A massive, thick set Valyrian warrior who wears armor in a casual manner and tames dragons with apparent ease. But at heart, he's just a big softie who likes prayer, justice and long walks on the beach XD
Seven Kingdoms - A Game of Thrones MultiplayAAR
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Great, so my son's murderer was married to one of Bryan's sisters (shakes fist in anger)
Let's hope that perfidious Myatt can be brought to justice. Hopefully the Tyrells will get a bit of respite from these cruel deaths that have been plaguing them.
Also, loved the scene with Ronnel and Urlon at the Moon Door.
Also, loved the scene with Ronnel and Urlon at the Moon Door.
Aegon Baratheon, Lord of the Stormlands
35 AL - 38 AL
My wife and my unborn child had been taken from me - there was no changing what had happened. Taena's passing was a great tragedy but also a murder and I could not help but to wonder who orchestrated her demise. The fact that someone had even dared to venture this far to damage my house was concerning, but that the culprit had targeted a pregnant woman was even more troubling. I knew none who would've wanted to harm her so I could not help but to blame myself for her death. Somewhere along the road I'd made enemies of people that were utterly without mercy, people who did not hesitate to harm those they saw as a threat. Improvements were made to the defences of Storm's End to ensure that no further harm would come upon my family. Little Rhaenyra had already lost her mother and I would make sure she never again suffered due to my mistakes.
Although no love had blossomed between me and my wife, Taena's passing nevertheless left me with a hollow feeling. Drained of vigor and left mourning, I soon became unable to do what was required of me as the Lord of the Stormlands. Neglecting my duties had an inpact on my vassals as well and some began to question my right to rule, hoping to rise in my place. It was then that I realized I could not let my personal feelings affect my rule. I sent men to bring me Lord Lewys Morrigen of Crow's Nest, one of the main conspirators in chains to Storm's End. As things went amiss and Lord Lewys managed to evade capture, instead putting all the men to sword that I'd sent to detain him, I had to turn to another solution. Lord Lewys was branded a traitor and a message was sent throughout the Stormlands, calling my vassals to march upon Lord Morrigen.
It was a war that was won even before it truly started. No other lords rose to support Lord Lewys and so the lonely lord of Crow's Nest stood alone against the combined strength of his former friends, neighbours and fellow Stormlanders. It was as if a competition for my favor had began; my vassals raced to be the first at Crow's Nest, hoping to get the glory of bringing the traitor on his knees. By the time I arrived there personally, the castle had already surrendered and its lord was accomodated in his own dungeons. The loyalist forces had prevailed, but the truth behind the victory was one I'd not expected. Upon realizing that his cause was lost, Lord Morrigen had returned to his castle with his troops, closing the gates and preparing for a siege. The loyalist forces soon arrived and put a siege on the castle while the nobles began to argue who would gain control of the attacking forces. As they were unable to come to a peaceful solution, the siege dragged on - until a knight, wearing a suit of armor bearing the sigil of House Wendwater, managed to rally part of the army to an attack. Unhappy with the ineffectual leading of their lieges, many followed the knight who led them into battle and even more came to assist when they saw that a battle had began.
Had the defenders of Crow's Nest been led well, the battle might've proven more bloody to the attackers. But Lord Morrigen's men were low on morale, having seen that the host gathered outside their castle was far greater in size. It did not take long for the castle to fall - once the gates were opened, the defenders scattered and were brought down one by one. The leading figure of the battle, the Stormlander 'knight', proved to everyone's dismay to be the maiden daughter Lord of Wendwater, Lady Rohanne, whose identity and gender had not been known during the battle. Her deception had fooled everyone; people had joined the battle, believing they were led by Lord Wendwater himself. But though Lady Rohanne had made a name for herself with her cunning, she'd not gotten through the clash unscathed. One of the defenders had managed to severely wound her, leaving a permanent mark on her face as a reminder that bravery also has a price.
The rebellion was over and Lord Lewys had lost. Treason is a crime punishable by death, but the sentence I gave to Lord Morrigen was one that served me better than the man's demise. I confiscated all the lands Lord Lewys and his ancestors had ruled over during the past centuries, thus bringing an end to the Morrigen reign of Crow's Nest. The castle and its lands remained under the stag banner as I wanted to increase my income and keep Crow's Nest to myself for now until a loyal follower of mine proved worthy of a castle of his own. I also returned to Storm's End with a woman beside me. Taking Lady Rohanne as my wife was as much a diplomatic move as my personal wish; her bravery and cleverness had made me realize that she was a woman of my liking. But I also needed a wife and not just some foreign woman like Taena, with whom I had been betrothed due to my father's wish. Rohanne was a Stormlander, just like all my vassals, and of noble descent besides.
