ancestral seat. Maester Rhys is meeting her there to take her to her new home.

Not many people in Streamsong are pleased at her arrival, instead preferring that Lord Torrhen's third son Brynden instead be named Lord rather than this strange, foreign girl from Volantis. Strangely Brynden's mother Talia Forrester is the one who lobbied for Althea to be the new Lady- creating a large divide between her and her son.

## Appearance & Character

A strange sight in Westeros, especially in the North, Althea possesses characteristics from both of her parents but favours her Dothraki mother Zhali. Like her she has raven hair cropped to her shoulders with a couple of customary Dothraki braids and beads woven into it, her skin is copper albeit marred with scars and some tattoos as well as rarely being without a wound, bruise or bandage from various bar fights and battles she gets into. She possesses a sharp jawline along with high cheekbones and a smattering of freckles across her cheeks. While not leaving much her father did give her his sometimes playful, sometimes solemn eyes which sparkle silver from beneath her fan of long, dark lashes. She stands about average height- about 5'7- but has quite a muscular, athletic build. Rhys notes "she has terrible posture, no wonder she complains about a painful back".

Unlike most noble women, Althea is extremely uncomfortable in dresses, jewellery and other fancy-wear. Instead she prefers her regular leather armour and plain woven trousers along with some bindings around her arms to "help her grip". She is rarely seen without her signature blade and cloak- that's if she's seen at all.

Overall, Althea is a very volatile person, filled with various emotions and often getting upset at the slightest thing. She despises responsibility and hates people looking up to her as if she's meant to be someone emulated or followed. Most people find her hard to get along with- mostly because she tries to push people away, thinking that she's better off alone and that she can "take care of her own shit", she abhors asking for help, getting help or seeming weak in anyway. While at first she seems rather cold, curt and coarse she does have a softer side, usually when surrounded by the people who have earned her respect or animals. She has a black horse named Raven who she considers her closest companion having been with her for the past 7 years.

## Background

### The Beginning (415AC-421AC)

Jojen Marsh had been sailing the seas for about a year when he docked in the Volantene port which would soon be his home for the next twelve years. Arriving in the foreign city, he and his crew quickly sought out the closest inn or brothel they could find since after a while at sea they all agreed a nice bed and some *company* would be a good change. Upon arriving at an inn for the night they dined and made merry before noticing what might have been the smallest Khalasar history had ever seen- if anything they were more like a street gang with horses. The two groups exchanged words, aggression and soon a fight broke out between them. Jojen was an experienced fighter so managed to subdue three of the "Khal"'s men before the group yielded and presented him his "prize" of a woman- Zhali. Needless to say neither of the two were pleased with the arrangement but as was the culture and the remaining Khalasar left searching for a smaller fight.

Love didn't bloom immediately for Jojen and Zhali, in fact the two were mostly at odds with one another, Jojen often complaining about having another mouth to feed and Zhali disliking her stationary life in Volantis but as time went on the two began to enjoy eachothers' company more and more- dancing together, drinking together as well as telling stories of their childhood. Eventually one thing lead to another and despite Jojen being betrothed to a Manderly girl back home in Westeros he decided to marry Zhali in a small sept mostly frequented by Westerosi travellers.