| “ | - I came very close once. I was alone in a room with a naked girl...young and gorgeous. A whore named Ros. - What color hair? - Red. |
” |
—— Jon Snow and Samwell Tarly
|
Ros is a recurring character in the first and second seasons. She is played by guest star Esme Bianco and debuts in the series premiere. Ros is a prostitute and renowned beauty.
Biography
Background
Ros is a prostitute in a brothel in Winterfell's outlying town. She has drawn the attention of the young nobles of Winterfell including Theon Greyjoy and Jon Snow. Theon is a regular customer while Jon is not. Jon once paid Ros for her time but did not have sex with her because of a pang of conscience over the possibility of fathering a bastard when he has suffered being a bastard himself.
Season 1
Ros is shown entertaining Tyrion Lannister shortly after his arrival at Winterfell. She informs Tyrion that the whorehouse was especially alerted to his imminent arrival, though by whom is not revealed.[1] Theon Greyjoy recommends Ros to Tyrion, unaware that Tyrion is already acquainted with her. Tyrion promises 'not to wear her out'. Jon Snow mentions to his friend Samwell Tarly that he once had the opportunity to have sex with Ros but he ultimately declined, due to his fear that if he fathered bastard children of his own, as a bastard himself he would have nothing to offer them.[2] Theon sneaks Ros into his chambers. He notices that she is wearing a Lannister lion pendant and she tells him that it was a gift from Tyrion. He becomes angry when she insinuates that Tyrion is a superior lover and that his family's honor is suspect due to the failed Greyjoy Rebellion. When he refuses to pay for the encounter, Ros suggests that he gets a wife instead, infuriating Theon further.[3]
Theon is surprised to see Ros sitting in the back of a turnip carriage. She tells him she has decided to leave Winterfell to seek out employment in King's Landing, and is planning to get a ship from White Harbor. Theon reluctantly says he'll miss her.[4]
Arriving in King's Landing, Ros finds employment at a brothel owned by Littlefinger. He tutors her and another prostitute, Armeca, in the art of seduction. Ros learns that Littlefinger is infatuated with a woman who was betrothed to a man who injured him in a duel, but she later married the man's brother. However, it does not appear that she recognises the woman in the story as Lady Catelyn Stark.[5]
Ros's services are employed by Grand Maester Pycelle in King's Landing. As she gathers her clothes to leave, Pycelle begins to tell her about all the kings he has served, eventually his ramblings fade and she becomes impatient, questioning him about the original point of his speech. She leaves, frustrated.[6]
Season 2
Ros watches two new prostitutes in Petyr Baelish’s brothel practicing their art. She repeats Petyr’s advice to ease into the act slowly and with passion. She tells the new employees to wash and dress for work that night before walking away. She is followed by Daisy, who she instructs in the merits of their upmarket brothel. She greets Lord Orson who is passing with a young man as she tells Daisy that they cater to a higher class of customer than she was used to in Haystack Hall. Daisy watches Armeca leading a client away. Ros notes that Armeca pretends not to speak the Common tongue in order to seem exotic and reveals that she actually grew up in Flea Bottom. Daisy says that Armeca is beautiful but Ros is dismissive of her colleague.[7]
Lord Commander Janos Slynt enters with several of his men. Ros greets him with familiarity. More goldcloaks enter with a bloodied prisoner and Janos snaps his fingers at his men who begin to search the brothel. Ros reminds him that Petyr is the establishment’s owner and Janos cites orders. Ros wonders who the orders came from and Janos tells her only that they are from someone who doesn’t care what Petyr thinks. Mhaegen is dragged into the room, holding her baby Barra (one of Robert’s bastards). Janos looks at his prisoner who nods recognition. Janos then signals one of his men who takes the baby from the sobbing Mhaegen, draws his knife and then hesitates. Janos tells his man to kill the baby and then does it himself when his subordinate cannot, horrifying both Ros and Mhaegen.[7]
Ros is still visibly upset about the death of Barra. Lord Petyr Baelish comes into her room and she confides in him. However, Baelish compares her to a beautiful girl he purchased from a Lyseni pleasure house for an exorbitant price. The girl was so sad Baelish gained no money from her and he sold her to a Lord who wanted to "transform" her, a man who derived pleasure from things most men would find unthinkable.[8]
Tyrion Lannister hires Ros and Daisy as a present for his nephew King Joffrey Baratheon. They wait for him in his chamber. When he arrives Ros wishes him a happy name day and then reaches for his crotch. He flinches and then instructs Ros to touch Daisy. He asks if Ros can hit Daisy and she spanks her gently. Joffrey asks if Tyrion sent them and Ros says that Tyrion chose them himself. Joffrey takes off his belt and gives it to Ros to use. He forces Ros to hit Daisy hard enough to make her scream. He hands Ros a stag’s head sceptre and she protests that too much pain will spoil the pleasure. He loads his crossbow as Ros warns him that his uncle might find out. He tells Ros that he wants Tyrion to find out and orders her to take Daisy to Tyrion’s chambers to show him what has happened or she will also be beaten. He aims the crossbow at Ros and orders her to begin.[9]
Ros is captured by Queen Regent Cersei Lannister, who mistakenly believes that she is Tyrion's lover (as a result of the Lannister pendant Tyrion gave Ros in Winterfell). She has Ros beaten and kept prisoner. She plans to use her captivity to force Tyrion into keeping Joffrey safe, believing that Tyrion is plotting to kill him. She displays Ros to Tyrion and explains that she will kill her if harm comes to Joffrey. Tyrion plays along to maintain the secret that Shae is his true lover, Ros does the same. Tyrion vows to free Ros and she begs him not to forget her.[10]
Some time after the Battle of Blackwater Bay, Ros is visited by Varys, though she doesn't realize who he is until she discovers his eunuch status. Varys gets Ros to admit she's afraid of Littlefinger, and tells her that unlike her current employer, he protects those who work for him. [11]
Relationships
Colleagues
- Petyr Baelish (employer)
- Daisy
- Armeca
- Mhaegen
Clients
Some of the highest lords and not-so-high lords in Westeros have been customers of Ros, including:
- Tyrion Lannister
- Theon Greyjoy
- Jon Snow (declined)
- Grand Maester Pycelle
- King Joffrey Baratheon (without actual sex)
Appearances
In the books
Ros does not appear in the books and is the first character created specifically for the show. However, some fans have speculated that her role is based on the "red-headed whore" who appears very briefly in the first novel. This is strengthened by the fact that Bianco was originally announced as playing "red-headed whore" and that the character was given a name at George R.R. Martin's suggestion.
Loosely speaking, Ros does stand in for, or act as a condensation of, several different prostitute characters that existed in the books. For example, in the books Cersei does imprison a prostitute that she thinks is Tyrion's lover (although his actual lover is Shae), but it is a different character named Alayaya, the daughter of Chataya, the woman who owns the whorehouse. The entire subplot involving these prostitute characters was cut from the TV series, and Ros functionally assumes this role in the story.
Martin has stated that he intends to work the character into later books in the series, probably as a throwaway cameo just to tie her presence into both the series and books.
Image gallery
- Ros and Tyrion.png
Ros with Tyrion Lannister in the North.
- RosAndJoffrey.jpg
King Joffrey torments Ros
- Ros 2x10.png
Ros covering her bruises in "Valar Morghulis"
- Ros and Varys 2x10.png
Varys tells Ros what he would like her to do in "Valar Morghulis"