I had taken a liking at Rohanne ever since I first glanced upon her at Crow's Nest, but to have her only for myself was more a bliss than I ever could've imagined. Taena's death had changed me permanently and there was no going back to the boy I once was, but Rohanne helped me to remember what it truly is to live. She reacted to my feelings in the same way and soon we became more than just a husband and a wife. Having been wounded in fighting the Morrigens, she'd feared that no man would take her as a wife after her face had been ruined. In the end her fears had proved to be for naught. I seldom smiled any longer, but in her presence I could forget my sorrows at least for a little while.
Later that year I received an invitation from King Maelon to come to the capital to discuss politics and to feast under his roof. It was an offer I could not refuse and so I began the journey up the Kingsroad along with Rhaenyra, my daughter from my first wife, Rohanne, Prince Aerion and his wife Princess Valaena Targaryen. It had been years since I'd last seen the place I'd been raised at by the Conqueror and there was much I wanted to show to my five-years old daughter. Prince Aerion and his wife had not seen their twin daughters for many years and relished at the thought of seeing them again. His mother and Conqueror's sister-wife, Visenya Targaryen, had died a little while earlier, leaving her Valyrian steel sword 'Dark Sister' for her younger son. As Aerion rode through the gates of King's Landing beside me with the sword about his waist, I felt an odd sensation of nostalgy.
The place I was returning to was no longer what it once was. I recognised the way to the Red Keep, but the city had changed much during the past few years. A huge catedral now loomed atop Visenya's Hill, bearing the name of its contractor, King Maelon himself. The Dragonpit, a huge dome to keep the Targaryen dragons in, rose on Rhaenys' Hill, appearing as formidable as it had during my childhood. From what I heard, Rhaenys Targaryen's dragon Meraxes now resided there once more. After the Queen of Stepstones had died, rumouredly of a pox caught from one of the lovers she'd taken to comfort her after King Aegon's death, the firstborn son of King Maelon had tamed her dragon. The heir, Prince Maelys, was whispered to be a rotten apple fallen far away from the tree. I felt a shiver climb up my back as I thought of a mad dragonrider one day sitting on the Iron Throne.
Lords from all over Westeros had come to attend the banquet hosted by King Maelon. It felt oddly good to see so many familiar faces that I'd grown up around, among them my cousin the king himself. But as always, there was a downside to everything. Seeing Queen Elaena ripped open old wounds, ones that had almost healed. She was my cousin by blood, true, but it had not stopped her from planning my death - and possibly being behind Taena's. I kept my distance from her and she was wise to do the same, but even being in the same room with her ruined my mood. When the discussion went on to my business with Lord Lewys and his short rebellion, my blood was already boiling. As one of the pirate 'lords' of Stepstones went so far as to question my honor and make remarks on my wife's face, I'd had enough.
Perhaps there was yet some Targaryen blood in me, for a dragon woke inside of me. I responded to 'Lord' Lyssono Saan's insults with words much harsher than his. I reminder everyone that although he was called a lord, he was but a pirate and an outlaw in the past. For most of the evening he'd boasted about his white hair that was similar to the Targaryens', but I explained that it was only due to the fact that his ancestors the Lyseni had been raped so thoroughly by the Valyrian conquerors that it could still be seen from their face even to this day. By the time I began telling everyone what Lys was famous of, Lyssono Saan had had his share. He jumped on the table, trying to make an attempt on my life with a dining knife like a lowborn son of a whore that he truly was. I got to my feet before the knife could reach my throat, and my guards were in an instant between him and me and my wife. Lyssono's pirate companions were soon upon mine, and much blood was spilled on the floor of the Red Keep before order was restored. In the end two of my men lay dead and three of his. The young heir of Tarth - squire of my master-at-arms Prince Aerion - was also severely wounded in the fighting.
Lyssono Saan was quick to flee the capital after the incident. I requested a permission from my cousin, the King, to pursue the rogue and bring justice in the name of House Tarth. I'd sworn to young Selwyn's father that the boy would be safe in Aerion's care, and the least I could do was to make the Lyseni pay for his actions. It was not purely for retaliation that I asked a permission to invade the lands of King Maelon's vassal. The Stepstones were closer to my lands than they were to the Crownlands, and I wanted to give a clear message to the pirates-risen-to-lords that if they ever crossed me, they'd have to pay for it with the highest price. There had been some cases of former pirates coming to Stormlander fishing villages to abuse the local folk in the name of King Maelon, to give one example, and I wanted to bring an end to such once and for all.
A bird flew before me, and so when I returned to Storm's End there was a fleet awaiting for me. Instead of marching to war, I was sailing towards it this time. But this time in my aid there was a dragonrider. Prince Aerion had ventured to the Dragonpit during our visit to the capital, succesfully managing to tame his late mother's dragon. With Dark Sister and reins of Vhagar in his hands, Aerion Targaryen had become a more powerful ally than I ever could've imagined him to be.
