⤷ ( lily. gmt. 22. she/her. n/a. ) the courts offer bread and salt to ALAYA VANCE of HOUSE VANCE. many say that the TWENTY FIVE year old LADY OF ATRANTA is known to be BRAVE and DETERMINED, though ill tongues whisper that SHE is HOT-TEMPERED and STUBBORN. may she be blessed and protected in this war of crowns. (fc: heida reed)
She is originally a Corbray of the Vale, an old but poor house. She is the youngest of five children and her parents liked to use her and her siblings to try and bring more money to the house. Her two older sisters were both married off to try and make more powerful connections and add more wealth, while her brothers were sent off to other households as squires.
Using their children to their advantage is not uncommon, but Alaya’s father is a very cruel man who is not above punishing his children when they step out of line. Alaya and her siblings grew up living in fear of their father, as he would often launch into violence at the slightest provocation.
When her older siblings all got sent away, Alaya bore the brunt of their father’s anger but eventually managed to get up enough courage to say enough was enough. Her oldest brother returned home for a brief visit from the Riverlands, where he had been acting as a squire for the Vance family, and Alaya begged him to take her back with him.
He managed to smuggle her out of Heart’s Home under the cover of darkness and brought her to Atranta with him. Fortunately, the Vance family had grown accustomed to her brother and enjoyed having him around, and so were happy to welcome his younger sister, especially since they were all too aware of the cruelty of sibling’s father.
Alaya wanted to repay their kindness by making herself useful, and so did whatever she could to assist - whether it was helping the younger Vance daughter with her studies, acting as a friend and companion to the older daughter, and she was also not above helping out in the kitchens. Alaya was able to spend time with her dearest brother and genuinely enjoyed the company of the Vance family, and so was truly happy for the first time in her life.
Unfortunately, she could not remain hidden forever. Her brother managed to deceive their father about her whereabouts for a long time, but he eventually discovered she was with him in Atranta. He arrived at Atranta under the pretence of being a father worried sick about his daughter, but Alaya suffered horribly at his hands as soon as they were alone. He left her in a terrible state with the promise that she had one day to make her excuses and say her goodbyes so they could leave without suspicion.
As she was still unmarried, Alaya was her father’s property and she knew that once they returned home she would suffer more than she ever had before. But her brother had a plan. Their father could do what he liked to her for now as she was still his responsibility, but if they could transfer that responsibility to someone else, then Alaya would be safe. Unfortunately, the only quick way that he could think of was for Alaya to get married. Once she was married, she would be a part of her husband’s family and therefore his obligation, and their father could not forcibly remove Alaya from her husband.
To her surprise, they didn’t have to look for long, as the eldest Vance son offered to be her husband to keep her safe. The two of them got along well, and he knew his family would support the marriage if it meant she would be safe from her father. Seeing no other way to escape her father’s savagery, Alaya went through with the wedding.
Her father was furious, but to Alaya’s surprise he left quickly. She is unaware that her new husband paid her father off for the insolence of wedding his daughter without his permission and had given him a decent sum on the condition that he was to leave Alaya alone.
Alaya and her husband have been married only a short while and are still getting to know each other better. She likes him well enough, and will always feel an immense gratitude towards him for being willing to tie his life to hers just to keep her safe, but she does mourn the loss of her independence even if her husband gives her many freedoms.
Her husband has not brought it up yet, but Alaya knows there are certain duties expected of a wife. So far they have only shared a brief kiss on their wedding day, but she is well aware that her husband is one day to be the ruling lord of Atranta and fears he will soon expect heirs.