Willas Tyrell

Born in 273, he was the firstborn son of Mace Tyrell and Alerie Hightower, which made him heir to Highgarden from birth. At his first tourney he faced Prince Oberyn Martell of Dorne, who unhorsed him; in the fall his leg was pinned beneath his mount and crushed, leaving him crippled for life. The accident deepened the old grudge between House Tyrell and House Martell, but Willas bore Oberyn no ill will — over the years the two even exchanged letters, sharing a passion for horse breeding.

Set apart from the lists, he poured his energy into learning, and came to be seen as a more capable man than Mace himself. He also looked after his younger siblings: he gave Garlan the nickname "the Gallant" so no one would mock his looks, and as a girl Margaery would have him read to her and draw her pictures of the stars.

Olenna Redwyne, Willas's grandmother, schemed with Margaery to match him with Sansa Stark, but the plan sank as soon as Tywin Lannister found out and moved first, wedding the girl to his own son Tyrion instead. Tywin then offered Cersei Lannister to Willas as a wife, and the Tyrells turned the offer down.

When the ironborn seized the Shield Islands, Willas sent riders to Lord Leyton Hightower urging him to strengthen Oldtown's defenses, and correctly guessed that the raiders would not push further up the coast but had stopped to plunder the islands while their lords were unprepared. Queen Cersei, however, dismissed his reports, preferring to brand him incompetent rather than heed him.

Cersei also refused to lend him the Redwyne fleet to ferry the army he was raising, insisting he first win the siege of Dragonstone.