Having served in a sellsword company across the Narrow Sea for many years, there was much Aerion knew about the Free Cities of Essos. He told me many things about the foreign cultures and the part of the world I had yet to see. He told me of Queen Rhaenys' conquest of the Stepstones and his father's part in it in such detail that I understood he'd been there to witness the fall of the pirates. Beside me was a veteran of dozens of battles, a prince who'd fought at the Battle of Ghost Hill when he was yet still a boy. There was so much I could learn from him, this warrior who for some reason had decided to pledge his sword to my cause instead of his brother, the king. Seeing the death and destruction his dragon Vhagar brought upon Dark Den, the seat of Lyssono Saan, only made me more humble before the Targaryen prince.
I did not hang the wretched pirate from the mast of his ship or bless him the Ironborn way, no. I decided to bring him with me in chains back to Storm's End and spare his life, even if that meant he'd spend the rest of his days or at least a great part of them in my custody. After receiving a message from my wife during the war that my mother had died, I'd lost my thirst for blood and vengeance. Princess Argella, the last of the Durrandon line, had died peacefully in her sleep. I had him buried beside my father, Lord Orys, who'd died years earlier during the invasion of Dorne. She'd served as my regent and advisor for my whole reign, but with Rohanne beside me I knew I'd do well.
I'd expected that things would turn calm and quiet, now that I was back at home. Fate had something else in mind, however. King Maelon called me to the capital to serve in the Small Council and to work as the Master-at-Arms of Red Keep, now that the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Anguy Cafferen, had died untimely from an illness. He also required a guardian for one of his sons, Prince Lucerys, who'd been trained by Ser Anguy to this point. I'd always obeyed the King and done what I could in his service and so I would once more. I began a journey to King's Landing, taking both Rhaenyra and Rohanne with me and leaving Aerion to rule Storm's End in my name.
35 AL - 38 AL
My wife and my unborn child had been taken from me - there was no changing what had happened. Taena's passing was a great tragedy but also a murder and I could not help but to wonder who orchestrated her demise. The fact that someone had even dared to venture this far to damage my house was concerning, but that the culprit had targeted a pregnant woman was even more troubling. I knew none who would've wanted to harm her so I could not help but to blame myself for her death. Somewhere along the road I'd made enemies of people that were utterly without mercy, people who did not hesitate to harm those they saw as a threat. Improvements were made to the defences of Storm's End to ensure that no further harm would come upon my family. Little Rhaenyra had already lost her mother and I would make sure she never again suffered due to my mistakes.
Although no love had blossomed between me and my wife, Taena's passing nevertheless left me with a hollow feeling. Drained of vigor and left mourning, I soon became unable to do what was required of me as the Lord of the Stormlands. Neglecting my duties had an inpact on my vassals as well and some began to question my right to rule, hoping to rise in my place. It was then that I realized I could not let my personal feelings affect my rule. I sent men to bring me Lord Lewys Morrigen of Crow's Nest, one of the main conspirators in chains to Storm's End. As things went amiss and Lord Lewys managed to evade capture, instead putting all the men to sword that I'd sent to detain him, I had to turn to another solution. Lord Lewys was branded a traitor and a message was sent throughout the Stormlands, calling my vassals to march upon Lord Morrigen.
It was a war that was won even before it truly started. No other lords rose to support Lord Lewys and so the lonely lord of Crow's Nest stood alone against the combined strength of his former friends, neighbours and fellow Stormlanders. It was as if a competition for my favor had began; my vassals raced to be the first at Crow's Nest, hoping to get the glory of bringing the traitor on his knees. By the time I arrived there personally, the castle had already surrendered and its lord was accomodated in his own dungeons. The loyalist forces had prevailed, but the truth behind the victory was one I'd not expected. Upon realizing that his cause was lost, Lord Morrigen had returned to his castle with his troops, closing the gates and preparing for a siege. The loyalist forces soon arrived and put a siege on the castle while the nobles began to argue who would gain control of the attacking forces. As they were unable to come to a peaceful solution, the siege dragged on - until a knight, wearing a suit of armor bearing the sigil of House Wendwater, managed to rally part of the army to an attack. Unhappy with the ineffectual leading of their lieges, many followed the knight who led them into battle and even more came to assist when they saw that a battle had began.
Had the defenders of Crow's Nest been led well, the battle might've proven more bloody to the attackers. But Lord Morrigen's men were low on morale, having seen that the host gathered outside their castle was far greater in size. It did not take long for the castle to fall - once the gates were opened, the defenders scattered and were brought down one by one. The leading figure of the battle, the Stormlander 'knight', proved to everyone's dismay to be the maiden daughter Lord of Wendwater, Lady Rohanne, whose identity and gender had not been known during the battle. Her deception had fooled everyone; people had joined the battle, believing they were led by Lord Wendwater himself. But though Lady Rohanne had made a name for herself with her cunning, she'd not gotten through the clash unscathed. One of the defenders had managed to severely wound her, leaving a permanent mark on her face as a reminder that bravery also has a price.
