Lemore

Septa Lemore is a woman of hidden depths and deliberate ambiguity, a key figure in the conspiracy to restore the Targaryen dynasty. She travels aboard the poleboat Shy Maid as part of the small company assembled by the exiled lord Jon Connington and the Pentoshi magister Illyrio Mopatis. Her official role is to instruct the young man known as Young Griff—secretly Prince Aegon Targaryen, the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell—in the mysteries of the Faith of the Seven. Yet her own identity, her past, and her true motives are never fully revealed, making her one of the most enigmatic presences in the narrative.

Identity and Role

Lemore presents herself as a septa, wearing the white robes and crystal of her order, and she performs the religious instruction of the prince with apparent sincerity. She is described as past forty, more handsome than pretty, with a warm and sometimes playful demeanor. She bathes in the river each morning, a habit that draws the attention of Tyrion Lannister, who observes her with a mixture of lust and suspicion. Tyrion notes that she has stretch marks on her belly from childbirth, a detail that contradicts the vow of chastity expected of a septa. This physical evidence, combined with her easy manner and the company she keeps, suggests that her identity as a septa is a cover, a role adopted for the purposes of the conspiracy.

Relationship with the Conspiracy

Lemore is deeply embedded in the plot to place Aegon on the Iron Throne. She is trusted by Jon Connington, the prince's guardian, and is one of the few who knows the boy's true identity. She argues with Connington about the timing of revealing the prince, urging caution and warning that the sellswords of the Golden Company cannot be trusted. Her concern is for the prince's safety, and she is protective of him, even as she acknowledges the necessity of his eventual public emergence. When the company passes through the Sorrows, she prays fervently, and her fear of the stone men is palpable. She is also the one who forces water from Tyrion's lungs after he nearly drowns, and she washes him with vinegar in an attempt to prevent greyscale, showing a practical and caring side.

Ambiguity and Secrecy

Lemore's past is a subject of speculation. Tyrion, ever the cynic, wonders who she really is and why she is part of the plot. He notes that she is not as innocent as she appears, pointing to her stretch marks as evidence of a past life. She deflects questions about her history with humor and evasion. When asked about her name, she says she has none, a claim that echoes the philosophy of the Faceless Men but is more likely a simple refusal to reveal her true identity. Her fluency in the Common Tongue and her knowledge of the Faith suggest a Westerosi origin, but nothing more is confirmed. She is a woman who has chosen to bury her past in service to a future king, and the narrative respects that choice by leaving her story untold.

Thematic Significance

Lemore embodies the theme of hidden identity that runs throughout the series. She is a figure of faith who is not what she seems, a mother who has given up her child, a woman who has sacrificed her own history for a cause. Her presence on the Shy Maid is a constant reminder that the game of thrones is played not only by kings and lords but also by those who serve them in the shadows. She is a protector, a teacher, and a mystery, and her ultimate fate remains unwritten.