Infertility was often looked down upon in such circles as nobility, even in the Salt Shore – and despite the multitude of bastards roaming the castle halls, the Gargalens found themselves childless. A sad thing indeed, priestesses and priests were summoned to deal with such an affliction, as obviously it was the Lord’s bride who was the cause and not the Lord himself. But alas! One day, Lady Azra Gargalen (nee Qorgyle) birthed a male – an heir! Surely, their plight was over! And wanting a big family, it was no wonder the couple tried again soon.

It is estimated that Lady Azra suffered at least seven miscarriages and three still-births – not including the twins Aime and Alban, celebrated yet sadly deceased after being born two months early. A black cloud hung over the estate at Salt Shore and Lord Adelard Gargalen was sure their son was meant to be their only child – a blessing in every way, even if their dreams of a litter faded. It was twenty-two years after their first child’s birth that an assumed barren Lady Gargalen fell pregnant again. Overjoyed and skeptical all at once, the woman kept herself grounded and for good reason: once more, her last child – a girl – was born two months early. The couple prepared for the worst…

Atiya was born that day in year 116, premature in every way and at the Gods’ mercy. With all odds against her, the child proved strong – not just living past her first day of life, but making it past her first name day. Beloved was she and not just by her family, but by those serving the Gargalens. Ranalh, albeit in his twenties, had a sister to dote upon for his last three unmarried years and both he and his father publicly declared the infant child a gift from the Gods. However, none viewed Ati as just that more than her own mother.

The woman was protective from the get-go. Even with Atiya being the social child she was, Lady Azra was hardly ever far away. She made sure that daughter of hers was kept safe and nearby at all times, hiring the best tutors she could muster and fighting for the young lady to stay in Salt Shore rather than going to Sunspear. Still, the child was allowed some freedoms – she had friends and leisurely swims at the shore with septas. By all means, she seemed normal if not slightly more sheltered than the other children.

All was copacetic until the Ironborn attacked the shore. It was a devastating time for all and while Lady Azra did her best to guard her (then) 8-year-old daughter from the disaster, it also set her mental illness to climax. Surely, a woman who had been dealt so much heartbreak wasn’t sane. And then for that heartbreak to lift to something so precious? The prospect of losing it was terrifying. No, Atiya was not seen since then – at least not by anyone who wasn’t staff or family. Her studies continued, but her unique childish giggles left the Salt Shore halls. Criticized, such sheltering was condoned by Lord Adelard, who had much bigger fish to fry at the time.

Personality wise, the child had been soft prior to her sudden imprisonment (at least what she later felt as such). She was a lover of stories and music, a self-proclaimed minstrel who would marry a prince just like the stories read to her at night. It was no wonder that – as studies go – Atiya took a special interest in such arts, but even more showed a complete knack for linguistics. By the age of thirteen, the child was completely fluent in both Rhoynish and Valyrian, holding complete conversations with her tutors in each subject. As far as etiquette went, Ati had lessons in those things too, not missing out one bit by her mother’s insanity.