The rebellion was over and Lord Lewys had lost. Treason is a crime punishable by death, but the sentence I gave to Lord Morrigen was one that served me better than the man's demise. I confiscated all the lands Lord Lewys and his ancestors had ruled over during the past centuries, thus bringing an end to the Morrigen reign of Crow's Nest. The castle and its lands remained under the stag banner as I wanted to increase my income and keep Crow's Nest to myself for now until a loyal follower of mine proved worthy of a castle of his own. I also returned to Storm's End with a woman beside me. Taking Lady Rohanne as my wife was as much a diplomatic move as my personal wish; her bravery and cleverness had made me realize that she was a woman of my liking. But I also needed a wife and not just some foreign woman like Taena, with whom I had been betrothed due to my father's wish. Rohanne was a Stormlander, just like all my vassals, and of noble descent besides.
I had taken a liking at Rohanne ever since I first glanced upon her at Crow's Nest, but to have her only for myself was more a bliss than I ever could've imagined. Taena's death had changed me permanently and there was no going back to the boy I once was, but Rohanne helped me to remember what it truly is to live. She reacted to my feelings in the same way and soon we became more than just a husband and a wife. Having been wounded in fighting the Morrigens, she'd feared that no man would take her as a wife after her face had been ruined. In the end her fears had proved to be for naught. I seldom smiled any longer, but in her presence I could forget my sorrows at least for a little while.
Later that year I received an invitation from King Maelon to come to the capital to discuss politics and to feast under his roof. It was an offer I could not refuse and so I began the journey up the Kingsroad along with Rhaenyra, my daughter from my first wife, Rohanne, Prince Aerion and his wife Princess Valaena Targaryen. It had been years since I'd last seen the place I'd been raised at by the Conqueror and there was much I wanted to show to my five-years old daughter. Prince Aerion and his wife had not seen their twin daughters for many years and relished at the thought of seeing them again. His mother and Conqueror's sister-wife, Visenya Targaryen, had died a little while earlier, leaving her Valyrian steel sword 'Dark Sister' for her younger son. As Aerion rode through the gates of King's Landing beside me with the sword about his waist, I felt an odd sensation of nostalgy.
The place I was returning to was no longer what it once was. I recognised the way to the Red Keep, but the city had changed much during the past few years. A huge catedral now loomed atop Visenya's Hill, bearing the name of its contractor, King Maelon himself. The Dragonpit, a huge dome to keep the Targaryen dragons in, rose on Rhaenys' Hill, appearing as formidable as it had during my childhood. From what I heard, Rhaenys Targaryen's dragon Meraxes now resided there once more. After the Queen of Stepstones had died, rumouredly of a pox caught from one of the lovers she'd taken to comfort her after King Aegon's death, the firstborn son of King Maelon had tamed her dragon. The heir, Prince Maelys, was whispered to be a rotten apple fallen far away from the tree. I felt a shiver climb up my back as I thought of a mad dragonrider one day sitting on the Iron Throne.
Lords from all over Westeros had come to attend the banquet hosted by King Maelon. It felt oddly good to see so many familiar faces that I'd grown up around, among them my cousin the king himself. But as always, there was a downside to everything. Seeing Queen Elaena ripped open old wounds, ones that had almost healed. She was my cousin by blood, true, but it had not stopped her from planning my death - and possibly being behind Taena's. I kept my distance from her and she was wise to do the same, but even being in the same room with her ruined my mood. When the discussion went on to my business with Lord Lewys and his short rebellion, my blood was already boiling. As one of the pirate 'lords' of Stepstones went so far as to question my honor and make remarks on my wife's face, I'd had enough.
Perhaps there was yet some Targaryen blood in me, for a dragon woke inside of me. I responded to 'Lord' Lyssono Saan's insults with words much harsher than his. I reminder everyone that although he was called a lord, he was but a pirate and an outlaw in the past. For most of the evening he'd boasted about his white hair that was similar to the Targaryens', but I explained that it was only due to the fact that his ancestors the Lyseni had been raped so thoroughly by the Valyrian conquerors that it could still be seen from their face even to this day. By the time I began telling everyone what Lys was famous of, Lyssono Saan had had his share. He jumped on the table, trying to make an attempt on my life with a dining knife like a lowborn son of a whore that he truly was. I got to my feet before the knife could reach my throat, and my guards were in an instant between him and me and my wife. Lyssono's pirate companions were soon upon mine, and much blood was spilled on the floor of the Red Keep before order was restored. In the end two of my men lay dead and three of his. The young heir of Tarth - squire of my master-at-arms Prince Aerion - was also severely wounded in the fighting.
