Ellyn Reyne
Ellyn Reyne became Lady of Tarbeck Tower through her marriage to Walderan Tarbeck, after two broken betrothals to the twin sons of House Lannister of Casterly Rock. Her name is tied to one of the tensest standoffs between the great houses of the Westerlands and the young Ser Tywin Lannister, when she answered her husband's imprisonment by taking hostages from the Lannisters themselves.
Chapter 1
Two widowhoods before Tarbeck Tower
Books only
During the reign of King Aegon V Targaryen, Ellyn was betrothed to Tywald, the elder of Lord Gerold Lannister's twin sons, who died before the wedding. The family did not give up on the match and married her to the younger twin, Tion, who also died shortly afterward. Ellyn then set her sights on Tytos, the twins' younger brother, already married; nothing came of it, and her father-in-law settled the matter by marrying her off quickly to Walderan Tarbeck, the widowed lord of Tarbeck Tower. With him she had at least two daughters and a son, whom they also named Tion.
Chapter 2
The laugh at the feast and the hostages of Casterly Rock
Books only
She was present at the feast where the betrothal between Genna Lannister and Emmon Frey of the Twins was announced, and laughed on hearing it, as did others who saw no good match in the pairing.
When Ser Tywin, already running his father's affairs, demanded his bannermen pay their taxes and overdue debts, Walderan rode to Casterly Rock to protest, confident he could intimidate Lord Tytos. Instead he found himself facing Tywin, who had him thrown in a cell. With her husband in chains, Ellyn sent her own knights to seize three Lannisters: two distant kin from Lannisport and a third, the young squire Stafford Lannister, heir of the late Ser Jason. She threatened to kill her captives if Walderan came to any harm, and Tywin chose to release him to settle the exchange. Lord Tytos not only set Walderan free unharmed but apologized to him and forgave his debts, and the two houses toasted to peace at a banquet.
Chapter 3
The defiance and the fall of Tarbeck Tower
261 ACBooks only
A year later, at the end of 261 AC, Tywin sent ravens to Castamere and Tarbeck Tower demanding that Roger and Reynard Reyne, along with Walderan and Ellyn, present themselves at Casterly Rock to answer for their crimes. The Reynes and Tarbecks answered by rising in open rebellion, renouncing their fealty to Casterly Rock.
As the Lannister host approached, Ellyn shut the gates of Tarbeck Tower and sent ravens to Castamere calling on her brothers for help, confident she could withstand a long siege. Tywin gave her no time: he had siege engines built, and in a single day hurled a boulder that brought the tower down. Ellyn died in the collapse along with her son Tion, and the survivors soon opened the castle gates. Tywin had it burned regardless, and it burned for a day and a night.