Bethanny

Bethanny is the proprietor and madame of The Merry Mermaid brothel on the Iron Islands.

Background
Bethanny spent her childhood on Saltcliffe as a dressmaker. Her father was a raider, her mother a salt wife, and Bethanny did not have particular fondness for either of them. She managed to work her way on a ship to Lannisport, where she made a good sum of money selling her dresses. Bethanny caught the eye of a wealthy, older man, and she married him only a year before he died. She decided to turn his extravagant home into a brothel, where her fortunes only grew.

Eventually, Bethanny found herself homesick, and so she sold her brothel and made her way back to the Iron Islands, where she moved to Harlaw and opened up yet another brothel. The Merry Mermaid originally serviced all kinds of customers, but a few sick girls and fights led Bethanny to implement strict rules for the type of clientele she let in, and even hired guards for her girls.

Bethanny wanted to set her brothel apart from others, so she sought out children of thralls for more exotic types of girls. Eliza was among them.

Bethanny did not get sick during the Summer Plague, and neither did any of her girls. She refused to let anyone stay in her house, and smuggled goods in from safe cities in Essos during this time. Though this set her finances back, she made it up tenfold after the illness passed over.

After Dagny helped arm and armor her guards, Bethanny decided to let her move into the brothel's "cursed" Red Room, even though she would not be trained as a prostitute.

She also elevated Eliza to the position of majordomo, impressed by her intelligence and fire.

Personality
Bethanny grew up with some coin, so she has never known major hardship. Nonetheless, she does pity those who do, and will offer aid as long as it doesn't set her back too much. She is a shrewd, but fair woman, who does not treat her girls badly -- and does not tolerate others treating them badly, either.

Bethanny has traditional notions on sexuality, prohibiting homosexuality and other "perversions" from her brothel.

While born into the culture of the ironborn, Bethanny's mother being a salt wife led her to never want to marry for anything but her own benefit. She also holds little love for the affairs of men and lords, and has no opinion on the affairs of the Salt Throne, as long as it doesn't interfere with her business.