Lyssono Saan was quick to flee the capital after the incident. I requested a permission from my cousin, the King, to pursue the rogue and bring justice in the name of House Tarth. I'd sworn to young Selwyn's father that the boy would be safe in Aerion's care, and the least I could do was to make the Lyseni pay for his actions. It was not purely for retaliation that I asked a permission to invade the lands of King Maelon's vassal. The Stepstones were closer to my lands than they were to the Crownlands, and I wanted to give a clear message to the pirates-risen-to-lords that if they ever crossed me, they'd have to pay for it with the highest price. There had been some cases of former pirates coming to Stormlander fishing villages to abuse the local folk in the name of King Maelon, to give one example, and I wanted to bring an end to such once and for all.
A bird flew before me, and so when I returned to Storm's End there was a fleet awaiting for me. Instead of marching to war, I was sailing towards it this time. But this time in my aid there was a dragonrider. Prince Aerion had ventured to the Dragonpit during our visit to the capital, succesfully managing to tame his late mother's dragon. With Dark Sister and reins of Vhagar in his hands, Aerion Targaryen had become a more powerful ally than I ever could've imagined him to be.
Having served in a sellsword company across the Narrow Sea for many years, there was much Aerion knew about the Free Cities of Essos. He told me many things about the foreign cultures and the part of the world I had yet to see. He told me of Queen Rhaenys' conquest of the Stepstones and his father's part in it in such detail that I understood he'd been there to witness the fall of the pirates. Beside me was a veteran of dozens of battles, a prince who'd fought at the Battle of Ghost Hill when he was yet still a boy. There was so much I could learn from him, this warrior who for some reason had decided to pledge his sword to my cause instead of his brother, the king. Seeing the death and destruction his dragon Vhagar brought upon Dark Den, the seat of Lyssono Saan, only made me more humble before the Targaryen prince.
I did not hang the wretched pirate from the mast of his ship or bless him the Ironborn way, no. I decided to bring him with me in chains back to Storm's End and spare his life, even if that meant he'd spend the rest of his days or at least a great part of them in my custody. After receiving a message from my wife during the war that my mother had died, I'd lost my thirst for blood and vengeance. Princess Argella, the last of the Durrandon line, had died peacefully in her sleep. I had him buried beside my father, Lord Orys, who'd died years earlier during the invasion of Dorne. She'd served as my regent and advisor for my whole reign, but with Rohanne beside me I knew I'd do well.
I'd expected that things would turn calm and quiet, now that I was back at home. Fate had something else in mind, however. King Maelon called me to the capital to serve in the Small Council and to work as the Master-at-Arms of Red Keep, now that the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Anguy Cafferen, had died untimely from an illness. He also required a guardian for one of his sons, Prince Lucerys, who'd been trained by Ser Anguy to this point. I'd always obeyed the King and done what I could in his service and so I would once more. I began a journey to King's Landing, taking both Rhaenyra and Rohanne with me and leaving Aerion to rule Storm's End in my name.
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THE IRON THRONE
Maelon Targaryen
32nd through 36th Years Since Aegon's Conquest
Maelon Targaryen
32nd through 36th Years Since Aegon's Conquest
Lord Robert Myatt was no fool. Though unable to hunt as he had in his youth, and his sight was failing him, the stark white cloak of the man sent to detain his second son was easy enough to see, and Lord Robert knew that defying the King was not something to be undertaken lightly. Thus, with some heated and bitter remarks towards Ser Stafford, Lord Robert allowed the Kingsguard to search for and arrest Garrison Myatt. Slovenly and gluttonous, Garrison was quick to demand his rights to a trial before the King. With Ser Tyon acting as his accuser, acutely pointing out Garrison's role in the death of his nephew, Garrison could barely speak. Thus it was with little surprise that he was found guilty. Though several demanded his head, a life for a life, Maelon showed clemency, and so Byron's murderer was sentenced to a life upon the Wall.
With Garrison soon headed north to join the Black Brothers, life soon resumed as normal in King's Landing. With Elaena's expert acumen again employed, King's Landing began to flourish again. Yet, it was not only King's Landing that was reaping the benefits of peace and prosperity. In the Westerlands, Lord Lyman the Lionknight had established a new castle near Casterly Rock, calling it Brightwall from the way the sunrise shone upon its fortifications. Meanwhile, in the east, old Lord Matarys Velaryon called together a grand tourney on Driftmark, and for the first time since his coronation, Maelon travelled across the Blackwater Bay to compete, besting Matarys' brother, Daeron, and youngest son, Daemon, to claim the winner's purse. Such joyous times were buoyed even further with news that the Queen was pregnant with the couple's fifth child.
As if guided by malign forces, misfortune soon moved from the provinces to the capital itself, striking at those closest to the King. Within a matter of days from each other, both the High Septon and Dowager Queen, Viseyna Targaryen, fell ill and died, removing two of Maelon's strongest supporters. Famed in equal part for his sermons and for his closeness to the King, mere weeks after his passing, the late High Septon began to be called 'the Wise One', overshadowing his successor. Though the King himself took to deep mourning, fasting as was his wont, he did not force such upon his household. And so it was that young Maekar, his third son, ventured out to the Kingswood, eager to witness a grand hunt in all its splendor, as his guardian, Ser Anguy. Little did he know that he would prove to be the latest in a series of troubles to befall Maelon the Holy.
