Barba Bracken

Barba was born in 155 AC, daughter of the Lord of Stone Hedge and head of House Bracken, and elder sister of Bethany Bracken. She served as a lady-in-waiting to the three daughters of Aegon III inside the Maidenvault.

When King Baelor the Blessed died in 171 AC, the secluded maidens were released from the Vault and allowed male company for the first time. It was then that the new heir, Prince Aegon, now lord of Dragonstone, took notice of her and became infatuated.

A year later, upon his coronation, Aegon named her father Hand of the King and began showing her off as his mistress before the whole court. The affair produced a baseborn son, Aegor Rivers, born only fifteen days before Queen Naerys went through a traumatic birth of twins that nearly killed her.

With the queen still hovering near death, Lord Bracken raised the idea of the king setting Naerys aside to marry his daughter instead. Naerys's recovery closed that door: Ser Aemon Targaryen, the Dragonknight, together with Prince Daeron, pressed Aegon until he sent Barba and her son back to Stone Hedge.

Some years afterward, during a visit Aegon paid to Stone Hedge to see his bastard son, Barba and her father worked to bring her younger sister Bethany to the king's attention, and he took her to court as his next mistress. Lord Bracken regained his post as Hand of the King, though not for long.

Bethany's affair with Ser Terrence Toyne, a knight of the Kingsguard, came to light and ended with the execution of Bethany, Terrence, and their father alike; Barba and her son Aegor escaped punishment. She is described as a plumper woman than Melissa Blackwood, the mistress who succeeded her, with dark hair, a trait passed on to her son.