In the second season of House of the Dragon, we will have a parade of important and iconic female figures circulating in Westeros, with much more action than we stopped seeing years later in Game of Thrones. As we know, female figures who did not want to stay at home and take care of their children and husbands, like Arya Stark or Brienne of Tarth, were rare. Most were like Sansa Stark or Cersei Lannister, acting behind the scenes, never wielding swords. During the Targaryen Civil War, both men and women made history, including Alysanne Blackwood, of House Blackwood.

In the casting news confirmed by HBO Max, the name of the actress who will play Black Allys does not yet appear, but I suspect that the Frenchwoman Emeline Lambert could be her. Emeline, who was in the cast of Django and Invasion (on Apple TV Plus), is according to IMDB in a single episode of the 8, but it would be in the 5th, so although the initial guesses are that she plays Sara Snow, I suspect that it is Alysanne. What would be more impactful for her!

*Note July 2024: Now we know Emeline was cast for ONE scene as Daemon’s mother: Alyssa Targaryen.

Sara, as we have said before, is the bastard sister of Cregan Stark (Tom Taylor) and who will possibly have a romantic involvement with Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collet), but a name eventually mentioned in the pages of Westeros. Alysanne will have a more active future throughout history. Emeline doesn’t have many credits to her name, but she could be a fresh face, right?

Hunter, archer, and fierce: an admired woman

According to the book Fire and Blood, Alysanne was not known for her beauty or softness, but for being fierce, fearless, and foul-mouthed. A huntress and Amazon, she was also associated with Lady Sabitha Frey, although she later married Cregan Stark and had children with him.

In the civil war, House Blackwood declared itself loyal to Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and a teenage Alysanne was already standing out in society. The Blackwoods had as moral enemies anyone from House Bracken, who obviously supported the Greens. The two families will be in one of the battles that will feature prominently in the season, the Battle of the Burning Mill, and Black Allys, as Alysanne would come to be known, played an important role in the outcome of the clash.

As we know, Ser Amos Bracken kills Lord Samwell Blackwood in single combat, but he is immediately killed with an arrow that hits his eye through the slit in his helmet, an arrow fired by Alysanne to avenge her brother’s death. Ally accompanied her family on every campaign for Rhaenyra, participating in battles and leading the archers of the Riverlands. Because of this, she will witness the deaths of many dear relatives, including her nephew.

‘Bad Tongues’ questioned the nature of her very close relationship with Lady Sabitha Frey during the campaign because the two shared a tent. Whether the series will explore more what was behind the scenes, we will find out over time.

The fact that Alys is already in the second season does not conclude her story as she will have greater prominence even after the series, not here. This is because she will be in King’s Landing, after Rhaenyra’s death and during the brief reign of Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney), probably participating in the plot that poisoned the King shortly before Cregan Stark arrived in the capital.

Cregan will be the biggest supporter of Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen’s (Matt Smith) son, the future king Aegon III. Like everyone in Winterfell and House Stark, Cregan is a man who considers Honor and Duty above all else and will not like the plot made by Aegon II’s trusted men to remove him from the throne, no matter how bad he is. As Hand of the King, now Aegon III, Lord Stark ordered the arrest of all suspects, a historic moment called the Hour of the Wolf. Lord Corlys Velaryon will be among those detained, a problem for the new king who is his granddaughters’ half-brother.

The book says that Cregan, unlike the new king, is determined to execute Corlys, but it is precisely Ally who convinces him to spare him. The two meet at court and the young Lord, who is widowed, is interested in Alysanne’s authenticity, enjoying her company. She also seems to have appreciated Cregan’s honesty, so when she argued in favor of Ser Corlys, he listened. Black Allys argued that it was for Peace in Westeros that Ser Corlys’ life should be maintained, but also as a favor to her in exchange for whatever Cregan wanted. What did he want? His hand in marriage. She willingly agreed, which leaves room to see how much of a seduction or negotiation it will actually be. Be that as it may, Peace truly reigned in King’s Landing again.

Alysanne and Cregan Stark were married at Winterfell in a union that was even more symbolic given that many of the men who had left the North for the South did not return, with the couple’s blessing, to rebuild the river and river lands as well as connecting the ties between the two regions. From the marriage, four daughters were born, Sarra, Alys, Raya, and Mariah. Rickon Stark, Cregan’s firstborn and heir, approved the new stepmother and the North remained isolated from the rest of the politicking in King’s Landing.

In other words, Alysanne Blackwood is a character that interests all fans of House Stark. At some unspecified time in later decades, Alysanne died. Cregan, who would live to be 88, married a third time, to Lynara Stark, a distant cousin. with whom he had four more sons and a daughter. Due to male preference inheritance law, Aly Blackwood’s daughters fell behind Lynara’s sons in succession. No matter, in a Kingdom where love marriages are rare, the union between Cregan and Black Alys will be a good exception. And she’s a great character.

But… what about Lady Sabitha Frey?

Well, Lady Sabitha was married to Lord Forrest Frey but will be widowed at the Battle of the Lakeshore. There is a curious passage in which, after the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, she managed to capture Harrenhal because Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) and Prince Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) abandoned the castle. However, when Aemond returned unexpectedly, Sabitha had to hide in a bathroom to escape Vhagar’s fury. Then Lady Sabitha abandoned the war and returned to the Twins.

Lady Sabitha and her relatives from House Vypren will be at the battle of Tumbleton in support of Ser Addam Velaryon, as well as at the Battle of the King’s Road. In the meantime, she and Alysanne Blackwood begin to share tents and arrive together at King’s Landing.

Despite having such a significant role, Lady Sabitha was ignored when the Council of Aegon III was formed, something she seems not to have minded as it allowed her to return to the Riverlands once and for all and help rebuild the country post-war. Without a new husband, she was one of the greatest Ladies in the history of Westeros.

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