Without warning, suddenly a number of arrows flew through the air, striking several members of the court. Ser Anguy, in his resplendent armor and pure white cloak, was a popular mark for the outlaws, taking several arrows and cast from his horse. Riding together with his closest comrades, Byric the Bloody burst out of the underbrush, taking the courtiers by surprise. "We are the Killers of the Kingswood!" he called out, "We come for the princeling! If you wish to die, try and stop us!" A few foolish enough to dare soon found the consequence, and though young Maekar struggled, he was still no match for grown men. As the Killers of the Kingswood rode off, one cried out, "If Maelon the Mourner wants to see his son again, he will leave three hundred gold dragons near Hartshead!" And with that, the brigands and Maekar were gone.
As the King had declared, he departed from the Sept at dawn, and saw to it that his squires, Edmyn Tully and Bryan Arryn, had prepared his arms and armor, and that his horse was ready for the journey ahead. Clad as if for war, Maelon rode out for the Kingswood, accompanied for a way by Ser Clarence Crabb before Maelon would tolerate his presence no more. As the brigands had arranged, Maelon rode hard for Hartshead, in the lands of House Blount, arriving by late that evening; but where the brigands had expected dragons of gold, instead they would find one of sharp steel. Seeing a well-armed knight alone, the bandits perhaps thought him to be easy prey, and the King soon found himself surrounded by the Killers of the Kingswood. One called out, consumed with greed, "Where's our gold, damn you?!" His gaze soon went towards the road Maelon had taken, striving to spy the cart that would surely be needed for so great a ransom.
"Perhaps you may find it in the seven hells," Maelon retorted, his voice a low rumble. With that, he dismounted and drew his blade, declaring, "Where you wanted three hundred dragons, you shall find only one. Wickedness must perish immediately." His words having moved the outlaws to a fury, a number drew their weapons and charged the good king, intent upon his demise for having toyed with them. Armed with Blackfyre and a massive kite shield, Maelon was well-prepared for so great an assault, and of the many attackers, none could find purchase against the castle-forged steel, two perishing for their efforts at a swift slice of Valyrian steel. Curses rang out throughout the Kingswood, and now fighting for their lives, the brigands did not relent upon their attack. But Maelon fought like a dragon, having been trained since his youth by the Greatheart and his father, Aegon the Dragon. None could resist him. It was not before many of the outlaws lay dead, wounded, or fleeing, and only Byric the Bloody stood prepared to fight the King.
Far better armed than his companions, Byric the Bloody was clad in rusted maille, wielding a halberd with a wicked axe upon its head. Even armed with so long a weapon, though, he had little advantage over the Valyrian titan, whose great height nearly made up the difference between sword and polearm. With a feral roar, Byric the bloody swung his halberd in a wide arc, aiming for Maelon's right side. In a perhaps unexpected move, Maelon did not block with his sword, held in his right hand, but instead thrust his shield out to meet the blow. Continuing his momentum, Maelon lashed out with Blackfyre, and as Byric's eyes went wide, his head parted from his body, cleanly cut with the sharp Valyrian steel. His son recovered, Maelon rode back to King's Landing, unaware of what awaited him.
Arrayed before the Iron Throne stood several courtiers, notably Lady Elyn Gaunt and Ser Clarence the Short. While others had congratulated the King for his success against the Killers of the Kingswood, celebrating the return of young Maekar, these six members of the court bore a far more sombre appearance. Clad in his maille, white cloak flowing behind him, Ser Clarence stepped forward towards his King. Having served Maelon since the King was young, assigned to protect him when he was still the Prince of Dragonstone, Clarence the Short was one of Maelon's closest companions. Though five-and-fifty years of age, the veteran knight still towered over most men, striking fear into those who would oppose the King. His voice quiet but firm, Clarence spoke, "Your Grace, I fear I bring ill tidings." When Maelon only but arched a silvery brow, Clarence continued, "It concerns the Queen and your eldest son…"
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Interesting, seems not everyone is as pious as Maelon himself. Also, I am thoroughly disappointed that the these bandits' demands for 300 dragons weren't answered instead with the one gigantic one ready to scorch and dismember those who dare defy the children of mighty Valyria 
Jesus Christ, Maelon might as well be a Paladin for how well he can smite bandits!
Depending on how well your eldest son is compared to the youngers, this could be good or bad. Then again, if there's no way in Seven Hells that he could be anyone's son but Maelon's, then the truth must win out.
Depending on how well your eldest son is compared to the youngers, this could be good or bad. Then again, if there's no way in Seven Hells that he could be anyone's son but Maelon's, then the truth must win out.
Chapter 9: Gwyneth III
32-36 AL
32-36 AL
Gwyneth lounged in her chair, listening to her council. Maester Michael had just finished espousing her half-sister Margot's skill with numbers, which was all well and good even if Margot practically spat every time she saw her. After a moment, she realized the room had grown silent, everyone looking at her expectantly. Irritated, she wracked her memory of the past few moments and found what everyone is waiting on.
"So what if the King seeks to abolish the tradition of the First Night? It does not affect us." She pointedly ignored the quick glances of some of the lords in her council. "Send the raven back with a letter of support." Qarl nodded, and shuffled some of his papers.
"Now, unless there's something else you need to tell me burning its way through your loins, I think we're finished." Gwyneth dismissed them with a wave, but fixed her eyes on Tristifer. It was a rich joke that the Drowned Man of the Lady Paramount of the Iron Islands did not even worship the Drowned God, but no one else suited to the position could be found. "Tristifer, stay behind." Again, she pointedly ignored her council. Tristifer merely nodded, and the two of them waited for the other five men - and one woman - to leave the room.
"The table won't do for this, you know, cluttered as it is." Tristifer spoke first.
Gwyneth replied as she stood. "Then clear it." She turned around as Tristifer spoke.
"Really?"
"Yes. Getting out of this dress is a pain. Clear the desk in the meantime."
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Gwyneth reclined in her chair, sitting in her chair much like the previous year, and listened to the current litany of news that her council had brought her.
Ravella cleared her throat - or tried to, at least; at her age, it sounded more like a fit of coughing - and spoke in a dry, reedy voice. "The nobles are grateful that you have lowered their taxes. The commonfolk, however, are a different matter. The peasants were quite disgruntled with the latest tax collection, and, according to my agents, some have begun to arm themselves."
Gwyneth nodded and looked at her Master-of-Arms. "Lord Drennan?"
He inclined his head. "I will assign some of the men I am training to police the island. They could use the experience."
Gwyneth nodded and noticed Qarl tapping his papers in bursts of three. "The meeting is concluded. Qarl, stay behind please."
He nodded - barely - and smiled a smile that had no warmth in it whatsoever. Young though he was, the years and the work had worn on him. He waited for the rest of the council to file out of the room before approaching.
"Well? What is it?"
Qarl sat down at an adjacent chair without asking. He knew his standing with her. "I set Margot the task of finding some scrap that could be useful in proving your right to Blacktyde, and she's found something."
Gwyneth grimaced. "I suppose that explains why she keeps looking at me like I'm a silverpike about to bite her nose off."
Qarl raised an eyebrow lazily. "Is she now." He reached into a pocket and withdrew a carefully folded, but unsealed, note. "I've taken the liberty of drafting a letter."
Gwyneth carefully unfolded it, quickly read over it, and handed it back. "Good. On your way to find Maester Michael, find Drennan and tell him to muster my forces. Sargon won't give up his current position, not after what I did to his father."
"There is another issue. Bryan Arryn's fourteenth nameday is quite close."
Gwyneth closed her eyes and quickly counted. "I suppose you're right. Send a ship and courier to Gulltown."
Qarl simply nodded.
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The following months passed quickly. The young lord Sargon did indeed reject Gwyneth's demand to give up his post, and he called his banners. Gwyneth did the same, but she gave overall command to Lord Drennan.
Gwyneth's time was instead consumed with gardening. An offhand statement by Tristifer that the garden at Pyke was absolutely pitiful spurred her to action. By the time Sargon's men were annihilated outside Crow Spike Keep on the isle of Orkmont the garden was flourishing - at least by Ironborn standards.
As it happens, the fourth son of Ronnel Arryn arrived on the eve of victory. He was brought in by Qarl Orkwood, though he hardly looked the same. Clad in roughspun robes and carrying a driftwood cudgel, Qarl spoke of how their ship had been caught in a storm and how the young lord Bryan had been washed overboard. Qarl had sprung to the rescue, diving into the water after Bryan, and Qarl placed his success squarely at the Drowned God's feet. He spoke of many other things as well, but by that point Gwyneth had stopped listening and had instead begun to study Bryan. He was still a youth at fourteen, though Gwyneth was not that much older, and he was clad in plate that he seemed to know how to use.
The marriage itself was held the next morning, a small ceremony conducted to the sound of splashing water and the feel of soaked cloth.
A few months later, word of Sargon's surrender reached Pyke. Starved out of his castle, he had finally surrendered. The island of Blacktyde was seized by Gwyneth, but nothing was done to Sargon. She had no desire to kill her closest friend's brother.
And, half a year after that, Gwyneth gave birth to her third child, a living one this time. He seemed to take after his father, yet it was hard to tell, seeing as how Bryan Arryn had shaved his head to the point that it resembled an egg.
His name was Urzen.
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A Greyjoy keeping a garden? Whatever happened to "We Do Not Sow"?
That being said, good to see the Greyjoy line will continue on at least one more generation.
That being said, good to see the Greyjoy line will continue on at least one more generation.
Tier 4 fighter + Huge is quite the formidable foe for some petty bandits, I figure.
Maelon raised her wellA Greyjoy keeping a garden? Whatever happened to "We Do Not Sow"?
Terrible to say, but so far "We do not sow" seems more relevant to the Lady Greyjoy's womb rather than her garden :\
But at least there's an heir to the growing Greyjoy lands now, and by the looks of it, there won't be many landed nobles left in the Iron Islands by the time Urzen is to come to power, if he does.
But at least there's an heir to the growing Greyjoy lands now, and by the looks of it, there won't be many landed nobles left in the Iron Islands by the time Urzen is to come to power, if he does.
Ah more of the Greyjoy land purges. The Greyjoys will be strong when Urzen comes to power it seems.
THE IRON THRONE
Maelon Targaryen
36th through 40th Years Since Aegon's Conquest
Maelon Targaryen
36th through 40th Years Since Aegon's Conquest
Silence fell upon the Great Hall as Ser Clarence the Small finished his heartfelt speech. He claimed that, in the years before their marriage, the Queen had her eyes upon another man - another Targaryen - and before Maelon could think long to accuse his brother, the Kingsguard revealed the suspect - their father, Aegon the Dragon. Long moments passed before Maelon cut the stillness of the room, "I will hear of this no more. Any who support it further shall face the just punishment for such slander." Gazing firmly down at his most trusted guard, Maelon heaved a heavy sigh, continuing, "For the friendship we have borne, these past eleven years, I shall forget these words were ever said." With a motion of his hand, he dismissed the crowd, and live in King's Landing resumed anew.
The King's own household flourished as well, each of his children growing older, and beginning to show more and more expressive temperaments. As the years passed, the King finally settled upon matches for them, betrothing young Maekar to Lady Shierle, daughter of Lyman the Lionknight, while his elder brother, Lucaerys, was betrothed to Rowena Ruthermont, the granddaughter of Ronnel Arryn through his eldest daughter, Myranda. Rhaenys, his youngest child, was pledged to Loras Tyrell, the heir to Highgarden after the death of his half-brother, Byron. His eldest, Maelys, however, was left to focus upon his studies with the Grand Maester, left unpromised to any of the daughters or sisters of the high lords. Yet, it was not his own children alone that Maelon arranged marriages for, aiding his brother in securing a promising marriage between Viseria Targaryen and Eustace Arryn, and a marriage for his Hand, Tyon Reyne, that he might continue his line, despite being the third son of the Lord of Castamere. Even the King's dragon, Balerion the Black Dread, was blessed, and so the King came into the possession of an invaluable dragon egg.
In the years after Maekar's abduction at the hands of the Killers of the Kingswood, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Anguy Cafferen had fallen gravely ill, holding himself personally responsible for Maekar's kidnapping. After two years, at the young age of twenty-five, such ailments prevailed over the gallant knight. In his place, many expected knights such as Tymeon Lannister or Hectyr Florent to be named the new Lord Commander, men of great repute and skill. The good King Maelon, however, surprised them all, overlooking his differences with his childhood guardian to name Ser Clarence the Short as the new Lord Commander, raising him up from the ignoble lows he had fallen when his slander of the crown prince was dismissed. To replace the late Ser Anguy, Maelon was not forced to look far, calling upon Ser Holgar Flowers, the illegitimate son of the Lord of Tumbleton, to serve in King's Landing, bringing honor upon House Strickland for selecting one of their number to serve as one of the seven kingsguard.
As King's Landing continued to flourish under the Queen's masterful administration, Maelon began to turn his gaze outward, looking to where else Elaena's skills could be put to good use. Thus it was in the fortieth year after Aegon's Landing that the King began to rebuild the ruined castle of Oldstones, aided by the number of builders and stone masons that the Queen had attracted to her retinue. In addition, the King finally declared that a suitable bride had been found for the crown prince, and that the Seven had guided him in making this match. Mylessa Sevenwaters, a lady the King declared to be a princess of old Andalos, was called from Essos to be formally betrothed to Prince Maelys, a union that Maelon found more pleasing and holy than the incestuous unions his family had practiced for generations, even if such had allowed him to be united with his beloved sister and wife.
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Lady Alleria's liege portrait might be a bit of a spoiler, guess we'll have to wait and see :X
So is Maelys's bride even Valyrian, or have the Targs given up their blue blood ideals completely?
So is Maelys's bride even Valyrian, or have the Targs given up their blue blood ideals completely?
Nope, she's straight Andal.
That being said, Maelon has forsaken the incestuous practices of Valyria as per his zeal for the Faith, but his successor(s) might not feel the same way.
That being said, Maelon has forsaken the incestuous practices of Valyria as per his zeal for the Faith, but his successor(s) might not feel the same way.